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Diffendall G, Claes A, Barcons-Simon A, Nyarko P, Dingli F, Santos MM, Loew D, Claessens A, Scherf A. RNA polymerase III is involved in regulating Plasmodium falciparum virulence. eLife 2024; 13:RP95879. [PMID: 38921824 PMCID: PMC11208047 DOI: 10.7554/elife.95879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
While often undetected and untreated, persistent seasonal asymptomatic malaria infections remain a global public health problem. Despite the presence of parasites in the peripheral blood, no symptoms develop. Disease severity is correlated with the levels of infected red blood cells (iRBCs) adhering within blood vessels. Changes in iRBC adhesion capacity have been linked to seasonal asymptomatic malaria infections, however how this is occurring is still unknown. Here, we present evidence that RNA polymerase III (RNA Pol III) transcription in Plasmodium falciparum is downregulated in field isolates obtained from asymptomatic individuals during the dry season. Through experiments with in vitro cultured parasites, we have uncovered an RNA Pol III-dependent mechanism that controls pathogen proliferation and expression of a major virulence factor in response to external stimuli. Our findings establish a connection between P. falciparum cytoadhesion and a non-coding RNA family transcribed by Pol III. Additionally, we have identified P. falciparum Maf1 as a pivotal regulator of Pol III transcription, both for maintaining cellular homeostasis and for responding adaptively to external signals. These results introduce a novel perspective that contributes to our understanding of P. falciparum virulence. Furthermore, they establish a connection between this regulatory process and the occurrence of seasonal asymptomatic malaria infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gretchen Diffendall
- Institut Pasteur, Universite Paris CitéParisFrance
- Institut Pasteur, Sorbonne Université Ecole doctorale Complexité du VivantParisFrance
| | | | - Anna Barcons-Simon
- Institut Pasteur, Universite Paris CitéParisFrance
- Institut Pasteur, Sorbonne Université Ecole doctorale Complexité du VivantParisFrance
- Institut Pasteur, Biomedical Center, Division of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenMunichGermany
| | - Prince Nyarko
- Institut Pasteur, Laboratory of Pathogen-Host Interaction (LPHI), CNRS, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Florent Dingli
- Institut Pasteur, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Centre de Recherche, CurieCoreTech Mass Spectrometry ProteomicsParisFrance
| | - Miguel M Santos
- Institut Pasteur, Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de LisboaLisboaPortugal
| | - Damarys Loew
- Institut Pasteur, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Centre de Recherche, CurieCoreTech Mass Spectrometry ProteomicsParisFrance
| | - Antoine Claessens
- Institut Pasteur, Laboratory of Pathogen-Host Interaction (LPHI), CNRS, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
- Institut Pasteur, LPHI, MIVEGEC, CNRS, INSERM, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Artur Scherf
- Institut Pasteur, Universite Paris CitéParisFrance
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2
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Platon L, Ménard D. Plasmodium falciparum ring-stage plasticity and drug resistance. Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:118-130. [PMID: 38104024 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.11.007] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Malaria is a life-threatening tropical disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, of which Plasmodium falciparum is the most lethal. Malaria parasites have a complex life cycle, with stages occurring in both the Anopheles mosquito vector and human host. Ring stages are the youngest form of the parasite in the intraerythrocytic developmental cycle and are associated with evasion of spleen clearance, temporary growth arrest (TGA), and drug resistance. This formidable ability to survive and develop into mature, sexual, or growth-arrested forms demonstrates the inherent population heterogeneity. Here we highlight the role of the ring stage as a crossroads in parasite development and as a reservoir of surviving cells in the human host via TGA survival mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucien Platon
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Malaria Genetics and Resistance Unit, INSERM U1201, F-75015 Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Collège Doctoral ED 515 Complexité du Vivant, F-75015 Paris, France; Université de Strasbourg, Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, UR7292 Dynamics of Host-Pathogen Interactions, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.
| | - Didier Ménard
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Malaria Genetics and Resistance Unit, INSERM U1201, F-75015 Paris, France; Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Malaria Parasite Biology and Vaccines Unit, F-75015 Paris, France; Université de Strasbourg, Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, UR7292 Dynamics of Host-Pathogen Interactions, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; CHU Strasbourg, Laboratory of Parasitology and Medical Mycology, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.
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3
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Stürmer VS, Stopper S, Binder P, Klemmer A, Lichti NP, Becker NB, Guizetti J. Progeny counter mechanism in malaria parasites is linked to extracellular resources. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011807. [PMID: 38051755 PMCID: PMC10723702 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011807] [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: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria is caused by the rapid proliferation of Plasmodium parasites in patients and disease severity correlates with the number of infected red blood cells in circulation. Parasite multiplication within red blood cells is called schizogony and occurs through an atypical multinucleated cell division mode. The mechanisms regulating the number of daughter cells produced by a single progenitor are poorly understood. We investigated underlying regulatory principles by quantifying nuclear multiplication dynamics in Plasmodium falciparum and knowlesi using super-resolution time-lapse microscopy. This confirmed that the number of daughter cells was consistent with a model in which a counter mechanism regulates multiplication yet incompatible with a timer mechanism. P. falciparum cell volume at the start of nuclear division correlated with the final number of daughter cells. As schizogony progressed, the nucleocytoplasmic volume ratio, which has been found to be constant in all eukaryotes characterized so far, increased significantly, possibly to accommodate the exponentially multiplying nuclei. Depleting nutrients by dilution of culture medium caused parasites to produce fewer merozoites and reduced proliferation but did not affect cell volume or total nuclear volume at the end of schizogony. Our findings suggest that the counter mechanism implicated in malaria parasite proliferation integrates extracellular resource status to modify progeny number during blood stage infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa S. Stürmer
- Heidelberg University Medical Faculty, Centre for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sophie Stopper
- Heidelberg University Medical Faculty, Centre for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Patrick Binder
- Institute for Theoretical Physics and BioQuant, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Theoretical Systems Biology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anja Klemmer
- Heidelberg University Medical Faculty, Centre for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nicolas P. Lichti
- Heidelberg University Medical Faculty, Centre for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nils B. Becker
- Theoretical Systems Biology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julien Guizetti
- Heidelberg University Medical Faculty, Centre for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
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4
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Thommen BT, Dziekan JM, Achcar F, Tjia S, Passecker A, Buczak K, Gumpp C, Schmidt A, Rottmann M, Grüring C, Marti M, Bozdech Z, Brancucci NMB. Genetic validation of PfFKBP35 as an antimalarial drug target. eLife 2023; 12:RP86975. [PMID: 37934560 PMCID: PMC10629825 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum accounts for the majority of over 600,000 malaria-associated deaths annually. Parasites resistant to nearly all antimalarials have emerged and the need for drugs with alternative modes of action is thus undoubted. The FK506-binding protein PfFKBP35 has gained attention as a promising drug target due to its high affinity to the macrolide compound FK506 (tacrolimus). Whilst there is considerable interest in targeting PfFKBP35 with small molecules, a genetic validation of this factor as a drug target is missing and its function in parasite biology remains elusive. Here, we show that limiting PfFKBP35 levels are lethal to P. falciparum and result in a delayed death-like phenotype that is characterized by defective ribosome homeostasis and stalled protein synthesis. Our data furthermore suggest that FK506, unlike the action of this drug in model organisms, exerts its antiproliferative activity in a PfFKBP35-independent manner and, using cellular thermal shift assays, we identify putative FK506-targets beyond PfFKBP35. In addition to revealing first insights into the function of PfFKBP35, our results show that FKBP-binding drugs can adopt non-canonical modes of action - with major implications for the development of FK506-derived molecules active against Plasmodium parasites and other eukaryotic pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basil T Thommen
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteAllschwilSwitzerland
- University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Jerzy M Dziekan
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological UniversitySingaporeSingapore
| | - Fiona Achcar
- Wellcome Center for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of GlasgowGlasgowUnited Kingdom
- Institute for Parasitology, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Seth Tjia
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological UniversitySingaporeSingapore
| | - Armin Passecker
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteAllschwilSwitzerland
- University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | | | - Christin Gumpp
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteAllschwilSwitzerland
- University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | | | - Matthias Rottmann
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteAllschwilSwitzerland
- University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Christof Grüring
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteAllschwilSwitzerland
- University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Matthias Marti
- Wellcome Center for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of GlasgowGlasgowUnited Kingdom
- Institute for Parasitology, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Zbynek Bozdech
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological UniversitySingaporeSingapore
| | - Nicolas MB Brancucci
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteAllschwilSwitzerland
- University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
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5
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Piro F, Masci S, Kannan G, Focaia R, Schultz TL, Carruthers VB, Di Cristina M. A Toxoplasma gondii putative arginine transporter localizes to the plant-like vacuolar compartment and controls parasite extracellular survival and stage differentiation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.31.555807. [PMID: 37693549 PMCID: PMC10491228 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.31.555807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects a broad spectrum of hosts and can colonize many organs and cell types. The ability to reside within a wide range of different niches requires substantial adaptability to diverse microenvironments. Very little is known about how this parasite senses various milieus and adapts its metabolism to survive, replicate during the acute stage, and then differentiate to the chronic stage. Most eukaryotes, from yeast to mammals, rely on a nutrient sensing machinery involving the TORC complex as master regulator of cell growth and cell cycle progression. The lysosome functions as a signaling hub where TORC complex assembles and is activated by transceptors, which both sense and transport amino acids, including the arginine transceptor SLC38A9. While most of the TORC components are lost in T. gondii , indicating the evolution of a distinct nutrient sensing mechanism, the parasite's lysosomal plant-like vacuolar compartment (PLVAC) may still serve as a sensory platform for controlling parasite growth and differentiation. Using SLC38A9 to query the T. gondii proteome, we identified four putative amino acid transporters, termed TgAAT1-4, that structurally resemble the SLC38A9 arginine transceptor. Assessing their expression and sub-cellular localization, we found that one of them, TgAAT1, localized to the PLVAC and is necessary for normal parasite extracellular survival and bradyzoite differentiation. Moreover, we show that TgAAT1 is involved in the PLVAC efflux of arginine, an amino acid playing a key role in T. gondii differentiation, further supporting the hypothesis that TgAAT1 might play a role in nutrient sensing. IMPORTANCE T. gondii is a highly successful parasite infecting a broad range of warm-blood organisms including about one third of all humans. Although Toxoplasma infections rarely result in symptomatic disease in individuals with a healthy immune system, the incredibly high number of persons infected along with the risk of severe infection in immunocompromised patients and the potential link of chronic infection to mental disorders make this infection a significant public health concern. As a result, there is a pressing need for new treatment approaches that are both effective and well-tolerated. The limitations in understanding how Toxoplasma gondii manages its metabolism to adapt to changing environments and triggers its transformation into bradyzoites have hindered the discovery of vulnerabilities in its metabolic pathways or nutrient acquisition mechanisms to identify new therapeutic targets. In this work, we have shown that the lysosome-like organelle PLVAC, acting through the putative arginine transporter TgAAT1, plays a pivotal role in regulating the parasite's extracellular survival and differentiation into bradyzoites.
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6
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Brown AC, Warthan MD, Aryal A, Liu S, Guler JL. Nutrient Limitation Mimics Artemisinin Tolerance in Malaria. mBio 2023:e0070523. [PMID: 37097173 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00705-23] [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: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Mounting evidence demonstrates that nutritional environment can alter pathogen drug sensitivity. While the rich media used for in vitro culture contains supraphysiological nutrient concentrations, pathogens encounter a relatively restrictive environment in vivo. We assessed the effect of nutrient limitation on the protozoan parasite that causes malaria and demonstrated that short-term growth under physiologically relevant mild nutrient stress (or "metabolic priming") triggers increased tolerance of a potent antimalarial drug. We observed beneficial effects using both short-term survival assays and longer-term proliferation studies, where metabolic priming increases parasite survival to a level previously defined as resistant (>1% survival). We performed these assessments by either decreasing single nutrients that have distinct roles in metabolism or using a media formulation that simulates the human plasma environment. We determined that priming-induced tolerance was restricted to parasites that had newly invaded the host red blood cell, but the effect was not dependent on genetic background. The molecular mechanisms of this intrinsic effect mimic aspects of genetic tolerance, including translational repression and protein export. This finding suggests that regardless of the impact on survival rates, environmental stress could stimulate changes that ultimately directly contribute to drug tolerance. Because metabolic stress is likely to occur more frequently in vivo compared to the stable in vitro environment, priming-induced drug tolerance has ramifications for how in vitro results translate to in vivo studies. Improving our understanding of how pathogens adjust their metabolism to impact survival of current and future drugs is an important avenue of research to slow the evolution of resistance. IMPORTANCE There is a dire need for effective treatments against microbial pathogens. Yet, the continuing emergence of drug resistance necessitates a deeper knowledge of how pathogens respond to treatments. We have long appreciated the contribution of genetic evolution to drug resistance, but transient metabolic changes that arise in response to environmental factors are less recognized. Here, we demonstrate that short-term growth of malaria parasites in a nutrient-limiting environment triggers cellular changes that lead to better survival of drug treatment. We found that these strategies are similar to those employed by drug-tolerant parasites, which suggests that starvation "primes" parasites to survive and potentially evolve resistance. Since the environment of the human host is relatively nutrient restrictive compared to growth conditions in standard laboratory culture, this discovery highlights the important connections among nutrient levels, protective cellular pathways, and resistance evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey C Brown
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Michelle D Warthan
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Anush Aryal
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Shiwei Liu
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Jennifer L Guler
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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7
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Marreiros IM, Marques S, Parreira A, Mastrodomenico V, Mounce BC, Harris CT, Kafsack BF, Billker O, Zuzarte-Luís V, Mota MM. A non-canonical sensing pathway mediates Plasmodium adaptation to amino acid deficiency. Commun Biol 2023; 6:205. [PMID: 36810637 PMCID: PMC9942083 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04566-y] [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: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotes have canonical pathways for responding to amino acid (AA) availability. Under AA-limiting conditions, the TOR complex is repressed, whereas the sensor kinase GCN2 is activated. While these pathways have been highly conserved throughout evolution, malaria parasites are a rare exception. Despite auxotrophic for most AA, Plasmodium does not have either a TOR complex nor the GCN2-downstream transcription factors. While Ile starvation has been shown to trigger eIF2α phosphorylation and a hibernation-like response, the overall mechanisms mediating detection and response to AA fluctuation in the absence of such pathways has remained elusive. Here we show that Plasmodium parasites rely on an efficient sensing pathway to respond to AA fluctuations. A phenotypic screen of kinase knockout mutant parasites identified nek4, eIK1 and eIK2-the last two clustering with the eukaryotic eIF2α kinases-as critical for Plasmodium to sense and respond to distinct AA-limiting conditions. Such AA-sensing pathway is temporally regulated at distinct life cycle stages, allowing parasites to actively fine-tune replication and development in response to AA availability. Collectively, our data disclose a set of heterogeneous responses to AA depletion in malaria parasites, mediated by a complex mechanism that is critical for modulating parasite growth and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inês M. Marreiros
- grid.9983.b0000 0001 2181 4263Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal ,grid.5808.50000 0001 1503 7226Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Sofia Marques
- grid.9983.b0000 0001 2181 4263Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana Parreira
- grid.9983.b0000 0001 2181 4263Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Vincent Mastrodomenico
- grid.164971.c0000 0001 1089 6558Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL USA
| | - Bryan C. Mounce
- grid.164971.c0000 0001 1089 6558Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL USA ,grid.164971.c0000 0001 1089 6558Infectious Disease and Immunology Research Institute, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL USA
| | - Chantal T. Harris
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY USA ,grid.5386.8000000041936877XImmunology & Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
| | - Björn F. Kafsack
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY USA
| | - Oliver Billker
- grid.12650.300000 0001 1034 3451Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Molecular Biology Department, Umeå University, Umeå, S-90187 Sweden
| | - Vanessa Zuzarte-Luís
- grid.9983.b0000 0001 2181 4263Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria M. Mota
- grid.9983.b0000 0001 2181 4263Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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Keroack CD, Duraisingh MT. Molecular mechanisms of cellular quiescence in apicomplexan parasites. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 70:102223. [PMID: 36274498 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Quiescence is a reversible nonproliferative cellular state that allows organisms to persist through unfavorable conditions. Quiescence can be stimulated by a wide range of external or intrinsic factors. Cells undergo a coordinated molecular program to enter and exit from the quiescent state, which is governed by signaling, transcriptional and translational changes, epigenetic mechanisms, metabolic switches, and changes in cellular architecture. These mechanisms have been extensively studied in model organisms, and a growing number of studies have identified conserved mechanisms in apicomplexan parasites. Quiescence in the context of a parasitic infection has significant clinical impact: quiescent forms may underlie treatment failures, relapsing infections, and stress tolerance. Here, we review the latest understanding of quiescence in apicomplexa, synthesizing these studies to highlight conserved mechanisms, and identifying technologies to assist in further characterization of quiescence. Understanding conserved mechanisms of quiescence in apicomplexans will provide avenues for transmission prevention and radical cure of infections.
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Duffy S, Avery VM. Naturally Acquired Kelch13 Mutations in Plasmodium falciparum Strains Modulate In Vitro Ring-Stage Artemisinin-Based Drug Tolerance and Parasite Survival in Response to Hyperoxia. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0128221. [PMID: 36094220 PMCID: PMC9602862 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01282-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The ring-stage survival assay was utilized to assess the impact of physiological hyperoxic stress on dihydroartemisinin (DHA) tolerance for a panel of Plasmodium falciparum strains with and without Kelch13 mutations. Strains without naturally acquired Kelch13 mutations or the postulated genetic background associated with delayed parasite clearance time demonstrated reduced proliferation under hyperoxic conditions in the subsequent proliferation cycle. Dihydroartemisinin tolerance in three isolates with naturally acquired Kelch13 mutations but not two genetically manipulated laboratory strains was modulated by in vitro hyperoxic stress exposure of early-ring-stage parasites in the cycle before drug exposure. Reduced parasite tolerance to additional derivatives, including artemisinin, artesunate, and OZ277, was observed within the second proliferation cycle. OZ439 and epoxomicin completely prevented parasite survival under both hyperoxia and normoxic in vitro culture conditions, highlighting the unique relationship between DHA tolerance and Kelch13 mutation-associated genetic background. IMPORTANCE Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) for treating malaria is under intense scrutiny following treatment failures in the Greater Mekong subregion of Asia. This is further compounded by the potential for extensive loss of life if treatment failures extend to the African continent. Although Plasmodium falciparum has become resistant to all antimalarial drugs, artemisinin "resistance" does not present in the same way as resistance to other antimalarial drugs. Instead, a partial resistance or tolerance is demonstrated, associated with the parasite's genetic profile and linked to a molecular marker referred to as K13. It is suggested that parasites may have adapted to drug treatment, as well as the presence of underlying population health issues such as hemoglobinopathies, and/or environmental pressures, resulting in parasite tolerance to ACT. Understanding parasite evolution and control of artemisinin tolerance will provide innovative approaches to mitigate the development of artemisinin tolerance and thereby artemisinin-based drug treatment failure and loss of life globally to malaria infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Duffy
- Discovery Biology, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Vicky M. Avery
- Discovery Biology, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
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Plasmodium falciparum S-Adenosylmethionine Synthetase Is Essential for Parasite Survival through a Complex Interaction Network with Cytoplasmic and Nuclear Proteins. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10071419. [PMID: 35889137 PMCID: PMC9320499 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10071419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
S-adenosylmethionine synthetase (SAMS) is a key enzyme for the synthesis of the lone methyl donor S-adenosyl methionine (SAM), which is involved in transmethylation reactions and hence required for cellular processes such as DNA, RNA, and histone methylation, but also polyamine biosynthesis and proteostasis. In the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, PfSAMS is encoded by a single gene and has been suggested to be crucial for malaria pathogenesis and transmission; however, to date, PfSAMS has not been fully characterized. To gain deeper insight into the function of PfSAMS, we generated a conditional gene knockdown (KD) using the glmS ribozyme system. We show that PfSAMS localizes to the cytoplasm and the nucleus of blood-stage parasites. PfSAMS-KD results in reduced histone methylation and leads to impaired intraerythrocytic growth and gametocyte development. To further determine the interaction network of PfSAMS, we performed a proximity-dependent biotin identification analysis. We identified a complex network of 1114 proteins involved in biological processes such as cell cycle control and DNA replication, or transcription, but also in phosphatidylcholine and polyamine biosynthesis and proteasome regulation. Our findings highlight the diverse roles of PfSAMS during intraerythrocytic growth and sexual stage development and emphasize that PfSAMS is a potential drug target.
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11
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Siddiqui FA, Liang X, Cui L. Plasmodium falciparum resistance to ACTs: Emergence, mechanisms, and outlook. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2021; 16:102-118. [PMID: 34090067 PMCID: PMC8188179 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2021.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Emergence and spread of resistance in Plasmodium falciparum to the frontline treatment artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) in the epicenter of multidrug resistance of Southeast Asia threaten global malaria control and elimination. Artemisinin (ART) resistance (or tolerance) is defined clinically as delayed parasite clearance after treatment with an ART drug. The resistance phenotype is restricted to the early ring stage and can be measured in vitro using a ring-stage survival assay. ART resistance is associated with mutations in the propeller domain of the Kelch family protein K13. As a pro-drug, ART is activated primarily by heme, which is mainly derived from hemoglobin digestion in the food vacuole. Activated ARTs can react promiscuously with a wide range of cellular targets, disrupting cellular protein homeostasis. Consistent with this mode of action for ARTs, the molecular mechanisms of K13-mediated ART resistance involve reduced hemoglobin uptake/digestion and increased cellular stress response. Mutations in other genes such as AP-2μ (adaptor protein-2 μ subunit), UBP-1 (ubiquitin-binding protein-1), and Falcipain 2a that interfere with hemoglobin uptake and digestion also increase resistance to ARTs. ART resistance has facilitated the development of resistance to the partner drugs, resulting in rapidly declining ACT efficacies. The molecular markers for resistance to the partner drugs are mostly associated with point mutations in the two food vacuole membrane transporters PfCRT and PfMDR1, and amplification of pfmdr1 and the two aspartic protease genes plasmepsin 2 and 3. It has been observed that mutations in these genes can have opposing effects on sensitivities to different partner drugs, which serve as the principle for designing triple ACTs and drug rotation. Although clinical ACT resistance is restricted to Southeast Asia, surveillance for drug resistance using in vivo clinical efficacy, in vitro assays, and molecular approaches is required to prevent or slow down the spread of resistant parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faiza Amber Siddiqui
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Xiaoying Liang
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
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12
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Wicht KJ, Mok S, Fidock DA. Molecular Mechanisms of Drug Resistance in Plasmodium falciparum Malaria. Annu Rev Microbiol 2021; 74:431-454. [PMID: 32905757 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-020518-115546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Understanding and controlling the spread of antimalarial resistance, particularly to artemisinin and its partner drugs, is a top priority. Plasmodium falciparum parasites resistant to chloroquine, amodiaquine, or piperaquine harbor mutations in the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT), a transporter resident on the digestive vacuole membrane that in its variant forms can transport these weak-base 4-aminoquinoline drugs out of this acidic organelle, thus preventing these drugs from binding heme and inhibiting its detoxification. The structure of PfCRT, solved by cryogenic electron microscopy, shows mutations surrounding an electronegative central drug-binding cavity where they presumably interact with drugs and natural substrates to control transport. P. falciparum susceptibility to heme-binding antimalarials is also modulated by overexpression or mutations in the digestive vacuole membrane-bound ABC transporter PfMDR1 (P. falciparum multidrug resistance 1 transporter). Artemisinin resistance is primarily mediated by mutations in P. falciparum Kelch13 protein (K13), a protein involved in multiple intracellular processes including endocytosis of hemoglobin, which is required for parasite growth and artemisinin activation. Combating drug-resistant malaria urgently requires the development of new antimalarial drugs with novel modes of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn J Wicht
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA; , ,
| | - Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA; , ,
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA; , , .,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA
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13
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The role of upstream open reading frames in translation regulation in the apicomplexan parasites Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii. Parasitology 2021; 148:1277-1287. [PMID: 34099078 PMCID: PMC8383288 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182021000937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
During their complex life cycles, the Apicomplexan parasites Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii employ several layers of regulation of their gene expression. One such layer is mediated at the level of translation through upstream open reading frames (uORFs). As uORFs are found in the upstream regions of a majority of transcripts in both the parasites, it is essential that their roles in translational regulation be appreciated to a greater extent. This review provides a comprehensive summary of studies that show uORF-mediated gene regulation in these parasites and highlights examples of clinically and physiologically relevant genes, including var2csa in P. falciparum, and ApiAT1 in T. gondii, that exhibit uORF-mediated regulation. In addition to these examples, several studies that use bioinformatics, transcriptomics, proteomics and ribosome profiling also indicate the possibility of widespread translational regulation by uORFs. Further analysis of these genome-wide datasets, taking into account uORFs associated with each gene, will reveal novel genes involved in key biological pathways such as cell-cycle progression, stress-response and pathogenicity. The cumulative evidence from studies presented in this review suggests that uORFs will play crucial roles in regulating gene expression during clinical disease caused by these important human pathogens.
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14
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Plasmodium oocysts respond with dormancy to crowding and nutritional stress. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3090. [PMID: 33542254 PMCID: PMC7862253 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81574-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites develop as oocysts in the mosquito for several days before they are able to infect a human host. During this time, mosquitoes take bloodmeals to replenish their nutrient and energy reserves needed for flight and reproduction. We hypothesized that these bloodmeals are critical for oocyst growth and that experimental infection protocols, typically involving a single bloodmeal at the time of infection, cause nutritional stress to the developing oocysts. Therefore, enumerating oocysts disregarding their growth and differentiation state may lead to erroneous conclusions about the efficacy of transmission blocking interventions. Here, we examine this hypothesis in Anopheles coluzzii mosquitoes infected with the human and rodent parasites Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium berghei, respectively. We show that oocyst growth and maturation rates decrease at late developmental stages as infection intensities increase; an effect exacerbated at very high infection intensities but fully restored with post infection bloodmeals. High infection intensities and starvation conditions reduce RNA Polymerase III activity in oocysts unless supplemental bloodmeals are provided. Our results suggest that oocysts respond to crowding and nutritional stress with a dormancy-like strategy, which urges the development of alternative methods to assess the efficacy of transmission blocking interventions.
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15
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Mok S, Stokes BH, Gnädig NF, Ross LS, Yeo T, Amaratunga C, Allman E, Solyakov L, Bottrill AR, Tripathi J, Fairhurst RM, Llinás M, Bozdech Z, Tobin AB, Fidock DA. Artemisinin-resistant K13 mutations rewire Plasmodium falciparum's intra-erythrocytic metabolic program to enhance survival. Nat Commun 2021; 12:530. [PMID: 33483501 PMCID: PMC7822823 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20805-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence and spread of artemisinin resistance, driven by mutations in Plasmodium falciparum K13, has compromised antimalarial efficacy and threatens the global malaria elimination campaign. By applying systems-based quantitative transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics to a panel of isogenic K13 mutant or wild-type P. falciparum lines, we provide evidence that K13 mutations alter multiple aspects of the parasite's intra-erythrocytic developmental program. These changes impact cell-cycle periodicity, the unfolded protein response, protein degradation, vesicular trafficking, and mitochondrial metabolism. K13-mediated artemisinin resistance in the Cambodian Cam3.II line was reversed by atovaquone, a mitochondrial electron transport chain inhibitor. These results suggest that mitochondrial processes including damage sensing and anti-oxidant properties might augment the ability of mutant K13 to protect P. falciparum against artemisinin action by helping these parasites undergo temporary quiescence and accelerated growth recovery post drug elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Barbara H Stokes
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nina F Gnädig
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Leila S Ross
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chanaki Amaratunga
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Erik Allman
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Lev Solyakov
- Protein Nucleic Acid Laboratory, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Andrew R Bottrill
- Protein Nucleic Acid Laboratory, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Jaishree Tripathi
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rick M Fairhurst
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Astra Zeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Zbynek Bozdech
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Andrew B Tobin
- The Centre for Translational Pharmacology, Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. .,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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16
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Kumar M, Skillman K, Duraisingh MT. Linking nutrient sensing and gene expression in Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage parasites. Mol Microbiol 2020; 115:891-900. [PMID: 33236377 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is one of the most life-threatening infectious diseases worldwide, caused by infection of humans with parasites of the genus Plasmodium. The complex life cycle of Plasmodium parasites is shared between two hosts, with infection of multiple cell types, and the parasite needs to adapt for survival and transmission through significantly different metabolic environments. Within the blood-stage alone, parasites encounter changing levels of key nutrients, including sugars, amino acids, and lipids, due to differences in host dietary nutrition, cellular tropism, and pathogenesis. In this review, we consider the mechanisms that the most lethal of malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum, uses to sense nutrient levels and elicit changes in gene expression during blood-stage infections. These changes are brought about by several metabolic intermediates and their corresponding sensor proteins. Sensing of distinct nutritional signals can drive P. falciparum to alter the key blood-stage processes of proliferation, antigenic variation, and transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Kumar
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kristen Skillman
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Manoj T Duraisingh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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17
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Dumoulin PC, Vollrath J, Tomko SS, Wang JX, Burleigh B. Glutamine metabolism modulates azole susceptibility in Trypanosoma cruzi amastigotes. eLife 2020; 9:60226. [PMID: 33258448 PMCID: PMC7707839 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying resistance of the Chagas disease parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, to current therapies are not well understood, including the role of metabolic heterogeneity. We found that limiting exogenous glutamine protects actively dividing amastigotes from ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitors (azoles), independent of parasite growth rate. The antiparasitic properties of azoles are derived from inhibition of lanosterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51) in the endogenous sterol synthesis pathway. We find that carbons from 13C-glutamine feed into amastigote sterols and into metabolic intermediates that accumulate upon CYP51 inhibition. Incorporation of 13C-glutamine into endogenously synthesized sterols is increased with BPTES treatment, an inhibitor of host glutamine metabolism that sensitizes amastigotes to azoles. Similarly, amastigotes are re-sensitized to azoles following addition of metabolites upstream of CYP51, raising the possibility that flux through the sterol synthesis pathway is a determinant of sensitivity to azoles and highlighting the potential role for metabolic heterogeneity in recalcitrant T. cruzi infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter C Dumoulin
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States
| | - Joshua Vollrath
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States.,Institute for Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sheena Shah Tomko
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States
| | - Jennifer X Wang
- Harvard Center for Mass Spectrometry, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Barbara Burleigh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States
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18
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Roles for the RNA polymerase III regulator MAFR-1 in regulating sperm quality in Caenorhabditis elegans. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19367. [PMID: 33168938 PMCID: PMC7652826 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76423-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The negative regulator of RNA polymerase (pol) III mafr-1 has been shown to affect RNA pol III transcript abundance, lipid biosynthesis and storage, progeny output, and lifespan. We deleted mafr-1 from the Caenorhabditis elegans genome and found that animals lacking mafr-1 replicated many phenotypes from previous RNAi-based studies and discovered a new sperm-specific role. Utilizing a yeast two-hybrid assay, we discovered several novel interactors of MAFR-1 that are expressed in a sperm- and germline-enriched manner. In support of a role for MAFR-1 in the male germline, we found mafr-1 null males have smaller spermatids that are less capable in competition for fertilization; a phenotype that was dependent on RNA pol III activity. Restoration of MAFR-1 expression specifically in the germline rescued the spermatid-related phenotypes, suggesting a cell autonomous role for MAFR-1 in nematode male fertility. Based on the high degree of conservation of Maf1 activity across species, our study may inform similar roles for Maf1 and RNA pol III in mammalian male fertility.
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19
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McLean KJ, Jacobs-Lorena M. The response of Plasmodium falciparum to isoleucine withdrawal is dependent on the stage of progression through the intraerythrocytic cell cycle. Malar J 2020; 19:147. [PMID: 32268910 PMCID: PMC7140564 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03220-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A previous study reported that the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum enters an altered growth state upon extracellular withdrawal of the essential amino acid isoleucine. Parasites slowed transit through the cell cycle when deprived of isoleucine prior to the onset of S-phase. Methods This project was undertaken to study at higher resolution, how isoleucine withdrawal affects parasite growth. Parasites were followed at regular intervals across an extended isoleucine deprivation time course across the cell cycle using flow cytometry. Results These experiments revealed that isoleucine-deprived parasites never exit the cell cycle, but instead continuously grow at a markedly reduced pace. Moreover, slow growth occurs only if isoleucine is removed prior to the onset of schizogony. After S-phase commenced, the parasite is insensitive to isoleucine depletion and transits through the cell cycle at the normal pace. Conclusions The markedly different response of the parasite to isoleucine withdrawal before or after the onset of DNA replication is reminiscent of the nutrient-dependent G1 cell cycle checkpoints described in other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Jarrod McLean
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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20
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Bennink S, Pradel G. The molecular machinery of translational control in malaria parasites. Mol Microbiol 2019; 112:1658-1673. [PMID: 31531994 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Translational control regulates the levels of protein synthesized from its transcript and is key for the rapid adjustment of gene expression in response to environmental stimuli. The regulation of translation is of special importance for malaria parasites, which pass through a complex life cycle that includes various replication phases in the different organs of the human and mosquito hosts and a sexual reproduction phase in the mosquito midgut. In particular, the quiescent transmission stages rely on translational control to rapidly adapt to the new environment, once they switch over from the human to the mosquito and vice versa. Three control mechanisms are currently proposed in Plasmodium, (1) global regulation that acts on the translation initiation complex; (2) mRNA-specific regulation, involving cis control elements, mRNA-binding proteins and translational repressors; and (3) induced mRNA decay by the Ccr4-Not and the RNA exosome complex. The main molecules controlling translation are highly conserved in malaria parasites and an increasing number of studies shed light on the interwoven pathways leading to the up or downregulation of protein synthesis in the diverse plasmodial stages. We here highlight recent findings on translational control during life cycle progression of Plasmodium and discuss the molecules involved in regulating protein synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Bennink
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, Institute of Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Gabriele Pradel
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, Institute of Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany
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21
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Aroonsri A, Posayapisit N, Kongsee J, Siripan O, Vitsupakorn D, Utaida S, Uthaipibull C, Kamchonwongpaisan S, Shaw PJ. Validation of Plasmodium falciparum deoxyhypusine synthase as an antimalarial target. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6713. [PMID: 31024761 PMCID: PMC6475138 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hypusination is an essential post-translational modification in eukaryotes. The two enzymes required for this modification, namely deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) and deoxyhypusine hydrolase are also conserved. Plasmodium falciparum human malaria parasites possess genes for both hypusination enzymes, which are hypothesized to be targets of antimalarial drugs. Methods Transgenic P. falciparum parasites with modification of the PF3D7_1412600 gene encoding PfDHS enzyme were created by insertion of the glmS riboswitch or the M9 inactive variant. The PfDHS protein was studied in transgenic parasites by confocal microscopy and Western immunoblotting. The biochemical function of PfDHS enzyme in parasites was assessed by hypusination and nascent protein synthesis assays. Gene essentiality was assessed by competitive growth assays and chemogenomic profiling. Results Clonal transgenic parasites with integration of glmS riboswitch downstream of the PfDHS gene were established. PfDHS protein was present in the cytoplasm of transgenic parasites in asexual stages. The PfDHS protein could be attenuated fivefold in transgenic parasites with an active riboswitch, whereas PfDHS protein expression was unaffected in control transgenic parasites with insertion of the riboswitch-inactive sequence. Attenuation of PfDHS expression for 72 h led to a significant reduction of hypusinated protein; however, global protein synthesis was unaffected. Parasites with attenuated PfDHS expression showed a significant growth defect, although their decline was not as rapid as parasites with attenuated dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (PfDHFR-TS) expression. PfDHS-attenuated parasites showed increased sensitivity to N 1-guanyl-1,7-diaminoheptane, a structural analog of spermidine, and a known inhibitor of DHS enzymes. Discussion Loss of PfDHS function leads to reduced hypusination, which may be important for synthesis of some essential proteins. The growth defect in parasites with attenuated Pf DHS expression suggests that this gene is essential. However, the slower decline of PfDHS mutants compared with PfDHFR-TS mutants in competitive growth assays suggests that PfDHS is less vulnerable as an antimalarial target. Nevertheless, the data validate PfDHS as an antimalarial target which can be inhibited by spermidine-like compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiyada Aroonsri
- Protein-Ligand Engineering and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Medical Molecular Biology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Navaporn Posayapisit
- Protein-Ligand Engineering and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Medical Molecular Biology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Jindaporn Kongsee
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Onsiri Siripan
- Protein-Ligand Engineering and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Medical Molecular Biology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Danoo Vitsupakorn
- Protein-Ligand Engineering and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Medical Molecular Biology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Sugunya Utaida
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Chairat Uthaipibull
- Protein-Ligand Engineering and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Medical Molecular Biology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Sumalee Kamchonwongpaisan
- Protein-Ligand Engineering and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Medical Molecular Biology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Philip J Shaw
- Protein-Ligand Engineering and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Medical Molecular Biology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
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22
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Hokonohara K, Nishida N, Miyoshi N, Takahashi H, Haraguchi N, Hata T, Matsuda C, Mizushima T, Doki Y, Mori M. Involvement of MAF1 homolog, negative regulator of RNA polymerase III in colorectal cancer progression. Int J Oncol 2019; 54:1001-1009. [PMID: 30628658 PMCID: PMC6365024 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2019.4678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Polymerase (Pol) III‑dependent transcription controls the abundance of transfer RNAs, 5S ribosomal RNA and small non‑coding RNAs within cells, and is known to serve an essential role in the maintenance of intracellular homeostasis. However, its contribution to cancer progression has not been extensively explored. The present study demonstrated that the evolutionarily conserved MAF1 homolog, negative regulator of RNA Pol III (MAF1) may be closely associated with malignant potential and poor prognosis in colorectal cancer (CRC). Notably, immunohistochemical analysis of 146 CRC surgical specimens revealed that high expression levels of MAF1 were associated with advanced tumor depth, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and poor prognosis. In vitro loss‑of‑function assays revealed that MAF1 knockdown suppressed chemoresistance and migration of CRC cancer cells. Furthermore, detailed analysis of an independent CRC dataset (n=615) demonstrated that the prognostic impact of MAF1 gene expression was particularly marked in microsatellite instability (MSI)‑positive patients, who benefit from immune checkpoint blockade. High expression levels of MAF1 were revealed to be an independent prognostic indicator in MSI‑positive CRC. These findings suggested that MAF1 may have an essential role in CRC progression, particularly in MSI‑positive cases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Naohiro Nishida
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery
- Department of Frontier Science for Cancer and Chemotherapy, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565 0871, Japan
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23
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Wong J, Choi SYC, Liu R, Xu E, Killam J, Gout PW, Wang Y. Potential Therapies for Infectious Diseases Based on Targeting Immune Evasion Mechanisms That Pathogens Have in Common With Cancer Cells. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:25. [PMID: 30809511 PMCID: PMC6379255 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many global infectious diseases are not well-controlled, underlining a critical need for new, more effective therapies. Pathogens and pathogen-infected host cells, like cancer cells, evade immune surveillance via immune evasion mechanisms. The present study indicates that pathogenic bacteria, endoparasites, and virus-infected host cells can have immune evasion mechanisms in common with cancers. These include entry into dormancy and metabolic reprogramming to aerobic glycolysis leading to excessive secretion of lactic acid and immobilization of local host immunity. The latter evasion tactic provides a therapeutic target for cancer, as shown by our recent finding that patient-derived cancer xenografts can be growth-arrested, without major host toxicity, by inhibiting their lactic acid secretion (as mediated by the MCT4 transporter)-with evidence of host immunity restoration. Accordingly, the multiplication of bacteria, endoparasites, and viruses that primarily depend on metabolic reprogramming to aerobic glycolysis for survival may be arrested using cancer treatment strategies that inhibit their lactic acid secretion. Immune evasion mechanisms shared by pathogens and cancer cells likely represent fundamental, evolutionarily-conserved mechanisms that may be particularly critical to their welfare. As such, their targeting may lead to novel therapies for infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi Wong
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Stephen Yiu Chuen Choi
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Urologic Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Rongrong Liu
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Eddie Xu
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Urologic Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - James Killam
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Peter W Gout
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Yuzhuo Wang
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Urologic Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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24
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Bennink S, von Bohl A, Ngwa CJ, Henschel L, Kuehn A, Pilch N, Weißbach T, Rosinski AN, Scheuermayer M, Repnik U, Przyborski JM, Minns AM, Orchard LM, Griffiths G, Lindner SE, Llinás M, Pradel G. A seven-helix protein constitutes stress granules crucial for regulating translation during human-to-mosquito transmission of Plasmodium falciparum. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1007249. [PMID: 30133543 PMCID: PMC6122839 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The complex life-cycle of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum requires a high degree of tight coordination allowing the parasite to adapt to changing environments. One of the major challenges for the parasite is the human-to-mosquito transmission, which starts with the differentiation of blood stage parasites into the transmissible gametocytes, followed by the rapid conversion of the gametocytes into gametes, once they are taken up by the blood-feeding Anopheles vector. In order to pre-adapt to this change of host, the gametocytes store transcripts in stress granules that encode proteins needed for parasite development in the mosquito. Here we report on a novel stress granule component, the seven-helix protein 7-Helix-1. The protein, a homolog of the human stress response regulator LanC-like 2, accumulates in stress granules of female gametocytes and interacts with ribonucleoproteins, such as CITH, DOZI, and PABP1. Malaria parasites lacking 7-Helix-1 are significantly impaired in female gametogenesis and thus transmission to the mosquito. Lack of 7-Helix-1 further leads to a deregulation of components required for protein synthesis. Consistently, inhibitors of translation could mimic the 7-Helix-1 loss-of-function phenotype. 7-Helix-1 forms a complex with the RNA-binding protein Puf2, a translational regulator of the female-specific antigen Pfs25, as well as with pfs25-coding mRNA. In accord, gametocytes deficient of 7-Helix-1 exhibit impaired Pfs25 synthesis. Our data demonstrate that 7-Helix-1 constitutes stress granules crucial for regulating the synthesis of proteins needed for life-cycle progression of Plasmodium in the mosquito vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Bennink
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Andreas von Bohl
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Che J. Ngwa
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Leonie Henschel
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Andrea Kuehn
- Research Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Pilch
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Tim Weißbach
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Alina N. Rosinski
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | | | - Urska Repnik
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Allen M. Minns
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Lindsey M. Orchard
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | | | - Scott E. Lindner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry & Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Gabriele Pradel
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Duffy S, Avery VM. Routine In Vitro Culture of Plasmodium falciparum: Experimental Consequences? Trends Parasitol 2018; 34:564-575. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2018.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Graczyk D, Cieśla M, Boguta M. Regulation of tRNA synthesis by the general transcription factors of RNA polymerase III - TFIIIB and TFIIIC, and by the MAF1 protein. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2018; 1861:320-329. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2018.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2017] [Revised: 01/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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