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Horvath A, Janapala Y, Woodward K, Mahmud S, Cleynen A, Gardiner E, Hannan R, Eyras E, Preiss T, Shirokikh N. Comprehensive translational profiling and STE AI uncover rapid control of protein biosynthesis during cell stress. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:7925-7946. [PMID: 38721779 PMCID: PMC11260467 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae365] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Translational control is important in all life, but it remains a challenge to accurately quantify. When ribosomes translate messenger (m)RNA into proteins, they attach to the mRNA in series, forming poly(ribo)somes, and can co-localize. Here, we computationally model new types of co-localized ribosomal complexes on mRNA and identify them using enhanced translation complex profile sequencing (eTCP-seq) based on rapid in vivo crosslinking. We detect long disome footprints outside regions of non-random elongation stalls and show these are linked to translation initiation and protein biosynthesis rates. We subject footprints of disomes and other translation complexes to artificial intelligence (AI) analysis and construct a new, accurate and self-normalized measure of translation, termed stochastic translation efficiency (STE). We then apply STE to investigate rapid changes to mRNA translation in yeast undergoing glucose depletion. Importantly, we show that, well beyond tagging elongation stalls, footprints of co-localized ribosomes provide rich insight into translational mechanisms, polysome dynamics and topology. STE AI ranks cellular mRNAs by absolute translation rates under given conditions, can assist in identifying its control elements and will facilitate the development of next-generation synthetic biology designs and mRNA-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Horvath
- Division of Genome Sciences and Cancer, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, and The Shine-Dalgarno Centre for RNA Innovation, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Yoshika Janapala
- Division of Genome Sciences and Cancer, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, and The Shine-Dalgarno Centre for RNA Innovation, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Katrina Woodward
- Division of Genome Sciences and Cancer, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, and The Shine-Dalgarno Centre for RNA Innovation, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Shafi Mahmud
- Division of Genome Sciences and Cancer, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, and The Shine-Dalgarno Centre for RNA Innovation, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Alice Cleynen
- Division of Genome Sciences and Cancer, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, and The Shine-Dalgarno Centre for RNA Innovation, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- Institut Montpelliérain Alexander Grothendieck, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Elizabeth E Gardiner
- Division of Genome Sciences and Cancer, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, and The National Platelet Research and Referral Centre, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Ross D Hannan
- Division of Genome Sciences and Cancer, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, and The Shine-Dalgarno Centre for RNA Innovation, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne 3000, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia 4067, Australia
| | - Eduardo Eyras
- Division of Genome Sciences and Cancer, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, and The Shine-Dalgarno Centre for RNA Innovation, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- Division of Genome Sciences and Cancer, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, and The Centre for Computational Biomedical Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- EMBL Australia Partner Laboratory Network at the Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Thomas Preiss
- Division of Genome Sciences and Cancer, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, and The Shine-Dalgarno Centre for RNA Innovation, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Nikolay E Shirokikh
- Division of Genome Sciences and Cancer, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, and The Shine-Dalgarno Centre for RNA Innovation, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
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Abdi Ghavidel A, Bandehpour M, Noori E, Jajarmi V, Kazemi B. Comparing the Yield of Recombinant Human Factor VII Protein Expressed by the rDNA-Promoter with the CMV-Promoter in Iranian Lizard Leishmania. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 2024; 19:192-202. [PMID: 39011538 PMCID: PMC11246214 DOI: 10.18502/ijpa.v19i2.15855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Background Iranian Lizard Leishmania (I.L.L) is a nonpathogenic Leishmania strain. Due to its advantages, several recombinant proteins have been produced in this host. However, I.L.L shows a lower yield of recombinant protein expression compared to other commercial hosts. Considering the role of protease enzymes in protein digestion, we selected cysteine protease B (CPB) to investigate its impact on recombinant protein yield in I.L.L. Methods we generated gene knockouts by utilizing homologous recombination (HR) and CRISPR methods. To assess the efficacy of the designed construct, we compared the yield of recombinant human factor VII (rhFVII) production between cells transfected with the pLEXSY-hyg2-FVII vector and the CMV-promoter-based construct (pF7cmvneo). Results The knockout of a single CPB gene allele through the HR method or the complete knockout of all alleles through the CRISPR method led to cell death. This outcome suggests that even the deletion of a single CPB gene allele diminishes the protein to a level insufficient for the survival of I.L.L, indicating a critical dependency on the presence of this protein for the organism's viability. rhFVII exhibited a greater expression yield with the pLEXSY construct compared to the pF7cmvneo construct in I.L.L. The lower expression rate of pF7cmvneo may be influenced by epigenetic factors related to the CPC gene or the RNA polymerase used for the expression of that promoter. Conclusion Therefore, considering alternative integration targets for CMV-promoter-based constructs and incorporating UTR sequences of I.L.L high-expression proteins in the vector may enhance recombinant protein expression rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afshin Abdi Ghavidel
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mojgan Bandehpour
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Effat Noori
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Jajarmi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahram Kazemi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Sánchez-Salvador A, González-de la Fuente S, Aguado B, Yates PA, Requena JM. Refinement of Leishmania donovani Genome Annotations in the Light of Ribosome-Protected mRNAs Fragments (Ribo-Seq Data). Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1637. [PMID: 37628688 PMCID: PMC10454037 DOI: 10.3390/genes14081637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in next-generation sequencing methodologies have facilitated the assembly of an ever-increasing number of genomes. Gene annotations are typically conducted via specialized software, but the most accurate results require additional manual curation that incorporates insights derived from functional and bioinformatic analyses (e.g., transcriptomics, proteomics, and phylogenetics). In this study, we improved the annotation of the Leishmania donovani (strain HU3) genome using publicly available data from the deep sequencing of ribosome-protected mRNA fragments (Ribo-Seq). As a result of this analysis, we uncovered 70 previously non-annotated protein-coding genes and improved the annotation of around 600 genes. Additionally, we present evidence for small upstream open reading frames (uORFs) in a significant number of transcripts, indicating their potential role in the translational regulation of gene expression. The bioinformatics pipelines developed for these analyses can be used to improve the genome annotations of other organisms for which Ribo-Seq data are available. The improvements provided by these studies will bring us closer to the ultimate goal of a complete and accurately annotated L. donovani genome and will enhance future transcriptomics, proteomics, and genetics studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Sánchez-Salvador
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Departamento de Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Biología Molecular (IUBM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Sandra González-de la Fuente
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Genomic and NGS Facility (GENGS), 28049 Madrid, Spain; (S.G.-d.l.F.); (B.A.)
| | - Begoña Aguado
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Genomic and NGS Facility (GENGS), 28049 Madrid, Spain; (S.G.-d.l.F.); (B.A.)
| | - Phillip A. Yates
- Department of Chemical Physiology & Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Jose M. Requena
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), Departamento de Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Biología Molecular (IUBM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain;
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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Gutierrez Guarnizo SA, Tikhonova EB, Karamyshev AL, Muskus CE, Karamysheva ZN. Translational reprogramming as a driver of antimony-drug resistance in Leishmania. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2605. [PMID: 37147291 PMCID: PMC10163012 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38221-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania is a unicellular protozoan that has a limited transcriptional control and mostly uses post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression, although the molecular mechanisms of the process are still poorly understood. Treatments of leishmaniasis, pathologies associated with Leishmania infections, are limited due to drug resistance. Here, we report dramatic differences in mRNA translation in antimony drug-resistant and sensitive strains at the full translatome level. The major differences (2431 differentially translated transcripts) were demonstrated in the absence of the drug pressure supporting that complex preemptive adaptations are needed to efficiently compensate for the loss of biological fitness once they are exposed to the antimony. In contrast, drug-resistant parasites exposed to antimony activated a highly selective translation of only 156 transcripts. This selective mRNA translation is associated with surface protein rearrangement, optimized energy metabolism, amastins upregulation, and improved antioxidant response. We propose a novel model that establishes translational control as a major driver of antimony-resistant phenotypes in Leishmania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sneider Alexander Gutierrez Guarnizo
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA
- Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad de Antioquia. Medellín, Medellín, 050010, Colombia
| | - Elena B Tikhonova
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA
| | - Andrey L Karamyshev
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA.
| | - Carlos E Muskus
- Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad de Antioquia. Medellín, Medellín, 050010, Colombia.
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Kamran M, Bhattacharjee R, Das S, Mukherjee S, Ali N. The paradigm of intracellular parasite survival and drug resistance in leishmanial parasite through genome plasticity and epigenetics: Perception and future perspective. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1001973. [PMID: 36814446 PMCID: PMC9939536 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1001973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania is an intracellular, zoonotic, kinetoplastid eukaryote with more than 1.2 million cases all over the world. The leishmanial chromosomes are divided into polymorphic chromosomal ends, conserved central domains, and antigen-encoding genes found in telomere-proximal regions. The genome flexibility of chromosomal ends of the leishmanial parasite is known to cause drug resistance and intracellular survival through the evasion of host defense mechanisms. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the plasticity of Leishmania genome organization which is the primary cause of drug resistance and parasite survival. Moreover, we have not only elucidated the causes of such genome plasticity which includes aneuploidy, epigenetic factors, copy number variation (CNV), and post-translation modification (PTM) but also highlighted their impact on drug resistance and parasite survival.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sonali Das
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Sohitri Mukherjee
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
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Clos J, Grünebast J, Holm M. Promastigote-to-Amastigote Conversion in Leishmania spp.-A Molecular View. Pathogens 2022; 11:1052. [PMID: 36145483 PMCID: PMC9503511 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11091052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
A key factor in the successful infection of a mammalian host by Leishmania parasites is their conversion from extracellular motile promastigotes into intracellular amastigotes. We discuss the physical and chemical triggers that induce this conversion and the accompanying changes at the molecular level crucial for the survival of these intracellular parasites. Special emphasis is given to the reliance of these trypanosomatids on the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression but also to the role played by protein kinases, chaperone proteins and proteolytic enzymes. Lastly, we offer a model to integrate the transduction of different stress signals for the induction of stage conversion.
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Cortazzo da Silva L, Aoki JI, Floeter-Winter LM. Finding Correlations Between mRNA and Protein Levels in Leishmania Development: Is There a Discrepancy? Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:852902. [PMID: 35903202 PMCID: PMC9318571 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.852902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple genes and proteins have been identified as differentially expressed in the stages of the Leishmania life cycle. The differentiation processes are implicated in specific transcriptional and proteomic adjustments driven by gene expression regulation mechanisms. Leishmania parasites lack gene-specific transcriptional control, and gene expression regulation mostly depends on posttranscriptional mechanisms. Due to the lack of transcriptional regulation, criticism regarding the relevance of transcript quantification as a possible and efficient prediction of protein levels is recurrent in studies that use transcriptomic information. The advent of high-throughput technologies has improved the analysis of genomes, transcriptomes and proteomes for different organisms under several conditions. Nevertheless, defining the correlation between transcriptional and proteomic profiles requires arduous and expensive work and remains a challenge in Leishmania. In this review, we analyze transcriptomic and proteomic data for several Leishmania species in two different stages of the parasite life cycle: metacyclogenesis and amastigogenesis (amastigote differentiation). We found a correlation between mRNA and protein levels of 60.9% and 69.8% for metacyclogenesis and amastigogenesis, respectively; showing that majority mRNA and protein levels increase or decrease concomitantly. Among the analyzed genes that did not present correlation indicate that transcriptomic data should be carefully interpreted as protein expression. We also discuss possible explanations and mechanisms involved for this lack of correlation.
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Abstract
Leishmania donovani is a parasitic protist that causes the lethal Kala-azar fever in India and East Africa. Gene expression in Leishmania is regulated by gene copy number variation and inducible translation while RNA synthesis initiates at a small number of sites per chromosome and proceeds through polycistronic transcription units, precluding a gene-specific regulation (C. Clayton and M. Shapira, Mol Biochem Parasitol 156:93–101, 2007, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molbiopara.2007.07.007). Here, we analyze the dynamics of chromatin structure in both life cycle stages of the parasite and find evidence for an additional, epigenetic gene regulation pathway in this early branching eukaryote. The assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq) analysis (J. D. Buenrostro, P. G. Giresi, L. C. Zaba, H. Y. Chang, and W. J. Greenleaf, Nat Methods 10:1213–1218, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.2688) predominantly shows euchromatin at transcription start regions in fast-growing promastigotes, but mostly heterochromatin in the slowly proliferating amastigotes, the mammalian stage, reflecting a previously shown increase of histone synthesis in the latter stage. IMPORTANCELeishmania parasites are important pathogens with a global impact and cause poverty-related illness and death. They are devoid of classic cis- and trans-acting transcription regulators but use regulated translation and gene copy number variations to adapt to hosts and environments. In this work, we show that transcription start regions present as open euchromatin in fast-growing insect stages but as less-accessible heterochromatin in the slowly proliferating amastigote stage, indicating an epigenetic control of gene accessibility in this early branching eukaryotic pathogen. This finding should stimulate renewed interest in the control of RNA synthesis in Leishmania and related parasites.
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Quantitative Proteomics Reveals that Hsp90 Inhibition Dynamically Regulates Global Protein Synthesis in Leishmania mexicana. mSystems 2021; 6:6/3/e00089-21. [PMID: 33975965 PMCID: PMC8125071 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00089-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a conserved molecular chaperone responsible for the folding and maturation of nascent proteins. Hsp90 is regarded as a master regulator of protein homeostasis in the cell, and its inhibition affects the functions of a large array of client proteins. The classical Hsp90 inhibitor tanespimycin has shown potent antileishmanial activity. Despite the increasing importance of Hsp90 inhibition in the development of antileishmanial agents, the global effects of these inhibitors on the parasite proteome remain unknown. By combining tanespimycin treatment with bioorthogonal noncanonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT) metabolic labeling and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based quantitative proteomic mass spectrometry, for the first time, we robustly profiled the relative changes in the synthesis of hundreds of parasite proteins as functions of dose and duration of the inhibitor treatment. We showed that Hsp90 inhibition dynamically regulates nascent protein synthesis in Leishmania mexicana, with many chaperones and virulence factors showing inhibitor concentration- and treatment duration-dependent changes in relative expression. Many ribosomal proteins showed a downregulation upon severe Hsp90 inhibition, providing the first protein-level evidence that Hsp90 inhibition affects the protein synthesis capacity of the ribosome in this organism. We also provide an unbiased target validation of tanespimycin in L. mexicana using live parasite photoaffinity labeling with a novel chemical probe and quantitative proteomic mass spectrometry. We showed that the classical Hsp90 inhibitor not only engages with its presumed target, Hsp83-1, in L. mexicana promastigotes but also affects multiple proteins involved in protein synthesis and quality control in the parasite. This study defines the Leishmania parasites' response to Hsp90 inhibition at the level of nascent global protein synthesis and provides a rich resource for future studies on Leishmania spp. biology and antileishmanial drug development.IMPORTANCE Leishmania spp. are the causative agents of leishmaniasis, a poverty-related disease, which is endemic in >90 countries worldwide, affecting approximately 12 million people, with an estimated 700,000 to 1 million new cases and around 70,000 deaths annually. Inhibitors of the chaperone protein Hsp90 have shown promising antileishmanial activity. However, further development of the Hsp90 inhibitors as antileishmanials is hampered by a lack of direct information of their downstream effects on the parasite proteome. Using a combination of mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics and chemical and metabolic labeling, we provide the first protein-level evidence that Hsp90 inhibition affects global protein synthesis in Leishmania We also provide the precise relative quantitative changes in the expressions of hundreds of affected proteins as functions of both the concentration and duration of the inhibitor treatment. We find that Leishmania regulates its ribosomal proteins under Hsp90 inhibition while a set of virulence factors and chaperones are preferentially synthesized.
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Elmahallawy EK, Alkhaldi AAM. Insights into Leishmania Molecules and Their Potential Contribution to the Virulence of the Parasite. Vet Sci 2021; 8:vetsci8020033. [PMID: 33672776 PMCID: PMC7924612 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci8020033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neglected parasitic diseases affect millions of people worldwide, resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Among other parasitic diseases, leishmaniasis remains an important public health problem caused by the protozoa of the genus Leishmania, transmitted by the bite of the female sand fly. The disease has also been linked to tropical and subtropical regions, in addition to being an endemic disease in many areas around the world, including the Mediterranean basin and South America. Although recent years have witnessed marked advances in Leishmania-related research in various directions, many issues have yet to be elucidated. The intention of the present review is to give an overview of the major virulence factors contributing to the pathogenicity of the parasite. We aimed to provide a concise picture of the factors influencing the reaction of the parasite in its host that might help to develop novel chemotherapeutic and vaccine strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehab Kotb Elmahallawy
- Department of Zoonoses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag 82524, Egypt
- Correspondence: (E.K.E.); (A.A.M.A.)
| | - Abdulsalam A. M. Alkhaldi
- Biology Department, College of Science, Jouf University, Sakaka, Aljouf 2014, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: (E.K.E.); (A.A.M.A.)
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Grünebast J, Clos J. Leishmania: Responding to environmental signals and challenges without regulated transcription. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:4016-4023. [PMID: 33363698 PMCID: PMC7744640 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.11.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Here we describe the non-canonical control of gene expression in Leishmania, a single-cell parasite that is responsible for one of the major neglected tropical diseases. We discuss the lack of regulated RNA synthesis, the post-transcriptional gene regulation including RNA stability and regulated translation. We also show that genetic adaptations such as mosaic aneuploidy, gene copy number variations and DNA sequence polymorphisms are important means for overcoming drug challenge and environmental diversity. These mechanisms are discussed in the context of the unique flow of genetic information found in Leishmania and related protists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janne Grünebast
- Leishmaniasis Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Clos
- Leishmaniasis Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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12
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Bea A, Kröber-Boncardo C, Sandhu M, Brinker C, Clos J. The Leishmania donovani SENP Protease Is Required for SUMO Processing but Not for Viability. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:E1198. [PMID: 33066659 PMCID: PMC7602377 DOI: 10.3390/genes11101198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani is part of an early eukaryotic branch and depends on post-transcriptional mechanisms for gene expression regulation. This includes post-transcriptional protein modifications, such as protein phosphorylation. The presence of genes for protein SUMOylation, i.e., the covalent attachment of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) polypeptides, in the Leishmania genomes prompted us to investigate the importance of the sentrin-specific protease (SENP) and its putative client, SUMO, for the vitality and infectivity of Leishmania donovani. While SENP null mutants are viable with reduced vitality, viable SUMO null mutant lines could not be obtained. SUMO C-terminal processing is disrupted in SENP null mutants, preventing SUMO from covalent attachment to proteins and nuclear translocation. Infectivity in vitro is not affected by the loss of SENP-dependent SUMO processing. We conclude that SENP is required for SUMO processing, but that functions of unprocessed SUMO are critical for Leishmania viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Bea
- Leishmaniasis Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany; (A.B.); (C.K.-B.); (M.S.); (C.B.)
| | - Constanze Kröber-Boncardo
- Leishmaniasis Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany; (A.B.); (C.K.-B.); (M.S.); (C.B.)
| | - Manpreet Sandhu
- Leishmaniasis Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany; (A.B.); (C.K.-B.); (M.S.); (C.B.)
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV, A-1121 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christine Brinker
- Leishmaniasis Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany; (A.B.); (C.K.-B.); (M.S.); (C.B.)
| | - Joachim Clos
- Leishmaniasis Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany; (A.B.); (C.K.-B.); (M.S.); (C.B.)
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Kröber-Boncardo C, Lorenzen S, Brinker C, Clos J. Casein kinase 1.2 over expression restores stress resistance to Leishmania donovani HSP23 null mutants. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15969. [PMID: 32994468 PMCID: PMC7525241 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72724-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania donovani is a trypanosomatidic parasite and causes the lethal kala-azar fever, a neglected tropical disease. The Trypanosomatida are devoid of transcriptional gene regulation and rely on gene copy number variations and translational control for their adaption to changing conditions. To survive at mammalian tissue temperatures, L. donovani relies on the small heat shock protein HSP23, the loss of which renders the parasites stress sensitive and impairs their proliferation. Here, we analysed a spontaneous escape mutant with wild type-like in vitro growth. Further selection of this escape strains resulted in a complete reversion of the phenotype. Whole genome sequencing revealed a correlation between stress tolerance and the massive amplification of a six-gene cluster on chromosome 35, with further analysis showing over expression of the casein kinase 1.2 gene as responsible. In vitro phosphorylation experiments established both HSP23 and the related P23 co-chaperone as substrates and modulators of casein kinase 1.2, providing evidence for another crucial link between chaperones and signal transduction protein kinases in this early branching eukaryote.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanze Kröber-Boncardo
- Leishmania Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht St 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stephan Lorenzen
- Department of Epidemiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christine Brinker
- Leishmania Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht St 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Clos
- Leishmania Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht St 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany.
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Ballesteros N, Vásquez NM, Patiño LH, Cruz-Saavedra L, Ramírez JD. Minor temperature shifts do not affect chromosomal ploidy but cause transcriptomic changes in Leishmania braziliensis promastigotes in vitro. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2020; 115:e190413. [PMID: 32348407 PMCID: PMC7184772 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760190413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The leishmaniases are complex neglected diseases caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. Leishmania braziliensis is the main etiological agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the New World. In recent studies, genomic changes such as chromosome and gene copy number variations (CNVs), as well as transcriptomic changes have been highlighted as mechanisms used by Leishmania species to adapt to stress situations. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine the effect of short-term minor temperature shifts in the genomic and transcriptomic responses of L. braziliensis promastigotes in vitro. METHODS Growth curves, genome and transcriptome sequencing of L. braziliensis promastigotes were conducted from cultures exposed to three different temperatures (24ºC, 28ºC and 30ºC) compared with the control temperature (26ºC). FINDINGS Our results showed a decrease in L. braziliensis proliferation at 30ºC, with around 3% of the genes showing CNVs at each temperature, and transcriptomic changes in genes encoding amastin surface-like proteins, heat shock proteins and transport proteins, which may indicate a direct response to temperature stress. MAIN CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence that L. braziliensis promastigotes exhibit a decrease in cell density, and noticeable changes in the transcriptomic profiles. However, there were not perceptible changes at chromosome CNVs and only ~3% of the genes changed their copies in each treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalia Ballesteros
- Universidad del Rosario, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Departamento de Biología, Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Nubia M Vásquez
- Universidad del Rosario, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Departamento de Biología, Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Luz H Patiño
- Universidad del Rosario, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Departamento de Biología, Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Lissa Cruz-Saavedra
- Universidad del Rosario, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Departamento de Biología, Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Juan David Ramírez
- Universidad del Rosario, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Departamento de Biología, Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas, Bogotá, Colombia
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15
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Kalesh K, Denny PW. A BONCAT-iTRAQ method enables temporally resolved quantitative profiling of newly synthesised proteins in Leishmania mexicana parasites during starvation. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007651. [PMID: 31856154 PMCID: PMC6939940 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptation to starvation is integral to the Leishmania life cycle. The parasite can survive prolonged periods of nutrient deprivation both in vitro and in vivo. The identification of parasite proteins synthesised during starvation is key to unravelling the underlying molecular mechanisms facilitating adaptation to these conditions. Additionally, as stress adaptation mechanisms in Leishmania are linked to virulence as well as infectivity, profiling of the complete repertoire of Newly Synthesised Proteins (NSPs) under starvation is important for drug target discovery. However, differential identification and quantitation of low abundance, starvation-specific NSPs from the larger background of the pre-existing parasite proteome has proven difficult, as this demands a highly selective and sensitive methodology. Herein we introduce an integrated chemical proteomics method in L. mexicana promastigotes that involves a powerful combination of the BONCAT technique and iTRAQ quantitative proteomics Mass Spectrometry (MS), which enabled temporally resolved quantitative profiling of de novo protein synthesis in the starving parasite. Uniquely, this approach integrates the high specificity of the BONCAT technique for the NSPs, with the high sensitivity and multiplexed quantitation capability of the iTRAQ proteomics MS. Proof-of-concept experiments identified over 250 starvation-responsive NSPs in the parasite. Our results show a starvation-specific increased relative abundance of several translation regulating and stress-responsive proteins in the parasite. GO analysis of the identified NSPs for Biological Process revealed translation (enrichment P value 2.47e-35) and peptide biosynthetic process (enrichment P value 4.84e-35) as extremely significantly enriched terms indicating the high specificity of the NSP towards regulation of protein synthesis. We believe that this approach will find widespread use in the study of the developmental stages of Leishmania species and in the broader field of protozoan biology. Periodic nutrient scarcity plays crucial roles in the life cycle of the protozoan parasite Leishmania spp. Although adaptation to nutrient stress has a pivotal role in Leishmania biology, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In a period of nutrient starvation, the parasite responds by decreasing its protein production to conserve nutrient resources and to prevent formation of toxic proteins. However, even during severe starvation, the parasite generates certain essential quality control and rescue proteins. Differential identification of the complete repertoire of these proteins synthesised during starvation from the pre-existing proteins in the parasite holds the key to understanding the starvation adaptation mechanisms. This has been challenging to accomplish due to technical limitations. Using a combination of chemical labelling techniques and protein mass-spectrometry, we selectively identified and measured the proteins generated in the starving Leishmania parasite. Our results show a starvation time-dependent differential expression of important protein synthesis regulators in the parasite. This will serve as an important dataset for a holistic understanding of the starvation adaptation mechanisms in Leishmania. We also believe that this method will find widespread applications in the field of protozoa and other parasites causing Neglected Tropical Diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karunakaran Kalesh
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Paul W. Denny
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
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16
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Zininga T, Shonhai A. Small Molecule Inhibitors Targeting the Heat Shock Protein System of Human Obligate Protozoan Parasites. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E5930. [PMID: 31775392 PMCID: PMC6929125 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20235930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Obligate protozoan parasites of the kinetoplastids and apicomplexa infect human cells to complete their life cycles. Some of the members of these groups of parasites develop in at least two systems, the human host and the insect vector. Survival under the varied physiological conditions associated with the human host and in the arthropod vectors requires the parasites to modulate their metabolic complement in order to meet the prevailing conditions. One of the key features of these parasites essential for their survival and host infectivity is timely expression of various proteins. Even more importantly is the need to keep their proteome functional by maintaining its functional capabilities in the wake of physiological changes and host immune responses. For this reason, molecular chaperones (also called heat shock proteins)-whose role is to facilitate proteostasis-play an important role in the survival of these parasites. Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and Hsp70 are prominent molecular chaperones that are generally induced in response to physiological stress. Both Hsp90 and Hsp70 members are functionally regulated by nucleotides. In addition, Hsp70 and Hsp90 cooperate to facilitate folding of some key proteins implicated in cellular development. In addition, Hsp90 and Hsp70 individually interact with other accessory proteins (co-chaperones) that regulate their functions. The dependency of these proteins on nucleotide for their chaperone function presents an Achille's heel, as inhibitors that mimic ATP are amongst potential therapeutic agents targeting their function in obligate intracellular human parasites. Most of the promising small molecule inhibitors of parasitic heat shock proteins are either antibiotics or anticancer agents, whose repurposing against parasitic infections holds prospects. Both cancer cells and obligate human parasites depend upon a robust protein quality control system to ensure their survival, and hence, both employ a competent heat shock machinery to this end. Furthermore, some inhibitors that target chaperone and co-chaperone networks also offer promising prospects as antiparasitic agents. The current review highlights the progress made so far in design and application of small molecule inhibitors against obligate intracellular human parasites of the kinetoplastida and apicomplexan kingdoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Addmore Shonhai
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, University of Venda, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa;
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17
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Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled parasite that has infected up to one-third of the world’s population. Significant overhauls in gene expression in both the parasite and the host cell accompany parasite invasion, and a better understanding of these changes may lead to the development of new therapeutic agents. In this study, we employed ribosome profiling to determine the changes that occur at the levels of transcription and translation in both the parasite and the infected host cell at the same time. We discovered features of Toxoplasma mRNAs that suggest a means for controlling parasite gene expression under stressful conditions. We also show that differences in host gene expression occur depending on whether they are confluent or not. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of using ribosomal profiling to interrogate the host-parasite dynamic under a variety of conditions. Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous obligate intracellular parasite that infects the nucleated cells of warm-blooded animals. From within the parasitophorous vacuole in which they reside, Toxoplasma tachyzoites secrete an arsenal of effector proteins that can reprogram host gene expression to facilitate parasite survival and replication. Gaining a better understanding of how host gene expression is altered upon infection is central for understanding parasite strategies for host invasion and for developing new parasite therapies. Here, we applied ribosome profiling coupled with mRNA measurements to concurrently study gene expression in the parasite and in host human foreskin fibroblasts. By examining the parasite transcriptome and translatome, we identified potential upstream open reading frames that may permit the stress-induced preferential translation of parasite mRNAs. We also determined that tachyzoites reduce host death-associated pathways and increase survival, proliferation, and motility in both quiescent and proliferative host cell models of infection. Additionally, proliferative cells alter their gene expression in ways that are consistent with massive transcriptional rewiring, while quiescent cells were best characterized by reentry into the cell cycle. We also identified a translational control regimen consistent with mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation in quiescent cells and, to a lesser degree, in proliferative cells. This study illustrates the utility of the method for dissection of gene expression programs simultaneously in the parasite and host. IMPORTANCEToxoplasma gondii is a single-celled parasite that has infected up to one-third of the world’s population. Significant overhauls in gene expression in both the parasite and the host cell accompany parasite invasion, and a better understanding of these changes may lead to the development of new therapeutic agents. In this study, we employed ribosome profiling to determine the changes that occur at the levels of transcription and translation in both the parasite and the infected host cell at the same time. We discovered features of Toxoplasma mRNAs that suggest a means for controlling parasite gene expression under stressful conditions. We also show that differences in host gene expression occur depending on whether they are confluent or not. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of using ribosomal profiling to interrogate the host-parasite dynamic under a variety of conditions.
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Hombach-Barrigah A, Bartsch K, Smirlis D, Rosenqvist H, MacDonald A, Dingli F, Loew D, Späth GF, Rachidi N, Wiese M, Clos J. Leishmania donovani 90 kD Heat Shock Protein - Impact of Phosphosites on Parasite Fitness, Infectivity and Casein Kinase Affinity. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5074. [PMID: 30911045 PMCID: PMC6434042 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41640-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmania parasites are thought to control protein activity at the post-translational level, e.g. by protein phosphorylation. In the pathogenic amastigote, the mammalian stage of Leishmania parasites, heat shock proteins show increased phosphorylation, indicating a role in stage-specific signal transduction. Here we investigate the impact of phosphosites in the L. donovani heat shock protein 90. Using a chemical knock-down/genetic complementation approach, we mutated 11 confirmed or presumed phosphorylation sites and assessed the impact on overall fitness, morphology and in vitro infectivity. Most phosphosite mutations affected the growth and morphology of promastigotes in vitro, but with one exception, none of the phosphorylation site mutants had a selective impact on the in vitro infection of macrophages. Surprisingly, aspartate replacements mimicking the negative charge of phosphorylated serines or threonines had mostly negative impacts on viability and infectivity. HSP90 is a substrate for casein kinase 1.2-catalysed phosphorylation in vitro. While several putative phosphosite mutations abrogated casein kinase 1.2 activity on HSP90, only Ser289 could be identified as casein kinase target by mass spectrometry. In summary, our data show HSP90 as a downstream client of phosphorylation-mediated signalling in an organism that depends on post-transcriptional gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Despina Smirlis
- Institut Pasteur and Institut National de Santé et Recherche Médicale INSERM U1201, Unité de Parasitologie Moléculaire et Signalisation, Paris, France
- Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - Heidi Rosenqvist
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences (SIPBS) University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
- Novo Nordisk A/S, Gentofte, Denmark
| | - Andrea MacDonald
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Florent Dingli
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse Protéomique, Centre de Recherche, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Damarys Loew
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse Protéomique, Centre de Recherche, Institut Curie, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Gerald F Späth
- Institut Pasteur and Institut National de Santé et Recherche Médicale INSERM U1201, Unité de Parasitologie Moléculaire et Signalisation, Paris, France
| | - Najma Rachidi
- Institut Pasteur and Institut National de Santé et Recherche Médicale INSERM U1201, Unité de Parasitologie Moléculaire et Signalisation, Paris, France
| | - Martin Wiese
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences (SIPBS) University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Joachim Clos
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
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