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Anstey NM, Tham WH, Shanks GD, Poespoprodjo JR, Russell BM, Kho S. The biology and pathogenesis of vivax malaria. Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:573-590. [PMID: 38749866 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2024.04.015] [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: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax contributes significantly to global malaria morbidity. Key advances include the discovery of pathways facilitating invasion by P. vivax merozoites of nascent reticulocytes, crucial for vaccine development. Humanized mouse models and hepatocyte culture systems have enhanced understanding of hypnozoite biology. The spleen has emerged as a major reservoir for asexual vivax parasites, replicating in an endosplenic life cycle, and contributing to recurrent and chronic infections, systemic inflammation, and anemia. Splenic accumulation of uninfected red cells is the predominant cause of anemia. Recurring and chronic infections cause progressive anemia, malnutrition, and death in young children in high-transmission regions. Endothelial activation likely contributes to vivax-associated organ dysfunction. The many recent advances in vivax pathobiology should help guide new approaches to prevention and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M Anstey
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
| | - Wai-Hong Tham
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - G Dennis Shanks
- School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jeanne R Poespoprodjo
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia; Centre for Child Health and Department of Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Timika Malaria Research Facility, Papuan Health and Community Development Foundation, Timika, Central Papua, Indonesia; Mimika District Hospital and District Health Authority, Timika, Central Papua, Indonesia
| | - Bruce M Russell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Steven Kho
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia; Timika Malaria Research Facility, Papuan Health and Community Development Foundation, Timika, Central Papua, Indonesia
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2
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Kandalgaonkar MR, Yeoh BS, Joe B, Schmidt NW, Vijay-Kumar M, Saha P. Hypertension Increases Susceptibility to Experimental Malaria in Mice. FUNCTION 2024; 5:zqae009. [PMID: 38706961 PMCID: PMC11065114 DOI: 10.1093/function/zqae009] [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: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Global prevalence of hypertension is on the rise, burdening healthcare, especially in developing countries where infectious diseases, such as malaria, are also rampant. Whether hypertension could predispose or increase susceptibility to malaria, however, has not been extensively explored. Previously, we reported that hypertension is associated with abnormal red blood cell (RBC) physiology and anemia. Since RBC are target host cells for malarial parasite, Plasmodium, we hypothesized that hypertensive patients with abnormal RBC physiology are at greater risk or susceptibility to Plasmodium infection. To test this hypothesis, normotensive (BPN/3J) and hypertensive (BPH/2J) mice were characterized for their RBC physiology and subsequently infected with Plasmodium yoelii (P. yoelii), a murine-specific non-lethal strain. When compared to BPN mice, BPH mice displayed microcytic anemia with RBC highly resistant to osmotic hemolysis. Further, BPH RBC exhibited greater membrane rigidity and an altered lipid composition, as evidenced by higher levels of phospholipids and saturated fatty acid, such as stearate (C18:0), along with lower levels of polyunsaturated fatty acid like arachidonate (C20:4). Moreover, BPH mice had significantly greater circulating Ter119+ CD71+ reticulocytes, or immature RBC, prone to P. yoelii infection. Upon infection with P. yoelii, BPH mice experienced significant body weight loss accompanied by sustained parasitemia, indices of anemia, and substantial increase in systemic pro-inflammatory mediators, compared to BPN mice, indicating that BPH mice were incompetent to clear P. yoelii infection. Collectively, these data demonstrate that aberrant RBC physiology observed in hypertensive BPH mice contributes to an increased susceptibility to P. yoelii infection and malaria-associated pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mrunmayee R Kandalgaonkar
- Center for Hypertension and Precision Medicine, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Beng San Yeoh
- Center for Hypertension and Precision Medicine, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Bina Joe
- Center for Hypertension and Precision Medicine, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Nathan W Schmidt
- Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Global Health, Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research, and Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Matam Vijay-Kumar
- Center for Hypertension and Precision Medicine, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Piu Saha
- Center for Hypertension and Precision Medicine, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
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3
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Jajosky RP, Wu SC, Jajosky PG, Stowell SR. Plasmodium knowlesi ( Pk) Malaria: A Review & Proposal of Therapeutically Rational Exchange (T-REX) of Pk-Resistant Red Blood Cells. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:478. [PMID: 37888606 PMCID: PMC10610852 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8100478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium knowlesi (Pk) causes zoonotic malaria and is known as the "fifth human malaria parasite". Pk malaria is an emerging threat because infections are increasing and can be fatal. While most infections are in Southeast Asia (SEA), especially Malaysia, travelers frequently visit this region and can present with Pk malaria around the world. So, clinicians need to know (1) patients who present with fever after recent travel to SEA might be infected with Pk and (2) Pk is often misdiagnosed as P. malariae (which typically causes less severe malaria). Here we review the history, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of Pk malaria. Severe disease is most common in adults. Signs and symptoms can include fever, abdominal pain, jaundice, acute kidney injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome, hyponatremia, hyperparasitemia, and thrombocytopenia. Dengue is one of the diseases to be considered in the differential. Regarding pathophysiologic mechanisms, when Pk parasites invade mature red blood cells (RBCs, i.e., normocytes) and reticulocytes, changes in the red blood cell (RBC) surface can result in life-threatening cytoadherence, sequestration, and reduced RBC deformability. Since molecular mechanisms involving the erythrocytic stage are responsible for onset of severe disease and lethal outcomes, it is biologically plausible that manual exchange transfusion (ET) or automated RBC exchange (RBCX) could be highly beneficial by replacing "sticky" parasitized RBCs with uninfected, deformable, healthy donor RBCs. Here we suggest use of special Pk-resistant donor RBCs to optimize adjunctive manual ET/RBCX for malaria. "Therapeutically-rational exchange transfusion" (T-REX) is proposed in which Pk-resistant RBCs are transfused (instead of disease-promoting RBCs). Because expression of the Duffy antigen on the surface of human RBCs is essential for parasite invasion, T-REX of Duffy-negative RBCs-also known as Fy(a-b-) RBCs-could replace the majority of the patient's circulating normocytes with Pk invasion-resistant RBCs (in a single procedure lasting about 2 h). When sequestered or non-sequestered iRBCs rupture-in a 24 h Pk asexual life cycle-the released merozoites cannot invade Fy(a-b-) RBCs. When Fy(a-b-) RBC units are scarce (e.g., in Malaysia), clinicians can consider the risks and benefits of transfusing plausibly Pk-resistant RBCs, such as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient (G6PDd) RBCs and Southeast Asian ovalocytes (SAO). Patients typically require a very short recovery time (<1 h) after the procedure. Fy(a-b-) RBCs should have a normal lifespan, while SAO and G6PDd RBCs may have mildly reduced half-lives. Because SAO and G6PDd RBCs come from screened blood donors who are healthy and not anemic, these RBCs have a low-risk for hemolysis and do not need to be removed after the patient recovers from malaria. T-REX could be especially useful if (1) antimalarial medications are not readily available, (2) patients are likely to progress to severe disease, or (3) drug-resistant strains emerge. In conclusion, T-REX is a proposed optimization of manual ET/RBCX that has not yet been utilized but can be considered by physicians to treat Pk malaria patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Philip Jajosky
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 630E New Research Building, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (S.-C.W.)
- Biconcavity Inc., Lilburn, GA 30047, USA
| | - Shang-Chuen Wu
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 630E New Research Building, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (S.-C.W.)
| | | | - Sean R. Stowell
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 630E New Research Building, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (S.-C.W.)
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4
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Picón-Jaimes YA, Lozada-Martinez ID, Forero Buelvas MC, Ardila Sarmiento AF, Serrano Baez GA, Nazareno Erazo DY, Cuastumal Martínez JD, Ruiz-Gutierrez FK, Carreño Barrera VD. Evolution of Plasmodium vivax and resistance patterns for infection based on Duffy genotype and phenotype. LE INFEZIONI IN MEDICINA 2023; 31:350-358. [PMID: 37701383 PMCID: PMC10495050 DOI: 10.53854/liim-3103-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
The Duffy protein, a transmembrane molecule, acts as a receptor for various chemokines and facilitates binding between reticulocytes and the Plasmodium Duffy antigen binding protein. Duffy expression is associated with the Duffy chemokine receptor antigen genotype on chromosome 1 and exhibits variation across different geographic regions. Traditionally, the Duffy negative genotype and phenotype have been described to confer a certain level of protection against infection and symptom development. However, recent data suggest a shift in this behavior, with significantly higher prevalence observed in individuals with Duffy negative genotype or phenotype. Given that malaria is an endemic vector-borne disease in regions of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, posing a substantial global burden of disease and prioritizing public and global health, identifying evolutionary changes in infection and resistance patterns holds great importance for the design of strategies and reevaluation of conventional interventions. Hence, the aim of this review was to analyze the evolution of Plasmodium vivax and infection resistance patterns based on Duffy genotype and phenotype. The distribution of genotypes, phenotypes, and polymorphisms of P. vivax ligands and erythrocyte receptors varies geographically, notably resistance patterns of this microorganism in individuals with Duffy negative genotype and phenotype have significantly changed compared to studies conducted 30 years ago. The prevalence of vivax malaria in individuals with a Duffy negative status can reach up to 100%. Consequently, prioritizing research on this topic is essential for public health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ivan David Lozada-Martinez
- Epidemiology Program, Department of Graduate Studies in Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, Bucaramanga, Colombia
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5
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Hart MN, Mohring F, DonVito SM, Thomas JA, Muller-Sienerth N, Wright GJ, Knuepfer E, Saibil HR, Moon RW. Sequential roles for red blood cell binding proteins enable phased commitment to invasion for malaria parasites. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4619. [PMID: 37528099 PMCID: PMC10393984 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40357-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasion of red blood cells (RBCs) by Plasmodium merozoites is critical to their continued survival within the host. Two major protein families, the Duffy binding-like proteins (DBPs/EBAs) and the reticulocyte binding like proteins (RBLs/RHs) have been studied extensively in P. falciparum and are hypothesized to have overlapping, but critical roles just prior to host cell entry. The zoonotic malaria parasite, P. knowlesi, has larger invasive merozoites and contains a smaller, less redundant, DBP and RBL repertoire than P. falciparum. One DBP (DBPα) and one RBL, normocyte binding protein Xa (NBPXa) are essential for invasion of human RBCs. Taking advantage of the unique biological features of P. knowlesi and iterative CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, we determine the precise order of key invasion milestones and demonstrate distinct roles for each family. These distinct roles support a mechanism for phased commitment to invasion and can be targeted synergistically with invasion inhibitory antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa N Hart
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Disease, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, AL9 7TA, UK
| | - Franziska Mohring
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Disease, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Sophia M DonVito
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Disease, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - James A Thomas
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Disease, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | | | - Gavin J Wright
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
- Department of Biology, Hull York Medical School, York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Ellen Knuepfer
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, AL9 7TA, UK
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Helen R Saibil
- ISMB, Biological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, Malet St, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
| | - Robert W Moon
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Disease, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
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6
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Kim YJ, Shin JS, Lee KW, Eom HJ, Jo BG, Lee JW, Kim JH, Kim SY, Kang JH, Choi JW. Expression, Purification, and Characterization of Plasmodium vivax Lactate Dehydrogenase from Bacteria without Codon Optimization. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11083. [PMID: 37446261 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax is the most widespread cause of malaria, especially in subtropical and temperate regions such as Asia-Pacific and America. P. vivax lactate dehydrogenase (PvLDH), an essential enzyme in the glycolytic pathway, is required for the development and reproduction of the parasite. Thus, LDH from these parasites has garnered attention as a diagnostic biomarker for malaria and as a potential molecular target for developing antimalarial drugs. In this study, we prepared a transformed Escherichia coli strain for the overexpression of PvLDH without codon optimization. We introduced this recombinant plasmid DNA prepared by insertion of the PvLDH gene in the pET-21a(+) expression vector, into the Rosetta(DE3), an E. coli strain suitable for eukaryotic protein expression. The time, temperature, and inducer concentration for PvLDH expression from this E. coli Rosetta(DE3), containing the original PvLDH gene, were optimized. We obtained PvLDH with a 31.0 mg/L yield and high purity (>95%) from this Rosetta(DE3) strain. The purified protein was characterized structurally and functionally. The PvLDH expressed and purified from transformed bacteria without codon optimization was successfully demonstrated to exhibit its potential tetramer structure and enzyme activity. These findings are expected to provide valuable insights for research on infectious diseases, metabolism, diagnostics, and therapeutics for malaria caused by P. vivax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeon-Jun Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Seop Shin
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Kang Woo Lee
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo-Ji Eom
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung Gwan Jo
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Woo Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Duksung Women's University, Seoul 01369, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Hyoung Kim
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju 28644, Republic of Korea
| | - So Yeon Kim
- Department of Dental Hygiene, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28503, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Hoon Kang
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Won Choi
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
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7
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da Veiga GTS, Moriggi MR, Vettorazzi JF, Müller-Santos M, Albrecht L. Plasmodium vivax vaccine: What is the best way to go? Front Immunol 2023; 13:910236. [PMID: 36726991 PMCID: PMC9885200 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.910236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria is one of the most devastating human infectious diseases caused by Plasmodium spp. parasites. A search for an effective and safe vaccine is the main challenge for its eradication. Plasmodium vivax is the second most prevalent Plasmodium species and the most geographically distributed parasite and has been neglected for decades. This has a massive gap in knowledge and consequently in the development of vaccines. The most significant difficulties in obtaining a vaccine against P. vivax are the high genetic diversity and the extremely complex life cycle. Due to its complexity, studies have evaluated P. vivax antigens from different stages as potential targets for an effective vaccine. Therefore, the main vaccine candidates are grouped into preerythrocytic stage vaccines, blood-stage vaccines, and transmission-blocking vaccines. This review aims to support future investigations by presenting the main findings of vivax malaria vaccines to date. There are only a few P. vivax vaccines in clinical trials, and thus far, the best protective efficacy was a vaccine formulated with synthetic peptide from a circumsporozoite protein and Montanide ISA-51 as an adjuvant with 54.5% efficacy in a phase IIa study. In addition, the majority of P. vivax antigen candidates are polymorphic, induce strain-specific and heterogeneous immunity and provide only partial protection. Nevertheless, immunization with recombinant proteins and multiantigen vaccines have shown promising results and have emerged as excellent strategies. However, more studies are necessary to assess the ideal vaccine combination and test it in clinical trials. Developing a safe and effective vaccine against vivax malaria is essential for controlling and eliminating the disease. Therefore, it is necessary to determine what is already known to propose and identify new candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisele Tatiane Soares da Veiga
- Laboratory of Apicomplexan Parasites Research, Carlos Chagas Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Curitiba, Brazil,Nitrogen Fixation Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, Brazil
| | | | | | - Marcelo Müller-Santos
- Nitrogen Fixation Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Letusa Albrecht
- Laboratory of Apicomplexan Parasites Research, Carlos Chagas Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Curitiba, Brazil,*Correspondence: Letusa Albrecht,
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8
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Drysdale M, Tan L, Martin A, Fuhrer IB, Duparc S, Sharma H. Plasmodium vivax in Children: Hidden Burden and Conspicuous Challenges, a Narrative Review. Infect Dis Ther 2023; 12:33-51. [PMID: 36378465 PMCID: PMC9868225 DOI: 10.1007/s40121-022-00713-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been progress towards decreasing malaria prevalence globally; however, Plasmodium vivax has been less responsive to elimination efforts compared with Plasmodium falciparum. P. vivax malaria remains a serious public health concern in regions where it is the dominant species (South and South-East Asia, the Eastern Mediterranean region, and South America) and is increasingly recognized for its contribution to overall morbidity and mortality worldwide. The incidence of P. vivax decreases with increasing age owing to rapidly acquired clinical immunity and there is a disproportionate burden of P. vivax in infants and children, who remain highly vulnerable to severe disease, recurrence, and anemia with associated developmental impacts. Diagnosis is sometimes difficult owing to the sensitivity of diagnostic tests to detect low levels of parasitemia. Additionally, the propensity of P. vivax to relapse following reactivation of dormant hypnozoites in the liver contributes to disease recurrence in infants and children, and potentiates morbidity and transmission. The 8-aminoquinolines, primaquine and tafenoquine, provide radical cure (relapse prevention). However, the risk of hemolysis in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency necessitates testing prior to administration of 8-aminoquinolines, which has limited their uptake. Additional challenges include lack of availability of pediatric dose formulations and problems with adherence to primaquine owing to the length of treatment recommended. A paucity of data and studies specific to pediatric P. vivax malaria impacts the ability to deliver targeted interventions. It is imperative that P. vivax in infants and children be the focus of future research, control initiatives, and anti-malarial drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lionel Tan
- GSK, 980 Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9GS Middlesex UK
| | - Ana Martin
- GSK, 980 Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9GS Middlesex UK
| | | | | | - Hema Sharma
- GSK, 980 Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9GS Middlesex UK
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9
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Habtamu K, Petros B, Yan G. Plasmodium vivax: the potential obstacles it presents to malaria elimination and eradication. Trop Dis Travel Med Vaccines 2022; 8:27. [PMID: 36522671 PMCID: PMC9753897 DOI: 10.1186/s40794-022-00185-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Initiatives to eradicate malaria have a good impact on P. falciparum malaria worldwide. P. vivax, however, still presents significant difficulties. This is due to its unique biological traits, which, in comparison to P. falciparum, pose serious challenges for malaria elimination approaches. P. vivax's numerous distinctive characteristics and its ability to live for weeks to years in liver cells in its hypnozoite form, which may elude the human immune system and blood-stage therapy and offer protection during mosquito-free seasons. Many malaria patients are not fully treated because of contraindications to primaquine use in pregnant and nursing women and are still vulnerable to P. vivax relapses, although there are medications that could radical cure P. vivax. Additionally, due to CYP2D6's highly variable genetic polymorphism, the pharmacokinetics of primaquine may be impacted. Due to their inability to metabolize PQ, some CYP2D6 polymorphism alleles can cause patients to not respond to treatment. Tafenoquine offers a radical treatment in a single dose that overcomes the potentially serious problem of poor adherence to daily primaquine. Despite this benefit, hemolysis of the early erythrocytes continues in individuals with G6PD deficiency until all susceptible cells have been eliminated. Field techniques such as microscopy or rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) miss the large number of submicroscopic and/or asymptomatic infections brought on by reticulocyte tropism and the low parasitemia levels that accompany it. Moreover, P. vivax gametocytes grow more quickly and are much more prevalent in the bloodstream. P. vivax populations also have a great deal of genetic variation throughout their genome, which ensures evolutionary fitness and boosts adaptation potential. Furthermore, P. vivax fully develops in the mosquito faster than P. falciparum. These characteristics contribute to parasite reservoirs in the human population and facilitate faster transmission. Overall, no genuine chance of eradication is predicted in the next few years unless new tools for lowering malaria transmission are developed (i.e., malaria elimination and eradication). The challenging characteristics of P. vivax that impede the elimination and eradication of malaria are thus discussed in this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kassahun Habtamu
- Department of Microbial, Cellular & Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Menelik II Medical & Health Science College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Beyene Petros
- Department of Microbial, Cellular & Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Guiyun Yan
- Program in Public Health, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
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10
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De Meulenaere K, Prajapati SK, Villasis E, Cuypers B, Kattenberg JH, Kasian B, Laman M, Robinson LJ, Gamboa D, Laukens K, Rosanas-Urgell A. Band 3–mediated Plasmodium vivax invasion is associated with transcriptional variation in PvTRAg genes. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1011692. [PMID: 36250048 PMCID: PMC9563252 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1011692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Plasmodium vivax reticulocyte invasion process is still poorly understood, with only a few receptor-ligand interactions identified to date. Individuals with the Southeast Asian ovalocytosis (SAO) phenotype have a deletion in the band 3 protein on the surface of erythrocytes, and are reported to have a lower incidence of clinical P. vivax malaria. Based on this observation, band 3 has been put forward as a receptor for P. vivax invasion, although direct proof is still lacking. In this study, we combined functional ex vivo invasion assays and transcriptome sequencing to uncover a band 3–mediated invasion pathway in P. vivax and potential band 3 ligands. Invasion by P. vivax field isolates was 67%-71% lower in SAO reticulocytes compared with non-SAO reticulocytes. Reticulocyte invasion was decreased by 40% and 27%-31% when blocking with an anti-band 3 polyclonal antibody and a PvTRAg38 peptide, respectively. To identify new band 3 receptor candidates, we mRNA-sequenced schizont-stage isolates used in the invasion assays, and observed high transcriptional variability in multigene and invasion-related families. Transcriptomes of isolates with low or high dependency on band 3 for invasion were compared by differential expression analysis, which produced a list of band 3 ligand candidates with high representation of PvTRAg genes. Our ex vivo invasion assays have demonstrated that band 3 is a P. vivax invasion receptor and confirm previous in vitro studies showing binding between PvTRAg38 and band 3, although the lower and variable inhibition levels observed suggest the involvement of other ligands. By coupling transcriptomes and invasion phenotypes from the same isolates, we identified a list of band 3 ligand candidates, of which the overrepresented PvTRAg genes are the most promising for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katlijn De Meulenaere
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Computer Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Anna Rosanas-Urgell, ; Katlijn De Meulenaere,
| | - Surendra Kumar Prajapati
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Elizabeth Villasis
- Laboratorio de Malaria, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Bart Cuypers
- Department of Computer Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Bernadine Kasian
- Vector-borne Diseases Unit, Papua New Guinea Institute for Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Moses Laman
- Vector-borne Diseases Unit, Papua New Guinea Institute for Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Leanne J. Robinson
- Vector-borne Diseases Unit, Papua New Guinea Institute for Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Health Security and Disease Elimination, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Dionicia Gamboa
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Departamento de Ciencias Celulares y Moleculares, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Kris Laukens
- Department of Computer Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Anna Rosanas-Urgell
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Anna Rosanas-Urgell, ; Katlijn De Meulenaere,
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11
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Abate A, Bouyssou I, Mabilotte S, Doderer-Lang C, Dembele L, Menard D, Golassa L. Vivax malaria in Duffy-negative patients shows invariably low asexual parasitaemia: implication towards malaria control in Ethiopia. Malar J 2022; 21:230. [PMID: 35915453 PMCID: PMC9341100 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04250-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The increase in detections of Plasmodium vivax infection in Duffy-negative individuals in Africa has challenged the dogma establishing the unique P. vivax Duffy Binding Protein-Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (PvDBP-DARC) pathway used by P. vivax merozoites to invade reticulocytes. Information on the impact of Duffy antigen polymorphisms on the epidemiology of P. vivax malaria remains elusive. The objective of this study was to determine the distribution of asexual parasitaemia of P. vivax according to the Duffy antigen polymorphisms in Ethiopia. METHODS DNA was extracted from dried blood spots (DBS) collected from prospectively recruited 138 P. vivax-infected patients from health centres. The identification and estimation of P. vivax asexual parasitaemia were performed by microscopic examination and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Duffy genotyping was conducted by DNA sequencing in a total of 138 P.vivax infected samples. RESULTS The proportion of Duffy-negatives (FY*BES/FY*BES) in P. vivax infected patients was 2.9% (4/138). Duffy genotype FY*B/FY*BES (48.6%) was the most common, followed by FY*A/FY*BES genotype (25.4%). In one patient, the FY*02 W.01/FY*02 N.01 genotype conferring a weak expression of the Fyb antigen was observed. All P.vivax infected Duffy-negative patients showed low asexual parasitaemia (≤ 110 parasites/µL). The median P. vivax parasitaemia in Duffy-negative patients (53 parasites/µL) was significantly lower than those found in homozygous and heterozygous individuals (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION Plasmodium vivax in Duffy-negative patients shows invariably low asexual parasitaemia. This finding suggests that the pathway used by P. vivax to invade Duffy-negative reticulocytes is much less efficient than that used in Duffy-positives. Moreover, the low asexual parasitaemia observed in Duffy-negative individuals could constitute an 'undetected silent reservoir', thus likely delaying the elimination of vivax malaria in Ethiopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andargie Abate
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
| | - Isabelle Bouyssou
- Malaria Genetics and Resistance Unit, Institut Pasteur, INSERM U1201, Paris, France
- ED515 Complexité du Vivant, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Solenne Mabilotte
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, UR7292 Dynamics of Host-Pathogen Interactions, Federation of Translational Medicine, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Cecile Doderer-Lang
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, UR7292 Dynamics of Host-Pathogen Interactions, Federation of Translational Medicine, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Laurent Dembele
- Malaria Research and Training Centre (MRTC), Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB), Bamako, Mali
| | - Didier Menard
- Malaria Genetics and Resistance Unit, Institut Pasteur, INSERM U1201, Paris, France
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, UR7292 Dynamics of Host-Pathogen Interactions, Federation of Translational Medicine, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Medical Mycology, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - Lemu Golassa
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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12
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Abstract
"The Primate Malarias" book has been a uniquely important resource for multiple generations of scientists, since its debut in 1971, and remains pertinent to the present day. Indeed, nonhuman primates (NHPs) have been instrumental for major breakthroughs in basic and pre-clinical research on malaria for over 50 years. Research involving NHPs have provided critical insights and data that have been essential for malaria research on many parasite species, drugs, vaccines, pathogenesis, and transmission, leading to improved clinical care and advancing research goals for malaria control, elimination, and eradication. Whilst most malaria scientists over the decades have been studying Plasmodium falciparum, with NHP infections, in clinical studies with humans, or using in vitro culture or rodent model systems, others have been dedicated to advancing research on Plasmodium vivax, as well as on phylogenetically related simian species, including Plasmodium cynomolgi, Plasmodium coatneyi, and Plasmodium knowlesi. In-depth study of these four phylogenetically related species over the years has spawned the design of NHP longitudinal infection strategies for gathering information about ongoing infections, which can be related to human infections. These Plasmodium-NHP infection model systems are reviewed here, with emphasis on modern systems biological approaches to studying longitudinal infections, pathogenesis, immunity, and vaccines. Recent discoveries capitalizing on NHP longitudinal infections include an advanced understanding of chronic infections, relapses, anaemia, and immune memory. With quickly emerging new technological advances, more in-depth research and mechanistic discoveries can be anticipated on these and additional critical topics, including hypnozoite biology, antigenic variation, gametocyte transmission, bone marrow dysfunction, and loss of uninfected RBCs. New strategies and insights published by the Malaria Host-Pathogen Interaction Center (MaHPIC) are recapped here along with a vision that stresses the importance of educating future experts well trained in utilizing NHP infection model systems for the pursuit of innovative, effective interventions against malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary R Galinski
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Emory National Primate Research Center (Yerkes National Primate Research Center), Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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13
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African Plasmodium vivax malaria improbably rare or benign. Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:683-696. [PMID: 35667992 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The overwhelming dominance of Duffy blood group negativity among most people living in sub-Saharan Africa has been considered the basis of their protection from endemic Plasmodium vivax malaria. New evidence demonstrates widespread transmission of P. vivax in Duffy-negative Africa, though currently of unknown distribution, magnitude, or consequences. Other new evidence from outside of Africa demonstrates marked tropisms of P. vivax for extravascular tissues of bone marrow and spleen. Those establish states of proliferative infection with low-grade or undetectable parasitemia of peripheral blood causing acute and chronic disease. This review examines the plausibility of those infectious processes also operating in Duffy-negative Africans and causing harm of unrecognized origin.
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14
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Prevalence and risk of Plasmodium vivax infection among Duffy-negative individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3998. [PMID: 35256675 PMCID: PMC8901689 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07711-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A better understanding of the occurrence and risk of Plasmodium vivax infection among Duffy-negative individuals is required to guide further research on these infections across Africa. To address this, we used a meta-analysis approach to investigate the prevalence of P. vivax infection among Duffy-negative individuals and assessed the risk of infection in these individuals when compared with Duffy-positive individuals. This study was registered with The International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews website (ID: CRD42021240202) and followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Literature searches were conducted using medical subject headings to retrieve relevant studies in Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus, from February 22, 2021 to January 31, 2022. Selected studies were methodologically evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tools to assess the quality of cross-sectional, case–control, and cohort studies. The pooled prevalence of P. vivax infection among Duffy-negative individuals and the odds ratio (OR) of infection among these individuals when compared with Duffy-positive individuals was estimated using a random-effects model. Results from individual studies were represented in forest plots. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed using Cochrane Q and I2 statistics. We also performed subgroup analysis of patient demographics and other relevant variables. Publication bias among studies was assessed using funnel plot asymmetry and the Egger’s test. Of 1593 retrieved articles, 27 met eligibility criteria and were included for analysis. Of these, 24 (88.9%) reported P. vivax infection among Duffy-negative individuals in Africa, including Cameroon, Ethiopia, Sudan, Botswana, Nigeria, Madagascar, Angola, Benin, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Senegal; while three reported occurrences in South America (Brazil) and Asia (Iran). Among studies, 11 reported that all P. vivax infection cases occurred in Duffy-negative individuals (100%). Also, a meta-analysis on 14 studies showed that the pooled prevalence of P. vivax infection among Duffy-negative individuals was 25% (95% confidence interval (CI) − 3%–53%, I2 = 99.96%). A meta-analysis of 11 studies demonstrated a decreased odds of P. vivax infection among Duffy-negative individuals (p = 0.009, pooled OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.26–0.82, I2 = 80.8%). We confirmed that P. vivax infected Duffy-negative individuals over a wide prevalence range from 0 to 100% depending on geographical area. Future investigations on P. vivax infection in these individuals must determine if Duffy-negativity remains a protective factor for P. vivax infection.
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15
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Voinson M, Nunn CL, Goldberg A. Primate malarias as a model for cross-species parasite transmission. eLife 2022; 11:e69628. [PMID: 35086643 PMCID: PMC8798051 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites regularly switch into new host species, representing a disease burden and conservation risk to the hosts. The distribution of these parasites also gives insight into characteristics of ecological networks and genetic mechanisms of host-parasite interactions. Some parasites are shared across many species, whereas others tend to be restricted to hosts from a single species. Understanding the mechanisms producing this distribution of host specificity can enable more effective interventions and potentially identify genetic targets for vaccines or therapies. As ecological connections between human and local animal populations increase, the risk to human and wildlife health from novel parasites also increases. Which of these parasites will fizzle out and which have the potential to become widespread in humans? We consider the case of primate malarias, caused by Plasmodium parasites, to investigate the interacting ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that put human and nonhuman primates at risk for infection. Plasmodium host switching from nonhuman primates to humans led to ancient introductions of the most common malaria-causing agents in humans today, and new parasite switching is a growing threat, especially in Asia and South America. Based on a wild host-Plasmodium occurrence database, we highlight geographic areas of concern and potential areas to target further sampling. We also discuss methodological developments that will facilitate clinical and field-based interventions to improve human and wildlife health based on this eco-evolutionary perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Voinson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
| | - Charles L Nunn
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
- Duke Global Health, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
| | - Amy Goldberg
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
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16
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Kochayoo P, Sanguansuttikul P, Thawornpan P, Wangriatisak K, Adams JH, Ntumngia FB, Chootong P. The presence of circulating antibody secreting cells and long-lived memory B cell responses to reticulocyte binding protein 1a in Plasmodium vivax patients. Malar J 2021; 20:474. [PMID: 34930312 PMCID: PMC8686587 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-04015-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Development of an effective vaccine against blood-stage malaria requires the induction of long-term immune responses. Plasmodium vivax Reticulocyte Binding Protein 1a (PvRBP1a) is a blood-stage parasite antigen which is associated with invasion of red blood cells and induces antibody responses. Thus, PvRBP1a is considered as a target for design of a blood-stage vaccine against vivax malaria. METHODS Both cross-sectional and cohort studies were used to explore the development and persistence of long-lived antibody and memory B cell responses to PvRBP1a in individuals who lived in an area of low malaria endemicity. Antibody titers and frequency of memory B cells specific to PvRBP1a were measured during infection and following recovery for up to 12 months. RESULTS IgG antibody responses against PvRBP1a were prevalent during acute vivax malaria, predominantly IgG1 subclass responses. High responders to PvRBP1a had persistent antibody responses for at least 12-month post-infection. Further analysis of high responder found a direct relation between antibody titers and frequency of activated and atypical memory B cells. Furthermore, circulating antibody secreting cells and memory B cells specific to PvRBP1a were generated during infection. The PvRBP1a-specific memory B cells were maintained for up to 3-year post-infection, indicating the ability of PvRBP1a to induce long-term humoral immunity. CONCLUSION The study revealed an ability of PvRBP1a protein to induce the generation and maintenance of antibody and memory B cell responses. Therefore, PvRBP1a could be considered as a vaccine candidate against the blood-stage of P. vivax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piyawan Kochayoo
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand
| | - Pattarawan Sanguansuttikul
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand
| | - Pongsakorn Thawornpan
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand
| | - Kittikorn Wangriatisak
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand
| | - John H Adams
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Francis B Ntumngia
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
| | - Patchanee Chootong
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand
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17
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Abstract
Plasmodium malaria parasites use a unique substrate-dependent locomotion, termed gliding motility, to migrate through tissues and invade cells. Previously, it was thought that the small labile invasive stages that invade erythrocytes, merozoites, use this motility solely to penetrate target erythrocytes. Here we reveal that merozoites use gliding motility for translocation across host cells prior to invasion. This forms an important preinvasion step that is powered by a conserved actomyosin motor and is regulated by a complex signaling pathway. This work broadens our understanding of the role of gliding motility and invasion in the blood and will have a significant impact on our understanding of blood stage host–pathogen interactions and parasite biology, with implications for interventions targeting erythrocyte invasion. Plasmodium malaria parasites are obligate intracellular protozoans that use a unique form of locomotion, termed gliding motility, to move through host tissues and invade cells. The process is substrate dependent and powered by an actomyosin motor that drives the posterior translocation of extracellular adhesins which, in turn, propel the parasite forward. Gliding motility is essential for tissue translocation in the sporozoite and ookinete stages; however, the short-lived erythrocyte-invading merozoite stage has never been observed to undergo gliding movement. Here we show Plasmodium merozoites possess the ability to undergo gliding motility in vitro and that this mechanism is likely an important precursor step for successful parasite invasion. We demonstrate that two human infective species, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium knowlesi, have distinct merozoite motility profiles which may reflect distinct invasion strategies. Additionally, we develop and validate a higher throughput assay to evaluate the effects of genetic and pharmacological perturbations on both the molecular motor and the complex signaling cascade that regulates motility in merozoites. The discovery of merozoite motility provides a model to study the glideosome and adds a dimension for work aiming to develop treatments targeting the blood stage invasion pathways.
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18
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Kepple D, Hubbard A, Ali MM, Abargero BR, Lopez K, Pestana K, Janies DA, Yan G, Hamid MM, Yewhalaw D, Lo E. Plasmodium vivax From Duffy-Negative and Duffy-Positive Individuals Share Similar Gene Pools in East Africa. J Infect Dis 2021; 224:1422-1431. [PMID: 33534886 PMCID: PMC8557672 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax malaria was thought to be rare in Africa, but an increasing number of P. vivax cases reported across Africa and in Duffy-negative individuals challenges this dogma. The genetic characteristics of P. vivax in Duffy-negative infections, the transmission of P. vivax in East Africa, and the impact of environments on transmission remain largely unknown. This study examined genetic and transmission features of P. vivax from 107 Duffy-negative and 305 Duffy-positive individuals in Ethiopia and Sudan. No clear genetic differentiation was found in P. vivax between the 2 Duffy groups, indicating between-host transmission. P. vivax from Ethiopia and Sudan showed similar genetic clusters, except samples from Khartoum, possibly due to distance and road density that inhibited parasite gene flow. This study is the first to show that P. vivax can transmit to and from Duffy-negative individuals and provides critical insights into the spread of P. vivax in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kepple
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alfred Hubbard
- Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
| | - Musab M Ali
- Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Beka R Abargero
- Tropical Infectious Disease Research Center, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Karen Lopez
- Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kareen Pestana
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
| | - Daniel A Janies
- Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
| | - Guiyun Yan
- Program in Public Health, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Muzamil Mahdi Hamid
- Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Delenasaw Yewhalaw
- Tropical Infectious Disease Research Center, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
- School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Eugenia Lo
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
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19
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Alves JRS, de Araújo FF, Pires CV, Teixeira-Carvalho A, Lima BAS, Torres LM, Ntumngia FB, Adams JH, Kano FS, Carvalho LH. Multiplexed Microsphere-Based Flow Cytometric Assay to Assess Strain Transcending Antibodies to Plasmodium vivax Duffy Binding Protein II Reveals an Efficient Tool to Identify Binding-Inhibitory Antibody Responders. Front Immunol 2021; 12:704653. [PMID: 34675915 PMCID: PMC8523986 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.704653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria remains a major public health problem worldwide, and Plasmodium vivax is the most widely distributed malaria parasite. Naturally acquired binding inhibitory antibodies (BIAbs) to region II of the Duffy binding protein (DBPII), a P. vivax ligand that is critical for reticulocyte invasion, are associated with a reduced risk of clinical malaria. Owing to methodological issues in evaluating antibodies that inhibit the DBPII-DARC interaction, a limited number of studies have investigated DBPII BIAbs in P. vivax-exposed populations. Based on the assumption that individuals with a consistent BIAb response are characterized by strain-transcending immune responses, we hypothesized that detecting broadly reactive DBPII antibodies would indicate the presence of BIAb response. By taking advantage of an engineered DBPII immunogen targeting conserved DBPII neutralizing epitopes (DEKnull-2), we standardized a multiplex flow cytometry-based serological assay to detect broadly neutralizing IgG antibodies. For this study, a standard in vitro cytoadherence assay with COS-7 cells expressing DBPII was used to test for DBPII BIAb response in long-term P. vivax-exposed Amazonian individuals. Taken together, the results demonstrate that this DBPII-based multiplex assay facilitates identifying DBPII BIAb carriers. Of relevance, the ability of the multiplex assay to identify BIAb responders was highly accurate when the positivity for all antigens was considered. In conclusion, the standardized DBPII-based flow cytometric assay confirmed that DBPII-BIAb activity was associated with the breadth rather than the magnitude of anti-DBPII antibodies. Altogether, our results suggest that multiplex detection of broadly DBPII-reactive antibodies facilitates preliminary screening of BIAb responders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica R. S. Alves
- Molecular Biology and Malaria Immunology, René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Fernanda F. de Araújo
- Integrated Research Group in Biomarkers, René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Camilla V. Pires
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Andréa Teixeira-Carvalho
- Integrated Research Group in Biomarkers, René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Barbara A. S. Lima
- Molecular Biology and Malaria Immunology, René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Letícia M. Torres
- Molecular Biology and Malaria Immunology, René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Francis B. Ntumngia
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - John H. Adams
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Flora S. Kano
- Molecular Biology and Malaria Immunology, René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Luzia H. Carvalho
- Molecular Biology and Malaria Immunology, René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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20
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Mourier T, de Alvarenga DAM, Kaushik A, de Pina-Costa A, Douvropoulou O, Guan Q, Guzmán-Vega FJ, Forrester S, de Abreu FVS, Júnior CB, de Souza Junior JC, Moreira SB, Hirano ZMB, Pissinatti A, Ferreira-da-Cruz MDF, de Oliveira RL, Arold ST, Jeffares DC, Brasil P, de Brito CFA, Culleton R, Daniel-Ribeiro CT, Pain A. The genome of the zoonotic malaria parasite Plasmodium simium reveals adaptations to host switching. BMC Biol 2021; 19:219. [PMID: 34592986 PMCID: PMC8485552 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01139-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plasmodium simium, a malaria parasite of non-human primates (NHP), was recently shown to cause zoonotic infections in humans in Brazil. We sequenced the P. simium genome to investigate its evolutionary history and to identify any genetic adaptions that may underlie the ability of this parasite to switch between host species. RESULTS Phylogenetic analyses based on whole genome sequences of P. simium from humans and NHPs reveals that P. simium is monophyletic within the broader diversity of South American Plasmodium vivax, suggesting P. simium first infected NHPs as a result of a host switch of P. vivax from humans. The P. simium isolates show the closest relationship to Mexican P. vivax isolates. Analysis of erythrocyte invasion genes reveals differences between P. vivax and P. simium, including large deletions in the Duffy-binding protein 1 (DBP1) and reticulocyte-binding protein 2a genes of P. simium. Analysis of P. simium isolated from NHPs and humans revealed a deletion of 38 amino acids in DBP1 present in all human-derived isolates, whereas NHP isolates were multi-allelic. CONCLUSIONS Analysis of the P. simium genome confirmed a close phylogenetic relationship between P. simium and P. vivax, and suggests a very recent American origin for P. simium. The presence of the DBP1 deletion in all human-derived isolates tested suggests that this deletion, in combination with other genetic changes in P. simium, may facilitate the invasion of human red blood cells and may explain, at least in part, the basis of the recent zoonotic infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Mourier
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Denise Anete Madureira de Alvarenga
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Biologia Molecular e Imunologia da Malária, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Belo Horizonte, MG, 30190-009, Brazil
| | - Abhinav Kaushik
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Anielle de Pina-Costa
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal), Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21040-360, Brazil
- Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Doenças Febris Agudas, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21040-360, Brazil
- Centro Universitário Serra dos Órgãos (UNIFESO), Teresópolis, RJ, 25964-004, Brazil
| | - Olga Douvropoulou
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Qingtian Guan
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Francisco J Guzmán-Vega
- Computational Bioscience Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sarah Forrester
- Department of Biology and York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Filipe Vieira Santos de Abreu
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal), Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21040-360, Brazil
- Laboratório de Mosquitos Transmissores de Hematozoários, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (IOC), Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21040-360, Brazil
| | - Cesare Bianco Júnior
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal), Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21040-360, Brazil
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, IOC, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21040-360, Brazil
| | - Julio Cesar de Souza Junior
- Universidade Regional de Blumenau (FURB), Centro de Pesquisas Biológicas de Indaial (CEPESBI)/ Projeto bugio, Blumenau, Indaial, SC, Brazil
| | | | - Zelinda Maria Braga Hirano
- Universidade Regional de Blumenau (FURB), Centro de Pesquisas Biológicas de Indaial (CEPESBI)/ Projeto bugio, Blumenau, Indaial, SC, Brazil
| | - Alcides Pissinatti
- Centro de Primatologia do Rio de Janeiro (CPRJ/Inea), Guapimirim, RJ, 25940-000, Brazil
| | - Maria de Fátima Ferreira-da-Cruz
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal), Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21040-360, Brazil
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, IOC, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21040-360, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Lourenço de Oliveira
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal), Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21040-360, Brazil
- Laboratório de Mosquitos Transmissores de Hematozoários, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (IOC), Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21040-360, Brazil
| | - Stefan T Arold
- Computational Bioscience Research Center, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, CNRS, INSERM, Université de Montpellier, 34090, Montpellier, France
| | - Daniel C Jeffares
- Department of Biology and York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Wentworth Way, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Patrícia Brasil
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal), Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21040-360, Brazil
- Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Doenças Febris Agudas, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21040-360, Brazil
| | - Cristiana Ferreira Alves de Brito
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Biologia Molecular e Imunologia da Malária, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Belo Horizonte, MG, 30190-009, Brazil
| | - Richard Culleton
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan
| | - Cláudio Tadeu Daniel-Ribeiro
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal), Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21040-360, Brazil.
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, IOC, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21040-360, Brazil.
| | - Arnab Pain
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
- Global Station for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, N20 W10 Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan.
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21
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Baird JK. Basic Research of Plasmodium vivax Biology Enabling Its Management as a Clinical and Public Health Problem. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:696598. [PMID: 34540716 PMCID: PMC8447957 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.696598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The emerging understanding of Plasmodium vivax as an infection seated in extravascular spaces of its human host carries fundamentally important implications for its management as a complex clinical and public health problem. This progress begins to reverse decades of neglected research borne of the false dogma of P. vivax as an intrinsically benign and inconsequential parasite. This Review provides real world context for the on-going laboratory explorations of the molecular and cellular events in the life of this parasite. Chemotherapies against the latent reservoir impose extraordinarily complex and difficult problems of science and medicine, but great strides in studies of the biology of hepatic P. vivax promise solutions. Fundamental assumptions regarding the interpretation of parasitaemia in epidemiology, clinical medicine, and public health are being revisited and reassessed in light of new studies of P. vivax cellular/molecular biology and pathogenesis. By examining these long overlooked complexities of P. vivax malaria, we open multiple new avenues to vaccination, chemoprevention, countermeasures against transmission, epidemiology, diagnosis, chemotherapy, and clinical management. This Review expresses how clarity of vision of biology and pathogenesis may rationally and radically transform the multiple means by which we may combat this insidiously harmful infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Kevin Baird
- Eijkman-Oxford Clinical Research Unit, Eijkman Institute of Molecular Biology, Jakarta, Indonesia.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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22
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Hang JW, Tukijan F, Lee EQH, Abdeen SR, Aniweh Y, Malleret B. Zoonotic Malaria: Non- Laverania Plasmodium Biology and Invasion Mechanisms. Pathogens 2021; 10:889. [PMID: 34358039 PMCID: PMC8308728 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10070889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria, which is caused by Plasmodium parasites through Anopheles mosquito transmission, remains one of the most life-threatening diseases affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide every year. Plasmodium vivax, which accounts for the majority of cases of recurring malaria caused by the Plasmodium (non-Laverania) subgenus, is an ancient and continuing zoonosis originating from monkey hosts probably outside Africa. The emergence of other zoonotic malarias (P. knowlesi, P. cynomolgi, and P. simium) further highlights the seriousness of the disease. The severity of this epidemic disease is dependent on many factors, including the parasite characteristics, host-parasite interactions, and the pathology of the infection. Successful infection depends on the ability of the parasite to invade the host; however, little is known about the parasite invasion biology and mechanisms. The lack of this information adds to the challenges to malaria control and elimination, hence enhancing the potential for continuation of this zoonosis. Here, we review the literature describing the characteristics, distribution, and genome details of the parasites, as well as host specificity, host-parasite interactions, and parasite pathology. This information will provide the basis of a greater understanding of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of malaria to support future development of strategies for the control and prevention of this zoonotic infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Wen Hang
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Immunology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore; (J.W.H.); (F.T.); (E.Q.H.L.)
| | - Farhana Tukijan
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Immunology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore; (J.W.H.); (F.T.); (E.Q.H.L.)
| | - Erica-Qian-Hui Lee
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Immunology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore; (J.W.H.); (F.T.); (E.Q.H.L.)
| | - Shifana Raja Abdeen
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Biopolis, Singapore 138648, Singapore;
| | - Yaw Aniweh
- West Africa Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana;
| | - Benoit Malleret
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Immunology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore; (J.W.H.); (F.T.); (E.Q.H.L.)
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Biopolis, Singapore 138648, Singapore;
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23
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Broichhagen J, Kilian N. Chemical Biology Tools To Investigate Malaria Parasites. Chembiochem 2021; 22:2219-2236. [PMID: 33570245 PMCID: PMC8360121 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Parasitic diseases like malaria tropica have been shaping human evolution and history since the beginning of mankind. After infection, the response of the human host ranges from asymptomatic to severe and may culminate in death. Therefore, proper examination of the parasite's biology is pivotal to deciphering unique molecular, biochemical and cell biological processes, which in turn ensure the identification of treatment strategies, such as potent drug targets and vaccine candidates. However, implementing molecular biology methods for genetic manipulation proves to be difficult for many parasite model organisms. The development of fast and straightforward applicable alternatives, for instance small-molecule probes from the field of chemical biology, is essential. In this review, we will recapitulate the highlights of previous molecular and chemical biology approaches that have already created insight and understanding of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. We discuss current developments from the field of chemical biology and explore how their application could advance research into this parasite in the future. We anticipate that the described approaches will help to close knowledge gaps in the biology of P. falciparum and we hope that researchers will be inspired to use these methods to gain knowledge - with the aim of ending this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Broichhagen
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP)Robert-Roessle-Strasse 1013125BerlinGermany
| | - Nicole Kilian
- Centre for Infectious DiseasesParasitologyHeidelberg University HospitalIm Neuenheimer Feld 32469120HeidelbergGermany
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24
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Hietanen J, Chim-Ong A, Sattabongkot J, Nguitragool W. Naturally induced humoral response against Plasmodium vivax reticulocyte binding protein 2P1. Malar J 2021; 20:246. [PMID: 34082763 PMCID: PMC8173506 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03784-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plasmodium vivax is the most prevalent malaria parasite in many countries. A better understanding of human immunity to this parasite can provide new insights for vaccine development. Plasmodium vivax Reticulocyte Binding Proteins (RBPs) are key parasite proteins that interact with human proteins during erythrocyte invasion and are targets of the human immune response. The aim of this study is to characterize the human antibody response to RBP2P1, the most recently described member of the RBP family. Methods The levels of total IgG and IgM against RBP2P1 were measured using plasmas from 68 P. vivax malaria patients and 525 villagers in a malarious village of western Thailand. The latter group comprises asymptomatic carriers and healthy uninfected individuals. Subsets of plasma samples were evaluated for anti-RBP2P1 IgG subtypes and complement-fixing activity. Results As age increased, it was found that the level of anti-RBP2P1 IgG increased while the level of IgM decreased. The main anti-RBP2P1 IgG subtypes were IgG1 and IgG3. The IgG3-seropositive rate was higher in asymptomatic carriers than in patients. The higher level of IgG3 was correlated with higher in vitro RBP2P1-mediated complement fixing activity. Conclusions In natural infection, the primary IgG response to RBP2P1 was IgG1 and IgG3. The predominance of these cytophilic subtypes and the elevated level of IgG3 correlating with complement fixing activity, suggest a possible role of anti-RBP2P1 antibodies in immunity against P. vivax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenni Hietanen
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, 10400, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Anongruk Chim-Ong
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, 10400, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, 10400, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, 420/6 Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, 10400, Bangkok, Thailand.
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25
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Lo E, Russo G, Pestana K, Kepple D, Abagero BR, Dongho GBD, Gunalan K, Miller LH, Hamid MMA, Yewhalaw D, Paganotti GM. Contrasting epidemiology and genetic variation of Plasmodium vivax infecting Duffy-negative individuals across Africa. Int J Infect Dis 2021; 108:63-71. [PMID: 33991680 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Plasmodium vivax malaria was thought to be rare in Africans who lack the Duffy blood group antigen expression. However, recent studies indicate that P. vivax can infect Duffy-negative individuals and has spread into areas of high Duffy negativity across Africa. Our study compared epidemiological and genetic features of P. vivax between African regions. METHODS A standardized approach was used to identify and quantify P. vivax from Botswana, Ethiopia, and Sudan, where Duffy-positive and Duffy-negative individuals coexist. The study involved sequencing the Duffy binding protein (DBP) gene and inferring genetic relationships among P. vivax populations across Africa. RESULTS Among 1215 febrile patients, the proportions of Duffy negativity ranged from 20-36% in East Africa to 84% in southern Africa. Average P. vivax prevalence among Duffy-negative populations ranged from 9.2% in Sudan to 86% in Botswana. Parasite density in Duffy-negative infections was significantly lower than in Duffy-positive infections. P. vivax in Duffy-negative populations were not monophyletic, with P. vivax in Duffy-negative and Duffy-positive populations sharing similar DBP haplotypes and occurring in multiple, well-supported clades. CONCLUSIONS Duffy-negative Africans are not resistant to P. vivax, and the public health significance of this should not be neglected. Our study highlights the need for a standardized approach and more resources/training directed towards the diagnosis of vivax malaria in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Lo
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA.
| | - Gianluca Russo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
| | - Kareen Pestana
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA
| | - Daniel Kepple
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA
| | - Beka Raya Abagero
- Tropical Infectious Disease Research Center, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Ghyslaine Bruna Djeunang Dongho
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; Evangelical University of Cameroon, Bandjoun, Cameroon
| | | | - Louis H Miller
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID/NIH, Bethesda, USA
| | - Muzamil Mahdi Abdel Hamid
- Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Delenasaw Yewhalaw
- Tropical Infectious Disease Research Center, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Giacomo Maria Paganotti
- Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership, Gaborone, Botswana; Division of Infectious Diseases, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana
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Naturally acquired blocking human monoclonal antibodies to Plasmodium vivax reticulocyte binding protein 2b. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1538. [PMID: 33750786 PMCID: PMC7943553 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21811-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax preferentially invades reticulocytes and recognition of these cells is mediated by P. vivax Reticulocyte Binding Protein 2b (PvRBP2b) binding to human Transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) and Transferrin (Tf). Longitudinal cohort studies in Papua New Guinea, Thailand and Brazil show that PvRBP2b antibodies are correlated with protection against P. vivax infection and disease. Here, we isolate and characterize anti-PvRBP2b human monoclonal antibodies from two individuals in Cambodia with natural P. vivax infection. These antibodies bind with high affinities and map to different regions of PvRBP2b. Several human antibodies block PvRBP2b binding to reticulocytes and inhibit complex formation with human TfR1-Tf. We describe different structural mechanisms for functional inhibition, including either steric hindrance with TfR1-Tf or the reticulocyte membrane. These results show that naturally acquired human antibodies against PvRBP2b can inhibit its function which is important for P. vivax invasion. Plasmodium vivax reticulocyte binding protein 2b (PvRBP2b) is important for invasion of reticulocytes and PvRBP2b antibodies correlate with protection. Here, Chan et al. isolate and characterize anti-PvRBP2b human monoclonal antibodies and describe mechanisms by which these antibodies inhibit invasion.
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De SL, Ntumngia FB, Nicholas J, Adams JH. Progress towards the development of a P. vivax vaccine. Expert Rev Vaccines 2021; 20:97-112. [PMID: 33481638 PMCID: PMC7994195 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2021.1880898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Plasmodium vivax causes significant public health problems in endemic regions. A vaccine to prevent disease is critical, considering the rapid spread of drug-resistant parasite strains, and the development of hypnozoites in the liver with potential for relapse. A minimally effective vaccine should prevent disease and transmission while an ideal vaccine provides sterile immunity. AREAS COVERED Despite decades of research, the complex life cycle, technical challenges and a lack of funding have hampered progress of P. vivax vaccine development. Here, we review the progress of potential P. vivax vaccine candidates from different stages of the parasite life cycle. We also highlight the challenges and important strategies for rational vaccine design. These factors can significantly increase immune effector mechanisms and improve the protective efficacy of these candidates in clinical trials to generate sustained protection over longer periods of time. EXPERT OPINION A vaccine that presents functionally-conserved epitopes from multiple antigens from various stages of the parasite life cycle is key to induce broadly neutralizing strain-transcending protective immunity to effectively disrupt parasite development and transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Lata De
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Blvd, Tampa – 33612, FL
| | - Francis B. Ntumngia
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Blvd, Tampa – 33612, FL
| | - Justin Nicholas
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Blvd, Tampa – 33612, FL
| | - John H. Adams
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Blvd, Tampa – 33612, FL
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28
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Ford A, Kepple D, Abagero BR, Connors J, Pearson R, Auburn S, Getachew S, Ford C, Gunalan K, Miller LH, Janies DA, Rayner JC, Yan G, Yewhalaw D, Lo E. Whole genome sequencing of Plasmodium vivax isolates reveals frequent sequence and structural polymorphisms in erythrocyte binding genes. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008234. [PMID: 33044985 PMCID: PMC7581005 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax malaria is much less common in Africa than the rest of the world because the parasite relies primarily on the Duffy antigen/chemokine receptor (DARC) to invade human erythrocytes, and the majority of Africans are Duffy negative. Recently, there has been a dramatic increase in the reporting of P. vivax cases in Africa, with a high number of them being in Duffy negative individuals, potentially indicating P. vivax has evolved an alternative invasion mechanism that can overcome Duffy negativity. Here, we analyzed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and copy number variation (CNV) in Whole Genome Sequence (WGS) data from 44 P. vivax samples isolated from symptomatic malaria patients in southwestern Ethiopia, where both Duffy positive and Duffy negative individuals are found. A total of 123,711 SNPs were detected, of which 22.7% were nonsynonymous and 77.3% were synonymous mutations. The largest number of SNPs were detected on chromosomes 9 (24,007 SNPs; 19.4% of total) and 10 (16,852 SNPs, 13.6% of total). There were particularly high levels of polymorphism in erythrocyte binding gene candidates including merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1) and merozoite surface protein 3 (MSP3.5, MSP3.85 and MSP3.9). Two genes, MAEBL and MSP3.8 related to immunogenicity and erythrocyte binding function were detected with significant signals of positive selection. Variation in gene copy number was also concentrated in genes involved in host-parasite interactions, including the expansion of the Duffy binding protein gene (PvDBP) on chromosome 6 and MSP3.11 on chromosome 10. Based on the phylogeny constructed from the whole genome sequences, the expansion of these genes was an independent process among the P. vivax lineages in Ethiopia. We further inferred transmission patterns of P. vivax infections among study sites and showed various levels of gene flow at a small geographical scale. The genomic features of P. vivax provided baseline data for future comparison with those in Duffy-negative individuals and allowed us to develop a panel of informative Single Nucleotide Polymorphic markers diagnostic at a micro-geographical scale. Plasmodium vivax is the most geographically widespread parasite species that causes malaria in humans. Although it occurs in Africa as a member of a mix of Plasmodium species, P. vivax is dominant in other parts of the world outside of Africa (e.g., Brazil). It was previously thought that most African populations were immune to P. vivax infections due to the absence of Duffy antigen chemokine receptor (DARC) gene expression required for erythrocyte invasion. However, several recent reports have indicated the emergence and potential spread of P. vivax across human populations in Africa. Compared to Southeast Asia and South America where P. vivax is highly endemic, data on polymorphisms in erythrocyte binding gene candidates of P. vivax from Africa is limited. Filling this knowlege gap is critical for identifying functional genes in erythrocyte invasion, biomarkers for tracking the P. vivax isolates from Africa, as well as potential gene targets for vaccine development. This paper examined the level of genetic polymorphisms in a panel of 43 potential erythrocyte binding protein genes based on whole genome sequences and described transmission patterns of P. vivax infections from different study sites in Ethiopia based on the genetic variants. Our analyses showed that chromosomes 9 and 10 of the P. vivax genomes isolated in Ethiopia had the most high-quality genetic polymorphisms. Among all erythrocyte binding protein gene candidates, the merozoite surface proteins 1 and merozoite surface protein 3 showed high levels of polymorphism. MAEBL and MSP3.8 related to immunogenicity and erythrocyte binding function were detected with significant signals of positive selection. The expansion of the Duffy binding protein and merozoite surface protein 3 gene copies was an independent process among the P. vivax lineages in Ethiopia. Various levels of gene flow were observed even at a smaller geographical scale. Our study provided baseline data for future comparison with P. vivax in Duffy negative individuals and help develop a panel of genetic markers that are informative at a micro-geographical scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Ford
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AF); (GY); (EL)
| | - Daniel Kepple
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, United States of America
| | - Beka Raya Abagero
- Tropical Infectious Disease Research Center, Jimma University, Ethiopia
| | - Jordan Connors
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, United States of America
| | - Richard Pearson
- Malaria Programme, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United States of America
| | - Sarah Auburn
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Sisay Getachew
- College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Colby Ford
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, United States of America
| | - Karthigayan Gunalan
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID/NIH, Bethesda, United States of America
| | - Louis H. Miller
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID/NIH, Bethesda, United States of America
| | - Daniel A. Janies
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, United States of America
| | - Julian C. Rayner
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 OXY, United Kingdom
| | - Guiyun Yan
- Program in Public Health, University of California at Irvine, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AF); (GY); (EL)
| | | | - Eugenia Lo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AF); (GY); (EL)
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Hotspots in Plasmodium and RBC Receptor-Ligand Interactions: Key Pieces for Inhibiting Malarial Parasite Invasion. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21134729. [PMID: 32630804 PMCID: PMC7370042 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21134729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (IPP) play an essential role in practically all biological processes, including those related to microorganism invasion of their host cells. It has been found that a broad repertoire of receptor-ligand interactions takes place in the binding interphase with host cells in malaria, these being vital interactions for successful parasite invasion. Several trials have been conducted for elucidating the molecular interface of interactions between some Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax antigens with receptors on erythrocytes and/or reticulocytes. Structural information concerning these complexes is available; however, deeper analysis is required for correlating structural, functional (binding, invasion, and inhibition), and polymorphism data for elucidating new interaction hotspots to which malaria control methods can be directed. This review describes and discusses recent structural and functional details regarding three relevant interactions during erythrocyte invasion: Duffy-binding protein 1 (DBP1)–Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC); reticulocyte-binding protein homolog 5 (PfRh5)-basigin, and erythrocyte binding antigen 175 (EBA175)-glycophorin A (GPA).
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30
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Popovici J, Roesch C, Rougeron V. The enigmatic mechanisms by which Plasmodium vivax infects Duffy-negative individuals. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008258. [PMID: 32078643 PMCID: PMC7032691 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The absence of the Duffy protein at the surface of erythrocytes was considered for decades to confer full protection against Plasmodium vivax as this blood group is the receptor for the key parasite ligand P. vivax Duffy binding protein (PvDBP). However, it is now clear that the parasite is able to break through this protection and induce clinical malaria in Duffy-negative people, although the underlying mechanisms are still not understood. Here, we briefly review the evidence of Duffy-negative infections by P. vivax and summarize the current hypothesis at the basis of this invasion process. We discuss those in the perspective of malaria-elimination challenges, notably in African countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Popovici
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh Cambodia
- Malaria Translational Research Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris & Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Camille Roesch
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh Cambodia
- Malaria Translational Research Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris & Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Virginie Rougeron
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), Montpellier, France
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Chan L, Dietrich MH, Nguitragool W, Tham W. Plasmodium vivax Reticulocyte Binding Proteins for invasion into reticulocytes. Cell Microbiol 2020; 22:e13110. [PMID: 31469946 PMCID: PMC7003471 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 08/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax is responsible for most of the malaria infections outside Africa and is currently the predominant malaria parasite in countries under elimination programs. P. vivax preferentially enters young red cells called reticulocytes. Advances in understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of entry are hampered by the inability to grow large numbers of P. vivax parasites in a long-term in vitro culture. Recent progress in understanding the biology of the P. vivax Reticulocyte Binding Protein (PvRBPs) family of invasion ligands has led to the identification of a new invasion pathway into reticulocytes, an understanding of their structural architecture and PvRBPs as targets of the protective immune response to P. vivax infection. This review summarises current knowledge on the role of reticulocytes in P. vivax infection, the function of the PvRBP family of proteins in generating an immune response in human populations, and the characterization of anti-PvRBP antibodies in blocking parasite invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li‐Jin Chan
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Department of Medical BiologyThe University of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Melanie H. Dietrich
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Department of Medical BiologyThe University of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical MedicineMahidol UniversityBangkokThailand
| | - Wai‐Hong Tham
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
- Department of Medical BiologyThe University of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
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