1
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Jimenéz-Ruiz E, Li W, Meissner M. Where is the EXIT? Phenotypic screens for new egress factors in apicomplexan parasites. Mol Microbiol 2024; 121:359-367. [PMID: 37740453 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15166] [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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexans, such as Plasmodium and Toxoplasma are obligate intracellular parasites that invade, replicate and finally EXIT their host cell. During replication within a parasitophorous vacuole (PV), the parasites establish an extensive F-actin-containing network that connects individual parasites and is required for material exchange, recycling and the final steps of daughter cell assembly. After multiple rounds of replication, the parasites exit the host cell involving multiple signalling cascades, disassembly of the network, secretion of microneme proteins and activation of the acto-myosin motor. Blocking the host cell EXIT process leads to the formation of large PVs, making the screening for genes involved in exiting the cell relatively straightforward. Given that apicomplexans are highly diverse from other eukaryotes, approximately 30% of all genes are annotated as hypothetical, some apicomplexan-specific factors are likely to be critical during EXIT. This motivated several labs to design and perform forward genetic and phenotypic screens using various approaches, such as random insertion mutagenesis, temperature-sensitive mutants and, more recently, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted editing and conditional mutagenesis. Here we will provide an overview of the technological developments over recent years and the most successful stories that led to the identification of new critical factors in Toxoplasma gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Jimenéz-Ruiz
- Experimental Parasitology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, LMU, Munich, Germany
| | - Wei Li
- Experimental Parasitology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, LMU, Munich, Germany
| | - Markus Meissner
- Experimental Parasitology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, LMU, Munich, Germany
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2
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Chon NL, Tran S, Miller CS, Lin H, Knight JD. A conserved electrostatic membrane-binding surface in synaptotagmin-like proteins revealed using molecular phylogenetic analysis and homology modeling. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4850. [PMID: 38038838 PMCID: PMC10731544 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Protein structure prediction has emerged as a core technology for understanding biomolecules and their interactions. Here, we combine homology-based structure prediction with molecular phylogenetic analysis to study the evolution of electrostatic membrane binding among the vertebrate synaptotagmin-like protein (Slp) family. Slp family proteins play key roles in the membrane trafficking of large dense-core secretory vesicles. Our previous experimental and computational study found that the C2A domain of Slp-4 (also called granuphilin) binds with high affinity to anionic phospholipids in the cytoplasmic leaflet of the plasma membrane through a large positively charged protein surface centered on a cluster of phosphoinositide-binding lysine residues. Because this surface contributes greatly to Slp-4 C2A domain membrane binding, we hypothesized that the net charge on the surface might be evolutionarily conserved. To test this hypothesis, the known C2A sequences of Slp-4 among vertebrates were organized by class (from mammalia to pisces) using molecular phylogenetic analysis. Consensus sequences for each class were then identified and used to generate homology structures, from which Poisson-Boltzmann electrostatic potentials were calculated. For comparison, homology structures and electrostatic potentials were also calculated for the five human Slp protein family members. The results demonstrate that the charge on the membrane-binding surface is highly conserved throughout the evolution of Slp-4, and more highly conserved than many individual residues among the human Slp family paralogs. Such molecular phylogenetic-driven computational analysis can help to describe the evolution of electrostatic interactions between proteins and membranes which are crucial for their function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nara L. Chon
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Colorado DenverDenverColoradoUSA
| | - Sherleen Tran
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Colorado DenverDenverColoradoUSA
| | | | - Hai Lin
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Colorado DenverDenverColoradoUSA
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3
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Chan AW, Broncel M, Yifrach E, Haseley NR, Chakladar S, Andree E, Herneisen AL, Shortt E, Treeck M, Lourido S. Analysis of CDPK1 targets identifies a trafficking adaptor complex that regulates microneme exocytosis in Toxoplasma. eLife 2023; 12:RP85654. [PMID: 37933960 PMCID: PMC10629828 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85654] [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: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites use Ca2+-regulated exocytosis to secrete essential virulence factors from specialized organelles called micronemes. Ca2+-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are required for microneme exocytosis; however, the molecular events that regulate trafficking and fusion of micronemes with the plasma membrane remain unresolved. Here, we combine sub-minute resolution phosphoproteomics and bio-orthogonal labeling of kinase substrates in Toxoplasma gondii to identify 163 proteins phosphorylated in a CDPK1-dependent manner. In addition to known regulators of secretion, we identify uncharacterized targets with predicted functions across signaling, gene expression, trafficking, metabolism, and ion homeostasis. One of the CDPK1 targets is a putative HOOK activating adaptor. In other eukaryotes, HOOK homologs form the FHF complex with FTS and FHIP to activate dynein-mediated trafficking of endosomes along microtubules. We show the FHF complex is partially conserved in T. gondii, consisting of HOOK, an FTS homolog, and two parasite-specific proteins (TGGT1_306920 and TGGT1_316650). CDPK1 kinase activity and HOOK are required for the rapid apical trafficking of micronemes as parasites initiate motility. Moreover, parasites lacking HOOK or FTS display impaired microneme protein secretion, leading to a block in the invasion of host cells. Taken together, our work provides a comprehensive catalog of CDPK1 targets and reveals how vesicular trafficking has been tuned to support a parasitic lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex W Chan
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchCambridgeUnited States
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Malgorzata Broncel
- Signaling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Eden Yifrach
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchCambridgeUnited States
| | - Nicole R Haseley
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchCambridgeUnited States
| | | | - Elena Andree
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchCambridgeUnited States
| | - Alice L Herneisen
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchCambridgeUnited States
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Emily Shortt
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchCambridgeUnited States
| | - Moritz Treeck
- Signaling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Sebastian Lourido
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchCambridgeUnited States
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
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4
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Chon NL, Tran S, Miller CS, Lin H, Knight JD. A Conserved Electrostatic Membrane-Binding Surface in Synaptotagmin-Like Proteins Revealed Using Molecular Phylogenetic Analysis and Homology Modeling. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.13.548768. [PMID: 37502952 PMCID: PMC10369986 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.13.548768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Protein structure prediction has emerged as a core technology for understanding biomolecules and their interactions. Here, we combine homology-based structure prediction with molecular phylogenetic analysis to study the evolution of electrostatic membrane binding among vertebrate synaptotagmin-like proteins (Slps). Slp family proteins play key roles in the membrane trafficking of large dense-core secretory vesicles. Our previous experimental and computational study found that the C2A domain of Slp-4 (also called granuphilin) binds with high affinity to anionic phospholipids in the cytoplasmic leaflet of the plasma membrane through a large positively charged protein surface centered on a cluster of phosphoinositide-binding lysine residues. Because this surface contributes greatly to Slp-4 C2A domain membrane binding, we hypothesized that the net charge on the surface might be evolutionarily conserved. To test this hypothesis, the known C2A sequences of Slp-4 among vertebrates were organized by class (from mammalia to pisces) using molecular phylogenetic analysis. Consensus sequences for each class were then identified and used to generate homology structures, from which Poisson-Boltzmann electrostatic potentials were calculated. For comparison, homology structures and electrostatic potentials were also calculated for the five human Slp protein family members. The results demonstrate that the charge on the membrane-binding surface is highly conserved throughout the evolution of Slp-4, and more highly conserved than many individual residues among the human Slp family paralogs. Such molecular phylogenetic-driven computational analysis can help to describe the evolution of electrostatic interactions between proteins and membranes which are crucial for their function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nara L. Chon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Denver
| | - Sherleen Tran
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Denver
| | | | - Hai Lin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Denver
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5
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Chan AW, Broncel M, Yifrach E, Haseley N, Chakladar S, Andree E, Herneisen AL, Shortt E, Treeck M, Lourido S. Analysis of CDPK1 targets identifies a trafficking adaptor complex that regulates microneme exocytosis in Toxoplasma. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.11.523553. [PMID: 36712004 PMCID: PMC9882037 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.11.523553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites use Ca2+-regulated exocytosis to secrete essential virulence factors from specialized organelles called micronemes. Ca2+-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are required for microneme exocytosis; however, the molecular events that regulate trafficking and fusion of micronemes with the plasma membrane remain unresolved. Here, we combine sub-minute resolution phosphoproteomics and bio-orthogonal labeling of kinase substrates in Toxoplasma gondii to identify 163 proteins phosphorylated in a CDPK1-dependent manner. In addition to known regulators of secretion, we identify uncharacterized targets with predicted functions across signaling, gene expression, trafficking, metabolism, and ion homeostasis. One of the CDPK1 targets is a putative HOOK activating adaptor. In other eukaryotes, HOOK homologs form the FHF complex with FTS and FHIP to activate dynein-mediated trafficking of endosomes along microtubules. We show the FHF complex is partially conserved in T. gondii, consisting of HOOK, an FTS homolog, and two parasite-specific proteins (TGGT1_306920 and TGGT1_316650). CDPK1 kinase activity and HOOK are required for the rapid apical trafficking of micronemes as parasites initiate motility. Moreover, parasites lacking HOOK or FTS display impaired microneme protein secretion, leading to a block in the invasion of host cells. Taken together, our work provides a comprehensive catalog of CDPK1 targets and reveals how vesicular trafficking has been tuned to support a parasitic lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex W Chan
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Malgorzata Broncel
- Signaling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Eden Yifrach
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nicole Haseley
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Elena Andree
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alice L Herneisen
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Emily Shortt
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Moritz Treeck
- Signaling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Sebastian Lourido
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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6
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Fu J, Zhao L, Yang J, Chen H, Cao S, Jia H. An unconventional SNARE complex mediates exocytosis at the plasma membrane and vesicular fusion at the apical annuli in Toxoplasma gondii. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011288. [PMID: 36972314 PMCID: PMC10079086 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Exocytosis is a key active process in cells by which proteins are released in bulk via the fusion of exocytic vesicles with the plasma membrane. Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) protein-mediated vesicle fusion with the plasma membrane is essential in most exocytotic pathways. In mammalian cells, the vesicular fusion step of exocytosis is normally mediated by Syntaxin-1 (Stx1) and SNAP25 family proteins (SNAP25 and SNAP23). However, in Toxoplasma gondii, a model organism of Apicomplexa, the only SNAP25 family protein, with a SNAP29-like molecular structure, is involved in vesicular fusion at the apicoplast. Here, we reveal that an unconventional SNARE complex comprising TgStx1, TgStx20, and TgStx21 mediates vesicular fusion at the plasma membrane. This complex is essential for the exocytosis of surface proteins and vesicular fusion at the apical annuli in T. gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawen Fu
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Harbin, China
| | - Lin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Harbin, China
| | - Juan Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Harbin, China
| | - Heming Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Harbin, China
| | - Shinuo Cao
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Harbin, China
| | - Honglin Jia
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Harbin, China
- * E-mail:
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7
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Munjal A, Kannan D, Singh S. A C2 domain containing plasma membrane protein of Plasmodium falciparum merozoites mediates calcium-dependent binding and invasion to host erythrocytes. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY, AND INFECTION = WEI MIAN YU GAN RAN ZA ZHI 2023; 56:139-149. [PMID: 35995671 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2022.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Invasion of red blood cells by Plasmodium falciparum merozoites is governed by multiple receptor-ligand interactions which are critical for bridging the two cells together. The critical function of these ligands for invasion and their direct exposure to the host immune system makes them lucrative vaccine candidates. This necessitates the discovery of new adhesins with less redundancy that mediates the binding of merozoite to the red cell, and furthermore invasion into it. Here we have identified a novel membrane associated antigen (PfC2DMA) that is conserved throughout the Plasmodium species and has a membrane targeting C2 domain at its extreme N-terminal region. METHODS Recombinant C2dom was expressed heterologously in bacteria and purified to homogeneity. Mice antisera against C2dom was raised and used to check the expression and intraparasitic localization of the protein. RBC and Ca2+ ion binding activity of C2dom was also checked. RESULTS C2dom exhibited specific binding to Ca2+ ions and not to Mg2+ ions. PfC2DMA localized to the surface of merozoite and recombinant C2dom bound to the surface of human RBCs. RBC receptor modification by treatment with different enzymes showed that binding of C2dom to RBC surface is neuraminidase sensitive. Mice antisera raised against C2dom of Pf C2DMA showed invasion inhibitory effects. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that C2dom of PfC2DMA binds to surface of red cell in a Ca2+-dependent manner, advocating a plausible role in invasion and can serve as a potential novel blood stage vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshay Munjal
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Deepika Kannan
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India; The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shailja Singh
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
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8
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Nofal SD, Dominicus C, Broncel M, Katris NJ, Flynn HR, Arrizabalaga G, Botté CY, Invergo BM, Treeck M. A positive feedback loop mediates crosstalk between calcium, cyclic nucleotide and lipid signalling in calcium-induced Toxoplasma gondii egress. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010901. [PMID: 36265000 PMCID: PMC9624417 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Fundamental processes that govern the lytic cycle of the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii are regulated by several signalling pathways. However, how these pathways are connected remains largely unknown. Here, we compare the phospho-signalling networks during Toxoplasma egress from its host cell by artificially raising cGMP or calcium levels. We show that both egress inducers trigger indistinguishable signalling responses and provide evidence for a positive feedback loop linking calcium and cyclic nucleotide signalling. Using WT and conditional knockout parasites of the non-essential calcium-dependent protein kinase 3 (CDPK3), which display a delay in calcium inonophore-mediated egress, we explore changes in phosphorylation and lipid signalling in sub-minute timecourses after inducing Ca2+ release. These studies indicate that cAMP and lipid metabolism are central to the feedback loop, which is partly dependent on CDPK3 and allows the parasite to respond faster to inducers of egress. Biochemical analysis of 4 phosphodiesterases (PDEs) identified in our phosphoproteomes establishes PDE2 as a cAMP-specific PDE which regulates Ca2+ induced egress in a CDPK3-independent manner. The other PDEs display dual hydrolytic activity and play no role in Ca2+ induced egress. In summary, we uncover a positive feedback loop that enhances signalling during egress, thereby linking several signalling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie D. Nofal
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Caia Dominicus
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Malgorzata Broncel
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Protein Analysis and Proteomics Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas J. Katris
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advance Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Helen R. Flynn
- Protein Analysis and Proteomics Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gustavo Arrizabalaga
- University of Indianapolis, School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Cyrille Y. Botté
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advance Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Brandon M. Invergo
- Translational Research Exchange at Exeter, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Moritz Treeck
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
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9
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Segev-Zarko LA, Dahlberg PD, Sun SY, Pelt DM, Kim CY, Egan ES, Sethian JA, Chiu W, Boothroyd JC. Cryo-electron tomography with mixed-scale dense neural networks reveals key steps in deployment of Toxoplasma invasion machinery. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac183. [PMID: 36329726 PMCID: PMC9615128 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Host cell invasion by intracellular, eukaryotic parasites within the phylum Apicomplexa is a remarkable and active process involving the coordinated action of apical organelles and other structures. To date, capturing how these structures interact during invasion has been difficult to observe in detail. Here, we used cryogenic electron tomography to image the apical complex of Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites under conditions that mimic resting parasites and those primed to invade through stimulation with calcium ionophore. Through the application of mixed-scale dense networks for image processing, we developed a highly efficient pipeline for annotation of tomograms, enabling us to identify and extract densities of relevant subcellular organelles and accurately analyze features in 3-D. The results reveal a dramatic change in the shape of the anteriorly located apical vesicle upon its apparent fusion with a rhoptry that occurs only in the stimulated parasites. We also present information indicating that this vesicle originates from the vesicles that parallel the intraconoidal microtubules and that the latter two structures are linked by a novel tether. We show that a rosette structure previously proposed to be involved in rhoptry secretion is associated with apical vesicles beyond just the most anterior one. This result, suggesting multiple vesicles are primed to enable rhoptry secretion, may shed light on the mechanisms Toxoplasma employs to enable repeated invasion attempts. Using the same approach, we examine Plasmodium falciparum merozoites and show that they too possess an apical vesicle just beneath a rosette, demonstrating evolutionary conservation of this overall subcellular organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-av Segev-Zarko
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Peter D Dahlberg
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Stella Y Sun
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Daniël M Pelt
- Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science, Leiden University, Rapenburg 70, 2311 EZ Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Chi Yong Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Department of Pediatrics––Infectious Diseases, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Elizabeth S Egan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Department of Pediatrics––Infectious Diseases, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - James A Sethian
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA,Center for Advanced Mathematics for Energy Research Application (CAMERA), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Rd, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Wah Chiu
- To whom correspondence should be addressed:
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10
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Herneisen AL, Li ZH, Chan AW, Moreno SNJ, Lourido S. Temporal and thermal profiling of the Toxoplasma proteome implicates parasite Protein Phosphatase 1 in the regulation of Ca 2+-responsive pathways. eLife 2022; 11:80336. [PMID: 35976251 PMCID: PMC9436416 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites cause persistent mortality and morbidity worldwide through diseases including malaria, toxoplasmosis, and cryptosporidiosis. Ca2+ signaling pathways have been repurposed in these eukaryotic pathogens to regulate parasite-specific cellular processes governing the replicative and lytic phases of the infectious cycle, as well as the transition between them. Despite the presence of conserved Ca2+-responsive proteins, little is known about how specific signaling elements interact to impact pathogenesis. We mapped the Ca2+-responsive proteome of the model apicomplexan T. gondii via time-resolved phosphoproteomics and thermal proteome profiling. The waves of phosphoregulation following PKG activation and stimulated Ca2+ release corroborate known physiological changes but identify specific proteins operating in these pathways. Thermal profiling of parasite extracts identified many expected Ca2+-responsive proteins, such as parasite Ca2+-dependent protein kinases. Our approach also identified numerous Ca2+-responsive proteins that are not predicted to bind Ca2+, yet are critical components of the parasite signaling network. We characterized protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) as a Ca2+-responsive enzyme that relocalized to the parasite apex upon Ca2+ store release. Conditional depletion of PP1 revealed that the phosphatase regulates Ca2+ uptake to promote parasite motility. PP1 may thus be partly responsible for Ca2+-regulated serine/threonine phosphatase activity in apicomplexan parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice L Herneisen
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, United States
| | - Zhu-Hong Li
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, United States
| | - Alex W Chan
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, United States
| | - Silvia N J Moreno
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, United States
| | - Sebastian Lourido
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, United States
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11
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Boisard J, Duvernois-Berthet E, Duval L, Schrével J, Guillou L, Labat A, Le Panse S, Prensier G, Ponger L, Florent I. Marine gregarine genomes reveal the breadth of apicomplexan diversity with a partially conserved glideosome machinery. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:485. [PMID: 35780080 PMCID: PMC9250747 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08700-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Our current view of the evolutionary history, coding and adaptive capacities of Apicomplexa, protozoan parasites of a wide range of metazoan, is currently strongly biased toward species infecting humans, as data on early diverging apicomplexan lineages infecting invertebrates is extremely limited. Here, we characterized the genome of the marine eugregarine Porospora gigantea, intestinal parasite of Lobsters, remarkable for the macroscopic size of its vegetative feeding forms (trophozoites) and its gliding speed, the fastest so far recorded for Apicomplexa. Two highly syntenic genomes named A and B were assembled. Similar in size (~ 9 Mb) and coding capacity (~ 5300 genes), A and B genomes are 10.8% divergent at the nucleotide level, corresponding to 16-38 My in divergent time. Orthogroup analysis across 25 (proto)Apicomplexa species, including Gregarina niphandrodes, showed that A and B are highly divergent from all other known apicomplexan species, revealing an unexpected breadth of diversity. Phylogenetically these two species branch sisters to Cephaloidophoroidea, and thus expand the known crustacean gregarine superfamily. The genomes were mined for genes encoding proteins necessary for gliding, a key feature of apicomplexans parasites, currently studied through the molecular model called glideosome. Sequence analysis shows that actin-related proteins and regulatory factors are strongly conserved within apicomplexans. In contrast, the predicted protein sequences of core glideosome proteins and adhesion proteins are highly variable among apicomplexan lineages, especially in gregarines. These results confirm the importance of studying gregarines to widen our biological and evolutionary view of apicomplexan species diversity, and to deepen our understanding of the molecular bases of key functions such as gliding, well known to allow access to the intracellular parasitic lifestyle in Apicomplexa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Boisard
- Département Adaptations du Vivant (AVIV), Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM, UMR 7245 CNRS), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, CP 52, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Cedex 05, Paris, France. .,Département Adaptations du Vivant (AVIV), Structure et instabilité des génomes (STRING UMR 7196 CNRS/INSERM U1154), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, INSERM, CP 26, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Cedex 05, Paris, France. .,Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Evelyne Duvernois-Berthet
- Département Adaptations du Vivant (AVIV), Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation (PhyMA UMR 7221 CNRS), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, CP 32, 7 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Linda Duval
- Département Adaptations du Vivant (AVIV), Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM, UMR 7245 CNRS), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, CP 52, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Cedex 05, Paris, France
| | - Joseph Schrével
- Département Adaptations du Vivant (AVIV), Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM, UMR 7245 CNRS), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, CP 52, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Cedex 05, Paris, France
| | - Laure Guillou
- CNRS, UMR7144 Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin, Ecology of Marine Plankton (ECOMAP), Station Biologique de Roscoff SBR, Sorbonne Université, 29680, Roscoff, France
| | - Amandine Labat
- Département Adaptations du Vivant (AVIV), Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM, UMR 7245 CNRS), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, CP 52, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Cedex 05, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Le Panse
- Plateforme d'Imagerie Merimage, FR2424, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29680, Roscoff, France
| | - Gérard Prensier
- Cell biology and Electron Microscopy Laboratory, François Rabelais University, 10 Boulevard Tonnellé, 3223 Cedex, Tours, BP, France
| | - Loïc Ponger
- Département Adaptations du Vivant (AVIV), Structure et instabilité des génomes (STRING UMR 7196 CNRS/INSERM U1154), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, INSERM, CP 26, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Cedex 05, Paris, France.
| | - Isabelle Florent
- Département Adaptations du Vivant (AVIV), Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM, UMR 7245 CNRS), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, CP 52, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Cedex 05, Paris, France.
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12
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Santos JM, Frénal K. Dominique Soldati-Favre: Bringing Toxoplasma gondii to the Molecular World. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:910611. [PMID: 35711657 PMCID: PMC9196188 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.910611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Joana M Santos
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Karine Frénal
- Université Bordeaux, CNRS, Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité, UMR 5234, Bordeaux, France
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13
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Cova MM, Lamarque MH, Lebrun M. How Apicomplexa Parasites Secrete and Build Their Invasion Machinery. Annu Rev Microbiol 2022; 76:619-640. [PMID: 35671531 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-041320-021425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Apicomplexa are obligatory intracellular parasites that sense and actively invade host cells. Invasion is a conserved process that relies on the timely and spatially controlled exocytosis of unique specialized secretory organelles termed micronemes and rhoptries. Microneme exocytosis starts first and likely controls the intricate mechanism of rhoptry secretion. To assemble the invasion machinery, micronemal proteins-associated with the surface of the parasite-interact and form complexes with rhoptry proteins, which in turn are targeted into the host cell. This review covers the molecular advances regarding microneme and rhoptry exocytosis and focuses on how the proteins discharged from these two compartments work in synergy to drive a successful invasion event. Particular emphasis is given to the structure and molecular components of the rhoptry secretion apparatus, and to the current conceptual framework of rhoptry exocytosis that may constitute an unconventional eukaryotic secretory machinery closely related to the one described in ciliates. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 76 is September 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Mendonça Cova
- Laboratory of Pathogen Host Interactions (LPHI), CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France;
| | - Mauld H Lamarque
- Laboratory of Pathogen Host Interactions (LPHI), CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France;
| | - Maryse Lebrun
- Laboratory of Pathogen Host Interactions (LPHI), CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France;
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14
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Screening the Toxoplasma kinome with high-throughput tagging identifies a regulator of invasion and egress. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:868-881. [PMID: 35484233 PMCID: PMC9167752 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01104-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Protein kinases regulate fundamental aspects of eukaryotic cell biology, making them attractive chemotherapeutic targets in parasites like Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii. To systematically examine the parasite kinome, we developed a high-throughput tagging (HiT) strategy to endogenously label protein kinases with an auxin-inducible degron and fluorophore. Hundreds of tagging vectors were assembled from synthetic sequences in a single reaction and used to generate pools of mutants to determine localization and function. Examining 1,160 arrayed clones, we assigned 40 protein localizations and associated 15 kinases with distinct defects. The fitness of tagged alleles was also measured by pooled screening, distinguishing delayed from acute phenotypes. A previously unstudied kinase, associated with delayed loss, was shown to be a regulator of invasion and egress. We named the kinase Store Potentiating/Activating Regulatory Kinase (SPARK), based on its impact on intracellular Ca2+ stores. Despite homology to mammalian PDK1, SPARK lacks a lipid-binding domain, suggesting a rewiring of the pathway in parasites. HiT screening extends genome-wide approaches into complex cellular phenotypes, providing a scalable and versatile platform to dissect parasite biology.
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15
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Bisio H, Krishnan A, Marq JB, Soldati-Favre D. Toxoplasma gondii phosphatidylserine flippase complex ATP2B-CDC50.4 critically participates in microneme exocytosis. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010438. [PMID: 35325010 PMCID: PMC8982854 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulated microneme secretion governs motility, host cell invasion and egress in the obligate intracellular apicomplexans. Intracellular calcium oscillations and phospholipid dynamics critically regulate microneme exocytosis. Despite its importance for the lytic cycle of these parasites, molecular mechanistic details about exocytosis are still missing. Some members of the P4-ATPases act as flippases, changing the phospholipid distribution by translocation from the outer to the inner leaflet of the membrane. Here, the localization and function of the repertoire of P4-ATPases was investigated across the lytic cycle of Toxoplasma gondii. Of relevance, ATP2B and the non-catalytic subunit cell division control protein 50.4 (CDC50.4) form a stable heterocomplex at the parasite plasma membrane, essential for microneme exocytosis. This complex is responsible for flipping phosphatidylserine, which presumably acts as a lipid mediator for organelle fusion with the plasma membrane. Overall, this study points toward the importance of phosphatidylserine asymmetric distribution at the plasma membrane for microneme exocytosis. Biological membranes display diverse functions, including membrane fusion, which are conferred by a defined composition and organization of proteins and lipids. Apicomplexan parasites possess specialized secretory organelles (micronemes), implicated in motility, invasion and egress from host cells. Microneme exocytosis is already known to depend on phosphatidic acid for its fusion with the plasma membrane. Here we identify a type P4-ATPase and its CDC50 chaperone (ATP2B-CDC50.4) that act as a flippase and contribute to the enrichment of phosphatidylserine (PS) in the inner leaflet of the parasite plasma membrane. The disruption of PS asymmetric distribution at the plasma membrane impacts microneme exocytosis. Overall, our results shed light on the importance of membrane homeostasis and lipid composition in controlling microneme secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Bisio
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aarti Krishnan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Baptiste Marq
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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16
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Abstract
Toxoplasma motility is both activated and suppressed by 3′,5′-cyclic nucleotide signaling. Cyclic GMP (cGMP) signaling through Toxoplasma gondii protein kinase G (TgPKG) activates motility, whereas cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling through TgPKAc1 inhibits motility. Despite their importance, it remains unclear how cGMP and cAMP levels are maintained in Toxoplasma. Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are known to inactivate cyclic nucleotides and are highly expanded in the Toxoplasma genome. Here, we analyzed the expression and function of the 18-member TgPDE family in tachyzoites, the virulent life stage of Toxoplasma. We detected the expression of 11 of 18 TgPDEs, confirming prior expression studies. A knockdown screen of the TgPDE family revealed four TgPDEs that contribute to lytic Toxoplasma growth (TgPDE1, TgPDE2, TgPDE5, and TgPDE9). Depletion of TgPDE1 or TgPDE2 caused severe growth defects, prompting further investigation. While TgPDE1 was important for extracellular motility, TgPDE2 was important for host cell invasion, parasite replication, host cell egress, and extracellular motility. TgPDE1 displayed a plasma membrane/cytomembranous distribution, whereas TgPDE2 displayed an endoplasmic reticulum/cytomembranous distribution. Biochemical analysis of TgPDE1 and TgPDE2 purified from Toxoplasma lysates revealed that TgPDE1 hydrolyzes both cGMP and cAMP, whereas TgPDE2 was cAMP specific. Interactome studies of TgPDE1 and TgPDE2 indicated that they do not physically interact with each other or other TgPDEs but may be regulated by kinases and proteases. Our studies have identified TgPDE1 and TgPDE2 as central regulators of tachyzoite cyclic nucleotide levels and enable future studies aimed at determining how these enzymes are regulated and cooperate to control Toxoplasma motility and growth. IMPORTANCE Apicomplexan parasites require motility to actively infect host cells and cause disease. Cyclic nucleotide signaling governs apicomplexan motility, but it is unclear how cyclic nucleotide levels are maintained in these parasites. In search of novel regulators of cyclic nucleotides in the model apicomplexan Toxoplasma, we identified and characterized two catalytically active phosphodiesterases, TgPDE1 and TgPDE2, that are important for Toxoplasma’s virulent tachyzoite life cycle. Enzymes that generate, sense, or degrade cyclic nucleotides make attractive targets for therapies aimed at paralyzing and killing apicomplexan parasites.
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17
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Lodoen MB, Smith NC, Soldati-Favre D, Ferguson DJP, van Dooren GG. Nanos gigantium humeris insidentes: old papers informing new research into Toxoplasma gondii. Int J Parasitol 2021; 51:1193-1212. [PMID: 34736901 PMCID: PMC10538201 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.10.004] [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: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Since Nicolle, Manceaux and Splendore first described Toxoplasma gondii as a parasite of rodents and rabbits in the early 20th century, a diverse and vigorous research community has been built around studying this fascinating intracellular parasite. In addition to its importance as a pathogen of humans, livestock and wildlife, modern researchers are attracted to T. gondii as a facile experimental system to study many aspects of evolutionary biology, cellular biology, host-microbe interactions, and host immunity. For new researchers entering the field, the extensive literature describing the biology of the parasite, and the interactions with its host, can be daunting. In this review, we examine four foundational studies that describe various aspects of T. gondii biology, presenting a 'journal club'-style analysis of each. We have chosen a paper that established the beguiling life cycle of the parasite (Hutchison et al., 1971), a paper that described key features of its cellular biology that the parasite shares with related organisms (Gustafson et al., 1954), a paper that characterised the origin of the unique compartment in which the parasite resides within host cells (Jones and Hirsch, 1972), and a paper that established a key mechanism in the host immune response to parasite infection (Pfefferkorn, 1984). These interesting and far-reaching studies set the stage for subsequent research into numerous facets of parasite biology. As well as providing new researchers with an entry point into the literature surrounding the parasite, revisiting these studies can remind us of the roots of our discipline, how far we have come, and the new directions in which we might head.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa B Lodoen
- Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Nicholas C Smith
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia; Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - David J P Ferguson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK; Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Giel G van Dooren
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
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18
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Chaiyawong N, Ishizaki T, Hakimi H, Asada M, Yahata K, Kaneko O. Distinct effects on the secretion of MTRAP and AMA1 in Plasmodium yoelii following deletion of acylated pleckstrin homology domain-containing protein. Parasitol Int 2021; 86:102479. [PMID: 34628068 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2021.102479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium, the causative agents of malaria, are obligate intracellular organisms. In humans, pathogenesis is caused by the blood stage parasite, which multiplies within erythrocytes, thus erythrocyte invasion is an essential developmental step. Merozoite form parasites released into the blood stream coordinately secrets a panel of proteins from the microneme secretory organelles for gliding motility, establishment of a tight junction with a target naive erythrocyte, and subsequent internalization. A protein identified in Toxoplasma gondii facilitates microneme fusion with the plasma membrane for exocytosis; namely, acylated pleckstrin homology domain-containing protein (APH). To obtain insight into the differential microneme discharge by malaria parasites, in this study we analyzed the consequences of APH deletion in the rodent malaria model, Plasmodium yoelii, using a DiCre-based inducible knockout method. We found that APH deletion resulted in a reduction in parasite asexual growth and erythrocyte invasion, with some parasites retaining the ability to invade and grow without APH. APH deletion impaired the secretion of microneme proteins, MTRAP and AMA1, and upon contact with erythrocytes the secretion of MTRAP, but not AMA1, was observed. APH-deleted merozoites were able to attach to and deform erythrocytes, consistent with the observed MTRAP secretion. Tight junctions were formed, but echinocytosis after merozoite internalization into erythrocytes was significantly reduced, consistent with the observed absence of AMA1 secretion. Together with our observation that APH largely colocalized with MTRAP, but less with AMA1, we propose that APH is directly involved in MTRAP secretion; whereas any role of APH in AMA1 secretion is indirect in Plasmodium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nattawat Chaiyawong
- Program for Nurturing Global Leaders in Tropical and Emerging Communicable Diseases, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan; Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Takahiro Ishizaki
- Program for Nurturing Global Leaders in Tropical and Emerging Communicable Diseases, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan; Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan; Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden.
| | - Hassan Hakimi
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan; Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Masahito Asada
- Program for Nurturing Global Leaders in Tropical and Emerging Communicable Diseases, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan; Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan; National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nishi 2-11, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-0834, Japan.
| | - Kazuhide Yahata
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
| | - Osamu Kaneko
- Program for Nurturing Global Leaders in Tropical and Emerging Communicable Diseases, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan; Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
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19
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Blocking Palmitoylation of Toxoplasma gondii Myosin Light Chain 1 Disrupts Glideosome Composition but Has Little Impact on Parasite Motility. mSphere 2021; 6:6/3/e00823-20. [PMID: 34011689 PMCID: PMC8265671 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00823-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread apicomplexan parasite that causes severe disease in immunocompromised individuals and the developing fetus. Like other apicomplexans, T. gondii uses an unusual form of substrate-dependent gliding motility to invade cells of its hosts and to disseminate throughout the body during infection. It is well established that a myosin motor consisting of a class XIVa heavy chain (TgMyoA) and two light chains (TgMLC1 and TgELC1/2) plays an important role in parasite motility. The ability of the motor to generate force at the parasite periphery is thought to be reliant upon its anchoring and immobilization within a peripheral membrane-bound compartment, the inner membrane complex (IMC). The motor does not insert into the IMC directly; rather, this interaction is believed to be mediated by the binding of TgMLC1 to the IMC-anchored protein, TgGAP45. Therefore, the binding of TgMLC1 to TgGAP45 is considered a key element in the force transduction machinery of the parasite. TgMLC1 is palmitoylated, and we show here that palmitoylation occurs on two N-terminal cysteine residues, C8 and C11. Mutations that block TgMLC1 palmitoylation completely abrogate the binding of TgMLC1 to TgGAP45. Surprisingly, the loss of TgMLC1 binding to TgGAP45 in these mutant parasites has little effect on their ability to initiate or sustain movement. These results question a key tenet of the current model of apicomplexan motility and suggest that our understanding of gliding motility in this important group of human and animal pathogens is not yet complete. IMPORTANCE Gliding motility plays a central role in the life cycle of T. gondii and other apicomplexan parasites. The myosin motor thought to power motility is essential for virulence but distinctly different from the myosins found in humans. Consequently, an understanding of the mechanism(s) underlying parasite motility and the role played by this unusual myosin may reveal points of vulnerability that can be targeted for disease prevention or treatment. We show here that mutations that uncouple the motor from what is thought to be a key structural component of the motility machinery have little impact on parasite motility. This finding runs counter to predictions of the current, widely held “linear motor” model of motility, highlighting the need for further studies to fully understand how apicomplexan parasites generate the forces necessary to move into, out of, and between cells of the hosts they infect.
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20
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Gubbels MJ, Coppens I, Zarringhalam K, Duraisingh MT, Engelberg K. The Modular Circuitry of Apicomplexan Cell Division Plasticity. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:670049. [PMID: 33912479 PMCID: PMC8072463 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.670049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The close-knit group of apicomplexan parasites displays a wide variety of cell division modes, which differ between parasites as well as between different life stages within a single parasite species. The beginning and endpoint of the asexual replication cycles is a 'zoite' harboring the defining apical organelles required for host cell invasion. However, the number of zoites produced per division round varies dramatically and can unfold in several different ways. This plasticity of the cell division cycle originates from a combination of hard-wired developmental programs modulated by environmental triggers. Although the environmental triggers and sensors differ between species and developmental stages, widely conserved secondary messengers mediate the signal transduction pathways. These environmental and genetic input integrate in division-mode specific chromosome organization and chromatin modifications that set the stage for each division mode. Cell cycle progression is conveyed by a smorgasbord of positively and negatively acting transcription factors, often acting in concert with epigenetic reader complexes, that can vary dramatically between species as well as division modes. A unique set of cell cycle regulators with spatially distinct localization patterns insert discrete check points which permit individual control and can uncouple general cell cycle progression from nuclear amplification. Clusters of expressed genes are grouped into four functional modules seen in all division modes: 1. mother cytoskeleton disassembly; 2. DNA replication and segregation (D&S); 3. karyokinesis; 4. zoite assembly. A plug-and-play strategy results in the variety of extant division modes. The timing of mother cytoskeleton disassembly is hard-wired at the species level for asexual division modes: it is either the first step, or it is the last step. In the former scenario zoite assembly occurs at the plasma membrane (external budding), and in the latter scenario zoites are assembled in the cytoplasm (internal budding). The number of times each other module is repeated can vary regardless of this first decision, and defines the modes of cell division: schizogony, binary fission, endodyogeny, endopolygeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc-Jan Gubbels
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States
| | - Isabelle Coppens
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kourosh Zarringhalam
- Department of Mathematics, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Manoj T. Duraisingh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Klemens Engelberg
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States
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21
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Tagoe DNA, Drozda AA, Falco JA, Bechtel TJ, Weerapana E, Gubbels MJ. Ferlins and TgDOC2 in Toxoplasma Microneme, Rhoptry and Dense Granule Secretion. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:217. [PMID: 33803212 PMCID: PMC7999867 DOI: 10.3390/life11030217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The host cell invasion process of apicomplexan parasites like Toxoplasma gondii is facilitated by sequential exocytosis of the microneme, rhoptry and dense granule organelles. Exocytosis is facilitated by a double C2 domain (DOC2) protein family. This class of C2 domains is derived from an ancestral calcium (Ca2+) binding archetype, although this feature is optional in extant C2 domains. DOC2 domains provide combinatorial power to the C2 domain, which is further enhanced in ferlins that harbor 5-7 C2 domains. Ca2+ conditionally engages the C2 domain with lipids, membranes, and/or proteins to facilitating vesicular trafficking and membrane fusion. The widely conserved T. gondii ferlins 1 (FER1) and 2 (FER2) are responsible for microneme and rhoptry exocytosis, respectively, whereas an unconventional TgDOC2 is essential for microneme exocytosis. The general role of ferlins in endolysosmal pathways is consistent with the repurposed apicomplexan endosomal pathways in lineage specific secretory organelles. Ferlins can facilitate membrane fusion without SNAREs, again pertinent to the Apicomplexa. How temporal raises in Ca2+ combined with spatiotemporally available membrane lipids and post-translational modifications mesh to facilitate sequential exocytosis events is discussed. In addition, new data on cross-talk between secretion events together with the identification of a new microneme protein, MIC21, is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N. A. Tagoe
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA; (D.N.A.T.); (A.A.D.)
| | - Allison A. Drozda
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA; (D.N.A.T.); (A.A.D.)
| | - Julia A. Falco
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA; (J.A.F.); (T.J.B.); (E.W.)
| | - Tyler J. Bechtel
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA; (J.A.F.); (T.J.B.); (E.W.)
| | - Eranthie Weerapana
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA; (J.A.F.); (T.J.B.); (E.W.)
| | - Marc-Jan Gubbels
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA; (D.N.A.T.); (A.A.D.)
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22
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Abstract
Micronemes are specialized secretory organelles present in all motile forms of apicomplexan parasites. Microneme vesicles hold adhesins and other proteins that are secreted to facilitate parasite attachment, invasion of host cells, and egress following replication-all processes indispensable for cell-to-cell transmission of these obligate intracellular parasites. Defining the signaling pathways that lead to microneme secretion is an important part of understanding the infectious cycle of apicomplexan parasites. However, the classical method of measuring microneme secretion by immunoblotting for microneme proteins in parasite excreted/secreted antigen (ESA) preparations is low-throughput and only semiquantitative. We recently reported a new luciferase-based method for measuring microneme secretion in a 96-well format with high sensitivity in the model apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii. Here, we aim to elaborate on this detection method and review current practices for stimulating microneme secretion in vitro.
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23
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Uboldi AD, Wilde ML, Bader SM, Tonkin CJ. Environmental sensing and regulation of motility in Toxoplasma. Mol Microbiol 2020; 115:916-929. [PMID: 33278047 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma and other apicomplexan parasites undergo a unique form of cellular locomotion referred to as "gliding motility." Gliding motility is crucial for parasite survival as it powers tissue dissemination, host cell invasion and egress. Distinct environmental cues lead to activation of gliding motility and have become a prominent focus of recent investigation. Progress has been made toward understanding what environmental cues are sensed and how these signals are transduced in order to regulate the machinery and cellular events powering gliding motility. In this review, we will discuss new findings and integrate these into our current understanding to propose a model of how environmental sensing is achieved to regulate gliding motility in Toxoplasma. Collectively, these findings also have implications for the understanding of gliding motility across Apicomplexa more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro D Uboldi
- Division of Infectious Disease and Immune Defense, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,The Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Mary-Louise Wilde
- Division of Infectious Disease and Immune Defense, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,The Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Stefanie M Bader
- Division of Infectious Disease and Immune Defense, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Christopher J Tonkin
- Division of Infectious Disease and Immune Defense, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,The Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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24
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Dos Santos Pacheco N, Tosetti N, Koreny L, Waller RF, Soldati-Favre D. Evolution, Composition, Assembly, and Function of the Conoid in Apicomplexa. Trends Parasitol 2020; 36:688-704. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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25
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Paul AS, Miliu A, Paulo JA, Goldberg JM, Bonilla AM, Berry L, Seveno M, Braun-Breton C, Kosber AL, Elsworth B, Arriola JSN, Lebrun M, Gygi SP, Lamarque MH, Duraisingh MT. Co-option of Plasmodium falciparum PP1 for egress from host erythrocytes. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3532. [PMID: 32669539 PMCID: PMC7363832 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17306-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Asexual proliferation of the Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria follows a developmental program that alternates non-canonical intraerythrocytic replication with dissemination to new host cells. We carried out a functional analysis of the Plasmodium falciparum homolog of Protein Phosphatase 1 (PfPP1), a universally conserved cell cycle factor in eukaryotes, to investigate regulation of parasite proliferation. PfPP1 is indeed required for efficient replication, but is absolutely essential for egress of parasites from host red blood cells. By phosphoproteomic and chemical-genetic analysis, we isolate two functional targets of PfPP1 for egress: a HECT E3 protein-ubiquitin ligase; and GCα, a fusion protein composed of a guanylyl cyclase and a phospholipid transporter domain. We hypothesize that PfPP1 regulates lipid sensing by GCα and find that phosphatidylcholine stimulates PfPP1-dependent egress. PfPP1 acts as a key regulator that integrates multiple cell-intrinsic pathways with external signals to direct parasite egress from host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya S Paul
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, 02115, MA, USA
| | - Alexandra Miliu
- Laboratory of Pathogen Host Interaction (LPHI), UMR5235, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Montpellier, 34095, Montpellier, France
| | - Joao A Paulo
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, 02115, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan M Goldberg
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, 02115, MA, USA
| | - Arianna M Bonilla
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, 02115, MA, USA
| | - Laurence Berry
- Laboratory of Pathogen Host Interaction (LPHI), UMR5235, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Montpellier, 34095, Montpellier, France
| | - Marie Seveno
- Laboratory of Pathogen Host Interaction (LPHI), UMR5235, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Montpellier, 34095, Montpellier, France
| | - Catherine Braun-Breton
- Laboratory of Pathogen Host Interaction (LPHI), UMR5235, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Montpellier, 34095, Montpellier, France
| | - Aziz L Kosber
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, 02115, MA, USA
| | - Brendan Elsworth
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, 02115, MA, USA
| | - Jose S N Arriola
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, 02115, MA, USA
| | - Maryse Lebrun
- Laboratory of Pathogen Host Interaction (LPHI), UMR5235, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Montpellier, 34095, Montpellier, France
| | - Steven P Gygi
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, 02115, MA, USA
| | - Mauld H Lamarque
- Laboratory of Pathogen Host Interaction (LPHI), UMR5235, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université de Montpellier, 34095, Montpellier, France.
| | - Manoj T Duraisingh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, 02115, MA, USA.
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26
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Bisio H, Soldati-Favre D. Signaling Cascades Governing Entry into and Exit from Host Cells by Toxoplasma gondii. Annu Rev Microbiol 2020; 73:579-599. [PMID: 31500539 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-020518-120235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The Apicomplexa phylum includes a large group of obligate intracellular protozoan parasites responsible for important diseases in humans and animals. Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread parasite with considerable versatility, and it is capable of infecting virtually any warm-blooded animal, including humans. This outstanding success can be attributed at least in part to an efficient and continuous sensing of the environment, with a ready-to-adapt strategy. This review updates the current understanding of the signals governing the lytic cycle of T. gondii, with particular focus on egress from infected cells, a key step for balancing survival, multiplication, and spreading in the host. We cover the recent advances in the conceptual framework of regulation of microneme exocytosis that ensures egress, motility, and invasion. Particular emphasis is given to the trigger molecules and signaling cascades regulating exit from host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Bisio
- Département de Microbiologie et Médecine Moléculaire, Centre Médical Universitaire, Université de Genève, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland;
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Département de Microbiologie et Médecine Moléculaire, Centre Médical Universitaire, Université de Genève, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland;
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27
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Horta MF, Andrade LO, Martins-Duarte ÉS, Castro-Gomes T. Cell invasion by intracellular parasites - the many roads to infection. J Cell Sci 2020; 133:133/4/jcs232488. [PMID: 32079731 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.232488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular parasites from the genera Toxoplasma, Plasmodium, Trypanosoma, Leishmania and from the phylum Microsporidia are, respectively, the causative agents of toxoplasmosis, malaria, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis and microsporidiosis, illnesses that kill millions of people around the globe. Crossing the host cell plasma membrane (PM) is an obstacle these parasites must overcome to establish themselves intracellularly and so cause diseases. The mechanisms of cell invasion are quite diverse and include (1) formation of moving junctions that drive parasites into host cells, as for the protozoans Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium spp., (2) subversion of endocytic pathways used by the host cell to repair PM, as for Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania, (3) induction of phagocytosis as for Leishmania or (4) endocytosis of parasites induced by specialized structures, such as the polar tubes present in microsporidian species. Understanding the early steps of cell entry is essential for the development of vaccines and drugs for the prevention or treatment of these diseases, and thus enormous research efforts have been made to unveil their underlying biological mechanisms. This Review will focus on these mechanisms and the factors involved, with an emphasis on the recent insights into the cell biology of invasion by these pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Fátima Horta
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, CEP 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Luciana Oliveira Andrade
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, CEP 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Érica Santos Martins-Duarte
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, CEP 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Thiago Castro-Gomes
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, CEP 31270-901, Brazil
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28
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Batista FA, Gyau B, Vilacha JF, Bosch SS, Lunev S, Wrenger C, Groves MR. New directions in antimalarial target validation. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2020; 15:189-202. [PMID: 31959021 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1691996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Malaria is one of the most prevalent human infections worldwide with over 40% of the world's population living in malaria-endemic areas. In the absence of an effective vaccine, emergence of drug-resistant strains requires urgent drug development. Current methods applied to drug target validation, a crucial step in drug discovery, possess limitations in malaria. These constraints require the development of techniques capable of simplifying the validation of Plasmodial targets.Areas covered: The authors review the current state of the art in techniques used to validate drug targets in malaria, including our contribution - the protein interference assay (PIA) - as an additional tool in rapid in vivo target validation.Expert opinion: Each technique in this review has advantages and disadvantages, implying that future validation efforts should not focus on a single approach, but integrate multiple approaches. PIA is a significant addition to the current toolset of antimalarial validation. Validation of aspartate metabolism as a druggable pathway provided proof of concept of how oligomeric interfaces can be exploited to control specific activity in vivo. PIA has the potential to be applied not only to other enzymes/pathways of the malaria parasite but could, in principle, be extrapolated to other infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando A Batista
- Structural Biology Unit, XB20 Drug Design, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Unit for Drug Discovery, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Benjamin Gyau
- Structural Biology Unit, XB20 Drug Design, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Juliana F Vilacha
- Structural Biology Unit, XB20 Drug Design, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Soraya S Bosch
- Structural Biology Unit, XB20 Drug Design, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Unit for Drug Discovery, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sergey Lunev
- Structural Biology Unit, XB20 Drug Design, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Carsten Wrenger
- Unit for Drug Discovery, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Matthew R Groves
- Structural Biology Unit, XB20 Drug Design, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Boothroyd JC. What a Difference 30 Years Makes! A Perspective on Changes in Research Methodologies Used to Study Toxoplasma gondii. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2071:1-25. [PMID: 31758444 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9857-9_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a remarkable species with a rich cell, developmental, and population biology. It is also sometimes responsible for serious disease in animals and humans and the stages responsible for such disease are relatively easy to study in vitro or in laboratory animal models. As a result of all this, Toxoplasma has become the subject of intense investigation over the last several decades, becoming a model organism for the study of the phylum of which it is a member, Apicomplexa. This has led to an ever-growing number of investigators applying an ever-expanding set of techniques to dissecting how Toxoplasma "ticks" and how it interacts with its many hosts. In this perspective piece I first wind back the clock 30 years and then trace the extraordinary pace of methodologies that have propelled the field forward to where we are today. In keeping with the theme of this collection, I focus almost exclusively on the parasite, rather than host side of the equation. I finish with a few thoughts about where the field might be headed-though if we have learned anything, the only sure prediction is that the pace of technological advance will surely continue to accelerate and the future will give us still undreamed of methods for taking apart (and then putting back together) this amazing organism with all its intricate biology. We have so far surely just scratched the surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Boothroyd
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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30
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Cao S, Chen H, Liang X, Fu J, Wang S, Zheng J, Zhang Z, Pang Y, Wang J, Shen B, Jia H. The Sec1/Munc18-like proteins TgSec1 and TgVps45 play pivotal roles in assembly of the pellicle and sub-pellicle network in Toxoplasma gondii. Mol Microbiol 2019; 113:208-221. [PMID: 31670849 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Post-Golgi vesicle trafficking is indispensable for precise movement of proteins to the pellicle, the sub-pellicle network and apical secretory organelles in Apicomplexa. However, only a small number of molecular complexes involved in trafficking, tethering and fusion of vesicles have been identified in Toxoplasma gondii. Consequently, it is unclear how complicated vesicle trafficking is accomplished in this parasite. Sec1/Munc18-like (SM) proteins are essential components of protein complexes involved in vesicle fusion. Here, we found that depletion of the SM protein TgSec1 using an auxin-inducible degron-based conditional knockout strategy led to mislocalization of plasma membrane proteins. By contrast, conditional depletion of the SM protein TgVps45 led to morphological changes, asymmetrical loss of the inner membrane complex and defects in nucleation of sub-pellicular microtubules, polarization and symmetrical assembly of daughter parasites during repeated endodyogeny. TgVps45 interacts with the SNARE protein TgStx16 and TgVAMP4-1. Conditional ablation of TgStx16 causes the similar growth defect like TgVps45 deficiency suggested they work together for the vesicle fusion at TGN. These findings indicate that these two SM proteins are crucial for assembly of pellicle and sub-pellicle network in T. gondii respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinuo Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, People's Republic of China
| | - Heming Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaohan Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiawen Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, People's Republic of China
| | - Shida Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaoxia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Pang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingfei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, People's Republic of China
| | - Bang Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Honglin Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, People's Republic of China
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Abstract
Apicomplexans, including species of Eimeria, pose a real threat to the health and wellbeing of animals and humans. Eimeria parasites do not infect humans but cause an important economic impact on livestock, in particular on the poultry industry. Despite its high prevalence and financial costs, little is known about the cell biology of these 'cosmopolitan' parasites found all over the world. In this review, we discuss different aspects of the life cycle and stages of Eimeria species, focusing on cellular structures and organelles typical of the coccidian family as well as genus-specific features, complementing some 'unknowns' with what is described in the closely related coccidian Toxoplasma gondii.
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32
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González LM, Estrada K, Grande R, Jiménez-Jacinto V, Vega-Alvarado L, Sevilla E, de la Barrera J, Cuesta I, Zaballos Á, Bautista JM, Lobo CA, Sánchez-Flores A, Montero E. Comparative and functional genomics of the protozoan parasite Babesia divergens highlighting the invasion and egress processes. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007680. [PMID: 31425518 PMCID: PMC6715253 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesiosis is considered an emerging disease because its incidence has significantly increased in the last 30 years, providing evidence of the expanding range of this rare but potentially life-threatening zoonotic disease. Babesia divergens is a causative agent of babesiosis in humans and cattle in Europe. The recently sequenced genome of B. divergens revealed over 3,741 protein coding-genes and the 10.7-Mb high-quality draft become the first reference tool to study the genome structure of B. divergens. Now, by exploiting this sequence data and using new computational tools and assembly strategies, we have significantly improved the quality of the B. divergens genome. The new assembly shows better continuity and has a higher correspondence to B. bovis chromosomes. Moreover, we present a differential expression analysis using RNA sequencing of the two different stages of the asexual lifecycle of B. divergens: the free merozoite capable of invading erythrocytes and the intraerythrocytic parasite stage that remains within the erythrocyte until egress. Comparison of mRNA levels of both stages identified 1,441 differentially expressed genes. From these, around half were upregulated and the other half downregulated in the intraerythrocytic stage. Orthogonal validation by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR confirmed the differential expression. A moderately increased expression level of genes, putatively involved in the invasion and egress processes, were revealed in the intraerythrocytic stage compared with the free merozoite. On the basis of these results and in the absence of molecular models of invasion and egress for B. divergens, we have proposed the identified genes as putative molecular players in the invasion and egress processes. Our results contribute to an understanding of key parasitic strategies and pathogenesis and could be a valuable genomic resource to exploit for the design of diagnostic methods, drugs and vaccines to improve the control of babesiosis. Babesiosis has long been recognized as an economically important disease of cattle, but only in the last 40 years has Babesia been recognized as an important pathogen in humans. Babesiosis in humans is caused by one of several species (B. microti, B. divergens, B. duncani and B. venatorum). The complete Babesia lifecycle requires two hosts, the ixodid ticks and a vertebrate host. It is the parasite's ability to first recognize and then invade host erythrocytes that is central to the pathogenesis of babesiosis. Once inside the cell, the parasite begins a cycle of maturation and growth, resulting in merozoites that egress from the red blood cells (RBCs) and seek new, uninfected RBCs to invade, perpetuating the infection. To better understand this asexual lifecycle, the authors focused on the parasite genome and transcriptome of the asexual erythrocytic forms of B. divergens. Through this functional and comparative genomic approach, the authors have identified genes putatively involved in invasion, gliding motility, moving junction formation and egress, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms of these processes necessary for B. divergens to survive and propagate during its life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Miguel González
- Laboratorio de Referencia e Investigación en Parasitología, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, ISCIII Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Karel Estrada
- Unidad Universitaria de Secuenciación Masiva y Bioinformática, Instituto de Biotecnología, Cuernavaca, México
| | - Ricardo Grande
- Unidad Universitaria de Secuenciación Masiva y Bioinformática, Instituto de Biotecnología, Cuernavaca, México
| | - Verónica Jiménez-Jacinto
- Unidad Universitaria de Secuenciación Masiva y Bioinformática, Instituto de Biotecnología, Cuernavaca, México
| | | | - Elena Sevilla
- Laboratorio de Referencia e Investigación en Parasitología, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, ISCIII Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge de la Barrera
- Unidad de Bioinformática, Área de Unidades Centrales Científico-Técnicas, ISCIII, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Cuesta
- Unidad de Bioinformática, Área de Unidades Centrales Científico-Técnicas, ISCIII, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ángel Zaballos
- Unidad de Genómica, Área de Unidades Centrales Científico-Técnicas, ISCIII, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Manuel Bautista
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology & Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cheryl A. Lobo
- Blood Borne Parasites, LFKRI, New York Blood Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Alejandro Sánchez-Flores
- Unidad Universitaria de Secuenciación Masiva y Bioinformática, Instituto de Biotecnología, Cuernavaca, México
- * E-mail: (ASF); (EM)
| | - Estrella Montero
- Laboratorio de Referencia e Investigación en Parasitología, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, ISCIII Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail: (ASF); (EM)
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33
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Lentini G, Dubois DJ, Maco B, Soldati-Favre D, Frénal K. The roles of Centrin 2 and Dynein Light Chain 8a in apical secretory organelles discharge of Toxoplasma gondii. Traffic 2019; 20:583-600. [PMID: 31206964 DOI: 10.1111/tra.12673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
To efficiently enter host cells, apicomplexan parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii rely on an apical complex composed of tubulin-based structures as well as two sets of secretory organelles named micronemes and rhoptries. The trafficking and docking of these organelles to the apical pole of the parasite is crucial for the discharge of their contents. Here, we describe two proteins typically associated with microtubules, Centrin 2 (CEN2) and Dynein Light Chain 8a (DLC8a), that are required for efficient host cell invasion. CEN2 localizes to four different compartments, and remarkably, conditional depletion of the protein occurs in stepwise manner, sequentially depleting the protein pools from each location. This phenomenon allowed us to discern the essential function of the apical pool of CEN2 for microneme secretion, motility, invasion and egress. DLC8a localizes to the conoid, and its depletion also perturbs microneme exocytosis in addition to the apical docking of the rhoptry organelles, causing a severe defect in host cell invasion. Phenotypic characterization of CEN2 and DLC8a indicates that while both proteins participate in microneme secretion, they likely act at different steps along the cascade of events leading to organelle exocytosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëlle Lentini
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - David J Dubois
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bohumil Maco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Karine Frénal
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité, University of Bordeaux, CNRS UMR 5234, Bordeaux Cedex, France
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34
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Ebrahimzadeh Z, Mukherjee A, Crochetière MÈ, Sergerie A, Amiar S, Thompson LA, Gagnon D, Gaumond D, Stahelin RV, Dacks JB, Richard D. A pan-apicomplexan phosphoinositide-binding protein acts in malarial microneme exocytosis. EMBO Rep 2019; 20:e47102. [PMID: 31097469 PMCID: PMC6549027 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201847102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasion of human red blood cells by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is an essential step in the development of the disease. Consequently, the molecular players involved in host cell invasion represent important targets for inhibitor design and vaccine development. The process of merozoite invasion is a succession of steps underlined by the sequential secretion of the organelles of the apical complex. However, little is known with regard to how their contents are exocytosed. Here, we identify a phosphoinositide-binding protein conserved in apicomplexan parasites and show that it is important for the attachment and subsequent invasion of the erythrocyte by the merozoite. Critically, removing the protein from its site of action by knock sideways preferentially prevents the secretion of certain types of micronemes. Our results therefore provide evidence for a role of phosphoinositide lipids in the malaria invasion process and provide further insight into the secretion of microneme organelle populations, which is potentially applicable to diverse apicomplexan parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab Ebrahimzadeh
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, CRCHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Angana Mukherjee
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, CRCHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-Ève Crochetière
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, CRCHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Audrey Sergerie
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, CRCHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Souad Amiar
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology and the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - L Alexa Thompson
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Dominic Gagnon
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, CRCHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - David Gaumond
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, CRCHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Robert V Stahelin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology and the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Joel B Dacks
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Dave Richard
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, CRCHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
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35
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Bullen HE, Bisio H, Soldati-Favre D. The triumvirate of signaling molecules controlling Toxoplasma microneme exocytosis: Cyclic GMP, calcium, and phosphatidic acid. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007670. [PMID: 31121005 PMCID: PMC6532924 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
To elicit effective invasion and egress from infected cells, obligate intracellular parasites of the phylum Apicomplexa rely on the timely and spatially controlled exocytosis of specialized secretory organelles termed the micronemes. The effector molecules and signaling events underpinning this process are intricate; however, recent advances within the field of Toxoplasma gondii research have facilitated a broader understanding as well as a more integrated view of this complex cascade of events and have unraveled the importance of phosphatidic acid (PA) as a lipid mediator at multiple steps in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley E. Bullen
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail: (HEB); (DS-F)
| | - Hugo Bisio
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (HEB); (DS-F)
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Dubois DJ, Soldati-Favre D. Biogenesis and secretion of micronemes in Toxoplasma gondii. Cell Microbiol 2019; 21:e13018. [PMID: 30791192 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
One of the hallmarks of the parasitic phylum of Apicomplexa is the presence of highly specialised, apical secretory organelles, called the micronemes and rhoptries that play critical roles in ensuring survival and dissemination. Upon exocytosis, the micronemes release adhesin complexes, perforins, and proteases that are crucially implicated in egress from infected cells, gliding motility, migration across biological barriers, and host cell invasion. Recent studies on Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium species have shed more light on the signalling events and the machinery that trigger microneme secretion. Intracellular cyclic nucleotides, calcium level, and phosphatidic acid act as key mediators of microneme exocytosis, and several downstream effectors have been identified. Here, we review the key steps of microneme biogenesis and exocytosis, summarising the still fractal knowledge at the molecular level regarding the fusion event with the parasite plasma membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Dubois
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva CMU, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva CMU, Geneva, Switzerland
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37
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Katris NJ, Ke H, McFadden GI, van Dooren GG, Waller RF. Calcium negatively regulates secretion from dense granules in Toxoplasma gondii. Cell Microbiol 2019; 21:e13011. [PMID: 30673152 PMCID: PMC6563121 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites including Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium spp. manufacture a complex arsenal of secreted proteins used to interact with and manipulate their host environment. These proteins are organised into three principle exocytotic compartment types according to their functions: micronemes for extracellular attachment and motility, rhoptries for host cell penetration, and dense granules for subsequent manipulation of the host intracellular environment. The order and timing of these events during the parasite's invasion cycle dictates when exocytosis from each compartment occurs. Tight control of compartment secretion is, therefore, an integral part of apicomplexan biology. Control of microneme exocytosis is best understood, where cytosolic intermediate molecular messengers cGMP and Ca2+ act as positive signals. The mechanisms for controlling secretion from rhoptries and dense granules, however, are virtually unknown. Here, we present evidence that dense granule exocytosis is negatively regulated by cytosolic Ca2+, and we show that this Ca2+‐mediated response is contingent on the function of calcium‐dependent protein kinases TgCDPK1 and TgCDPK3. Reciprocal control of micronemes and dense granules provides an elegant solution to the mutually exclusive functions of these exocytotic compartments in parasite invasion cycles and further demonstrates the central role that Ca2+ signalling plays in the invasion biology of apicomplexan parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Katris
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Huiling Ke
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Geoffrey I McFadden
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Giel G van Dooren
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Ross F Waller
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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38
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Phosphatidic acid governs natural egress in Toxoplasma gondii via a guanylate cyclase receptor platform. Nat Microbiol 2019; 4:420-428. [DOI: 10.1038/s41564-018-0339-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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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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40
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Zhang NZ, Gao Q, Wang M, Hou JL, Zhang FK, Hu LY, Zhu XQ. Protective Efficacy Against Acute and Chronic Toxoplasma gondii Infection Induced by Immunization With the DNA Vaccine TgDOC2C. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2965. [PMID: 30564214 PMCID: PMC6288300 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous intracellular apicomplexan parasite that can cause zoonotic toxoplasmosis. Effective vaccines against T. gondii infection are necessary to prevent and control the spread of toxoplasmosis. The present study analyzed the B-linear epitopes of T. gondii DOC2 (TgDOC2) protein and then cloned the C-terminus of the TgDOC2 gene (TgDOC2C) to construct the pVAX-TgDOC2C eukaryotic vector. After intramuscular injection of pVAX-TgDOC2C, immune responses were monitored. Two weeks after the last immunization, the protective effects of pVAX-TgDOC2C against acute and chronic toxoplasmosis were evaluated by challenges with T. gondii RH tachyzoites (genotype I) and PRU cysts (genotype II). The DNA vaccine elicited strong humoral and cellular immune responses with high levels of IgG antibody, IL-2 and IFN-γ production compared to those of the controls. The percentage of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in mice immunized with pVAX-TgDOC2C was significantly increased compared to that of mice injected with empty pVAX I or PBS. After acute infection with 103 lethal tachyzoites, mice immunized with pVAX-TgDOC2C survived longer (12.5 days) than mice treated with pVAX I (8 days) and PBS (7.5 days). Mice immunized with pVAX-TgDOC2C had significantly less brain cysts (1600.83 ± 284.61) compared to mice immunized with pVAX I (3016.67 ± 153.84) or PBS (3100 ± 246.98). Together, these results demonstrated that TgDOC2C confers protective immunity against T. gondii infection and may be a promising candidate antigen for further development of an effective multicomponent vaccine for veterinary use against toxoplasmosis in livestock animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nian-Zhang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Qi Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China.,Hunan Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Changsha, China
| | - Meng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jun-Ling Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Fu-Kai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ling-Ying Hu
- Fujian Yongcheng Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sci-Tech Group, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xing-Quan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
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41
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Brown KM, Sibley LD. Essential cGMP Signaling in Toxoplasma Is Initiated by a Hybrid P-Type ATPase-Guanylate Cyclase. Cell Host Microbe 2018; 24:804-816.e6. [PMID: 30449726 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2018.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites rely on cyclic nucleotide-dependent kinases for host cell infection, yet the mechanisms that control their activation remain unknown. Here we show that an apically localized guanylate cyclase (GC) controls microneme secretion and lytic growth in the model apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii. Cell-permeable cGMP reversed the block in microneme secretion seen in a knockdown of TgGC, linking its function to production of cGMP. TgGC possesses an N-terminal P-type ATPase domain fused to a C-terminal heterodimeric guanylate cyclase domain, an architecture found only in Apicomplexa and related protists. Complementation with a panel of mutants revealed a critical requirement for the P-type ATPase domain for maximum GC function. We further demonstrate that knockdown of TgGC in vivo protects mice from lethal infection by blocking parasite expansion and dissemination. Collectively, this work demonstrates that cGMP-mediated signaling in Toxoplasma relies on a multi-domain architecture, which may serve a conserved role in related parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Brown
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - L David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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42
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Abstract
Apicomplexan protozoan parasites, such as those causing malaria and toxoplasmosis, must invade the cells of their hosts in order to establish a pathogenic infection. Timely release of proteins from a series of apical organelles is required for invasion. Neither the vesicular fusion events that underlie secretion nor the observed reliance of the various processes on changes in intracellular calcium concentrations is completely understood. We identified a group of three proteins with strong homology to the calcium-sensing ferlin family, which are known to be involved in protein secretion in other organisms. Surprisingly, decreasing the amounts of one of these proteins (TgFER2) did not have any effect on the typically calcium-dependent steps in invasion. Instead, TgFER2 was essential for the release of proteins from organelles called rhoptries. These data provide a tantalizing first look at the mechanisms controlling the very poorly understood process of rhoptry secretion, which is essential for the parasite’s infection cycle. Invasion of host cells by apicomplexan parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii is critical for their infectivity and pathogenesis. In Toxoplasma, secretion of essential egress, motility, and invasion-related proteins from microneme organelles is regulated by oscillations of intracellular Ca2+. Later stages of invasion are considered Ca2+ independent, including the secretion of proteins required for host cell entry and remodeling from the parasite’s rhoptries. We identified a family of three Toxoplasma proteins with homology to the ferlin family of double C2 domain-containing Ca2+ sensors. In humans and model organisms, such Ca2+ sensors orchestrate Ca2+-dependent exocytic membrane fusion with the plasma membrane. Here we focus on one ferlin that is conserved across the Apicomplexa, T. gondii FER2 (TgFER2). Unexpectedly, conditionally TgFER2-depleted parasites secreted their micronemes normally and were completely motile. However, these parasites were unable to invade host cells and were therefore not viable. Knockdown of TgFER2 prevented rhoptry secretion, and these parasites failed to form the moving junction at the parasite-host interface necessary for host cell invasion. Collectively, these data demonstrate the requirement of TgFER2 for rhoptry secretion in Toxoplasma tachyzoites and suggest a possible Ca2+ dependence of rhoptry secretion. These findings provide the first mechanistic insights into this critical yet poorly understood aspect of apicomplexan host cell invasion.
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43
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Hortua Triana MA, Márquez-Nogueras KM, Vella SA, Moreno SNJ. Calcium signaling and the lytic cycle of the Apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2018; 1865:1846-1856. [PMID: 30992126 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii has a complex life cycle involving different hosts and is dependent on fast responses, as the parasite reacts to changing environmental conditions. T. gondii causes disease by lysing the host cells that it infects and it does this by reiterating its lytic cycle, which consists of host cell invasion, replication inside the host cell, and egress causing host cell lysis. Calcium ion (Ca2+) signaling triggers activation of molecules involved in the stimulation and enhancement of each step of the parasite lytic cycle. Ca2+ signaling is essential for the cellular and developmental changes that support T. gondii parasitism. The characterization of the molecular players and pathways directly activated by Ca2+ signaling in Toxoplasma is sketchy and incomplete. The evolutionary distance between Toxoplasma and other eukaryotic model systems makes the comparison sometimes not informative. The advent of new genomic information and new genetic tools applicable for studying Toxoplasma biology is rapidly changing this scenario. The Toxoplasma genome reveals the presence of many genes potentially involved in Ca2+ signaling, even though the role of most of them is not known. The use of Genetically Encoded Calcium Indicators (GECIs) has allowed studies on the role of novel calcium-related proteins on egress, an essential step for the virulence and dissemination of Toxoplasma. In addition, the discovery of new Ca2+ players is generating novel targets for drugs, vaccines, and diagnostic tools and a better understanding of the biology of these parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stephen A Vella
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Silvia N J Moreno
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
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44
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Darvill N, Dubois DJ, Rouse SL, Hammoudi PM, Blake T, Benjamin S, Liu B, Soldati-Favre D, Matthews S. Structural Basis of Phosphatidic Acid Sensing by APH in Apicomplexan Parasites. Structure 2018; 26:1059-1071.e6. [PMID: 29910186 PMCID: PMC6084407 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2018.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 10/29/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii are obligate intracellular parasites that belong to the phylum of Apicomplexa and cause major human diseases. Their access to an intracellular lifestyle is reliant on the coordinated release of proteins from the specialized apical organelles called micronemes and rhoptries. A specific phosphatidic acid effector, the acylated pleckstrin homology domain-containing protein (APH) plays a central role in microneme exocytosis and thus is essential for motility, cell entry, and egress. TgAPH is acylated on the surface of the micronemes and recruited to phosphatidic acid (PA)-enriched membranes. Here, we dissect the atomic details of APH PA-sensing hub and its functional interaction with phospholipid membranes. We unravel the key determinant of PA recognition for the first time and show that APH inserts into and clusters multiple phosphate head-groups at the bilayer binding surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick Darvill
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - David J Dubois
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel-Servet, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sarah L Rouse
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Pierre-Mehdi Hammoudi
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel-Servet, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Tom Blake
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Stefi Benjamin
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Bing Liu
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK; BioBank, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, P. R. China
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel-Servet, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Steve Matthews
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK; BioBank, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, P. R. China.
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45
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Otto TD, Gilabert A, Crellen T, Böhme U, Arnathau C, Sanders M, Oyola SO, Okouga AP, Boundenga L, Willaume E, Ngoubangoye B, Moukodoum ND, Paupy C, Durand P, Rougeron V, Ollomo B, Renaud F, Newbold C, Berriman M, Prugnolle F. Genomes of all known members of a Plasmodium subgenus reveal paths to virulent human malaria. Nat Microbiol 2018; 3:687-697. [PMID: 29784978 PMCID: PMC5985962 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-018-0162-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum, the most virulent agent of human malaria, shares a recent common ancestor with the gorilla parasite Plasmodium praefalciparum. Little is known about the other gorilla- and chimpanzee-infecting species in the same (Laverania) subgenus as P. falciparum, but none of them are capable of establishing repeated infection and transmission in humans. To elucidate underlying mechanisms and the evolutionary history of this subgenus, we have generated multiple genomes from all known Laverania species. The completeness of our dataset allows us to conclude that interspecific gene transfers, as well as convergent evolution, were important in the evolution of these species. Striking copy number and structural variations were observed within gene families and one, stevor, shows a host-specific sequence pattern. The complete genome sequence of the closest ancestor of P. falciparum enables us to estimate the timing of the beginning of speciation to be 40,000-60,000 years ago followed by a population bottleneck around 4,000-6,000 years ago. Our data allow us also to search in detail for the features of P. falciparum that made it the only member of the Laverania able to infect and spread in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D. Otto
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Aude Gilabert
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC, UMR 5290-224 CNRS 5290-IRD 224-UM, Montpellier, France
| | - Thomas Crellen
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, St Mary’s Campus, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, United Kingdom
| | - Ulrike Böhme
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Céline Arnathau
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC, UMR 5290-224 CNRS 5290-IRD 224-UM, Montpellier, France
| | - Mandy Sanders
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel O. Oyola
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Alain Prince Okouga
- Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Larson Boundenga
- Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
| | | | | | | | - Christophe Paupy
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC, UMR 5290-224 CNRS 5290-IRD 224-UM, Montpellier, France
| | - Patrick Durand
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC, UMR 5290-224 CNRS 5290-IRD 224-UM, Montpellier, France
| | - Virginie Rougeron
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC, UMR 5290-224 CNRS 5290-IRD 224-UM, Montpellier, France
- Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Benjamin Ollomo
- Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
| | - François Renaud
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC, UMR 5290-224 CNRS 5290-IRD 224-UM, Montpellier, France
| | - Chris Newbold
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DS, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Berriman
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Franck Prugnolle
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC, UMR 5290-224 CNRS 5290-IRD 224-UM, Montpellier, France
- Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
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Abstract
Plasmodium species cause malaria by proliferating in human erythrocytes. Invasion of immunologically privileged erythrocytes provides a relatively protective niche as well as access to a rich source of nutrients. Plasmodium spp. target erythrocytes of different ages, but share a common mechanism of invasion. Specific engagement of erythrocyte receptors defines target cell tropism, activating downstream events and resulting in the physical penetration of the erythrocyte, powered by the parasite's actinomyosin-based motor. Here we review the latest in our understanding of the molecular composition of this highly complex and fascinating biological process.
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47
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Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase 5 Is Required for Release of Egress-Specific Organelles in Plasmodium falciparum. mBio 2018; 9:mBio.00130-18. [PMID: 29487234 PMCID: PMC5829822 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00130-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum requires efficient egress out of an infected red blood cell for pathogenesis. This egress event is highly coordinated and is mediated by several signaling proteins, including the plant-like Pfalciparum calcium-dependent protein kinase 5 (PfCDPK5). Knockdown of PfCDPK5 results in an egress block where parasites are trapped inside their host cells. The mechanism of this PfCDPK5-dependent block, however, remains unknown. Here, we show that PfCDPK5 colocalizes with a specialized set of parasite organelles known as micronemes and is required for their discharge, implicating failure of this step as the cause of the egress defect in PfCDPK5-deficient parasites. Furthermore, we show that PfCDPK5 cooperates with the Pfalciparum cGMP-dependent kinase (PfPKG) to fully activate the protease cascade critical for parasite egress. The PfCDPK5-dependent arrest can be overcome by hyperactivation of PfPKG or by physical disruption of the arrested parasite, and we show that both treatments facilitate the release of the micronemes required for egress. Our results define the molecular mechanism of PfCDPK5 function and elucidate the complex signaling pathway of parasite egress.IMPORTANCE The signs and symptoms of clinical malaria result from the replication of parasites in human blood. Efficient egress of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum out of an infected red blood cell is critical for pathogenesis. The Pfalciparum calcium-dependent protein kinase 5 (PfCDPK5) is essential for parasite egress. Following PfCDPK5 knockdown, parasites remain trapped inside their host cell and do not egress, but the mechanism for this block remains unknown. We show that PfCDPK5 colocalizes with parasite organelles known as micronemes. We demonstrate that PfCDPK5 is critical for the discharge of these micronemes and that failure of this step is the molecular mechanism of the parasite egress arrest. We also show that hyperactivation of the cGMP-dependent kinase PKG can overcome this arrest. Our data suggest that small molecules that inhibit the egress signaling pathway could be effective antimalarial therapeutics.
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Two Phosphoglucomutase Paralogs Facilitate Ionophore-Triggered Secretion of the Toxoplasma Micronemes. mSphere 2017; 2:mSphere00521-17. [PMID: 29202046 PMCID: PMC5705807 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00521-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Ca2+-dependent exocytosis is essential for the life cycle of apicomplexan parasites. Toxoplasma gondii harbors a phosphoglucomutase (PGM) ortholog, PRP1, previously associated with Ca2+-dependent microneme secretion. Here it is shown that genetic deletion of either PRP1, its PGM2 ortholog, or both genes is dispensable for the parasite’s lytic cycle, including host cell egress and invasion. Depletion of the proteins abrogated high Ca2+-mediated microneme secretion induced by the ionophore A23187; however, the constitutive and phosphatidic acid-mediated release remained unaffected. Secretion mediated by the former pathway is not essential for tachyzoite survival or acute in vivo infection in the mice. Paralogs of the widely prevalent phosphoglucomutase (PGM) protein called parafusin function in calcium (Ca2+)-mediated exocytosis across eukaryotes. In Toxoplasma gondii, the parafusin-related protein 1 (PRP1) has been associated with Ca2+-dependent microneme organelle secretion required for essential processes like host cell invasion and egress. Using reverse genetics, we observed PRP1 to be dispensable for completion of the lytic cycle, including host cell invasion and egress by the parasite. However, the absence of the gene affected increased microneme release triggered by A23187, a Ca2+ ionophore used to raise the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration mimicking the physiological role of Ca2+ during invasion and egress. The basal levels of constitutive microneme release in extracellular parasites and phosphatidic acid-triggered microneme secretion were unaffected in the mutant. The phenotype of the deletion mutant of the second PGM-encoding gene in Toxoplasma, PGM2, was similar to the phenotype of the PRP1 deletion mutant. Furthermore, the ability of the tachyzoites to induce acute infection in the mice remained normal in the absence of both PGM paralogs. Our data thus reveal that the microneme secretion upon high Ca2+ flux is facilitated by the Toxoplasma PGM paralogs, PRP1 and PGM2. However, this protein-mediated release is neither essential for lytic cycle completion nor for acute virulence of the parasite. IMPORTANCE Ca2+-dependent exocytosis is essential for the life cycle of apicomplexan parasites. Toxoplasma gondii harbors a phosphoglucomutase (PGM) ortholog, PRP1, previously associated with Ca2+-dependent microneme secretion. Here it is shown that genetic deletion of either PRP1, its PGM2 ortholog, or both genes is dispensable for the parasite’s lytic cycle, including host cell egress and invasion. Depletion of the proteins abrogated high Ca2+-mediated microneme secretion induced by the ionophore A23187; however, the constitutive and phosphatidic acid-mediated release remained unaffected. Secretion mediated by the former pathway is not essential for tachyzoite survival or acute in vivo infection in the mice.
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Jia Y, Marq JB, Bisio H, Jacot D, Mueller C, Yu L, Choudhary J, Brochet M, Soldati-Favre D. Crosstalk between PKA and PKG controls pH-dependent host cell egress of Toxoplasma gondii. EMBO J 2017; 36:3250-3267. [PMID: 29030485 PMCID: PMC5666616 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201796794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii encodes three protein kinase A catalytic (PKAc1-3) and one regulatory (PKAr) subunits to integrate cAMP-dependent signals. Here, we show that inactive PKAc1 is maintained at the parasite pellicle by interacting with acylated PKAr. Either a conditional knockdown of PKAr or the overexpression of PKAc1 blocks parasite division. Conversely, down-regulation of PKAc1 or stabilisation of a dominant-negative PKAr isoform that does not bind cAMP triggers premature parasite egress from infected cells followed by serial invasion attempts leading to host cell lysis. This untimely egress depends on host cell acidification. A phosphoproteome analysis suggested the interplay between cAMP and cGMP signalling as PKAc1 inactivation changes the phosphorylation profile of a putative cGMP-phosphodiesterase. Concordantly, inhibition of the cGMP-dependent protein kinase G (PKG) blocks egress induced by PKAc1 inactivation or environmental acidification, while a cGMP-phosphodiesterase inhibitor circumvents egress repression by PKAc1 or pH neutralisation. This indicates that pH and PKAc1 act as balancing regulators of cGMP metabolism to control egress. These results reveal a crosstalk between PKA and PKG pathways to govern egress in T. gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonggen Jia
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Baptiste Marq
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Hugo Bisio
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Damien Jacot
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Christina Mueller
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Lu Yu
- Proteomic Mass-spectrometry Team, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Jyoti Choudhary
- Proteomic Mass-spectrometry Team, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Mathieu Brochet
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva 4, Switzerland
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Singh S, Chitnis CE. Molecular Signaling Involved in Entry and Exit of Malaria Parasites from Host Erythrocytes. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2017; 7:cshperspect.a026815. [PMID: 28507195 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a026815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
During the blood stage, Plasmodium spp. merozoites invade host red blood cells (RBCs), multiply, exit, and reinvade uninfected RBCs in a continuing cycle that is responsible for all the clinical symptoms associated with malaria. Entry into (invasion) and exit from (egress) RBCs are highly regulated processes that are mediated by an array of parasite proteins with specific functional roles. Many of these parasite proteins are stored in specialized apical secretory vesicles, and their timely release is critical for successful invasion and egress. For example, the discharge of parasite protein ligands to the apical surface of merozoites is required for interaction with host receptors to mediate invasion, and the timely discharge of proteases and pore-forming proteins helps in permeabilization and dismantling of limiting membranes during egress. This review focuses on our understanding of the signaling mechanisms that regulate apical organelle secretion during host cell invasion and egress by malaria parasites. The review also explores how understanding key signaling mechanisms in the parasite can open opportunities to develop novel strategies to target Plasmodium parasites and eliminate malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailja Singh
- Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France.,Shiv Nadar University, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh 201314, India
| | - Chetan E Chitnis
- Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France.,Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi 110067, India
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