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Feix AS, Tabaie EZ, Singh AN, Wittenberg NJ, Wilson EH, Joachim A. An in-depth exploration of the multifaceted roles of EVs in the context of pathogenic single-cell microorganisms. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2024:e0003724. [PMID: 38869292 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00037-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYExtracellular vesicles (EVs) have been recognized throughout scientific communities as potential vehicles of intercellular communication in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes, thereby influencing various physiological and pathological functions of both parent and recipient cells. This review provides an in-depth exploration of the multifaceted roles of EVs in the context of bacteria and protozoan parasite EVs, shedding light on their contributions to physiological processes and disease pathogenesis. These studies highlight EVs as a conserved mechanism of cellular communication, which may lead us to important breakthroughs in our understanding of infection, mechanisms of pathogenesis, and as indicators of disease. Furthermore, EVs are involved in host-microbe interactions, offering insights into the strategies employed by bacteria and protozoan parasites to modulate host responses, evade the immune system, and establish infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Sophia Feix
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Emily Z Tabaie
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Aarshi N Singh
- Department of Chemistry, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Emma H Wilson
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Anja Joachim
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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2
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Fang T, Mohseni A, Lonardi S, Ben Mamoun C. Properties and predicted functions of large genes and proteins of apicomplexan parasites. NAR Genom Bioinform 2024; 6:lqae032. [PMID: 38584870 PMCID: PMC10993292 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqae032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary constraints greatly favor compact genomes that efficiently encode proteins. However, several eukaryotic organisms, including apicomplexan parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii, Plasmodium falciparum and Babesia duncani, the causative agents of toxoplasmosis, malaria and babesiosis, respectively, encode very large proteins, exceeding 20 times their average protein size. Although these large proteins represent <1% of the total protein pool and are generally expressed at low levels, their persistence throughout evolution raises important questions about their functions and possible evolutionary pressures to maintain them. In this study, we examined the trends in gene and protein size, function and expression patterns within seven apicomplexan pathogens. Our analysis revealed that certain large proteins in apicomplexan parasites harbor domains potentially important for functions such as antigenic variation, erythrocyte invasion and immune evasion. However, these domains are not limited to or strictly conserved within large proteins. While some of these proteins are predicted to engage in conventional metabolic pathways within these parasites, others fulfill specialized functions for pathogen-host interactions, nutrient acquisition and overall survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany Fang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520 USA
| | - Amir Mohseni
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521 USA
| | - Stefano Lonardi
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521 USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520 USA
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3
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Das S, Manna A, Majumdar O, Dhara L. M- O-M mediated denaturation resistant P2 tetramer on the infected erythrocyte surface of malaria parasite imports serum fatty acids. iScience 2024; 27:109760. [PMID: 38726364 PMCID: PMC11079477 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
In Plasmodium falciparum, DNA replication, and asynchronous nuclear divisions precede cytokinesis during intraerythrocytic schizogony. Regulation of nuclear division through the import of serum components was largely unknown. At the trophozoite stage, P. falciparum ribosomal protein P2 (PfP2) is exported to the infected erythrocyte (IE) cytosol and the surface as a denaturation-resistant tetramer. The inaccessibility of the IE surface exposed PfP2 to its bona fide ligand led to the arrest of nuclear division. Here, we show that at the onset of schizogony, denaturation-resistant PfP2 tetramer on the IE surface imports fatty acids (FAs). Blockage of import reversibly arrested parasite schizogony. In 11Met-O-Met11 mediated denaturation resistant PfP2 tetramer, the 12/53Cys-Cys12/53 redox switch regulates the binding and release of FAs based on oxidized/reduced state of disulfide linkages. This mechanistic insight of FAs import through PfP2 tetramer reveals a unique regulation of nuclear division at the onset of schizogony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudipta Das
- Division of infectious Disease and Immunology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Anwesa Manna
- Division of infectious Disease and Immunology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Oindrila Majumdar
- Division of infectious Disease and Immunology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Lena Dhara
- Division of infectious Disease and Immunology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
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Narwal SK, Mishra A, Devi R, Ghosh A, Choudhary HH, Mishra S. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase regulates organelle biogenesis and hepatic merozoite formation in Plasmodium berghei. Mol Microbiol 2024; 121:940-953. [PMID: 38419272 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15246] [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: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Plasmodium is an obligate intracellular parasite that requires intense lipid synthesis for membrane biogenesis and survival. One of the principal membrane components is oleic acid, which is needed to maintain the membrane's biophysical properties and fluidity. The malaria parasite can modify fatty acids, and stearoyl-CoA Δ9-desaturase (Scd) is an enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of oleic acid by desaturation of stearic acid. Scd is dispensable in P. falciparum blood stages; however, its role in mosquito and liver stages remains unknown. We show that P. berghei Scd localizes to the ER in the blood and liver stages. Disruption of Scd in the rodent malaria parasite P. berghei did not affect parasite blood stage propagation, mosquito stage development, or early liver-stage development. However, when Scd KO sporozoites were inoculated intravenously or by mosquito bite into mice, they failed to initiate blood-stage infection. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that organelle biogenesis was impaired and merozoite formation was abolished, which initiates blood-stage infections. Genetic complementation of the KO parasites restored merozoite formation to a level similar to that of WT parasites. Mice immunized with Scd KO sporozoites confer long-lasting sterile protection against infectious sporozoite challenge. Thus, the Scd KO parasite is an appealing candidate for inducing protective pre-erythrocytic immunity and hence its utility as a GAP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Kumar Narwal
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
| | - Akancha Mishra
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Raksha Devi
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Ankit Ghosh
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
| | - Hadi Hasan Choudhary
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
| | - Satish Mishra
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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Charital S, Shunmugam S, Dass S, Alazzi AM, Arnold CS, Katris NJ, Duley S, Quansah NA, Pierrel F, Govin J, Yamaryo-Botté Y, Botté CY. The acyl-CoA synthetase TgACS1 allows neutral lipid metabolism and extracellular motility in Toxoplasma gondii through relocation via its peroxisomal targeting sequence (PTS) under low nutrient conditions. mBio 2024; 15:e0042724. [PMID: 38501871 PMCID: PMC11005404 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00427-24] [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: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexa parasites cause major diseases such as toxoplasmosis and malaria that have major health and economic burdens. These unicellular pathogens are obligate intracellular parasites that heavily depend on lipid metabolism for the survival within their hosts. Their lipid synthesis relies on an essential combination of fatty acids (FAs) obtained from both de novo synthesis and scavenging from the host. The constant flux of scavenged FA needs to be channeled toward parasite lipid storage, and these FA storages are timely mobilized during parasite division. In eukaryotes, the utilization of FA relies on their obligate metabolic activation mediated by acyl-co-enzyme A (CoA) synthases (ACSs), which catalyze the thioesterification of FA to a CoA. Besides the essential functions of FA for parasite survival, the presence and roles of ACS are yet to be determined in Apicomplexa. Here, we identified TgACS1 as a Toxoplasma gondii cytosolic ACS that is involved in FA mobilization in the parasite specifically during low host nutrient conditions, especially in extracellular stages where it adopts a different localization. Heterologous complementation of yeast ACS mutants confirmed TgACS1 as being an Acyl-CoA synthetase of the bubble gum family that is most likely involved in β-oxidation processes. We further demonstrate that TgACS1 is critical for gliding motility of extracellular parasite facing low nutrient conditions, by relocating to peroxisomal-like area.IMPORTANCEToxoplasma gondii, causing human toxoplasmosis, is an Apicomplexa parasite and model within this phylum that hosts major infectious agents, such as Plasmodium spp., responsible for malaria. The diseases caused by apicomplexans are responsible for major social and economic burdens affecting hundreds of millions of people, like toxoplasmosis chronically present in about one-third of the world's population. Lack of efficient vaccines, rapid emergence of resistance to existing treatments, and toxic side effects of current treatments all argue for the urgent need to develop new therapeutic tools to combat these diseases. Understanding the key metabolic pathways sustaining host-intracellular parasite interactions is pivotal to develop new efficient ways to kill these parasites. Current consensus supports parasite lipid synthesis and trafficking as pertinent target for novel treatments. Many processes of this essential lipid metabolism in the parasite are not fully understood. The capacity for the parasites to sense and metabolically adapt to the host physiological conditions has only recently been unraveled. Our results clearly indicate the role of acyl-co-enzyme A (CoA) synthetases for the essential metabolic activation of fatty acid (FA) used to maintain parasite propagation and survival. The significance of our research is (i) the identification of seven of these enzymes that localize at different cellular areas in T. gondii parasites; (ii) using lipidomic approaches, we show that TgACS1 mobilizes FA under low host nutrient content; (iii) yeast complementation showed that acyl-CoA synthase 1 (ACS1) is an ACS that is likely involved in peroxisomal β-oxidation; (iv) the importance of the peroxisomal targeting sequence for correct localization of TgACS1 to a peroxisomal-like compartment in extracellular parasites; and lastly, (v) that TgACS1 has a crucial role in energy production and extracellular parasite motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Charital
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Serena Shunmugam
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Sheena Dass
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Anna Maria Alazzi
- Team Govin, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Christophe-Sébastien Arnold
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Nicholas J. Katris
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Samuel Duley
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Nyamekye A. Quansah
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Fabien Pierrel
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, TIMC-IMAG, Grenoble, France
| | - Jérôme Govin
- Team Govin, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Yoshiki Yamaryo-Botté
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Cyrille Y. Botté
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
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Hryckowian ND, Zinda C, Park SC, Kelty MT, Knoll LJ. Host cell-specific metabolism of linoleic acid controls Toxoplasma gondii growth in cell culture. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.22.586332. [PMID: 38562845 PMCID: PMC10983968 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.22.586332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii can infect and replicate in any warm-blooded cell tested to date, but much of our knowledge about T. gondii cell biology comes from just one host cell type: human foreskin fibroblasts (HFFs). To expand our knowledge of host-parasite lipid interactions, we studied T. gondii in intestinal epithelial cells, the first site of host-parasite contact following oral infection and the exclusive site of parasite sexual development in feline hosts. We found that highly metabolic Caco-2 cells are permissive to T. gondii growth even when treated with high levels of linoleic acid (LA), a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) that kills parasites in HFFs. Caco-2 cells appear to sequester LA away from the parasite, preventing membrane disruptions and lipotoxicity that characterize LA-induced parasite death in HFFs. Our work is an important step toward understanding host-parasite interactions in feline intestinal epithelial cells, an understudied but important cell type in the T. gondii life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole D. Hryckowian
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Caitlin Zinda
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sung Chul Park
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Martin T. Kelty
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Laura J. Knoll
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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7
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He TY, Li YT, Liu ZD, Cheng H, Bao YF, Zhang JL. Lipid metabolism: the potential targets for toxoplasmosis treatment. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:111. [PMID: 38448975 PMCID: PMC10916224 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06213-9] [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: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). The current treatment for toxoplasmosis remains constrained due to the absence of pharmaceutical interventions. Thus, the pursuit of more efficient targets is of great importance. Lipid metabolism in T. gondii, including fatty acid metabolism, phospholipid metabolism, and neutral lipid metabolism, assumes a crucial function in T. gondii because those pathways are largely involved in the formation of the membranous structure and cellular processes such as division, invasion, egress, replication, and apoptosis. The inhibitors of T. gondii's lipid metabolism can directly lead to the disturbance of various lipid component levels and serious destruction of membrane structure, ultimately leading to the death of the parasites. In this review, the specific lipid metabolism pathways, correlative enzymes, and inhibitors of lipid metabolism of T. gondii are elaborated in detail to generate novel ideas for the development of anti-T. gondii drugs that target the parasites' lipid metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-Yi He
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Ye-Tian Li
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Zhen-Di Liu
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Hao Cheng
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Yi-Feng Bao
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Ji-Li Zhang
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.
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Charital S, Lourdel A, Quansah N, Botté CY, Yamaryo-Botté Y. Monitoring of Lipid Fluxes Between Host and Plastid-Bearing Apicomplexan Parasites. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2776:197-204. [PMID: 38502506 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3726-5_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites are unicellular eukaryotes responsible for major human diseases such as malaria and toxoplasmosis, which cause massive social and economic burden. Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is a global chronic infectious disease affecting ~1/3 of the world population and is a major threat for any immunocompromised patient. To date, there is no efficient vaccine against these parasites and existing treatments are threatened by rapid emergence of parasite resistance. Throughout their life cycle, Apicomplexa require large amount of nutrients, especially lipids for propagation and survival. Understanding lipid acquisition is key to decipher host-parasite metabolic interactions. Parasite membrane biogenesis relies on a combination of (a) host lipid scavenging, (b) de novo lipid synthesis in the parasite, and (c) fluxes of lipids between host and parasite and within. We recently uncovered that parasite need to store the host-scavenged lipids to avoid their toxic accumulation and to mobilize them for division. How can parasites orchestrate the many lipids fluxes essential for survival? Here, we developed metabolomics approaches coupled to stable isotope labelling to track, monitor, and quantify fatty acid and lipids fluxes between the parasite, its human host cell, and its extracellular environment to unravel the complex lipid fluxes in any physiological environment the parasite could meet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Charital
- ApicoLipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Amandine Lourdel
- ApicoLipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Nyamekye Quansah
- ApicoLipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Cyrille Y Botté
- ApicoLipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France.
| | - Yoshiki Yamaryo-Botté
- ApicoLipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
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Araújo M, Moreira D, Mesquita I, Ferreira C, Mendes-Frias A, Barros-Carvalho S, Dinis-Oliveira RJ, Duarte-Oliveira C, Cunha C, Carvalho A, Saha B, Cordeiro-da-Silva A, Estaquier J, Silvestre R. Intramacrophage lipid accumulation compromises T cell responses and is associated with impaired drug therapy against visceral leishmaniasis. Immunology 2023; 170:510-526. [PMID: 37635289 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Under perturbing conditions such as infection with Leishmania, a protozoan parasite living within the phagosomes in mammalian macrophages, cellular and organellar structures, and metabolism are dynamically regulated for neutralizing the pressure of parasitism. However, how modulations of the host cell metabolic pathways support Leishmania infection remains unknown. Herein, we report that lipid accumulation heightens the susceptibility of mice to L. donovani infection and promotes resistance to first-line anti-leishmanial drugs. Despite being pro-inflammatory, the in vitro generated uninfected lipid-laden macrophages (LLMs) or adipose-tissue macrophages (ATMs) display lower levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Upon infection, LLMs secrete higher IL-10 and lower IL-12p70 cytokines, inhibiting CD4+ T cell activation and Th1 response suggesting a key modulatory role for intramacrophage lipid accumulation in anti-leishmanial host defence. We, therefore, examined this causal relationship between lipids and immunomodulation using an in vivo high-fat diet (HFD) mouse model. HFD increased the susceptibility to L. donovani infection accompanied by a defective CD4+ Th1 and CD8+ T cell response. The white adipose tissue of HFD mice displays increased susceptibility to L. donovani infection with the preferential infection of F4/80+ CD11b+ CD11c+ macrophages with higher levels of neutral lipids reserve. The HFD increased resistance to a first-line anti-leishmanial drug associated with a defective adaptive immune response. These data demonstrate that the accumulation of neutral lipids contributes to susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis hindering host-protective immune response and reducing the efficacy of antiparasitic drug therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Araújo
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Diana Moreira
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Parasite Disease Group, IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade do Porto (FFUP), Porto, Portugal
| | - Inês Mesquita
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Carolina Ferreira
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ana Mendes-Frias
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Sónia Barros-Carvalho
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira
- TOXRUN - Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences (IUCS), CESPU, CRL, Gandra, Portugal
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Public Health and Forensic Sciences, and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- MTG Research and Development Lab, Porto, Portugal
| | - Cláudio Duarte-Oliveira
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Cristina Cunha
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Agostinho Carvalho
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | | | - Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Parasite Disease Group, IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade do Porto (FFUP), Porto, Portugal
| | - Jérôme Estaquier
- INSERM U1124, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Pathophysiology of Cell Death in Host-Pathogen Interactions, CHU de Québec - Université Laval Research Center, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Ricardo Silvestre
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
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Chen XZ, Bai RX, Qin FY, Peng HJ, Ren JF, Hu L, Li YD, He C. Phosphoproteomic Analysis Reveals the Predominating Cellular Processes and the Involved Key Phosphoproteins Essential for the Proliferation of Toxoplasma gondii. Acta Parasitol 2023; 68:820-831. [PMID: 37821727 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-023-00720-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To explore the essential roles of phosphorylation in mediating the proliferation of T. gondii in its cell lytic life. METHODS We profiled the phosphoproteome data of T. gondii residing in HFF cells for 2 h and 6 h, representing the early- and late-stages of proliferation (ESP and LSP) within its first generation of division. RESULTS We identified 70 phosphoproteins, among which 8 phosphoproteins were quantified with the phosphorylation level significantly regulated. While only two of the eight phosphoproteins, GRA7 and TGGT1_242070, were significantly down-regulated at the transcriptional level in the group of LSP vs. ESP. Moreover, GO terms correlated with host membrane component were significantly enriched in the category of cellular component, suggesting phosphoprotein played important roles in acquiring essential substance from host cell via manipulating host membrane. Further GO analysis in the categories of molecular function and biological process and pathway analysis revealed that the cellular processes of glucose and lipid metabolism were regulated by T. gondii phosphoproteins such as PMCAA1, LIPIN, Pyk1 and ALD. Additionally, several phosphoproteins were enriched at the central nodes in the protein-protein interaction network, which may have essential roles in T. gondii proliferation including GAP45, MLC1, fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase, GRAs and so on. CONCLUSION This study revealed the main cellular processes and key phosphoproteins crucial for the intracellular proliferation of T. gondii, which would provide clues to explore the roles of phosphorylation in regulating the development of tachyzoites and new insight into the mechanism of T. gondii development in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Zhu Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Rui-Xue Bai
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Fei-Yu Qin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Hong-Juan Peng
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Jin-Feng Ren
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Lang Hu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yu-di Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Cheng He
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu Province, China.
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11
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D'Ambrosio HK, Keeler AM, Derbyshire ER. Examination of Secondary Metabolite Biosynthesis in Apicomplexa. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300263. [PMID: 37171468 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Natural product discovery has traditionally relied on the isolation of small molecules from producing species, but genome-sequencing technology and advances in molecular biology techniques have expanded efforts to a wider array of organisms. Protists represent an underexplored kingdom for specialized metabolite searches despite bioinformatic analysis that suggests they harbor distinct biologically active small molecules. Specifically, pathogenic apicomplexan parasites, responsible for billions of global infections, have been found to possess multiple biosynthetic gene clusters, which hints at their capacity to produce polyketide metabolites. Biochemical studies have revealed unique features of apicomplexan polyketide synthases, but to date, the identity and function of the polyketides synthesized by these megaenzymes remains unknown. Herein, we discuss the potential for specialized metabolite production in protists and the possible evolution of polyketide biosynthetic gene clusters in apicomplexan parasites. We then focus on a polyketide synthase from the apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii to discuss the unique domain architecture and properties of these proteins when compared to previously characterized systems, and further speculate on the possible functions for polyketides in these pathogenic parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah K D'Ambrosio
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Aaron M Keeler
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Emily R Derbyshire
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, 213 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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12
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Pagura L, Dumoulin PC, Ellis CC, Mendes MT, Estevao IL, Almeida IC, Burleigh BA. Fatty acid elongases 1-3 have distinct roles in mitochondrial function, growth, and lipid homeostasis in Trypanosoma cruzi. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:104715. [PMID: 37061002 PMCID: PMC10203773 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosomatids are a diverse group of uniflagellate protozoan parasites that include globally relevant pathogens such as Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. Trypanosomes lack the fatty acid synthase system typically used for de novo fatty acid (FA) synthesis in other eukaryotes. Instead, these microbes have evolved a modular FA elongase (ELO) system comprised of individual ELO enzymes (ELO1-4) that can operate processively to generate long chain- and very long chain-FAs. The importance of ELO's for maintaining lipid homeostasis in trypanosomatids is currently unclear, given their ability to take up and utilize exogenous FAs for lipid synthesis. To assess ELO function in T. cruzi, we generated individual KO lines, Δelo1, Δelo2, and Δelo3, in which the genes encoding ELO1-3 were functionally disrupted in the parasite insect stage (epimastigote). Using unbiased lipidomic and metabolomic analyses, in combination with metabolic tracing and biochemical approaches, we demonstrate that ELO2 and ELO3 are required for global lipid homeostasis, whereas ELO1 is dispensable for this function. Instead, ELO1 activity is needed to sustain mitochondrial activity and normal growth in T. cruzi epimastigotes. The cross-talk between microsomal ELO1 and the mitochondrion is a novel finding that, we propose, merits further examination of the trypanosomatid ELO pathway as critical for central metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Pagura
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Peter C Dumoulin
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Cameron C Ellis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
| | - Maria T Mendes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
| | - Igor L Estevao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
| | - Igor C Almeida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA.
| | - Barbara A Burleigh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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13
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Giuliano CJ, Wei KJ, Harling FM, Waldman BS, Farringer MA, Boydston EA, Lan TCT, Thomas RW, Herneisen AL, Sanderlin AG, Coppens I, Dvorin JD, Lourido S. Functional profiling of the Toxoplasma genome during acute mouse infection. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.05.531216. [PMID: 36945434 PMCID: PMC10028831 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.05.531216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Within a host, pathogens encounter a diverse and changing landscape of cell types, nutrients, and immune responses. Examining host-pathogen interactions in animal models can therefore reveal aspects of infection absent from cell culture. We use CRISPR-based screens to functionally profile the entire genome of the model apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii during mouse infection. Barcoded gRNAs were used to track mutant parasite lineages, enabling detection of bottlenecks and mapping of population structures. We uncovered over 300 genes that modulate parasite fitness in mice with previously unknown roles in infection. These candidates span multiple axes of host-parasite interaction, including determinants of tropism, host organelle remodeling, and metabolic rewiring. We mechanistically characterized three novel candidates, including GTP cyclohydrolase I, against which a small-molecule inhibitor could be repurposed as an antiparasitic compound. This compound exhibited antiparasitic activity against T. gondii and Plasmodium falciparum, the most lethal agent of malaria. Taken together, we present the first complete survey of an apicomplexan genome during infection of an animal host, and point to novel interfaces of host-parasite interaction that may offer new avenues for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kenneth J. Wei
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA
- Biology Department, MIT, Cambridge, MA
| | - Faye M. Harling
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA
- Biology Department, MIT, Cambridge, MA
| | | | - Madeline A. Farringer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Biological Sciences in Public Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | - Raina W. Thomas
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA
- Biology Department, MIT, Cambridge, MA
| | - Alice L. Herneisen
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA
- Biology Department, MIT, Cambridge, MA
| | | | - Isabelle Coppens
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Jeffrey D. Dvorin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sebastian Lourido
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA
- Biology Department, MIT, Cambridge, MA
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14
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Transcriptomic Differences between Free-Living and Parasitic Chilodonella uncinata (Alveolata, Ciliophora). Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10081646. [PMID: 36014062 PMCID: PMC9416717 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10081646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Chilodonella uncinata is a facultatively parasitic ciliate, which can opportunistically parasitize on fish gills and fins, and sometimes even cause host mortality. Previous molecular studies of C. uncinata mainly focused on genetic diversity and molecular evolution. There are currently no transcriptome reports studying differences between free-living and parasitic C. uncinata. We addressed this by sequencing transcriptomes of these two C. uncinata lifestyle types using Smart-seq2 and Illumina HiSeq technologies. In total, 1040 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Compared with the free-living type, 494 genes of the parasitic type were downregulated and 546 genes were upregulated. These DEGs were identified through BLAST with NCBI-nr, Swiss-Port, and Pfam databases and then annotated by GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis. The results showed that parasitism-related genes such as heat shock proteins (HSPs), actin I, and leishmanolysin were significantly upregulated in parasitic C. uncinata. The ciliary-related dynein heavy chain also had a higher expression in parasitic C. uncinata. Furthermore, there were significant differences in the amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and TCA cycle. This study increases the volume of molecular data available for C. uncinata and contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the transition from a free-living to a parasitic lifestyle.
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15
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Nie LB, Liang QL, Wang M, Du R, Zhang MY, Elsheikha HM, Zhu XQ. Global profiling of protein lysine malonylation in Toxoplasma gondii strains of different virulence and genetic backgrounds. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010431. [PMID: 35576189 PMCID: PMC9135328 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Lysine malonylation is a post-translational modification (PTM), which regulates many cellular processes. Limited information is available about the level of lysine malonylation variations between Toxoplasma gondii strains of distinct genetic lineages. Yet, insights into such variations are needed to understand the extent to which lysine malonylation contributes to the differences in the virulence and repertoire of virulence factors between T. gondii genotypes. In this study, we profiled lysine malonylation in T. gondii using quantitative liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and immuno-affinity purification. This analysis was performed on three T. gondii strains with distinctive pathogenicity in mice, including RH strain (type I), PRU strain (type II), and VEG strain (type III). In total, 111 differentially malonylated proteins and 152 sites were upregulated, and 17 proteins and 17 sites were downregulated in RH strain versus PRU strain; 50 proteins and 59 sites were upregulated, 50 proteins and 53 sites were downregulated in RH strain versus VEG strain; and 72 proteins and 90 sites were upregulated, and 7 proteins and 8 sites were downregulated in VEG strain versus PRU strain. Differentially malonylated proteins were involved in key processes, such as those mediating the regulation of protein metabolism, stress response, glycolysis, and actin cytoskeleton. These results reveal an association between lysine malonylation and intra-species virulence differences in T. gondii and offer a new resource for elucidating the contribution of lysine malonylation to energy metabolism and virulence in T. gondii. Lysine malonylation has been shown to play important roles in various biological processes in Toxoplasma gondii. Here, we used quantitative liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and immuno-affinity purification to test the hypothesis that lysine malonylation underpins the inter-genotype differences in the virulence of T. gondii. Several up-regulated and down- regulated malonylated proteins were identified in the tachyzoites of RH (type I) strain, PRU (type II) strain, and VEG (type III) strain. Differentially regulated malonylated proteins were enriched in many biological and metabolic pathways, and were found to contribute T. gondii energy metabolism, stress response, and infectivity, suggesting the role of lysine malonylation in the regulation of T. gondii virulence. These findings expand our knowledge of lysine malonylation in T. gondii and provide more insight into the mechanisms mediating the virulence differences between T. gondii strains of different genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan-Bi Nie
- 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, People’s Republic of China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, People’s Republic of China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qin-Li Liang
- 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, People’s Republic of 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, People’s Republic of China
| | - Rui Du
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, People’s Republic of China
| | - Meng-Yuan Zhang
- Jingjie PTM Biolabs (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hany M. Elsheikha
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (HME); (XQZ)
| | - 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, People’s Republic of China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health of Yunnan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, People’s Republic of China
- * E-mail: (HME); (XQZ)
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16
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Shunmugam S, Arnold CS, Dass S, Katris NJ, Botté CY. The flexibility of Apicomplexa parasites in lipid metabolism. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010313. [PMID: 35298557 PMCID: PMC8929637 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexa are obligate intracellular parasites responsible for major human infectious diseases such as toxoplasmosis and malaria, which pose social and economic burdens around the world. To survive and propagate, these parasites need to acquire a significant number of essential biomolecules from their hosts. Among these biomolecules, lipids are a key metabolite required for parasite membrane biogenesis, signaling events, and energy storage. Parasites can either scavenge lipids from their host or synthesize them de novo in a relict plastid, the apicoplast. During their complex life cycle (sexual/asexual/dormant), Apicomplexa infect a large variety of cells and their metabolic flexibility allows them to adapt to different host environments such as low/high fat content or low/high sugar levels. In this review, we discuss the role of lipids in Apicomplexa parasites and summarize recent findings on the metabolic mechanisms in host nutrient adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Shunmugam
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Christophe-Sébastien Arnold
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Sheena Dass
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Nicholas J. Katris
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Cyrille Y. Botté
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
- * E-mail: ,
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17
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de Vries LE, Lunghi M, Krishnan A, Kooij TWA, Soldati-Favre D. Pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis in Apicomplexa and their promise as antiparasitic drug targets. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1010124. [PMID: 34969059 PMCID: PMC8717973 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Apicomplexa phylum comprises thousands of distinct intracellular parasite species, including coccidians, haemosporidians, piroplasms, and cryptosporidia. These parasites are characterized by complex and divergent life cycles occupying a variety of host niches. Consequently, they exhibit distinct adaptations to the differences in nutritional availabilities, either relying on biosynthetic pathways or by salvaging metabolites from their host. Pantothenate (Pan, vitamin B5) is the precursor for the synthesis of an essential cofactor, coenzyme A (CoA), but among the apicomplexans, only the coccidian subgroup has the ability to synthesize Pan. While the pathway to synthesize CoA from Pan is largely conserved across all branches of life, there are differences in the redundancy of enzymes and possible alternative pathways to generate CoA from Pan. Impeding the scavenge of Pan and synthesis of Pan and CoA have been long recognized as potential targets for antimicrobial drug development, but in order to fully exploit these critical pathways, it is important to understand such differences. Recently, a potent class of pantothenamides (PanAms), Pan analogs, which target CoA-utilizing enzymes, has entered antimalarial preclinical development. The potential of PanAms to target multiple downstream pathways make them a promising compound class as broad antiparasitic drugs against other apicomplexans. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in understanding the Pan and CoA biosynthesis pathways, and the suitability of these pathways as drug targets in Apicomplexa, with a particular focus on the cyst-forming coccidian, Toxoplasma gondii, and the haemosporidian, Plasmodium falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E. de Vries
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboudumc Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Matteo Lunghi
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aarti Krishnan
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Taco W. A. Kooij
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboudumc Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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18
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da Silva M, Teixeira C, Gomes P, Borges M. Promising Drug Targets and Compounds with Anti- Toxoplasma gondii Activity. Microorganisms 2021; 9:1960. [PMID: 34576854 PMCID: PMC8471693 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9091960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by the globally distributed protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which infects around one-third of the world population. This disease may result in serious complications for fetuses, newborns, and immunocompromised individuals. Current treatment options are old, limited, and possess toxic side effects. Long treatment durations are required since the current therapeutic system lacks efficiency against T. gondii tissue cysts, promoting the establishment of latent infection. This review highlights the most promising drug targets involved in anti-T. gondii drug discovery, including the mitochondrial electron transport chain, microneme secretion pathway, type II fatty acid synthesis, DNA synthesis and replication and, DNA expression as well as others. A description of some of the most promising compounds demonstrating antiparasitic activity, developed over the last decade through drug discovery and drug repurposing, is provided as a means of giving new perspectives for future research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco da Silva
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal;
| | - Cátia Teixeira
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; (C.T.); (P.G.)
| | - Paula Gomes
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; (C.T.); (P.G.)
| | - Margarida Borges
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
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19
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Characterization of functions in parasite growth and virulence of four Toxoplasma gondii genes involved in lipid synthesis by CRISPR-Cas9 system. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:3749-3759. [PMID: 34499198 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07308-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Fatty acid uptake is extremely important for the survival and growth of the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. In this study, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology was used to investigate the role of four lipid synthesis enzymes, namely, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH), malonyl CoA-acyl carrier protein transacylase (FabD), acyl-ACP thiolesterase (TE), and diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT), in the virulence and infectivity of Type I RH and Type II Prugniaud (Pru) strains of T. gondii. Immunofluorescence analysis of the tachyzoite stage showed that FabD protein was located in the apicoplast; however, the expression level of the other three proteins was undetectable. Compared with wild-type (WT) strains, the growth of RHΔG3PDH, RHΔTE, and RHΔDGAT in vitro and their virulence in vivo were not significantly different. However, RHΔFabD exhibited a significantly reduced growth rate, compared with the WT strain. The deletion of FabD attenuated the virulence of Type II Pru strain and reduced the formation of cysts in vivo. These data improved our understanding of the role of lipid synthesis enzymes in the pathogenesis of T. gondii.
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Williams EP, Bachvaroff TR, Place AR. A Global Approach to Estimating the Abundance and Duplication of Polyketide Synthase Domains in Dinoflagellates. Evol Bioinform Online 2021; 17:11769343211031871. [PMID: 34345159 PMCID: PMC8283056 DOI: 10.1177/11769343211031871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Many dinoflagellate species make toxins in a myriad of different molecular configurations but the underlying chemistry in all cases is presumably via modular synthases, primarily polyketide synthases. In many organisms modular synthases occur as discrete synthetic genes or domains within a gene that act in coordination thus forming a module that produces a particular fragment of a natural product. The modules usually occur in tandem as gene clusters with a syntenic arrangement that is often predictive of the resultant structure. Dinoflagellate genomes however are notoriously complex with individual genes present in many tandem repeats and very few synthetic modules occurring as gene clusters, unlike what has been seen in bacteria and fungi. However, modular synthesis in all organisms requires a free thiol group that acts as a carrier for sequential synthesis called a thiolation domain. We scanned 47 dinoflagellate transcriptomes for 23 modular synthase domain models and compared their abundance among 10 orders of dinoflagellates as well as their co-occurrence with thiolation domains. The total count of domain types was quite large with over thirty-thousand identified, 29 000 of which were in the core dinoflagellates. Although there were no specific trends in domain abundance associated with types of toxins, there were readily observable lineage specific differences. The Gymnodiniales, makers of long polyketide toxins such as brevetoxin and karlotoxin had a high relative abundance of thiolation domains as well as multiple thiolation domains within a single transcript. Orders such as the Gonyaulacales, makers of small polyketides such as spirolides, had fewer thiolation domains but a relative increase in the number of acyl transferases. Unique to the core dinoflagellates, however, were thiolation domains occurring alongside tetratricopeptide repeats that facilitate protein-protein interactions, especially hexa and hepta-repeats, that may explain the scaffolding required for synthetic complexes capable of making large toxins. Clustering analysis for each type of domain was also used to discern possible origins of duplication for the multitude of single domain transcripts. Single domain transcripts frequently clustered with synonymous domains from multi-domain transcripts such as the BurA and ZmaK like genes as well as the multi-ketosynthase genes, sometimes with a large degree of apparent gene duplication, while fatty acid synthesis genes formed distinct clusters. Surprisingly the acyl-transferases and ketoreductases involved in fatty acid synthesis (FabD and FabG, respectively) were found in very large clusters indicating an unprecedented degree of gene duplication for these genes. These results demonstrate a complex evolutionary history of core dinoflagellate modular synthases with domain specific duplications throughout the lineage as well as clues to how large protein complexes can be assembled to synthesize the largest natural products known.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernest P Williams
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Technologies, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tsvetan R Bachvaroff
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Technologies, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Allen R Place
- Institute of Marine and Environmental Technologies, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Baltimore, MD, USA
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21
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Álvarez Martínez JA, Figueroa Millán JV, Ueti MW, Rojas-Martínez C. Establishment of Babesia bovis In Vitro Culture Using Medium Free of Animal Products. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10060770. [PMID: 34205286 PMCID: PMC8235554 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10060770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesia bovis, an etiological agent of bovine babesiosis, causes a significant burden to the cattle industry worldwide. The most efficient method to mitigate bovine babesiosis is a live vaccine produced by serial passage in splenectomized cattle. However, there are several concerns regarding live vaccine production, including variation between batches and the use of many animals. In this study, we report a B. bovis-SF strain continuously cultured in a medium free of components of animal origin enriched with a chemically defined lipid mixture (CD lipid mixture) and the use of a perfusion bioreactor to harvest a large amount of B. bovis. Six culture media were compared, including VP-SFM, CD-CHO, CD-Hydrolyzed, CD-CHO, SFM, and ADMEM/F12. We found that the VP-SFM medium performed the best for B. bovis growth, with a maximum percentage of parasitized erythrocytes (PPE) of 8.6%. The effect of six dilutions of a commercial mixture of CD lipids added to VP-SFM showed that the CD lipid mixture at a dilution of 1:100 had the best B. bovis growth curve, with a maximum PPE of 13.9%. Propagation of the in vitro B. bovis culture was scaled up in a perfusion bioreactor using VP-SFM with a CD lipid mixture, and the PPE reached over 32%. The continuous in vitro B. bovis culture in a medium free of animal origin components could potentially reduce and replace the use of animals to produce a reagent for diagnostics and live vaccines to control bovine babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús A. Álvarez Martínez
- Babesia Unit-CENID-Salud Animal e Inocuidad, INIFAP, Carr. Fed. Cuernavaca-Cuautla No. 8534, Col. Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos C.P. 62550, Mexico; (J.A.Á.M.); (J.V.F.M.)
| | - Julio V. Figueroa Millán
- Babesia Unit-CENID-Salud Animal e Inocuidad, INIFAP, Carr. Fed. Cuernavaca-Cuautla No. 8534, Col. Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos C.P. 62550, Mexico; (J.A.Á.M.); (J.V.F.M.)
| | - Massaro W. Ueti
- Agricultural Research Service-Animal Disease Research Unit, The US Department of Agriculture, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
- Correspondence: (M.W.U.); (C.R.-M.)
| | - Carmen Rojas-Martínez
- Babesia Unit-CENID-Salud Animal e Inocuidad, INIFAP, Carr. Fed. Cuernavaca-Cuautla No. 8534, Col. Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos C.P. 62550, Mexico; (J.A.Á.M.); (J.V.F.M.)
- Correspondence: (M.W.U.); (C.R.-M.)
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22
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Dass S, Shunmugam S, Berry L, Arnold CS, Katris NJ, Duley S, Pierrel F, Cesbron-Delauw MF, Yamaryo-Botté Y, Botté CY. Toxoplasma LIPIN is essential in channeling host lipid fluxes through membrane biogenesis and lipid storage. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2813. [PMID: 34001876 PMCID: PMC8129101 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22956-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexa are obligate intracellular parasites responsible for major human diseases. Their intracellular survival relies on intense lipid synthesis, which fuels membrane biogenesis. Parasite lipids are generated as an essential combination of fatty acids scavenged from the host and de novo synthesized within the parasite apicoplast. The molecular and metabolic mechanisms allowing regulation and channeling of these fatty acid fluxes for intracellular parasite survival are currently unknown. Here, we identify an essential phosphatidic acid phosphatase in Toxoplasma gondii, TgLIPIN, as the central metabolic nexus responsible for controlled lipid synthesis sustaining parasite development. Lipidomics reveal that TgLIPIN controls the synthesis of diacylglycerol and levels of phosphatidic acid that regulates the fine balance of lipids between storage and membrane biogenesis. Using fluxomic approaches, we uncover the first parasite host-scavenged lipidome and show that TgLIPIN prevents parasite death by 'lipotoxicity' through effective channeling of host-scavenged fatty acids to storage triacylglycerols and membrane phospholipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheena Dass
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Serena Shunmugam
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Laurence Berry
- Laboratory of Pathogen Host Interactions, UMR 5235, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Christophe-Sebastien Arnold
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Nicholas J Katris
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Samuel Duley
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Fabien Pierrel
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, TIMC-IMAG, Grenoble, France
| | - Marie-France Cesbron-Delauw
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Yoshiki Yamaryo-Botté
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France.
| | - Cyrille Y Botté
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France.
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23
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Mathur V, Kwong WK, Husnik F, Irwin NAT, Kristmundsson Á, Gestal C, Freeman M, Keeling PJ. Phylogenomics Identifies a New Major Subgroup of Apicomplexans, Marosporida class nov., with Extreme Apicoplast Genome Reduction. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:evaa244. [PMID: 33566096 PMCID: PMC7875001 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The phylum Apicomplexa consists largely of obligate animal parasites that include the causative agents of human diseases such as malaria. Apicomplexans have also emerged as models to study the evolution of nonphotosynthetic plastids, as they contain a relict chloroplast known as the apicoplast. The apicoplast offers important clues into how apicomplexan parasites evolved from free-living ancestors and can provide insights into reductive organelle evolution. Here, we sequenced the transcriptomes and apicoplast genomes of three deep-branching apicomplexans, Margolisiella islandica, Aggregata octopiana, and Merocystis kathae. Phylogenomic analyses show that these taxa, together with Rhytidocystis, form a new lineage of apicomplexans that is sister to the Coccidia and Hematozoa (the lineages including most medically significant taxa). Members of this clade retain plastid genomes and the canonical apicomplexan plastid metabolism. However, the apicoplast genomes of Margolisiella and Rhytidocystis are the most reduced of any apicoplast, are extremely GC-poor, and have even lost genes for the canonical plastidial RNA polymerase. This new lineage of apicomplexans, for which we propose the class Marosporida class nov., occupies a key intermediate position in the apicomplexan phylogeny, and adds a new complexity to the models of stepwise reductive evolution of genome structure and organelle function in these parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varsha Mathur
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Waldan K Kwong
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Filip Husnik
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Nicholas A T Irwin
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Árni Kristmundsson
- Fish Disease Laboratory, Institute for Experimental Pathology, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Camino Gestal
- Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC), Vigo, Spain
| | - Mark Freeman
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, West Indies
| | - Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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24
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Guttery DS, Pandey R, Ferguson DJ, Wall RJ, Brady D, Gupta D, Holder AA, Tewari R. Plasmodium DEH is ER-localized and crucial for oocyst mitotic division during malaria transmission. Life Sci Alliance 2020; 3:e202000879. [PMID: 33106323 PMCID: PMC7652392 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202000879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells use fatty acids (FAs) for membrane biosynthesis, energy storage, and the generation of signaling molecules. 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydratase-DEH-is a key component of very long chain fatty acid synthesis. Here, we further characterized in-depth the location and function of DEH, applying in silico analysis, live cell imaging, reverse genetics, and ultrastructure analysis using the mouse malaria model Plasmodium berghei DEH is evolutionarily conserved across eukaryotes, with a single DEH in Plasmodium spp. and up to three orthologs in the other eukaryotes studied. DEH-GFP live-cell imaging showed strong GFP fluorescence throughout the life-cycle, with areas of localized expression in the cytoplasm and a circular ring pattern around the nucleus that colocalized with ER markers. Δdeh mutants showed a small but significant reduction in oocyst size compared with WT controls from day 10 postinfection onwards, and endomitotic cell division and sporogony were completely ablated, blocking parasite transmission from mosquito to vertebrate host. Ultrastructure analysis confirmed degeneration of Δdeh oocysts, and a complete lack of sporozoite budding. Overall, DEH is evolutionarily conserved, localizes to the ER, and plays a crucial role in sporogony.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Guttery
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- The Leicester Cancer Research Centre, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Rajan Pandey
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Translational Bioinformatics Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | - David Jp Ferguson
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Richard J Wall
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Declan Brady
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Dinesh Gupta
- Translational Bioinformatics Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Rita Tewari
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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25
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Aygün C, Mutlu Ö. Computational characterisation of Toxoplasma gondii FabG (3-oxoacyl-[acyl-carrier-protein] reductase): a combined virtual screening and all-atom molecular dynamics simulation study. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 40:1952-1969. [PMID: 33063633 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1834456] [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] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic obligate parasite, ubiquitous around the globe with seropositivity rates that range from 10% to 90% and infection by the parasite of pregnant women causes pre-natal death of the foetus in most cases and severe neurodegenerative syndromes in some. No vaccine is currently available, and since drug-resistance is common among T. gondii strains, discovering lead compounds for drug design using diverse tactics is necessary. In this study, the sole constituent isoform of an enzymatic 3-oxoacyl-[acyl-carrier-protein] reduction step in an apicoplast-located fatty acid biosynthesis pathway was chosen as a possible drug target. FASII is prokaryotic therefore, targeting it would pose fewer side-effects to human hosts. After a homology 3D modelling of TgFabG, a high-throughput virtual screening of 9867 compounds, the elimination of ligands was carried out by a flexible ligand molecular docking and 200 ns molecular dynamics simulations, with additional DCCM and PC plot analyses. Molecular Dynamics and related post-MD analyses of the top 3 TgFabG binders selected for optimal free binding energies, showed that L2 maintained strong H-bonds with TgFabG and facilitated structural reorientation expected of FabGs, namely an expansion of the Rossmann Fold and a flexible lid capping. The most flexible TgFabG sites were the α7 helix (the flexible lid region) and the β4-α4 and β5-α6 loops. For TgFabG-L2, the movements of these regions toward the active site enabled greater ligand stability. Thus, L2 ("Skimmine"; PubChem ID: 320361), was ultimately selected as the optimal candidate for the discovery of lead compounds for rational drug design.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Aygün
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Biology Department, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Özal Mutlu
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Biology Department, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
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26
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Structural, Functional, and Metabolic Alterations in Human Cerebrovascular Endothelial Cells during Toxoplasma gondii Infection and Amelioration by Verapamil In Vitro. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8091386. [PMID: 32927732 PMCID: PMC7564162 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8091386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, is a frequent cause of brain infection. Despite its known ability to invade the brain, there is still a dire need to better understand the mechanisms by which this parasite interacts with and crosses the blood–brain barrier (BBB). The present study revealed structural and functional changes associated with infection and replication of T. gondii within human brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) in vitro. T. gondii proliferated within the BMECs and disrupted the integrity of the cerebrovascular barrier through diminishing the cellular viability, disruption of the intercellular junctions and increasing permeability of the BMEC monolayer, as well as altering lipid homeostasis. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR)-based metabolomics combined with multivariate data analysis revealed profiles that can be attributed to infection and variations in the amounts of certain metabolites (e.g., amino acids, fatty acids) in the extracts of infected compared to control cells. Notably, treatment with the Ca2+ channel blocker verapamil rescued BMEC barrier integrity and restricted intracellular replication of the tachyzoites regardless of the time of treatment application (i.e., prior to infection, early- and late-infection). This study provides new insights into the structural and functional changes that accompany T. gondii infection of the BMECs, and sheds light upon the ability of verapamil to inhibit the parasite proliferation and to ameliorate the adverse effects caused by T. gondii infection.
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27
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Tomčala A, Michálek J, Schneedorferová I, Füssy Z, Gruber A, Vancová M, Oborník M. Fatty Acid Biosynthesis in Chromerids. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E1102. [PMID: 32722284 PMCID: PMC7464705 DOI: 10.3390/biom10081102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fatty acids are essential components of biological membranes, important for the maintenance of cellular structures, especially in organisms with complex life cycles like protozoan parasites. Apicomplexans are obligate parasites responsible for various deadly diseases of humans and livestock. We analyzed the fatty acids produced by the closest phototrophic relatives of parasitic apicomplexans, the chromerids Chromera velia and Vitrella brassicaformis, and investigated the genes coding for enzymes involved in fatty acids biosynthesis in chromerids, in comparison to their parasitic relatives. Based on evidence from genomic and metabolomic data, we propose a model of fatty acid synthesis in chromerids: the plastid-localized FAS-II pathway is responsible for the de novo synthesis of fatty acids reaching the maximum length of 18 carbon units. Short saturated fatty acids (C14:0-C18:0) originate from the plastid are then elongated and desaturated in the cytosol and the endoplasmic reticulum. We identified giant FAS I-like multi-modular enzymes in both chromerids, which seem to be involved in polyketide synthesis and fatty acid elongation. This full-scale description of the biosynthesis of fatty acids and their derivatives provides important insights into the reductive evolutionary transition of a phototropic algal ancestor to obligate parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleš Tomčala
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (A.T.); (J.M.); (I.S.); (Z.F.); (A.G.); (M.V.)
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, CENAKVA, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia, Husova 458/102, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Michálek
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (A.T.); (J.M.); (I.S.); (Z.F.); (A.G.); (M.V.)
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ivana Schneedorferová
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (A.T.); (J.M.); (I.S.); (Z.F.); (A.G.); (M.V.)
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Zoltán Füssy
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (A.T.); (J.M.); (I.S.); (Z.F.); (A.G.); (M.V.)
| | - Ansgar Gruber
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (A.T.); (J.M.); (I.S.); (Z.F.); (A.G.); (M.V.)
| | - Marie Vancová
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (A.T.); (J.M.); (I.S.); (Z.F.); (A.G.); (M.V.)
| | - Miroslav Oborník
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Parasitology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (A.T.); (J.M.); (I.S.); (Z.F.); (A.G.); (M.V.)
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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28
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Liang X, Cui J, Yang X, Xia N, Li Y, Zhao J, Gupta N, Shen B. Acquisition of exogenous fatty acids renders apicoplast-based biosynthesis dispensable in tachyzoites of Toxoplasma. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:7743-7752. [PMID: 32341123 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.013004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a common protozoan parasite that infects a wide range of hosts, including livestock and humans. Previous studies have suggested that the type 2 fatty acid synthesis (FAS2) pathway, located in the apicoplast (a nonphotosynthetic plastid relict), is crucial for the parasite's survival. Here we examined the physiological relevance of fatty acid synthesis in T. gondii by focusing on the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and malonyl-CoA-[acyl carrier protein] transacylase (FabD), which are located in the apicoplast to drive de novo fatty acid biosynthesis. Our results disclosed unexpected metabolic resilience of T. gondii tachyzoites, revealing that they can tolerate CRISPR/Cas9-assisted genetic deletions of three pyruvate dehydrogenase subunits or FabD. All mutants were fully viable in prolonged cultures, albeit with impaired growth and concurrent loss of the apicoplast. Even more surprisingly, these mutants displayed normal virulence in mice, suggesting an expendable role of the FAS2 pathway in vivo Metabolic labeling of the Δpdh-e1α mutant showed reduced incorporation of glucose-derived carbon into fatty acids with medium chain lengths (C14:0 and C16:0), revealing that FAS2 activity was indeed compromised. Moreover, supplementation of exogenous C14:0 or C16:0 significantly reversed the growth defect in the Δpdh-e1α mutant, indicating salvage of these fatty acids. Together, these results demonstrate that the FAS2 pathway is dispensable during the lytic cycle of Toxoplasma because of its remarkable flexibility in acquiring fatty acids. Our findings question the long-held assumption that targeting this pathway has significant therapeutic potential for managing Toxoplasma infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohan Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianmin Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuke Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Ningbo Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaqiong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Junlong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China.,Hubei Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Nishith Gupta
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China .,Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bang Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China .,Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China
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29
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Tewari SG, Swift RP, Reifman J, Prigge ST, Wallqvist A. Metabolic alterations in the erythrocyte during blood-stage development of the malaria parasite. Malar J 2020; 19:94. [PMID: 32103749 PMCID: PMC7045481 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03174-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Human blood cells (erythrocytes) serve as hosts for the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum during its 48-h intraerythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC). Established in vitro protocols allow for the study of host–parasite interactions during this phase and, in particular, high-resolution metabolomics can provide a window into host–parasite interactions that support parasite development. Methods Uninfected and parasite-infected erythrocyte cultures were maintained at 2% haematocrit for the duration of the IDC, while parasitaemia was maintained at 7% in the infected cultures. The parasite-infected cultures were synchronized to obtain stage-dependent information of parasite development during the IDC. Samples were collected in quadruplicate at six time points from the uninfected and parasite-infected cultures and global metabolomics was used to analyse cell fractions of these cultures. Results In uninfected and parasite-infected cultures during the IDC, 501 intracellular metabolites, including 223 lipid metabolites, were successfully quantified. Of these, 19 distinct metabolites were present only in the parasite-infected culture, 10 of which increased to twofold in abundance during the IDC. This work quantified approximately five times the metabolites measured in previous studies of similar research scope, which allowed for more detailed analyses. Enrichment in lipid metabolism pathways exhibited a time-dependent association with different classes of lipids during the IDC. Specifically, enrichment occurred in sphingolipids at the earlier stages, and subsequently in lysophospholipid and phospholipid metabolites at the intermediate and end stages of the IDC, respectively. In addition, there was an accumulation of 18-, 20-, and 22-carbon polyunsaturated fatty acids, which produce eicosanoids and promote gametocytogenesis in infected erythrocyte cultures. Conclusions The current study revealed a number of heretofore unidentified metabolic components of the host–parasite system, which the parasite may exploit in a time-dependent manner to grow over the course of its development in the blood stage. Notably, the analyses identified components, such as precursors of immunomodulatory molecules, stage-dependent lipid dynamics, and metabolites, unique to parasite-infected cultures. These conclusions are reinforced by the metabolic alterations that were characterized during the IDC, which were in close agreement with those known from previous studies of blood-stage infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivendra G Tewari
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Ft. Detrick, MD, USA. .,The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF), Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Russell P Swift
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jaques Reifman
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Ft. Detrick, MD, USA
| | - Sean T Prigge
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Anders Wallqvist
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Ft. Detrick, MD, USA.
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30
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Ganley JG, Derbyshire ER. Linking Genes to Molecules in Eukaryotic Sources: An Endeavor to Expand Our Biosynthetic Repertoire. Molecules 2020; 25:E625. [PMID: 32023950 PMCID: PMC7036892 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25030625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The discovery of natural products continues to interest chemists and biologists for their utility in medicine as well as facilitating our understanding of signaling, pathogenesis, and evolution. Despite an attenuation in the discovery rate of new molecules, the current genomics and transcriptomics revolution has illuminated the untapped biosynthetic potential of many diverse organisms. Today, natural product discovery can be driven by biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) analysis, which is capable of predicting enzymes that catalyze novel reactions and organisms that synthesize new chemical structures. This approach has been particularly effective in mining bacterial and fungal genomes where it has facilitated the discovery of new molecules, increased the understanding of metabolite assembly, and in some instances uncovered enzymes with intriguing synthetic utility. While relatively less is known about the biosynthetic potential of non-fungal eukaryotes, there is compelling evidence to suggest many encode biosynthetic enzymes that produce molecules with unique bioactivities. In this review, we highlight how the advances in genomics and transcriptomics have aided natural product discovery in sources from eukaryotic lineages. We summarize work that has successfully connected genes to previously identified molecules and how advancing these techniques can lead to genetics-guided discovery of novel chemical structures and reactions distributed throughout the tree of life. Ultimately, we discuss the advantage of increasing the known biosynthetic space to ease access to complex natural and non-natural small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack G Ganley
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708-0346, USA
| | - Emily R Derbyshire
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708-0346, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, 213 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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Füssy Z, Faitová T, Oborník M. Subcellular Compartments Interplay for Carbon and Nitrogen Allocation in Chromera velia and Vitrella brassicaformis. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 11:1765-1779. [PMID: 31192348 PMCID: PMC6668581 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Endosymbioses necessitate functional cooperation of cellular compartments to avoid pathway redundancy and streamline the control of biological processes. To gain insight into the metabolic compartmentation in chromerids, phototrophic relatives to apicomplexan parasites, we prepared a reference set of proteins probably localized to mitochondria, cytosol, and the plastid, taking advantage of available genomic and transcriptomic data. Training of prediction algorithms with the reference set now allows a genome-wide analysis of protein localization in Chromera velia and Vitrella brassicaformis. We confirm that the chromerid plastids house enzymatic pathways needed for their maintenance and photosynthetic activity, but for carbon and nitrogen allocation, metabolite exchange is necessary with the cytosol and mitochondria. This indeed suggests that the regulatory mechanisms operate in the cytosol to control carbon metabolism based on the availability of both light and nutrients. We discuss that this arrangement is largely shared with apicomplexans and dinoflagellates, possibly stemming from a common ancestral metabolic architecture, and supports the mixotrophy of the chromerid algae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Füssy
- Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Department of Evolutionary Protistology, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre CAS, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Faitová
- Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Department of Evolutionary Protistology, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre CAS, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Computer Science, Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria
| | - Miroslav Oborník
- Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Department of Evolutionary Protistology, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre CAS, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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D’Ambrosio HK, Derbyshire ER. Investigating the Role of Class I Adenylate-Forming Enzymes in Natural Product Biosynthesis. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:17-27. [PMID: 31815417 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.9b00865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Adenylate-forming enzymes represent one of the most important enzyme classes in biology, responsible for the activation of carboxylate substrates for biosynthetic modifications. The byproduct of the adenylate-forming enzyme acetyl-CoA synthetase, acetyl-CoA, is incorporated into virtually every primary and secondary metabolic pathway. Modification of acetyl-CoA by an array of other adenylate-forming enzymes produces complex classes of natural products including nonribosomal peptides, polyketides, phenylpropanoids, lipopeptides, and terpenes. Adenylation domains possess a variety of unique structural and functional features that provide for such diversification in their resulting metabolites. As the number of organisms with sequenced genomes increases, more adenylate-forming enzymes are being identified, each with roles in metabolite production that have yet to be characterized. In this Review, we explore the broad role of class I adenylate-forming enzymes in the context of natural product biosynthesis and how they contribute to primary and secondary metabolism by focusing on important work conducted in the field. We highlight features of subclasses from this family that facilitate the production of structurally diverse metabolites, including those from noncanonical adenylation domains, and additionally discuss when biological roles for these compounds are known.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah K. D’Ambrosio
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Emily R. Derbyshire
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, 213 Research Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
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There Is Treasure Everywhere: Reductive Plastid Evolution in Apicomplexa in Light of Their Close Relatives. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9080378. [PMID: 31430853 PMCID: PMC6722601 DOI: 10.3390/biom9080378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The phylum Apicomplexa (Alveolates) comprises a group of host-associated protists, predominately intracellular parasites, including devastating parasites like Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malaria. One of the more fascinating characteristics of Apicomplexa is their highly reduced (and occasionally lost) remnant plastid, termed the apicoplast. Four core metabolic pathways are retained in the apicoplast: heme synthesis, iron–sulfur cluster synthesis, isoprenoid synthesis, and fatty acid synthesis. It has been suggested that one or more of these pathways are essential for plastid and plastid genome retention. The past decade has witnessed the discovery of several apicomplexan relatives, and next-generation sequencing efforts are revealing that they retain variable plastid metabolic capacities. These data are providing clues about the core genes and pathways of reduced plastids, while at the same time further confounding our view on the evolutionary history of the apicoplast. Here, we examine the evolutionary history of the apicoplast, explore plastid metabolism in Apicomplexa and their close relatives, and propose that the differences among reduced plastids result from a game of endosymbiotic roulette. Continued exploration of the Apicomplexa and their relatives is sure to provide new insights into the evolution of the apicoplast and apicomplexans as a whole.
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Novel Approaches To Kill Toxoplasma gondii by Exploiting the Uncontrolled Uptake of Unsaturated Fatty Acids and Vulnerability to Lipid Storage Inhibition of the Parasite. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018; 62:AAC.00347-18. [PMID: 30061287 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00347-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular parasite replicating in mammalian cells within a parasitophorous vacuole (PV), is an avid scavenger of lipids retrieved from the host cell. Following lipid uptake, this parasite stores excess lipids in lipid droplets (LD). Here, we examined the lipid storage capacities of Toxoplasma upon supplementation of the culture medium with various fatty acids at physiological concentrations. Supplemental unsaturated fatty acids (oleate [OA], palmitoleate, linoleate) accumulate in large LD and impair parasite replication, whereas saturated fatty acids (palmitate, stearate) neither stimulate LD formation nor impact growth. Examination of parasite growth defects with 0.4 mM OA revealed massive lipid deposits outside LD, indicating enzymatic inadequacies for storing neutral lipids in LD in response to the copious salvage of OA. Toxoplasma exposure to 0.5 mM OA led to irreversible growth arrest and lipid-induced damage, confirming a major disconnect between fatty acid uptake and the parasite's cellular lipid requirements. The importance of neutral lipid synthesis and storage to avoid lipotoxicity was further highlighted by the selective vulnerability of Toxoplasma, both the proliferative and the encysted forms, to subtoxic concentrations of the acyl coenzyme A:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) pharmacological inhibitor T863. T863-treated parasites did not form LD but instead built up large membranous structures within the cytoplasm, which suggests improper channeling and management of the excess lipid. Dual addition of OA and T863 to infected cells intensified the deterioration of the parasite. Overall, our data pinpoint Toxoplasma DGAT as a promising drug target for the treatment of toxoplasmosis that would not incur the risk of toxicity for mammalian cells.
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Keymer A, Gutjahr C. Cross-kingdom lipid transfer in arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis and beyond. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 44:137-144. [PMID: 29729528 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2018.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) is a widespread symbiosis between most land plants and fungi of the Glomeromycotina, which has existed for more than 400million years. AM fungi (AMF) improve plant nutrition with mineral nutrients and conversely, their growth and development is fueled by organic carbon supplied from their host. Recent studies demonstrated independently and with different experimental approaches that lipids are transferred from plants to fungi in addition to sugars, and that AMF are dependent on this lipid supply because they lack genes encoding fatty acid synthase I subunits. Dependence on host lipids or lipid parasitism occur in a range of interorganismic associations with participants from almost all kingdoms. Thus, these phenomena seem rather common in mutualistic and parasitic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Keymer
- Faculty of Biology, Genetics, LMU Munich, Biocenter Martinsried, Großhaderner Str. 2-4, 82152 Martinsried, Germany; Plant Genetics, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Emil Ramann Str. 4, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Caroline Gutjahr
- Plant Genetics, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Emil Ramann Str. 4, 85354 Freising, Germany.
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RNA-Seq and UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS Based Lipidomics Study in Lysiphlebia japonica. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7802. [PMID: 29773840 PMCID: PMC5958133 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26139-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipids play an important role in energy storage, membrane structure stabilization and signaling. Parasitoids are excellent models to study lipidomics because a majority of them do not accumulate during their free-living life-stage. Studies on parasitoids have mostly focused on the changes in the lipids and gene transcripts in hosts and little attention has been devoted to lipidomics and transcriptomics changes in parasitoids. In this study, a relative quantitative analysis of lipids and their gene transcripts in 3-days-old Lysiphlebia japonica larva (3 days after spawning) and pupae were performed using liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and RNA-seq. Thirty-three glycerolipids and 250 glycerophospholipids were identified in this study; all triglycerides and the vast majority of phospholipids accumulated in the pupal stage. This was accompanied by differentially regulated lipid uptake and remolding. Furthermore, our data showed that gene transcription was up-regulated in key nutrient metabolic pathways involved in lipid synthesis in 3-days-old larvae. Finally, our data suggests that larva and pupa of L. japonica may lack the ability for fatty acids synthesis. A comprehensive, quantitative, and expandable resource was provided for further studies of metabolic regulation and molecular mechanisms underlying parasitic response to hosts defense.
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Rupasinghe TWT, Roessner U. Extraction of Plant Lipids for LC-MS-Based Untargeted Plant Lipidomics. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1778:125-135. [PMID: 29761435 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7819-9_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Lipids are defined as hydrophobic or amphipathic small molecules which consist of a number of structurally and functionally distinct molecules that span from nonpolar to neutral to polar compounds. Lipidomics is the comprehensive analysis of all lipids in a biological system. Changes in lipid metabolism and composition, as well as of distinct lipid species have been linked with altered plant growth, development, and responses to environmental stresses including salinity. Recently, improved liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based techniques have provided the rapid expansion of lipidomics research. Sample preparation and lipid extraction are important steps in lipidomics, and this chapter describes important considerations in lipid monophasic and biphasic extractions from plant tissues prior to untargeted plant lipidomics approaches with LC-MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thusitha W T Rupasinghe
- Metabolomics Australia, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Ute Roessner
- Metabolomics Australia, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Metabolomics Australia, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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Ganley JG, Toro-Moreno M, Derbyshire ER. Exploring the Untapped Biosynthetic Potential of Apicomplexan Parasites. Biochemistry 2017; 57:365-375. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jack G. Ganley
- Department
of Chemistry, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Maria Toro-Moreno
- Department
of Chemistry, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Emily R. Derbyshire
- Department
of Chemistry, Duke University, 124 Science Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
- Department
of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, 213 Research Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
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Tomčala A, Kyselová V, Schneedorferová I, Opekarová I, Moos M, Urajová P, Kručinská J, Oborník M. Separation and identification of lipids in the photosynthetic cousins of Apicomplexa Chromera velia and Vitrella brassicaformis. J Sep Sci 2017; 40:3402-3413. [PMID: 28675643 DOI: 10.1002/jssc.201700171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Revised: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The alveolate algae Chromera velia and Vitrella brassicaformis (chromerids) are the closest known phototrophic relatives to apicomplexan parasites. Apicomplexans are responsible for fatal diseases of humans and animals and severe economic losses. Availability of the genome sequences of chromerids together with easy and rapid culturing of C. velia makes this alga a suitable model for investigating elementary biochemical principals potentially important for the apicomplexan pathogenicity. Such knowledge allows us to better understand processes during the evolutionary transition from a phototrophy to the parasitism in Apicomplexa. We explored lipidomes of both algae using high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry or gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. A single high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry analysis in both ionization modes was sufficient for the separation and semi-quantification of lipids in chromerid algae. We detected more than 250 analytes belonging to five structural lipid classes, two lipid classes of precursors and intermediates, and triacylglycerols as storage lipids. Identification of suggested structures was confirmed by high-resolution mass spectrometry with an Orbitrap mass analyzer. An outstandingly high accumulation of storage triacylglycerols was found in both species. All the investigated aspects make C. velia a prospective organism for further applications in biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleš Tomčala
- Biology Centre CAS, v.v.i., Institute of Parasitology, Laboratory of Evolutionary Protistology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Kyselová
- Biology Centre CAS, v.v.i., Institute of Parasitology, Laboratory of Evolutionary Protistology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ivana Schneedorferová
- Biology Centre CAS, v.v.i., Institute of Parasitology, Laboratory of Evolutionary Protistology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Iva Opekarová
- Biology Centre CAS, v.v.i., Institute of Entomology, Laboratory of Analytical Biochemistry, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,University of Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology, Department of Chemistry of Natural Compounds, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Moos
- Biology Centre CAS, v.v.i., Institute of Entomology, Laboratory of Analytical Biochemistry, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Urajová
- Institute of Microbiology CAS, Laboratory of Algal Biotechnology, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Kručinská
- Biology Centre CAS, v.v.i., Institute of Parasitology, Laboratory of Evolutionary Protistology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Oborník
- Biology Centre CAS, v.v.i., Institute of Parasitology, Laboratory of Evolutionary Protistology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Institute of Microbiology CAS, Laboratory of Algal Biotechnology, Třeboň, Czech Republic
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Carey MA, Papin JA, Guler JL. Novel Plasmodium falciparum metabolic network reconstruction identifies shifts associated with clinical antimalarial resistance. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:543. [PMID: 28724354 PMCID: PMC5518114 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3905-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria remains a major public health burden and resistance has emerged to every antimalarial on the market, including the frontline drug, artemisinin. Our limited understanding of Plasmodium biology hinders the elucidation of resistance mechanisms. In this regard, systems biology approaches can facilitate the integration of existing experimental knowledge and further understanding of these mechanisms. Results Here, we developed a novel genome-scale metabolic network reconstruction, iPfal17, of the asexual blood-stage P. falciparum parasite to expand our understanding of metabolic changes that support resistance. We identified 11 metabolic tasks to evaluate iPfal17 performance. Flux balance analysis and simulation of gene knockouts and enzyme inhibition predict candidate drug targets unique to resistant parasites. Moreover, integration of clinical parasite transcriptomes into the iPfal17 reconstruction reveals patterns associated with antimalarial resistance. These results predict that artemisinin sensitive and resistant parasites differentially utilize scavenging and biosynthetic pathways for multiple essential metabolites, including folate and polyamines. Our findings are consistent with experimental literature, while generating novel hypotheses about artemisinin resistance and parasite biology. We detect evidence that resistant parasites maintain greater metabolic flexibility, perhaps representing an incomplete transition to the metabolic state most appropriate for nutrient-rich blood. Conclusion Using this systems biology approach, we identify metabolic shifts that arise with or in support of the resistant phenotype. This perspective allows us to more productively analyze and interpret clinical expression data for the identification of candidate drug targets for the treatment of resistant parasites. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-017-3905-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen A Carey
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, School of Medicine, Charlottesville, USA
| | - Jason A Papin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA.
| | - Jennifer L Guler
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA. .,Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, School of Medicine, Charlottesville, USA.
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41
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Lu Y, Wohlrab S, Groth M, Glöckner G, Guillou L, John U. Transcriptomic profiling of Alexandrium fundyense
during physical interaction with or exposure to chemical signals from the parasite Amoebophrya. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:1294-307. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2015] [Revised: 01/08/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yameng Lu
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung; Bremerhaven Germany
| | - Sylke Wohlrab
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung; Bremerhaven Germany
| | - Marco Groth
- Leibniz-Institute for Age Research; Fritz Lipmann Institute Jena; Jena Germany
| | - Gernot Glöckner
- Biochemistry I; Medical Faculty; University of Cologne and Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB); Berlin Germany
| | - Laure Guillou
- Laboratoire Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin; CNRS; UMR 7144, Place Georges Teissier, CS90074 29688 Roscoff Cedex France
- Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6; Sorbonne Universités; UMR 7144, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Place Georges Teissier, CS90074 29688 Roscoff Cedex France
| | - Uwe John
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung; Bremerhaven Germany
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42
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Helms JB, Kaloyanova DV, Strating JRP, van Hellemond JJ, van der Schaar HM, Tielens AGM, van Kuppeveld FJM, Brouwers JF. Targeting of the hydrophobic metabolome by pathogens. Traffic 2016; 16:439-60. [PMID: 25754025 PMCID: PMC7169838 DOI: 10.1111/tra.12280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2014] [Revised: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The hydrophobic molecules of the metabolome – also named the lipidome – constitute a major part of the entire metabolome. Novel technologies show the existence of a staggering number of individual lipid species, the biological functions of which are, with the exception of only a few lipid species, unknown. Much can be learned from pathogens that have evolved to take advantage of the complexity of the lipidome to escape the immune system of the host organism and to allow their survival and replication. Different types of pathogens target different lipids as shown in interaction maps, allowing visualization of differences between different types of pathogens. Bacterial and viral pathogens target predominantly structural and signaling lipids to alter the cellular phenotype of the host cell. Fungal and parasitic pathogens have complex lipidomes themselves and target predominantly the release of polyunsaturated fatty acids from the host cell lipidome, resulting in the generation of eicosanoids by either the host cell or the pathogen. Thus, whereas viruses and bacteria induce predominantly alterations in lipid metabolites at the host cell level, eukaryotic pathogens focus on interference with lipid metabolites affecting systemic inflammatory reactions that are part of the immune system. A better understanding of the interplay between host–pathogen interactions will not only help elucidate the fundamental role of lipid species in cellular physiology, but will also aid in the generation of novel therapeutic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Bernd Helms
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine & Institute of Biomembranes, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Tran PN, Brown SHJ, Rug M, Ridgway MC, Mitchell TW, Maier AG. Changes in lipid composition during sexual development of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Malar J 2016; 15:73. [PMID: 26852399 PMCID: PMC4744411 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-016-1130-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The development of differentiated sexual stages (gametocytes) within human red blood cells is essential for the propagation of the malaria parasite, since only mature gametocytes will survive in the mosquito’s midgut. Hence gametocytogenesis is a pre-requisite for transmission of the disease. Physiological changes involved in sexual differentiation are still enigmatic. In particular the lipid metabolism—despite being central to cellular regulation and development—is not well explored. Methods Here the lipid profiles of red blood cells infected with the five different sexual stages of Plasmodium falciparum were analysed by mass spectrometry and compared to those from uninfected and asexual trophozoite infected erythrocytes. Results Fundamental differences between erythrocytes infected with the different parasite stages were revealed. In mature gametocytes many lipids that decrease in the trophozoite and early gametocyte infected red blood cells are regained. In particular, regulators of membrane fluidity, cholesterol and sphingomyelin, increased significantly during gametocyte maturation. Neutral lipids (serving mainly as caloriometric reserves) increased from 3 % of total lipids in uninfected to 27 % in stage V gametocyte infected red blood cells. The major membrane lipid class (phospholipids) decreased during gametocyte development. Conclusions The lipid profiles of infected erythrocytes are characteristic for the particular parasite life cycle and maturity stages of gametocytes. The obtained lipid profiles are crucial in revealing the lipid metabolism of malaria parasites and identifying targets to interfere with this deadly disease. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-016-1130-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phuong N Tran
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia. .,La Trobe Institute of Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Simon H J Brown
- School of Medicine and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
| | - Melanie Rug
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia. .,Centre for Advanced Microscopy, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
| | - Melanie C Ridgway
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
| | - Todd W Mitchell
- School of Medicine and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
| | - Alexander G Maier
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
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44
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Morada M, Lee S, Gunther-Cummins L, Weiss LM, Widmer G, Tzipori S, Yarlett N. Continuous culture of Cryptosporidium parvum using hollow fiber technology. Int J Parasitol 2015; 46:21-9. [PMID: 26341006 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2015.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Revised: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Diarrheal disease is a leading cause of pediatric death in economically low resource countries. Cryptosporidium spp. are the second largest member of this group and the only member for which no treatment exists. One of the handicaps to developing chemotherapy is the lack of a reproducible long-term culture method permitting in vitro drug screening beyond 48 h. We have adapted the well-established hollow fiber technology to provide an environment that mimics the gut by delivering nutrients and oxygen from the basal layer upwards while allowing separate redox and nutrient control of the lumen for parasite development. Using this technique, oocyst production was maintained for >6 months, producing approximately 1×10(8)oocysts ml(-1)day(-1), compared with 48 h with a yield of 1×10(6)oocysts ml(-1) in two-dimensional cultures. Oocysts, after 4 and 20 weeks in culture, produced a chronic infection in a TCR-α-deficient mouse model. In vivo infectivity of oocysts was confirmed using oocysts from a 6 week culture in a dexamethasone immunosuppressed mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Morada
- Haskins Laboratories, and Department of Chemistry and Physical Sciences, Pace University, New York, USA
| | - Sangun Lee
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, N. Grafton, MA, USA
| | | | - Louis M Weiss
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Giovanni Widmer
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, N. Grafton, MA, USA
| | - Saul Tzipori
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, N. Grafton, MA, USA
| | - Nigel Yarlett
- Haskins Laboratories, and Department of Chemistry and Physical Sciences, Pace University, New York, USA.
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Swann J, Jamshidi N, Lewis NE, Winzeler EA. Systems analysis of host-parasite interactions. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2015; 7:381-400. [PMID: 26306749 PMCID: PMC4679367 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Revised: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Parasitic diseases caused by protozoan pathogens lead to hundreds of thousands of deaths per year in addition to substantial suffering and socioeconomic decline for millions of people worldwide. The lack of effective vaccines coupled with the widespread emergence of drug‐resistant parasites necessitates that the research community take an active role in understanding host–parasite infection biology in order to develop improved therapeutics. Recent advances in next‐generation sequencing and the rapid development of publicly accessible genomic databases for many human pathogens have facilitated the application of systems biology to the study of host–parasite interactions. Over the past decade, these technologies have led to the discovery of many important biological processes governing parasitic disease. The integration and interpretation of high‐throughput ‐omic data will undoubtedly generate extraordinary insight into host–parasite interaction networks essential to navigate the intricacies of these complex systems. As systems analysis continues to build the foundation for our understanding of host–parasite biology, this will provide the framework necessary to drive drug discovery research forward and accelerate the development of new antiparasitic therapies. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2015, 7:381–400. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1311 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Swann
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Neema Jamshidi
- Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nathan E Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics and Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Winzeler
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Woo YH, Ansari H, Otto TD, Klinger CM, Kolisko M, Michálek J, Saxena A, Shanmugam D, Tayyrov A, Veluchamy A, Ali S, Bernal A, del Campo J, Cihlář J, Flegontov P, Gornik SG, Hajdušková E, Horák A, Janouškovec J, Katris NJ, Mast FD, Miranda-Saavedra D, Mourier T, Naeem R, Nair M, Panigrahi AK, Rawlings ND, Padron-Regalado E, Ramaprasad A, Samad N, Tomčala A, Wilkes J, Neafsey DE, Doerig C, Bowler C, Keeling PJ, Roos DS, Dacks JB, Templeton TJ, Waller RF, Lukeš J, Oborník M, Pain A. Chromerid genomes reveal the evolutionary path from photosynthetic algae to obligate intracellular parasites. eLife 2015; 4:e06974. [PMID: 26175406 PMCID: PMC4501334 DOI: 10.7554/elife.06974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The eukaryotic phylum Apicomplexa encompasses thousands of obligate intracellular parasites of humans and animals with immense socio-economic and health impacts. We sequenced nuclear genomes of Chromera velia and Vitrella brassicaformis, free-living non-parasitic photosynthetic algae closely related to apicomplexans. Proteins from key metabolic pathways and from the endomembrane trafficking systems associated with a free-living lifestyle have been progressively and non-randomly lost during adaptation to parasitism. The free-living ancestor contained a broad repertoire of genes many of which were repurposed for parasitic processes, such as extracellular proteins, components of a motility apparatus, and DNA- and RNA-binding protein families. Based on transcriptome analyses across 36 environmental conditions, Chromera orthologs of apicomplexan invasion-related motility genes were co-regulated with genes encoding the flagellar apparatus, supporting the functional contribution of flagella to the evolution of invasion machinery. This study provides insights into how obligate parasites with diverse life strategies arose from a once free-living phototrophic marine alga. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06974.001 Single-celled parasites cause many severe diseases in humans and animals. The apicomplexans form probably the most successful group of these parasites and include the parasites that cause malaria. Apicomplexans infect a broad range of hosts, including humans, reptiles, birds, and insects, and often have complicated life cycles. For example, the malaria-causing parasites spread by moving from humans to female mosquitoes and then back to humans. Despite significant differences amongst apicomplexans, these single-celled parasites also share a number of features that are not seen in other living species. How and when these features arose remains unclear. It is known from previous work that apicomplexans are closely related to single-celled algae. But unlike apicomplexans, which depend on a host animal to survive, these algae live freely in their environment, often in close association with corals. Woo et al. have now sequenced the genomes of two photosynthetic algae that are thought to be close living relatives of the apicomplexans. These genomes were then compared to each other and to the genomes of other algae and apicomplexans. These comparisons reconfirmed that the two algae that were studied were close relatives of the apicomplexans. Further analyses suggested that thousands of genes were lost as an ancient free-living algae evolved into the apicomplexan ancestor, and further losses occurred as these early parasites evolved into modern species. The lost genes were typically those that are important for free-living organisms, but are either a hindrance to, or not needed in, a parasitic lifestyle. Some of the ancestor's genes, especially those that coded for the building blocks of flagella (structures which free-living algae use to move around), were repurposed in ways that helped the apicomplexans to invade their hosts. Understanding this repurposing process in greater detail will help to identify key molecules in these deadly parasites that could be targeted by drug treatments. It will also offer answers to one of the most fascinating questions in evolutionary biology: how parasites have evolved from free-living organisms. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06974.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong H Woo
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hifzur Ansari
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Thomas D Otto
- Parasite Genomics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Martin Kolisko
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jan Michálek
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Alka Saxena
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Annageldi Tayyrov
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alaguraj Veluchamy
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Section, Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS UMR8197 INSERM U1024, Paris, France
| | - Shahjahan Ali
- Bioscience Core Laboratory, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Axel Bernal
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Javier del Campo
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jaromír Cihlář
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Flegontov
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | | | - Eva Hajdušková
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Aleš Horák
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Janouškovec
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Fred D Mast
- Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, United States
| | - Diego Miranda-Saavedra
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC/Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Tobias Mourier
- Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Raeece Naeem
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mridul Nair
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aswini K Panigrahi
- Bioscience Core Laboratory, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Neil D Rawlings
- European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Eriko Padron-Regalado
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abhinay Ramaprasad
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nadira Samad
- School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Aleš Tomčala
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jon Wilkes
- Wellcome Trust Centre For Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel E Neafsey
- Broad Genome Sequencing and Analysis Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, United States
| | - Christian Doerig
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Chris Bowler
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Section, Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS UMR8197 INSERM U1024, Paris, France
| | - Patrick J Keeling
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - David S Roos
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Joel B Dacks
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Thomas J Templeton
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, United States
| | - Ross F Waller
- School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Julius Lukeš
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Oborník
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Arnab Pain
- Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
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Factors mediating plastid dependency and the origins of parasitism in apicomplexans and their close relatives. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:10200-7. [PMID: 25717057 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1423790112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexans are a major lineage of parasites, including causative agents of malaria and toxoplasmosis. How such highly adapted parasites evolved from free-living ancestors is poorly understood, particularly because they contain nonphotosynthetic plastids with which they have a complex metabolic dependency. Here, we examine the origin of apicomplexan parasitism by resolving the evolutionary distribution of several key characteristics in their closest free-living relatives, photosynthetic chromerids and predatory colpodellids. Using environmental sequence data, we describe the diversity of these apicomplexan-related lineages and select five species that represent this diversity for transcriptome sequencing. Phylogenomic analysis recovered a monophyletic lineage of chromerids and colpodellids as the sister group to apicomplexans, and a complex distribution of retention versus loss for photosynthesis, plastid genomes, and plastid organelles. Reconstructing the evolution of all plastid and cytosolic metabolic pathways related to apicomplexan plastid function revealed an ancient dependency on plastid isoprenoid biosynthesis, predating the divergence of apicomplexan and dinoflagellates. Similarly, plastid genome retention is strongly linked to the retention of two genes in the plastid genome, sufB and clpC, altogether suggesting a relatively simple model for plastid retention and loss. Lastly, we examine the broader distribution of a suite of molecular characteristics previously linked to the origins of apicomplexan parasitism and find that virtually all are present in their free-living relatives. The emergence of parasitism may not be driven by acquisition of novel components, but rather by loss and modification of the existing, conserved traits.
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Fatty acid metabolism in the Plasmodium apicoplast: Drugs, doubts and knockouts. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2015; 199:34-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2015.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2015] [Revised: 03/16/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Florin-Christensen M, Suarez CE, Rodriguez AE, Flores DA, Schnittger L. Vaccines against bovine babesiosis: where we are now and possible roads ahead. Parasitology 2014; 141:1-30. [PMID: 25068315 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182014000961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
SUMMARY Bovine babesiosis caused by the tick-transmitted haemoprotozoans Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina and Babesia divergens commonly results in substantial cattle morbidity and mortality in vast world areas. Although existing live vaccines confer protection, they have considerable disadvantages. Therefore, particularly in countries where large numbers of cattle are at risk, important research is directed towards improved vaccination strategies. Here a comprehensive overview of currently used live vaccines and of the status quo of experimental vaccine trials is presented. In addition, pertinent research fields potentially contributing to the development of novel non-live and/or live vaccines are discussed, including parasite antigens involved in host cell invasion and in pathogen-tick interactions, as well as the protective immunity against infection. The mining of available parasite genomes is continuously enlarging the array of potential vaccine candidates and, additionally, the recent development of a transfection tool for Babesia can significantly contribute to vaccine design. However, the complication and high cost of vaccination trials hinder Babesia vaccine research, and have so far seriously limited the systematic examination of antigen candidates and prevented an in-depth testing of formulations using different immunomodulators and antigen delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carlos E Suarez
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology,Washington State University,Pullman, WA 99164-7040,USA
| | - Anabel E Rodriguez
- Instituto de Patobiologia,CICVyA, INTA-Castelar, 1686 Hurlingham,Argentina
| | - Daniela A Flores
- Instituto de Patobiologia,CICVyA, INTA-Castelar, 1686 Hurlingham,Argentina
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A survey of innovation through duplication in the reduced genomes of twelve parasites. PLoS One 2014; 9:e99213. [PMID: 24919110 PMCID: PMC4053351 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We characterize the prevalence, distribution, divergence, and putative functions of detectable two-copy paralogs and segmental duplications in the Apicomplexa, a phylum of parasitic protists. Apicomplexans are mostly obligate intracellular parasites responsible for human and animal diseases (e.g. malaria and toxoplasmosis). Gene loss is a major force in the phylum. Genomes are small and protein-encoding gene repertoires are reduced. Despite this genomic streamlining, duplications and gene family amplifications are present. The potential for innovation introduced by duplications is of particular interest. We compared genomes of twelve apicomplexans across four lineages and used orthology and genome cartography to map distributions of duplications against genome architectures. Segmental duplications appear limited to five species. Where present, they correspond to regions enriched for multi-copy and species-specific genes, pointing toward roles in adaptation and innovation. We found a phylum-wide association of duplications with dynamic chromosome regions and syntenic breakpoints. Trends in the distribution of duplicated genes indicate that recent, species-specific duplicates are often tandem while most others have been dispersed by genome rearrangements. These trends show a relationship between genome architecture and gene duplication. Functional analysis reveals: proteases, which are vital to a parasitic lifecycle, to be prominent in putative recent duplications; a pair of paralogous genes in Toxoplasma gondii previously shown to produce the rate-limiting step in dopamine synthesis in mammalian cells, a possible link to the modification of host behavior; and phylum-wide differences in expression and subcellular localization, indicative of modes of divergence. We have uncovered trends in multiple modes of duplicate divergence including sequence, intron content, expression, subcellular localization, and functions of putative recent duplicates that highlight the role of duplications in the continuum of forces that have shaped these genomes.
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