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Anand A, Gautam G, Yadav S, Ramalingam K, Kumar Haldar A, Goyal N. Epsilon subunit of T-complex protein-1 from Leishmania donovani: A tetrameric chaperonin. Gene 2024; 926:148637. [PMID: 38844270 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
The cytosolic T-complex protein-1 ring complex (TRiC), also referred as chaperonin containing TCP-1(CCT), comprising eight different subunits stacked in double toroidal rings, binds to around 10 % of newly synthesized polypeptides and facilitates their folding in ATP dependent manner. In Leishmania, among five subunits of TCP1 complex, identified either by transcriptome or by proteome analysis, only LdTCP1γ has been well characterized. It forms biologically active homo-oligomeric complex and plays role in protein folding and parasite survival. Lack of information regarding rest of the TCP1 subunits and its structural configuration laid down the necessity to study individual subunits and their role in parasite pathogenicity. The present study involves the cloning, expression and biochemical characterization of TCP1ε subunit (LdTCP1ε) of Leishmania donovani, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis. LdTCP1ε exhibited significant difference in primary structure as compared to LdTCP1γ and was evolutionary close to LdTCP1 zeta subunit. Recombinant protein (rLdTCP1ε) exhibited two major bands of 132 kDa and 240 kDa on native-PAGE that corresponds to the dimeric and tetrameric assembly of the epsilon subunit, which showed the chaperonin activity (ATPase and luciferase refolding activity). LdTCP1ε also displayed an increased expression upto 2.7- and 1.8-fold in the late log phase and stationary phase promastigotes and exhibited majorly vesicular localization. The study, thus for the first time, provides an insight for the presence of highly diverge but functionally active dimeric/tetrameric TCP1 epsilon subunit in Leishmania parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apeksha Anand
- Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, CSIR- Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Gaziabaad 201002, India
| | - Gunjan Gautam
- Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, CSIR- Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Shailendra Yadav
- Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, CSIR- Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Gaziabaad 201002, India
| | - Karthik Ramalingam
- Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, CSIR- Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Arun Kumar Haldar
- Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, CSIR- Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Neena Goyal
- Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, CSIR- Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India.
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2
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Lawong A, Gahalawat S, Ray S, Ho N, Han Y, Ward KE, Deng X, Chen Z, Kumar A, Xing C, Hosangadi V, Fairhurst KJ, Tashiro K, Liszczak G, Shackleford DM, Katneni K, Chen G, Saunders J, Crighton E, Casas A, Robinson JJ, Imlay LS, Zhang X, Lemoff A, Zhao Z, Angulo-Barturen I, Jiménez-Díaz MB, Wittlin S, Campbell SF, Fidock DA, Laleu B, Charman SA, Ready JM, Phillips MA. Identification of potent and reversible piperidine carboxamides that are species-selective orally active proteasome inhibitors to treat malaria. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:1503-1517.e19. [PMID: 39084225 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2024.07.001] [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: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Malaria remains a global health concern as drug resistance threatens treatment programs. We identified a piperidine carboxamide (SW042) with anti-malarial activity by phenotypic screening. Selection of SW042-resistant Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) parasites revealed point mutations in the Pf_proteasome β5 active-site (Pfβ5). A potent analog (SW584) showed efficacy in a mouse model of human malaria after oral dosing. SW584 had a low propensity to generate resistance (minimum inoculum for resistance [MIR] >109) and was synergistic with dihydroartemisinin. Pf_proteasome purification was facilitated by His8-tag introduction onto β7. Inhibition of Pfβ5 correlated with parasite killing, without inhibiting human proteasome isoforms or showing cytotoxicity. The Pf_proteasome_SW584 cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure showed that SW584 bound non-covalently distal from the catalytic threonine, in an unexplored pocket at the β5/β6/β3 subunit interface that has species differences between Pf and human proteasomes. Identification of a reversible, species selective, orally active series with low resistance propensity provides a path for drugging this essential target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aloysus Lawong
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Suraksha Gahalawat
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Sneha Ray
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Nhi Ho
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Yan Han
- Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Kurt E Ward
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Xiaoyi Deng
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Zhe Chen
- Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Ashwani Kumar
- Department of Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Chao Xing
- Department of Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Varun Hosangadi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Kate J Fairhurst
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Kyuto Tashiro
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Glen Liszczak
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - David M Shackleford
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Kasiram Katneni
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Gong Chen
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Jessica Saunders
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Elly Crighton
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Arturo Casas
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Joshua J Robinson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Leah S Imlay
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Xiaoyu Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Andrew Lemoff
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Zhiyu Zhao
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Iñigo Angulo-Barturen
- The Art of Discovery, Biscay Science and Technology Park, Astrondo Bidea, BIC Bizkaia Bd 612, Derio, 48160 Bizkaia, Basque Country, Spain
| | - María Belén Jiménez-Díaz
- The Art of Discovery, Biscay Science and Technology Park, Astrondo Bidea, BIC Bizkaia Bd 612, Derio, 48160 Bizkaia, Basque Country, Spain
| | - Sergio Wittlin
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel Kreuzstrasse 2, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | | | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Benoît Laleu
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Susan A Charman
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Joseph M Ready
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
| | - Margaret A Phillips
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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Loveridge KM, Sigala PA. Identification of a divalent metal transporter required for cellular iron metabolism in malaria parasites. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.10.587216. [PMID: 38798484 PMCID: PMC11118319 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.10.587216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites invade and multiply inside red blood cells (RBCs), the most iron-rich compartment in humans. Like all cells, P. falciparum requires nutritional iron to support essential metabolic pathways, but the critical mechanisms of iron acquisition and trafficking during RBC infection have remained obscure. Parasites internalize and liberate massive amounts of heme during large-scale digestion of RBC hemoglobin within an acidic food vacuole (FV) but lack a heme oxygenase to release porphyrin-bound iron. Although most FV heme is sequestered into inert hemozoin crystals, prior studies indicate that trace heme escapes biomineralization and is susceptible to non-enzymatic degradation within the oxidizing FV environment to release labile iron. Parasites retain a homolog of divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), a known mammalian iron transporter, but its role in P. falciparum iron acquisition has not been tested. Our phylogenetic studies indicate that P. falciparum DMT1 (PfDMT1) retains conserved molecular features critical for metal transport. We localized this protein to the FV membrane and defined its orientation in an export-competent topology. Conditional knockdown of PfDMT1 expression is lethal to parasites, which display broad cellular defects in iron-dependent functions, including impaired apicoplast biogenesis and mitochondrial polarization. Parasites are selectively rescued from partial PfDMT1 knockdown by supplementation with exogenous iron, but not other metals. These results support a cellular paradigm whereby PfDMT1 is the molecular gatekeeper to essential iron acquisition by blood-stage malaria parasites and suggest that therapeutic targeting of PfDMT1 may be a potent antimalarial strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kade M. Loveridge
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Paul A. Sigala
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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4
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García-Guerrero AE, Marvin RG, Blackwell AM, Sigala PA. Biogenesis of cytochromes c and c 1 in the electron transport chain of malaria parasites. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.01.575742. [PMID: 38352463 PMCID: PMC10862854 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.01.575742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Plasmodium malaria parasites retain an essential mitochondrional electron transport chain (ETC) that is critical for growth within humans and mosquitoes and a key antimalarial drug target. ETC function requires cytochromes c and c 1 that are unusual among heme proteins due to their covalent binding to heme via conserved CXXCH sequence motifs. Heme attachment to these proteins in most eukaryotes requires the mitochondrial enzyme holocytochrome c synthase (HCCS) that binds heme and the apo cytochrome to facilitate biogenesis of the mature cytochrome c or c 1. Although humans encode a single bifunctional HCCS that attaches heme to both proteins, Plasmodium parasites are like yeast and encode two separate HCCS homologs thought to be specific for heme attachment to cyt c (HCCS) or cyt c 1 (HCC1S). To test the function and specificity of P. falciparum HCCS and HCC1S, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to tag both genes for conditional expression. HCC1S knockdown selectively impaired cyt c 1 biogenesis and caused lethal ETC dysfunction that was not reversed by over-expression of HCCS. Knockdown of HCCS caused a more modest growth defect but strongly sensitized parasites to mitochondrial depolarization by proguanil, revealing key defects in ETC function. These results and prior heterologous studies in E. coli of cyt c hemylation by P. falciparum HCCS and HCC1S strongly suggest that both homologs are essential for mitochondrial ETC function and have distinct specificities for biogenesis of cyt c and c 1, respectively, in parasites. This study lays a foundation to develop novel strategies to selectively block ETC function in malaria parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rebecca G. Marvin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Amanda Mixon Blackwell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Paul A. Sigala
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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Blackwell AM, Jami-Alahmadi Y, Nasamu AS, Kudo S, Senoo A, Slam C, Tsumoto K, Wohlschlegel JA, Caaveiro JMM, Goldberg DE, Sigala PA. Malaria parasites require a divergent heme oxygenase for apicoplast gene expression and biogenesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.30.596652. [PMID: 38853871 PMCID: PMC11160694 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.30.596652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Malaria parasites have evolved unusual metabolic adaptations that specialize them for growth within heme-rich human erythrocytes. During blood-stage infection, Plasmodium falciparum parasites internalize and digest abundant host hemoglobin within the digestive vacuole. This massive catabolic process generates copious free heme, most of which is biomineralized into inert hemozoin. Parasites also express a divergent heme oxygenase (HO)-like protein (PfHO) that lacks key active-site residues and has lost canonical HO activity. The cellular role of this unusual protein that underpins its retention by parasites has been unknown. To unravel PfHO function, we first determined a 2.8 Å-resolution X-ray structure that revealed a highly α-helical fold indicative of distant HO homology. Localization studies unveiled PfHO targeting to the apicoplast organelle, where it is imported and undergoes N-terminal processing but retains most of the electropositive transit peptide. We observed that conditional knockdown of PfHO was lethal to parasites, which died from defective apicoplast biogenesis and impaired isoprenoid-precursor synthesis. Complementation and molecular-interaction studies revealed an essential role for the electropositive N-terminus of PfHO, which selectively associates with the apicoplast genome and enzymes involved in nucleic acid metabolism and gene expression. PfHO knockdown resulted in a specific deficiency in levels of apicoplast-encoded RNA but not DNA. These studies reveal an essential function for PfHO in apicoplast maintenance and suggest that Plasmodium repurposed the conserved HO scaffold from its canonical heme-degrading function in the ancestral chloroplast to fulfill a critical adaptive role in organelle gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Armiyaw S. Nasamu
- Departments of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Shota Kudo
- Department of Chemistry & Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akinobu Senoo
- Department of Protein Drug Discovery, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Celine Slam
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Kouhei Tsumoto
- Department of Chemistry & Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Jose M. M. Caaveiro
- Department of Chemistry & Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daniel E. Goldberg
- Departments of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Paul A. Sigala
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT
- Departments of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
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6
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Luo AP, Giannangelo C, Siddiqui G, Creek DJ. Promising antimalarial hits from phenotypic screens: a review of recently-described multi-stage actives and their modes of action. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1308193. [PMID: 38162576 PMCID: PMC10757594 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1308193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the last two decades, global malaria cases caused by Plasmodium falciparum have declined due to the implementation of effective treatments and the use of insecticides. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruption in the timely delivery of medical goods and diverted public health resources, impairing malaria control. The emergence of resistance to all existing frontline antimalarials underpins an urgent need for new antimalarials with novel mechanisms of action. Furthermore, the need to reduce malaria transmission and/or prevent malaria infection has shifted the focus of antimalarial research towards the discovery of compounds that act beyond the symptomatic blood stage and also impact other parasite life cycle stages. Phenotypic screening has been responsible for the majority of new antimalarial lead compounds discovered over the past 10 years. This review describes recently reported novel antimalarial hits that target multiple parasite stages and were discovered by phenotypic screening during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their modes of action and targets in blood stage parasites are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ghizal Siddiqui
- Drug Delivery Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Darren J. Creek
- Drug Delivery Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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7
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McHugh E, Bulloch MS, Batinovic S, Patrick CJ, Sarna DK, Ralph SA. Nonsense-mediated decay machinery in Plasmodium falciparum is inefficient and non-essential. mSphere 2023; 8:e0023323. [PMID: 37366629 PMCID: PMC10449492 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00233-23] [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: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) is a conserved mRNA quality control process that eliminates transcripts bearing a premature termination codon. In addition to its role in removing erroneous transcripts, NMD is involved in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression via programmed intron retention in metazoans. The apicomplexan parasite Plasmodium falciparum shows relatively high levels of intron retention, but it is unclear whether these variant transcripts are functional targets of NMD. In this study, we use CRISPR-Cas9 to disrupt and epitope-tag the P. falciparum orthologs of two core NMD components: PfUPF1 (PF3D7_1005500) and PfUPF2 (PF3D7_0925800). We localize both PfUPF1 and PfUPF2 to puncta within the parasite cytoplasm and show that these proteins interact with each other and other mRNA-binding proteins. Using RNA-seq, we find that although these core NMD orthologs are expressed and interact in P. falciparum, they are not required for degradation of nonsense transcripts. Furthermore, our work suggests that the majority of intron retention in P. falciparum has no functional role and that NMD is not required for parasite growth ex vivo. IMPORTANCE In many organisms, the process of destroying nonsense transcripts is dependent on a small set of highly conserved proteins. We show that in the malaria parasite, these proteins do not impact the abundance of nonsense transcripts. Furthermore, we demonstrate efficient CRISPR-Cas9 editing of the malaria parasite using commercial Cas9 nuclease and synthetic guide RNA, streamlining genomic modifications in this genetically intractable organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma McHugh
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michaela S. Bulloch
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Steven Batinovic
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Cameron J. Patrick
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Drishti K. Sarna
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stuart A. Ralph
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Morano AA, Rudlaff RM, Dvorin JD. A PPP-type pseudophosphatase is required for the maintenance of basal complex integrity in Plasmodium falciparum. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3916. [PMID: 37400439 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39435-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
During its asexual blood stage, P. falciparum replicates via schizogony, wherein dozens of daughter cells are formed within a single parent. The basal complex, a contractile ring that separates daughter cells, is critical for schizogony. In this study, we identify a Plasmodium basal complex protein essential for basal complex maintenance. Using multiple microscopy techniques, we demonstrate that PfPPP8 is required for uniform basal complex expansion and maintenance of its integrity. We characterize PfPPP8 as the founding member of a novel family of pseudophosphatases with homologs in other Apicomplexan parasites. By co-immunoprecipitation, we identify two additional new basal complex proteins. We characterize the unique temporal localizations of these new basal complex proteins (late-arriving) and of PfPPP8 (early-departing). In this work, we identify a novel basal complex protein, determine its specific role in segmentation, identify a new pseudophosphatase family, and establish that the P. falciparum basal complex is a dynamic structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander A Morano
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Rachel M Rudlaff
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Dvorin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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Nourani L, Mehrizi AA, Pirahmadi S, Pourhashem Z, Asadollahi E, Jahangiri B. CRISPR/Cas advancements for genome editing, diagnosis, therapeutics, and vaccine development for Plasmodium parasites, and genetic engineering of Anopheles mosquito vector. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2023; 109:105419. [PMID: 36842543 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2023]
Abstract
Malaria as vector-borne disease remains important health concern with over 200 million cases globally. Novel antimalarial medicines and more effective vaccines must be developed to eliminate and eradicate malaria. Appraisal of preceding genome editing approaches confirmed the CRISPR/Cas nuclease system as a novel proficient genome editing system and a tool for species-specific diagnosis, and drug resistance researches for Plasmodium species, and gene drive to control Anopheles population. CRISPR/Cas technology, as a handy tool for genome editing can be justified for the production of transgenic malaria parasites like Plasmodium transgenic lines expressing Cas9, chimeric Plasmodium transgenic lines, knockdown and knockout transgenic parasites, and transgenic parasites expressing alternative alleles, and also mutant strains of Anopheles such as only male mosquito populations, generation of wingless mosquitoes, and creation of knock-out/ knock-in mutants. Though, the incorporation of traditional methods and novel molecular techniques could noticeably enhance the quality of results. The striking development of a CRISPR/Cas-based diagnostic kit that can specifically diagnose the Plasmodium species or drug resistance markers is highly required in malaria settings with affordable cost and high-speed detection. Furthermore, the advancement of genome modifications by CRISPR/Cas technologies resolves contemporary restrictions to culturing, maintaining, and analyzing these parasites, and the aptitude to investigate parasite genome functions opens up new vistas in the better understanding of pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Nourani
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Akram Abouie Mehrizi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Sakineh Pirahmadi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zeinab Pourhashem
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elahe Asadollahi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Babak Jahangiri
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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PbAP2-FG2 and PbAP2R-2 function together as a transcriptional repressor complex essential for Plasmodium female development. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1010890. [PMID: 36780562 PMCID: PMC9956629 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Gametocyte development is a critical step in the life cycle of Plasmodium. Despite the number of studies on gametocyte development that have been conducted, the molecular mechanisms regulating this process remain to be fully understood. This study investigates the functional roles of two female-specific transcriptional regulators, PbAP2-FG2 and PbAP2R-2, in P. berghei. Knockout of pbap2-fg2 or pbap2r-2 impairs female gametocyte development, resulting in developmental arrest during ookinete development. ChIP-seq analyses of these two factors indicated their colocalization on the genome, suggesting that they function as a complex. These analyses also revealed that their target genes contained a variety of genes, including both male and female-enriched genes. Moreover, differential expression analyses showed that these target genes were upregulated through the disruption of pbap2-fg2 or pbap2r-2, indicating that these two factors function as a transcriptional repressor complex in female gametocytes. Formation of a complex between PbAP2-FG2 and PbAP2R-2 was confirmed by RIME, a method that combines ChIP and MS analysis. In addition, the analysis identified a chromatin regulator PbMORC as an interaction partner of PbAP2-FG2. Comparative target analysis between PbAP2-FG2 and PbAP2-G demonstrated a significant overlap between their target genes, suggesting that repression of early gametocyte genes activated by PbAP2-G is one of the key roles for this female transcriptional repressor complex. Our results indicate that the PbAP2-FG2-PbAP2R-2 complex-mediated repression of the target genes supports the female differentiation from early gametocytes.
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Espino-Sanchez TJ, Wienkers H, Marvin RG, Nalder SA, García-Guerrero AE, VanNatta PE, Jami-Alahmadi Y, Blackwell AM, Whitby FG, Wohlschlegel JA, Kieber-Emmons MT, Hill CP, Sigala PA. Direct Tests of Cytochrome Function in the Electron Transport Chain of Malaria Parasites. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.23.525242. [PMID: 36747727 PMCID: PMC9900762 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.23.525242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) of Plasmodium malaria parasites is a major antimalarial drug target, but critical cytochrome functions remain unstudied and enigmatic. Parasites express two distinct cyt c homologs ( c and c -2) with unusually sparse sequence identity and uncertain fitness contributions. P. falciparum cyt c -2 is the most divergent eukaryotic cyt c homolog currently known and has sequence features predicted to be incompatible with canonical ETC function. We tagged both cyt c homologs and the related cyt c 1 for inducible knockdown. Translational repression of cyt c and cyt c 1 was lethal to parasites, which died from ETC dysfunction and impaired ubiquinone recycling. In contrast, cyt c -2 knockdown or knock-out had little impact on blood-stage growth, indicating that parasites rely fully on the more conserved cyt c for ETC function. Biochemical and structural studies revealed that both cyt c and c -2 are hemylated by holocytochrome c synthase, but UV-vis absorbance and EPR spectra strongly suggest that cyt c -2 has an unusually open active site in which heme is stably coordinated by only a single axial amino-acid ligand and can bind exogenous small molecules. These studies provide a direct dissection of cytochrome functions in the ETC of malaria parasites and identify a highly divergent Plasmodium cytochrome c with molecular adaptations that defy a conserved role in eukaryotic evolution. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Mitochondria are critical organelles in eukaryotic cells that drive oxidative metabolism. The mitochondrion of Plasmodium malaria parasites is a major drug target that has many differences from human cells and remains poorly studied. One key difference from humans is that malaria parasites express two cytochrome c proteins that differ significantly from each other and play untested and uncertain roles in the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC). Our study revealed that one cyt c is essential for ETC function and parasite viability while the second, more divergent protein has unusual structural and biochemical properties and is not required for growth of blood-stage parasites. This work elucidates key biochemical properties and evolutionary differences in the mitochondrial ETC of malaria parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya J. Espino-Sanchez
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Henry Wienkers
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Rebecca G. Marvin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Shai-anne Nalder
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Aldo E. García-Guerrero
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Peter E. VanNatta
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Yasaman Jami-Alahmadi
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Amanda Mixon Blackwell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Frank G. Whitby
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - James A. Wohlschlegel
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | | | - Christopher P. Hill
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Paul A. Sigala
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States,Corresponding author: Paul Sigala
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12
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Feng F, Zhang W, Chai Y, Guo D, Chen X. Label-free target protein characterization for small molecule drugs: recent advances in methods and applications. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2023; 223:115107. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2022.115107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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13
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Wilkinson MD, Ferreira JL, Beeby M, Baum J, Willison KR. The malaria parasite chaperonin containing TCP-1 (CCT) complex: Data integration with other CCT proteomes. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:1057232. [PMID: 36567946 PMCID: PMC9772883 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1057232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The multi-subunit chaperonin containing TCP-1 (CCT) is an essential molecular chaperone that functions in the folding of key cellular proteins. This paper reviews the interactome of the eukaryotic chaperonin CCT and its primary clients, the ubiquitous cytoskeletal proteins, actin and tubulin. CCT interacts with other nascent proteins, especially the WD40 propeller proteins, and also assists in the assembly of several protein complexes. A new proteomic dataset is presented for CCT purified from the human malarial parasite, P. falciparum (PfCCT). The CCT8 subunit gene was C-terminally FLAG-tagged using Selection Linked Integration (SLI) and CCT complexes were extracted from infected human erythrocyte cultures synchronized for maximum expression levels of CCT at the trophozoite stage of the parasite's asexual life cycle. We analyze the new PfCCT proteome and incorporate it into our existing model of the CCT system, supported by accumulated data from biochemical and cell biological experiments in many eukaryotic species. Together with measurements of CCT mRNA, CCT protein subunit copy number and the post-translational and chemical modifications of the CCT subunits themselves, a cumulative picture is emerging of an essential molecular chaperone system sitting at the heart of eukaryotic cell growth control and cell cycle regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D. Wilkinson
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Josie L. Ferreira
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Morgan Beeby
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jake Baum
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom,School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
| | - Keith R. Willison
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: Keith R. Willison,
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14
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Polino AJ, Miller JJ, Bhakat S, Mukherjee S, Bobba S, Bowman GR, Goldberg DE. The nepenthesin insert in the Plasmodium falciparum aspartic protease plasmepsin V is necessary for enzyme function. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102355. [PMID: 35952758 PMCID: PMC9478907 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmepsin V (PM V) is a pepsin-like aspartic protease essential for growth of the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Previous work has shown PM V to be an endoplasmic reticulum-resident protease that processes parasite proteins destined for export into the host cell. Depletion or inhibition of the enzyme is lethal during asexual replication within red blood cells as well as during the formation of sexual stage gametocytes. The structure of the Plasmodium vivax PM V has been characterized by X-ray crystallography, revealing a canonical pepsin fold punctuated by structural features uncommon to secretory aspartic proteases; however, the function of this unique structure is unclear. Here, we used parasite genetics to probe these structural features by attempting to rescue lethal PM V depletion with various mutant enzymes. We found an unusual nepenthesin 1-type insert in the PM V gene to be essential for parasite growth and PM V activity. Mutagenesis of the nepenthesin insert suggests that both its amino acid sequence and one of the two disulfide bonds that undergird its structure are required for the insert's role in PM V function. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations paired with Markov state modeling suggest that mutations to the nepenthesin insert may allosterically affect PM V catalysis through multiple mechanisms. Taken together, these data provide further insights into the structure of the P. falciparum PM V protease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Polino
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Justin J Miller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Soumendranath Bhakat
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Sumit Mukherjee
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Suhas Bobba
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Gregory R Bowman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
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15
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Deletion of the Plasmodium falciparum exported protein PTP7 leads to Maurer’s clefts vesiculation, host cell remodeling defects, and loss of surface presentation of EMP1. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1009882. [PMID: 35930605 PMCID: PMC9385048 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Presentation of the variant antigen, Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (EMP1), at knob-like protrusions on the surface of infected red blood cells, underpins the parasite’s pathogenicity. Here we describe a protein PF3D7_0301700 (PTP7), that functions at the nexus between the intermediate trafficking organelle, the Maurer’s cleft, and the infected red blood cell surface. Genetic disruption of PTP7 leads to accumulation of vesicles at the Maurer’s clefts, grossly aberrant knob morphology, and failure to deliver EMP1 to the red blood cell surface. We show that an expanded low complexity sequence in the C-terminal region of PTP7, identified only in the Laverania clade of Plasmodium, is critical for efficient virulence protein trafficking. We describe a malaria parasite protein, PTP7, involved in virulence factor trafficking that is associated with Maurer’s clefts and other trafficking compartments. Upon disruption of the PTP7 locus, the Maurer’s clefts become decorated with vesicles; the knobby protrusions on the host red blood cell surface are fewer and distorted; and trafficking of the virulence protein, EMP1, to the host red blood cell surface is ablated. We provide evidence that a region of PTP7 with low sequence complexity plays an important role in virulence protein trafficking from the Maurer’s clefts.
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16
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Yadav S, Anand A, Ramalingam K, Balodi DC, Maras JS, Goyal N. Unraveling of interacting protein network of chaperonin TCP1 gamma subunit of Leishmania donovani. Cell Stress Chaperones 2022; 27:205-222. [PMID: 35199315 PMCID: PMC9106790 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-022-01262-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
T-complex polypeptide-1 (TCP1) is a group II chaperonin that folds various cellular proteins. About 10% of cytosolic proteins in yeast have been shown to flux through the TCP1 protein complex indicating that it interacts and folds a plethora of substrate proteins that perform essential functions. In Leishmania donovani, the gamma subunit of TCP1 (LdTCP1γ) has been shown to form a homo-oligomeric complex and exhibited ATP-dependent protein folding activity. LdTCP1γ is essential for the growth and infectivity of the parasite. The interacting partners of L. donovani TCP1γ, involved in many cellular processes, are far from being understood. In this study, we utilized co-immunoprecipitation assay coupled with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to unravel protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks of LdTCP1γ in the L. donovani parasite. Label-free quantification (LFQ) proteomic analysis revealed 719 interacting partners of LdTCP1γ. String analysis showed that LdTCP1γ interacts with all subunits of TCP1 complex as well as other proteins belonging to pathways like metabolic process, ribosome, protein folding, sorting, and degradation. Trypanothione reductase, identified as one of the interacting partners, is refolded by LdTCP1γ. In addition, the differential expression of LdTCP1γ modulates the trypanothione reductase activity in L. donovani parasite. The study provides novel insight into the role of LdTCP1γ that will pave the way to better understand parasite biology by identifying the interacting partners of this chaperonin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailendra Yadav
- Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Gaziabaad, 201002, India
| | - Apeksha Anand
- Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Gaziabaad, 201002, India
| | - Karthik Ramalingam
- Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Deep Chandra Balodi
- Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Gaziabaad, 201002, India
| | - Jaswinder Singh Maras
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi, 110070, India
| | - Neena Goyal
- Division of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Gaziabaad, 201002, India.
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17
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Okada M, Rajaram K, Swift RP, Mixon A, Maschek JA, Prigge ST, Sigala PA. Critical role for isoprenoids in apicoplast biogenesis by malaria parasites. eLife 2022; 11:73208. [PMID: 35257658 PMCID: PMC8959605 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) is an essential metabolic output of the apicoplast organelle in Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites and is required for prenylation-dependent vesicular trafficking and other cellular processes. We have elucidated a critical and previously uncharacterized role for IPP in apicoplast biogenesis. Inhibiting IPP synthesis blocks apicoplast elongation and inheritance by daughter merozoites, and apicoplast biogenesis is rescued by exogenous IPP and polyprenols. Knockout of the only known isoprenoid-dependent apicoplast pathway, tRNA prenylation by MiaA, has no effect on blood-stage parasites and thus cannot explain apicoplast reliance on IPP. However, we have localized an annotated polyprenyl synthase (PPS) to the apicoplast. PPS knockdown is lethal to parasites, rescued by IPP and long- (C50) but not short-chain (≤C20) prenyl alcohols, and blocks apicoplast biogenesis, thus explaining apicoplast dependence on isoprenoid synthesis. We hypothesize that PPS synthesizes long-chain polyprenols critical for apicoplast membrane fluidity and biogenesis. This work critically expands the paradigm for isoprenoid utilization in malaria parasites and identifies a novel essential branch of apicoplast metabolism suitable for therapeutic targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Okada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Krithika Rajaram
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States
| | - Russell P Swift
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States
| | - Amanda Mixon
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - John Alan Maschek
- Metabolomics Core, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Sean T Prigge
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States
| | - Paul A Sigala
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
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18
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Cárdenas P, Esherick LY, Chambonnier G, Dey S, Turlo CV, Nasamu AS, Niles JC. GeneTargeter: Automated In Silico Design for Genome Editing in the Malaria Parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. CRISPR J 2022; 5:155-164. [PMID: 35191751 PMCID: PMC8892962 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2021.0069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional characterization of the multitude of poorly described proteins in the human malarial pathogen, Plasmodium falciparum, requires tools to enable genome-scale perturbation studies. Here, we present GeneTargeter (genetargeter.mit.edu), a software tool for automating the design of homology-directed repair donor vectors to achieve gene knockouts, conditional knockdowns, and epitope tagging of P. falciparum genes. We demonstrate GeneTargeter-facilitated genome-scale design of six different types of knockout and conditional knockdown constructs for the P. falciparum genome and validate the computational design process experimentally with successful donor vector assembly and transfection. The software's modular nature accommodates arbitrary destination vectors and allows customizable designs that extend the genome manipulation outcomes attainable in Plasmodium and other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Cárdenas
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lisl Y. Esherick
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gaël Chambonnier
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sumanta Dey
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Christopher V. Turlo
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Armiyaw Sebastian Nasamu
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jacquin C. Niles
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Address correspondence to: Jacquin C. Niles, MD, PhD, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Room 56-341, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307, USA,
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19
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Falekun S, Sepulveda J, Jami-Alahmadi Y, Park H, Wohlschlegel JA, Sigala PA. Divergent acyl carrier protein decouples mitochondrial Fe-S cluster biogenesis from fatty acid synthesis in malaria parasites. eLife 2021; 10:71636. [PMID: 34612205 PMCID: PMC8547962 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Most eukaryotic cells retain a mitochondrial fatty acid synthesis (FASII) pathway whose acyl carrier protein (mACP) and 4-phosphopantetheine (Ppant) prosthetic group provide a soluble scaffold for acyl chain synthesis and biochemically couple FASII activity to mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) assembly and Fe-S cluster biogenesis. In contrast, the mitochondrion of Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites lacks FASII enzymes yet curiously retains a divergent mACP lacking a Ppant group. We report that ligand-dependent knockdown of mACP is lethal to parasites, indicating an essential FASII-independent function. Decyl-ubiquinone rescues parasites temporarily from death, suggesting a dominant dysfunction of the mitochondrial ETC. Biochemical studies reveal that Plasmodium mACP binds and stabilizes the Isd11-Nfs1 complex required for Fe-S cluster biosynthesis, despite lacking the Ppant group required for this association in other eukaryotes, and knockdown of parasite mACP causes loss of Nfs1 and the Rieske Fe-S protein in ETC complex III. This work reveals that Plasmodium parasites have evolved to decouple mitochondrial Fe-S cluster biogenesis from FASII activity, and this adaptation is a shared metabolic feature of other apicomplexan pathogens, including Toxoplasma and Babesia. This discovery unveils an evolutionary driving force to retain interaction of mitochondrial Fe-S cluster biogenesis with ACP independent of its eponymous function in FASII.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyi Falekun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Jaime Sepulveda
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Yasaman Jami-Alahmadi
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Hahnbeom Park
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - James A Wohlschlegel
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, United States
| | - Paul A Sigala
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
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20
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Lu KY, Mansfield CR, Fitzgerald MC, Derbyshire ER. Chemoproteomics for Plasmodium Parasite Drug Target Discovery. Chembiochem 2021; 22:2591-2599. [PMID: 33999499 PMCID: PMC8373781 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100155] [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] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Emerging Plasmodium parasite drug resistance is threatening progress towards malaria control and elimination. While recent efforts in cell-based, high-throughput drug screening have produced first-in-class drugs with promising activities against different Plasmodium life cycle stages, most of these antimalarial agents have elusive mechanisms of action. Though challenging to address, target identification can provide valuable information to facilitate lead optimization and preclinical drug prioritization. Recently, proteome-wide methods for direct assessment of drug-protein interactions have emerged as powerful tools in a number of systems, including Plasmodium. In this review, we will discuss current chemoproteomic strategies that have been adapted to antimalarial drug target discovery, including affinity- and activity-based protein profiling and the energetics-based techniques thermal proteome profiling and stability of proteins from rates of oxidation. The successful application of chemoproteomics to the Plasmodium blood stage highlights the potential of these methods to link inhibitors to their molecular targets in more elusive Plasmodium life stages and intracellular pathogens in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuan-Yi Lu
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, 213 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Christopher R Mansfield
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, 213 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Michael C Fitzgerald
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Emily R Derbyshire
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, 213 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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21
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Abstract
Malaria elimination efforts have been repeatedly hindered by the evolution and spread of multidrug-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum. The absence of a commercially available vaccine emphasizes the need for a better understanding of Plasmodium biology in order to further translational research. This has been partly facilitated by targeted gene deletion strategies for the functional analysis of parasite genes. However, genes that are essential for parasite replication in erythrocytes are refractory to such methods, and require conditional knockdown or knockout approaches to dissect their function. One such approach is the TetR-DOZI system that employs multiple synthetic aptamers in the untranslated regions of target genes to control their expression in a tetracycline-dependent manner. Maintaining modified parasites with intact aptamer copies has been challenging since these repeats can be lost by recombination. By interspacing the aptamers with unique sequences, we created a stable genetic system that remains effective at controlling target gene expression. One of the most powerful approaches to understanding gene function involves turning genes on and off at will and measuring the impact at the cellular or organismal level. This particularly applies to the cohort of essential genes where traditional gene knockouts are inviable. In Plasmodium falciparum, conditional control of gene expression has been achieved by using multicomponent systems in which individual modules interact with each other to regulate DNA recombination, transcription, or posttranscriptional processes. The recently devised TetR-DOZI aptamer system relies on the ligand-regulatable interaction of a protein module with synthetic RNA aptamers to control the translation of a target gene. This technique has been successfully employed to study essential genes in P. falciparum and involves the insertion of several aptamer copies into the 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs), which provide control over mRNA fate. However, aptamer repeats are prone to recombination and one or more copies can be lost from the system, resulting in a loss of control over target gene expression. We rectified this issue by redesigning the aptamer array to minimize recombination while preserving the control elements. As proof of concept, we compared the original and modified arrays for their ability to knock down the levels of a putative essential apicoplast protein (PF3D7_0815700) and demonstrated that the modified array is highly stable and efficient. This redesign will enhance the utility of a tool that is quickly becoming a favored strategy for genetic studies in P. falciparum. IMPORTANCE Malaria elimination efforts have been repeatedly hindered by the evolution and spread of multidrug-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum. The absence of a commercially available vaccine emphasizes the need for a better understanding of Plasmodium biology in order to further translational research. This has been partly facilitated by targeted gene deletion strategies for the functional analysis of parasite genes. However, genes that are essential for parasite replication in erythrocytes are refractory to such methods, and require conditional knockdown or knockout approaches to dissect their function. One such approach is the TetR-DOZI system that employs multiple synthetic aptamers in the untranslated regions of target genes to control their expression in a tetracycline-dependent manner. Maintaining modified parasites with intact aptamer copies has been challenging since these repeats can be lost by recombination. By interspacing the aptamers with unique sequences, we created a stable genetic system that remains effective at controlling target gene expression.
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22
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TCP1γ Subunit Is Indispensable for Growth and Infectivity of Leishmania donovani. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2020; 64:AAC.00669-20. [PMID: 32457112 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00669-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
T-complex protein-1 (TCP1) is a ubiquitous group II chaperonin and is known to fold various proteins, such as actin and tubulin. In Leishmania donovani, the γ subunit of TCP1 (LdTCP1γ) has been cloned and characterized. It forms a high-molecular-weight homo-oligomeric complex that performs ATP-dependent protein folding. In the present study, we evaluated the essentiality of the LdTCP1γ gene. Gene replacement studies indicated that LdTCP1γ is essential for parasite survival. The LdTCP1γ single-allele-replacement mutants exhibited slowed growth and decreased infectivity in mouse macrophages compared to the growth and infectivity of the wild-type parasites. Modulation of LdTCP1γ expression in promastigotes also modulated cell cycle progression. Suramin, an antitrypanosomal drug, not only inhibited the luciferase refolding activity of the recombinant LdTCP1γ (rLdTCP1γ) homo-oligomeric complex but also exhibited potential antileishmanial efficacy both in vitro and in vivo The interaction of suramin and LdTCP1γ was further validated by isothermal titration calorimetry. The study suggests LdTCP1γ as a potential drug target and also provides a framework for the development of a new class of drugs.
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23
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Goodman CD, Uddin T, Spillman NJ, McFadden GI. A single point mutation in the Plasmodium falciparum FtsH1 metalloprotease confers actinonin resistance. eLife 2020; 9:58629. [PMID: 32678064 PMCID: PMC7386903 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The antibiotic actinonin kills malaria parasites (Plasmodium falciparum) by interfering with apicoplast function. Early evidence suggested that actinonin inhibited prokaryote-like post-translational modification in the apicoplast; mimicking its activity against bacteria. However, Amberg Johnson et al. (2017) identified the metalloprotease TgFtsH1 as the target of actinonin in the related parasite Toxoplasma gondii and implicated P. falciparum FtsH1 as a likely target in malaria parasites. The authors were not, however, able to recover actinonin resistant malaria parasites, leaving the specific target of actinonin uncertain. We generated actinonin resistant P. falciparum by in vitro selection and identified a specific sequence change in PfFtsH1 associated with resistance. Introduction of this point mutation using CRISPr-Cas9 allelic replacement was sufficient to confer actinonin resistance in P. falciparum. Our data unequivocally identify PfFtsH1 as the target of actinonin and suggests that actinonin should not be included in the highly valuable collection of ‘irresistible’ drugs for combatting malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Taher Uddin
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
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24
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Ling L, Mulaka M, Munro J, Dass S, Mather MW, Riscoe MK, Llinás M, Zhou J, Ke H. Genetic ablation of the mitoribosome in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum sensitizes it to antimalarials that target mitochondrial functions. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:7235-7248. [PMID: 32273345 PMCID: PMC7247301 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.012646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 04/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrion of malaria parasites contains several clinically validated drug targets. Within Plasmodium spp., the causative agents of malaria, the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is only 6 kb long, being the smallest mitochondrial genome among all eukaryotes. The mtDNA encodes only three proteins of the mitochondrial electron transport chain and ∼27 small, fragmented rRNA genes having lengths of 22-195 nucleotides. The rRNA fragments are thought to form a mitochondrial ribosome (mitoribosome), together with ribosomal proteins imported from the cytosol. The mitoribosome of Plasmodium falciparum is essential for maintenance of the mitochondrial membrane potential and parasite viability. However, the role of the mitoribosome in sustaining the metabolic status of the parasite mitochondrion remains unclear. The small ribosomal subunit in P. falciparum has 14 annotated mitoribosomal proteins, and employing a CRISPR/Cas9-based conditional knockdown tool, here we verified the location and tested the essentiality of three candidates (PfmtRPS12, PfmtRPS17, and PfmtRPS18). Using immuno-EM, we provide evidence that the P. falciparum mitoribosome is closely associated with the mitochondrial inner membrane. Upon knockdown of the mitoribosome, parasites became hypersensitive to inhibitors targeting mitochondrial Complex III (bc1), dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHOD), and the F1F0-ATP synthase complex. Furthermore, the mitoribosome knockdown blocked the pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway and reduced the cellular pool of pyrimidine nucleotides. These results suggest that disruption of the P. falciparum mitoribosome compromises the metabolic capacity of the mitochondrion, rendering the parasite hypersensitive to a panel of inhibitors that target mitochondrial functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqin Ling
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129; Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Maruthi Mulaka
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
| | - Justin Munro
- Department of Chemistry and Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
| | - Swati Dass
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
| | - Michael W Mather
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
| | - Michael K Riscoe
- Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Chemistry and Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
| | - Jing Zhou
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Hangjun Ke
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129.
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25
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Polino AJ, Nasamu AS, Niles JC, Goldberg DE. Assessment of Biological Role and Insight into Druggability of the Plasmodium falciparum Protease Plasmepsin V. ACS Infect Dis 2020; 6:738-746. [PMID: 32069391 PMCID: PMC7155168 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.9b00460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Upon infecting a red blood cell (RBC), the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum drastically remodels its host by exporting hundreds of proteins into the RBC cytosol. This protein export program is essential for parasite survival. Hence export-related proteins could be potential drug targets. One essential enzyme in this pathway is plasmepsin V (PMV), an aspartic protease that processes export-destined proteins in the parasite endoplasmic reticulum (ER) at the Plasmodium export element (PEXEL) motif. Despite long-standing interest in this enzyme, functional studies have been hindered by the inability of previous technologies to produce a regulatable lethal depletion of PMV. To overcome this technical barrier, we designed a system for stringent post-transcriptional regulation allowing a tightly controlled, tunable knockdown of PMV. Using this system, we found that PMV must be dramatically depleted to affect parasite growth, suggesting the parasite maintains this enzyme in substantial excess. Surprisingly, depletion of PMV arrested parasite growth immediately after RBC invasion, significantly before the death from exported protein deficit that has previously been described. The data suggest that PMV inhibitors can halt parasite growth at two distinct points in the parasite life cycle. However, overcoming the functional excess of PMV in the parasite may require inhibitor concentrations far beyond the enzyme's IC50.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Polino
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Armiyaw S Nasamu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Jacquin C Niles
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
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26
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Role of Plasmodium falciparum Protein GEXP07 in Maurer's Cleft Morphology, Knob Architecture, and P. falciparum EMP1 Trafficking. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.03320-19. [PMID: 32184257 PMCID: PMC7078486 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03320-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The trafficking of the virulence antigen PfEMP1 and its presentation at the knob structures at the surface of parasite-infected RBCs are central to severe adhesion-related pathologies such as cerebral and placental malaria. This work adds to our understanding of how PfEMP1 is trafficked to the RBC membrane by defining the protein-protein interaction networks that function at the Maurer’s clefts controlling PfEMP1 loading and unloading. We characterize a protein needed for virulence protein trafficking and provide new insights into the mechanisms for host cell remodeling, parasite survival within the host, and virulence. The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum traffics the virulence protein P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) to the surface of infected red blood cells (RBCs) via membranous organelles, known as the Maurer’s clefts. We developed a method for efficient enrichment of Maurer’s clefts and profiled the protein composition of this trafficking organelle. We identified 13 previously uncharacterized or poorly characterized Maurer’s cleft proteins. We generated transfectants expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions of 7 proteins and confirmed their Maurer’s cleft location. Using co-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry, we generated an interaction map of proteins at the Maurer’s clefts. We identified two key clusters that may function in the loading and unloading of PfEMP1 into and out of the Maurer’s clefts. We focus on a putative PfEMP1 loading complex that includes the protein GEXP07/CX3CL1-binding protein 2 (CBP2). Disruption of GEXP07 causes Maurer’s cleft fragmentation, aberrant knobs, ablation of PfEMP1 surface expression, and loss of the PfEMP1-mediated adhesion. ΔGEXP07 parasites have a growth advantage compared to wild-type parasites, and the infected RBCs are more deformable and more osmotically fragile.
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27
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Plasmodium chaperonin TRiC/CCT identified as a target of the antihistamine clemastine using parallel chemoproteomic strategy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:5810-5817. [PMID: 32127489 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1913525117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The antihistamine clemastine inhibits multiple stages of the Plasmodium parasite that causes malaria, but the molecular targets responsible for its parasite inhibition were unknown. Here, we applied parallel chemoproteomic platforms to discover the mechanism of action of clemastine and identify that clemastine binds to the Plasmodium falciparum TCP-1 ring complex or chaperonin containing TCP-1 (TRiC/CCT), an essential heterooligomeric complex required for de novo cytoskeletal protein folding. Clemastine destabilized all eight P. falciparum TRiC subunits based on thermal proteome profiling (TPP). Further analysis using stability of proteins from rates of oxidation (SPROX) revealed a clemastine-induced thermodynamic stabilization of the Plasmodium TRiC delta subunit, suggesting an interaction with this protein subunit. We demonstrate that clemastine reduces levels of the major TRiC substrate tubulin in P. falciparum parasites. In addition, clemastine treatment leads to disorientation of Plasmodium mitotic spindles during the asexual reproduction and results in aberrant tubulin morphology suggesting protein aggregation. This clemastine-induced disruption of TRiC function is not observed in human host cells, demonstrating a species selectivity required for targeting an intracellular human pathogen. Our findings encourage larger efforts to apply chemoproteomic methods to assist in target identification of antimalarial drugs and highlight the potential to selectively target Plasmodium TRiC-mediated protein folding for malaria intervention.
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28
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An Endoplasmic Reticulum CREC Family Protein Regulates the Egress Proteolytic Cascade in Malaria Parasites. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.03078-19. [PMID: 32098818 PMCID: PMC7042697 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03078-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is thought to play an essential role during egress of malaria parasites because the ER is assumed to be required for biogenesis and secretion of egress-related organelles. However, no proteins localized to the parasite ER have been shown to play a role in egress of malaria parasites. In this study, we generated conditional mutants of the Plasmodium falciparum endoplasmic reticulum-resident calcium-binding protein (PfERC), a member of the CREC family. Knockdown of the PfERC gene showed that this gene is essential for asexual growth of P. falciparum Analysis of the intraerythrocytic life cycle revealed that PfERC is essential for parasite egress but is not required for protein trafficking or calcium storage. We found that PfERC knockdown prevents the rupture of the parasitophorous vacuole membrane. This is because PfERC knockdown inhibited the proteolytic maturation of the subtilisin-like serine protease SUB1. Using double mutant parasites, we showed that PfERC is required for the proteolytic maturation of the essential aspartic protease plasmepsin X, which is required for SUB1 cleavage. Further, we showed that processing of substrates downstream of the proteolytic cascade is inhibited by PfERC knockdown. Thus, these data establish that the ER-resident CREC family protein PfERC is a key early regulator of the egress proteolytic cascade of malaria parasites.IMPORTANCE The divergent eukaryotic parasites that cause malaria grow and divide within a vacuole inside a host cell, which they have to break open once they finish cell division. The egress of daughter parasites requires the activation of a proteolytic cascade, and a subtilisin-like protease initiates a proteolytic cascade to break down the membranes blocking egress. It is assumed that the parasite endoplasmic reticulum plays a role in this process, but the proteins in this organelle required for egress remain unknown. We have identified an early ER-resident regulator essential for the maturation of the recently discovered aspartic protease in the egress proteolytic cascade, plasmepsin X, which is required for maturation of the subtilisin-like protease. Conditional loss of PfERC results in the formation of immature and inactive egress proteases that are unable to breakdown the vacuolar membrane barring release of daughter parasites.
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29
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Nessel T, Beck JM, Rayatpisheh S, Jami-Alahmadi Y, Wohlschlegel JA, Goldberg DE, Beck JR. EXP1 is required for organisation of EXP2 in the intraerythrocytic malaria parasite vacuole. Cell Microbiol 2020; 22:e13168. [PMID: 31990132 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Intraerythrocytic malaria parasites reside within a parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM) that closely overlays the parasite plasma membrane. Although the PVM is the site of several transport activities essential to parasite survival, the basis for organisation of this membrane system is unknown. Here, we performed proximity labeling at the PVM with BioID2, which highlighted a group of single-pass integral membrane proteins that constitute a major component of the PVM proteome but whose function remains unclear. We investigated EXP1, the longest known member of this group, by adapting a CRISPR/Cpf1 genome editing system to install the TetR-DOZI-aptamers system for conditional translational control. Importantly, although EXP1 was required for intraerythrocytic development, a previously reported in vitro glutathione S-transferase activity could not account for this essential EXP1 function in vivo. EXP1 knockdown was accompanied by profound changes in vacuole ultrastructure, including apparent increased separation of the PVM from the parasite plasma membrane and formation of abnormal membrane structures. Furthermore, although activity of the Plasmodium translocon of exported proteins was not impacted by depletion of EXP1, the distribution of the translocon pore-forming protein EXP2 but not the HSP101 unfoldase was substantially altered. Collectively, our results reveal a novel PVM defect that indicates a critical role for EXP1 in maintaining proper organisation of EXP2 within the PVM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Nessel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
| | - John M Beck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
| | - Shima Rayatpisheh
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Yasaman Jami-Alahmadi
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - James A Wohlschlegel
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Departments of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Josh R Beck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.,Departments of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
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30
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Ferreira L, Venancio VP, Kawano T, Abrão LCC, Tavella TA, Almeida LD, Pires GS, Bilsland E, Sunnerhagen P, Azevedo L, Talcott ST, Mertens-Talcott SU, Costa FTM. Chemical Genomic Profiling Unveils the in Vitro and in Vivo Antiplasmodial Mechanism of Açaí ( Euterpe oleracea Mart.) Polyphenols. ACS OMEGA 2019; 4:15628-15635. [PMID: 31572864 PMCID: PMC6761757 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b02127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Malaria remains a major detrimental parasitic disease in the developing world, with more than 200 million cases annually. Widespread drug-resistant parasite strains push for the development of novel antimalarial drugs. Plant-derived natural products are key sources of antimalarial molecules. Euterpe oleracea Martius ("açaí") originates from Brazil and has anti-inflammatory and antineoplasic properties. Here, we evaluated the antimalarial efficacy of three phenolic fractions of açaí; total phenolics (1), nonanthocyanin phenolics (2), and total anthocyanins (3). In vitro, fraction 2 moderately inhibited parasite growth in chloroquine-sensitive (HB3) and multiresistant (Dd2) Plasmodium falciparum strains, while none of the fractions was toxic to noncancer cells. Despite the limited activity in vitro, the oral treatment with 20 mg/kg of fraction 1 reduced parasitemia by 89.4% in Plasmodium chabaudi-infected mice and prolonged survival. Contrasting in vitro and in vivo activities of 1 suggest key antiplasmodial roles for polyphenol metabolites rather than the fraction itself. Finally, we performed haploinsufficiency chemical genomic profiling (HIP) utilizing heterozygous Saccharomyces cerevisiae deletion mutants to identify molecular mechanisms of açaí fractions. HIP results indicate proteostasis as the main cellular pathway affected by fraction 2. These results open avenues to develop açaí polyphenols as potential new antimalarial candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letícia
T. Ferreira
- Laboratory
of Tropical Diseases—Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da
Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology and Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Department of Structural and Functional
Biology, Institute of Biology, University
of Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Vinícius P. Venancio
- Department
of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Taila Kawano
- Department
of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Faculty
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University
of Alfenas, Alfenas, MG 37130-001, Brazil
| | - Lailah C. C. Abrão
- Department
of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Faculty
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University
of Alfenas, Alfenas, MG 37130-001, Brazil
| | - Tatyana A. Tavella
- Laboratory
of Tropical Diseases—Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da
Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology and Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Department of Structural and Functional
Biology, Institute of Biology, University
of Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Ludimila D. Almeida
- Laboratory
of Tropical Diseases—Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da
Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology and Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Department of Structural and Functional
Biology, Institute of Biology, University
of Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Gabriel S. Pires
- Laboratory
of Tropical Diseases—Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da
Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology and Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Department of Structural and Functional
Biology, Institute of Biology, University
of Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Elizabeth Bilsland
- Laboratory
of Tropical Diseases—Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da
Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology and Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Department of Structural and Functional
Biology, Institute of Biology, University
of Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Per Sunnerhagen
- Department
of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University
of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE-405 30, Sweden
| | - Luciana Azevedo
- Laboratory
of Nutritional and Toxicological Analysis in Vivo—LANTIN, Faculty
of Nutrition, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | - Stephen T. Talcott
- Department
of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Susanne U. Mertens-Talcott
- Department
of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Fabio T. M. Costa
- Laboratory
of Tropical Diseases—Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da
Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology and Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Department of Structural and Functional
Biology, Institute of Biology, University
of Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
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31
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Lee MCS, Lindner SE, Lopez-Rubio JJ, Llinás M. Cutting back malaria: CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing of Plasmodium. Brief Funct Genomics 2019; 18:281-289. [PMID: 31365053 PMCID: PMC6859820 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elz012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 approaches are revolutionizing our ability to perform functional genomics across a wide range of organisms, including the Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria. The ability to deliver single point mutations, epitope tags and gene deletions at increased speed and scale is enabling our understanding of the biology of these complex parasites, and pointing to potential new therapeutic targets. In this review, we describe some of the biological and technical considerations for designing CRISPR-based experiments, and discuss potential future developments that broaden the applications for CRISPR/Cas9 interrogation of the malaria parasite genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus C S Lee
- Parasites and Microbes Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Scott E Lindner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jose-Juan Lopez-Rubio
- Dynamique des Interactions Membranaires Normales et Pathologiques, UMR5235 CNRS, INSERM, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA
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32
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Xie SC, Metcalfe RD, Hanssen E, Yang T, Gillett DL, Leis AP, Morton CJ, Kuiper MJ, Parker MW, Spillman NJ, Wong W, Tsu C, Dick LR, Griffin MDW, Tilley L. The structure of the PA28-20S proteasome complex from Plasmodium falciparum and implications for proteostasis. Nat Microbiol 2019; 4:1990-2000. [PMID: 31384003 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-019-0524-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The activity of the proteasome 20S catalytic core is regulated by protein complexes that bind to one or both ends. The PA28 regulator stimulates 20S proteasome peptidase activity in vitro, but its role in vivo remains unclear. Here, we show that genetic deletion of the PA28 regulator from Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) renders malaria parasites more sensitive to the antimalarial drug dihydroartemisinin, indicating that PA28 may play a role in protection against proteotoxic stress. The crystal structure of PfPA28 reveals a bell-shaped molecule with an inner pore that has a strong segregation of charges. Small-angle X-ray scattering shows that disordered loops, which are not resolved in the crystal structure, extend from the PfPA28 heptamer and surround the pore. Using single particle cryo-electron microscopy, we solved the structure of Pf20S in complex with one and two regulatory PfPA28 caps at resolutions of 3.9 and 3.8 Å, respectively. PfPA28 binds Pf20S asymmetrically, strongly engaging subunits on only one side of the core. PfPA28 undergoes rigid body motions relative to Pf20S. Molecular dynamics simulations support conformational flexibility and a leaky interface. We propose lateral transfer of short peptides through the dynamic interface as a mechanism facilitating the release of proteasome degradation products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley C Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Riley D Metcalfe
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eric Hanssen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Advanced Microscopy Facility, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tuo Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - David L Gillett
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew P Leis
- Advanced Microscopy Facility, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Craig J Morton
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Michael W Parker
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Australian Cancer Research Foundation Rational Drug Discovery Centre, St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia
| | - Natalie J Spillman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Wilson Wong
- Infection and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christopher Tsu
- Oncology Clinical R&D, Takeda Pharmaceuticals International Co., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Lawrence R Dick
- Oncology Clinical R&D, Takeda Pharmaceuticals International Co., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michael D W Griffin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Leann Tilley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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33
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Rudlaff RM, Kraemer S, Streva VA, Dvorin JD. An essential contractile ring protein controls cell division in Plasmodium falciparum. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2181. [PMID: 31097714 PMCID: PMC6522492 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10214-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
During the blood stage of human malaria, Plasmodium falciparum parasites divide by schizogony-a process wherein components for several daughter cells are produced within a common cytoplasm and then segmentation, a synchronized cytokinesis, produces individual invasive daughters. The basal complex is hypothesized to be required for segmentation, acting as a contractile ring to establish daughter cell boundaries. Here we identify an essential component of the basal complex which we name PfCINCH. Using three-dimensional reconstructions of parasites at electron microscopy resolution, we show that while parasite organelles form and divide normally, PfCINCH-deficient parasites develop inviable conjoined daughters that contain components for multiple cells. Through biochemical evaluation of the PfCINCH-containing complex, we discover multiple previously undescribed basal complex proteins. Therefore, this work provides genetic evidence that the basal complex is required for precise segmentation and lays the groundwork for a mechanistic understanding of how the parasite contractile ring drives cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Rudlaff
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Stephan Kraemer
- Center for Nanoscale Systems, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Vincent A Streva
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Dvorin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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34
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Ke H, Ganesan SM, Dass S, Morrisey JM, Pou S, Nilsen A, Riscoe MK, Mather MW, Vaidya AB. Mitochondrial type II NADH dehydrogenase of Plasmodium falciparum (PfNDH2) is dispensable in the asexual blood stages. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214023. [PMID: 30964863 PMCID: PMC6456166 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The battle against malaria has been substantially impeded by the recurrence of drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest human malaria parasite. To counter the problem, novel antimalarial drugs are urgently needed, especially those that target unique pathways of the parasite, since they are less likely to have side effects. The mitochondrial type II NADH dehydrogenase (NDH2) of P. falciparum, PfNDH2 (PF3D7_0915000), has been considered a good prospective antimalarial drug target for over a decade, since malaria parasites lack the conventional multi-subunit NADH dehydrogenase, or Complex I, present in the mammalian mitochondrial electron transport chain (mtETC). Instead, Plasmodium parasites contain a single subunit NDH2, which lacks proton pumping activity and is absent in humans. A significant amount of effort has been expended to develop PfNDH2 specific inhibitors, yet the essentiality of PfNDH2 has not been convincingly verified. Herein, we knocked out PfNDH2 in P. falciparum via a CRISPR/Cas9 mediated approach. Deletion of PfNDH2 does not alter the parasite’s susceptibility to multiple mtETC inhibitors, including atovaquone and ELQ-300. We also show that the antimalarial activity of the fungal NDH2 inhibitor HDQ and its new derivative CK-2-68 is due to inhibition of the parasite cytochrome bc1 complex rather than PfNDH2. These compounds directly inhibit the ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase activity of the malarial bc1 complex. Our results suggest that PfNDH2 is not likely a good antimalarial drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hangjun Ke
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Suresh M. Ganesan
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Swati Dass
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Joanne M. Morrisey
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Sovitj Pou
- Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Aaron Nilsen
- Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Michael K. Riscoe
- Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Michael W. Mather
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Akhil B. Vaidya
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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35
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Istvan ES, Das S, Bhatnagar S, Beck JR, Owen E, Llinas M, Ganesan SM, Niles JC, Winzeler E, Vaidya AB, Goldberg DE. Plasmodium Niemann-Pick type C1-related protein is a druggable target required for parasite membrane homeostasis. eLife 2019; 8:40529. [PMID: 30888318 PMCID: PMC6424564 DOI: 10.7554/elife.40529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites possess a protein with homology to Niemann-Pick Type C1 proteins (Niemann-Pick Type C1-Related protein, NCR1). We isolated parasites with resistance-conferring mutations in Plasmodium falciparum NCR1 (PfNCR1) during selections with three diverse small-molecule antimalarial compounds and show that the mutations are causative for compound resistance. PfNCR1 protein knockdown results in severely attenuated growth and confers hypersensitivity to the compounds. Compound treatment or protein knockdown leads to increased sensitivity of the parasite plasma membrane (PPM) to the amphipathic glycoside saponin and engenders digestive vacuoles (DVs) that are small and malformed. Immuno-electron microscopy and split-GFP experiments localize PfNCR1 to the PPM. Our experiments show that PfNCR1 activity is critically important for the composition of the PPM and is required for DV biogenesis, suggesting PfNCR1 as a novel antimalarial drug target. Editorial note: This article has been through an editorial process in which the authors decide how to respond to the issues raised during peer review. The Reviewing Editor's assessment is that all the issues have been addressed (see decision letter).
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva S Istvan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, United States.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, United States
| | - Sudipta Das
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Suyash Bhatnagar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Josh R Beck
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, United States.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, United States
| | - Edward Owen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States.,Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States
| | - Manuel Llinas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States.,Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States
| | - Suresh M Ganesan
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Jacquin C Niles
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Elizabeth Winzeler
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, United States
| | - Akhil B Vaidya
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, United States.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, United States
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36
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The structure and evolution of eukaryotic chaperonin-containing TCP-1 and its mechanism that folds actin into a protein spring. Biochem J 2018; 475:3009-3034. [DOI: 10.1042/bcj20170378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Actin is folded to its native state in eukaryotic cytosol by the sequential allosteric mechanism of the chaperonin-containing TCP-1 (CCT). The CCT machine is a double-ring ATPase built from eight related subunits, CCT1–CCT8. Non-native actin interacts with specific subunits and is annealed slowly through sequential binding and hydrolysis of ATP around and across the ring system. CCT releases a folded but soft ATP-G-actin monomer which is trapped 80 kJ/mol uphill on the folding energy surface by its ATP-Mg2+/Ca2+ clasp. The energy landscape can be re-explored in the actin filament, F-actin, because ATP hydrolysis produces dehydrated and more compact ADP-actin monomers which, upon application of force and strain, are opened and closed like the elements of a spring. Actin-based myosin motor systems underpin a multitude of force generation processes in cells and muscles. We propose that the water surface of F-actin acts as a low-binding energy, directional waveguide which is recognized specifically by the myosin lever-arm domain before the system engages to form the tight-binding actomyosin complex. Such a water-mediated recognition process between actin and myosin would enable symmetry breaking through fast, low energy initial binding events. The origin of chaperonins and the subsequent emergence of the CCT–actin system in LECA (last eukaryotic common ancestor) point to the critical role of CCT in facilitating phagocytosis during early eukaryotic evolution and the transition from the bacterial world. The coupling of CCT-folding fluxes to the cell cycle, cell size control networks and cancer are discussed together with directions for further research.
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37
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Kudyba HM, Cobb DW, Florentin A, Krakowiak M, Muralidharan V. CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing to Make Conditional Mutants of Human Malaria Parasite P. falciparum. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 30295650 DOI: 10.3791/57747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. This disease, which primarily affects those living in tropical and subtropical regions, is caused by infection with Plasmodium parasites. The development of more effective drugs to combat malaria can be accelerated by improving our understanding of the biology of this complex parasite. Genetic manipulation of these parasites is key to understanding their biology; however, historically the genome of P. falciparum has been difficult to manipulate. Recently, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing has been utilized in malaria parasites, allowing for easier protein tagging, generation of conditional protein knockdowns, and deletion of genes. CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing has proven to be a powerful tool for advancing the field of malaria research. Here, we describe a CRISPR/Cas9 method for generating glmS-based conditional knockdown mutants in P. falciparum. This method is highly adaptable to other types of genetic manipulations, including protein tagging and gene knockouts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather M Kudyba
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia; Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia
| | - David W Cobb
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia
| | - Anat Florentin
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia; Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia
| | | | - Vasant Muralidharan
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia; Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia;
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38
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Ho CM, Beck JR, Lai M, Cui Y, Goldberg DE, Egea PF, Zhou ZH. Malaria parasite translocon structure and mechanism of effector export. Nature 2018; 561:70-75. [PMID: 30150771 PMCID: PMC6555636 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0469-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The putative Plasmodium translocon of exported proteins (PTEX) is essential for transport of malarial effector proteins across a parasite-encasing vacuolar membrane into host erythrocytes, but the mechanism of this process remains unknown. Here we show that PTEX is a bona fide translocon by determining structures of the PTEX core complex at near-atomic resolution using cryo-electron microscopy. We isolated the endogenous PTEX core complex containing EXP2, PTEX150 and HSP101 from Plasmodium falciparum in the 'engaged' and 'resetting' states of endogenous cargo translocation using epitope tags inserted using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. In the structures, EXP2 and PTEX150 interdigitate to form a static, funnel-shaped pseudo-seven-fold-symmetric protein-conducting channel spanning the vacuolar membrane. The spiral-shaped AAA+ HSP101 hexamer is tethered above this funnel, and undergoes pronounced compaction that allows three of six tyrosine-bearing pore loops lining the HSP101 channel to dissociate from the cargo, resetting the translocon for the next threading cycle. Our work reveals the mechanism of P. falciparum effector export, and will inform structure-based design of drugs targeting this unique translocon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Min Ho
- The Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Josh R Beck
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Mason Lai
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yanxiang Cui
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Pascal F Egea
- The Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Z Hong Zhou
- The Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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39
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Garten M, Nasamu AS, Niles JC, Zimmerberg J, Goldberg DE, Beck JR. EXP2 is a nutrient-permeable channel in the vacuolar membrane of Plasmodium and is essential for protein export via PTEX. Nat Microbiol 2018; 3:1090-1098. [PMID: 30150733 PMCID: PMC6158082 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-018-0222-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Garten
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Armiyaw S Nasamu
- Departments of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jacquin C Niles
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Joshua Zimmerberg
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Departments of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Josh R Beck
- Departments of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
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40
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Nasamu AS, Glushakova S, Russo I, Vaupel B, Oksman A, Kim AS, Fremont DH, Tolia N, Beck JR, Meyers MJ, Niles JC, Zimmerberg J, Goldberg DE. Plasmepsins IX and X are essential and druggable mediators of malaria parasite egress and invasion. Science 2018; 358:518-522. [PMID: 29074774 PMCID: PMC5928414 DOI: 10.1126/science.aan1478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Proteases of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum have long been investigated as drug targets. The P. falciparum genome encodes 10 aspartic proteases called plasmepsins, which are involved in diverse cellular processes. Most have been studied extensively but the functions of plasmepsins IX and X (PMIX and PMX) were unknown. Here we show that PMIX is essential for erythrocyte invasion, acting on rhoptry secretory organelle biogenesis. In contrast, PMX is essential for both egress and invasion, controlling maturation of the subtilisin-like serine protease SUB1 in exoneme secretory vesicles. We have identified compounds with potent antimalarial activity targeting PMX, including a compound known to have oral efficacy in a mouse model of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armiyaw S Nasamu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Svetlana Glushakova
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ilaria Russo
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Division of Infection Immunity and Respiratory Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Barbara Vaupel
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Anna Oksman
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Arthur S Kim
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA.,Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Daved H Fremont
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Niraj Tolia
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Josh R Beck
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Marvin J Meyers
- Center for World Health and Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA
| | - Jacquin C Niles
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Joshua Zimmerberg
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA. .,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
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41
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Ke H, Dass S, Morrisey JM, Mather MW, Vaidya AB. The mitochondrial ribosomal protein L13 is critical for the structural and functional integrity of the mitochondrion in Plasmodium falciparum. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:8128-8137. [PMID: 29626096 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.002552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The phylum Apicomplexa contains a group of protozoa causing diseases in humans and livestock. Plasmodium spp., the causative agent of malaria, contains a mitochondrion that is very divergent from that of their hosts. The malarial mitochondrion is a clinically validated target for the antimalarial drug atovaquone, which specifically blocks the electron transfer activity of the bc1 complex of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (mtETC). Most mtETC proteins are nuclear-encoded and imported from the cytosol, but three key protein subunits are encoded in the Plasmodium mitochondrial genome: cyt b, COXI, and COXIII. They are translated inside the mitochondrion by mitochondrial ribosomes (mitoribosomes). Here, we characterize the function of one large mitoribosomal protein in Plasmodium falciparum, PfmRPL13. We found that PfmRPL13 localizes to the parasite mitochondrion and is refractory to genetic knockout. Ablation of PfmRPL13 using a conditional knockdown system (TetR-DOZI-aptamer) caused a series of adverse events in the parasite, including mtETC deficiency, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm), and death. The PfmRPL13 knockdown parasite also became hypersensitive to proguanil, a drug proposed to target an alternative process for maintaining Δψm Surprisingly, transmission EM revealed that PfmRPL13 disruption also resulted in an unusually elongated and branched mitochondrion. The growth arrest of the knockdown parasite could be rescued with a second copy of PfmRPL13, but not by supplementation with decylubiquinone or addition of a yeast dihydroorotate dehydrogenase gene. In summary, we provide first and direct evidence that mitoribosomes are essential for malaria parasites to maintain the structural and functional integrity of the mitochondrion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hangjun Ke
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129.
| | - Swati Dass
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
| | - Joanne M Morrisey
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
| | - Michael W Mather
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
| | - Akhil B Vaidya
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
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42
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Glushakova S, Busse BL, Garten M, Beck JR, Fairhurst RM, Goldberg DE, Zimmerberg J. Exploitation of a newly-identified entry pathway into the malaria parasite-infected erythrocyte to inhibit parasite egress. Sci Rep 2017; 7:12250. [PMID: 28947749 PMCID: PMC5612957 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12258-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
While many parasites develop within host cells to avoid antibody responses and to utilize host cytoplasmic resources, elaborate egress processes have evolved to minimize the time between escaping and invading the next cell. In human erythrocytes, malaria parasites perforate their enclosing erythrocyte membrane shortly before egress. Here, we show that these pores clearly function as an entry pathway into infected erythrocytes for compounds that inhibit parasite egress. The natural glycosaminoglycan heparin surprisingly inhibited malaria parasite egress, trapping merozoites within infected erythrocytes. Labeled heparin neither bound to nor translocated through the intact erythrocyte membrane during parasite development, but fluxed into erythrocytes at the last minute of the parasite lifecycle. This short encounter was sufficient to significantly inhibit parasite egress and dispersion. Heparin blocks egress by interacting with both the surface of intra-erythrocytic merozoites and the inner aspect of erythrocyte membranes, preventing the rupture of infected erythrocytes but not parasitophorous vacuoles, and independently interfering with merozoite disaggregation. Since this action of heparin recapitulates that of neutralizing antibodies, membrane perforation presents a brief opportunity for a new strategy to inhibit parasite egress and replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Glushakova
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Brad L Busse
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Matthias Garten
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Josh R Beck
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Rick M Fairhurst
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Joshua Zimmerberg
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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43
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Amberg-Johnson K, Hari SB, Ganesan SM, Lorenzi HA, Sauer RT, Niles JC, Yeh E. Small molecule inhibition of apicomplexan FtsH1 disrupts plastid biogenesis in human pathogens. eLife 2017; 6:29865. [PMID: 28826494 PMCID: PMC5576918 DOI: 10.7554/elife.29865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and related apicomplexan pathogens contain an essential plastid organelle, the apicoplast, which is a key anti-parasitic target. Derived from secondary endosymbiosis, the apicoplast depends on novel, but largely cryptic, mechanisms for protein/lipid import and organelle inheritance during parasite replication. These critical biogenesis pathways present untapped opportunities to discover new parasite-specific drug targets. We used an innovative screen to identify actinonin as having a novel mechanism-of-action inhibiting apicoplast biogenesis. Resistant mutation, chemical-genetic interaction, and biochemical inhibition demonstrate that the unexpected target of actinonin in P. falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii is FtsH1, a homolog of a bacterial membrane AAA+ metalloprotease. PfFtsH1 is the first novel factor required for apicoplast biogenesis identified in a phenotypic screen. Our findings demonstrate that FtsH1 is a novel and, importantly, druggable antimalarial target. Development of FtsH1 inhibitors will have significant advantages with improved drug kinetics and multistage efficacy against multiple human parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Amberg-Johnson
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford Medical School, Stanford, United States.,Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford Medical School, Stanford, United States
| | - Sanjay B Hari
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Suresh M Ganesan
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Hernan A Lorenzi
- Department of Infectious Disease, The J. Craig Venter Institute, Maryland, United States
| | - Robert T Sauer
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Jacquin C Niles
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Ellen Yeh
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford Medical School, Stanford, United States.,Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford Medical School, Stanford, United States.,Department of Pathology, Stanford Medical School, Stanford, United States
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44
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Batinovic S, McHugh E, Chisholm SA, Matthews K, Liu B, Dumont L, Charnaud SC, Schneider MP, Gilson PR, de Koning-Ward TF, Dixon MWA, Tilley L. An exported protein-interacting complex involved in the trafficking of virulence determinants in Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes. Nat Commun 2017; 8:16044. [PMID: 28691708 PMCID: PMC5508133 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms16044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, displays the P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) on the surface of infected red blood cells (RBCs). We here examine the physical organization of PfEMP1 trafficking intermediates in infected RBCs and determine interacting partners using an epitope-tagged minimal construct (PfEMP1B). We show that parasitophorous vacuole (PV)-located PfEMP1B interacts with components of the PTEX (Plasmodium Translocon of EXported proteins) as well as a novel protein complex, EPIC (Exported Protein-Interacting Complex). Within the RBC cytoplasm PfEMP1B interacts with components of the Maurer’s clefts and the RBC chaperonin complex. We define the EPIC interactome and, using an inducible knockdown approach, show that depletion of one of its components, the parasitophorous vacuolar protein-1 (PV1), results in altered knob morphology, reduced cell rigidity and decreased binding to CD36. Accordingly, we show that deletion of the Plasmodium berghei homologue of PV1 is associated with attenuation of parasite virulence in vivo. Plasmodium-infected red blood cells export virulence factors, such as PfEMP1, to the cell surface. Here, the authors identify a protein complex termed EPIC that interacts with PfEMP1 during export, and they show that knockdown of an EPIC component affects parasite virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Batinovic
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Emma McHugh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Scott A Chisholm
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria 3220, Australia
| | - Kathryn Matthews
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria 3220, Australia
| | - Boiyin Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Laure Dumont
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Sarah C Charnaud
- Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia
| | - Molly Parkyn Schneider
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Paul R Gilson
- Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia
| | | | - Matthew W A Dixon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Leann Tilley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
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