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Ghosh A, Varshney A, Narwal SK, Nirdosh, Gupta R, Mishra S. The novel Plasmodium berghei protein S14 is essential for sporozoite gliding motility and infectivity. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs261857. [PMID: 38832798 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium sporozoites are the infective forms of the malaria parasite in the mosquito and vertebrate host. Gliding motility allows sporozoites to migrate and invade mosquito salivary glands and mammalian hosts. Motility and invasion are powered by an actin-myosin motor complex linked to the glideosome, which contains glideosome-associated proteins (GAPs), MyoA and the myosin A tail-interacting protein (MTIP). However, the role of several proteins involved in gliding motility remains unknown. We identified that the S14 gene is upregulated in sporozoite from transcriptome data of Plasmodium yoelii and further confirmed its transcription in P. berghei sporozoites using real-time PCR. C-terminal 3×HA-mCherry tagging revealed that S14 is expressed and localized on the inner membrane complex of the sporozoites. We disrupted S14 in P. berghei and demonstrated that it is essential for sporozoite gliding motility, and salivary gland and hepatocyte invasion. The gliding and invasion-deficient S14 knockout sporozoites showed normal expression and organization of inner membrane complex and surface proteins. Taken together, our data show that S14 plays a role in the function of the glideosome and is essential for malaria transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Ghosh
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Aastha Varshney
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Sunil Kumar Narwal
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Nirdosh
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Roshni Gupta
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Satish Mishra
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
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Murata Y, Nishi T, Kaneko I, Iwanaga S, Yuda M. Coordinated regulation of gene expression in Plasmodium female gametocytes by two transcription factors. eLife 2024; 12:RP88317. [PMID: 38252559 PMCID: PMC10945693 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Gametocytes play key roles in the Plasmodium lifecycle. They are essential for sexual reproduction as precursors of the gametes. They also play an essential role in parasite transmission to mosquitoes. Elucidation of the gene regulation at this stage is essential for understanding these two processes at the molecular level and for developing new strategies to break the parasite lifecycle. We identified a novel Plasmodium transcription factor (TF), designated as a partner of AP2-FG or PFG. In this article, we report that this TF regulates the gene expression in female gametocytes in concert with another female-specific TF AP2-FG. Upon the disruption of PFG, majority of female-specific genes were significantly downregulated, and female gametocyte lost the ability to produce ookinetes. ChIP-seq analysis showed that it was located in the same position as AP2-FG, indicating that these two TFs form a complex. ChIP-seq analysis of PFG in AP2-FG-disrupted parasites and ChIP-seq analysis of AP2-FG in PFG-disrupted parasites demonstrated that PFG mediates the binding of AP2-FG to a ten-base motif and that AP2-FG binds another motif, GCTCA, in the absence of PFG. In promoter assays, this five-base motif was identified as another female-specific cis-acting element. Genes under the control of the two forms of AP2-FG, with or without PFG, partly overlapped; however, each form had target preferences. These results suggested that combinations of these two forms generate various expression patterns among the extensive genes expressed in female gametocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuho Murata
- Department of Medical Zoology, Mie University School of MedicineTsu CityJapan
| | - Tsubasa Nishi
- Department of Medical Zoology, Mie University School of MedicineTsu CityJapan
| | - Izumi Kaneko
- Department of Medical Zoology, Mie University School of MedicineTsu CityJapan
| | - Shiroh Iwanaga
- Department of Molecular Protozoology, Research Center for Infectious Disease ControlOsakaJapan
| | - Masao Yuda
- Department of Medical Zoology, Mie University School of MedicineTsu CityJapan
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Epigenetic and Epitranscriptomic Gene Regulation in Plasmodium falciparum and How We Can Use It against Malaria. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13101734. [PMID: 36292619 PMCID: PMC9601349 DOI: 10.3390/genes13101734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria, caused by Plasmodium parasites, is still one of the biggest global health challenges. P. falciparum is the deadliest species to humans. In this review, we discuss how this parasite develops and adapts to the complex and heterogenous environments of its two hosts thanks to varied chromatin-associated and epigenetic mechanisms. First, one small family of transcription factors, the ApiAP2 proteins, functions as master regulators of spatio-temporal patterns of gene expression through the parasite life cycle. In addition, chromatin plasticity determines variable parasite cell phenotypes that link to parasite growth, virulence and transmission, enabling parasite adaptation within host conditions. In recent years, epitranscriptomics is emerging as a new regulatory layer of gene expression. We present evidence of the variety of tRNA and mRNA modifications that are being characterized in Plasmodium spp., and the dynamic changes in their abundance during parasite development and cell fate. We end up outlining that new biological systems, like the mosquito model, to decipher the unknowns about epigenetic mechanisms in vivo; and novel methodologies, to study the function of RNA modifications; are needed to discover the Achilles heel of the parasite. With this new knowledge, future strategies manipulating the epigenetics and epitranscriptomic machinery of the parasite have the potential of providing new weapons against malaria.
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Abstract
Human malaria, caused by infection with Plasmodium parasites, remains one of the most important global public health problems, with the World Health Organization reporting more than 240 million cases and 600,000 deaths annually as of 2020 (World malaria report 2021). Our understanding of the biology of these parasites is critical for development of effective therapeutics and prophylactics, including both antimalarials and vaccines. Plasmodium is a protozoan organism that is intracellular for most of its life cycle. However, to complete its complex life cycle and to allow for both amplification and transmission, the parasite must egress out of the host cell in a highly regulated manner. This review discusses the major pathways and proteins involved in the egress events during the Plasmodium life cycle-merozoite and gametocyte egress out of red blood cells, sporozoite egress out of the oocyst, and merozoite egress out of the hepatocyte. The similarities, as well as the differences, between the various egress pathways of the parasite highlight both novel cell biology and potential therapeutic targets to arrest its life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D Dvorin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine; and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA;
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Ruberto AA, Bourke C, Vantaux A, Maher SP, Jex A, Witkowski B, Snounou G, Mueller I. Single-cell RNA sequencing of Plasmodium vivax sporozoites reveals stage- and species-specific transcriptomic signatures. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010633. [PMID: 35926062 PMCID: PMC9380936 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [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: 12/18/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plasmodium vivax sporozoites reside in the salivary glands of a mosquito before infecting a human host and causing malaria. Previous transcriptome-wide studies in populations of these parasite forms were limited in their ability to elucidate cell-to-cell variation, thereby masking cellular states potentially important in understanding malaria transmission outcomes. Methodology/Principal findings In this study, we performed transcription profiling on 9,947 P. vivax sporozoites to assess the extent to which they differ at single-cell resolution. We show that sporozoites residing in the mosquito’s salivary glands exist in distinct developmental states, as defined by their transcriptomic signatures. Additionally, relative to P. falciparum, P. vivax displays overlapping and unique gene usage patterns, highlighting conserved and species-specific gene programs. Notably, distinguishing P. vivax from P. falciparum were a subset of P. vivax sporozoites expressing genes associated with translational regulation and repression. Finally, our comparison of single-cell transcriptomic data from P. vivax sporozoite and erythrocytic forms reveals gene usage patterns unique to sporozoites. Conclusions/Significance In defining the transcriptomic signatures of individual P. vivax sporozoites, our work provides new insights into the factors driving their developmental trajectory and lays the groundwork for a more comprehensive P. vivax cell atlas. Plasmodium vivax is the second most common cause of malaria worldwide. It is particularly challenging for malaria elimination as it forms both active blood-stage infections, as well as asymptomatic liver-stage infections that can persist for extended periods of time. The activation of persister forms in the liver (hypnozoites) are responsible for relapsing infections occurring weeks or months following primary infection via a mosquito bite. How P. vivax persists in the liver remains a major gap in understanding of this organism. It has been hypothesized that there is pre-programming of the infectious sporozoite while it is in the salivary-glands that determines if the cell’s fate once in the liver is to progress towards immediate liver stage development or persist for long-periods as a hypnozoite. The aim of this study was to see if such differences were distinguishable at the transcript level in salivary-gland sporozoites. While we found significant variation amongst sporozoites, we did not find clear evidence that they are transcriptionally pre-programmed as has been suggested. Nevertheless, we highlight several intriguing patterns that appear to be P. vivax specific relative to non-relapsing species that cause malaria prompting further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony A. Ruberto
- Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Caitlin Bourke
- Division of Population Health and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Amélie Vantaux
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia
| | - Steven P. Maher
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Aaron Jex
- Division of Population Health and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Benoit Witkowski
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia
| | - Georges Snounou
- Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives-Université Paris Sud 11-INSERM U1184, Immunology of Viral Infections and Autoimmune Diseases (IMVA-HB), Infectious Disease Models and Innovative Therapies (IDMIT) Department, Institut de Biologie François Jacob (IBFJ), Direction de la Recherche Fondamentale (DRF), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Division of Population Health and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail:
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Dash M, Sachdeva S, Bansal A, Sinha A. Gametogenesis in Plasmodium: Delving Deeper to Connect the Dots. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:877907. [PMID: 35782151 PMCID: PMC9241518 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.877907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [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: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the coming decades, eliminating malaria is the foremost goal of many tropical countries. Transmission control, along with an accurate and timely diagnosis of malaria, effective treatment and prevention are the different aspects that need to be met synchronously to accomplish the goal. The current review is focused on one of these aspects i.e., transmission control, by looking deeper into the event called gametogenesis. In the Plasmodium life cycle, gametocytes are the first life forms of the sexual phase. The transmission of the parasite and the disease is critically dependent on the number, viability and sex ratio of mature gametocytes and their further development inside mosquito vectors. Gametogenesis, the process of conversion of gametocytes into viable gametes, takes place inside the mosquito midgut, and is a tightly regulated event with fast and multiple rounds of DNA replication and diverse cellular changes going on within a short period. Interrupting the gametocyte-gamete transition is ought to restrict the successful transmission and progression of the disease and hence an area worth exploring for designing transmission-blocking strategies. This review summarizes an in-depth and up-to-date understanding of the biochemical and physiological mechanism of gametogenesis in Plasmodium, which could be targeted to control parasite and malaria transmission. This review also raises certain key questions regarding gametogenesis biology in Plasmodium and brings out gaps that still accompany in understanding the spectacular process of gametogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoswini Dash
- Parasite Host Biology, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
- Central Molecular Laboratory, Govind Ballabh (GB) Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Sherry Sachdeva
- Parasite Host Biology, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Abhisheka Bansal
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Abhinav Sinha
- Parasite Host Biology, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
- *Correspondence: Abhinav Sinha,
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Grasso F, Fratini F, Albanese TG, Mochi S, Ciardo M, Pace T, Ponzi M, Pizzi E, Olivieri A. Identification and preliminary characterization of Plasmodium falciparum proteins secreted upon gamete formation. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9592. [PMID: 35689013 PMCID: PMC9187623 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13415-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria long-term elimination depends on parasite transmission control. Plasmodium sexual stage maturation in the mosquito, including egress from the host erythrocyte, is one of the prime targets for transmission-blocking interventions. This work aims to identify candidate molecules potentially involved in gamete emergence from the host erythrocyte, as novel transmission blocking targets. We analyzed by quantitative mass spectrometry the proteins released/secreted by purified Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes upon induction of gametogenesis. The proteome obtained showed a good overlap (74%) with the one previously characterized in similar conditions from gametocytes of the rodent malaria parasite P. berghei. Four candidates were selected based on comparative analysis of their abundance values in released vs total gametocyte proteome. We also characterized the P. falciparum orthologue of the microgamete surface protein (MiGS), a marker of male gametocyte secretory vesicles in murine models of malaria. The findings of this study reveal that all the selected candidate proteins are expressed in both genders and localize to vesicle-like structures that respond to gametogenesis stimuli. This result, together with the fact that the selected proteins are released during gamete emergence in both Plasmodium species, makes them interesting candidates for future functional studies to investigate their potential role in the gametogenesis process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicia Grasso
- Dipartimento Di Malattie Infettive, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Fratini
- Servizio Grandi Strumentazioni E Core Facilities, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Stefania Mochi
- Dipartimento Di Malattie Infettive, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariagrazia Ciardo
- Dipartimento Di Malattie Infettive, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Tomasino Pace
- Dipartimento Di Malattie Infettive, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Marta Ponzi
- Dipartimento Di Malattie Infettive, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Pizzi
- Servizio Grandi Strumentazioni E Core Facilities, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Olivieri
- Dipartimento Di Malattie Infettive, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
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8
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Yahiya S, Jordan S, Smith HX, Gaboriau DCA, Famodimu MT, Dahalan FA, Churchyard A, Ashdown GW, Baum J. Live-cell fluorescence imaging of microgametogenesis in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010276. [PMID: 35130301 PMCID: PMC8853644 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Formation of gametes in the malaria parasite occurs in the midgut of the mosquito and is critical to onward parasite transmission. Transformation of the male gametocyte into microgametes, called microgametogenesis, is an explosive cellular event and one of the fastest eukaryotic DNA replication events known. The transformation of one microgametocyte into eight flagellated microgametes requires reorganisation of the parasite cytoskeleton, replication of the 22.9 Mb genome, axoneme formation and host erythrocyte egress, all of which occur simultaneously in <20 minutes. Whilst high-resolution imaging has been a powerful tool for defining stages of microgametogenesis, it has largely been limited to fixed parasite samples, given the speed of the process and parasite photosensitivity. Here, we have developed a live-cell fluorescence imaging workflow that captures the entirety of microgametogenesis. Using the most virulent human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, our live-cell approach captured early microgametogenesis with three-dimensional imaging through time (4D imaging) and microgamete release with two-dimensional (2D) fluorescence microscopy. To minimise the phototoxic impact to parasites, acquisition was alternated between 4D fluorescence, brightfield and 2D fluorescence microscopy. Combining live-cell dyes specific for DNA, tubulin and the host erythrocyte membrane, 4D and 2D imaging together enables definition of the positioning of newly replicated and segregated DNA. This combined approach also shows the microtubular cytoskeleton, location of newly formed basal bodies, elongation of axonemes and morphological changes to the erythrocyte membrane, the latter including potential echinocytosis of the erythrocyte membrane prior to microgamete egress. Extending the utility of this approach, the phenotypic effects of known transmission-blocking inhibitors on microgametogenesis were confirmed. Additionally, the effects of bortezomib, an untested proteasomal inhibitor, revealed a clear block of DNA replication, full axoneme nucleation and elongation. Thus, as well as defining a framework for broadly investigating microgametogenesis, these data demonstrate the utility of using live imaging to validate potential targets for transmission-blocking antimalarial drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Yahiya
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Jordan
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Holly X. Smith
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David C. A. Gaboriau
- Facility for Imaging by Light Microscopy, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Farah A. Dahalan
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alisje Churchyard
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - George W. Ashdown
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jake Baum
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: ,
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Kolli SK, Salman AM, Ramesar J, Chevalley-Maurel S, Kroeze H, Geurten FGA, Miyazaki S, Mukhopadhyay E, Marin-Mogollon C, Franke-Fayard B, Hill AVS, Janse CJ. Screening of viral-vectored P. falciparum pre-erythrocytic candidate vaccine antigens using chimeric rodent parasites. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254498. [PMID: 34252120 PMCID: PMC8274855 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
To screen for additional vaccine candidate antigens of Plasmodium pre-erythrocytic stages, fourteen P. falciparum proteins were selected based on expression in sporozoites or their role in establishment of hepatocyte infection. For preclinical evaluation of immunogenicity of these proteins in mice, chimeric P. berghei sporozoites were created that express the P. falciparum proteins in sporozoites as an additional copy gene under control of the uis4 gene promoter. All fourteen chimeric parasites produced sporozoites but sporozoites of eight lines failed to establish a liver infection, indicating a negative impact of these P. falciparum proteins on sporozoite infectivity. Immunogenicity of the other six proteins (SPELD, ETRAMP10.3, SIAP2, SPATR, HT, RPL3) was analyzed by immunization of inbred BALB/c and outbred CD-1 mice with viral-vectored (ChAd63 or ChAdOx1, MVA) vaccines, followed by challenge with chimeric sporozoites. Protective immunogenicity was determined by analyzing parasite liver load and prepatent period of blood stage infection after challenge. Of the six proteins only SPELD immunized mice showed partial protection. We discuss both the low protective immunogenicity of these proteins in the chimeric rodent malaria challenge model and the negative effect on P. berghei sporozoite infectivity of several P. falciparum proteins expressed in the chimeric sporozoites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surendra Kumar Kolli
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Ahmed M. Salman
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jai Ramesar
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Hans Kroeze
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Fiona G. A. Geurten
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Shinya Miyazaki
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Ekta Mukhopadhyay
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Adrian V. S. Hill
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Chris J. Janse
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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10
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Niu G, Cui Y, Wang X, Keleta Y, Li J. Studies of the Parasite-Midgut Interaction Reveal Plasmodium Proteins Important for Malaria Transmission to Mosquitoes. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:654216. [PMID: 34262880 PMCID: PMC8274421 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.654216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria transmission relies on parasite-mosquito midgut interaction. The interactive proteins are hypothesized to be ideal targets to block malaria transmission to mosquitoes. We chose 76 genes that contain signal peptide-coding regions and are upregulated and highly abundant at sexual stages. Forty-six of these candidate genes (60%) were cloned and expressed using the baculovirus expression system in insect cells. Six of them, e.g., PF3D7_0303900, PF3D7_0406200 (Pfs16), PF3D7_1204400 (Pfs37), PF3D7_1214800, PF3D7_1239400, and PF3D7_1472800 were discovered to interact with blood-fed mosquito midgut lysate. Previous works showed that among these interactive proteins, knockout the orthologs of Pfs37 or Pfs16 in P. berghei reduced oocysts in mosquitoes. Here we further found that anti-Pfs16 polyclonal antibody significantly inhibited P. falciparum transmission to Anopheles gambiae. Investigating these candidate proteins will improve our understanding of malaria transmission and discover new targets to break malaria transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jun Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States
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11
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A single-cell atlas of Plasmodium falciparum transmission through the mosquito. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3196. [PMID: 34045457 PMCID: PMC8159942 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23434-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites have a complex life cycle featuring diverse developmental strategies, each uniquely adapted to navigate specific host environments. Here we use single-cell transcriptomics to illuminate gene usage across the transmission cycle of the most virulent agent of human malaria - Plasmodium falciparum. We reveal developmental trajectories associated with the colonization of the mosquito midgut and salivary glands and elucidate the transcriptional signatures of each transmissible stage. Additionally, we identify both conserved and non-conserved gene usage between human and rodent parasites, which point to both essential mechanisms in malaria transmission and species-specific adaptations potentially linked to host tropism. Together, the data presented here, which are made freely available via an interactive website, provide a fine-grained atlas that enables intensive investigation of the P. falciparum transcriptional journey. As well as providing insights into gene function across the transmission cycle, the atlas opens the door for identification of drug and vaccine targets to stop malaria transmission and thereby prevent disease. Here the authors use single-cell RNA-seq to profile the transmission stages of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum as it progresses through the Anopheles mosquito. They highlight unique patterns of gene usage throughout this development and identify potential pleiotropic genes that function at multiple life cycle stages.
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12
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Bennink S, Pradel G. Vesicle dynamics during the egress of malaria gametocytes from the red blood cell. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2021; 243:111372. [PMID: 33961918 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2021.111372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Malaria parasites are obligate intracellular pathogens that live in human red blood cells harbored by a parasitophorous vacuole. The parasites need to exit from the red blood cell to continue life-cycle progression and ensure human-to-mosquito transmission. Two types of blood stages are able to lyse the enveloping red blood cell to mediate egress, the merozoites and the gametocytes. The intraerythrocytic parasites exit the red blood cell via an inside-out mode during which the membrane of the parasitophorous vacuole ruptures prior to the red blood cell membrane. Membrane rupture is initiated by the exocytosis of specialized secretory vesicles following the perception of egress triggers. The molecular mechanisms of red blood cell egress have particularly been studied in malaria gametocytes. Upon activation by external factors, gametocytes successively discharge at least two types of vesicles, the osmiophilic bodies needed to rupture the parasitophorous vacuole membrane and recently identified egress vesicles that are important for the perforation of the erythrocyte membrane. In recent years, important components of the signaling cascades leading to red blood cell egress have been investigated and several proteins of the osmiophilic bodies have been identified. We here report on the newest findings on the egress of gametocytes from the red blood cell. We further focus on the content and function of the egress-related vesicles and discuss the molecular machinery that might drive vesicle discharge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Bennink
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, Institute of Biology 2, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Gabriele Pradel
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, Institute of Biology 2, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
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13
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Glucose-mediated proliferation of a gut commensal bacterium promotes Plasmodium infection by increasing mosquito midgut pH. Cell Rep 2021; 35:108992. [PMID: 33882310 PMCID: PMC8116483 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant-nectar-derived sugar is the major energy source for mosquitoes, but its influence on vector competence for malaria parasites remains unclear. Here, we show that Plasmodium berghei infection of Anopheles stephensi results in global metabolome changes, with the most significant impact on glucose metabolism. Feeding on glucose or trehalose (the main hemolymph sugars) renders the mosquito more susceptible to Plasmodium infection by alkalizing the mosquito midgut. The glucose/trehalose diets promote proliferation of a commensal bacterium, Asaia bogorensis, that remodels glucose metabolism in a way that increases midgut pH, thereby promoting Plasmodium gametogenesis. We also demonstrate that the sugar composition from different natural plant nectars influences A. bogorensis growth, resulting in a greater permissiveness to Plasmodium. Altogether, our results demonstrate that dietary glucose is an important determinant of mosquito vector competency for Plasmodium, further highlighting a key role for mosquito-microbiota interactions in regulating the development of the malaria parasite.
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14
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Bogale HN, Pascini TV, Kanatani S, Sá JM, Wellems TE, Sinnis P, Vega-Rodríguez J, Serre D. Transcriptional heterogeneity and tightly regulated changes in gene expression during Plasmodium berghei sporozoite development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2023438118. [PMID: 33653959 PMCID: PMC7958459 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2023438118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the critical role of Plasmodium sporozoites in malaria transmission, we still know little about the mechanisms underlying their development in mosquitoes. Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing to characterize the gene expression profiles of 16,038 Plasmodium berghei sporozoites isolated throughout their development from midgut oocysts to salivary glands, and from forced salivation experiments. Our results reveal a succession of tightly regulated changes in gene expression occurring during the maturation of sporozoites and highlight candidate genes that could play important roles in oocyst egress, sporozoite motility, and the mechanisms underlying the invasion of mosquito salivary glands and mammalian hepatocytes. In addition, the single-cell data reveal extensive transcriptional heterogeneity among parasites isolated from the same anatomical site, suggesting that Plasmodium development in mosquitoes is asynchronous and regulated by intrinsic as well as environmental factors. Finally, our analyses show a decrease in transcriptional activity preceding the translational repression observed in mature sporozoites and associated with their quiescent state in salivary glands, followed by a rapid reactivation of the transcriptional machinery immediately upon salivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haikel N Bogale
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Tales V Pascini
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Sachie Kanatani
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Juliana M Sá
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Thomas E Wellems
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892;
| | - Photini Sinnis
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Joel Vega-Rodríguez
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - David Serre
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201;
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
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15
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Abstract
All intracellular pathogens must escape (egress) from the confines of their host cell to disseminate and proliferate. The malaria parasite only replicates in an intracellular vacuole or in a cyst, and must undergo egress at four distinct phases during its complex life cycle, each time disrupting, in a highly regulated manner, the membranes or cyst wall that entrap the parasites. This Cell Science at a Glance article and accompanying poster summarises our current knowledge of the morphological features of egress across the Plasmodium life cycle, the molecular mechanisms that govern the process, and how researchers are working to exploit this knowledge to develop much-needed new approaches to malaria control. ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele S Y Tan
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Michael J Blackman
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK .,Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
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16
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Witmer K, Dahalan FA, Metcalf T, Talman AM, Howick VM, Lawniczak MKN. Using scRNA-seq to Identify Transcriptional Variation in the Malaria Parasite Ookinete Stage. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:604129. [PMID: 33732658 PMCID: PMC7958875 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.604129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The crossing of the mosquito midgut epithelium by the malaria parasite motile ookinete form represents the most extreme population bottleneck in the parasite life cycle and is a prime target for transmission blocking strategies. However, we have little understanding of the clonal variation that exists in a population of ookinetes in the vector, partially because the parasites are difficult to access and are found in low numbers. Within a vector, variation may result as a response to specific environmental cues or may exist independent of those cues as a potential bet-hedging strategy. Here we use single-cell RNA-seq to profile transcriptional variation in Plasmodium berghei ookinetes across different vector species, and between and within individual midguts. We then compare our results to low-input transcriptomes from individual Anopheles coluzzii midguts infected with the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Although the vast majority of transcriptional changes in ookinetes are driven by development, we have identified candidate genes that may be responding to environmental cues or are clonally variant within a population. Our results illustrate the value of single-cell and low-input technologies in understanding clonal variation of parasite populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Witmer
- Parasites and Microbes Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Farah Aida Dahalan
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Metcalf
- Parasites and Microbes Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Arthur M. Talman
- Parasites and Microbes Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- MIVEGEC, IRD, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Virginia M. Howick
- Parasites and Microbes Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Mara K. N. Lawniczak
- Parasites and Microbes Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
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17
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Chuang YM, Agunbiade TA, Tang XD, Freudzon M, Almeras L, Fikrig E. The Effects of A Mosquito Salivary Protein on Sporozoite Traversal of Host Cells. J Infect Dis 2020; 224:544-553. [PMID: 33306099 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria begins when Plasmodium-infected Anopheles mosquitoes take a blood meal on a vertebrate. During the initial probing process, mosquitoes inject saliva and sporozoites into the host skin. Components of mosquito saliva have the potential to influence sporozoite functionality. Sporozoite-associated mosquito saliva protein 1 (SAMSP1; AGAP013726) was among several proteins identified when sporozoites were isolated from saliva, suggesting it may have an effect on Plasmodium. Recombinant SAMSP1 enhanced sporozoite gliding and cell traversal activity in vitro. Moreover, SAMSP1 decreased neutrophil chemotaxis in vivo and in vitro, thereby also exerting an influence on the host environment in which the sporozoites reside. Active or passive immunization of mice with SAMSP1 or SAMSP1 antiserum diminished the initial Plasmodium burden after infection. Passive immunization of mice with SAMSP1 antiserum also added to the protective effect of a circumsporozoite protein monoclonal antibody. SAMSP1 is, therefore, a mosquito saliva protein that can influence sporozoite infectivity in the vertebrate host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Min Chuang
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Tolulope A Agunbiade
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Xu-Dong Tang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Marianna Freudzon
- Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Lionel Almeras
- Unité de Parasitologie et Entomologie, Département de Microbiologie et Maladies Infectieuses, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, Marseille, France.,Aix Marseille Université, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, UMR Vecteurs-Infections Tropicales et Méditerranéennes, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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18
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Liu F, Yang F, Wang Y, Hong M, Zheng W, Min H, Li D, Jin Y, Tsuboi T, Cui L, Cao Y. A conserved malaria parasite antigen Pb22 plays a critical role in male gametogenesis in Plasmodium berghei. Cell Microbiol 2020; 23:e13294. [PMID: 33222390 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Gametogenesis, the formation of gametes from gametocytes, an essential step for malaria parasite transmission, is targeted by transmission-blocking drugs and vaccines. We identified a conserved protein (PBANKA_0305900) in Plasmodium berghei, which encodes a protein of 22 kDa (thus named Pb22) and is expressed in both asexual stages and gametocytes. Its homologues are present in all Plasmodium species and its closely related, Hepatocystis, but not in other apicomplexans. Pb22 protein was localised in the cytosols of schizonts, as well as male and female gametocytes. During gamete-to-ookinete development, Pb22 became localised on the plasma membranes of gametes and ookinetes. Compared to the wild-type (WT) parasites, P. berghei with pb22 knockout (KO) showed a significant reduction in exflagellation (~89%) of male gametocytes and ookinete number (~97%) during in vitro ookinete culture. Mosquito feeding assays showed that ookinete and oocyst formation of the pb22-KO line in mosquito midguts was almost completely abolished. These defects were rescued in parasites where pb22 was restored. Cross-fertilisation experiments with parasite lines defective in either male or female gametes confirmed that the defects in the pb22-KO line were restricted to the male gametes, whereas female gametes in the pb22-KO line were fertile at the WT level. Detailed analysis of male gametogenesis showed that 30% of the male gametocytes in the pb22-KO line failed to assemble the axonemes, whereas ~48.9% of the male gametocytes formed flagella but failed to egress from the host erythrocyte. To explore its transmission-blocking potential, recombinant Pb22 (rPb22) was expressed and used to immunise mice. in vitro assays showed that the rPb22-antisera significantly inhibited exflagellation by ~64.8% and ookinete formation by ~93.4%. Mosquitoes after feeding on rPb22-immunised mice also showed significant decreases in infection prevalence (83.3-93.3%) and oocyst density (93.5-99.6%). Further studies of the Pb22 orthologues in human malaria parasites are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Liu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yaru Wang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Minsheng Hong
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Wenqi Zheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolian Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Hui Min
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.,Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Danni Li
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Ying Jin
- Division of Administration, Liaoning Research Institute of Family Planning, Shenyang, China
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Yaming Cao
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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19
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Grasso F, Mochi S, Fratini F, Olivieri A, Currà C, Siden Kiamos I, Deligianni E, Birago C, Picci L, Pizzi E, Pace T, Ponzi M. A Comprehensive Gender-related Secretome of Plasmodium berghei Sexual Stages. Mol Cell Proteomics 2020; 19:1986-1997. [PMID: 32883804 PMCID: PMC7710150 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra120.002212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium, the malaria parasite, undergoes a complex life cycle alternating between a vertebrate host and a mosquito vector of the genus Anopheles In red blood cells of the vertebrate host, Plasmodium multiplies asexually or differentiates into gamete precursors, the male and female gametocytes, responsible for parasite transmission. Sexual stage maturation occurs in the midgut of the mosquito vector, where male and female gametes egress from the host erythrocytes to fuse and form a zygote. Gamete egress entails the successive rupture of two membranes surrounding the parasite, the parasitophorous vacuole membrane and the erythrocyte plasma membrane. In this study, we used the rodent model parasite Plasmodium berghei to design a label-free quantitative proteomic approach aimed at identifying gender-related proteins differentially released/secreted by purified mature gametocytes when activated to form gametes. We compared the abundance of molecules secreted by wild type gametocytes of both genders with that of a transgenic line defective in male gamete maturation and egress. This enabled us to provide a comprehensive data set of egress-related molecules and their gender specificity. Using specific antibodies, we validated eleven candidate molecules, predicted as either gender-specific or common to both male and female gametocytes. All of them localize to punctuate, vesicle-like structures that relocate to cell periphery upon activation, but only three of them localize to the gametocyte-specific secretory vesicles named osmiophilic bodies. Our results confirm that the egress process involves a tightly coordinated secretory apparatus that includes different types of vesicles and may put the basis for functional studies aimed at designing novel transmission-blocking molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicia Grasso
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Mochi
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Fratini
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Servizio Grandi Strumentazioni e Core Facilities, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Olivieri
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Currà
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, FORTH, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Inga Siden Kiamos
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, FORTH, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Elena Deligianni
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, FORTH, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Cecilia Birago
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Rome, Italy
| | - Leonardo Picci
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Pizzi
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Servizio Grandi Strumentazioni e Core Facilities, Rome, Italy
| | - Tomasino Pace
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Rome, Italy
| | - Marta Ponzi
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Rome, Italy
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20
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Dynamic Chromatin Structure and Epigenetics Control the Fate of Malaria Parasites. Trends Genet 2020; 37:73-85. [PMID: 32988634 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2020.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Multiple hosts and various life cycle stages prompt the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, to acquire sophisticated molecular mechanisms to ensure its survival, spread, and transmission to its next host. To face these environmental challenges, increasing evidence suggests that the parasite has developed complex and complementary layers of regulatory mechanisms controlling gene expression. Here, we discuss the recent developments in the discovery of molecular components that contribute to cell replication and differentiation and highlight the major contributions of epigenetics, transcription factors, and nuclear architecture in controlling gene regulation and life cycle progression in Plasmodium spp.
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21
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Stanway RR, Bushell E, Chiappino-Pepe A, Roques M, Sanderson T, Franke-Fayard B, Caldelari R, Golomingi M, Nyonda M, Pandey V, Schwach F, Chevalley S, Ramesar J, Metcalf T, Herd C, Burda PC, Rayner JC, Soldati-Favre D, Janse CJ, Hatzimanikatis V, Billker O, Heussler VT. Genome-Scale Identification of Essential Metabolic Processes for Targeting the Plasmodium Liver Stage. Cell 2020; 179:1112-1128.e26. [PMID: 31730853 PMCID: PMC6904910 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium gene functions in mosquito and liver stages remain poorly characterized due to limitations in the throughput of phenotyping at these stages. To fill this gap, we followed more than 1,300 barcoded P. berghei mutants through the life cycle. We discover 461 genes required for efficient parasite transmission to mosquitoes through the liver stage and back into the bloodstream of mice. We analyze the screen in the context of genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic data by building a thermodynamic model of P. berghei liver-stage metabolism, which shows a major reprogramming of parasite metabolism to achieve rapid growth in the liver. We identify seven metabolic subsystems that become essential at the liver stages compared with asexual blood stages: type II fatty acid synthesis and elongation (FAE), tricarboxylic acid, amino sugar, heme, lipoate, and shikimate metabolism. Selected predictions from the model are individually validated in single mutants to provide future targets for drug development. 1,342 barcoded P. berghei knockout (KO) mutants analyzed for stage-specific phenotypes Life-stage-specific metabolic models reveal reprogramming of cellular function High agreement between blood/liver stage metabolic models and genetic screening data Essential metabolic pathways for parasite development and mechanistic origin revealed
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca R Stanway
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Ellen Bushell
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK; Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden
| | - Anush Chiappino-Pepe
- Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Magali Roques
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Theo Sanderson
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Blandine Franke-Fayard
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Parasitology, Center of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden 2333ZA, the Netherlands
| | - Reto Caldelari
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | | | - Mary Nyonda
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
| | - Vikash Pandey
- Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland; Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden
| | - Frank Schwach
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Séverine Chevalley
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Parasitology, Center of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden 2333ZA, the Netherlands
| | - Jai Ramesar
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Parasitology, Center of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden 2333ZA, the Netherlands
| | - Tom Metcalf
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Colin Herd
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Paul-Christian Burda
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland; Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg 20359, Germany
| | - Julian C Rayner
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK; Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2, 0XY, UK
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
| | - Chris J Janse
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Parasitology, Center of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden 2333ZA, the Netherlands
| | - Vassily Hatzimanikatis
- Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Billker
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK; Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden.
| | - Volker T Heussler
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland.
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22
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Sà JM, Cannon MV, Caleon RL, Wellems TE, Serre D. Single-cell transcription analysis of Plasmodium vivax blood-stage parasites identifies stage- and species-specific profiles of expression. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000711. [PMID: 32365102 PMCID: PMC7224573 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum, the parasites responsible for most human malaria worldwide, exhibit striking biological differences, which have important clinical consequences. Unfortunately, P. vivax, unlike P. falciparum, cannot be cultivated continuously in vitro, which limits our understanding of its biology and, consequently, our ability to effectively control vivax malaria. Here, we describe single-cell gene expression profiles of 9,215 P. vivax parasites from bloodstream infections of Aotus and Saimiri monkeys. Our results show that transcription of most P. vivax genes occurs during short periods of the intraerythrocytic cycle and that this pattern of gene expression is conserved in other Plasmodium species. However, we also identify a strikingly high proportion of species-specific transcripts in late schizonts, possibly associated with the specificity of erythrocyte invasion. Our findings provide new and robust markers of blood-stage parasites, including some that are specific to the elusive P. vivax male gametocytes, and will be useful for analyzing gene expression data from laboratory and field samples. Analysis of individual Plasmodium vivax parasites reveals the tight control of the expression of most genes during the intra-erythrocytic cycle and the differentiation of male and female gametocytes, and highlights differences between the development of P. vivax and P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana M. Sà
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Matthew V. Cannon
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ramoncito L. Caleon
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Thomas E. Wellems
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - David Serre
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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23
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Andreadaki M, Pace T, Grasso F, Siden‐Kiamos I, Mochi S, Picci L, Bertuccini L, Ponzi M, Currà C. Plasmodium berghei
Gamete Egress Protein is required for fertility of both genders. Microbiologyopen 2020; 9:e1038. [PMID: 32352241 PMCID: PMC7349110 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Male and female Plasmodium gametocytes ingested by the Anopheles mosquitoes during a blood meal egress from the red blood cells by rupturing the two surrounding membranes, the parasitophorous vacuole and the red blood cell membranes. Proteins of the so‐called osmiophilic bodies, (OBs), secretory organelles resident in the cytoplasm, are important players in this process. Once gametes emerge, the female is ready to be fertilized while the male develops into motile flagellar gametes. Here, we describe the function(s) of PBANKA_1115200, which we named Gamete Egress Protein (GEP), a protein specific to malaria parasites. GEP is restricted to gametocytes, expressed in gametocytes of both genders and partly localizes to the OBs. A mutant lacking the protein shows aberrant rupture of the two surrounding membranes, while OBs discharge is delayed but not aborted. Moreover, we identified a second function of GEP during exflagellation since the axonemes of the male flagellar gametes were not motile. Genetic crossing experiments reveal that both genders are unable to establish infections in mosquitoes and thus the lack of GEP leads to a complete block in Plasmodium transmission from mice to mosquitoes. The combination of our results reveals essential and pleiotropic functions of GEP in Plasmodium gametogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Andreadaki
- FORTH Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Heraklion Greece
| | - Tomasino Pace
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive Istituto Superiore di Sanità Roma Italy
| | - Felicia Grasso
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive Istituto Superiore di Sanità Roma Italy
| | - Inga Siden‐Kiamos
- FORTH Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Heraklion Greece
| | - Stefania Mochi
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive Istituto Superiore di Sanità Roma Italy
| | - Leonardo Picci
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive Istituto Superiore di Sanità Roma Italy
| | | | - Marta Ponzi
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive Istituto Superiore di Sanità Roma Italy
| | - Chiara Currà
- FORTH Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Heraklion Greece
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24
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Ruiz JL, Gómez-Díaz E. The second life of Plasmodium in the mosquito host: gene regulation on the move. Brief Funct Genomics 2020; 18:313-357. [PMID: 31058281 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elz007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites face dynamically changing environments and strong selective constraints within human and mosquito hosts. To survive such hostile and shifting conditions, Plasmodium switches transcriptional programs during development and has evolved mechanisms to adjust its phenotype through heterogeneous patterns of gene expression. In vitro studies on culture-adapted isolates have served to set the link between chromatin structure and functional gene expression. Yet, experimental evidence is limited to certain stages of the parasite in the vertebrate, i.e. blood, while the precise mechanisms underlying the dynamic regulatory landscapes during development and in the adaptation to within-host conditions remain poorly understood. In this review, we discuss available data on transcriptional and epigenetic regulation in Plasmodium mosquito stages in the context of sporogonic development and phenotypic variation, including both bet-hedging and environmentally triggered direct transcriptional responses. With this, we advocate the mosquito offers an in vivo biological model to investigate the regulatory networks, transcription factors and chromatin-modifying enzymes and their modes of interaction with regulatory sequences, which might be responsible for the plasticity of the Plasmodium genome that dictates stage- and cell type-specific blueprints of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- José L Ruiz
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra (IPBLN), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Granada, Spain
| | - Elena Gómez-Díaz
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra (IPBLN), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Granada, Spain
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25
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Hentzschel F, Mitesser V, Fraschka SAK, Krzikalla D, Carrillo EH, Berkhout B, Bártfai R, Mueller AK, Grimm D. Gene knockdown in malaria parasites via non-canonical RNAi. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:e2. [PMID: 31680162 PMCID: PMC7145648 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The lack of endogenous RNAi machinery in the malaria parasite Plasmodium hampers gene annotation and hence antimalarial drug and vaccine development. Here, we engineered rodent Plasmodium berghei to express a minimal, non-canonical RNAi machinery that solely requires Argonaute 2 (Ago2) and a modified short hairpin RNA, so-called AgoshRNA. Using this strategy, we achieved robust and specific gene knockdown throughout the entire parasite life cycle. We also successfully silenced the endogenous gene perforin-like protein 2, phenocopying a full gene knockout. Transcriptionally restricting Ago2 expression to the liver stage further enabled us to perform a stage-specific gene knockout. The RNAi-competent Plasmodium lines reported here will be a valuable resource for loss-of-function phenotyping of the many uncharacterized genes of Plasmodium in low or high throughput, without the need to engineer the target gene locus. Thereby, our new strategy and transgenic Plasmodium lines will ultimately benefit the discovery of urgently needed antimalarial drug and vaccine candidates. Generally, the ability to render RNAi-negative organisms RNAi-competent by mere introduction of two components, Ago2 and AgoshRNA, is a unique paradigm that should find broad applicability in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Hentzschel
- Heidelberg University Hospital, Center for Infectious Diseases / Parasitology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Heidelberg University Hospital, Center for Infectious Diseases / Virology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 267, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,BioQuant Center, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 267, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Vera Mitesser
- Heidelberg University Hospital, Center for Infectious Diseases / Parasitology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Heidelberg University Hospital, Center for Infectious Diseases / Virology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 267, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,BioQuant Center, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 267, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Daria Krzikalla
- Heidelberg University Hospital, Center for Infectious Diseases / Parasitology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Heidelberg University Hospital, Center for Infectious Diseases / Virology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 267, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,BioQuant Center, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 267, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Elena Herrera Carrillo
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology, Meibergdreef 15, K3-110, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ben Berkhout
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Medical Microbiology, Meibergdreef 15, K3-110, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Richárd Bártfai
- Radboud University, Dept. of Molecular Biology, Geert Grooteplein 28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ann-Kristin Mueller
- Heidelberg University Hospital, Center for Infectious Diseases / Parasitology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Heidelberg
| | - Dirk Grimm
- Heidelberg University Hospital, Center for Infectious Diseases / Virology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 267, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,BioQuant Center, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 267, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Heidelberg.,German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Heidelberg
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26
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Ishino T, Tachibana M, Baba M, Iriko H, Tsuboi T, Torii M. Observation of morphological changes of female osmiophilic bodies prior to Plasmodium gametocyte egress from erythrocytes. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2020; 236:111261. [PMID: 31981605 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2020.111261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites cause malaria in mammalian hosts and are transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. Gametocytes, which differentiate from asexual-stage parasites, are activated by environmental changes when ingested into the mosquito midgut, and are rapidly released from erythrocytes prior to fertilization. Secretory proteins localized to osmiophilic bodies (OBs), organelles unique to gametocytes, have been reported to be involved in female gametocyte egress. In this study, we investigate the dynamics of OBs in activated gametocytes of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium yoelii using the female OB-specific marker protein, G377. After activation, female gametocyte OBs migrate to the parasite surface and fuse to form large vesicles beneath the parasite plasma membrane. At the marginal region of female gametocytes, fused vesicles secrete contents by exocytosis into the parasitophorous vacuole space, prior to parasite egress via the break-down of the erythrocyte membrane. This is the first detailed description of how proteins are transported through osmiophilic bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Ishino
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, Japan.
| | - Mayumi Tachibana
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, Japan
| | - Minami Baba
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Iriko
- Division of Global Infectious Diseases, Department of Public Health, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 7-10-2 Tomogaoka, Suma-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 654-0142, Japan
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Motomi Torii
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, Japan; Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
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27
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Yuda M, Kaneko I, Iwanaga S, Murata Y, Kato T. Female-specific gene regulation in malaria parasites by an AP2-family transcription factor. Mol Microbiol 2020; 113:40-51. [PMID: 31231888 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The malaria gametocyte, the gamete precursor, is the essential stage for malaria transmission to the mosquito vector. In the vertebrate host's blood, it develops into a mature male or female capable of transforming into a gamete in the mosquito blood meal. Despite the importance of this stage in the malaria life cycle, the genetic regulation of gametocyte development is poorly understood. In particular, transcription factors involved in sex-specific gene expression have not been identified. In this paper, we report that an AP2-family transcription factor, AP2-FG, is responsible for female-specific gene regulation. AP2-FG expression in Plasmodium berghei was observed exclusively in female gametocytes, in the beginning of 4-6 h before sexual dimorphism manifests in developing gametocytes. AP2-FG disruption resulted in the arrest of female maturation, but did not affect the development of males. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing analysis suggested that AP2-FG directly regulates over 700 genes. Its targets include genes for female gametocyte-specific functions, such as gametogenesis, fertilization and zygote development. AP2-FG binding to target gene promoters was associated with a 10 bp sequence motif. These results indicate that AP2-FG plays a role in the differentiation of early gametocytes to mature females by governing a female-specific gene expression repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masao Yuda
- Department of Medical Zoology, Mie University School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, 514-8507, Japan
| | - Izumi Kaneko
- Department of Medical Zoology, Mie University School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, 514-8507, Japan
| | - Shiroh Iwanaga
- Department of Medical Zoology, Mie University School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, 514-8507, Japan
| | - Yuho Murata
- Department of Medical Zoology, Mie University School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, 514-8507, Japan
| | - Tomomi Kato
- Department of Medical Zoology, Mie University School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, 514-8507, Japan
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28
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de Jong RM, Tebeje SK, Meerstein‐Kessel L, Tadesse FG, Jore MM, Stone W, Bousema T. Immunity against sexual stage Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax parasites. Immunol Rev 2020; 293:190-215. [PMID: 31840844 PMCID: PMC6973022 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The efficient spread of malaria from infected humans to mosquitoes is a major challenge for malaria elimination initiatives. Gametocytes are the only Plasmodium life stage infectious to mosquitoes. Here, we summarize evidence for naturally acquired anti-gametocyte immunity and the current state of transmission blocking vaccines (TBV). Although gametocytes are intra-erythrocytic when present in infected humans, developing Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes may express proteins on the surface of red blood cells that elicit immune responses in naturally exposed individuals. This immune response may reduce the burden of circulating gametocytes. For both P. falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, there is a solid evidence that antibodies against antigens present on the gametocyte surface, when co-ingested with gametocytes, can influence transmission to mosquitoes. Transmission reducing immunity, reducing the burden of infection in mosquitoes, is a well-acknowledged but poorly quantified phenomenon that forms the basis for the development of TBV. Transmission enhancing immunity, increasing the likelihood or intensity of transmission to mosquitoes, is more speculative in nature but is convincingly demonstrated for P. vivax. With the increased interest in malaria elimination, TBV and monoclonal antibodies have moved to the center stage of malaria vaccine development. Methodologies to prioritize and evaluate products are urgently needed.
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MESH Headings
- Antibodies, Blocking/immunology
- Antibodies, Protozoan/immunology
- Host-Parasite Interactions/immunology
- Humans
- Immunity
- Immunomodulation
- Life Cycle Stages
- Malaria Vaccines/immunology
- Malaria, Falciparum/immunology
- Malaria, Falciparum/parasitology
- Malaria, Falciparum/prevention & control
- Malaria, Falciparum/transmission
- Malaria, Vivax/immunology
- Malaria, Vivax/parasitology
- Malaria, Vivax/prevention & control
- Malaria, Vivax/transmission
- Plasmodium falciparum/growth & development
- Plasmodium falciparum/immunology
- Plasmodium vivax/growth & development
- Plasmodium vivax/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Roos M. de Jong
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life SciencesRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | | | - Lisette Meerstein‐Kessel
- Radboud Institute for Health SciencesRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenThe Netherlands
- Centre for Molecular and Biomolecular InformaticsRadboud Institute for Molecular Life SciencesNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Fitsum G. Tadesse
- Armauer Hansen Research InstituteAddis AbabaEthiopia
- Radboud Institute for Health SciencesRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Matthijs M. Jore
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life SciencesRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Will Stone
- Department of Immunology and InfectionLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
| | - Teun Bousema
- Radboud Institute for Health SciencesRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenThe Netherlands
- Department of Immunology and InfectionLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
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29
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Nikolaeva D, Illingworth JJ, Miura K, Alanine DGW, Brian IJ, Li Y, Fyfe AJ, Da DF, Cohuet A, Long CA, Draper SJ, Biswas S. Functional Characterization and Comparison of Plasmodium falciparum Proteins as Targets of Transmission-blocking Antibodies. Mol Cell Proteomics 2020; 19:155-166. [PMID: 29089373 PMCID: PMC6944241 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra117.000036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum malaria continues to evade control efforts, utilizing highly specialized sexual-stages to transmit infection between the human host and mosquito vector. In a vaccination model, antibodies directed to sexual-stage antigens, when ingested in the mosquito blood meal, can inhibit parasite growth in the midgut and consequently arrest transmission. Despite multiple datasets for the Plasmodium sexual-stage transcriptome and proteome, there have been no rational screens to identify candidate antigens for transmission-blocking vaccine (TBV) development. This study characterizes 12 proteins from across the P. falciparum sexual-stages as possible TBV targets. Recombinant proteins are heterologously expressed as full-length ectodomains in a mammalian HEK293 cell system. The proteins recapitulate native parasite epitopes as assessed by indirect fluorescence assay and a proportion exhibits immunoreactivity when tested against sera from individuals living in malaria-endemic Burkina Faso and Mali. Purified IgG generated to the mosquito-stage parasite antigen enolase demonstrates moderate inhibition of parasite development in the mosquito midgut by the ex vivo standard membrane feeding assay. The findings support the use of rational screens and comparative functional assessments in identifying proteins of the P. falciparum transmission pathway and establishing a robust pre-clinical TBV pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria Nikolaeva
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford UK; Malaria Immunology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseaseNational Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland
| | | | - Kazutoyo Miura
- Malaria Immunology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseaseNational Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland
| | | | - Iona J Brian
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford UK
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford UK
| | - Alex J Fyfe
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford UK
| | - Dari F Da
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Anna Cohuet
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier Cedex, France
| | - Carole A Long
- Malaria Immunology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseaseNational Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland
| | | | - Sumi Biswas
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford UK.
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30
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Amlabu E, Mensah-Brown H, Nyarko PB, Akuh OA, Opoku G, Ilani P, Oyagbenro R, Asiedu K, Aniweh Y, Awandare GA. Functional Characterization of Plasmodium falciparum Surface-Related Antigen as a Potential Blood-Stage Vaccine Target. J Infect Dis 2019; 218:778-790. [PMID: 29912472 PMCID: PMC6057521 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiy222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte invasion is a multistep process that involves a spectrum of interactions that are not well characterized. We have characterized a 113-kDa immunogenic protein, PF3D7_1431400 (PF14_0293), that possesses coiled-coil structures. The protein is localized on the surfaces of both merozoites and gametocytes, hence the name Plasmodium falciparum surface-related antigen (PfSRA). The processed 32-kDa fragment of PfSRA binds normal human erythrocytes with different sensitivities to enzyme treatments. Temporal imaging from initial attachment to internalization of viable merozoites revealed that a fragment of PfSRA, along with PfMSP119, is internalized after invasion. Moreover, parasite growth inhibition assays showed that PfSRA P1 antibodies potently inhibited erythrocyte invasion of both sialic acid–dependent and –independent parasite strains. Also, immunoepidemiological studies show that malaria-infected populations have naturally acquired antibodies against PfSRA. Overall, the results demonstrate that PfSRA has the structural and functional characteristics of a very promising target for vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Amlabu
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra.,Department of Biochemistry, Kogi State University, Anyigba, Nigeria
| | - Henrietta Mensah-Brown
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra
| | - Prince B Nyarko
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra
| | - Ojo-Ajogu Akuh
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra
| | - Grace Opoku
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra
| | - Philip Ilani
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra
| | - Richard Oyagbenro
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra
| | - Kwame Asiedu
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra
| | - Yaw Aniweh
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra
| | - Gordon A Awandare
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra
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31
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Zeeshan M, Ferguson DJ, Abel S, Burrrell A, Rea E, Brady D, Daniel E, Delves M, Vaughan S, Holder AA, Le Roch KG, Moores CA, Tewari R. Kinesin-8B controls basal body function and flagellum formation and is key to malaria transmission. Life Sci Alliance 2019; 2:e201900488. [PMID: 31409625 PMCID: PMC6696982 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.201900488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic flagella are conserved microtubule-based organelles that drive cell motility. Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, has a single flagellate stage: the male gamete in the mosquito. Three rounds of endomitotic division in male gametocyte together with an unusual mode of flagellum assembly rapidly produce eight motile gametes. These processes are tightly coordinated, but their regulation is poorly understood. To understand this important developmental stage, we studied the function and location of the microtubule-based motor kinesin-8B, using gene-targeting, electron microscopy, and live cell imaging. Deletion of the kinesin-8B gene showed no effect on mitosis but disrupted 9+2 axoneme assembly and flagellum formation during male gamete development and also completely ablated parasite transmission. Live cell imaging showed that kinesin-8B-GFP did not co-localise with kinetochores in the nucleus but instead revealed a dynamic, cytoplasmic localisation with the basal bodies and the assembling axoneme during flagellum formation. We, thus, uncovered an unexpected role for kinesin-8B in parasite flagellum formation that is vital for the parasite life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Zeeshan
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - David Jp Ferguson
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Steven Abel
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Alana Burrrell
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Edward Rea
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Declan Brady
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Emilie Daniel
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Michael Delves
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel, London, UK
| | - Sue Vaughan
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Anthony A Holder
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Karine G Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Carolyn A Moores
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, London, UK
| | - Rita Tewari
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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32
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Pace T, Grasso F, Camarda G, Suarez C, Blackman MJ, Ponzi M, Olivieri A. The Plasmodium berghei serine protease PbSUB1 plays an important role in male gamete egress. Cell Microbiol 2019; 21:e13028. [PMID: 30941868 PMCID: PMC6766862 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Revised: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The Plasmodium subtilisin-like serine protease SUB1 is expressed in hepatic and both asexual and sexual blood parasite stages. SUB1 is required for egress of invasive forms of the parasite from both erythrocytes and hepatocytes, but its subcellular localisation, function, and potential substrates in the sexual stages are unknown. Here, we have characterised the expression profile and subcellular localisation of SUB1 in Plasmodium berghei sexual stages. We show that the protease is selectively expressed in mature male gametocytes and localises to secretory organelles known to be involved in gamete egress, called male osmiophilic bodies. We have investigated PbSUB1 function in the sexual stages by generating P. berghei transgenic lines deficient in PbSUB1 expression or enzyme activity in gametocytes. Our results demonstrate that PbSUB1 plays a role in male gamete egress. We also show for the first time that the PbSUB1 substrate PbSERA3 is expressed in gametocytes and processed by PbSUB1 upon gametocyte activation. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that PbSUB1 is not only a promising drug target for asexual stages but could also be an attractive malaria transmission-blocking target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasino Pace
- Dipartimento di Malattie InfettiveIstituto Superiore di SanitàRomeItaly
| | - Felicia Grasso
- Dipartimento di Malattie InfettiveIstituto Superiore di SanitàRomeItaly
| | - Grazia Camarda
- Dipartimento di Malattie InfettiveIstituto Superiore di SanitàRomeItaly
| | - Catherine Suarez
- Malaria Biochemistry LaboratoryThe Francis Crick InstituteLondonUK
| | - Michael J. Blackman
- Malaria Biochemistry LaboratoryThe Francis Crick InstituteLondonUK
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical DiseasesLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUK
| | - Marta Ponzi
- Dipartimento di Malattie InfettiveIstituto Superiore di SanitàRomeItaly
| | - Anna Olivieri
- Dipartimento di Malattie InfettiveIstituto Superiore di SanitàRomeItaly
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33
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Obrova K, Cyrklaff M, Frank R, Mair GR, Mueller AK. Transmission of the malaria parasite requires ferlin for gamete egress from the red blood cell. Cell Microbiol 2019; 21:e12999. [PMID: 30597708 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Ferlins mediate calcium-dependent vesicular fusion. Although conserved throughout eukaryotic evolution, their function in unicellular organisms including apicomplexan parasites is largely unknown. Here, we define a crucial role for a ferlin-like protein (FLP) in host-to-vector transmission of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei. Infection of the mosquito vectors requires the formation of free gametes and their fertilisation in the mosquito midgut. Mature gametes will only emerge upon secretion of factors that stimulate the disruption of the red blood cell membrane and the parasitophorous vacuole membrane. Genetic depletion of FLP in sexual stages leads to a complete life cycle arrest in the mosquito. Although mature gametes form normally, mutants lacking FLP remain trapped in the red blood cell. The egress defect is rescued by detergent-mediated membrane lysis. In agreement with ferlin vesicular localisation, HA-tagged FLP labels intracellular speckles, which relocalise to the cell periphery during gamete maturation. Our data define FLP as a novel critical factor for Plasmodium fertilisation and transmission and suggest an evolutionarily conserved example of ferlin-mediated exocytosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Obrova
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marek Cyrklaff
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Roland Frank
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gunnar R Mair
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Ann-Kristin Mueller
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,German Center for Infectious Diseases (DZIF), Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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34
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Flieger A, Frischknecht F, Häcker G, Hornef MW, Pradel G. Pathways of host cell exit by intracellular pathogens. MICROBIAL CELL 2018; 5:525-544. [PMID: 30533418 PMCID: PMC6282021 DOI: 10.15698/mic2018.12.659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Host cell exit is a critical step in the life-cycle of intracellular pathogens, intimately linked to barrier penetration, tissue dissemination, inflammation, and pathogen transmission. Like cell invasion and intracellular survival, host cell exit represents a well-regulated program that has evolved during host-pathogen co-evolution and that relies on the dynamic and intricate interplay between multiple host and microbial factors. Three distinct pathways of host cell exit have been identified that are employed by three different taxa of intracellular pathogens, bacteria, fungi and protozoa, namely (i) the initiation of programmed cell death, (ii) the active breaching of host cellderived membranes, and (iii) the induced membrane-dependent exit without host cell lysis. Strikingly, an increasing number of studies show that the majority of intracellular pathogens utilize more than one of these strategies, dependent on life-cycle stage, environmental factors and/or host cell type. This review summarizes the diverse exit strategies of intracellular-living bacterial, fungal and protozoan pathogens and discusses the convergently evolved commonalities as well as system-specific variations thereof. Key microbial molecules involved in host cell exit are highlighted and discussed as potential targets for future interventional approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antje Flieger
- Division of Enteropathogenic Bacteria and Legionella, Robert Koch Institute, Wernigerode, Germany
| | | | - Georg Häcker
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Mathias W Hornef
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Germany
| | - Gabriele Pradel
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, Institute of Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
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35
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Antimalarial Transmission-Blocking Interventions: Past, Present, and Future. Trends Parasitol 2018; 34:735-746. [PMID: 30082147 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Malaria remains a major global health challenge. Appropriate use of current antimalarial tools has reduced the disease burden, but morbidity and mortality remain unacceptably high. It is widely accepted that, to achieve long-term control/eradication, it will be necessary to use interventions that inhibit the transmission of parasites to mosquitoes - these tools are termed transmission-blocking interventions (TBIs). This article aims to outline the rationale for the development of TBIs, with a focus on transmission-blocking drugs and (parasite-derived) transmission-blocking vaccines. We describe and summarise the current status of each of these intervention classes and attempt to identify future requirements in development, with a focus on the challenges of establishing each method within an integrated malarial control programme in the future.
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36
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Schleicher TR, Yang J, Freudzon M, Rembisz A, Craft S, Hamilton M, Graham M, Mlambo G, Tripathi AK, Li Y, Cresswell P, Sinnis P, Dimopoulos G, Fikrig E. A mosquito salivary gland protein partially inhibits Plasmodium sporozoite cell traversal and transmission. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2908. [PMID: 30046053 PMCID: PMC6060088 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05374-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The key step during the initiation of malaria is for motile Plasmodium parasites to exit the host dermis and infect the liver. During transmission, the parasites in the form of sporozoites, are injected together with mosquito saliva into the skin. However, the contribution of vector saliva to sporozoite activity during the establishment of the initial infection of the liver is poorly understood. Here we identify a vector protein by mass spectrometry, with similarity to the human gamma interferon inducible thiol reductase (GILT), that is associated with saliva sporozoites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes and has a negative impact on the speed and cell traversal activity of Plasmodium. This protein, referred to as mosquito GILT (mosGILT) represents an example of a protein found in mosquito saliva that may negatively influence sporozoite movement in the host and could lead to new approaches to prevent malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler R Schleicher
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA
| | - Jing Yang
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA
| | - Marianna Freudzon
- Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA
| | - Alison Rembisz
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA
| | - Samuel Craft
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA
| | - Madeleine Hamilton
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA
| | - Morven Graham
- Yale Center for Cellular and Molecular Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06510, USA
| | - Godfree Mlambo
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Abhai K Tripathi
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Yue Li
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA
| | - Peter Cresswell
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA
| | - Photini Sinnis
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - George Dimopoulos
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, 20815, USA.
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37
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Auburn S, Benavente ED, Miotto O, Pearson RD, Amato R, Grigg MJ, Barber BE, William T, Handayuni I, Marfurt J, Trimarsanto H, Noviyanti R, Sriprawat K, Nosten F, Campino S, Clark TG, Anstey NM, Kwiatkowski DP, Price RN. Genomic analysis of a pre-elimination Malaysian Plasmodium vivax population reveals selective pressures and changing transmission dynamics. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2585. [PMID: 29968722 PMCID: PMC6030216 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04965-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence of Plasmodium vivax infection has declined markedly in Malaysia over the past decade despite evidence of high-grade chloroquine resistance. Here we investigate the genetic changes in a P. vivax population approaching elimination in 51 isolates from Sabah, Malaysia and compare these with data from 104 isolates from Thailand and 104 isolates from Indonesia. Sabah displays extensive population structure, mirroring that previously seen with the emergence of artemisinin-resistant P. falciparum founder populations in Cambodia. Fifty-four percent of the Sabah isolates have identical genomes, consistent with a rapid clonal expansion. Across Sabah, there is a high prevalence of loci known to be associated with antimalarial drug resistance. Measures of differentiation between the three countries reveal several gene regions under putative selection in Sabah. Our findings highlight important factors pertinent to parasite resurgence and molecular cues that can be used to monitor low-endemic populations at the end stages of P. vivax elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Auburn
- 0000 0000 8523 7955grid.271089.5Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0811 Australia ,Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, Old Road Campus, Oxford, OX3 7LF UK
| | - Ernest D. Benavente
- 0000 0004 0425 469Xgrid.8991.9Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT UK
| | - Olivo Miotto
- Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, Old Road Campus, Oxford, OX3 7LF UK ,0000 0004 0606 5382grid.10306.34Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton Cambridge, CB10 1SA UK ,0000 0004 1937 0490grid.10223.32Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand
| | - Richard D. Pearson
- Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, Old Road Campus, Oxford, OX3 7LF UK ,0000 0004 0606 5382grid.10306.34Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton Cambridge, CB10 1SA UK
| | - Roberto Amato
- Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, Old Road Campus, Oxford, OX3 7LF UK ,0000 0004 0606 5382grid.10306.34Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton Cambridge, CB10 1SA UK
| | - Matthew J. Grigg
- 0000 0000 8523 7955grid.271089.5Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0811 Australia ,Infectious Diseases Society Sabah-Menzies School of Health Research Clinical Research Unit, 88300 Kota Kinabalu Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Bridget E. Barber
- 0000 0000 8523 7955grid.271089.5Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0811 Australia ,Infectious Diseases Society Sabah-Menzies School of Health Research Clinical Research Unit, 88300 Kota Kinabalu Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Timothy William
- Infectious Diseases Society Sabah-Menzies School of Health Research Clinical Research Unit, 88300 Kota Kinabalu Sabah, Malaysia ,0000 0004 1772 8727grid.415560.3Clinical Research Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 88300 Kota Kinabalu Sabah, Malaysia ,Jesselton Medical Centre, 88300 Kota Kinabalu Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Irene Handayuni
- 0000 0000 8523 7955grid.271089.5Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0811 Australia
| | - Jutta Marfurt
- 0000 0000 8523 7955grid.271089.5Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0811 Australia
| | - Hidayat Trimarsanto
- 0000 0004 1795 0993grid.418754.bEijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, Jakarta, 10430 Indonesia ,0000 0001 0746 0534grid.432292.cAgency for Assessment and Application of Technology, Jl. MH Thamrin 8, Jakarta, 10340 Indonesia
| | - Rintis Noviyanti
- 0000 0004 1795 0993grid.418754.bEijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, Jakarta, 10430 Indonesia
| | - Kanlaya Sriprawat
- 0000 0004 1937 0490grid.10223.32Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot Tak, 63110 Thailand
| | - Francois Nosten
- 0000 0004 1937 0490grid.10223.32Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot Tak, 63110 Thailand ,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine Research Building, University of Oxford Old Road Campus, Oxford, OX3 7LJ UK
| | - Susana Campino
- 0000 0004 0425 469Xgrid.8991.9Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT UK
| | - Taane G. Clark
- 0000 0004 0425 469Xgrid.8991.9Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT UK ,0000 0004 0425 469Xgrid.8991.9Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT UK
| | - Nicholas M. Anstey
- 0000 0000 8523 7955grid.271089.5Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0811 Australia
| | - Dominic P. Kwiatkowski
- Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, Old Road Campus, Oxford, OX3 7LF UK ,0000 0004 0606 5382grid.10306.34Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton Cambridge, CB10 1SA UK
| | - Ric N. Price
- 0000 0000 8523 7955grid.271089.5Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0811 Australia ,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine Research Building, University of Oxford Old Road Campus, Oxford, OX3 7LJ UK
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38
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Andreadaki M, Hanssen E, Deligianni E, Claudet C, Wengelnik K, Mollard V, McFadden GI, Abkarian M, Braun-Breton C, Siden-Kiamos I. Sequential Membrane Rupture and Vesiculation during Plasmodium berghei Gametocyte Egress from the Red Blood Cell. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3543. [PMID: 29476099 PMCID: PMC5824807 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-21801-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites alternate between intracellular and extracellular stages and successful egress from the host cell is crucial for continuation of the life cycle. We investigated egress of Plasmodium berghei gametocytes, an essential process taking place within a few minutes after uptake of a blood meal by the mosquito. Egress entails the rupture of two membranes surrounding the parasite: the parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM), and the red blood cell membrane (RBCM). High-speed video microscopy of 56 events revealed that egress in both genders comprises four well-defined phases, although each event is slightly different. The first phase is swelling of the host cell, followed by rupture and immediate vesiculation of the PVM. These vesicles are extruded through a single stabilized pore of the RBCM, and the latter is subsequently vesiculated releasing the free gametes. The time from PVM vesiculation to completion of egress varies between events. These observations were supported by immunofluorescence microscopy using antibodies against proteins of the RBCM and PVM. The combined results reveal dynamic re-organization of the membranes and the cortical cytoskeleton of the erythrocyte during egress.
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39
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Stone WJR, Campo JJ, Ouédraogo AL, Meerstein-Kessel L, Morlais I, Da D, Cohuet A, Nsango S, Sutherland CJ, van de Vegte-Bolmer M, Siebelink-Stoter R, van Gemert GJ, Graumans W, Lanke K, Shandling AD, Pablo JV, Teng AA, Jones S, de Jong RM, Fabra-García A, Bradley J, Roeffen W, Lasonder E, Gremo G, Schwarzer E, Janse CJ, Singh SK, Theisen M, Felgner P, Marti M, Drakeley C, Sauerwein R, Bousema T, Jore MM. Unravelling the immune signature of Plasmodium falciparum transmission-reducing immunity. Nat Commun 2018; 9:558. [PMID: 29422648 PMCID: PMC5805765 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02646-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Infection with Plasmodium can elicit antibodies that inhibit parasite survival in the mosquito, when they are ingested in an infectious blood meal. Here, we determine the transmission-reducing activity (TRA) of naturally acquired antibodies from 648 malaria-exposed individuals using lab-based mosquito-feeding assays. Transmission inhibition is significantly associated with antibody responses to Pfs48/45, Pfs230, and to 43 novel gametocyte proteins assessed by protein microarray. In field-based mosquito-feeding assays the likelihood and rate of mosquito infection are significantly lower for individuals reactive to Pfs48/45, Pfs230 or to combinations of the novel TRA-associated proteins. We also show that naturally acquired purified antibodies against key transmission-blocking epitopes of Pfs48/45 and Pfs230 are mechanistically involved in TRA, whereas sera depleted of these antibodies retain high-level, complement-independent TRA. Our analysis demonstrates that host antibody responses to gametocyte proteins are associated with reduced malaria transmission efficiency from humans to mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will J R Stone
- Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. .,Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
| | | | | | - Lisette Meerstein-Kessel
- Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Isabelle Morlais
- Organisation de Coordination pour la lutte contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale, BP 288, Yaoundé, Cameroon.,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, MIVEGEC (IRD, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier), 911 Avenue Agropolis, 34394, Montpellier, France
| | - Dari Da
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, 399 Avenue de la Liberté, 01 BP 545, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Anna Cohuet
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, MIVEGEC (IRD, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier), 911 Avenue Agropolis, 34394, Montpellier, France.,Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, 399 Avenue de la Liberté, 01 BP 545, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Sandrine Nsango
- Organisation de Coordination pour la lutte contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale, BP 288, Yaoundé, Cameroon.,Faculty of Medecine and Pharmaceutical Science, PO Box 2701, Douala, Cameroon
| | - Colin J Sutherland
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Marga van de Vegte-Bolmer
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rianne Siebelink-Stoter
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Geert-Jan van Gemert
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter Graumans
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Kjerstin Lanke
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Andy A Teng
- Antigen Discovery Inc., Irvine, CA, 92618, USA
| | - Sophie Jones
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Roos M de Jong
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Amanda Fabra-García
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - John Bradley
- Medical Research Council Tropical Epidemiology Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Will Roeffen
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin Lasonder
- School of Biomedical and Healthcare Sciences, Plymouth University, Drakes Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Giuliana Gremo
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Via Santena 5bis, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Evelin Schwarzer
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Via Santena 5bis, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Chris J Janse
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Susheel K Singh
- Department for Congenital Diseases, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, DK 2300, Denmark.,Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, DK 2200, Denmark
| | - Michael Theisen
- Department for Congenital Diseases, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, DK 2300, Denmark.,Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, DK 2200, Denmark
| | - Phil Felgner
- Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Matthias Marti
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Wellcome Center for Molecular Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Chris Drakeley
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Robert Sauerwein
- Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Teun Bousema
- Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. .,Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
| | - Matthijs M Jore
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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40
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Tachibana M, Ishino T, Takashima E, Tsuboi T, Torii M. A male gametocyte osmiophilic body and microgamete surface protein of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii (PyMiGS) plays a critical role in male osmiophilic body formation and exflagellation. Cell Microbiol 2018; 20:e12821. [PMID: 29316140 PMCID: PMC5901010 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Anopheles mosquitoes transmit Plasmodium parasites of mammals, including the species that cause malaria in humans. Malaria pathology is caused by rapid multiplication of parasites in asexual intraerythrocytic cycles. Sexual stage parasites are also produced during the intraerythrocytic cycle and are ingested by the mosquito, initiating gametogenesis and subsequent sporogonic stage development. Here, we present a Plasmodium protein, termed microgamete surface protein (MiGS), which has an important role in male gametocyte osmiophilic body (MOB) formation and microgamete function. MiGS is expressed exclusively in male gametocytes and microgametes, in which MiGS localises to the MOB and microgamete surface. Targeted gene disruption of MiGS in a rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL generated knockout parasites (ΔPyMiGS) that proliferate normally in erythrocytes and form male and female gametocytes. The number of MOB in male gametocyte cytoplasm is markedly reduced and the exflagellation of microgametes is impaired in ΔPyMiGS. In addition, anti‐PyMiGS antibody severely blocked the parasite development in the Anopheles stephensi mosquito. MiGS might thus be a potential novel transmission‐blocking vaccine target candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayumi Tachibana
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Ehime, Japan
| | - Tomoko Ishino
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Ehime, Japan
| | - Eizo Takashima
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
| | - Motomi Torii
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Ehime, Japan
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41
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Kefi M, Mavridis K, Simões ML, Dimopoulos G, Siden-Kiamos I, Vontas J. New rapid one-step PCR diagnostic assay for Plasmodium falciparum infective mosquitoes. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1462. [PMID: 29362379 PMCID: PMC5780459 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-19780-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
An essential component of malaria vector control programmes is the detection of Plasmodium falciparum within its mosquito vectors, particularly in the salivary glands where the infective sporozoites reside. Several protocols have been developed for this purpose; however they require dissection of mosquito specimens prior to analysis. Here, a novel one-step RT-qPCR TaqMan diagnostic assay was developed for mosquitoes with infective Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites in the salivary glands. It is based on detection of the sporozoite-specific Pfslarp and Pfplp1 gene transcripts. These transcripts were chosen based on bioinformatics analysis, and experimentally verified to be overexpressed in the salivary gland sporozoite stage of the parasite compared to other mosquito parasite stages. The proof of principle and the performance of the assay were demonstrated using RNAlater preserved mosquito samples. Tests of analytical sensitivity showed the novel TaqMan assay to be 100% accurate, although its performance in the field needs to be further demonstrated. This method has no requirement for dissection and post-PCR processing and thus is simple and rapid to perform in individual mosquitoes or mosquito pools. It can be used in single or multiplex formats also targeting additional markers expressed in different tissues, such as detoxification enzymes associated with insecticide resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Kefi
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, 70013, Greece.,Department of Biology, University of Crete, VassilikaVouton, Heraklion, 70013, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Mavridis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, 70013, Greece
| | - Maria L Simões
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - George Dimopoulos
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Inga Siden-Kiamos
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, 70013, Greece.
| | - John Vontas
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, 70013, Greece.,Pesticide Science Laboratory, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855, Athens, Greece
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42
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Steel RWJ, Pei Y, Camargo N, Kaushansky A, Dankwa DA, Martinson T, Nguyen T, Betz W, Cardamone H, Vigdorovich V, Dambrauskas N, Carbonetti S, Vaughan AM, Sather DN, Kappe SHI. Plasmodium yoelii S4/CelTOS is important for sporozoite gliding motility and cell traversal. Cell Microbiol 2018; 20. [PMID: 29253313 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Gliding motility and cell traversal by the Plasmodium ookinete and sporozoite invasive stages allow penetration of cellular barriers to establish infection of the mosquito vector and mammalian host, respectively. Motility and traversal are not observed in red cell infectious merozoites, and we have previously classified genes that are expressed in sporozoites but not merozoites (S genes) in order to identify proteins involved in these processes. The S4 gene has been described as criticaly involved in Cell Traversal for Ookinetes and Sporozoites (CelTOS), yet knockout parasites (s4/celtos¯) do not generate robust salivary gland sporozoite numbers, precluding a thorough analysis of S4/CelTOS function during host infection. We show here that a failure of oocysts to develop or survive in the midgut contributes to the poor mosquito infection by Plasmodium yoelii (Py) s4/celtos¯ rodent malaria parasites. We rescued this phenotype by expressing S4/CelTOS under the ookinete-specific circumsporozoite protein and thrombospondin-related anonymous protein-related protein (CTRP) promoter (S4/CelTOSCTRP ), generating robust numbers of salivary gland sporozoites lacking S4/CelTOS that were suitable for phenotypic analysis. Py S4/CelTOSCTRP sporozoites showed reduced infectivity in BALB/c mice when compared to wild-type sporozoites, although they appeared more infectious than sporozoites deficient in the related traversal protein PLP1/SPECT2 (Py plp1/spect2¯). Using in vitro assays, we substantiate the role of S4/CelTOS in sporozoite cell traversal, but also uncover a previously unappreciated role for this protein for sporozoite gliding motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan W J Steel
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, formerly Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Ying Pei
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, formerly Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Nelly Camargo
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, formerly Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Alexis Kaushansky
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, formerly Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Dorender A Dankwa
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, formerly Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Thomas Martinson
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, formerly Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Thao Nguyen
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, formerly Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Will Betz
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, formerly Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Hayley Cardamone
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, formerly Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Vladimir Vigdorovich
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, formerly Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Nicholas Dambrauskas
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, formerly Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sara Carbonetti
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, formerly Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Ashley M Vaughan
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, formerly Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - D Noah Sather
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, formerly Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Stefan H I Kappe
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, formerly Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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43
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Kim A, Popovici J, Vantaux A, Samreth R, Bin S, Kim S, Roesch C, Liang L, Davies H, Felgner P, Herrera S, Arévalo-Herrera M, Ménard D, Serre D. Characterization of P. vivax blood stage transcriptomes from field isolates reveals similarities among infections and complex gene isoforms. Sci Rep 2017; 7:7761. [PMID: 28798400 PMCID: PMC5552866 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07275-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of the structure and regulation of Plasmodium vivax genes is limited by our inability to grow the parasites in long-term in vitro cultures. Most P. vivax studies must therefore rely on patient samples, which typically display a low proportion of parasites and asynchronous parasites. Here, we present stranded RNA-seq data generated directly from a small volume of blood from three Cambodian vivax malaria patients collected before treatment. Our analyses show surprising similarities of the parasite gene expression patterns across infections, despite extensive variations in parasite stage proportion. These similarities contrast with the unique gene expression patterns observed in sporozoites isolated from salivary glands of infected Colombian mosquitoes. Our analyses also indicate that more than 10% of P. vivax genes encode multiple, often undescribed, protein-coding sequences, potentially increasing the diversity of proteins synthesized by blood stage parasites. These data also greatly improve the annotations of P. vivax gene untranslated regions, providing an important resource for future studies of specific genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Kim
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jean Popovici
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur in Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Amélie Vantaux
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur in Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Reingsey Samreth
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur in Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Sophalai Bin
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur in Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Saorin Kim
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur in Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Camille Roesch
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur in Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Li Liang
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Huw Davies
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Philip Felgner
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | | | - Myriam Arévalo-Herrera
- Caucaseco Scientific Research Center, Cali, Colombia.,School of Health, University of Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | - Didier Ménard
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur in Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. .,Unité Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France. .,Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Institut Cochin, Paris, France.
| | - David Serre
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
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44
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Fratini F, Raggi C, Sferra G, Birago C, Sansone A, Grasso F, Currà C, Olivieri A, Pace T, Mochi S, Picci L, Ferreri C, Di Biase A, Pizzi E, Ponzi M. An Integrated Approach to Explore Composition and Dynamics of Cholesterol-rich Membrane Microdomains in Sexual Stages of Malaria Parasite. Mol Cell Proteomics 2017; 16:1801-1814. [PMID: 28798222 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m117.067041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane microdomains that include lipid rafts, are involved in key physiological and pathological processes and participate in the entry of endocellular pathogens. These assemblies, enriched in cholesterol and sphingolipids, form highly dynamic, liquid-ordered phases that can be separated from the bulk membranes thanks to their resistance to solubilization by nonionic detergents. To characterize complexity and dynamics of detergent-resistant membranes of sexual stages of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei, here we propose an integrated study of raft components based on proteomics, lipid analysis and bioinformatics. This analysis revealed unexpected heterogeneity and unexplored pathways associated with these specialized assemblies. Protein-protein relationships and protein-lipid co-occurrence were described through multi-component networks. The proposed approach can be widely applied to virtually every cell type in different contexts and perturbations, under physiological and/or pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Fratini
- From the ‡Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate
| | - Carla Raggi
- §Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Biologia Cellulare e Neuroscienze
| | - Gabriella Sferra
- From the ‡Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate
| | - Cecilia Birago
- From the ‡Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate
| | - Anna Sansone
- ¶Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, I.S.O.F. - Bio Free Radicals
| | - Felicia Grasso
- From the ‡Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate
| | - Chiara Currà
- From the ‡Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate.,From the ‡Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate
| | - Anna Olivieri
- From the ‡Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate
| | - Tomasino Pace
- From the ‡Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate
| | - Stefania Mochi
- From the ‡Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate
| | - Leonardo Picci
- From the ‡Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate
| | - Carla Ferreri
- ¶Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, I.S.O.F. - Bio Free Radicals
| | - Antonella Di Biase
- ‖Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria e Alimentare
| | - Elisabetta Pizzi
- From the ‡Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate
| | - Marta Ponzi
- From the ‡Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate;
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45
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Santos JM, Egarter S, Zuzarte-Luís V, Kumar H, Moreau CA, Kehrer J, Pinto A, da Costa M, Franke-Fayard B, Janse CJ, Frischknecht F, Mair GR. Malaria parasite LIMP protein regulates sporozoite gliding motility and infectivity in mosquito and mammalian hosts. eLife 2017; 6:e24109. [PMID: 28525314 PMCID: PMC5438254 DOI: 10.7554/elife.24109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Gliding motility allows malaria parasites to migrate and invade tissues and cells in different hosts. It requires parasite surface proteins to provide attachment to host cells and extracellular matrices. Here, we identify the Plasmodium protein LIMP (the name refers to a gliding phenotype in the sporozoite arising from epitope tagging of the endogenous protein) as a key regulator for adhesion during gliding motility in the rodent malaria model P. berghei. Transcribed in gametocytes, LIMP is translated in the ookinete from maternal mRNA, and later in the sporozoite. The absence of LIMP reduces initial mosquito infection by 50%, impedes salivary gland invasion 10-fold, and causes a complete absence of liver invasion as mutants fail to attach to host cells. GFP tagging of LIMP caused a limping defect during movement with reduced speed and transient curvature changes of the parasite. LIMP is an essential motility and invasion factor necessary for malaria transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge M Santos
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício Egas Moniz, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Saskia Egarter
- Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Vanessa Zuzarte-Luís
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício Egas Moniz, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Hirdesh Kumar
- Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Catherine A Moreau
- Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jessica Kehrer
- Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andreia Pinto
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício Egas Moniz, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mário da Costa
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício Egas Moniz, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Blandine Franke-Fayard
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Chris J Janse
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Friedrich Frischknecht
- Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gunnar R Mair
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício Egas Moniz, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, Lisbon, Portugal
- Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
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46
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Klug D, Frischknecht F. Motility precedes egress of malaria parasites from oocysts. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28115054 PMCID: PMC5262382 DOI: 10.7554/elife.19157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is transmitted when an infected Anopheles mosquito deposits Plasmodium sporozoites in the skin during a bite. Sporozoites are formed within oocysts at the mosquito midgut wall and are released into the hemolymph, from where they invade the salivary glands and are subsequently transmitted to the vertebrate host. We found that a thrombospondin-repeat containing sporozoite-specific protein named thrombospondin-releated protein 1 (TRP1) is important for oocyst egress and salivary gland invasion, and hence for the transmission of malaria. We imaged the release of sporozoites from oocysts in situ, which was preceded by active motility. Parasites lacking TRP1 failed to migrate within oocysts and did not egress, suggesting that TRP1 is a vital component of the events that precede intra-oocyst motility and subsequently sporozoite egress and salivary gland invasion. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.19157.001 Malaria is caused by a parasite transmitted by certain types of mosquito. The parasite lives in different organs within its vertebrate animal and insect hosts and to cope with these different environments it has a complex life cycle with several highly specialized life stages. To move from an infected mosquito into vertebrates the parasite produces spore-like cells called sporozoites that are able to enter different tissues and move very fast. These cells develop inside parasite-made structures called oocysts, which form at the stomach wall of the mosquito. After emerging from the oocyst, sporozoites float through the mosquito’s circulatory system and eventually enter the salivary glands where they can be transmitted to vertebrates when the mosquito bites. Efforts to develop malaria treatments and vaccines have focused on understanding the parasite’s life cycle and identifying ways to control or eradicate key stages. Most researchers focus on the stage where the parasite is living in the vertebrate and actively causing disease, while the events in the mosquito are less intensely investigated. While several parasite proteins have been shown to be important for the release of sporozoites from oocysts, the molecular events leading to this release have not yet been fully resolved. Klug and Frischknecht used time-lapse microscopy to film the release of the sporozoites of a malaria parasite known as Plasmodium berghei. The experiments show that the sporozoites can leave oocysts in several different ways. Furthermore, Klug and Frischknecht identified a new parasite protein named TRP1 that is essential for the sporozoites to leave oocysts and invade the salivary glands. Sporozoites lacking TRP1 were not able to move and they were unable to leave the oocyst or invade the salivary glands. Klug and Frischknecht propose a new working model of the molecular events that govern sporozoite release in which TRP1 is required for sporozoites to move prior to their exit from oocysts. In the future, using the same techniques to analyze genetically modified parasites will help to reveal more details about sporozoite release. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.19157.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Klug
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Friedrich Frischknecht
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
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47
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Bargieri DY, Thiberge S, Tay CL, Carey AF, Rantz A, Hischen F, Lorthiois A, Straschil U, Singh P, Singh S, Triglia T, Tsuboi T, Cowman A, Chitnis C, Alano P, Baum J, Pradel G, Lavazec C, Ménard R. Plasmodium Merozoite TRAP Family Protein Is Essential for Vacuole Membrane Disruption and Gamete Egress from Erythrocytes. Cell Host Microbe 2016; 20:618-630. [PMID: 27832590 PMCID: PMC5104695 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2016.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2016] [Revised: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Surface-associated TRAP (thrombospondin-related anonymous protein) family proteins are conserved across the phylum of apicomplexan parasites. TRAP proteins are thought to play an integral role in parasite motility and cell invasion by linking the extracellular environment with the parasite submembrane actomyosin motor. Blood stage forms of the malaria parasite Plasmodium express a TRAP family protein called merozoite-TRAP (MTRAP) that has been implicated in erythrocyte invasion. Using MTRAP-deficient mutants of the rodent-infecting P. berghei and human-infecting P. falciparum parasites, we show that MTRAP is dispensable for erythrocyte invasion. Instead, MTRAP is essential for gamete egress from erythrocytes, where it is necessary for the disruption of the gamete-containing parasitophorous vacuole membrane, and thus for parasite transmission to mosquitoes. This indicates that motor-binding TRAP family members function not just in parasite motility and cell invasion but also in membrane disruption and cell egress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Y Bargieri
- Malaria Biology and Genetics Unit, Pasteur Institute, Paris 75015, France; Department of Parasitology, University of São Paulo-USP, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil.
| | - Sabine Thiberge
- Malaria Biology and Genetics Unit, Pasteur Institute, Paris 75015, France
| | - Chwen L Tay
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Alison F Carey
- Malaria Biology and Genetics Unit, Pasteur Institute, Paris 75015, France; Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Alice Rantz
- Malaria Biology and Genetics Unit, Pasteur Institute, Paris 75015, France
| | - Florian Hischen
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, Institute of Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - Audrey Lorthiois
- Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Université Paris Descartes, Institut Cochin, Paris 75014, France
| | - Ursula Straschil
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Pallavi Singh
- Malaria Parasite Biology and Vaccines Unit, Pasteur Institute, Paris 75015, France
| | - Shailja Singh
- Malaria Parasite Biology and Vaccines Unit, Pasteur Institute, Paris 75015, France
| | - Tony Triglia
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville 3052, VIC, Australia
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Alan Cowman
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville 3052, VIC, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, VIC, Australia
| | - Chetan Chitnis
- Malaria Parasite Biology and Vaccines Unit, Pasteur Institute, Paris 75015, France
| | - Pietro Alano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Jake Baum
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Gabriele Pradel
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, Institute of Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen 52074, Germany
| | - Catherine Lavazec
- Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Université Paris Descartes, Institut Cochin, Paris 75014, France
| | - Robert Ménard
- Malaria Biology and Genetics Unit, Pasteur Institute, Paris 75015, France
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48
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Kehrer J, Frischknecht F, Mair GR. Proteomic Analysis of the Plasmodium berghei Gametocyte Egressome and Vesicular bioID of Osmiophilic Body Proteins Identifies Merozoite TRAP-like Protein (MTRAP) as an Essential Factor for Parasite Transmission. Mol Cell Proteomics 2016; 15:2852-62. [PMID: 27371728 PMCID: PMC5013303 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m116.058263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Revised: 06/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria transmission from an infected host to the mosquito vector requires the uptake of intraerythrocytic sexual precursor cells into the mosquito midgut. For the release of mature extracellular gametes two membrane barriers-the parasite parasitophorous vacuole membrane and the host red blood cell membrane-need to be dissolved. Membrane lysis occurs after the release of proteins from specialized secretory vesicles including osmiophilic bodies. In this study we conducted proteomic analyses of the P. berghei gametocyte egressome and developed a vesicular bioID approach to identify hitherto unknown proteins with a potential function in gametocyte egress. This first Plasmodium gametocyte egressome includes the proteins released by the parasite during the lysis of the parasitophorous vacuole membrane and red blood cell membrane. BioID of the osmiophilic body protein MDV1/PEG3 revealed a vesicular proteome of these gametocyte-specific secretory vesicles. Fluorescent protein tagging and gene deletion approaches were employed to validate and identify a set of novel factors essential for this lysis and egress process. Our study provides the first in vivo bioID for a rodent malaria parasite and together with the first Plasmodium gametocyte egressome identifies MTRAP as a novel factor essential for mosquito transmission. Our data provide an important resource for proteins potentially involved in a key step of gametogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Kehrer
- From the ‡Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Friedrich Frischknecht
- From the ‡Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gunnar R Mair
- From the ‡Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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49
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Suárez-Cortés P, Sharma V, Bertuccini L, Costa G, Bannerman NL, Sannella AR, Williamson K, Klemba M, Levashina EA, Lasonder E, Alano P. Comparative Proteomics and Functional Analysis Reveal a Role of Plasmodium falciparum Osmiophilic Bodies in Malaria Parasite Transmission. Mol Cell Proteomics 2016; 15:3243-3255. [PMID: 27432909 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m116.060681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
An essential step in the transmission of the malaria parasite to the Anopheles vector is the transformation of the mature gametocytes into gametes in the mosquito gut, where they egress from the erythrocytes and mate to produce a zygote, which matures into a motile ookinete. Osmiophilic bodies are electron dense secretory organelles of the female gametocytes which discharge their contents during gamete formation, suggestive of a role in gamete egress. Only one protein with no functional annotation, Pfg377, is described to specifically reside in osmiophilic bodies in Plasmodium falciparum Importantly, Pfg377 defective gametocytes lack osmiophilic bodies and fail to infect mosquitoes, as confirmed here with newly produced pfg377 disrupted parasites. The unique feature of Pfg377 defective gametocytes of lacking osmiophilic bodies was here exploited to perform comparative, label free, global and affinity proteomics analyses of mutant and wild type gametocytes to identify components of these organelles. Subcellular localization studies with fluorescent reporter gene fusions and specific antibodies revealed an osmiophilic body localization for four out of five candidate gene products analyzed: the proteases PfSUB2 (subtilisin 2) and PfDPAP2 (Dipeptidyl aminopeptidase 2), the ortholog of the osmiophilic body component of the rodent malaria gametocytes PbGEST and a previously nonannotated 13 kDa protein. These results establish that osmiophilic bodies and their components are dispensable or marginally contribute (PfDPAP2) to gamete egress. Instead, this work reveals a previously unsuspected role of these organelles in P. falciparum development in the mosquito vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Suárez-Cortés
- From the ‡Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena n.299, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Vikram Sharma
- §School of Biomedical and Healthcare Sciences, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon, UK
| | - Lucia Bertuccini
- ¶Dipartimento Tecnologie e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena n.299, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Giulia Costa
- ‖Department of Vector Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Naa-Lamiley Bannerman
- §School of Biomedical and Healthcare Sciences, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon, UK
| | - Anna Rosa Sannella
- From the ‡Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena n.299, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Kim Williamson
- **Department of Biology, Loyola University, 1032 West Sheridan Road, Chicago, Illinois 60660
| | - Michael Klemba
- ‡‡Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
| | - Elena A Levashina
- ‖Department of Vector Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Edwin Lasonder
- §School of Biomedical and Healthcare Sciences, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon, UK
| | - Pietro Alano
- From the ‡Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena n.299, 00161 Roma, Italy;
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Kehrer J, Singer M, Lemgruber L, Silva PAGC, Frischknecht F, Mair GR. A Putative Small Solute Transporter Is Responsible for the Secretion of G377 and TRAP-Containing Secretory Vesicles during Plasmodium Gamete Egress and Sporozoite Motility. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005734. [PMID: 27427910 PMCID: PMC4948853 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulated protein secretion is required for malaria parasite life cycle progression and transmission between the mammalian host and mosquito vector. During transmission from the host to the vector, exocytosis of highly specialised secretory vesicles, such as osmiophilic bodies, is key to the dissolution of the red blood cell and parasitophorous vacuole membranes enabling gamete egress. The positioning of adhesins from the TRAP family, from micronemes to the sporozoite surface, is essential for gliding motility of the parasite and transmission from mosquito to mammalian host. Here we identify a conserved role for the putative pantothenate transporter PAT in Plasmodium berghei in vesicle fusion of two distinct classes of vesicles in gametocytes and sporozoites. PAT is a membrane component of osmiophilic bodies in gametocytes and micronemes in sporozoites. Despite normal formation and trafficking of osmiophilic bodies to the cell surface upon activation, PAT-deficient gametes fail to discharge their contents, remain intraerythrocytic and unavailable for fertilisation and further development in the mosquito. Sporozoites lacking PAT fail to secrete TRAP, are immotile and thus unable to infect the subsequent rodent host. Thus, P. berghei PAT appears to regulate exocytosis in two distinct populations of vesicles in two different life cycle forms rather than acting as pantothenic transporter during parasite transmission. Transmission of the malaria parasite between mosquito and host requires two different life cycle stages—the gametocyte and the sporozoite. In both parasite forms, transmission is dependent on exocytosis of stage-specific vesicles. In gametocytes these vesicles release proteins allowing egress from red blood cells and fertilization, and are hence needed to establish an infection in the mosquito. In contrast, proteins are secreted into the membrane of the sporozoite, where they play distinct roles during adhesion and motility, both crucial for transmission back into the mammalian host. Here we show that parasites lacking the putative small solute transporter PAT are still able to form vesicles in both parasite forms but are unable to fuse and secrete their contents. This results in impaired parasite transmission into and from the mosquito. Our work shows that a single protein can regulate the function of functionally distinct classes of vesicles in different life cycle forms of a parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Kehrer
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mirko Singer
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Leandro Lemgruber
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Friedrich Frischknecht
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
- * E-mail: (FF); ; (GRM)
| | - Gunnar R. Mair
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
- Instituto Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal
- * E-mail: (FF); ; (GRM)
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