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Behrens HM, Schmidt S, Henshall IG, López-Barona P, Peigney D, Sabitzki R, May J, Maïga-Ascofaré O, Spielmann T. Impact of different mutations on Kelch13 protein levels, ART resistance, and fitness cost in Plasmodium falciparum parasites. mBio 2024; 15:e0198123. [PMID: 38700363 PMCID: PMC11237660 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01981-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Reduced susceptibility to ART, the first-line treatment against malaria, is common in South East Asia (SEA). It is associated with point mutations, mostly in kelch13 (k13) but also in other genes, like ubp1. K13 and its compartment neighbors (KICs), including UBP1, are involved in endocytosis of host cell cytosol. We tested 135 mutations in KICs but none conferred ART resistance. Double mutations of k13C580Y with k13R539T or k13C580Y with ubp1R3138H, did also not increase resistance. In contrast, k13C580Y parasites subjected to consecutive RSAs did, but the k13 sequence was not altered. Using isogenic parasites with different k13 mutations, we found correlations between K13 protein amount, resistance, and fitness cost. Titration of K13 and KIC7 indicated that the cellular levels of these proteins determined resistance through the rate of endocytosis. While fitness cost of k13 mutations correlated with ART resistance, ubp1R3138H caused a disproportionately higher fitness cost. IMPORTANCE Parasites with lowered sensitivity to artemisinin-based drugs are becoming widespread. However, even in these "resistant" parasites not all parasites survive treatment. We found that the proportion of surviving parasites correlates with the fitness cost of resistance-inducing mutations which might indicate that the growth disadvantages prevents resistance levels where all parasites survive treatment. We also found that combining two common resistance mutations did not increase resistance levels. However, selection through repeated ART-exposure did, even-though the known resistance genes, including k13, were not further altered, suggesting other causes of increased resistance. We also observed a disproportionally high fitness cost of a resistance mutation in resistance gene ubp1. Such high fitness costs may explain why mutations in ubp1 and other genes functioning in the same pathway as k13 are rare. This highlights that k13 mutations are unique in their ability to cause resistance at a comparably low fitness cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M. Behrens
- Malaria Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sabine Schmidt
- Malaria Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Isabelle G. Henshall
- Malaria Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Patricia López-Barona
- Malaria Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Domitille Peigney
- Malaria Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ricarda Sabitzki
- Malaria Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen May
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology Department, Epidemiology and Diagnostics, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Luebeck-Borstel-Riems, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Oumou Maïga-Ascofaré
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology Department, Epidemiology and Diagnostics, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Luebeck-Borstel-Riems, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Spielmann
- Malaria Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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Small-Saunders JL, Sinha A, Bloxham TS, Hagenah LM, Sun G, Preiser PR, Dedon PC, Fidock DA. tRNA modification reprogramming contributes to artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:1483-1498. [PMID: 38632343 PMCID: PMC11153160 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01664-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum artemisinin (ART) resistance is driven by mutations in kelch-like protein 13 (PfK13). Quiescence, a key aspect of resistance, may also be regulated by a yet unidentified epigenetic pathway. Transfer RNA modification reprogramming and codon bias translation is a conserved epitranscriptomic translational control mechanism that allows cells to rapidly respond to stress. We report a role for this mechanism in ART-resistant parasites by combining tRNA modification, proteomic and codon usage analyses in ring-stage ART-sensitive and ART-resistant parasites in response to drug. Post-drug, ART-resistant parasites differentially hypomodify mcm5s2U on tRNA and possess a subset of proteins, including PfK13, that are regulated by Lys codon-biased translation. Conditional knockdown of the terminal s2U thiouridylase, PfMnmA, in an ART-sensitive parasite background led to increased ART survival, suggesting that hypomodification can alter the parasite ART response. This study describes an epitranscriptomic pathway via tRNA s2U reprogramming that ART-resistant parasites may employ to survive ART-induced stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Small-Saunders
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Ameya Sinha
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Antimicrobial Resistance IRG, Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Talia S Bloxham
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Laura M Hagenah
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Guangxin Sun
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Peter R Preiser
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Antimicrobial Resistance IRG, Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Peter C Dedon
- Antimicrobial Resistance IRG, Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David A Fidock
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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Rosenthal PJ, Asua V, Conrad MD. Emergence, transmission dynamics and mechanisms of artemisinin partial resistance in malaria parasites in Africa. Nat Rev Microbiol 2024; 22:373-384. [PMID: 38321292 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-024-01008-2] [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] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Malaria, mostly due to Plasmodium falciparum infection in Africa, remains one of the most important infectious diseases in the world. Standard treatment for uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria is artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), which includes a rapid-acting artemisinin derivative plus a longer-acting partner drug, and standard therapy for severe P. falciparum malaria is intravenous artesunate. The efficacy of artemisinins and ACT has been threatened by the emergence of artemisinin partial resistance in Southeast Asia, mediated principally by mutations in the P. falciparum Kelch 13 (K13) protein. High ACT treatment failure rates have occurred when resistance to partner drugs is also seen. Recently, artemisinin partial resistance has emerged in Rwanda, Uganda and the Horn of Africa, with independent emergences of different K13 mutants in each region. In this Review, we summarize our current knowledge of artemisinin partial resistance and focus on the emergence of resistance in Africa, including its epidemiology, transmission dynamics and mechanisms. At present, the clinical impact of emerging resistance in Africa is unclear and most available evidence suggests that the efficacies of leading ACTs remain excellent, but there is an urgent need to better appreciate the extent of the problem and its consequences for the treatment and control of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Victor Asua
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
- University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Lucky AB, Wang C, Li X, Liang X, Muneer A, Miao J. Transforming the CRISPR/dCas9-based gene regulation technique into a forward screening tool in Plasmodium falciparum. iScience 2024; 27:109602. [PMID: 38617559 PMCID: PMC11015506 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109602] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
It is a significant challenge to assess the functions of many uncharacterized genes in human malaria parasites. Here, we present a genetic screening tool to assess the contribution of essential genes from Plasmodium falciparum by the conditional CRISPR-/deadCas9-based interference and activation (i/a) systems. We screened both CRISPRi and CRISPRa sets, consisting of nine parasite lines per set targeting nine genes via their respective gRNAs. By conducting amplicon sequencing of gRNA loci, we identified the contribution of each targeted gene to parasite fitness upon drug (artemisinin, chloroquine) and stress (starvation, heat shock) treatment. The screening was highly reproducible, and the screening libraries were easily generated by transfection of mixed plasmids expressing different gRNAs. We demonstrated that this screening is straightforward, robust, and can provide a fast and efficient tool to study essential genes that have long presented a bottleneck in assessing their functions using existing genetic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amuza Byaruhanga Lucky
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Chengqi Wang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Xiaolian Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Xiaoying Liang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Azhar Muneer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Jun Miao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
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Mwanga EP, Siria DJ, Mshani IH, Mwinyi SH, Abbasi S, Jimenez MG, Wynne K, Baldini F, Babayan SA, Okumu FO. Rapid classification of epidemiologically relevant age categories of the malaria vector, Anopheles funestus. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:143. [PMID: 38500231 PMCID: PMC10949582 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06209-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accurately determining the age and survival probabilities of adult mosquitoes is crucial for understanding parasite transmission, evaluating the effectiveness of control interventions and assessing disease risk in communities. This study was aimed at demonstrating the rapid identification of epidemiologically relevant age categories of Anopheles funestus, a major Afro-tropical malaria vector, through the innovative combination of infrared spectroscopy and machine learning, instead of the cumbersome practice of dissecting mosquito ovaries to estimate age based on parity status. METHODS Anopheles funestus larvae were collected in rural south-eastern Tanzania and reared in an insectary. Emerging adult females were sorted by age (1-16 days old) and preserved using silica gel. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmation was conducted using DNA extracted from mosquito legs to verify the presence of An. funestus and to eliminate undesired mosquitoes. Mid-infrared spectra were obtained by scanning the heads and thoraces of the mosquitoes using an attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FT-IR) spectrometer. The spectra (N = 2084) were divided into two epidemiologically relevant age groups: 1-9 days (young, non-infectious) and 10-16 days (old, potentially infectious). The dimensionality of the spectra was reduced using principal component analysis, and then a set of machine learning and multi-layer perceptron (MLP) models were trained using the spectra to predict the mosquito age categories. RESULTS The best-performing model, XGBoost, achieved overall accuracy of 87%, with classification accuracy of 89% for young and 84% for old An. funestus. When the most important spectral features influencing the model performance were selected to train a new model, the overall accuracy increased slightly to 89%. The MLP model, utilizing the significant spectral features, achieved higher classification accuracy of 95% and 94% for the young and old An. funestus, respectively. After dimensionality reduction, the MLP achieved 93% accuracy for both age categories. CONCLUSIONS This study shows how machine learning can quickly classify epidemiologically relevant age groups of An. funestus based on their mid-infrared spectra. Having been previously applied to An. gambiae, An. arabiensis and An. coluzzii, this demonstration on An. funestus underscores the potential of this low-cost, reagent-free technique for widespread use on all the major Afro-tropical malaria vectors. Future research should demonstrate how such machine-derived age classifications in field-collected mosquitoes correlate with malaria in human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel P Mwanga
- Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, P.O. Box 53, Morogoro, Tanzania.
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
| | - Doreen J Siria
- Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, P.O. Box 53, Morogoro, Tanzania
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Issa H Mshani
- Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, P.O. Box 53, Morogoro, Tanzania
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Sophia H Mwinyi
- Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, P.O. Box 53, Morogoro, Tanzania
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Said Abbasi
- Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, P.O. Box 53, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Mario Gonzalez Jimenez
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
- School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Klaas Wynne
- School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Francesco Baldini
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Simon A Babayan
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Fredros O Okumu
- Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, P.O. Box 53, Morogoro, Tanzania
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School of Life Science and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, P. O. Box 447, Arusha, Tanzania
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Pandit K, Surolia N, Bhattacharjee S, Karmodiya K. The many paths to artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum. Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:1060-1073. [PMID: 37833166 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.09.011] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Emerging resistance against artemisinin (ART) poses a major challenge in controlling malaria. Parasites with mutations in PfKelch13, the major marker for ART resistance, are known to reduce hemoglobin endocytosis, induce unfolded protein response (UPR), elevate phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate (PI3P) levels, and stimulate autophagy. Nonetheless, PfKelch13-independent resistance is also reported, indicating extensive complementation by reconfiguration in the parasite metabolome and transcriptome. These findings implicate that there may not be a single 'universal identifier' of ART resistance. This review sheds light on the molecular, transcriptional, and metabolic pathways associated with ART resistance, while also highlighting the interplay between cellular heterogeneity, environmental stress, and ART sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kushankur Pandit
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Namita Surolia
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Souvik Bhattacharjee
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Krishanpal Karmodiya
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India.
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Schmidt S, Wichers-Misterek JS, Behrens HM, Birnbaum J, Henshall IG, Dröge J, Jonscher E, Flemming S, Castro-Peña C, Mesén-Ramírez P, Spielmann T. The Kelch13 compartment contains highly divergent vesicle trafficking proteins in malaria parasites. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011814. [PMID: 38039338 PMCID: PMC10718435 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Single amino acid changes in the parasite protein Kelch13 (K13) result in reduced susceptibility of P. falciparum parasites to artemisinin and its derivatives (ART). Recent work indicated that K13 and other proteins co-localising with K13 (K13 compartment proteins) are involved in the endocytic uptake of host cell cytosol (HCCU) and that a reduction in HCCU results in reduced susceptibility to ART. HCCU is critical for parasite survival but is poorly understood, with the K13 compartment proteins among the few proteins so far functionally linked to this process. Here we further defined the composition of the K13 compartment by analysing more hits from a previous BioID, showing that MyoF and MCA2 as well as Kelch13 interaction candidate (KIC) 11 and 12 are found at this site. Functional analyses, tests for ART susceptibility as well as comparisons of structural similarities using AlphaFold2 predictions of these and previously identified proteins showed that vesicle trafficking and endocytosis domains were frequent in proteins involved in resistance or endocytosis (or both), comprising one group of K13 compartment proteins. While this strengthened the link of the K13 compartment to endocytosis, many proteins of this group showed unusual domain combinations and large parasite-specific regions, indicating a high level of taxon-specific adaptation of this process. Another group of K13 compartment proteins did not influence endocytosis or ART susceptibility and lacked detectable vesicle trafficking domains. We here identified the first protein of this group that is important for asexual blood stage development and showed that it likely is involved in invasion. Overall, this work identified novel proteins functioning in endocytosis and at the K13 compartment. Together with comparisons of structural predictions it provides a repertoire of functional domains at the K13 compartment that indicate a high level of adaption of endocytosis in malaria parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Schmidt
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Jakob Birnbaum
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Jana Dröge
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ernst Jonscher
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sven Flemming
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Tobias Spielmann
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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8
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Chen J, Gao P, Xiao W, Cheng G, Krishna S, Wang J, Wong YK, Wang C, Gu L, Yang DH, Wang J. Multi-omics dissection of stage-specific artemisinin tolerance mechanisms in Kelch13-mutant Plasmodium falciparum. Drug Resist Updat 2023; 70:100978. [PMID: 37385107 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2023.100978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
AIMS We investigated the stage-specific mechanisms of partial resistance to artemisinin (ART, an antimalarial drug) in Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) carrying the Kelch13 C580Y mutation. METHODS Using fluorescence labeling and activity-based protein profiling, we systematically profile the ART activation levels in P. falciparum during the entire intra-erythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC), and determined the ART-targets profile of the ART-sensitive and -resistant strains at different stages. We retrieved and integrated datasets of single-cell transcriptomics and label-free proteomics across three IDC stages of wild-type P. falciparum. We also employed lipidomics to validate lipid metabolic reprogramming in the resistant strain. RESULTS The activation and expression patterns of genes and proteins of ART-targets in both ART-sensitive and resistant strains varied at different stages and periods of P. falciparum development, with the late trophozoite stage harboring the largest number of ART targets. We identified and validated 36 overlapping targets, such as GAPDH, EGF-1a, and SpdSyn, during the IDC stages in both strains. We revealed the ART-insensitivity of fatty acid-associated activities in the partially resistant strain at both the early ring and early trophozoite stages. CONCLUSIONS Our multi-omics strategies provide novel insights into the mechanisms of ART partial resistance in Kelch13 mutant P. falciparum, demonstrating the stage-specific interaction between ART and malaria parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayun Chen
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; Department of Critical Medicine, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, China
| | - Peng Gao
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Wei Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China
| | - Guangqing Cheng
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Sanjeev Krishna
- Clinical Academic Group in Institute for Infection & Immunity, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom; St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom; Institut für Tropenmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jianyou Wang
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Yin Kwan Wong
- Department of Critical Medicine, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Liwei Gu
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Dong Hua Yang
- New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Mineola, United States.
| | - Jigang Wang
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; Department of Critical Medicine, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, China.
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9
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Brown AC, Warthan MD, Aryal A, Liu S, Guler JL. Nutrient Limitation Mimics Artemisinin Tolerance in Malaria. mBio 2023:e0070523. [PMID: 37097173 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00705-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Mounting evidence demonstrates that nutritional environment can alter pathogen drug sensitivity. While the rich media used for in vitro culture contains supraphysiological nutrient concentrations, pathogens encounter a relatively restrictive environment in vivo. We assessed the effect of nutrient limitation on the protozoan parasite that causes malaria and demonstrated that short-term growth under physiologically relevant mild nutrient stress (or "metabolic priming") triggers increased tolerance of a potent antimalarial drug. We observed beneficial effects using both short-term survival assays and longer-term proliferation studies, where metabolic priming increases parasite survival to a level previously defined as resistant (>1% survival). We performed these assessments by either decreasing single nutrients that have distinct roles in metabolism or using a media formulation that simulates the human plasma environment. We determined that priming-induced tolerance was restricted to parasites that had newly invaded the host red blood cell, but the effect was not dependent on genetic background. The molecular mechanisms of this intrinsic effect mimic aspects of genetic tolerance, including translational repression and protein export. This finding suggests that regardless of the impact on survival rates, environmental stress could stimulate changes that ultimately directly contribute to drug tolerance. Because metabolic stress is likely to occur more frequently in vivo compared to the stable in vitro environment, priming-induced drug tolerance has ramifications for how in vitro results translate to in vivo studies. Improving our understanding of how pathogens adjust their metabolism to impact survival of current and future drugs is an important avenue of research to slow the evolution of resistance. IMPORTANCE There is a dire need for effective treatments against microbial pathogens. Yet, the continuing emergence of drug resistance necessitates a deeper knowledge of how pathogens respond to treatments. We have long appreciated the contribution of genetic evolution to drug resistance, but transient metabolic changes that arise in response to environmental factors are less recognized. Here, we demonstrate that short-term growth of malaria parasites in a nutrient-limiting environment triggers cellular changes that lead to better survival of drug treatment. We found that these strategies are similar to those employed by drug-tolerant parasites, which suggests that starvation "primes" parasites to survive and potentially evolve resistance. Since the environment of the human host is relatively nutrient restrictive compared to growth conditions in standard laboratory culture, this discovery highlights the important connections among nutrient levels, protective cellular pathways, and resistance evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey C Brown
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Michelle D Warthan
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Anush Aryal
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Shiwei Liu
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Jennifer L Guler
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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Wang L, Ji H, Ni S, Xu J, Zhang Y, Zhao X, Wu X, Tian J, Chen J. Antimalarial activity and sensitization of chrysosplenetin against artemisinin-resistant genotype Plasmodium berghei K173 potentially via dual-mechanism of maintaining host P-glycoprotein homeostasis mediated by NF-κB p52 or PXR/CAR signaling pathways and regulating heme/haemozoin metabolism. Phytother Res 2023. [PMID: 36938853 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated antimalarial efficacy and sensitization of chrysosplenetin against artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium berghei K173 and potential molecular mechanism. Our data indicated a risk of artemisinin resistance because a higher parasitaemia% and lower inhibition% under artemisinin treatment against resistant parasites than those in the sensitive groups were observed. Two non-antimalarial components, verapamil and chrysosplentin, being P-gp inhibitors, possessed a strong efficacy against resistant parasites but it was not the case for Bcrp inhibitor novobiocin. Artemisinin-chrysosplenetin combination improved artemisinin susceptibility of resistant P. berghei. Artemisinin activated intestinal P-gp and Abcb1/Abcg2 expressions and suppressed Bcrp whereas chrysosplenetin reversed them. Resistant parasite infection led to a decreased haemozoin in organs or an increased heme in peripheral bloods compared with the sensitives; however, that in Abcb1-deficient knockout (KO)-resistant mice reversely got increased or decreased versus wild type (WT)-resistant animals. Chrysosplenetin as well as rifampin (nuclear receptor agonist) increased the transcription levels of PXR/CAR while showed a versatile regulation on hepatic and enternal PXR/CAR in WT- or KO-sensitive or -resistant parasites. Oppositely, hepatic and enteric NF-κB p52 mRNA decreased conformably in WT but increased in KO-resistant mice. NF-κB pathway potentially involved in the mechanism of chrysosplenetin on inhibiting P-gp expressions while PXR/CAR play a more complicated role in this mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lirong Wang
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Hongyan Ji
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Shanhong Ni
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Jinjing Xu
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Xuesong Zhao
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Xiuli Wu
- College of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Jingxuan Tian
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zonoses, Yangzhou, China
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11
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Wang Y, Tian J, Chen J, Ni S, Yao Y, Wang L, Wu X, Song R, Chen J. Nontargeted metabolomics integrated with 1 H NMR and LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS methods to depict a more comprehensive metabolic profile in response to chrysosplenetin and artemisinin co-treatment against artemisinin-sensitive and -resistant Plasmodium berghei K173. Biomed Chromatogr 2023; 37:e5561. [PMID: 36471489 DOI: 10.1002/bmc.5561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Our previous work revealed mutual and specific metabolites/pathways in artemisinin-sensitive and -resistant Plasmodium berghei K173-infected mice. In this study, we further investigated whether chrysosplenetin, a candidate chemical to prevent artemisinin resistance, can regulate these metabolites/pathways by integrating nontargeted metabolomics with 1 H NMR and LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS spectrum. The nuclear magnetic resonance method generated specifically altered metabolites in response to co-treatment with chrysosplenetin, including: the products of glycolysis such as glucose, pyruvate, lactate and alanine; taurine, closely associated with liver injury; arginine and proline as essential amino acids for parasites; TMAO, a biomarker for dysbacteriosis and renal function; and tyrosine, which is used to generate levodopa and dopamine and may improve the torpor state of mice. Importantly, we noticed that chrysosplenetin might depress the activated glycolysis induced by sensitive parasites, but oppositely promoted the inhibited glycolysis to generate more lactate, which suppresses the proliferation of resistant parasites. Moreover, chrysosplentin possibly disturbs the heme biosynthetic pathway in mitochondria. The MS method yielded changed coenzyme A, phosphatidylcholine and ceramides, closely related to mitochondria β-oxidation, cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. These two means shared no overlapped metabolites and formed a more broader metabolic map to study the potential mechanisms of chrysosplenetin as a promising artemisinin resistance inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yisen Wang
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jingxuan Tian
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jie Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Shanhong Ni
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Ying Yao
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Lirong Wang
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Xiuli Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Ruilong Song
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
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12
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Ring stage dormancy of Plasmodium falciparum tolerant to artemisinin and its analogues - A genetically regulated "Sleeping Beauty". Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2023; 21:61-64. [PMID: 36708651 PMCID: PMC9883618 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2023.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The appearance in 2008 in western Cambodia of Plasmodium falciparum tolerant to artemisinin, defined by longer parasite clearance time following drug administration and in vitro by a slightly higher survival rate of the ring stage after a 3-h treatment with 700 nM artemisinin (or analogues, collectively termed ART), has raised concerns of the possible loss of this frontline antimalarial [used in the form of an artemisinin combination therapy (ACT)], with its low IC50 value against the ring stage and pleiotropic pro-drug/poison property. The key genetic marker of ART tolerance phenotype is a number of non-synonymous mutations in Pfkelch13 propeller domain. This results in defective assembly at the ring stage of a cytostome structure located at cytoplasmic side of the parasite membrane required for invagination of a double-membrane endosome carrying host cytosol haemoglobin to the digestive vacuole. The consequential deprivation of amino acids initiates ring stage parasites bearing the causal mutations in PfK13 (or other key cytostome components) entry into a dormant state ("Sleeping Beauty"), which, after a duration longer than that the short-lived ART, "Sleeping Beauty" ring parasite resumes its normal, but accelerated, development to maintain the 48-h intra-erythrocytic life-cycle. We posit that when ART-tolerant P. falciparum has acquired under ART stress the causative PfK13 mutation (not obligatory if mutations occur in other critical cytostome components), together with other necessary mutations to adjust to the new normalcy and to provide survival competitiveness, ART-tolerant parasite has now evolved into a genetically programmed "Sleeping Beauty". The onus of preventing the spread of ART-tolerant P. falciparum lies with the efficacy of ACT partner drug, hence the recommendation of a triple ACT (TACT). Nevertheless, attention should also be focussed on understanding the mechanisms of dormancy, such as induction, maintenance and recovery, to enable discovery and development of novel antimalarials targeting this unique parasite stage.
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13
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Ring-stage growth arrest: Metabolic basis of artemisinin tolerance in Plasmodium falciparum. iScience 2022; 26:105725. [PMID: 36579133 PMCID: PMC9791339 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence and spread of artemisinin-tolerant malaria parasites threatens malaria control programmes worldwide. Mutations in the propeller domain of the Kelch13 protein confer Plasmodium falciparum artemisinin resistance (ART-R). ART-R is linked to the reduced susceptibility of temporary growth-arrested ring-stage parasites, but the metabolic mechanisms remain elusive. We generated two PfKelch13 mutant lines via CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing which displayed a reduced susceptibility accompanied by an extended ring stage. The metabolome of ART-induced ring-stage growth arrest parasites carrying PfKelch13 mutations showed significant alterations in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, glycolysis, and amino acids metabolism, pointing to altered energy and porphyrin metabolism with metabolic plasticity. The critical role of these pathways was further confirmed by altering metabolic flow or through chemical inhibition. Our findings uncover that the growth arrestment associated with ART-R is potentially attributed to the adaptative metabolic plasticity, indicating that the defined metabolic remodeling turns out to be the trigger for ART-R.
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14
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Duffy S, Avery VM. Naturally Acquired Kelch13 Mutations in Plasmodium falciparum Strains Modulate In Vitro Ring-Stage Artemisinin-Based Drug Tolerance and Parasite Survival in Response to Hyperoxia. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0128221. [PMID: 36094220 PMCID: PMC9602862 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01282-21] [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: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The ring-stage survival assay was utilized to assess the impact of physiological hyperoxic stress on dihydroartemisinin (DHA) tolerance for a panel of Plasmodium falciparum strains with and without Kelch13 mutations. Strains without naturally acquired Kelch13 mutations or the postulated genetic background associated with delayed parasite clearance time demonstrated reduced proliferation under hyperoxic conditions in the subsequent proliferation cycle. Dihydroartemisinin tolerance in three isolates with naturally acquired Kelch13 mutations but not two genetically manipulated laboratory strains was modulated by in vitro hyperoxic stress exposure of early-ring-stage parasites in the cycle before drug exposure. Reduced parasite tolerance to additional derivatives, including artemisinin, artesunate, and OZ277, was observed within the second proliferation cycle. OZ439 and epoxomicin completely prevented parasite survival under both hyperoxia and normoxic in vitro culture conditions, highlighting the unique relationship between DHA tolerance and Kelch13 mutation-associated genetic background. IMPORTANCE Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) for treating malaria is under intense scrutiny following treatment failures in the Greater Mekong subregion of Asia. This is further compounded by the potential for extensive loss of life if treatment failures extend to the African continent. Although Plasmodium falciparum has become resistant to all antimalarial drugs, artemisinin "resistance" does not present in the same way as resistance to other antimalarial drugs. Instead, a partial resistance or tolerance is demonstrated, associated with the parasite's genetic profile and linked to a molecular marker referred to as K13. It is suggested that parasites may have adapted to drug treatment, as well as the presence of underlying population health issues such as hemoglobinopathies, and/or environmental pressures, resulting in parasite tolerance to ACT. Understanding parasite evolution and control of artemisinin tolerance will provide innovative approaches to mitigate the development of artemisinin tolerance and thereby artemisinin-based drug treatment failure and loss of life globally to malaria infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Duffy
- Discovery Biology, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Vicky M. Avery
- Discovery Biology, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
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15
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Recent metabolomic developments for antimalarial drug discovery. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:3351-3380. [PMID: 36194273 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07673-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/10/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is a parasitic disease that remains a global health issue, responsible for a significant death and morbidity toll. Various factors have impacted the use and delayed the development of antimalarial therapies, such as the associated financial cost and parasitic resistance. In order to discover new drugs and validate parasitic targets, a powerful omics tool, metabolomics, emerged as a reliable approach. However, as a fairly recent method in malaria, new findings are timely and original practices emerge frequently. This review aims to discuss recent research towards the development of new metabolomic methods in the context of uncovering antiplasmodial mechanisms of action in vitro and to point out innovative metabolic pathways that can revitalize the antimalarial pipeline.
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16
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Okombo J, Mok S, Qahash T, Yeo T, Bath J, Orchard LM, Owens E, Koo I, Albert I, Llinás M, Fidock DA. Piperaquine-resistant PfCRT mutations differentially impact drug transport, hemoglobin catabolism and parasite physiology in Plasmodium falciparum asexual blood stages. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010926. [PMID: 36306287 PMCID: PMC9645663 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of Plasmodium falciparum parasite resistance to dihydroartemisinin + piperaquine (PPQ) in Southeast Asia threatens plans to increase the global use of this first-line antimalarial combination. High-level PPQ resistance appears to be mediated primarily by novel mutations in the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT), which enhance parasite survival at high PPQ concentrations in vitro and increase the risk of dihydroartemisinin + PPQ treatment failure in patients. Using isogenic Dd2 parasites expressing contemporary pfcrt alleles with differential in vitro PPQ susceptibilities, we herein characterize the molecular and physiological adaptations that define PPQ resistance in vitro. Using drug uptake and cellular heme fractionation assays we report that the F145I, M343L, and G353V PfCRT mutations differentially impact PPQ and chloroquine efflux. These mutations also modulate proteolytic degradation of host hemoglobin and the chemical inactivation of reactive heme species. Peptidomic analyses reveal significantly higher accumulation of putative hemoglobin-derived peptides in the PPQ-resistant mutant PfCRT isoforms compared to parental PPQ-sensitive Dd2. Joint transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling of late trophozoites from PPQ-resistant or -sensitive isogenic lines reveals differential expression of genes involved in protein translation and cellular metabolism. PPQ-resistant parasites also show increased susceptibility to an inhibitor of the P. falciparum M17 aminopeptidase that operates on short globin-derived peptides. These results reveal unique physiological changes caused by the gain of PPQ resistance and highlight the potential therapeutic value of targeting peptide metabolism in P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Okombo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Tarrick Qahash
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Jade Bath
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Lindsey M. Orchard
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Edward Owens
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Imhoi Koo
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Istvan Albert
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - David A. Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
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17
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Goel N, Dhiman K, Kalidas N, Mukhopadhyay A, Ashish F, Bhattacharjee S. Plasmodium falciparum
Kelch13 and its artemisinin‐resistant mutants assemble as hexamers in solution: a SAXS data‐driven modelling study. FEBS J 2022; 289:4935-4962. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.16378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nainy Goel
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi India
| | - Kanika Dhiman
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research‐Institute of Microbial Technology Chandigarh India
| | - Nidhi Kalidas
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research‐Institute of Microbial Technology Chandigarh India
| | - Anwesha Mukhopadhyay
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi India
| | - Fnu Ashish
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research‐Institute of Microbial Technology Chandigarh India
| | - Souvik Bhattacharjee
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi India
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18
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Liang X, Boonhok R, Siddiqui FA, Xiao B, Li X, Qin J, Min H, Jiang L, Cui L, Miao J. A Leak-Free Inducible CRISPRi/a System for Gene Functional Studies in Plasmodium falciparum. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0278221. [PMID: 35510853 PMCID: PMC9241666 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02782-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
By fusing catalytically dead Cas9 (dCas9) to active domains of histone deacetylase (Sir2a) or acetyltransferase (GCN5), this CRISPR interference/activation (CRISPRi/a) system allows gene regulation at the transcriptional level without causing permanent changes in the parasite genome. However, the constitutive expression of dCas9 poses a challenge for studying essential genes, which may lead to adaptive changes in the parasite, masking the true phenotypes. Here, we developed a leak-free inducible CRISPRi/a system by integrating the DiCre/loxP regulon to allow the expression of dCas9-GCN5/-Sir2a upon transient induction with rapamycin, which allows convenient transcriptional regulation of a gene of interest by introducing a guide RNA targeting its transcription start region. Using eight genes that are either silent or expressed from low to high levels during asexual erythrocytic development, we evaluated the robustness and versatility of this system in the asexual parasites. For most genes analyzed, this inducible CRISPRi/a system led to 1.5- to 3-fold up-or downregulation of the target genes at the mRNA level. Alteration in the expression of PfK13 and PfMYST resulted in altered sensitivities to artemisinin. For autophagy-related protein 18, an essential gene related to artemisinin resistance, a >2-fold up- or downregulation was obtained by inducible CRISPRi/a, leading to growth retardation. For the master regulator of gametocytogenesis, PfAP2-G, a >10-fold increase of the PfAP2-G transcripts was obtained by CRISPRa, resulting in >4-fold higher gametocytemia in the induced parasites. Additionally, inducible CRISPRi/a could also regulate gene expression in gametocytes. This inducible epigenetic regulation system offers a fast way of studying gene functions in Plasmodium falciparum. IMPORTANCE Understanding the fundamental biology of malaria parasites through functional genetic/genomic studies is critical for identifying novel targets for antimalarial development. Conditional knockout/knockdown systems are required to study essential genes in the haploid blood stages of the parasite. In this study, we developed an inducible CRISPRi/a system via the integration of DiCre/loxP. We evaluated the robustness and versatility of this system by activating or repressing eight selected genes and achieved up- and downregulation of the targeted genes located in both the euchromatin and heterochromatin regions. This system offers the malaria research community another tool for functional genetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Liang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Rachasak Boonhok
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Faiza Amber Siddiqui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Bo Xiao
- Unit of Human Parasite Molecular and Cell Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaolian Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Junling Qin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Hui Min
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Lubin Jiang
- Unit of Human Parasite Molecular and Cell Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Jun Miao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
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19
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Bernard MM, Mohanty A, Rajendran V. Title: A Comprehensive Review on Classifying Fast-acting and Slow-acting Antimalarial Agents Based on Time of Action and Target Organelle of Plasmodium sp. Pathog Dis 2022; 80:6589403. [PMID: 35588061 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftac015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The clinical resistance towards malarial parasites has rendered many antimalarials ineffective, likely due to a lack of understanding of time of action and stage specificity of all life stages. Therefore, to tackle this problem a more incisive comprehensive analysis of the fast and slow-acting profile of antimalarial agents relating to parasite time-kill kinetics and the target organelle on the progression of blood-stage parasites was carried out. It is evident from numerous findings that drugs targeting food vacuole, nuclear components, and endoplasmic reticulum mainly exhibit a fast-killing phenotype within 24h affecting first-cycle activity. Whereas drugs targeting mitochondria, apicoplast, microtubules, parasite invasion and egress exhibit a largely slow-killing phenotype within 96-120h, affecting second-cycle activity with few exemptions as moderately fast-killing. It is essential to understand the susceptibility of drugs on rings, trophozoites, schizonts, merozoites, and the appearance of organelle at each stage of 48h intraerythrocytic parasite cycle. Therefore, these parameters may facilitate the paradigm for understanding the timing of antimalarials action in deciphering its precise mechanism linked with time. Thus, classifying drugs based on the time of killing may promote designing new combination regimens against varied strains of P. falciparum and evaluating potential clinical resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Marie Bernard
- Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605014, India
| | - Abhinab Mohanty
- Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605014, India
| | - Vinoth Rajendran
- Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605014, India
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20
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Rawat M, Kanyal A, Choubey D, Deshmukh B, Malhotra R, Mamatharani DV, Rao AG, Karmodiya K. Identification of Co-Existing Mutations and Gene Expression Trends Associated With K13-Mediated Artemisinin Resistance in Plasmodium falciparum. Front Genet 2022; 13:824483. [PMID: 35464842 PMCID: PMC9019836 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.824483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum infects millions and kills thousands of people annually the world over. With the emergence of artemisinin and/or multidrug resistant strains of the pathogen, it has become even more challenging to control and eliminate the disease. Multiomics studies of the parasite have started to provide a glimpse into the confounding genetics and mechanisms of artemisinin resistance and identified mutations in Kelch13 (K13) as a molecular marker of resistance. Over the years, thousands of genomes and transcriptomes of artemisinin-resistant/sensitive isolates have been documented, supplementing the search for new genes/pathways to target artemisinin-resistant isolates. This meta-analysis seeks to recap the genetic landscape and the transcriptional deregulation that demarcate artemisinin resistance in the field. To explore the genetic territory of artemisinin resistance, we use genomic single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) datasets from 2,517 isolates from 15 countries from the MalariaGEN Network (The Pf3K project, pilot data release 4, 2015) to dissect the prevalence, geographical distribution, and co-existing patterns of genetic markers associated with/enabling artemisinin resistance. We have identified several mutations which co-exist with the established markers of artemisinin resistance. Interestingly, K13-resistant parasites harbor α-ß hydrolase and putative HECT domain-containing protein genes with the maximum number of SNPs. We have also explored the multiple, publicly available transcriptomic datasets to identify genes from key biological pathways whose consistent deregulation may be contributing to the biology of resistant parasites. Surprisingly, glycolytic and pentose phosphate pathways were consistently downregulated in artemisinin-resistant parasites. Thus, this meta-analysis highlights the genetic and transcriptomic features of resistant parasites to propel further exploratory studies in the community to tackle artemisinin resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukul Rawat
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Abhishek Kanyal
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Deepak Choubey
- Life Science Research Unit, Persistent Systems Limited, Pune, India
| | - Bhagyashree Deshmukh
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Rashim Malhotra
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - D V Mamatharani
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Anjani Gopal Rao
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Krishanpal Karmodiya
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
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21
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Red Blood Cell BCL-x L Is Required for Plasmodium falciparum Survival: Insights into Host-Directed Malaria Therapies. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10040824. [PMID: 35456874 PMCID: PMC9027239 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10040824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of antimalarial drug resistance is an ongoing problem threatening progress towards the elimination of malaria, and antimalarial treatments are urgently needed for drug-resistant malaria infections. Host-directed therapies (HDT) represent an attractive strategy for the development of new antimalarials with untapped targets and low propensity for resistance. In addition, drug repurposing in the context of HDT can lead to a substantial decrease in the time and resources required to develop novel antimalarials. Host BCL-xL is a target in anti-cancer therapy and is essential for the development of numerous intracellular pathogens. We hypothesised that red blood cell (RBC) BCL-xL is essential for Plasmodium development and tested this hypothesis using six BCL-xL inhibitors, including one FDA-approved compound. All BCL-xL inhibitors tested impaired proliferation of Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 parasites in vitro at low micromolar or sub-micromolar concentrations. Western blot analysis of infected cell fractions and immunofluorescence microscopy assays revealed that host BCL-xL is relocated from the RBC cytoplasm to the vicinity of the parasite upon infection. Further, immunoprecipitation of BCL-xL coupled with mass spectrometry analysis identified that BCL-xL forms unique molecular complexes with human μ-calpain in uninfected RBCs, and with human SHOC2 in infected RBCs. These results provide interesting perspectives for the development of host-directed antimalarial therapies and drug repurposing efforts.
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22
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Dimeric Artesunate Glycerophosphocholine Conjugate Nano-Assemblies as Slow-Release Antimalarials to Overcome Kelch 13 Mutant Artemisinin Resistance. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2022; 66:e0206521. [PMID: 35416709 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02065-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Current best practice for the treatment of malaria relies on short half-life artemisinins that are failing against emerging Kelch 13 mutant parasite strains. Here, we introduce a liposome-like self-assembly of a dimeric artesunate glycerophosphocholine conjugate (dAPC-S) as an amphiphilic prodrug for the short-lived antimalarial drug, dihydroartemisinin (DHA), with enhanced killing of Kelch 13 mutant artemisinin-resistant parasites. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) images and the dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique show that dAPC-S typically exhibits a multilamellar liposomal structure with a size distribution similar to that of the liposomes generated using thin-film dispersion (dAPC-L). Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS) was used to monitor the release of DHA. Sustainable release of DHA from dAPC-S and dAPC-L assemblies increased the effective dose and thus efficacy against Kelch 13 mutant artemisinin-resistant parasites in an in vitro assay. To better understand the enhanced killing effect, we investigated processes for deactivation of both the assemblies and DHA, including the roles of serum components and trace levels of iron. Analysis of parasite proteostasis pathways revealed that dAPC assemblies exert their activity via the same mechanism as DHA. We conclude that this easily prepared multilamellar liposome-like dAPC-S with long-acting efficacy shows potential for the treatment of severe and artemisinin-resistant malaria.
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23
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Siddiqui G, De Paoli A, MacRaild CA, Sexton AE, Boulet C, Shah AD, Batty MB, Schittenhelm RB, Carvalho TG, Creek DJ. A new mass spectral library for high-coverage and reproducible analysis of the Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cell proteome. Gigascience 2022; 11:6543637. [PMID: 35254426 PMCID: PMC8900498 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giac008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plasmodium falciparum causes the majority of malaria mortality worldwide, and the disease occurs during the asexual red blood cell (RBC) stage of infection. In the absence of an effective and available vaccine, and with increasing drug resistance, asexual RBC stage parasites are an important research focus. In recent years, mass spectrometry–based proteomics using data-dependent acquisition has been extensively used to understand the biochemical processes within the parasite. However, data-dependent acquisition is problematic for the detection of low-abundance proteins and proteome coverage and has poor run-to-run reproducibility. Results Here, we present a comprehensive P. falciparum–infected RBC (iRBC) spectral library to measure the abundance of 44,449 peptides from 3,113 P. falciparum and 1,617 RBC proteins using a data-independent acquisition mass spectrometric approach. The spectral library includes proteins expressed in the 3 morphologically distinct RBC stages (ring, trophozoite, schizont), the RBC compartment of trophozoite-iRBCs, and the cytosolic fraction from uninfected RBCs. This spectral library contains 87% of all P. falciparum proteins that have previously been reported with protein-level evidence in blood stages, as well as 692 previously unidentified proteins. The P. falciparum spectral library was successfully applied to generate semi-quantitative proteomics datasets that characterize the 3 distinct asexual parasite stages in RBCs, and compared artemisinin-resistant (Cam3.IIR539T) and artemisinin-sensitive (Cam3.IIrev) parasites. Conclusion A reproducible, high-coverage proteomics spectral library and analysis method has been generated for investigating sets of proteins expressed in the iRBC stage of P. falciparum malaria. This will provide a foundation for an improved understanding of parasite biology, pathogenesis, drug mechanisms, and vaccine candidate discovery for malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghizal Siddiqui
- Drug Delivery Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Amanda De Paoli
- Drug Delivery Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Christopher A MacRaild
- Drug Delivery Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Anna E Sexton
- Drug Delivery Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Coralie Boulet
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Anup D Shah
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.,Monash Bioinformatics Platform, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Mitchell B Batty
- Drug Delivery Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Ralf B Schittenhelm
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Teresa G Carvalho
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Darren J Creek
- Drug Delivery Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
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24
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Cell biological analysis reveals an essential role for Pfcerli2 in erythrocyte invasion by malaria parasites. Commun Biol 2022; 5:121. [PMID: 35140336 PMCID: PMC8828742 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03020-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Merozoite invasion of host red blood cells (RBCs) is essential for survival of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Proteins involved with RBC binding and invasion are secreted from dual-club shaped organelles at the apical tip of the merozoite called the rhoptries. Here we characterise P. falciparum Cytosolically Exposed Rhoptry Leaflet Interacting protein 2 (PfCERLI2), as a rhoptry bulb protein that is essential for merozoite invasion. Phylogenetic analyses show that cerli2 arose through an ancestral gene duplication of cerli1. We show that PfCERLI2 is essential for blood-stage growth and localises to the cytosolic face of the rhoptry bulb. Inducible knockdown of PfCERLI2 led to a proportion of merozoites failing to invade and was associated with elongation of the rhoptry organelle during merozoite development and inhibition of rhoptry antigen processing. These findings identify PfCERLI2 as a protein that has key roles in rhoptry biology during merozoite invasion. Benjamin Liffner and Miguel Balbin et al. report that the Plasmodium falciparum protein, PfCERLI2, localises to the cytosolic face of the parasite’s rhoptry bulb and is essential for invasion and growth within human red blood cells.
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25
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Siddiqui G, Giannangelo C, De Paoli A, Schuh AK, Heimsch KC, Anderson D, Brown TG, MacRaild CA, Wu J, Wang X, Dong Y, Vennerstrom JL, Becker K, Creek DJ. Peroxide Antimalarial Drugs Target Redox Homeostasis in Plasmodium falciparum Infected Red Blood Cells. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:210-226. [PMID: 34985858 PMCID: PMC8762662 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Plasmodium
falciparum causes the
most lethal form of malaria. Peroxide antimalarials based on artemisinin
underpin the frontline treatments for malaria, but artemisinin resistance
is rapidly spreading. Synthetic peroxide antimalarials, known as ozonides,
are in clinical development and offer a potential alternative. Here,
we used chemoproteomics to investigate the protein alkylation targets
of artemisinin and ozonide probes, including an analogue of the ozonide
clinical candidate, artefenomel. We greatly expanded the list of proteins
alkylated by peroxide antimalarials and identified significant enrichment
of redox-related proteins for both artemisinins and ozonides. Disrupted
redox homeostasis was confirmed by dynamic live imaging of the glutathione
redox potential using a genetically encoded redox-sensitive fluorescence-based
biosensor. Targeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based
thiol metabolomics also confirmed changes in cellular thiol levels.
This work shows that peroxide antimalarials disproportionately alkylate
proteins involved in redox homeostasis and that disrupted redox processes
are involved in the mechanism of action of these important antimalarials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghizal Siddiqui
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Carlo Giannangelo
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Amanda De Paoli
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Anna Katharina Schuh
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Kim C. Heimsch
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Dovile Anderson
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Timothy G. Brown
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Christopher A. MacRaild
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Jianbo Wu
- College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 986125 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-6125, United States
| | - Xiaofang Wang
- College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 986125 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-6125, United States
| | - Yuxiang Dong
- College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 986125 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-6125, United States
| | - Jonathan L. Vennerstrom
- College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 986125 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-6125, United States
| | - Katja Becker
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Darren J. Creek
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
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26
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Nandakumar A, Wei W, Siddiqui G, Li Y, Kakinen A, Wan X, Koppel K, Lin S, Davis TP, Leong DT, Creek DJ, Song Y, Ke PC. Dynamic Protein Corona of Gold Nanoparticles with an Evolving Morphology. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:58238-58251. [PMID: 34797630 PMCID: PMC8692073 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c19824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Much has been learned about the protein coronae and their biological implications within the context of nanomedicine and nanotoxicology. However, no data is available about the protein coronae associated with nanoparticles undergoing spontaneous surface-energy minimization, a common phenomenon during the synthesis and shelf life of nanomaterials. Accordingly, here we employed gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) possessing the three initial states of spiky, midspiky, and spherical shapes and determined their acquisition of human plasma protein coronae with label-free mass spectrometry. The AuNPs collected coronal proteins that were different in abundance, physicochemical parameters, and interactive biological network. The size and structure of the coronal proteins matched the morphology of the AuNPs, where small globular proteins and large fibrillar proteins were enriched on spiky AuNPs, while large proteins were abundant on spherical AuNPs. Furthermore, the AuNPs induced endothelial leakiness to different degrees, which was partially negated by their protein coronae as revealed by confocal fluorescence microscopy, in vitro and ex vivo transwell assays, and signaling pathway assays. This study has filled a knowledge void concerning the dynamic protein corona of nanoparticles possessing an evolving morphology and shed light on their implication for future nanomedicine harnessing the paracellular pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparna Nandakumar
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Wei Wei
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Rd, Beibei District, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Ghizal Siddiqui
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Yuhuan Li
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Aleksandr Kakinen
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Xulin Wan
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing, Ministry of Education, College of Food Science, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Rd, Beibei District, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Kairi Koppel
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Sijie Lin
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Biomedical Multidisciplinary Innovation Research Institute, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Thomas P. Davis
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane Qld 4072, Australia
| | - David T. Leong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore 117585, Singapore
| | - Darren J. Creek
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Yang Song
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing, Ministry of Education, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, 2 Tiansheng Rd, Beibei District, Chongqing 400715, China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Pu Chun Ke
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- The GBA National Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation, 136 Kaiyuan Avenue, Guangzhou, 510700, China
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27
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Mesén-Ramírez P, Bergmann B, Elhabiri M, Zhu L, von Thien H, Castro-Peña C, Gilberger TW, Davioud-Charvet E, Bozdech Z, Bachmann A, Spielmann T. The parasitophorous vacuole nutrient channel is critical for drug access in malaria parasites and modulates the artemisinin resistance fitness cost. Cell Host Microbe 2021; 29:1774-1787.e9. [PMID: 34863371 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2021.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Intraerythrocytic malaria parasites proliferate bounded by a parasitophorous vacuolar membrane (PVM). The PVM contains nutrient permeable channels (NPCs) conductive to small molecules, but their relevance for parasite growth for individual metabolites is largely untested. Here we show that growth-relevant levels of major carbon and energy sources pass through the NPCs. Moreover, we find that NPCs are a gate for several antimalarial drugs, highlighting their permeability properties as a critical factor for drug design. Looking into NPC-dependent amino acid transport, we find that amino acid shortage is a reason for the fitness cost in artemisinin-resistant (ARTR) parasites and provide evidence that NPC upregulation to increase amino acids acquisition is a mechanism of ARTR parasites in vitro and in human infections to compensate this fitness cost. Hence, the NPCs are important for nutrient and drug access and reveal amino acid deprivation as a critical constraint in ARTR parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Mesén-Ramírez
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bärbel Bergmann
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mourad Elhabiri
- UMR7042 Université de Strasbourg‒CNRS‒UHA, Laboratoire d'Innovation Moléculaire et Applications (LIMA), Team Bio(IN)organic and Medicinal Chemistry, European School of Chemistry, Polymers and Materials (ECPM), 25 Rue Becquerel, F-67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - Lei Zhu
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Heidrun von Thien
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Notkestraße 85, Building 15, 22607, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Carolina Castro-Peña
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tim-Wolf Gilberger
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Notkestraße 85, Building 15, 22607, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Davioud-Charvet
- UMR7042 Université de Strasbourg‒CNRS‒UHA, Laboratoire d'Innovation Moléculaire et Applications (LIMA), Team Bio(IN)organic and Medicinal Chemistry, European School of Chemistry, Polymers and Materials (ECPM), 25 Rue Becquerel, F-67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - Zbynek Bozdech
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore; Honorary Visiting Research Fellow, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Anna Bachmann
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Notkestraße 85, Building 15, 22607, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Spielmann
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany.
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28
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Schumann R, Bischoff E, Klaus S, Möhring S, Flock J, Keller S, Remans K, Ganter M, Deponte M. Protein abundance and folding rather than the redox state of Kelch13 determine the artemisinin susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum. Redox Biol 2021; 48:102177. [PMID: 34773836 PMCID: PMC8600086 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2021.102177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Decreased susceptibilities of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum towards the endoperoxide antimalarial artemisinin are linked to mutations of residue C580 of PfKelch13, a homologue of the redox sensor Keap1 and other vertebrate BTB-Kelch proteins. Here, we addressed whether mutations alter the artemisinin susceptibility by modifying the redox properties of PfKelch13 or by compromising its native fold or abundance. Using selection-linked integration and the glmS ribozyme, efficient down-regulation of PfKelch13 resulted in ring-stage survival rates around 40%. While the loss of the thiol group of C469 or of the potential disulfide bond between residues C580 and C532 had no effect on the artemisinin susceptibility, the thiol group of C473 could not be replaced. Furthermore, we detected two different forms of PfKelch13 with distinct electrophoretic mobilities around 85 and 95 kDa, suggesting an unidentified post-translational modification. We also established a protocol for the production of recombinant PfKelch13 and produced an antibody against the protein. Recombinant PfKelch13 adopted alternative oligomeric states and only two of its seven cysteine residues, C469 and C473, reacted with Ellman's reagent. While common field mutations resulted in misfolded and completely insoluble recombinant PfKelch13, cysteine-to-serine replacements had no effect on the solubility except for residue C473. In summary, in contrast to residues C469, C532, and C580, the surface-exposed thiol group of residue C473 appears to be essential. However, not the redox properties but impaired folding of PfKelch13, resulting in a decreased PfKelch13 abundance, alters the artemisinin susceptibility and is the central parameter for mutant selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Schumann
- Faculty of Chemistry, Comparative Biochemistry, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Eileen Bischoff
- Faculty of Chemistry, Comparative Biochemistry, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Severina Klaus
- Centre for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Heidelberg University Hospital, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sophie Möhring
- Faculty of Chemistry, Comparative Biochemistry, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Julia Flock
- Protein Expression and Purification Core Facility, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), D-69117, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sandro Keller
- Molecular Biophysics, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, D-67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany; Biophysics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences (IMB), NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Humboldtstr. 50/III, 8010, Graz, Austria; Field of Excellence BioHealth, University of Graz, Graz, Austria; BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Kim Remans
- Protein Expression and Purification Core Facility, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), D-69117, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Markus Ganter
- Centre for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Heidelberg University Hospital, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marcel Deponte
- Faculty of Chemistry, Comparative Biochemistry, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, D-67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
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29
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Siddiqui FA, Liang X, Cui L. Plasmodium falciparum resistance to ACTs: Emergence, mechanisms, and outlook. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2021; 16:102-118. [PMID: 34090067 PMCID: PMC8188179 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2021.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Emergence and spread of resistance in Plasmodium falciparum to the frontline treatment artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) in the epicenter of multidrug resistance of Southeast Asia threaten global malaria control and elimination. Artemisinin (ART) resistance (or tolerance) is defined clinically as delayed parasite clearance after treatment with an ART drug. The resistance phenotype is restricted to the early ring stage and can be measured in vitro using a ring-stage survival assay. ART resistance is associated with mutations in the propeller domain of the Kelch family protein K13. As a pro-drug, ART is activated primarily by heme, which is mainly derived from hemoglobin digestion in the food vacuole. Activated ARTs can react promiscuously with a wide range of cellular targets, disrupting cellular protein homeostasis. Consistent with this mode of action for ARTs, the molecular mechanisms of K13-mediated ART resistance involve reduced hemoglobin uptake/digestion and increased cellular stress response. Mutations in other genes such as AP-2μ (adaptor protein-2 μ subunit), UBP-1 (ubiquitin-binding protein-1), and Falcipain 2a that interfere with hemoglobin uptake and digestion also increase resistance to ARTs. ART resistance has facilitated the development of resistance to the partner drugs, resulting in rapidly declining ACT efficacies. The molecular markers for resistance to the partner drugs are mostly associated with point mutations in the two food vacuole membrane transporters PfCRT and PfMDR1, and amplification of pfmdr1 and the two aspartic protease genes plasmepsin 2 and 3. It has been observed that mutations in these genes can have opposing effects on sensitivities to different partner drugs, which serve as the principle for designing triple ACTs and drug rotation. Although clinical ACT resistance is restricted to Southeast Asia, surveillance for drug resistance using in vivo clinical efficacy, in vitro assays, and molecular approaches is required to prevent or slow down the spread of resistant parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faiza Amber Siddiqui
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Xiaoying Liang
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
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30
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Behrens HM, Schmidt S, Spielmann T. The newly discovered role of endocytosis in artemisinin resistance. Med Res Rev 2021; 41:2998-3022. [PMID: 34309894 DOI: 10.1002/med.21848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Artemisinin and its derivatives (ART) are the cornerstone of malaria treatment as part of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT). However, reduced susceptibility to artemisinin as well as its partner drugs threatens the usefulness of ACTs. Single point mutations in the parasite protein Kelch13 (K13) are necessary and sufficient for the reduced sensitivity of malaria parasites to ART but several alternative mechanisms for this resistance have been proposed. Recent work found that K13 is involved in the endocytosis of host cell cytosol and indicated that this is the process responsible for resistance in parasites with mutated K13. These studies also identified a series of further proteins that act together with K13 in the same pathway, including previously suspected resistance proteins such as UBP1 and AP-2μ. Here, we give a brief overview of artemisinin resistance, present the recent evidence of the role of endocytosis in ART resistance and discuss previous hypotheses in light of this new evidence. We also give an outlook on how the new insights might affect future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Michaela Behrens
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Section, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sabine Schmidt
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Section, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Spielmann
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Section, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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31
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Wicht KJ, Mok S, Fidock DA. Molecular Mechanisms of Drug Resistance in Plasmodium falciparum Malaria. Annu Rev Microbiol 2021; 74:431-454. [PMID: 32905757 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-020518-115546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Understanding and controlling the spread of antimalarial resistance, particularly to artemisinin and its partner drugs, is a top priority. Plasmodium falciparum parasites resistant to chloroquine, amodiaquine, or piperaquine harbor mutations in the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT), a transporter resident on the digestive vacuole membrane that in its variant forms can transport these weak-base 4-aminoquinoline drugs out of this acidic organelle, thus preventing these drugs from binding heme and inhibiting its detoxification. The structure of PfCRT, solved by cryogenic electron microscopy, shows mutations surrounding an electronegative central drug-binding cavity where they presumably interact with drugs and natural substrates to control transport. P. falciparum susceptibility to heme-binding antimalarials is also modulated by overexpression or mutations in the digestive vacuole membrane-bound ABC transporter PfMDR1 (P. falciparum multidrug resistance 1 transporter). Artemisinin resistance is primarily mediated by mutations in P. falciparum Kelch13 protein (K13), a protein involved in multiple intracellular processes including endocytosis of hemoglobin, which is required for parasite growth and artemisinin activation. Combating drug-resistant malaria urgently requires the development of new antimalarial drugs with novel modes of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn J Wicht
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA; , ,
| | - Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA; , ,
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA; , , .,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA
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32
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Stokes BH, Dhingra SK, Rubiano K, Mok S, Straimer J, Gnädig NF, Deni I, Schindler KA, Bath JR, Ward KE, Striepen J, Yeo T, Ross LS, Legrand E, Ariey F, Cunningham CH, Souleymane IM, Gansané A, Nzoumbou-Boko R, Ndayikunda C, Kabanywanyi AM, Uwimana A, Smith SJ, Kolley O, Ndounga M, Warsame M, Leang R, Nosten F, Anderson TJ, Rosenthal PJ, Ménard D, Fidock DA. Plasmodium falciparum K13 mutations in Africa and Asia impact artemisinin resistance and parasite fitness. eLife 2021; 10:66277. [PMID: 34279219 PMCID: PMC8321553 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of mutant K13-mediated artemisinin (ART) resistance in Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites has led to widespread treatment failures across Southeast Asia. In Africa, K13-propeller genotyping confirms the emergence of the R561H mutation in Rwanda and highlights the continuing dominance of wild-type K13 elsewhere. Using gene editing, we show that R561H, along with C580Y and M579I, confer elevated in vitro ART resistance in some African strains, contrasting with minimal changes in ART susceptibility in others. C580Y and M579I cause substantial fitness costs, which may slow their dissemination in high-transmission settings, in contrast with R561H that in African 3D7 parasites is fitness neutral. In Cambodia, K13 genotyping highlights the increasing spatio-temporal dominance of C580Y. Editing multiple K13 mutations into a panel of Southeast Asian strains reveals that only the R561H variant yields ART resistance comparable to C580Y. In Asian Dd2 parasites C580Y shows no fitness cost, in contrast with most other K13 mutations tested, including R561H. Editing of point mutations in ferredoxin or mdr2, earlier associated with resistance, has no impact on ART susceptibility or parasite fitness. These data underline the complex interplay between K13 mutations, parasite survival, growth and genetic background in contributing to the spread of ART resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara H Stokes
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Satish K Dhingra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Kelly Rubiano
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Judith Straimer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Nina F Gnädig
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Ioanna Deni
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Kyra A Schindler
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Jade R Bath
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Kurt E Ward
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Josefine Striepen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Leila S Ross
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States
| | - Eric Legrand
- Malaria Genetics and Resistance Unit, Institut Pasteur, INSERM U1201, CNRS ERL9195, Paris, France
| | - Frédéric Ariey
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Clark H Cunningham
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
| | - Issa M Souleymane
- Programme National de Lutte Contre le Paludisme au Tchad, Ndjamena, Chad
| | - Adama Gansané
- Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Romaric Nzoumbou-Boko
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Institut Pasteur de Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic
| | | | | | - Aline Uwimana
- Malaria and Other Parasitic Diseases Division, Rwanda Biomedical Centre, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Samuel J Smith
- National Malaria Control Program, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | | | - Mathieu Ndounga
- Programme National de Lutte Contre le Paludisme, Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Marian Warsame
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Rithea Leang
- National Center for Parasitology, Entomology & Malaria Control, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - François Nosten
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Philip J Rosenthal
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
| | - Didier Ménard
- Malaria Genetics and Resistance Unit, Institut Pasteur, INSERM U1201, CNRS ERL9195, Paris, France
| | - David A Fidock
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, United States
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Rosenthal MR, Ng CL. A Proteasome Mutation Sensitizes P. falciparum Cam3.II K13 C580Y Parasites to DHA and OZ439. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:1923-1931. [PMID: 33971094 PMCID: PMC8500539 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), the World Health Organization-recommended first-line therapy for uncomplicated falciparum malaria, has led to significant decreases in malaria-associated morbidity and mortality in the past two decades. Decreased therapeutic efficacy of artemisinins, the cornerstone of ACTs, is threatening the gains made against this disease. As such, novel therapeutics with uncompromised mechanisms of action are needed to combat parasite-mediated antimalarial resistance. We have previously reported the antimalarial activity of Plasmodium falciparum-specific proteasome inhibitors in conjunction with a variety of antimalarials in clinical use or in preclinical investigations and of proteasome mutants generated in response to these inhibitors. Here, we discover that despite harboring K13C580Y, which has conventionally mediated artemisinin resistance in vitro as measured by increased survival in ring-stage survival assays (RSA), the Cam3.II strain parasites of Cambodian origin that have acquired an additional mutation in the proteasome display increased susceptibility to DHA and OZ439. This discovery implicates the proteasome in peroxide susceptibilities and has favorable implications on the use of peroxide and proteasome inhibitor combination therapy for the treatment of artemisinin-resistant malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa R. Rosenthal
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Caroline L. Ng
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
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34
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Peterson AL, Siddiqui G, Sloan EK, Creek DJ. β-Adrenoceptor regulation of metabolism in U937 derived macrophages. Mol Omics 2021; 17:583-595. [PMID: 34105576 DOI: 10.1039/d1mo00057h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Macrophages have important roles in the immune system including clearing pathogens and wound healing. Metabolic phenotypes in macrophages have been associated with functional phenotypes, where pro-inflammatory macrophages have an increased rate of glycolysis and anti-inflammatory macrophages primarily use oxidative phosphorylation. β-adrenoceptor (βAR) signalling in macrophages has been implicated in disease states such as cancer, atherosclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. The impact of βAR signalling on macrophage metabolism has not been defined. Using metabolomics and proteomics, we describe the impact of βAR signalling on macrophages treated with isoprenaline. We found that βAR signalling alters proteins involved in cytoskeletal rearrangement and redox homeostasis of the cell. We showed that βAR signalling in macrophages shifts glucose metabolism from glycolysis towards the tricarboxylic acid cycle and pentose phosphate pathways. We also show that βAR signalling perturbs purine metabolism by accumulating adenylate and guanylate pools. Taken together, these results indicate that βAR signalling shifts metabolism to support redox processes and upregulates proteins involved in cytoskeletal changes, which may contribute to βAR effects on macrophage function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Peterson
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics Theme, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.
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35
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Sutherland CJ, Henrici RC, Artavanis-Tsakonas K. Artemisinin susceptibility in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum: propellers, adaptor proteins and the need for cellular healing. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:fuaa056. [PMID: 33095255 PMCID: PMC8100002 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of the susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to the artemisinin family of antimalarial drugs provide a complex picture of partial resistance (tolerance) associated with increased parasite survival in vitro and in vivo. We present an overview of the genetic loci that, in mutant form, can independently elicit parasite tolerance. These encode Kelch propeller domain protein PfK13, ubiquitin hydrolase UBP-1, actin filament-organising protein Coronin, also carrying a propeller domain, and the trafficking adaptor subunit AP-2μ. Detailed studies of these proteins and the functional basis of artemisinin tolerance in blood-stage parasites are enabling a new synthesis of our understanding to date. To guide further experimental work, we present two major conclusions. First, we propose a dual-component model of artemisinin tolerance in P. falciparum comprising suppression of artemisinin activation in early ring stage by reducing endocytic haemoglobin capture from host cytosol, coupled with enhancement of cellular healing mechanisms in surviving cells. Second, these two independent requirements limit the likelihood of development of complete artemisinin resistance by P. falciparum, favouring deployment of existing drugs in new schedules designed to exploit these biological limits, thus extending the useful life of current combination therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin J Sutherland
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Ryan C Henrici
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London WC1E 7HT, UK
- Center for Global Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, PA, USA
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36
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Zhou M, Varol A, Efferth T. Multi-omics approaches to improve malaria therapy. Pharmacol Res 2021; 167:105570. [PMID: 33766628 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Malaria contributes to the most widespread infectious diseases worldwide. Even though current drugs are commercially available, the ever-increasing drug resistance problem by malaria parasites poses new challenges in malaria therapy. Hence, searching for efficient therapeutic strategies is of high priority in malaria control. In recent years, multi-omics technologies have been extensively applied to provide a more holistic view of functional principles and dynamics of biological mechanisms. We briefly review multi-omics technologies and focus on recent malaria progress conducted with the help of various omics methods. Then, we present up-to-date advances for multi-omics approaches in malaria. Next, we describe resistance phenomena to established antimalarial drugs and underlying mechanisms. Finally, we provide insight into novel multi-omics approaches, new drugs and vaccine developments and analyze current gaps in multi-omics research. Although multi-omics approaches have been successfully used in malaria studies, they are still limited. Many gaps need to be filled to bridge the gap between basic research and treatment of malaria patients. Multi-omics approaches will foster a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of Plasmodium that are essential for the development of novel drugs and vaccines to fight this disastrous disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Staudinger Weg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Ayşegül Varol
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Staudinger Weg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Thomas Efferth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Staudinger Weg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
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37
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Mok S, Stokes BH, Gnädig NF, Ross LS, Yeo T, Amaratunga C, Allman E, Solyakov L, Bottrill AR, Tripathi J, Fairhurst RM, Llinás M, Bozdech Z, Tobin AB, Fidock DA. Artemisinin-resistant K13 mutations rewire Plasmodium falciparum's intra-erythrocytic metabolic program to enhance survival. Nat Commun 2021; 12:530. [PMID: 33483501 PMCID: PMC7822823 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20805-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence and spread of artemisinin resistance, driven by mutations in Plasmodium falciparum K13, has compromised antimalarial efficacy and threatens the global malaria elimination campaign. By applying systems-based quantitative transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics to a panel of isogenic K13 mutant or wild-type P. falciparum lines, we provide evidence that K13 mutations alter multiple aspects of the parasite's intra-erythrocytic developmental program. These changes impact cell-cycle periodicity, the unfolded protein response, protein degradation, vesicular trafficking, and mitochondrial metabolism. K13-mediated artemisinin resistance in the Cambodian Cam3.II line was reversed by atovaquone, a mitochondrial electron transport chain inhibitor. These results suggest that mitochondrial processes including damage sensing and anti-oxidant properties might augment the ability of mutant K13 to protect P. falciparum against artemisinin action by helping these parasites undergo temporary quiescence and accelerated growth recovery post drug elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Barbara H Stokes
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nina F Gnädig
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Leila S Ross
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chanaki Amaratunga
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Erik Allman
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Lev Solyakov
- Protein Nucleic Acid Laboratory, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Andrew R Bottrill
- Protein Nucleic Acid Laboratory, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Jaishree Tripathi
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rick M Fairhurst
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Astra Zeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Zbynek Bozdech
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Andrew B Tobin
- The Centre for Translational Pharmacology, Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. .,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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38
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Rawat M, Kanyal A, Sahasrabudhe A, Vembar SS, Lopez-Rubio JJ, Karmodiya K. Histone acetyltransferase PfGCN5 regulates stress responsive and artemisinin resistance related genes in Plasmodium falciparum. Sci Rep 2021; 11:852. [PMID: 33441725 PMCID: PMC7806804 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79539-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum has evolved resistance to almost all front-line drugs including artemisinin, which threatens malaria control and elimination strategies. Oxidative stress and protein damage responses have emerged as key players in the generation of artemisinin resistance. In this study, we show that PfGCN5, a histone acetyltransferase, binds to the stress-responsive genes in a poised state and regulates their expression under stress conditions. Furthermore, we show that upon artemisinin exposure, genome-wide binding sites for PfGCN5 are increased and it is directly associated with the genes implicated in artemisinin resistance generation like BiP and TRiC chaperone. Interestingly, expression of genes bound by PfGCN5 was found to be upregulated during stress conditions. Moreover, inhibition of PfGCN5 in artemisinin-resistant parasites increases the sensitivity of the parasites to artemisinin treatment indicating its role in drug resistance generation. Together, these findings elucidate the role of PfGCN5 as a global chromatin regulator of stress-responses with a potential role in modulating artemisinin drug resistance and identify PfGCN5 as an important target against artemisinin-resistant parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukul Rawat
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune, 411 008, India
| | - Abhishek Kanyal
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune, 411 008, India
| | - Aishwarya Sahasrabudhe
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune, 411 008, India
| | | | - Jose-Juan Lopez-Rubio
- Laboratory of Pathogen-Host Interactions (LPHI), UMR5235, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | - Krishanpal Karmodiya
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune, 411 008, India.
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39
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Yu X, Feng G, Zhang Q, Cao J. From Metabolite to Metabolome: Metabolomics Applications in Plasmodium Research. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:626183. [PMID: 33505389 PMCID: PMC7829456 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.626183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in research over the past few decades have greatly improved metabolomics-based approaches in studying parasite biology and disease etiology. This improves the investigation of varied metabolic requirements during life stages or when following transmission to their hosts, and fulfills the demand for improved diagnostics and precise therapeutics. Therefore, this review highlights the progress of metabolomics in malaria research, including metabolic mapping of Plasmodium vertebrate life cycle stages to investigate antimalarials mode of actions and underlying complex host-parasite interactions. Also, we discuss current limitations as well as make several practical suggestions for methodological improvements which could drive metabolomics progress for malaria from a comprehensive perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Yu
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China.,Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Gaoqian Feng
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Qingfeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, Research Center for Translational Medicine, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Cao
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China.,Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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40
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Brown AC, Guler JL. From Circulation to Cultivation: Plasmodium In Vivo versus In Vitro. Trends Parasitol 2020; 36:914-926. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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41
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Yang T, Yeoh LM, Tutor MV, Dixon MW, McMillan PJ, Xie SC, Bridgford JL, Gillett DL, Duffy MF, Ralph SA, McConville MJ, Tilley L, Cobbold SA. Decreased K13 Abundance Reduces Hemoglobin Catabolism and Proteotoxic Stress, Underpinning Artemisinin Resistance. Cell Rep 2020; 29:2917-2928.e5. [PMID: 31775055 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.10.095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 09/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Increased tolerance of Plasmodium falciparum to front-line artemisinin antimalarials (ARTs) is associated with mutations in Kelch13 (K13), although the precise role of K13 remains unclear. Here, we show that K13 mutations result in decreased expression of this protein, while mislocalization of K13 mimics resistance-conferring mutations, pinpointing partial loss of function of K13 as the relevant molecular event. K13-GFP is associated with ∼170 nm diameter doughnut-shaped structures at the parasite periphery, consistent with the location and dimensions of cytostomes. Moreover, the hemoglobin-peptide profile of ring-stage parasites is reduced when K13 is mislocalized. We developed a pulse-SILAC approach to quantify protein turnover and observe less disruption to protein turnover following ART exposure when K13 is mislocalized. Our findings suggest that K13 regulates digestive vacuole biogenesis and the uptake/degradation of hemoglobin and that ART resistance is mediated by a decrease in heme-dependent drug activation, less proteotoxicity, and increased survival of parasite ring stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuo Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Lee M Yeoh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Madel V Tutor
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Matthew W Dixon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Paul J McMillan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia; Biological Optical Microscopy Platform, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Stanley C Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Jessica L Bridgford
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - David L Gillett
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Michael F Duffy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Stuart A Ralph
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Malcolm J McConville
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Leann Tilley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
| | - Simon A Cobbold
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
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42
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Yang J, He Y, Li Y, Zhang X, Wong YK, Shen S, Zhong T, Zhang J, Liu Q, Wang J. Advances in the research on the targets of anti-malaria actions of artemisinin. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 216:107697. [PMID: 33035577 PMCID: PMC7537645 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Malaria has been a global epidemic health threat since ancient times. It still claims roughly half a million lives every year in this century. Artemisinin and its derivatives, are frontline antimalarial drugs known for their efficacy and low toxicity. After decades of wide use, artemisinins remain our bulwark against malaria. Here, we review decades of efforts that aim to understand the mechanism of action (MOA) of artemisinins, which help explain the specificity and potency of this anti-malarial drug. We summarize the methods and approaches employed to unravel the MOA of artemisinin over the last three decades, showing how the development of advanced techniques can help provide mechanistic insights and resolve some long-standing questions in the field of artemisinin research. We also provide examples to illustrate how to better repurpose artemisinins for anti-cancer therapies by leveraging on MOA. These examples point out a practical direction to engineer artemisinin for broader applications beyond malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yang
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China; Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yingke He
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China; Department of Anaesthesiology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
| | - Yinbao Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, JiangXi 341000, China
| | - Xing Zhang
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yin-Kwan Wong
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shengnan Shen
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tianyu Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China; Laboratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China.
| | - Jianbin Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Qian Liu
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China.
| | - Jigang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Ministry of Education, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China; Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; Central People's Hospital of Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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43
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Vendrely KM, Kumar S, Li X, Vaughan AM. Humanized Mice and the Rebirth of Malaria Genetic Crosses. Trends Parasitol 2020; 36:850-863. [PMID: 32891493 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The first experimental crosses carried out with the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum played a key role in determining the genetic loci responsible for drug resistance, virulence, invasion, growth rate, and transmission. These crosses relied on splenectomized chimpanzees to complete the liver stage of the parasite's life cycle and the subsequent transition to asexual blood stage culture followed by cloning of recombinant progeny in vitro. Crosses can now be routinely carried out using human-liver-chimeric mice infused with human erythrocytes to generate hundreds of unique recombinant progeny for genetic linkage mapping, bulk segregant analysis, and high-throughput 'omics readouts. The high number of recombinant progeny should allow for unprecedented power and efficiency in the execution of a systems genetics approach to study P. falciparum biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn M Vendrely
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Sudhir Kumar
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Xue Li
- Disease Intervention and Prevention Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Ashley M Vaughan
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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44
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Rosenthal MR, Ng CL. Plasmodium falciparum Artemisinin Resistance: The Effect of Heme, Protein Damage, and Parasite Cell Stress Response. ACS Infect Dis 2020; 6:1599-1614. [PMID: 32324369 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.9b00527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Despite a significant decline in morbidity and mortality over the last two decades, in 2018 there were 228 million reported cases of malaria and 405000 malaria-related deaths. Artemisinin, the cornerstone of artemisinin-based combination therapies, is the most potent drug in the antimalarial armamentarium against falciparum malaria. Heme-mediated activation of artemisinin and its derivatives results in widespread parasite protein alkylation, which is thought to lead to parasite death. Alarmingly, cases of decreased artemisinin efficacy have been widely detected across Cambodia and in neighboring countries, and a few cases have been reported in the Guiana Shield, India, and Africa. The grim prospect of widespread artemisinin resistance propelled a concerted effort to understand the mechanisms of artemisinin action and resistance. The identification of genetic markers and the knowledge of molecular mechanisms underpinning artemisinin resistance allow prospective surveillance and inform future drug development strategies, respectively. Here, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of how parasite vesicle trafficking, hemoglobin digestion, and cell stress responses contribute to artemisinin resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa R. Rosenthal
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Caroline L. Ng
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
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45
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Qiao R, Fu C, Li Y, Qi X, Ni D, Nandakumar A, Siddiqui G, Wang H, Zhang Z, Wu T, Zhong J, Tang S, Pan S, Zhang C, Whittaker MR, Engle JW, Creek DJ, Caruso F, Ke PC, Cai W, Whittaker AK, Davis TP. Sulfoxide-Containing Polymer-Coated Nanoparticles Demonstrate Minimal Protein Fouling and Improved Blood Circulation. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2020; 7:2000406. [PMID: 32670765 PMCID: PMC7341081 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202000406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Minimizing the interaction of nanomedicines with the mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS) is a critical challenge for their clinical translation. Conjugating polyethylene glycol (PEG) to nanomedicines is regarded as an effective approach to reducing the sequestration of nanomedicines by the MPS. However, recent concerns about the immunogenicity of PEG highlight the demand of alternative low-fouling polymers as innovative coating materials for nanoparticles. Herein, a highly hydrophilic sulfoxide-containing polymer-poly(2-(methylsulfinyl)ethyl acrylate) (PMSEA)-is used for the surface coating of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs). It is found that the PMSEA polymer coated IONPs have a more hydrophilic surface than their PEGylated counterparts, and demonstrate remarkably reduced macrophage cellular uptake and much less association with human plasma proteins. In vivo study of biodistribution and pharmacokinetics further reveals a much-extended blood circulation (≈2.5 times longer in terms of elimination half-life t 1/2) and reduced accumulation (approximately two times less) in the organs such as the liver and spleen for IONPs coated by PMSEA than those by PEG. It is envisaged that the highly hydrophilic sulfoxide-containing polymers have huge potential to be employed as an advantageous alternative to PEG for the surface functionalization of a variety of nanoparticles for long circulation and improved delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruirui Qiao
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio‐Nano Science and Technology and Australian Institute for Bioengineering and NanotechnologyThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQLD4072Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio‐Nano Science and TechnologyMonash Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesMonash University381 Royal ParadeParkvilleVIC3052Australia
| | - Changkui Fu
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio‐Nano Science and Technology and Australian Institute for Bioengineering and NanotechnologyThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQLD4072Australia
| | - Yuhuan Li
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio‐Nano Science and TechnologyMonash Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesMonash University381 Royal ParadeParkvilleVIC3052Australia
| | - Xiaole Qi
- Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese MedicinesChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjing210009China
| | - Dalong Ni
- Departments of Radiology and Medical PhysicsUniversity of Wisconsin – MadisonMadisonWI53705USA
| | - Aparna Nandakumar
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio‐Nano Science and TechnologyMonash Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesMonash University381 Royal ParadeParkvilleVIC3052Australia
| | - Ghizal Siddiqui
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesMonash University381 Royal ParadeParkvilleVIC3052Australia
| | - Haiyan Wang
- Institute for HepatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Infectious DiseaseShenzhen Third People's HospitalGuangdong ProvinceShenzhen518112China
| | - Zheng Zhang
- Institute for HepatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Infectious DiseaseShenzhen Third People's HospitalGuangdong ProvinceShenzhen518112China
| | - Tingting Wu
- College of Food Science & TechnologyShanghai Ocean UniversityShanghai201306China
| | - Jian Zhong
- College of Food Science & TechnologyShanghai Ocean UniversityShanghai201306China
| | - Shi‐Yang Tang
- Department of ElectronicElectrical and Systems EngineeringSchool of EngineeringUniversity of BirminghamEdgbastonBirminghamB15 2TTUK
| | - Shuaijun Pan
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio‐Nano Science and Technologyand the Department of Chemical EngineeringThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoria3010Australia
| | - Cheng Zhang
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio‐Nano Science and Technology and Australian Institute for Bioengineering and NanotechnologyThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQLD4072Australia
| | - Michael R. Whittaker
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio‐Nano Science and TechnologyMonash Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesMonash University381 Royal ParadeParkvilleVIC3052Australia
| | - Jonathan W. Engle
- Departments of Radiology and Medical PhysicsUniversity of Wisconsin – MadisonMadisonWI53705USA
| | - Darren J. Creek
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesMonash University381 Royal ParadeParkvilleVIC3052Australia
| | - Frank Caruso
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio‐Nano Science and Technologyand the Department of Chemical EngineeringThe University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoria3010Australia
| | - Pu Chun Ke
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio‐Nano Science and TechnologyMonash Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesMonash University381 Royal ParadeParkvilleVIC3052Australia
| | - Weibo Cai
- Departments of Radiology and Medical PhysicsUniversity of Wisconsin – MadisonMadisonWI53705USA
| | - Andrew K. Whittaker
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio‐Nano Science and Technology and Australian Institute for Bioengineering and NanotechnologyThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQLD4072Australia
| | - Thomas P. Davis
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio‐Nano Science and Technology and Australian Institute for Bioengineering and NanotechnologyThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQLD4072Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Convergent Bio‐Nano Science and TechnologyMonash Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesMonash University381 Royal ParadeParkvilleVIC3052Australia
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46
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Giannangelo C, Siddiqui G, De Paoli A, Anderson BM, Edgington-Mitchell LE, Charman SA, Creek DJ. System-wide biochemical analysis reveals ozonide antimalarials initially act by disrupting Plasmodium falciparum haemoglobin digestion. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008485. [PMID: 32589689 PMCID: PMC7347234 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Ozonide antimalarials, OZ277 (arterolane) and OZ439 (artefenomel), are synthetic peroxide-based antimalarials with potent activity against the deadliest malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Here we used a "multi-omics" workflow, in combination with activity-based protein profiling (ABPP), to demonstrate that peroxide antimalarials initially target the haemoglobin (Hb) digestion pathway to kill malaria parasites. Time-dependent metabolomic profiling of ozonide-treated P. falciparum infected red blood cells revealed a rapid depletion of short Hb-derived peptides followed by subsequent alterations in lipid and nucleotide metabolism, while untargeted peptidomics showed accumulation of longer Hb-derived peptides. Quantitative proteomics and ABPP assays demonstrated that Hb-digesting proteases were increased in abundance and activity following treatment, respectively. Ozonide-induced depletion of short Hb-derived peptides was less extensive in a drug-treated K13-mutant artemisinin resistant parasite line (Cam3.IIR539T) than in the drug-treated isogenic sensitive strain (Cam3.IIrev), further confirming the association between ozonide activity and Hb catabolism. To demonstrate that compromised Hb catabolism may be a primary mechanism involved in ozonide antimalarial activity, we showed that parasites forced to rely solely on Hb digestion for amino acids became hypersensitive to short ozonide exposures. Quantitative proteomics analysis also revealed parasite proteins involved in translation and the ubiquitin-proteasome system were enriched following drug treatment, suggestive of the parasite engaging a stress response to mitigate ozonide-induced damage. Taken together, these data point to a mechanism of action involving initial impairment of Hb catabolism, and indicate that the parasite regulates protein turnover to manage ozonide-induced damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Giannangelo
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ghizal Siddiqui
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Amanda De Paoli
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bethany M. Anderson
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Laura E. Edgington-Mitchell
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Susan A. Charman
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Darren J. Creek
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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47
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Spielmann T, Gras S, Sabitzki R, Meissner M. Endocytosis in Plasmodium and Toxoplasma Parasites. Trends Parasitol 2020; 36:520-532. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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48
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K13, the Cytostome, and Artemisinin Resistance. Trends Parasitol 2020; 36:533-544. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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49
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Richardson LT, Brantley MR, Solouki T. Using isotopic envelopes and neural decision tree-based in silico fractionation for biomolecule classification. Anal Chim Acta 2020; 1112:34-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2020.02.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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50
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Birnbaum J, Scharf S, Schmidt S, Jonscher E, Hoeijmakers WAM, Flemming S, Toenhake CG, Schmitt M, Sabitzki R, Bergmann B, Fröhlke U, Mesén-Ramírez P, Blancke Soares A, Herrmann H, Bártfai R, Spielmann T. A Kelch13-defined endocytosis pathway mediates artemisinin resistance in malaria parasites. Science 2020; 367:51-59. [PMID: 31896710 DOI: 10.1126/science.aax4735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 232] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Artemisinin and its derivatives (ARTs) are the frontline drugs against malaria, but resistance is jeopardizing their effectiveness. ART resistance is mediated by mutations in the parasite's Kelch13 protein, but Kelch13 function and its role in resistance remain unclear. In this study, we identified proteins located at a Kelch13-defined compartment. Inactivation of eight of these proteins, including Kelch13, rendered parasites resistant to ART, revealing a pathway critical for resistance. Functional analysis showed that these proteins are required for endocytosis of hemoglobin from the host cell. Parasites with inactivated Kelch13 or a resistance-conferring Kelch13 mutation displayed reduced hemoglobin endocytosis. ARTs are activated by degradation products of hemoglobin. Hence, reduced activity of Kelch13 and its interactors diminishes hemoglobin endocytosis and thereby ART activation, resulting in parasite resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Birnbaum
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Scharf
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sabine Schmidt
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ernst Jonscher
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Sven Flemming
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christa Geeke Toenhake
- Department of Molecular Biology, Radboud University, Geert Grooteplein 26-28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Marius Schmitt
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ricarda Sabitzki
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bärbel Bergmann
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ulrike Fröhlke
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Paolo Mesén-Ramírez
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Hendrik Herrmann
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Richárd Bártfai
- Department of Molecular Biology, Radboud University, Geert Grooteplein 26-28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Tobias Spielmann
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany.
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