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Abebe A, Dieng CC, Dugassa S, Abera D, Shenkutie TT, Assefa A, Menard D, Lo E, Golassa L. Genetic differentiation of Plasmodium vivax duffy binding protein in Ethiopia and comparison with other geographical isolates. Malar J 2024; 23:55. [PMID: 38395885 PMCID: PMC10885561 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-04887-1] [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: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plasmodium vivax Duffy binding protein (PvDBP) is a merozoite surface protein located in the micronemes of P. vivax. The invasion of human reticulocytes by P. vivax merozoites depends on the parasite DBP binding domain engaging Duffy Antigen Receptor for Chemokine (DARC) on these red blood cells (RBCs). PvDBPII shows high genetic diversity which is a major challenge to its use in the development of a vaccine against vivax malaria. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2021 to September 2022 in five study sites across Ethiopia. A total of 58 blood samples confirmed positive for P. vivax by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were included in the study to determine PvDBPII genetic diversity. PvDBPII were amplified using primers designed from reference sequence of P. vivax Sal I strain. Assembling of sequences was done using Geneious Prime version 2023.2.1. Alignment and phylogenetic tree constructions using MEGA version 10.1.1. Nucleotide diversity and haplotype diversity were analysed using DnaSP version 6.12.03, and haplotype network was generated with PopART version 1.7. RESULTS The mean age of the participants was 25 years, 5 (8.6%) participants were Duffy negatives. From the 58 PvDBPII sequences, seven haplotypes based on nucleotide differences at 8 positions were identified. Nucleotide diversity and haplotype diversity were 0.00267 ± 0.00023 and 0.731 ± 0.036, respectively. Among the five study sites, the highest numbers of haplotypes were identified in Arbaminch with six different haplotypes while only two haplotypes were identified in Gambella. The phylogenetic tree based on PvDBPII revealed that parasites of different study sites shared similar genetic clusters with few exceptions. Globally, a total of 39 haplotypes were identified from 223 PvDBPII sequences representing different geographical isolates obtained from NCBI archive. The nucleotide and haplotype diversity were 0.00373 and 0.845 ± 0.015, respectively. The haplotype prevalence ranged from 0.45% to 27.3%. Two haplotypes were shared among isolates from all geographical areas of the globe. CONCLUSIONS PvDBPII of the Ethiopian P. vivax isolates showed low nucleotide but high haplotype diversity, this pattern of genetic variability suggests that the population may have undergone a recent expansion. Among the Ethiopian P. vivax isolates, almost half of the sequences were identical to the Sal-I reference sequence. However, there were unique haplotypes observed in the Ethiopian isolates, which does not share with isolates from other geographical areas. There were two haplotypes that were common among populations across the globe. Categorizing population haplotype frequency can help to determine common haplotypes for designing an effective blood-stage vaccine which will have a significant role for the control and elimination of P. vivax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abnet Abebe
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 24756, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Cheikh Cambel Dieng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Sisay Dugassa
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 24756, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Deriba Abera
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 24756, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tassew T Shenkutie
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Ashenafi Assefa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Global Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Didier Menard
- Malaria Genetics and Resistance Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, 75015, Paris, France
- Dynamics of Host-Pathogen Interactions, Université de Strasbourg, Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Eugenia Lo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Lemu Golassa
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 24756, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Tapaopong P, da Silva G, Chainarin S, Suansomjit C, Manopwisedjaroen K, Cui L, Koepfli C, Sattabongkot J, Nguitragool W. Genetic diversity and molecular evolution of Plasmodium vivax Duffy Binding Protein and Merozoite Surface Protein-1 in northwestern Thailand. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2023; 113:105467. [PMID: 37330027 PMCID: PMC10548344 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The local diversity and population structure of malaria parasites vary across different regions of the world, reflecting variations in transmission intensity, host immunity, and vector species. This study aimed to use amplicon sequencing to investigate the genotypic patterns and population structure of P. vivax isolates from a highly endemic province of Thailand in recent years. Amplicon deep sequencing was performed on 70 samples for the 42-kDa region of pvmsp1 and domain II of pvdbp. Unique haplotypes were identified and a network constructed to illustrate genetic relatedness in northwestern Thailand. Based on this dataset of 70 samples collected between 2015 and 2021, 16 and 40 unique haplotypes were identified in pvdbpII and pvmsp142kDa, respectively. Nucleotide diversity was higher in pvmsp142kDa than in pvdbpII (π = 0.027 and 0.012), as was haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.962 and 0.849). pvmsp142kDa also showed a higher recombination rate and higher levels of genetic differentiation (Fst) in northwestern Thailand versus other regions (0.2761-0.4881). These data together suggested that the genetic diversity of P. vivax in northwestern Thailand at these two studied loci evolved under a balancing selection, most likely host immunity. The lower genetic diversity of pvdbpII may reflect its stronger functional constrain. In addition, despite the balancing selection, a decrease in genetic diversity was observed. Hd of pvdbpII decreased from 0.874 in 2015-2016 to 0.778 in 2018-2021; π of pvmsp142kDa decreased from 0.030 to 0.022 over the same period. Thus, the control activities must have had a strong impact on the parasite population size. The findings from this study provide an understanding of P. vivax population structure and the evolutionary force on vaccine candidates. They also established a new baseline for tracking future changes in P. vivax diversity in the most malarious area of Thailand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parsakorn Tapaopong
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Gustavo da Silva
- Department of Biological Sciences, Eck Institute for Global Health, Galvin Life Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Sittinont Chainarin
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chayanut Suansomjit
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Liwang Cui
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Cristian Koepfli
- Department of Biological Sciences, Eck Institute for Global Health, Galvin Life Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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Núñez A, Ntumngia FB, Guerra Y, Adams JH, Sáenz FE. Genetic diversity and natural selection of Plasmodium vivax reticulocyte invasion genes in Ecuador. Malar J 2023; 22:225. [PMID: 37537581 PMCID: PMC10398936 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04640-0] [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: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Knowledge of the diversity of invasion ligands in malaria parasites in endemic regions is essential to understand how natural selection influences genetic diversity of these ligands and their feasibility as possible targets for future vaccine development. In this study the diversity of four genes for merozoite invasion ligands was studied in Ecuadorian isolates of Plasmodium vivax. METHODS Eighty-eight samples from P. vivax infected individuals from the Coast and Amazon region of Ecuador were obtained between 2012 and 2015. The merozoite invasion genes pvmsp-1-19, pvdbpII, pvrbp1a-2 and pvama1 were amplified, sequenced, and compared to the Sal-1 strain. Polymorphisms were mapped and genetic relationships between haplotypes were determined. RESULTS Only one nonsynonymous polymorphism was detected in pvmsp-1-19, while 44 nonsynonymous polymorphisms were detected in pvdbpII, 56 in pvrbp1a-2 and 33 in pvama1. While haplotypes appeared to be more related within each area of study and there was less relationship between parasites of the coastal and Amazon regions of the country, diversification processes were observed in the two Amazon regions. The highest haplotypic diversity for most genes occurred in the East Amazon of the country. The high diversity observed in Ecuadorian samples is closer to Brazilian and Venezuelan isolates, but lower than reported in other endemic regions. In addition, departure from neutrality was observed in Ecuadorian pvama1. Polymorphisms for pvdbpII and pvama1 were associated to B-cell epitopes. CONCLUSIONS pvdbpII and pvama1 genetic diversity found in Ecuadorian P. vivax was very similar to that encountered in other malaria endemic countries with varying transmission levels and segregated by geographic region. The highest diversity of P. vivax invasion genes in Ecuador was found in the Amazonian region. Although selection appeared to have small effect on pvdbpII and pvrbp1a-2, pvama1 was influenced by significant balancing selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Núñez
- Centro de Investigación para la Salud en América Latina, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Francis B Ntumngia
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, FL, Tampa, USA
| | - Yasel Guerra
- Grupo de Bio-Quimioinformática, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, Ecuador
| | - John H Adams
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, FL, Tampa, USA
| | - Fabián E Sáenz
- Centro de Investigación para la Salud en América Latina, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.
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Park JH, Kim MH, Sutanto E, Na SW, Kim MJ, Yeom JS, Nyunt MH, Abbas Elfaki MM, Abdel Hamid MM, Cha SH, Alemu SG, Sriprawat K, Anstey NM, Grigg MJ, Barber BE, William T, Gao Q, Liu Y, Pearson RD, Price RN, Nosten F, Yoon SI, No JH, Han ET, Auburn S, Russell B, Han JH. Geographical distribution and genetic diversity of Plasmodium vivax reticulocyte binding protein 1a correlates with patient antigenicity. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010492. [PMID: 35737709 PMCID: PMC9258880 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax is the most widespread cause of human malaria. Recent reports of drug resistant vivax malaria and the challenge of eradicating the dormant liver forms increase the importance of vaccine development against this relapsing disease. P. vivax reticulocyte binding protein 1a (PvRBP1a) is a potential vaccine candidate, which is involved in red cell tropism, a crucial step in the merozoite invasion of host reticulocytes. As part of the initial evaluation of the PvRBP1a vaccine candidate, we investigated its genetic diversity and antigenicity using geographically diverse clinical isolates. We analysed pvrbp1a genetic polymorphisms using 202 vivax clinical isolates from six countries. Pvrbp1a was separated into six regions based on specific domain features, sequence conserved/polymorphic regions, and the reticulocyte binding like (RBL) domains. In the fragmented gene sequence analysis, PvRBP1a region II (RII) and RIII (head and tail structure homolog, 152-625 aa.) showed extensive polymorphism caused by random point mutations. The haplotype network of these polymorphic regions was classified into three clusters that converged to independent populations. Antigenicity screening was performed using recombinant proteins PvRBP1a-N (157-560 aa.) and PvRBP1a-C (606-962 aa.), which contained head and tail structure region and sequence conserved region, respectively. Sensitivity against PvRBP1a-N (46.7%) was higher than PvRBP1a-C (17.8%). PvRBP1a-N was reported as a reticulocyte binding domain and this study identified a linear epitope with moderate antigenicity, thus an attractive domain for merozoite invasion-blocking vaccine development. However, our study highlights that a global PvRBP1a-based vaccine design needs to overcome several difficulties due to three distinct genotypes and low antigenicity levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Hoon Park
- Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Hee Kim
- Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Edwin Sutanto
- Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Seok-Won Na
- Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Jae Kim
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Joon Sup Yeom
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Mohammed Mohieldien Abbas Elfaki
- Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jizan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muzamil Mahdi Abdel Hamid
- Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Seok Ho Cha
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sisay Getachew Alemu
- College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Jimma Road, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Bioreliance, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Kanlaya Sriprawat
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand
| | - Nicholas M. Anstey
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
| | - Matthew J. Grigg
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
- Infectious Diseases Society Sabah-Menzies School of Health Research Clinical Research Unit, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Bridget E. Barber
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
- Infectious Diseases Society Sabah-Menzies School of Health Research Clinical Research Unit, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Timothy William
- Infectious Diseases Society Sabah-Menzies School of Health Research Clinical Research Unit, Sabah, Malaysia
- Clinical Research Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Sabah, Malaysia
- Gleneagles Hospital, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Qi Gao
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Yaobao Liu
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China
- School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | | | - Ric N. Price
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine Research Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Francois Nosten
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine Research Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sung-Il Yoon
- Division of Biomedical Convergence, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Joo Hwan No
- Host-Parasite Research Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Taek Han
- Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sarah Auburn
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine Research Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Bruce Russell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Jin-Hee Han
- Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail:
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Lima BAS, Fernandes GM, Torres LM, Pires CV, Alves JRS, Moreira-Nascimento SL, Nascimento MFA, Afonso SL, Costa HL, Cerávolo IP, Sousa TN, Soares IS, Ntumngia FB, Adams JH, Carvalho LH, Kano FS. Antibody response to a new member of the DBL family (EBP2) after a brief Plasmodium vivax exposure. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010493. [PMID: 35714097 PMCID: PMC9205486 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax blood-stage invasion into reticulocyte is critical for parasite development. Thus, validation of novel parasite invasion ligands is essential for malaria vaccine development. Recently, we demonstrated that EBP2, a Duffy binding protein (DBP) paralog, is antigenically distinct from DBP and could not be functionally inhibited by anti-DBP antibodies. Here, we took advantage of a small outbreak of P.vivax malaria, located in a non-malarious area of Brazil, to investigate for the first time IgM/IgG antibodies against EBP2 and DEKnull-2 (an engineering DBPII vaccine) among individuals who had their first and brief exposure to P.vivax (16 cases and 22 non-cases). Our experimental approach included 4 cross sectional surveys at 3-month interval (12-month follow-up). The results demonstrated that while a brief initial P.vivax infection was not efficient to induce IgM/ IgG antibodies to either EBP2 or DEKnull-2, IgG antibodies against DEKnull-2 (but not EBP2) were boosted by recurrent blood-stage infections following treatment. Of interest, in most recurrent P. vivax infections (4 out of 6 patients) DEKnull-2 IgG antibodies were sustained for 6 to 12 months. Polymorphisms in the ebp2 gene does not seem to explain EBP2 low immunogenicity as the ebp2 allele associated with the P.vivax outbreak presented high identity to the original EBP2 isolate used as recombinant protein. Although EBP2 antibodies were barely detectable after a primary episode of P.vivax infection, EBP2 was highly recognized by serum IgG from long-term malaria-exposed Amazonians (range from 35 to 92% according to previous malaria episodes). Taken together, the results showed that individuals with a single and brief exposure to P.vivax infection develop very low anti-EBP2 antibodies, which tend to increase after long-term malaria exposure. Finally, the findings highlighted the potential of DEKnull-2 as a vaccine candidate, as in non-immune individuals anti-DEKnull-2 IgG antibodies were boosted even after a brief exposure to P.vivax blood stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara A. S. Lima
- Biologia Molecular e Imunologia da Malária, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Gabriela M. Fernandes
- Biologia Molecular e Imunologia da Malária, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Letícia M. Torres
- Biologia Molecular e Imunologia da Malária, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Camilla V. Pires
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Jéssica R. S. Alves
- Biologia Molecular e Imunologia da Malária, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Sâmick L. Moreira-Nascimento
- Biologia Molecular e Imunologia da Malária, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Maria Fernanda A. Nascimento
- Biologia Molecular e Imunologia da Malária, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Sofia L. Afonso
- Biologia Molecular e Imunologia da Malária, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Helena L. Costa
- Biologia Molecular e Imunologia da Malária, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Isabela P. Cerávolo
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Tais N. Sousa
- Biologia Molecular e Imunologia da Malária, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Irene S. Soares
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Francis B. Ntumngia
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - John H. Adams
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Luzia H. Carvalho
- Biologia Molecular e Imunologia da Malária, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Flora S. Kano
- Biologia Molecular e Imunologia da Malária, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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6
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Shi TQ, Shen HM, Chen SB, Kassegne K, Cui YB, Xu B, Chen JH, Zheng B, Wang Y. Genetic Diversity and Natural Selection of Plasmodium vivax Duffy Binding Protein-II From China-Myanmar Border of Yunnan Province, China. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:758061. [PMID: 34912313 PMCID: PMC8667024 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.758061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria incidence has declined dramatically over the past decade and China was certified malaria-free in 2021. However, the presence of malaria in border areas and the importation of cases of malaria parasites are major challenges for the consolidation of the achievements made by China. Plasmodium vivax Duffy binding protein (PvDBP) performs a significant role in erythrocyte invasion, and is considered a promising P. vivax vaccine. However, the highly polymorphic region of PvDBP (PvDBP-II) impedes the development of blood-stage vaccine against P. vivax. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity and natural selection of PvDBP-II among 124 P. vivax isolates collected from the China-Myanmar border (CMB) in Yunnan Province, China, during 2009–2011. To compare genetic diversity, natural selection, and population structure with CMB isolates, 85 pvdbp-II sequences of eastern Myanmar isolates were obtained from GenBank. In addition, global sequences of pvdbp-II were retrieved from GenBank to establish genetic differentiation relationships and networks with the CMB isolates. In total, 22 single nucleotide polymorphisms reflected in 20 non-synonymous and two synonymous mutations were identified. The overall nucleotide diversity of PvDBP-II from the 124 CMB isolates was 0.0059 with 21 haplotypes identified (Hd = 0.91). The high ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous mutations suggests that PvDBP-II had evolved under positive selection. Population structure analysis of the CMB and eastern Myanmar isolates were optimally grouped into five sub-populations (K = 5). Polymorphisms of PvDBP-II display that CMB isolates were genetically diverse. Mutation, recombination, and positive selection promote polymorphism of PvDBP-II of P. vivax population. Although low-level genetic differentiation in eastern Myanmar was identified along with the more effective malaria control measures, the complexity of population structure in malaria parasites has maintained. In conclusion, findings from this study advance knowledge of the understanding of the dynamic of P. vivax population, which will contribute to guiding the rational design of a PvDBP-II based vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-Qi Shi
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), Shanghai, China.,National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China (NHC) Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Shanghai, China.,World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China.,National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Hai-Mo Shen
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), Shanghai, China.,National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China (NHC) Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Shanghai, China.,World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China.,National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Shen-Bo Chen
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), Shanghai, China.,National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China (NHC) Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Shanghai, China.,World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China.,National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Kokouvi Kassegne
- School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan-Bing Cui
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), Shanghai, China.,National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China (NHC) Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Shanghai, China.,World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China.,National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Xu
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), Shanghai, China.,National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China (NHC) Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Shanghai, China.,World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China.,National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun-Hu Chen
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), Shanghai, China.,National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China (NHC) Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Shanghai, China.,World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China.,National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China.,School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Zheng
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), Shanghai, China.,National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China (NHC) Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Shanghai, China.,World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China.,National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China.,School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yue Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Hangzhou, China
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7
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Asymptomatic Plasmodium vivax malaria in the Brazilian Amazon: Submicroscopic parasitemic blood infects Nyssorhynchus darlingi. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009077. [PMID: 34714821 PMCID: PMC8555776 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with asymptomatic infection due to Plasmodium vivax are posited to be important reservoirs of malaria transmission in endemic regions. Here we studied a cohort of P. vivax malaria patients in a suburban area in the Brazilian Amazon. Overall 1,120 individuals were screened for P. vivax infection and 108 (9.6%) had parasitemia detected by qPCR but not by microscopy. Asymptomatic individuals had higher levels of antibodies against P. vivax and similar hematological and biochemical parameters compared to uninfected controls. Blood from asymptomatic individuals with very low parasitemia transmitted P. vivax to the main local vector, Nyssorhynchus darlingi. Lower mosquito infectivity rates were observed when blood from asymptomatic individuals was used in the membrane feeding assay. While blood from symptomatic patients infected 43.4% (199/458) of the mosquitoes, blood from asymptomatic infected 2.5% (43/1,719). However, several asymptomatic individuals maintained parasitemia for several weeks indicating their potential role as an infectious reservoir. These results suggest that asymptomatic individuals are an important source of malaria parasites and Science and Technology for Vaccines granted by Conselho Nacional de may contribute to the transmission of P. vivax in low-endemicity areas of malaria.
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Alves JRS, de Araújo FF, Pires CV, Teixeira-Carvalho A, Lima BAS, Torres LM, Ntumngia FB, Adams JH, Kano FS, Carvalho LH. Multiplexed Microsphere-Based Flow Cytometric Assay to Assess Strain Transcending Antibodies to Plasmodium vivax Duffy Binding Protein II Reveals an Efficient Tool to Identify Binding-Inhibitory Antibody Responders. Front Immunol 2021; 12:704653. [PMID: 34675915 PMCID: PMC8523986 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.704653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria remains a major public health problem worldwide, and Plasmodium vivax is the most widely distributed malaria parasite. Naturally acquired binding inhibitory antibodies (BIAbs) to region II of the Duffy binding protein (DBPII), a P. vivax ligand that is critical for reticulocyte invasion, are associated with a reduced risk of clinical malaria. Owing to methodological issues in evaluating antibodies that inhibit the DBPII-DARC interaction, a limited number of studies have investigated DBPII BIAbs in P. vivax-exposed populations. Based on the assumption that individuals with a consistent BIAb response are characterized by strain-transcending immune responses, we hypothesized that detecting broadly reactive DBPII antibodies would indicate the presence of BIAb response. By taking advantage of an engineered DBPII immunogen targeting conserved DBPII neutralizing epitopes (DEKnull-2), we standardized a multiplex flow cytometry-based serological assay to detect broadly neutralizing IgG antibodies. For this study, a standard in vitro cytoadherence assay with COS-7 cells expressing DBPII was used to test for DBPII BIAb response in long-term P. vivax-exposed Amazonian individuals. Taken together, the results demonstrate that this DBPII-based multiplex assay facilitates identifying DBPII BIAb carriers. Of relevance, the ability of the multiplex assay to identify BIAb responders was highly accurate when the positivity for all antigens was considered. In conclusion, the standardized DBPII-based flow cytometric assay confirmed that DBPII-BIAb activity was associated with the breadth rather than the magnitude of anti-DBPII antibodies. Altogether, our results suggest that multiplex detection of broadly DBPII-reactive antibodies facilitates preliminary screening of BIAb responders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica R. S. Alves
- Molecular Biology and Malaria Immunology, René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Fernanda F. de Araújo
- Integrated Research Group in Biomarkers, René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Camilla V. Pires
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Andréa Teixeira-Carvalho
- Integrated Research Group in Biomarkers, René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Barbara A. S. Lima
- Molecular Biology and Malaria Immunology, René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Letícia M. Torres
- Molecular Biology and Malaria Immunology, René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Francis B. Ntumngia
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - John H. Adams
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Flora S. Kano
- Molecular Biology and Malaria Immunology, René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Luzia H. Carvalho
- Molecular Biology and Malaria Immunology, René Rachou Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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9
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Rougeron V, Boundenga L, Arnathau C, Durand P, Renaud F, Prugnolle F. A population genetic perspective on the origin, spread and adaptation of the human malaria agents Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 46:6373923. [PMID: 34550355 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria is considered one of the most important scourges that humanity has faced during its history, being responsible every year for numerous deaths worldwide. The disease is caused by protozoan parasites, among which two species are responsible of the majority of the burden, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. For these two parasite species, the questions of their origin (how and when they appeared in humans), of their spread throughout the world, as well as how they have adapted to humans have long been of interest to the scientific community. Here, we review the current knowledge that has accumulated on these different questions, thanks in particular to the analysis of the genetic and genomic variability of these parasites and comparison with related Plasmodium species infecting other host species (like non-human primates). In this paper we review the existing body of knowledge, including current research dealing with these questions, focusing particularly on genetic analysis and genomic variability of these parasites and comparison with related Plasmodium species infecting other species of host (such as non-human primates).
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginie Rougeron
- Laboratory MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 900 rue Jean François Breton, 34090 Montpellier, France.,CREES, Centre de Recherches en Écologie et Évolution de la Santé, Montpellier, France
| | - Larson Boundenga
- CIRMF, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Céline Arnathau
- Laboratory MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 900 rue Jean François Breton, 34090 Montpellier, France.,CREES, Centre de Recherches en Écologie et Évolution de la Santé, Montpellier, France
| | - Patrick Durand
- Laboratory MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 900 rue Jean François Breton, 34090 Montpellier, France.,CREES, Centre de Recherches en Écologie et Évolution de la Santé, Montpellier, France
| | - François Renaud
- Laboratory MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 900 rue Jean François Breton, 34090 Montpellier, France.,CREES, Centre de Recherches en Écologie et Évolution de la Santé, Montpellier, France
| | - Franck Prugnolle
- Laboratory MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 900 rue Jean François Breton, 34090 Montpellier, France.,CREES, Centre de Recherches en Écologie et Évolution de la Santé, Montpellier, France
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10
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Golassa L, Messele A, Oriero EC, Amambua-Ngwa A. Sequence analysis of Plasmodium vivax Duffy binding proteins reveals the presence of unique haplotypes and diversifying selection in Ethiopian isolates. Malar J 2021; 20:312. [PMID: 34246262 PMCID: PMC8271342 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03843-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Red blood cell invasion by the Plasmodium vivax merozoite requires interaction between the Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC) and the P. vivax Duffy-binding protein II (PvDBPII). Given that the disruption of this interaction prevents P. vivax blood-stage infection, a PvDBP-based vaccine development has been well recognized. However, the polymorphic nature of PvDBPII prevents a strain transcending immune response and complicates attempts to design a vaccine. METHODS Twenty-three P. vivax clinical isolates collected from three areas of Ethiopia were sequenced at the pvdbpII locus. A total of 392 global pvdbpII sequences from seven P. vivax endemic countries were also retrieved from the NCBI archive for comparative analysis of genetic diversity, departure from neutrality, linkage disequilibrium, genetic differentiation, PvDBP polymorphisms, recombination and population structure of the parasite population. To establish a haplotype relationship a network was constructed using the median joining algorithm. RESULTS A total of 110 variable sites were found, of which 44 were parsimony informative. For Ethiopian isolates there were 12 variable sites of which 10 were parsimony informative. These parsimony informative variants resulted in 10 nonsynonymous mutations. The overall haplotype diversity for global isolates was 0.9596; however, the haplotype diversity was 0.874 for Ethiopia. Fst values for genetic revealed Ethiopian isolates were closest to Indian isolates as well as to Sri Lankan and Sudanese isolates but further away from Mexican, Papua New Guinean and South Korean isolates. There was a total of 136 haplotypes from the 415 global isolates included for this study. Haplotype prevalence ranged from 36.76% to 0.7%, from this 74.2% were represented by single parasite isolates. None of the Ethiopian isolates grouped with the Sal I reference haplotype. From the total observed nonsynonymous mutations 13 mapped to experimentally verified epitope sequences. Including 10 non-synonymous mutations from Ethiopia. However, all the polymorphic regions in Ethiopian isolates were located away from DARC, responsible for junction formation. CONCLUSION The results of this study are concurrent with the multivalent vaccine approach to design an effective treatment. However, the presence of novel haplotypes in Ethiopian isolates that were not shared by other global sequences warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lemu Golassa
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Alebachew Messele
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Eniyou Cheryll Oriero
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia At London, School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicin, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Alfred Amambua-Ngwa
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia At London, School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicin, Banjul, The Gambia
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11
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Mittal P, Mishra S, Kar S, Pande V, Sinha A, Sharma A. Global distribution of single amino acid polymorphisms in Plasmodium vivax Duffy-binding-like domain and implications for vaccine development efforts. Open Biol 2020; 10:200180. [PMID: 32993415 PMCID: PMC7536081 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax (Pv) malaria continues to be geographically widespread with approximately 15 million worldwide cases annually. Along with other proteins, Duffy-binding proteins (DBPs) are used by plasmodium for RBC invasion and the parasite-encoded receptor binding regions lie in their Duffy-binding-like (DBL) domains-thus making it a prime vaccine candidate. This study explores the sequence diversity in PvDBL globally, with an emphasis on India as it remains a major contributor to the global Pv malaria burden. Based on 1358 PvDBL protein sequences available in NCBI, we identified 140 polymorphic sites within 315 residues of PvDBL. Alarmingly, country-wise mapping of SAAPs from field isolates revealed varied and distinct polymorphic profiles for different nations. We report here 31 polymorphic residue positions in the global SAAP profile, most of which map to the PvDBL subdomain 2 (α1-α6). A distinct clustering of SAAPs distal to the DARC-binding sites is indicative of immune evasive strategies by the parasite. Analyses of PvDBL-neutralizing antibody complexes revealed that between 24% and 54% of interface residues are polymorphic. This work provides a framework to recce and expand the polymorphic space coverage in PvDBLs as this has direct implications for vaccine development studies. It also emphasizes the significance of surveying global SAAP distributions before or alongside the identification of vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Payal Mittal
- Molecular Medicine Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, 110067, India.,ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, 110077, India
| | - Siddhartha Mishra
- Molecular Medicine Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, 110067, India.,ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, 110077, India
| | - Sonalika Kar
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, 110077, India.,Department of Biotechnology, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, 263001 India
| | - Veena Pande
- Department of Biotechnology, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, 263001 India
| | - Abhinav Sinha
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, 110077, India
| | - Amit Sharma
- Molecular Medicine Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, 110067, India.,ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, 110077, India
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12
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Medeiros CMP, Moreira EUM, Pires CV, Torres LM, Guimarães LFF, Alves JRS, Lima BAS, Fontes CJF, Costa HL, Brito CFA, Sousa TN, Ntumngia FB, Adams JH, Kano FS, Carvalho LH. Dynamics of IgM and IgG responses to the next generation of engineered Duffy binding protein II immunogen: Strain-specific and strain-transcending immune responses over a nine-year period. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0232786. [PMID: 32379804 PMCID: PMC7205269 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A low proportion of P. vivax-exposed individuals acquire protective strain-transcending neutralizing IgG antibodies that are able to block the interaction between the Duffy binding protein II (DBPII) and its erythrocyte-specific invasion receptor. In a recent study, a novel surface-engineered DBPII-based vaccine termed DEKnull-2, whose antibody response target conserved DBPII epitopes, was able to induce broadly binding-inhibitory IgG antibodies (BIAbs) that inhibit P. vivax reticulocyte invasion. Toward the development of DEKnull-2 as an effective P. vivax blood-stage vaccine, we investigate the relationship between naturally acquired DBPII-specific IgM response and the profile of IgG antibodies/BIAbs activity over time. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS A nine-year follow-up study was carried-out among long-term P. vivax-exposed Amazonian individuals and included six cross-sectional surveys at periods of high and low malaria transmission. DBPII immune responses associated with either strain-specific (Sal1, natural DBPII variant circulating in the study area) or conserved epitopes (DEKnull-2) were monitored by conventional serology (ELISA-detected IgM and IgG antibodies), with IgG BIAbs activity evaluated by functional assays (in vitro inhibition of DBPII-erythrocyte binding). The results showed a tendency of IgM antibodies toward Sal1-specific response; the profile of Sal1 over DEKnull-2 was not associated with acute malaria and sustained throughout the observation period. The low malaria incidence in two consecutive years allowed us to demonstrate that variant-specific IgG (but not IgM) antibodies waned over time, which resulted in IgG skewed to the DEKnull-2 response. A persistent DBPII-specific IgM response was not associated with the presence (or absence) of broadly neutralizing IgG antibody response. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE The current study demonstrates that long-term exposure to low and unstable levels of P. vivax transmission led to a sustained DBPII-specific IgM response against variant-specific epitopes, while sustained IgG responses are skewed to conserved epitopes. Further studies should investigate on the role of a stable and persistent IgM antibody response in the immune response mediated by DBPII.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila M. P. Medeiros
- Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/FIOCRUZ Minas, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Camilla V. Pires
- Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/FIOCRUZ Minas, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Letícia M. Torres
- Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/FIOCRUZ Minas, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | | | - Bárbara A. S. Lima
- Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/FIOCRUZ Minas, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Cor J. F. Fontes
- Hospital Júlio Muller, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Helena L. Costa
- Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/FIOCRUZ Minas, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Tais N. Sousa
- Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/FIOCRUZ Minas, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Francis B. Ntumngia
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - John H. Adams
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Flora S. Kano
- Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/FIOCRUZ Minas, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- * E-mail: (LHC); (FSK)
| | - Luzia H. Carvalho
- Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/FIOCRUZ Minas, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
- * E-mail: (LHC); (FSK)
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13
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Almeida-de-Oliveira NK, Lima-Cury L, de Abreu-Fernandes R, de Rosa Lavigne A, de Pina-Costa A, de Souza Perce-da-Silva D, Catanho M, Brasil P, Daniel-Ribeiro CT, Ferreira-da-Cruz MDF. Extensive genetic diversity of Plasmodium vivax dbp-II in Rio de Janeiro Atlantic Forest and Brazilian Amazon Basin: evidence of positive selection. Malar J 2020; 19:81. [PMID: 32075659 PMCID: PMC7031913 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03159-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plasmodium vivax is the most widespread human malaria parasite outside Africa and is the predominant parasite in the Americas. Increasing reports of P. vivax disease severity, together with the emergence of drug-resistant strains, underscore the urgency of the development of vaccines against P. vivax. Polymorphisms on DBP-II-gene could act as an immune evasion mechanism and, consequently, limited the vaccine efficacy. This study aimed to investigate the pvdbp-II genetic diversity in two Brazilian regions with different epidemiological patterns: the unstable transmission area in the Atlantic Forest (AF) of Rio de Janeiro and; the fixed malaria-endemic area in Brazilian Amazon (BA). Methods 216 Brazilian P. vivax infected blood samples, diagnosed by microscopic examination and PCR, were investigated. The region flanking pvdbp-II was amplified by PCR and sequenced. Genetic polymorphisms of pvdbp-II were estimated based on the number of segregating sites and nucleotide and haplotype diversities; the degree of differentiation between-regions was evaluated applying Wright’s statistics. Natural selection was calculated using the rate of nonsynonymous per synonymous substitutions with the Z-test, and the evolutionary distance was estimated based on the reconstructed tree. Results 79 samples from AF and 137 from BA were successfully sequenced. The analyses showed 28 polymorphic sites distributed in 21 codons, with only 5% of the samples Salvador 1 type. The highest rates of polymorphic sites were found in B- and T cell epitopes. Unexpectedly, the nucleotide diversity in pvdbp-II was higher in AF (0.01) than in BA (0.008). Among the 28 SNPs detected, 18 are shared between P. vivax isolates from AF and BA regions, but 8 SNPs were exclusively detected in AF—I322S, K371N, E385Q, E385T, K386T, K411N, I419L and I419R—and 2 (N375D and I419M) arose exclusively in BA. These findings could suggest the potential of these geographical clusters as population-specific-signatures that may be useful to track the origin of infections. The sample size should be increased in order to confirm this possibility. Conclusions The results highlight that the pvdbp-II polymorphisms are positively selected by host’s immune pressure. The characterization of pvdbp-II polymorphisms might be useful for designing effective DBP-II-based vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Ketrin Almeida-de-Oliveira
- Laboratório de Pesquisas em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária Reference Laboratory for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region for the Brazilian Ministry of Health, SVS & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lidiane Lima-Cury
- Laboratório de Pesquisas em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária Reference Laboratory for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region for the Brazilian Ministry of Health, SVS & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rebecca de Abreu-Fernandes
- Laboratório de Pesquisas em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária Reference Laboratory for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region for the Brazilian Ministry of Health, SVS & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Aline de Rosa Lavigne
- Laboratório de Pesquisas em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária Reference Laboratory for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region for the Brazilian Ministry of Health, SVS & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Anielle de Pina-Costa
- Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Doenças Febris Agudas, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária Reference Laboratory for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region for the Brazilian Ministry of Health, SVS & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Centro Universitário Serra dos Órgãos (UNIFESO), Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daiana de Souza Perce-da-Silva
- Laboratório de Pesquisas em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária Reference Laboratory for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region for the Brazilian Ministry of Health, SVS & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcos Catanho
- Laboratório de Genética Molecular de Microrganismos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Brasil
- Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica em Doenças Febris Agudas, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária Reference Laboratory for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region for the Brazilian Ministry of Health, SVS & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Cláudio Tadeu Daniel-Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Pesquisas em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária Reference Laboratory for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region for the Brazilian Ministry of Health, SVS & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Maria de Fátima Ferreira-da-Cruz
- Laboratório de Pesquisas em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. .,Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária Reference Laboratory for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region for the Brazilian Ministry of Health, SVS & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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14
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Hu Y, Wang L, Mbenda HGN, Soe MT, Yu C, Feng H, Kyaw MP, Cui L, Zhu X, Cao Y. Genetic diversity, natural selection and haplotype grouping of Plasmodium vivax Duffy-binding protein genes from eastern and western Myanmar borders. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:546. [PMID: 31747970 PMCID: PMC6864963 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3803-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Merozoite proteins of the malaria parasites involved in the invasion of red blood cells are selected by host immunity and their diversity is greatly influenced by changes in malaria epidemiology. In the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), malaria transmission is concentrated along the international borders and there have been major changes in malaria epidemiology with Plasmodium vivax becoming the dominant species in many regions. Here, we aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity of P. vivax Duffy-binding protein gene domain II (pvdbp-II) in isolates from the eastern and western borders of Myanmar, and compared it with that from global P. vivax populations. Methods pvdbp-II sequences were obtained from 85 and 82 clinical P. vivax isolates from the eastern and western Myanmar borders, respectively. In addition, 504 pvdbp-II sequences from nine P. vivax populations of the world were retrieved from GenBank and used for comparative analysis of genetic diversity, recombination and population structure of the parasite population. Results The nucleotide diversity of the pvdbp-II sequences from the Myanmar border parasite isolates was not uniform, with the highest diversity located between nucleotides 1078 and 1332. Western Myanmar isolates had a unique R391C mutation. Evidence of positive natural selection was detected in pvdbp-II gene in P. vivax isolates from the eastern Myanmar area. P. vivax parasite populations in the GMS, including those from the eastern, western, and central Myanmar as well as Thailand showed low-level genetic differentiation (FST, 0.000–0.099). Population genetic structure analysis of the pvdbp-II sequences showed a division of the GMS populations into four genetic clusters. A total of 60 PvDBP-II haplotypes were identified in 210 sequences from the GMS populations. Among the epitopes in PvDBP-II, high genetic diversity was found in epitopes 45 (379-SIFGT(D/G)(E/K)(K/N)AQQ(R/H)(R/C)KQ-393, π = 0.029) and Ia (416-G(N/K)F(I/M)WICK(L/I)-424], Ib [482-KSYD(Q/E)WITR-490, π = 0.028) in P. vivax populations from the eastern and western borders of Myanmar. Conclusions The pvdbp-II gene is genetically diverse in the eastern and western Myanmar border P. vivax populations. Positive natural selection and recombination occurred in pvdbp-II gene. Low-level genetic differentiation was identified, suggesting extensive gene flow of the P. vivax populations in the GMS. These results can help understand the evolution of the P. vivax populations in the course of regional malaria elimination and guide the design of PvDBP-II-based vaccine.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Yubing Hu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning, China
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning, China
| | - Huguette Gaelle Ngassa Mbenda
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Suite 304, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Myat Thu Soe
- Myanmar Health Network Organization, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Chunyun Yu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning, China
| | - Hui Feng
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning, China
| | | | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Suite 304, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Xiaotong Zhu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning, China.
| | - Yaming Cao
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, Liaoning, China.
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Pires CV, Alves JRS, Lima BAS, Paula RB, Costa HL, Torres LM, Sousa TN, Soares IS, Sanchez BAM, Fontes CJF, Ntumngia FB, Adams JH, Kano FS, Carvalho LH. Blood-stage Plasmodium vivax antibody dynamics in a low transmission setting: A nine year follow-up study in the Amazon region. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0207244. [PMID: 30419071 PMCID: PMC6231651 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax remains a global health problem and its ability to cause relapses and subpatent infections challenge control and elimination strategies. Even in low malaria transmission settings, such as the Amazon basin, where progress in malaria control has caused a remarkable reduction in case incidence, a recent increase in P. vivax transmission demonstrates the continued vulnerability of P.vivax-exposed populations. As part of a search for complementary approaches to P.vivax surveillance in areas in which adults are the majority of the exposed-population, here we evaluated the potential of serological markers covering a wide range of immunogenicity to estimate malaria transmission trends. For this, antibodies against leading P. vivax blood-stage vaccine candidates were assessed during a 9 year follow-up study among adults exposed to unstable malaria transmission in the Amazon rainforest. Circulating antibody levels against immunogenic P. vivax proteins, such as the Apical Membrane Antigen-1, were a sensitive measure of recent P. vivax exposure, while antibodies against less immunogenic proteins were indicative of naturally-acquired immunity, including the novel engineered Duffy binding protein II immunogen (DEKnull-2). Our results suggest that the robustness of serology to estimate trends in P.vivax malaria transmission will depend on the immunological background of the study population, and that for adult populations exposed to unstable P.vivax malaria transmission, the local heterogeneity of antibody responses should be considered when considering use of serological surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla V. Pires
- Instituto René Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | | | - Ruth B. Paula
- Instituto René Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Helena L. Costa
- Instituto René Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Taís N. Sousa
- Instituto René Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Irene S. Soares
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Bruno A. M. Sanchez
- Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Campus Sinop, Sinop, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Cor J. F. Fontes
- Hospital Júlio Muller, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Francis B. Ntumngia
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - John H. Adams
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America
| | - Flora S. Kano
- Instituto René Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- * E-mail: (LHC); (FSK)
| | - Luzia H. Carvalho
- Instituto René Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- * E-mail: (LHC); (FSK)
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Hoque MR, Elfaki MMA, Ahmed MA, Lee SK, Muh F, Ali Albsheer MM, Hamid MMA, Han ET. Diversity pattern of Duffy binding protein sequence among Duffy-negatives and Duffy-positives in Sudan. Malar J 2018; 17:297. [PMID: 30119671 PMCID: PMC6098642 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-018-2425-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Vivax malaria is a leading public health concern worldwide. Due to the high prevalence of Duffy-negative blood group population, Plasmodium vivax in Africa historically is less attributable and remains a neglected disease. The interaction between Duffy binding protein and its cognate receptor, Duffy antigen receptor for chemokine plays a key role in the invasion of red blood cells and serves as a novel vaccine candidate against P. vivax. However, the polymorphic nature of P. vivax Duffy binding protein (DBP), particularly N-terminal cysteine-rich region (PvDBPII), represents a major obstacle for the successful design of a DBP-based vaccine to enable global protection. In this study, the level of pvdbpII sequence variations, Duffy blood group genotypes, number of haplotypes circulating, and the natural selection at pvdbpII in Sudan isolates were analysed and the implication in terms of DBP-based vaccine design was discussed. Methods Forty-two P. vivax-infected blood samples were collected from patients from different areas of Sudan during 2014–2016. For Duffy blood group genotyping, the fragment that indicates GATA-1 transcription factor binding site of the FY gene (− 33T > C) was amplified by PCR and sequenced by direct sequencing. The region II flanking pvdbpII was PCR amplified and sequenced by direct sequencing. The genetic diversity and natural selection of pvdbpII were done using DnaSP ver 5.0 and MEGA ver 5.0 programs. Based on predominant, non-synonymous, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), prevalence of Sudanese haplotypes was assessed in global isolates. Results Twenty SNPs (14 non-synonymous and 6 synonymous) were identified in pvdbpII among the 42 Sudan P. vivax isolates. Sequence analysis revealed that 11 different PvDBP haplotypes exist in Sudan P. vivax isolates and the region has evolved under positive selection. Among the identified PvDBP haplotypes five PvDBP haplotypes were shared among Duffy-negative as well as Duffy-positive individuals. The high selective pressure was mainly found on the known B cell epitopes (H3) of pvdbpII. Comparison of Sudanese haplotypes, based on 10 predominant non-synonymous SNPs with 10 malaria-endemic countries, demonstrated that Sudanese haplotypes were prevalent in most endemic countries. Conclusion This is the first pvdbp genetic diversity study from an African country. Sudanese isolates display high haplotype diversity and the gene is under selective pressure. Haplotype analysis indicated that Sudanese haplotypes are a representative sample of the global population. However, studies with a large number of samples are needed. These findings would be valuable for the development of PvDBP-based malaria vaccine. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12936-018-2425-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Rafiul Hoque
- Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Mohammed Mohieldien Abbas Elfaki
- Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Qassr Street, Khartoum, Sudan.,Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jizan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Md Atique Ahmed
- Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong-Kyun Lee
- Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Fauzi Muh
- Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Musab M Ali Albsheer
- Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Qassr Street, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Muzamil Mahdi Abdel Hamid
- Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Qassr Street, Khartoum, Sudan.
| | - Eun-Taek Han
- Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea.
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Nateghpour M, Haghi AM, Naderi B, Sepehrizadeh Z. Genetic polymorphism of Plasmodium vivax Duffy Binding Protein in malarious areas in southeastern of Iran. J Parasit Dis 2017; 41:1132-1138. [PMID: 29114153 DOI: 10.1007/s12639-017-0946-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax parasite causes the largest number of malaria infection in some malarious areas of the world including Iran. Considering transfer and genetic dynamics of the parasite population in a specific area can help us to predict the spread of the infection either emergence of new cases or drug resistance in the context of elimination program in the malarious areas. Study on the genetic diversity of common alleles in a given geographical area, for vaccine and immune level studies can be important. The purpose of this study was to know the status of P. vivax Duffy Binding Protein (PvDBP) polymorphism in patients infected with the parasite in malaria endemic southeastern Iran. The fragment of gene corresponding to PvDBP of thirty P. vivax malaria infected individuals was amplified. A 1176 bp band related to this fragment was purified and PCR-RFLP method was employed using enzymatic digestion with PstI and RsaI restriction enzymes. Ten percent of samples were sent for sequencing. PCR-RFLP showed that 99.7% of the samples were cut as the same together, either the PstI enzyme or the enzyme of RsaI. In each case, only 2 isolates were unlike others. Findings revealed that there is at least 96% identity among isolates in the nucleotide level. Amino acid pattern of PvDBP in Iranian isolates showed little discrepancies with those PvDBP genes that have been recorded in GenBank. Sequencing of PvDBP isolates of Iranian P. vivax infected patients showed low level of genetic polymorphism among them. Results of this study can prepare valuable information for malaria policy makers to intend them in their malaria control program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Nateghpour
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Afsaneh Motevalli Haghi
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahare Naderi
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zargham Sepehrizadeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Technologies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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The Presence, Persistence and Functional Properties of Plasmodium vivax Duffy Binding Protein II Antibodies Are Influenced by HLA Class II Allelic Variants. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0005177. [PMID: 27959918 PMCID: PMC5154503 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax infects red blood cells through a key pathway that requires interaction between Duffy binding protein II (DBPII) and its receptor on reticulocytes, the Duffy antigen/receptor for chemokines (DARC). A high proportion of P. vivax-exposed individuals fail to develop antibodies that inhibit DBPII-DARC interaction, and genetic factors that modulate this humoral immune response are poorly characterized. Here, we investigate if DBPII responsiveness could be HLA class II-linked. Methodology/Principal Findings A community-based open cohort study was carried out in an agricultural settlement of the Brazilian Amazon, in which 336 unrelated volunteers were genotyped for HLA class II (DRB1, DQA1 and DQB1 loci), and their DBPII immune responses were monitored over time (baseline, 6 and 12 months) by conventional serology (DBPII IgG ELISA-detected) and functional assays (inhibition of DBPII–erythrocyte binding). The results demonstrated an increased susceptibility of the DRB1*13:01 carriers to develop and sustain an anti-DBPII IgG response, while individuals with the haplotype DRB1*14:02-DQA1*05:03-DQB1*03:01 were persistent non-responders. HLA class II gene polymorphisms also influenced the functional properties of DBPII antibodies (BIAbs, binding inhibitory antibodies), with three alleles (DRB1*07:01, DQA1*02:01 and DQB1*02:02) comprising a single haplotype linked with the presence and persistence of the BIAbs response. Modelling the structural effects of the HLA-DRB1 variants revealed a number of differences in the peptide-binding groove, which is likely to lead to altered antigen binding and presentation profiles, and hence may explain the differences in subject responses. Conclusions/Significance The current study confirms the heritability of the DBPII antibody response, with genetic variation in HLA class II genes influencing both the development and persistence of IgG antibody responses. Cellular studies to increase knowledge of the binding affinities of DBPII peptides for class II molecules linked with good or poor antibody responses might lead to the development of strategies for controlling the type of helper T cells activated in response to DBPII. Vaccines are a crucial component of the current efforts to eliminate malaria, and much of the vaccine-related research on P. vivax has been focused on the Duffy binding protein II (DBPII), a ligand for human blood stage infection. A high proportion of individuals who are naturally exposed to P. vivax fail to develop neutralizing antibodies, but the host genetic factors modulating this immune response are poorly characterized. We investigated whether DBPII responsiveness was dependent on the variability of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class II cell surface proteins involved in the regulation of immune responses. To obtain a reliable estimate of DBPII antibodies, we carried out a longitudinal study, collecting serum from the same individuals over a period of 12-months. The results confirmed the heritability of the DBPII immune response, with genetic variation in HLA class II genes influencing both the development and persistence of the antibody response. HLA class II genotype also influenced the ability of DBPII antibodies to block the ligand-receptor interaction in vitro. Computational approaches identified structural specificity between HLA variants, which we propose as an explanation for differences between a good or poor antibody responder. These results may have implications for vaccine development, and might lead to strategies for controlling the type of immune response activated in response to DBPII.
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González-Cerón L, Cerritos R, Corzo-Mancilla J, Santillán F. Diversity and evolutionary genetics of the three major Plasmodium vivax merozoite genes participating in reticulocyte invasion in southern Mexico. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:651. [PMID: 26691669 PMCID: PMC4687067 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-1266-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Reported malaria cases in the Americas had been reduced to about one-half million by 2012. To advance towards elimination of this disease, it is necessary to gain insights into how the malaria parasite is evolving, including the emergence, spread and persistence of new haplotypes in affected regions. In here, the genetic diversity of the three major P. vivax merozoite genes was analyzed. Methods From P. vivax-infected blood samples obtained in southern Mexico (SMX) during 2006–2007, nucleotide sequences were achieved for: the 42 kDa carboxyl fragment of the merozoite surface protein-1 (msp142), domains I-II of the apical membrane antigen-1 (ama1I-II), and domain II of the Duffy binding protein (dbpII). Gene polymorphism was examined and haplotype networks were developed to depict parasite relationships in SMX. Then genetic diversity, recombination and natural selection were analyzed and the degree of differentiation was determined as FST values. Results The diversity of P. vivax merozoite genes in SMX was less than that of parasites from other geographic origins, with dbpII < ama1I-II < msp142. Ama1I-II and msp142 exposed the more numerous haplotypes exclusive to SMX. While, all dbpII haplotypes from SMX were separated from one to three mutational steps, the networks of ama1I-II and msp142 were more complex; loops and numerous mutational steps were evidenced, likely due to recombination. Sings of local diversification were more evident for msp142. Sixteen combined haplotypes were determined; one of these haplotypes not detected in 2006 was highly frequent in 2007. The Rm value was higher for msp142than for ama1I-II, being insignificant for dbpII. The dN-dS value was highly significant for ama1I-II and lesser so for dbpII. The FST values were higher for dbpII than msp142, and very low for ama1I-II. Conclusions In SMX, P. vivax ama1I-II, dbpII and msp142 demonstrated limited diversity, and exhibited a differentiated parasite population. The results suggest that differential intensities of selective forces are operating on these gene fragments, and probably related to their timing, length of exposure and function during reticulocyte adhesion and invasion. Therefore, these finding are essential for mono and multivalent vaccine development and for epidemiological surveillance. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-015-1266-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilia González-Cerón
- Regional Centre for Research in Public Health, National Institute for Public Health, Tapachula, Chiapas, 30700, Mexico.
| | - Rene Cerritos
- Departamento de Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, DF, 04510, México.
| | - Jordán Corzo-Mancilla
- Regional Centre for Research in Public Health, National Institute for Public Health, Tapachula, Chiapas, 30700, Mexico.
| | - Frida Santillán
- Regional Centre for Research in Public Health, National Institute for Public Health, Tapachula, Chiapas, 30700, Mexico.
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Camargos Costa D, Pereira de Assis GM, de Souza Silva FA, Araújo FC, de Souza Junior JC, Braga Hirano ZM, Satiko Kano F, Nóbrega de Sousa T, Carvalho LH, Ferreira Alves de Brito C. Plasmodium simium, a Plasmodium vivax-related malaria parasite: genetic variability of Duffy binding protein II and the Duffy antigen/receptor for chemokines. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0131339. [PMID: 26107662 PMCID: PMC4480967 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium simium is a parasite from New World monkeys that is most closely related to the human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax; it also naturally infects humans. The blood-stage infection of P. vivax depends on Duffy binding protein II (PvDBPII) and its cognate receptor on erythrocytes, the Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (hDARC), but there is no information on the P. simium erythrocytic invasion pathway. The genes encoding P. simium DBP (PsDBPII) and simian DARC (sDARC) were sequenced from Southern brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba clamitans) naturally infected with P. simium because P. simium may also depend on the DBPII/DARC interaction. The sequences of DBP binding domains from P. vivax and P. simium were highly similar. However, the genetic variability of PsDBPII was lower than that of PvDBPII. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that these genes were strictly related and clustered in the same clade of the evolutionary tree. DARC from A. clamitans was also sequenced and contained three new non-synonymous substitutions. None of these substitutions were located in the N-terminal domain of DARC, which interacts directly with DBPII. The interaction between sDARC and PvDBPII was evaluated using a cytoadherence assay of COS7 cells expressing PvDBPII on their surfaces. Inhibitory binding assays in vitro demonstrated that antibodies from monkey sera blocked the interaction between COS-7 cells expressing PvDBPII and hDARC-positive erythrocytes. Taken together, phylogenetic analyses reinforced the hypothesis that the host switch from humans to monkeys may have occurred very recently in evolution, which sheds light on the evolutionary history of new world plasmodia. Further invasion studies would confirm whether P. simium depends on DBP/DARC to trigger internalization into red blood cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Camargos Costa
- Laboratório de Malária, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fiocruz Minas, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | | | - Flávia Carolina Araújo
- Laboratório de Malária, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fiocruz Minas, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Júlio César de Souza Junior
- FURB, Universidade Regional de Blumenau, Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- CEPESBI—Centro de Pesquisas Biológicas de Indaial, Indaial, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Zelinda Maria Braga Hirano
- FURB, Universidade Regional de Blumenau, Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- CEPESBI—Centro de Pesquisas Biológicas de Indaial, Indaial, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Flora Satiko Kano
- Laboratório de Malária, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fiocruz Minas, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Taís Nóbrega de Sousa
- Laboratório de Malária, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fiocruz Minas, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Luzia Helena Carvalho
- Laboratório de Malária, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fiocruz Minas, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Chootong P, McHenry AM, Ntumngia FB, Sattabongkot J, Adams JH. The association of Duffy binding protein region II polymorphisms and its antigenicity in Plasmodium vivax isolates from Thailand. Parasitol Int 2014; 63:858-64. [PMID: 25108177 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2014.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Revised: 07/15/2014] [Accepted: 07/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax Duffy binding protein II (DBPII) plays an important role in reticulocyte invasion and is a potential vaccine candidate against vivax malaria. However, polymorphisms in DBPII are a challenge for the successful design of a broadly protective vaccine. In this study, the genetic diversity of DBPII among Thai isolates was analyzed from Plasmodium vivax-infected blood samples and polymorphism characters were defined with the MEGA4 program. Sequence analysis identified 12 variant residues that are common among Thai DBPII haplotypes with variant residues L333F, L424I, W437R and I503K having the highest frequency. Variant residue D384K occurs in combination with either E385K or K386N/Q. Additionally, variant residue L424I occurs in conjunction with W437R in most Thai DBPII alleles and these variants frequently occur in combination with the I503K variant. The polymorphic patterns of Thai isolates were defined into 9 haplotypes (Thai DBL-1, -2, -3, etc.…). Thai DBL-2, -5, -6 haplotypes are the most common DBPII variants in Thai residents. To study the association of these Thai DBPII polymorphisms with antigenic character, the functional inhibition of anti-DBPII monoclonal antibodies against a panel of Thai DBL variants was characterized by an in vitro erythrocyte binding inhibition assay. The functional inhibition of anti-DBPII monoclonal antibodies 3C9, 2D10 and 2C6 against Thai variants was significantly different, suggesting that polymorphisms of Thai DBPII variants alter the antigenic character of the target epitopes. In contrast, anti-DBPII monoclonal antibody 2H2 inhibited all Thai DBPII variants equally well. Our results suggest that the immune efficacy of a DBPII vaccine will depend on the specificity of the anti-DBPII antibodies induced and that it is preferable to optimize responses to conserved epitopes for broadly neutralizing protection against P. vivax.
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MESH Headings
- Alleles
- Animals
- Antibodies, Monoclonal
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/immunology
- Antibodies, Protozoan/immunology
- Antigens, Protozoan/genetics
- Antigens, Protozoan/immunology
- COS Cells
- Chlorocebus aethiops
- Erythrocytes/parasitology
- Haplotypes
- Malaria, Vivax/immunology
- Malaria, Vivax/parasitology
- Mice
- Phylogeny
- Plasmodium vivax/genetics
- Plasmodium vivax/immunology
- Polymorphism, Genetic
- Protozoan Proteins/genetics
- Protozoan Proteins/immunology
- Receptors, Cell Surface/genetics
- Receptors, Cell Surface/immunology
- Sequence Analysis, DNA
- Thailand
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Affiliation(s)
- Patchanee Chootong
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Amy M McHenry
- Department of Biology, Southwestern Adventist University, Keene, TX, United States
| | - Francis B Ntumngia
- Department of Global Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | | | - John H Adams
- Department of Global Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
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de Sousa TN, Kano FS, de Brito CFA, Carvalho LH. The Duffy binding protein as a key target for a Plasmodium vivax vaccine: lessons from the Brazilian Amazon. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2014; 109:608-17. [PMID: 25185002 PMCID: PMC4156454 DOI: 10.1590/0074-0276130592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 03/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax infects human erythrocytes through a major pathway that requires interaction between an apical parasite protein, the Duffy binding protein (PvDBP) and its receptor on reticulocytes, the Duffy antigen/receptor for chemokines (DARC). The importance of the interaction between PvDBP (region II, DBPII) and DARC to P. vivax infection has motivated our malaria research group at Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (state of Minas Gerais, Brazil) to conduct a number of immunoepidemiological studies to characterise the naturally acquired immunity to PvDBP in populations living in the Amazon rainforest. In this review, we provide an update on the immunology and molecular epidemiology of PvDBP in the Brazilian Amazon - an area of markedly unstable malaria transmission - and compare it with data from other parts of Latin America, as well as Asia and Oceania.
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Genetic diversity, haplotypes and allele groups of Duffy binding protein (PkDBPαII) of Plasmodium knowlesi clinical isolates from Peninsular Malaysia. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:161. [PMID: 24693997 PMCID: PMC4022242 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2013] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The monkey malaria parasite Plasmodium knowlesi is now recognized as the fifth species of Plasmodium that can cause human malaria. Like the region II of the Duffy binding protein of P. vivax (PvDBPII), the region II of the P. knowlesi Duffy binding protein (PkDBPαII) plays an essential role in the parasite’s invasion into the host’s erythrocyte. Numerous polymorphism studies have been carried out on PvDBPII, but none has been reported on PkDBPαII. In this study, the genetic diversity, haplotyes and allele groups of PkDBPαII of P. knowlesi clinical isolates from Peninsular Malaysia were investigated. Methods Blood samples from 20 knowlesi malaria patients and 2 wild monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were used. These samples were collected between 2010 and 2012. The PkDBPαII region of the isolates was amplified by PCR, cloned into Escherichia coli, and sequenced. The genetic diversity, natural selection and haplotypes of PkDBPαII were analysed using MEGA5 and DnaSP ver. 5.10.00 programmes. Results Fifty-three PkDBPαII sequences from human infections and 6 from monkeys were obtained. Comparison at the nucleotide level against P. knowlesi strain H as reference sequence showed 52 synonymous and 76 nonsynonymous mutations. Analysis on the rate of these mutations indicated that PkDBPαII was under purifying (negative) selection. At the amino acid level, 36 different PkDBPαII haplotypes were identified. Twelve of the 20 human and 1 monkey blood samples had mixed haplotype infections. These haplotypes were clustered into 2 distinct allele groups. The majority of the haplotypes clustered into the large dominant group. Conclusions Our present study is the first to report the genetic diversity and natural selection of PkDBPαII. Hence, the haplotypes described in this report can be considered as novel. Although a high level of genetic diversity was observed, the PkDBPαII appeared to be under purifying selection. The distribution of the haplotypes was skewed, with one dominant major and one minor group. Future study should investigate PkDBPαII of P. knowlesi from Borneo, which hitherto has recorded the highest number of human knowlesi malaria.
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Valizadeh V, Zakeri S, Mehrizi AA, Djadid ND. Population genetics and natural selection in the gene encoding the Duffy binding protein II in Iranian Plasmodium vivax wild isolates. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2013; 21:424-35. [PMID: 24384095 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2013.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2013] [Revised: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 12/21/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Region II of Duffy binding protein (PvDBP-II) is one of the most promising blood-stage vaccine candidate antigens against Plasmodium vivax and having knowledge of the nature and genetic polymorphism of PvDBP-II among global P. vivax isolates is important for developing a DBP-based vaccine. By using PCR and sequencing, the present molecular population genetic approach was carried out to investigate sequence diversity and natural selection of dbp-II gene in 63 P. vivax isolates collected from unstable and low transmission malaria-endemic areas of Iran during 2008-2012. Also, phylogenetic analysis, the diversifying natural selection, and recombination across the pvdbp-II gene, including regions containing B-cell epitopes were analyzed using the DnaSP and MEGA4 programs. Twenty two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, including 20 non-synonymous and 2 synonymous) were identified in PvDBP-II, resulting in 16 different PvDBP-II haplotypes among the Iranian P. vivax isolates. High binding inhibitory B-cell epitope (H3) overlapping with intrinsically unstructured/disordered region (aa: 384-392) appeared to be highly polymorphic (D384G/E385K/ K386N/Q/R390H), and positive selective pressure acted on this region. Most of the polymorphic amino acids, which are located on the surface of the protein, are under selective pressure that implies increased recombination events and exposure to the human immune system. In summary, PvDBP-II gene displays genetic polymorphism among Iranian P. vivax isolates and it is under selective pressure. Mutations, recombination, and positive selection seem to play a role in the resulting genetic diversity, and phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences demonstrates that Iranian isolates represent a sample of the global population. These results are useful for understanding the nature of the P. vivax population in Iran and also for development of PvDBP-II-based malaria vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahideh Valizadeh
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Pasteur Avenue, P.O. Box 1316943551, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sedigheh Zakeri
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Pasteur Avenue, P.O. Box 1316943551, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Akram Abouie Mehrizi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Pasteur Avenue, P.O. Box 1316943551, Tehran, Iran
| | - Navid Dinparast Djadid
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Pasteur Avenue, P.O. Box 1316943551, Tehran, Iran
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Genetic diversity and natural selection of Duffy binding protein of Plasmodium vivax Korean isolates. Acta Trop 2013; 125:67-74. [PMID: 23031445 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2012.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2012] [Revised: 09/19/2012] [Accepted: 09/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax Duffy binding protein (PvDBP) is a micronemal type I membrane protein that plays an essential role in erythrocyte invasion of merozoites. PvDBP is a prime blood stage vaccine candidate antigen against P. vivax, but its polymorphic nature represents a major obstacle to the successful design of a protective vaccine against vivax malaria. In this study, we analyzed the genetic polymorphism and natural selection at the N-terminal cysteine-rich region of PvDBP (PvDBPII) among 70 P. vivax isolates collected from Korean patients during 2005-2010. Seventeen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), which resulted in 14 non-synonymous and 3 synonymous mutations, were found in PvDBPII among the Korean P. vivax isolates. Sequence analyses revealed that 13 different PvDBPII haplotypes, which were clustered into 3 distinct clades, were identified in Korean P. vivax isolates. The difference between the rates of nonsynomyous and synonymous mutations suggested that the region has evolved under natural selection. High selective pressure preferentially acted on regions identified or predicted to be B- and T-cell epitopes and MHC binding regions of PvDBPII. Recombination may also contribute to genetic diversity of PvDBPII. Our results suggest that PvDBPII of Korean P. vivax isolates display a limited genetic polymorphism and are under selective pressure. These results have significant implications for understanding the nature of the P. vivax population circulating in Korea and provide useful information for development of malaria vaccines based on this antigen.
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Kano FS, Sanchez BAM, Sousa TN, Tang ML, Saliba J, Oliveira FM, Nogueira PA, Gonçalves AQ, Fontes CJF, Soares IS, Brito CFA, Rocha RS, Carvalho LH. Plasmodium vivax Duffy binding protein: baseline antibody responses and parasite polymorphisms in a well-consolidated settlement of the Amazon Region. Trop Med Int Health 2012; 17:989-1000. [PMID: 22643072 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2012.03016.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate risk factors associated with the acquisition of antibodies against Plasmodium vivax Duffy binding protein (PvDBP) - a leading malaria vaccine candidate - in a well-consolidated agricultural settlement of the Brazilian Amazon Region and to determine the sequence diversity of the PvDBP ligand domain (DBP(II)) within the local malaria parasite population. METHODS Demographic, epidemiological and clinical data were collected from 541 volunteers using a structured questionnaire. Malaria parasites were detected by conventional microscopy and PCR, and blood collection was used for antibody assays and molecular characterisation of DBP(II). RESULTS The frequency of malaria infection was 7% (6% for P. vivax and 1% for P. falciparum), with malaria cases clustered near mosquito breeding sites. Nearly 50% of settlers had anti-PvDBP IgG antibodies, as detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with subject's age being the only strong predictor of seropositivity to PvDBP. Unexpectedly, low levels of DBP(II) diversity were found within the local malaria parasites, suggesting the existence of low gene flow between P. vivax populations, probably due to the relative isolation of the studied settlement. CONCLUSION The recognition of PvDBP by a significant proportion of the community, associated with low levels of DBP(II) diversity among local P. vivax, reinforces the variety of malaria transmission patterns in communities from frontier settlements. Such studies should provide baseline information for antimalarial vaccines now in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flora S Kano
- Laboratório de Malária, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte-MG, Brazil
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Ju HL, Kang JM, Moon SU, Kim JY, Lee HW, Lin K, Sohn WM, Lee JS, Kim TS, Na BK. Genetic polymorphism and natural selection of Duffy binding protein of Plasmodium vivax Myanmar isolates. Malar J 2012; 11:60. [PMID: 22380592 PMCID: PMC3358247 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-11-60] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2011] [Accepted: 03/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plasmodium vivax Duffy binding protein (PvDBP) plays an essential role in erythrocyte invasion and a potential asexual blood stage vaccine candidate antigen against P. vivax. The polymorphic nature of PvDBP, particularly amino terminal cysteine-rich region (PvDBPII), represents a major impediment to the successful design of a protective vaccine against vivax malaria. In this study, the genetic polymorphism and natural selection at PvDBPII among Myanmar P. vivax isolates were analysed. Methods Fifty-four P. vivax infected blood samples collected from patients in Myanmar were used. The region flanking PvDBPII was amplified by PCR, cloned into Escherichia coli, and sequenced. The polymorphic characters and natural selection of the region were analysed using the DnaSP and MEGA4 programs. Results Thirty-two point mutations (28 non-synonymous and four synonymous mutations) were identified in PvDBPII among the Myanmar P. vivax isolates. Sequence analyses revealed that 12 different PvDBPII haplotypes were identified in Myanmar P. vivax isolates and that the region has evolved under positive natural selection. High selective pressure preferentially acted on regions identified as B- and T-cell epitopes of PvDBPII. Recombination may also be played a role in the resulting genetic diversity of PvDBPII. Conclusions PvDBPII of Myanmar P. vivax isolates displays a high level of genetic polymorphism and is under selective pressure. Myanmar P. vivax isolates share distinct types of PvDBPII alleles that are different from those of other geographical areas. These results will be useful for understanding the nature of the P. vivax population in Myanmar and for development of PvDBPII-based vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Lim Ju
- Department of Parasitology and Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju 660-751, Korea
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Brito CFAD, Ferreira MU. Molecular markers and genetic diversity of Plasmodium vivax. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2012; 106 Suppl 1:12-26. [PMID: 21881753 DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02762011000900003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2011] [Accepted: 06/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhanced understanding of the transmission dynamics and population genetics for Plasmodium vivax is crucial in predicting the emergence and spread of novel parasite phenotypes with major public health implications, such as new relapsing patterns, drug resistance and increased virulence. Suitable molecular markers are required for these population genetic studies. Here, we focus on two groups of molecular markers that are commonly used to analyse natural populations of P. vivax. We use markers under selective pressure, for instance, antigen-coding polymorphic genes, and markers that are not under strong natural selection, such as most minisatellite and microsatellite loci. First, we review data obtained using genes encoding for P. vivax antigens: circumsporozoite protein, merozoite surface proteins 1 and 3α, apical membrane antigen 1 and Duffy binding antigen. We next address neutral or nearly neutral molecular markers, especially microsatellite loci, providing a complete list of markers that have already been used in P. vivax populations studies. We also analyse the microsatellite loci identified in the P. vivax genome project. Finally, we discuss some practical uses for P. vivax genotyping, for example, detecting multiple-clone infections and tracking the geographic origin of isolates.
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Nóbrega de Sousa T, Carvalho LH, Alves de Brito CF. Worldwide genetic variability of the Duffy binding protein: insights into Plasmodium vivax vaccine development. PLoS One 2011; 6:e22944. [PMID: 21829672 PMCID: PMC3149059 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2011] [Accepted: 07/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The dependence of Plasmodium vivax on invasion mediated by Duffy binding protein (DBP) makes this protein a prime candidate for development of a vaccine. However, the development of a DBP-based vaccine might be hampered by the high variability of the protein ligand (DBPII), known to bias the immune response toward a specific DBP variant. Here, the hypothesis being investigated is that the analysis of the worldwide DBPII sequences will allow us to determine the minimum number of haplotypes (MNH) to be included in a DBP-based vaccine of broad coverage. For that, all DBPII sequences available were compiled and MNH was based on the most frequent nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms, the majority mapped on B and T cell epitopes. A preliminary analysis of DBPII genetic diversity from eight malaria-endemic countries estimated that a number between two to six DBP haplotypes (17 in total) would target at least 50% of parasite population circulating in each endemic region. Aiming to avoid region-specific haplotypes, we next analyzed the MNH that broadly cover worldwide parasite population. The results demonstrated that seven haplotypes would be required to cover around 60% of DBPII sequences available. Trying to validate these selected haplotypes per country, we found that five out of the eight countries will be covered by the MNH (67% of parasite populations, range 48–84%). In addition, to identify related subgroups of DBPII sequences we used a Bayesian clustering algorithm. The algorithm grouped all DBPII sequences in six populations that were independent of geographic origin, with ancestral populations present in different proportions in each country. In conclusion, in this first attempt to undertake a global analysis about DBPII variability, the results suggest that the development of DBP-based vaccine should consider multi-haplotype strategies; otherwise a putative P. vivax vaccine may not target some parasite populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taís Nóbrega de Sousa
- Laboratory of Malaria, Centro de Pesquisa Rene Rachou/Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Luzia Helena Carvalho
- Laboratory of Malaria, Centro de Pesquisa Rene Rachou/Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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