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Duffy PE, Gorres JP, Healy SA, Fried M. Malaria vaccines: a new era of prevention and control. Nat Rev Microbiol 2024:10.1038/s41579-024-01065-7. [PMID: 39025972 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-024-01065-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Malaria killed over 600,000 people in 2022, a death toll that has not improved since 2015. Additionally, parasites and mosquitoes resistant to existing interventions are spreading across Africa and other regions. Vaccines offer hope to reduce the mortality burden: the first licensed malaria vaccines, RTS,S and R21, will be widely deployed in 2024 and should substantially reduce childhood deaths. In this Review, we provide an overview of the malaria problem and the Plasmodium parasite, then describe the RTS,S and R21 vaccines (the first vaccines for any human parasitic disease), summarizing their benefits and limitations. We explore next-generation vaccines designed using new knowledge of malaria pathogenesis and protective immunity, which incorporate antigens and platforms to elicit effective immune responses against different parasite stages in human or mosquito hosts. We describe a decision-making process that prioritizes malaria vaccine candidates for development in a resource-constrained environment. Future vaccines might improve upon the protective efficacy of RTS,S or R21 for children, or address the wider malaria scourge by preventing pregnancy malaria, reducing the burden of Plasmodium vivax or accelerating malaria elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick E Duffy
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - J Patrick Gorres
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sara A Healy
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michal Fried
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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2
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Li J, Shami GJ, Liffner B, Cho E, Braet F, Duraisingh MT, Absalon S, Dixon MWA, Tilley L. Disruption of Plasmodium falciparum kinetochore proteins destabilises the nexus between the centrosome equivalent and the mitotic apparatus. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5794. [PMID: 38987258 PMCID: PMC11237077 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50167-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum is the causative agent of malaria and remains a pathogen of global importance. Asexual blood stage replication, via a process called schizogony, is an important target for the development of new antimalarials. Here we use ultrastructure-expansion microscopy to probe the organisation of the chromosome-capturing kinetochores in relation to the mitotic spindle, the centriolar plaque, the centromeres and the apical organelles during schizont development. Conditional disruption of the kinetochore components, PfNDC80 and PfNuf2, is associated with aberrant mitotic spindle organisation, disruption of the centromere marker, CENH3 and impaired karyokinesis. Surprisingly, kinetochore disruption also leads to disengagement of the centrosome equivalent from the nuclear envelope. Severing the connection between the nucleus and the apical complex leads to the formation of merozoites lacking nuclei. Here, we show that correct assembly of the kinetochore/spindle complex plays a previously unrecognised role in positioning the nascent apical complex in developing P. falciparum merozoites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahong Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gerald J Shami
- School of Medical Sciences (Molecular and Cellular Biomedicine) & Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Benjamin Liffner
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Ellie Cho
- Biological Optical Microscopy Platform, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Filip Braet
- School of Medical Sciences (Molecular and Cellular Biomedicine) & Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Manoj T Duraisingh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sabrina Absalon
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Matthew W A Dixon
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Peter Doherty Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Leann Tilley
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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3
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Guttery DS, Zeeshan M, Holder AA, Tewari R. The molecular mechanisms driving Plasmodium cell division. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:593-602. [PMID: 38563493 PMCID: PMC11088906 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230403] [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: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Malaria, a vector borne disease, is a major global health and socioeconomic problem caused by the apicomplexan protozoan parasite Plasmodium. The parasite alternates between mosquito vector and vertebrate host, with meiosis in the mosquito and proliferative mitotic cell division in both hosts. In the canonical eukaryotic model, cell division is either by open or closed mitosis and karyokinesis is followed by cytokinesis; whereas in Plasmodium closed mitosis is not directly accompanied by concomitant cell division. Key molecular players and regulatory mechanisms of this process have been identified, but the pivotal role of certain protein complexes and the post-translational modifications that modulate their actions are still to be deciphered. Here, we discuss recent evidence for the function of known proteins in Plasmodium cell division and processes that are potential novel targets for therapeutic intervention. We also identify key questions to open new and exciting research to understand divergent Plasmodium cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S. Guttery
- School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, U.K
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, U.K
| | - Mohammad Zeeshan
- School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, U.K
| | - Anthony A. Holder
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, U.K
| | - Rita Tewari
- School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, U.K
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Walker IS, Rogerson SJ. Pathogenicity and virulence of malaria: Sticky problems and tricky solutions. Virulence 2023; 14:2150456. [PMID: 36419237 PMCID: PMC9815252 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2022.2150456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections with Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax cause over 600,000 deaths each year, concentrated in Africa and in young children, but much of the world's population remain at risk of infection. In this article, we review the latest developments in the immunogenicity and pathogenesis of malaria, with a particular focus on P. falciparum, the leading malaria killer. Pathogenic factors include parasite-derived toxins and variant surface antigens on infected erythrocytes that mediate sequestration in the deep vasculature. Host response to parasite toxins and to variant antigens is an important determinant of disease severity. Understanding how parasites sequester, and how antibody to variant antigens could prevent sequestration, may lead to new approaches to treat and prevent disease. Difficulties in malaria diagnosis, drug resistance, and specific challenges of treating P. vivax pose challenges to malaria elimination, but vaccines and other preventive strategies may offer improved disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isobel S Walker
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne, The Doherty Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Stephen J Rogerson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne, The Doherty Institute, Melbourne, Australia
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Rosenthal MR, Ng CL. High-content imaging as a tool to quantify and characterize malaria parasites. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2023; 3:100516. [PMID: 37533635 PMCID: PMC10391350 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
In 2021, Plasmodium falciparum was responsible for 619,000 reported malaria-related deaths. Resistance has been detected to every clinically used antimalarial, urging the development of novel antimalarials with uncompromised mechanisms of actions. High-content imaging allows researchers to collect and quantify numerous phenotypic properties at the single-cell level, and machine learning-based approaches enable automated classification and clustering of cell populations. By combining these technologies, we developed a method capable of robustly differentiating and quantifying P. falciparum asexual blood stages. These phenotypic properties also allow for the quantification of changes in parasite morphology. Here, we demonstrate that our analysis can be used to quantify schizont nuclei, a phenotype that previously had to be enumerated manually. By monitoring stage progression and quantifying parasite phenotypes, our method can discern stage specificity of new compounds, thus providing insight into the compound's mode of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa R. Rosenthal
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Caroline L. Ng
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Global Center for Health Security, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, USA
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Singh P, Tabassum W, Fangaria N, Dey S, Padhi S, Bhattacharyya MK, Arun Kumar K, Roy A, Bhattacharyya S. Plasmodium Topoisomerase VIB and Spo11 Constitute Functional Type IIB Topoisomerase in Malaria Parasite: Its Possible Role in Mitochondrial DNA Segregation. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0498022. [PMID: 37212694 PMCID: PMC10269783 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04980-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The human malaria parasite undergoes a noncanonical cell division, namely, endoreduplication, where several rounds of nuclear, mitochondrial, and apicoplast replication occur without cytoplasmic division. Despite its importance in Plasmodium biology, the topoisomerases essential for decatenation of replicated chromosome during endoreduplication remain elusive. We hypothesize that the topoisomerase VI complex, containing Plasmodium falciparum topiosomerase VIB (PfTopoVIB) and catalytic P. falciparum Spo11 (PfSpo11), might be involved in the segregation of the Plasmodium mitochondrial genome. Here, we demonstrate that the putative PfSpo11 is the functional ortholog of yeast Spo11 that can complement the sporulation defects of the yeast Δspo11 strain, and the catalytic mutant Pfspo11Y65F cannot complement such defects. PfTopoVIB and PfSpo11 display a distinct expression pattern compared to the other type II topoisomerases of Plasmodium and are induced specifically at the late schizont stage of the parasite, when the mitochondrial genome segregation occurs. Furthermore, PfTopoVIB and PfSpo11 are physically associated with each other at the late schizont stage, and both subunits are localized in the mitochondria. Using PfTopoVIB- and PfSpo11-specific antibodies, we immunoprecipitated the chromatin of tightly synchronous early, mid-, and late schizont stage-specific parasites and found that both the subunits are associated with the mitochondrial genome during the late schizont stage of the parasite. Furthermore, PfTopoVIB inhibitor radicicol and atovaquone show synergistic interaction. Accordingly, atovaquone-mediated disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential reduces the import and recruitment of both subunits of PfTopoVI to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in a dose-dependent manner. The structural differences between PfTopoVIB and human TopoVIB-like protein could be exploited for development of a novel antimalarial agent. IMPORTANCE This study demonstrates a likely role of topoisomerase VI in the mitochondrial genome segregation of Plasmodium falciparum during endoreduplication. We show that PfTopoVIB and PfSpo11 remain associated and form the functional holoenzyme within the parasite. The spatiotemporal expression of both subunits of PfTopoVI correlates well with their recruitment to the mitochondrial DNA at the late schizont stage of the parasite. Additionally, the synergistic interaction between PfTopoVI inhibitor and the disruptor of mitochondrial membrane potential, atovaquone, supports that topoisomerase VI is the mitochondrial topoisomerase of the malaria parasite. We propose that topoisomerase VI may act as a novel target against malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Singh
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Wahida Tabassum
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Nupur Fangaria
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Sandeep Dey
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Siladitya Padhi
- TCS Research-Hyderabad (Life Sciences Division), Tata Consultancy Services Limited, Hyderabad, India
| | - Mrinal K. Bhattacharyya
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Kota Arun Kumar
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Arijit Roy
- TCS Research-Hyderabad (Life Sciences Division), Tata Consultancy Services Limited, Hyderabad, India
| | - Sunanda Bhattacharyya
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
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Polino AJ, Hasan MM, Floyd K, Avila-Cruz Y, Yang Y, Goldberg DE. An essential endoplasmic reticulum-resident N-acetyltransferase ortholog in Plasmodium falciparum. J Cell Sci 2023; 136:286919. [PMID: 36744402 PMCID: PMC10038149 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.260551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
N-terminal acetylation is a common eukaryotic protein modification that involves the addition of an acetyl group to the N-terminus of a polypeptide. This modification is largely performed by cytosolic N-terminal acetyltransferases (NATs). Most associate with the ribosome, acetylating nascent polypeptides co-translationally. In the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, exported effectors are thought to be translated into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), processed by the aspartic protease plasmepsin V and then N-acetylated, despite having no clear access to cytosolic NATs. Here, we used inducible gene deletion and post-transcriptional knockdown to investigate the primary ER-resident NAT candidate, Pf3D7_1437000. We found that it localizes to the ER and is required for parasite growth. However, depletion of Pf3D7_1437000 had no effect on protein export or acetylation of the exported proteins HRP2 and HRP3. Despite this, Pf3D7_1437000 depletion impedes parasite development within the host red blood cell and prevents parasites from completing genome replication. Thus, this work provides further proof of N-terminal acetylation of secretory system proteins, a process unique to apicomplexan parasites, but strongly discounts a promising candidate for this post-translational modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Polino
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Muhammad M Hasan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Katherine Floyd
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Yolotzin Avila-Cruz
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Yujuan Yang
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
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Abstract
Malaria remains a significant threat to global health, and despite concerted efforts to curb the disease, malaria-related morbidity and mortality increased in recent years. Malaria is caused by unicellular eukaryotes of the genus Plasmodium, and all clinical manifestations occur during asexual proliferation of the parasite inside host erythrocytes. In the blood stage, Plasmodium proliferates through an unusual cell cycle mode called schizogony. Contrary to most studied eukaryotes, which divide by binary fission, the parasite undergoes several rounds of DNA replication and nuclear division that are not directly followed by cytokinesis, resulting in multinucleated cells. Moreover, despite sharing a common cytoplasm, these nuclei multiply asynchronously. Schizogony challenges our current models of cell cycle regulation and, at the same time, offers targets for therapeutic interventions. Over the recent years, the adaptation of advanced molecular and cell biological techniques have given us deeper insight how DNA replication, nuclear division, and cytokinesis are coordinated. Here, we review our current understanding of the chronological events that characterize the unusual cell division cycle of P. falciparum in the clinically relevant blood stage of infection.
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Okek EJ, Ocan M, Obondo SJ, Kiyimba A, Arinaitwe E, Nankabirwa J, Ssewanyana I, Kamya MR. Effects of anti-malarial prophylaxes on maternal transfer of Immunoglobulin-G (IgG) and association to immunity against Plasmodium falciparum infections among children in a Ugandan birth cohort. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0277789. [PMID: 36812236 PMCID: PMC9946240 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The in-utero transfer of malaria specific IgG to the fetus in Plasmodium falciparum infected pregnant women potentially plays a role in provision of immune protection against malaria in the first birth year. However, the effect of Intermittent Prophylactic Treatment in Pregnancy (IPTp) and placental malaria on the extent of in-utero antibody transfer in malaria endemic regions like Uganda remain unknown. The aim of this study was thus to establish the effect of IPTp on in-utero transfer of malaria specific IgG to the fetus and the associated immune protection against malaria in the first birth year of children born to mothers who had P. falciparum infection during pregnancy in Uganda. METHODS We screened a total of 637 cord blood samples from a double blinded randomized clinical trial on Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP) and Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine (DP) IPTp in a Ugandan birth cohort; study conducted from Busia, Eastern Uganda. Luminex assay was used to measure the cord levels of IgG sub-types (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4) against 15 different P. falciparum specific antigens, with tetanus toxoid (t.t) as a control antigen. Man-Whitney U test (non-parametric) in STATA (ver15) was used in statistical analysis of the samples. In addition, Multivariate cox regression analysis was used to determine the effect of maternal transfer of IgG on the incidence of malaria in the first birth year of children under study. RESULTS Mothers on SP expressed higher levels of cord IgG4 against erythrocyte binding antigens (EBA140, EBA175 and EBA181) (p<0.05). Placental malaria did not affect cord levels of IgG sub-types against selected P. falciparum specific antigens (p>0.05). Children who expressed higher levels (75th percentile) of total IgG against the six key P. falciparum antigens (Pf SEA, Rh4.2, AMA1, GLURP, Etramp5Ag1 and EBA 175) had higher risk of malaria in the first birth year; AHRs: 1.092, 95% CI: 1.02-1.17 (Rh4.2); 1.32, 95% CI: 1.00-1.74 (PfSEA); 1.21, 95%CI: 0.97-1.52 (Etramp5Ag1); 1.25, 95%CI: 0.98-1.60 (AMA1); 1.83, 95%CI: 1.15-2.93 (GLURP) (GLURP), and 1.35,; 95%CI: 1.03-1.78 (EBA175). Children born to mothers categorized as poorest had the highest risk of malaria infections in the first birth year (AHR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.31-2.4). Children born to mothers who had malaria infections during gestation had higher risk of getting malaria in the first birth year (AHR 1.30; 95%CI: 0.97-1.7). CONCLUSION Malaria prophylaxis in pregnant mothers using either DP or SP does not affect expression of antibodies against P. falciparum specific antigens in the cord blood. Poverty and malaria infections during pregnancy are key risk factors of malaria infections in the first birth year of growth of children. Antibodies against P. falciparum specific antigens does not protect against parasitemia and malaria infections in the first birth year of children born in malaria endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick Jacob Okek
- Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Department of Medicine, Malaria Research Training Program, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- * E-mail:
| | - Moses Ocan
- Department of Medicine, Malaria Research Training Program, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sande James Obondo
- Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Anthony Kiyimba
- San Francisco Infectious Disease Research Collaboration, Makerere University-University of California, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Emmanuel Arinaitwe
- Department of Medicine, Malaria Research Training Program, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- San Francisco Infectious Disease Research Collaboration, Makerere University-University of California, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Joaniter Nankabirwa
- Department of Medicine, Malaria Research Training Program, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- San Francisco Infectious Disease Research Collaboration, Makerere University-University of California, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Isaac Ssewanyana
- San Francisco Infectious Disease Research Collaboration, Makerere University-University of California, Kampala, Uganda
- Central Public Health Laboratories, Ministry of Health, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Moses Robert Kamya
- Department of Medicine, Malaria Research Training Program, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- San Francisco Infectious Disease Research Collaboration, Makerere University-University of California, Kampala, Uganda
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Duffy PE. Current approaches to malaria vaccines. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 70:102227. [PMID: 36343566 PMCID: PMC11127243 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The complex Plasmodium life cycle offers different vaccine approaches with distinct parasitological and clinical effects. The approaches and their rationales were established decades ago: vaccines targeting pre-erythrocytic (sporozoite and liver-stage) parasites prevent infection, those to blood-stage parasites reduce disease, and those to sexual-stage parasites or mosquito vector reduce transmission and eliminate malaria through herd immunity. The pre-erythrocytic RTS,S vaccine (Mosquirix, GlaskoSmithKline (GSK)), recommended by WHO in 2021, reduces clinical malaria in children. Knowledge of parasite biology, host-parasite interactions, and immune mechanisms is informing new concepts to improve on RTS,S and to target other parasite stages. This review emphasizes vaccine approaches and candidates currently in the clinic or likely to enter clinical testing soon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick E Duffy
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Jaramillo-Underwood A, Impoinvil D, Sutcliff A, Hamre KES, Joseph V, van den Hoogen L, Lemoine JF, Ashton RA, Chang MA, Existe A, Boncy J, Drakeley C, Stresman G, Druetz T, Eisele T, Rogier E. Factors Associated With Human IgG Antibody Response to Anopheles albimanus Salivary Gland Extract, Artibonite Department, Haiti, 2017. J Infect Dis 2022; 226:1461-1469. [PMID: 35711005 PMCID: PMC10982684 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Serological data can provide estimates of human exposure to both malaria vector and parasite based on antibody responses. A multiplex bead-based assay was developed to simultaneously detect IgG to Anopheles albimanus salivary gland extract (SGE) and 23 Plasmodium falciparum antigens among 4185 participants enrolled in Artibonite department, Haiti in 2017. Logistic regression adjusted for participant- and site-level covariates and found children under 5 years and 6-15 years old had 3.7- and 5.4-fold increase in odds, respectively, of high anti-SGE IgG compared to participants >15 years. Seropositivity to P. falciparum CSP, Rh2_2030, and SEA-1 antigens was significantly associated with high IgG response against SGE, and participant enrolment at elevations under 200 m was associated with higher anti-SGE IgG levels. The ability to approximate population exposure to malaria vectors through SGE serology data is very dependent by age categories, and SGE antigens can be easily integrated into a multiplex serological assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Jaramillo-Underwood
- Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Daniel Impoinvil
- Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Alice Sutcliff
- Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Karen E. S. Hamre
- Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Vena Joseph
- Center for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Department of Tropical Medicine, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Lotus van den Hoogen
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jean Frantz Lemoine
- Programme National de Contrôle de la Malaria, Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
| | - Ruth A. Ashton
- Center for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Department of Tropical Medicine, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Michelle A. Chang
- Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Alexandre Existe
- Laboratorie National de Santé Publique, Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
| | - Jacques Boncy
- Laboratorie National de Santé Publique, Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
| | - Chris Drakeley
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gillian Stresman
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Druetz
- Center for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Department of Tropical Medicine, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montreal School of Public Health, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Thomas Eisele
- Center for Applied Malaria Research and Evaluation, Department of Tropical Medicine, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Eric Rogier
- Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Brusini L, Dos Santos Pacheco N, Tromer EC, Soldati-Favre D, Brochet M. Composition and organization of kinetochores show plasticity in apicomplexan chromosome segregation. J Cell Biol 2022; 221:213421. [PMID: 36006241 PMCID: PMC9418836 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202111084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Kinetochores are multiprotein assemblies directing mitotic spindle attachment and chromosome segregation. In apicomplexan parasites, most known kinetochore components and associated regulators are apparently missing, suggesting a minimal structure with limited control over chromosome segregation. In this study, we use interactomics combined with deep homology searches to identify 13 previously unknown components of kinetochores in Apicomplexa. Apicomplexan kinetochores are highly divergent in sequence and composition from animal and fungal models. The nanoscale organization includes at least four discrete compartments, each displaying different biochemical interactions, subkinetochore localizations and evolutionary rates across the phylum. We reveal alignment of kinetochores at the metaphase plate in both Plasmodium berghei and Toxoplasma gondii, suggestive of a conserved "hold signal" that prevents precocious entry into anaphase. Finally, we show unexpected plasticity in kinetochore composition and segregation between apicomplexan lifecycle stages, suggestive of diverse requirements to maintain fidelity of chromosome segregation across parasite modes of division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Brusini
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland,Correspondence to Lorenzo Brusini:
| | - Nicolas Dos Santos Pacheco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Eelco C. Tromer
- Cell Biochemistry, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mathieu Brochet
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland,Mathieu Brochet:
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Abugri J, Ayariga J, Sunwiale SS, Wezena CA, Gyamfi JA, Adu-Frimpong M, Agongo G, Dongdem JT, Abugri D, Dinko B. Targeting the Plasmodium falciparum proteome and organelles for potential antimalarial drug candidates. Heliyon 2022; 8:e10390. [PMID: 36033316 PMCID: PMC9398786 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an unmet need to unearth alternative treatment options for malaria, wherein this quest is more pressing in recent times due to high morbidity and mortality data arising mostly from the endemic countries coupled with partial diversion of attention from the disease in view of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic. Available therapeutic options for malaria have been severely threatened with the emergence of resistance to almost all the antimalarial drugs by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite in humans, which is a worrying situation. Artemisinin combination therapies (ACT) that have so far been the mainstay of malaria have encountered resistance by malaria parasite in South East Asia, which is regarded as a notorious ground zero for the emergence of resistance to antimalarial drugs. This review analyzes a few key druggable targets for the parasite and the potential of specific inhibitors to mitigate the emerging antimalarial drug resistance problem by providing a concise assessment of the essential proteins of the malaria parasite that could serve as targets. Moreover, this work provides a summary of the advances made in malaria parasite biology and the potential to leverage these findings for antimalarial drug production.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Abugri
- Department of Biochemistry and Forensic Sciences, School of Chemical and Biochemical Sciences, C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS), Navrongo, Ghana
| | - Joseph Ayariga
- The Biomedical Engineering Programme, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL, 36104, USA
| | - Samuel Sunyazi Sunwiale
- Department of Biochemistry and Forensic Sciences, School of Chemical and Biochemical Sciences, C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS), Navrongo, Ghana
| | - Cletus Adiyaga Wezena
- Department of Microbiology, School of Biosciences, University for Development Studies (UDS), Nyankpala Campus, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Julien Agyemang Gyamfi
- Department of Biochemistry and Forensic Sciences, School of Chemical and Biochemical Sciences, C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS), Navrongo, Ghana
| | - Michael Adu-Frimpong
- Department of Biochemistry and Forensic Sciences, School of Chemical and Biochemical Sciences, C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS), Navrongo, Ghana
| | - Godfred Agongo
- Department of Biochemistry and Forensic Sciences, School of Chemical and Biochemical Sciences, C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS), Navrongo, Ghana
| | - Julius Tieroyaare Dongdem
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. School of Medicine. University for Development Studies (UDS), Tamale-Campus, Ghana
| | - Daniel Abugri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Microbiology PhD Programme, Laboratory of Ethnomedicine, Parasitology, and Drug Discovery, College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Alabama State University, Montgomery, USA
| | - Bismarck Dinko
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho. Ghana
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Abstract
All intracellular pathogens must escape (egress) from the confines of their host cell to disseminate and proliferate. The malaria parasite only replicates in an intracellular vacuole or in a cyst, and must undergo egress at four distinct phases during its complex life cycle, each time disrupting, in a highly regulated manner, the membranes or cyst wall that entrap the parasites. This Cell Science at a Glance article and accompanying poster summarises our current knowledge of the morphological features of egress across the Plasmodium life cycle, the molecular mechanisms that govern the process, and how researchers are working to exploit this knowledge to develop much-needed new approaches to malaria control. ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele S Y Tan
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Michael J Blackman
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK .,Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
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