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Thawornpan P, Nicholas J, Malee C, Kochayoo P, Wangriatisak K, Tianpothong P, Ntumngia FB, J. Barnes S, H. Adams J, Chootong P. Longitudinal analysis of antibody responses to Plasmodium vivax sporozoite antigens following natural infection. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0011907. [PMID: 38277340 PMCID: PMC10817200 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND P. vivax malaria is a major global health burden hindering social and economic development throughout many tropical and sub-tropical countries. Pre-erythrocytic (PE) vaccines emerge as an attractive approach for the control and elimination of malaria infection. Therefore, evaluating the magnitude, longevity and prevalence of naturally acquired IgG antibody responses against PE candidate antigens is useful for vaccine design. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The antigenicity of five recombinant PE antigens (PvCSP-VK210, PvSSP3, PvM2-MAEBL, PvCelTOS and PvSPECT1) was evaluated in plasma samples from individuals residing in low transmission areas in Thailand (Ranong and Chumphon Provinces). The samples were collected at the time of acute vivax malaria and 90, 270 and 360 days later. The prevalence, magnitude and longevity of total IgG and IgG subclasses were determined for each antigen using the longitudinal data. Our results showed that seropositivity of all tested PE antigens was detected during infection in at least some subjects; anti-PvCSP-VK210 and anti-PvCelTOS antibodies were the most frequent. Titers of these antibodies declined during the year of follow up, but notably seropositivity persisted. Among seropositive subjects at post-infection, high number of subjects possessed antibodies against PvCSP-VK210. Anti-PvSSP3 antibody responses had the longest half-life. IgG subclass profiling showed that the predominant subclasses were IgG1 and IgG3 (cytophilic antibodies), tending to remain detectable for at least 360 days after infection. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE The present study demonstrated the magnitude and longevity of serological responses to multiple PE antigens of P. vivax after natural infection. This knowledge could contribute to the design of an effective P. vivax vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pongsakorn Thawornpan
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Justin Nicholas
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Chayapat Malee
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Piyawan Kochayoo
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kittikorn Wangriatisak
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pachara Tianpothong
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Francis Babila Ntumngia
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Samantha J. Barnes
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - John H. Adams
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Patchanee Chootong
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Nicholas J, De SL, Thawornpan P, Brashear AM, Kolli SK, Subramani PA, Barnes SJ, Cui L, Chootong P, Ntumngia FB, Adams JH. Preliminary characterization of Plasmodium vivax sporozoite antigens as pre-erythrocytic vaccine candidates. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011598. [PMID: 37703302 PMCID: PMC10519608 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax pre-erythrocytic (PE) vaccine research has lagged far behind efforts to develop Plasmodium falciparum vaccines. There is a critical gap in our knowledge of PE antigen targets that can induce functionally inhibitory neutralizing antibody responses. To overcome this gap and guide the selection of potential PE vaccine candidates, we considered key characteristics such as surface exposure, essentiality to infectivity and liver stage development, expression as recombinant proteins, and functional immunogenicity. Selected P. vivax sporozoite antigens were surface sporozoite protein 3 (SSP3), sporozoite microneme protein essential for cell traversal (SPECT1), sporozoite surface protein essential for liver-stage development (SPELD), and M2 domain of MAEBL. Sequence analysis revealed little variation occurred in putative B-cell and T-cell epitopes of the PE candidates. Each antigen was tested for expression as refolded recombinant proteins using an established bacterial expression platform and only SPELD failed. The successfully expressed antigens were immunogenic in vaccinated laboratory mice and were positively reactive with serum antibodies of P. vivax-exposed residents living in an endemic region in Thailand. Vaccine immune antisera were tested for reactivity to native sporozoite proteins and for their potential vaccine efficacy using an in vitro inhibition of liver stage development assay in primary human hepatocytes quantified on day 6 post-infection by high content imaging analysis. The anti-PE sera produced significant inhibition of P. vivax sporozoite invasion and liver stage development. This report provides an initial characterization of potential new PE candidates for a future P. vivax vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Nicholas
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Sai Lata De
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Pongsakorn Thawornpan
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Awtum M. Brashear
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Surendra Kumar Kolli
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Pradeep Annamalai Subramani
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Samantha J. Barnes
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Liwang Cui
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Patchanee Chootong
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Francis Babila Ntumngia
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - John H. Adams
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
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3
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da Veiga GTS, Moriggi MR, Vettorazzi JF, Müller-Santos M, Albrecht L. Plasmodium vivax vaccine: What is the best way to go? Front Immunol 2023; 13:910236. [PMID: 36726991 PMCID: PMC9885200 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.910236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria is one of the most devastating human infectious diseases caused by Plasmodium spp. parasites. A search for an effective and safe vaccine is the main challenge for its eradication. Plasmodium vivax is the second most prevalent Plasmodium species and the most geographically distributed parasite and has been neglected for decades. This has a massive gap in knowledge and consequently in the development of vaccines. The most significant difficulties in obtaining a vaccine against P. vivax are the high genetic diversity and the extremely complex life cycle. Due to its complexity, studies have evaluated P. vivax antigens from different stages as potential targets for an effective vaccine. Therefore, the main vaccine candidates are grouped into preerythrocytic stage vaccines, blood-stage vaccines, and transmission-blocking vaccines. This review aims to support future investigations by presenting the main findings of vivax malaria vaccines to date. There are only a few P. vivax vaccines in clinical trials, and thus far, the best protective efficacy was a vaccine formulated with synthetic peptide from a circumsporozoite protein and Montanide ISA-51 as an adjuvant with 54.5% efficacy in a phase IIa study. In addition, the majority of P. vivax antigen candidates are polymorphic, induce strain-specific and heterogeneous immunity and provide only partial protection. Nevertheless, immunization with recombinant proteins and multiantigen vaccines have shown promising results and have emerged as excellent strategies. However, more studies are necessary to assess the ideal vaccine combination and test it in clinical trials. Developing a safe and effective vaccine against vivax malaria is essential for controlling and eliminating the disease. Therefore, it is necessary to determine what is already known to propose and identify new candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisele Tatiane Soares da Veiga
- Laboratory of Apicomplexan Parasites Research, Carlos Chagas Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Curitiba, Brazil,Nitrogen Fixation Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, Brazil
| | | | | | - Marcelo Müller-Santos
- Nitrogen Fixation Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Letusa Albrecht
- Laboratory of Apicomplexan Parasites Research, Carlos Chagas Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Curitiba, Brazil,*Correspondence: Letusa Albrecht,
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Chandley P, Ranjan R, Kumar S, Rohatgi S. Host-parasite interactions during Plasmodium infection: Implications for immunotherapies. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1091961. [PMID: 36685595 PMCID: PMC9845897 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1091961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a global infectious disease that remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the developing world. Multiple environmental and host and parasite factors govern the clinical outcomes of malaria. The host immune response against the Plasmodium parasite is heterogenous and stage-specific both in the human host and mosquito vector. The Plasmodium parasite virulence is predominantly associated with its ability to evade the host's immune response. Despite the availability of drug-based therapies, Plasmodium parasites can acquire drug resistance due to high antigenic variations and allelic polymorphisms. The lack of licensed vaccines against Plasmodium infection necessitates the development of effective, safe and successful therapeutics. To design an effective vaccine, it is important to study the immune evasion strategies and stage-specific Plasmodium proteins, which are targets of the host immune response. This review provides an overview of the host immune defense mechanisms and parasite immune evasion strategies during Plasmodium infection. Furthermore, we also summarize and discuss the current progress in various anti-malarial vaccine approaches, along with antibody-based therapy involving monoclonal antibodies, and research advancements in host-directed therapy, which can together open new avenues for developing novel immunotherapies against malaria infection and transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pankaj Chandley
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India
| | - Ravikant Ranjan
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India
| | - Sudhir Kumar
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Soma Rohatgi
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India,*Correspondence: Soma Rohatgi,
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5
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Sá M, Costa DM, Teixeira AR, Pérez-Cabezas B, Formaglio P, Golba S, Sefiane-Djemaoune H, Amino R, Tavares J. MAEBL Contributes to Plasmodium Sporozoite Adhesiveness. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:5711. [PMID: 35628522 PMCID: PMC9146008 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The sole currently approved malaria vaccine targets the circumsporozoite protein-the protein that densely coats the surface of sporozoites, the parasite stage deposited in the skin of the mammalian host by infected mosquitoes. However, this vaccine only confers moderate protection against clinical diseases in children, impelling a continuous search for novel candidates. In this work, we studied the importance of the membrane-associated erythrocyte binding-like protein (MAEBL) for infection by Plasmodium sporozoites. Using transgenic parasites and live imaging in mice, we show that the absence of MAEBL reduces Plasmodium berghei hemolymph sporozoite infectivity to mice. Moreover, we found that maebl knockout (maebl-) sporozoites display reduced adhesion, including to cultured hepatocytes, which could contribute to the defects in multiple biological processes, such as in gliding motility, hepatocyte wounding, and invasion. The maebl- defective phenotypes in mosquito salivary gland and liver infection were reverted by genetic complementation. Using a parasite line expressing a C-terminal myc-tagged MAEBL, we found that MAEBL levels peak in midgut and hemolymph parasites but drop after sporozoite entry into the salivary glands, where the labeling was found to be heterogeneous among sporozoites. MAEBL was found associated, not only with micronemes, but also with the surface of mature sporozoites. Overall, our data provide further insight into the role of MAEBL in sporozoite infectivity and may contribute to the design of future immune interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Sá
- Host-Parasite Interactions Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.S.); (D.M.C.); (A.R.T.); (B.P.-C.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - David Mendes Costa
- Host-Parasite Interactions Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.S.); (D.M.C.); (A.R.T.); (B.P.-C.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Rafaela Teixeira
- Host-Parasite Interactions Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.S.); (D.M.C.); (A.R.T.); (B.P.-C.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Begoña Pérez-Cabezas
- Host-Parasite Interactions Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.S.); (D.M.C.); (A.R.T.); (B.P.-C.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Pauline Formaglio
- Unit of Malaria Infection and Immunity, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France; (P.F.); (R.A.)
| | - Sylvain Golba
- Center for Production and Infection of Anopheles, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France; (S.G.); (H.S.-D.)
| | - Hélèna Sefiane-Djemaoune
- Center for Production and Infection of Anopheles, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France; (S.G.); (H.S.-D.)
| | - Rogerio Amino
- Unit of Malaria Infection and Immunity, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France; (P.F.); (R.A.)
| | - Joana Tavares
- Host-Parasite Interactions Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (M.S.); (D.M.C.); (A.R.T.); (B.P.-C.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
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Wilson KL, Pouniotis D, Hanley J, Xiang SD, Ma C, Coppel RL, Plebanski M. A Synthetic Nanoparticle Based Vaccine Approach Targeting MSP4/5 Is Immunogenic and Induces Moderate Protection Against Murine Blood-Stage Malaria. Front Immunol 2019; 10:331. [PMID: 30930890 PMCID: PMC6428706 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria remains a significant health problem in many tropical and sub-tropical regions. The development of vaccines against the clinically active blood-stage of infection needs to consider variability and polymorphism in target antigens, and an adjuvant system able to induce broad spectrum immunity comprising both antibodies and helper T cells. Moreover, recent studies have shown some conventional pro-inflammatory adjuvants can also promote expansion of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Treg) and myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC), both of which could negatively impact malaria disease progression. Herein, we explore the ability of a model nanoparticle delivery system (polystyrene nanoparticles; PSNPs), previously proven to not induce conventional inflammation, Treg or MDSC, to induce immunity to MSP4/5 from Plasmodium yoelii, a member of the MSP4 and MSP5 family of proteins which are highly conserved across diverse malaria species including P. falciparum. The results show PSNPs-MSP4/5 conjugates are highly immunogenic, inducing immune responses comprising both T helper 1 (Th1) and Th2 cellular immunity, and a spectrum of antibody subclasses including IgG1, IgG2a, and IgG2b. Benchmarked against Alum and Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA), the immune responses that were induced were of comparable or higher magnitude, for both T cell frequencies by ELISpot and antibody responses in terms of ELISA end titer. Importantly, immunization with PSNPs-MSP4/5 induced partial protection against malaria blood-stage infection (50–80%) shown to be mechanistically dependent on interferon gamma (IFN-γ) production. These results expand the scope of adjuvants considered for malaria blood-stage vaccine development to those that do not use conventional adjuvant pathways and emphasizes the critical role of cellular immunity and specifically IFN-γ producing cells in providing moderate protection against blood-stage malaria comparable to Freunds adjuvant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsty L Wilson
- Department of Immunology and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Dodie Pouniotis
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Jennifer Hanley
- Department of Immunology and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sue D Xiang
- Department of Immunology and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Charles Ma
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Ross L Coppel
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Magdalena Plebanski
- Department of Immunology and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
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7
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Garzón-Ospina D, Buitrago SP, Ramos AE, Patarroyo MA. Identifying Potential Plasmodium vivax Sporozoite Stage Vaccine Candidates: An Analysis of Genetic Diversity and Natural Selection. Front Genet 2018; 9:10. [PMID: 29422913 PMCID: PMC5788960 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasite antigen genetic diversity represents a great obstacle when designing a vaccine against malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax. Selecting vaccine candidate antigens has been focused on those fulfilling a role in invasion and which are conserved, thus avoiding specific-allele immune responses. Most antigens described to date belong to the blood stage, thereby blocking parasite development within red blood cells, whilst studying antigens from other stages has been quite restricted. Antigens from different parasite stages are required for developing a completely effective vaccine; thus, pre-erythrocyte stage antigens able to block the first line of infection becoming established should also be taken into account. However, few antigens from this stage have been studied to date. Several P. falciparum sporozoite antigens are involved in invasion. Since 77% of genes are orthologous amongst Plasmodium parasites, P. vivax sporozoite antigen orthologs to those of P. falciparum might be present in its genome. Although these genes might have high genetic diversity, conserved functionally-relevant regions (ideal for vaccine development) could be predicted by comparing genetic diversity patterns and evolutionary rates. This study was thus aimed at searching for putative P. vivax sporozoite genes so as to analyse their genetic diversity for determining their potential as vaccine candidates. Several DNA sequence polymorphism estimators were computed at each locus. The evolutionary force (drift, selection and recombination) drawing the genetic diversity pattern observed was also determined by using tests based on polymorphism frequency spectrum as well as the type of intra- and inter-species substitutions. Likewise, recombination was assessed both indirectly and directly. The results showed that sporozoite genes were more conserved than merozoite genes evaluated to date. Putative domains implied in cell traversal, gliding motility and hepatocyte interaction had a negative selection signal, being conserved amongst different species in the genus. PvP52, PvP36, PvSPATR, PvPLP1, PvMCP1, PvTLP, PvCelTOS, and PvMB2 antigens or functionally restricted regions within them would thus seem promising vaccine candidates and could be used when designing a pre-erythrocyte and/or multi-stage vaccine against P. vivax to avoid allele-specific immune responses that could reduce vaccine efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Garzón-Ospina
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Laboratory, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.,PhD Programme in Biomedical and Biological Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Sindy P Buitrago
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Laboratory, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Andrea E Ramos
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Laboratory, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Manuel A Patarroyo
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Laboratory, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.,Basic Sciences Department, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
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8
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Cravo P, Machado RB, Leite JA, Leda T, Suwanarusk R, Bittencourt N, Albrecht L, Judice C, Lopes SCP, Lacerda MVG, Ferreira MU, Soares IS, Goh YS, Bargieri DY, Nosten F, Russell B, Rénia L, Costa FTM. In silico epitope mapping and experimental evaluation of the Merozoite Adhesive Erythrocytic Binding Protein (MAEBL) as a malaria vaccine candidate. Malar J 2018; 17:20. [PMID: 29316918 PMCID: PMC5761135 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-017-2144-x] [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: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Technical limitations for culturing the human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax have impaired the discovery of vaccine candidates, challenging the malaria eradication agenda. The immunogenicity of the M2 domain of the Merozoite Adhesive Erythrocytic Binding Protein (MAEBL) antigen cloned from the Plasmodium yoelii murine parasite, has been previously demonstrated. RESULTS Detailed epitope mapping of MAEBL through immunoinformatics identified several MHCI, MHCII and B cell epitopes throughout the peptide, with several of these lying in the M2 domain and being conserved between P. vivax, P. yoelii and Plasmodium falciparum, hinting that the M2-MAEBL is pan-reactive. This hypothesis was tested through functional assays, showing that P. yoelii M2-MAEBL antisera are able to recognize and inhibit erythrocyte invasion from both P. falciparum and P. vivax parasites isolated from Thai patients, in ex vivo assays. Moreover, the sequence of the M2-MAEBL is shown to be highly conserved between P. vivax isolates from the Amazon and Thailand, indicating that the MAEBL antigen may constitute a vaccine candidate outwitting strain-specific immunity. CONCLUSIONS The MAEBL antigen is promising candidate towards the development of a malaria vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Cravo
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine Centre (GHTM), Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira, nº 100, 1349-008, Lisbon, Portugal. .,GenoBio, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil. .,PPG-SOMA, Centro Universitário de Anápolis, Anápolis, GO, Brazil.
| | - Renato B Machado
- GenoBio, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - Juliana A Leite
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases-Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Taizy Leda
- GenoBio, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - Rossarin Suwanarusk
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Najara Bittencourt
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases-Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Letusa Albrecht
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases-Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil.,Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Carla Judice
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases-Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Stefanie C P Lopes
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases-Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil.,Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Marcus V G Lacerda
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Manaus, AM, Brazil.,Fundação de Medicina Tropical-Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Gerência de Malária, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - Marcelo U Ferreira
- Department of Parasitology, University of São Paulo-USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Irene S Soares
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo-USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Yun Shan Goh
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Daniel Y Bargieri
- Department of Parasitology, University of São Paulo-USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - François Nosten
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - Bruce Russell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Laurent Rénia
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Fabio T M Costa
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases-Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil
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9
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Patarroyo ME, Alba MP, Rojas-Luna R, Bermudez A, Aza-Conde J. Functionally relevant proteins in Plasmodium falciparum host cell invasion. Immunotherapy 2017; 9:131-155. [DOI: 10.2217/imt-2016-0091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A totally effective, antimalarial vaccine must involve sporozoite and merozoite proteins (or their fragments) to ensure complete parasite blocking during critical invasion stages. This Special Report examines proteins involved in critical biological functions for parasite survival and highlights the conserved amino acid sequences of the most important proteins involved in sporozoite invasion of hepatocytes and merozoite invasion of red blood cells. Conserved high activity binding peptides are located in such proteins’ functionally strategic sites, whose functions are related to receptor binding, nutrient and protein transport, enzyme activity and molecule–molecule interactions. They are thus excellent targets for vaccine development as they block proteins binding function involved in invasion and also their biological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel E Patarroyo
- Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Carrera 50 No. 26–20 Bogotá, Colombia
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá DC, Colombia
| | - Martha P Alba
- Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Carrera 50 No. 26–20 Bogotá, Colombia
- Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales (UDCA), Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Rocío Rojas-Luna
- Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Carrera 50 No. 26–20 Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Adriana Bermudez
- Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Carrera 50 No. 26–20 Bogotá, Colombia
- Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá DC, Colombia
| | - Jorge Aza-Conde
- Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Carrera 50 No. 26–20 Bogotá, Colombia
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10
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Fotoran WL, Colhone MC, Ciancaglini P, Stabeli RG, Wunderlich G. Merozoite-Protein Loaded Liposomes Protect against Challenge in Two Murine Models of Plasmodium Infection. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2016; 2:2276-2286. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wesley L. Fotoran
- Department
of Parasitology, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelle C. Colhone
- Department
of Chemistry, FFCLRP-USP, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão
Preto, Brazil
| | - Pietro Ciancaglini
- Department
of Chemistry, FFCLRP-USP, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão
Preto, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo G. Stabeli
- Centro de Estudos
de Biomoléculas Aplicadas a Saúde, Fiocruz−Fundação
Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde, e Departamento de
Medicina da Universidade Federal de Rondônia (UNIR), Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
| | - Gerhard Wunderlich
- Department
of Parasitology, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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11
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Species-specific escape of Plasmodium sporozoites from oocysts of avian, rodent, and human malarial parasites. Malar J 2016; 15:394. [PMID: 27480269 PMCID: PMC4969971 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-016-1451-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria is transmitted when an infected mosquito delivers Plasmodium sporozoites into a vertebrate host. There are many species of Plasmodium and, in general, the infection is host-specific. For example, Plasmodium gallinaceum is an avian parasite, while Plasmodium berghei infects mice. These two parasites have been extensively used as experimental models of malaria transmission. Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax are the most important agents of human malaria, a life-threatening disease of global importance. To complete their life cycle, Plasmodium parasites must traverse the mosquito midgut and form an oocyst that will divide continuously. Mature oocysts release thousands of sporozoites into the mosquito haemolymph that must reach the salivary gland to infect a new vertebrate host. The current understanding of the biology of oocyst formation and sporozoite release is mostly based on experimental infections with P.berghei, and the conclusions are generalized to other Plasmodium species that infect humans without further morphological analyses. Results Here, it is described the microanatomy of sporozoite escape from oocysts of four Plasmodium species: the two laboratory models, P. gallinaceum and P. berghei, and the two main species that cause malaria in humans, P.vivax and P. falciparum. It was found that sporozoites have species-specific mechanisms of escape from the oocyst. The two model species of Plasmodium had a common mechanism, in which the oocyst wall breaks down before sporozoites emerge. In contrast, P. vivax and P. falciparum sporozoites show a dynamic escape mechanism from the oocyst via polarized propulsion. Conclusions This study demonstrated that Plasmodium species do not share a common mechanism of sporozoite escape, as previously thought, but show complex and species-specific mechanisms. In addition, the knowledge of this phenomenon in human Plasmodium can facilitate transmission-blocking studies and not those ones only based on the murine and avian models.
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12
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Dissecting the interface between apicomplexan parasite and host cell: Insights from a divergent AMA-RON2 pair. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 113:398-403. [PMID: 26712012 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1515898113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii are widely studied parasites in phylum Apicomplexa and the etiological agents of severe human malaria and toxoplasmosis, respectively. These intracellular pathogens have evolved a sophisticated invasion strategy that relies on delivery of proteins into the host cell, where parasite-derived rhoptry neck protein 2 (RON2) family members localize to the host outer membrane and serve as ligands for apical membrane antigen (AMA) family surface proteins displayed on the parasite. Recently, we showed that T. gondii harbors a novel AMA designated as TgAMA4 that shows extreme sequence divergence from all characterized AMA family members. Here we show that sporozoite-expressed TgAMA4 clusters in a distinct phylogenetic clade with Plasmodium merozoite apical erythrocyte-binding ligand (MAEBL) proteins and forms a high-affinity, functional complex with its coevolved partner, TgRON2L1. High-resolution crystal structures of TgAMA4 in the apo and TgRON2L1-bound forms complemented with alanine scanning mutagenesis data reveal an unexpected architecture and assembly mechanism relative to previously characterized AMA-RON2 complexes. Principally, TgAMA4 lacks both a deep surface groove and a key surface loop that have been established to govern RON2 ligand binding selectivity in other AMAs. Our study reveals a previously underappreciated level of molecular diversity at the parasite-host-cell interface and offers intriguing insight into the adaptation strategies underlying sporozoite invasion. Moreover, our data offer the potential for improved design of neutralizing therapeutics targeting a broad range of AMA-RON2 pairs and apicomplexan invasive stages.
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