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van der Heijden EMDL, Lefevre L, Gossner A, Tzelos T, Connelley TK, Hassan MA. Comparative transcriptional analysis identifies genes associated with the attenuation of Theileria parva infected cells after long-term in vitro culture. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8976. [PMID: 38637584 PMCID: PMC11026401 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59197-y] [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: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Autologous administration of attenuated Theileria parva-infected cells induces immunity to T. parva in cattle. The mechanism of attenuation, however, is largely unknown. Here, we used RNA sequencing of pathogenic and attenuated T. parva-infected T-cells to elucidate the transcriptional changes underpinning attenuation. We observed differential expression of several host genes, including TRAIL, PD-1, TGF-β and granzymes that are known to regulate inflammation and proliferation of infected cells. Importantly, many genes linked with the attenuation of the related T. annulata-infected cells were not dysregulated in this study. Furthermore, known T. parva antigens were not dysregulated in attenuated relative to pathogenic cells, indicating that attenuation is not due to enhanced immunogenicity. Overall this study suggests that attenuation is driven by a decrease in proliferation and restoration of the inflammatory profile of T. parva-infected cells. Additionally, it provides a foundation for future mechanistic studies of the attenuation phenotype in Theileria-infected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth M D L van der Heijden
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Lucas Lefevre
- Division of Immunology, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Anton Gossner
- Division of Immunology, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Thomas Tzelos
- Division of Immunology, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Timothy K Connelley
- Division of Immunology, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Musa A Hassan
- Division of Immunology, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh, UK.
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2
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Palmateer NC, Munro JB, Nagaraj S, Crabtree J, Pelle R, Tallon L, Nene V, Bishop R, Silva JC. The Hypervariable Tpr Multigene Family of Theileria Parasites, Defined by a Conserved, Membrane-Associated, C-Terminal Domain, Includes Several Copies with Defined Orthology Between Species. J Mol Evol 2023; 91:897-911. [PMID: 38017120 PMCID: PMC10730637 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-023-10142-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Multigene families often play an important role in host-parasite interactions. One of the largest multigene families in Theileria parva, the causative agent of East Coast fever, is the T. parva repeat (Tpr) gene family. The function of the putative Tpr proteins remains unknown. The initial publication of the T. parva reference genome identified 39 Tpr family open reading frames (ORFs) sharing a conserved C-terminal domain. Twenty-eight of these are clustered in a central region of chromosome 3, termed the "Tpr locus", while others are dispersed throughout all four nuclear chromosomes. The Tpr locus contains three of the four assembly gaps remaining in the genome, suggesting the presence of additional, as yet uncharacterized, Tpr gene copies. Here, we describe the use of long-read sequencing to attempt to close the gaps in the reference assembly of T. parva (located among multigene families clusters), characterize the full complement of Tpr family ORFs in the T. parva reference genome, and evaluate their evolutionary relationship with Tpr homologs in other Theileria species. We identify three new Tpr family genes in the T. parva reference genome and show that sequence similarity among paralogs in the Tpr locus is significantly higher than between genes outside the Tpr locus. We also identify sequences homologous to the conserved C-terminal domain in five additional Theileria species. Using these sequences, we show that the evolution of this gene family involves conservation of a few orthologs across species, combined with gene gains/losses, and species-specific expansions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas C Palmateer
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - James B Munro
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sushma Nagaraj
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jonathan Crabtree
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Roger Pelle
- International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Luke Tallon
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Vish Nene
- International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Richard Bishop
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Joana C Silva
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Instituto de Higiene E Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, UNL, Lisbon, Portugal.
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3
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Wang BH, Du LF, Zhang MZ, Xia LY, Li C, Lin ZT, Wang N, Gao WY, Ye RZ, Liu JY, Han XY, Shi WQ, Shi XY, Jiang JF, Jia N, Cui XM, Zhao L, Cao WC. Genomic Characterization of Theileria luwenshuni Strain Cheeloo. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0030123. [PMID: 37260375 PMCID: PMC10434005 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00301-23] [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: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Theileria, a tick-borne intracellular protozoan, can cause infections of various livestock and wildlife around the world, posing a threat to veterinary health. Although more and more Theileria species have been identified, genomes have been available only from four Theileria species to date. Here, we assembled a whole genome of Theileria luwenshuni, an emerging Theileria, through next-generation sequencing of purified erythrocytes from the blood of a naturally infected goat. We designated it T. luwenshuni str. Cheeloo because its genome was assembled by the researchers at Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, China. The genome of T. lunwenshuni str. Cheeloo was the smallest in comparison with the other four Theileria species. T. luwenshuni str. Cheeloo possessed the fewest gene gains and gene family expansion. The protein count of each category was always comparable between T. luwenshuni str. Cheeloo and T. orientalis str. Shintoku in the Eukaryote Orthologs annotation, though there were remarkable differences in genome size. T. luwenshuni str. Cheeloo had lower counts than the other four Theileria species in most categories at level 3 of Gene Ontology annotation. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes annotation revealed a loss of the c-Myb in T. luwenshuni str. Cheeloo. The infection rate of T. luwenshuni str. Cheeloo was up to 81.5% in a total of 54 goats from three flocks. The phylogenetic analyses based on both 18S rRNA and cox1 genes indicated that T. luwenshuni had relatively low diversity. The first characterization of the T. luwenshuni genome will promote better understanding of the emerging Theileria. IMPORTANCE Theileria has led to substantial economic losses in animal husbandry. Whole-genome sequencing data of the genus Theileria are currently limited, which has prohibited us from further understanding their molecular features. This work depicted whole-genome sequences of T. luwenshuni str. Cheeloo, an emerging Theileria species, and reported a high prevalence of T. luwenshuni str. Cheeloo infection in goats. The first assembly and characterization of T. luwenshuni genome will benefit exploring the infective and pathogenic mechanisms of the emerging Theileria to provide scientific basis for future control strategies of theileriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bai-Hui Wang
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li-Feng Du
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ming-Zhu Zhang
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Luo-Yuan Xia
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Cheng Li
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhe-Tao Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ning Wang
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wan-Ying Gao
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Run-Ze Ye
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jin-Yue Liu
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Yu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wen-Qiang Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Yu Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jia-Fu Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Na Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Ming Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lin Zhao
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wu-Chun Cao
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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4
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Zheng Y, Young ND, Song J, Chang BC, Gasser RB. An informatic workflow for the enhanced annotation of excretory/secretory proteins of Haemonchus contortus. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:2696-2704. [PMID: 37143762 PMCID: PMC10151223 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Major advances in genomic and associated technologies have demanded reliable bioinformatic tools and workflows for the annotation of genes and their products via comparative analyses using well-curated reference data sets, accessible in public repositories. However, the accurate in silico annotation of molecules (proteins) encoded in organisms (e.g., multicellular parasites) which are evolutionarily distant from those for which these extensive reference data sets are available, including invertebrate model organisms (e.g., Caenorhabditis elegans - free-living nematode, and Drosophila melanogaster - the vinegar fly) and vertebrate species (e.g., Homo sapiens and Mus musculus), remains a major challenge. Here, we constructed an informatic workflow for the enhanced annotation of biologically-important, excretory/secretory (ES) proteins ("secretome") encoded in the genome of a parasitic roundworm, called Haemonchus contortus (commonly known as the barber's pole worm). We critically evaluated the performance of five distinct methods, refined some of them, and then combined the use of all five methods to comprehensively annotate ES proteins, according to gene ontology, biological pathways and/or metabolic (enzymatic) processes. Then, using optimised parameter settings, we applied this workflow to comprehensively annotate 2591 of all 3353 proteins (77.3%) in the secretome of H. contortus. This result is a substantial improvement (10-25%) over previous annotations using individual, "off-the-shelf" algorithms and default settings, indicating the ready applicability of the present, refined workflow to gene/protein sequence data sets from a wide range of organisms in the Tree-of-Life.
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5
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Connelley T, Nicastri A, Sheldrake T, Vrettou C, Fisch A, Reynisson B, Buus S, Hill A, Morrison I, Nielsen M, Ternette N. Immunopeptidomic Analysis of BoLA-I and BoLA-DR Presented Peptides from Theileria parva Infected Cells. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10111907. [PMID: 36423003 PMCID: PMC9699068 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10111907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The apicomplexan parasite Theileria parva is the causative agent of East Coast fever, usually a fatal disease for cattle, which is prevalent in large areas of eastern, central, and southern Africa. Protective immunity against T. parva is mediated by CD8+ T cells, with CD4+ T-cells thought to be important in facilitating the full maturation and development of the CD8+ T-cell response. T. parva has a large proteome, with >4000 protein-coding genes, making T-cell antigen identification using conventional screening approaches laborious and expensive. To date, only a limited number of T-cell antigens have been described. Novel approaches for identifying candidate antigens for T. parva are required to replace and/or complement those currently employed. In this study, we report on the use of immunopeptidomics to study the repertoire of T. parva peptides presented by both BoLA-I and BoLA-DR molecules on infected cells. The study reports on peptides identified from the analysis of 13 BoLA-I and 6 BoLA-DR datasets covering a range of different BoLA genotypes. This represents the most comprehensive immunopeptidomic dataset available for any eukaryotic pathogen to date. Examination of the immunopeptidome data suggested the presence of a large number of coprecipitated and non-MHC-binding peptides. As part of the work, a pipeline to curate the datasets to remove these peptides was developed and used to generate a final list of 74 BoLA-I and 15 BoLA-DR-presented peptides. Together, the data demonstrated the utility of immunopeptidomics as a method to identify novel T-cell antigens for T. parva and the importance of careful curation and the application of high-quality immunoinformatics to parse the data generated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Connelley
- The Roslin Institute, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
- Correspondence:
| | - Annalisa Nicastri
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, The University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Tara Sheldrake
- The Roslin Institute, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Christina Vrettou
- The Roslin Institute, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Andressa Fisch
- Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, University of São Paulo, Av Bandeirantes, Ribeirão Preto 3900, Brazil
| | - Birkir Reynisson
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Soren Buus
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Adrian Hill
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, The University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Ivan Morrison
- The Roslin Institute, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Morten Nielsen
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín CP1650, Argentina
| | - Nicola Ternette
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, The University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
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6
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Kolakowski J, Connelley T, Lukacik P, Pfuhl M, Werling D. East Coast fever, a neglected tropical disease with an outdated vaccine approach? Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:930-932. [PMID: 36041933 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Since its discovery, bovine theileriosis has caused major socioeconomic losses in sub-Saharan Africa. Acaricide resistance of the intermediate host, paucity of therapeutics, and lack of sufficiently cross-protective vaccines increase the risk of parasite spread due to global warming. Here, we highlight three important areas that require investigation to develop next-generation vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeannine Kolakowski
- Centre for Vaccinology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK
| | - Tim Connelley
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Petra Lukacik
- Department of Life Science, Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell, UK
| | - Mark Pfuhl
- Department of Muscle Biology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Dirk Werling
- Centre for Vaccinology and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK.
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7
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Gurav N, Macleod OJ, MacGregor P, Ellen R. Nisbet R. In silico identification of Theileria parva surface proteins. Cell Surf 2022; 8:100078. [PMID: 35647418 PMCID: PMC9133732 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcsw.2022.100078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
East Coast Fever is a devastating African cattle disease caused by the apicomplexan parasite, Theileria parva. Little is known about the cell surface, and few proteins have been identified. Here, we take an in silico approach to identify novel cell surface proteins, and predict the structure of four key proteins.
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8
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Morrison WI, Aguado A, Sheldrake TA, Palmateer NC, Ifeonu OO, Tretina K, Parsons K, Fenoy E, Connelley T, Nielsen M, Silva JC. CD4 T Cell Responses to Theileria parva in Immune Cattle Recognize a Diverse Set of Parasite Antigens Presented on the Surface of Infected Lymphoblasts. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 207:1965-1977. [PMID: 34507950 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2100331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Parasite-specific CD8 T cell responses play a key role in mediating immunity against Theileria parva in cattle (Bos taurus), and there is evidence that efficient induction of these responses requires CD4 T cell responses. However, information on the antigenic specificity of the CD4 T cell response is lacking. The current study used a high-throughput system for Ag identification using CD4 T cells from immune animals to screen a library of ∼40,000 synthetic peptides representing 499 T. parva gene products. Use of CD4 T cells from 12 immune cattle, representing 12 MHC class II types, identified 26 Ags. Unlike CD8 T cell responses, which are focused on a few dominant Ags, multiple Ags were recognized by CD4 T cell responses of individual animals. The Ags had diverse properties, but included proteins encoded by two multimember gene families: five haloacid dehalogenases and five subtelomere-encoded variable secreted proteins. Most Ags had predicted signal peptides and/or were encoded by abundantly transcribed genes, but neither parameter on their own was reliable for predicting antigenicity. Mapping of the epitopes confirmed presentation by DR or DQ class II alleles and comparison of available T. parva genome sequences demonstrated that they included both conserved and polymorphic epitopes. Immunization of animals with vaccine vectors expressing two of the Ags demonstrated induction of CD4 T cell responses capable of recognizing parasitized cells. The results of this study provide detailed insight into the CD4 T cell responses induced by T. parva and identify Ags suitable for use in vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Ivan Morrison
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom;
| | - Adriana Aguado
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Tara A Sheldrake
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas C Palmateer
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Olukemi O Ifeonu
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Kyle Tretina
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Keith Parsons
- Institute for Animal Health, Berkshire, United Kingdom
| | - Emilio Fenoy
- Biotechnological Research Institute, National University of San Martin, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Timothy Connelley
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Morten Nielsen
- Biotechnological Research Institute, National University of San Martin, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; and
| | - Joana C Silva
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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9
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Allan FK, Jayaraman S, Paxton E, Sindoya E, Kibona T, Fyumagwa R, Mramba F, Torr SJ, Hemmink JD, Toye P, Lembo T, Handel I, Auty HK, Morrison WI, Morrison LJ. Antigenic Diversity in Theileria parva Populations From Sympatric Cattle and African Buffalo Analyzed Using Long Read Sequencing. Front Genet 2021; 12:684127. [PMID: 34335691 PMCID: PMC8320539 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.684127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
East Coast fever (ECF) in cattle is caused by the Apicomplexan protozoan parasite Theileria parva, transmitted by the three-host tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. The African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is the natural host for T. parva but does not suffer disease, whereas ECF is often fatal in cattle. The genetic relationship between T. parva populations circulating in cattle and buffalo is poorly understood, and has not been studied in sympatric buffalo and cattle. This study aimed to determine the genetic diversity of T. parva populations in cattle and buffalo, in an area where livestock co-exist with buffalo adjacent to the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Three T. parva antigens (Tp1, Tp4, and Tp16), known to be recognized by CD8+ and CD4+ T cells in immunized cattle, were used to characterize genetic diversity of T. parva in cattle (n = 126) and buffalo samples (n = 22). Long read (PacBio) sequencing was used to generate full or near-full length allelic sequences. Patterns of diversity were similar across all three antigens, with allelic diversity being significantly greater in buffalo-derived parasites compared to cattle-derived (e.g., for Tp1 median cattle allele count was 9, and 81.5 for buffalo), with very few alleles shared between species (8 of 651 alleles were shared for Tp1). Most alleles were unique to buffalo with a smaller proportion unique to cattle (412 buffalo unique vs. 231 cattle-unique for Tp1). There were indications of population substructuring, with one allelic cluster of Tp1 representing alleles found in both cattle and buffalo (including the TpM reference genome allele), and another containing predominantly only alleles deriving from buffalo. These data illustrate the complex interplay between T. parva populations in buffalo and cattle, revealing the significant genetic diversity in the buffalo T. parva population, the limited sharing of parasite genotypes between the host species, and highlight that a subpopulation of T. parva is maintained by transmission within cattle. The data indicate that fuller understanding of buffalo T. parva population dynamics is needed, as only a comprehensive appreciation of the population genetics of T. parva populations will enable assessment of buffalo-derived infection risk in cattle, and how this may impact upon control measures such as vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona K Allan
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Siddharth Jayaraman
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Edith Paxton
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Emmanuel Sindoya
- Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Serengeti District Livestock Office, Mugumu, Tanzania
| | - Tito Kibona
- Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania
| | | | - Furaha Mramba
- Vector and Vector-Borne Diseases Research Institute, Tanga, Tanzania
| | - Stephen J Torr
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Johanneke D Hemmink
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Philip Toye
- International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Tiziana Lembo
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Ian Handel
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Harriet K Auty
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - W Ivan Morrison
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Liam J Morrison
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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10
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Maboko BB, Sibeko-Matjila KP, Pierneef R, Chan WY, Josemans A, Marumo RD, Mbizeni S, Latif AA, Mans BJ. South African Buffalo-Derived Theileria parva Is Distinct From Other Buffalo and Cattle-Derived T. parva. Front Genet 2021; 12:666096. [PMID: 34249088 PMCID: PMC8269612 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.666096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Theileria parva is a protozoan parasite transmitted by the brown-eared ticks, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and Rhipicephalus zambeziensis. Buffaloes are the parasite's ancestral host, with cattle being the most recent host. The parasite has two transmission modes namely, cattle-cattle and buffalo-cattle transmission. Cattle-cattle T. parva transmission causes East Coast fever (ECF) and January disease syndromes. Buffalo to cattle transmission causes Corridor disease. Knowledge on the genetic diversity of South African T. parva populations will assist in determining its origin, evolution and identify any cattle-cattle transmitted strains. To achieve this, genomic DNA of blood and in vitro culture material infected with South African isolates (8160, 8301, 8200, 9620, 9656, 9679, Johnston, KNP2, HL3, KNP102, 9574, and 9581) were extracted and paired-end whole genome sequencing using Illumina HiSeq 2500 was performed. East and southern African sample data (Chitongo Z2, Katete B2, Kiambu Z464/C12, Mandali Z22H10, Entebbe, Nyakizu, Katumba, Buffalo LAWR, and Buffalo Z5E5) was also added for comparative purposes. Data was analyzed using BWA and SAMtools variant calling with the T. parva Muguga genome sequence used as a reference. Buffalo-derived strains had higher genetic diversity, with twice the number of variants compared to cattle-derived strains, confirming that buffaloes are ancestral reservoir hosts of T. parva. Host specific SNPs, however, could not be identified among the selected 74 gene sequences. Phylogenetically, strains tended to cluster by host with South African buffalo-derived strains clustering with buffalo-derived strains. Among the buffalo-derived strains, South African strains were genetically divergent from other buffalo-derived strains indicating possible geographic sub-structuring. Geographic sub- structuring was also observed within South Africa strains. The knowledge generated from this study indicates that to date, ECF is not circulating in buffalo from South Africa. It also shows that T. parva has historically been present in buffalo from South Africa before the introduction of ECF and was not introduced into buffalo during the ECF epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boitumelo B Maboko
- Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Rian Pierneef
- Agricultural Research Council, Biotechnology Platform, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Wai Y Chan
- Agricultural Research Council, Biotechnology Platform, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Antoinette Josemans
- Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ratselane D Marumo
- Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Sikhumbuzo Mbizeni
- Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Agriculture and Animal Health, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Abdalla A Latif
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Ben J Mans
- Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
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11
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Fisch A, Reynisson B, Benedictus L, Nicastri A, Vasoya D, Morrison I, Buus S, Ferreira BR, Kinney Ferreira de Miranda Santos I, Ternette N, Connelley T, Nielsen M. Integral Use of Immunopeptidomics and Immunoinformatics for the Characterization of Antigen Presentation and Rational Identification of BoLA-DR-Presented Peptides and Epitopes. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 206:2489-2497. [PMID: 33789985 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2001409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
MHC peptide binding and presentation is the most selective event defining the landscape of T cell epitopes. Consequently, understanding the diversity of MHC alleles in a given population and the parameters that define the set of ligands that can be bound and presented by each of these alleles (the immunopeptidome) has an enormous impact on our capacity to predict and manipulate the potential of protein Ags to elicit functional T cell responses. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of MHC-eluted ligand data has proven to be a powerful technique for identifying such peptidomes, and methods integrating such data for prediction of Ag presentation have reached a high level of accuracy for both MHC class I and class II. In this study, we demonstrate how these techniques and prediction methods can be readily extended to the bovine leukocyte Ag class II DR locus (BoLA-DR). BoLA-DR binding motifs were characterized by eluted ligand data derived from bovine cell lines expressing a range of DRB3 alleles prevalent in Holstein-Friesian populations. The model generated (NetBoLAIIpan, available as a Web server at www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/NetBoLAIIpan) was shown to have unprecedented predictive power to identify known BoLA-DR-restricted CD4 epitopes. In summary, the results demonstrate the power of an integrated approach combining advanced mass spectrometry peptidomics with immunoinformatics for characterization of the BoLA-DR Ag presentation system and provide a prediction tool that can be used to assist in rational evaluation and selection of bovine CD4 T cell epitopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andressa Fisch
- Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, University of São Paulo, Av Bandeirantes, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Birkir Reynisson
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Annalisa Nicastri
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Deepali Vasoya
- The Roslin Institute, Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Ivan Morrison
- The Roslin Institute, Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Søren Buus
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | - Nicola Ternette
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Tim Connelley
- The Roslin Institute, Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Morten Nielsen
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark .,Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín, Argentina
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12
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Florin-Christensen M, Rodriguez AE, Suárez CE, Ueti MW, Delgado FO, Echaide I, Schnittger L. N-Glycosylation in Piroplasmids: Diversity within Simplicity. Pathogens 2021; 10:50. [PMID: 33429911 PMCID: PMC7826898 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10010050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
N-glycosylation has remained mostly unexplored in Piroplasmida, an order of tick-transmitted pathogens of veterinary and medical relevance. Analysis of 11 piroplasmid genomes revealed three distinct scenarios regarding N-glycosylation: Babesia sensu stricto (s.s.) species add one or two N-acetylglucosamine (NAcGlc) molecules to proteins; Theileria equi and Cytauxzoon felis add (NAcGlc)2-mannose, while B. microti and Theileria s.s. synthesize dolichol-P-P-NAcGlc and dolichol-P-P-(NAcGlc)2 without subsequent transfer to proteins. All piroplasmids possess the gene complement needed for the synthesis of the N-glycosylation substrates, dolichol-P and sugar nucleotides. The oligosaccharyl transferase of Babesia species, T. equi and C. felis, is predicted to be composed of only two subunits, STT3 and Ost1. Occurrence of short N-glycans in B. bovis merozoites was experimentally demonstrated by fluorescence microscopy using a NAcGlc-specific lectin. In vitro growth of B. bovis was significantly impaired by tunicamycin, an inhibitor of N-glycosylation, indicating a relevant role for N-glycosylation in this pathogen. Finally, genes coding for N-glycosylation enzymes and substrate biosynthesis are transcribed in B. bovis blood and tick stages, suggesting that this pathway is biologically relevant throughout the parasite life cycle. Elucidation of the role/s exerted by N-glycans will increase our understanding of these successful parasites, for which improved control measures are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Florin-Christensen
- Instituto de Patobiología Veterinaria (INTA-CONICET), CICVyA, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Hurlingham 1686, Argentina; (A.E.R.); (F.O.D.); (L.S.)
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1033AAJ, Argentina
| | - Anabel E. Rodriguez
- Instituto de Patobiología Veterinaria (INTA-CONICET), CICVyA, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Hurlingham 1686, Argentina; (A.E.R.); (F.O.D.); (L.S.)
| | - Carlos E. Suárez
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99163, USA; (C.E.S.); (M.W.U.)
- Animal Disease Research Unit, United States Department of Agricultural-Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA 99163, USA
| | - Massaro W. Ueti
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99163, USA; (C.E.S.); (M.W.U.)
- Animal Disease Research Unit, United States Department of Agricultural-Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA 99163, USA
| | - Fernando O. Delgado
- Instituto de Patobiología Veterinaria (INTA-CONICET), CICVyA, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Hurlingham 1686, Argentina; (A.E.R.); (F.O.D.); (L.S.)
| | - Ignacio Echaide
- Estación Experimental Agrícola INTA-Rafaela, Santa Fe, Provincia de Buenos Aires S2300, Argentina;
| | - Leonhard Schnittger
- Instituto de Patobiología Veterinaria (INTA-CONICET), CICVyA, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Hurlingham 1686, Argentina; (A.E.R.); (F.O.D.); (L.S.)
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1033AAJ, Argentina
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13
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Capture-based enrichment of Theileria parva DNA enables full genome assembly of first buffalo-derived strain and reveals exceptional intra-specific genetic diversity. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008781. [PMID: 33119590 PMCID: PMC7654785 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Theileria parva is an economically important, intracellular, tick-transmitted parasite of cattle. A live vaccine against the parasite is effective against challenge from cattle-transmissible T. parva but not against genotypes originating from the African Cape buffalo, a major wildlife reservoir, prompting the need to characterize genome-wide variation within and between cattle- and buffalo-associated T. parva populations. Here, we describe a capture-based target enrichment approach that enables, for the first time, de novo assembly of nearly complete T. parva genomes derived from infected host cell lines. This approach has exceptionally high specificity and sensitivity and is successful for both cattle- and buffalo-derived T. parva parasites. De novo genome assemblies generated for cattle genotypes differ from the reference by ~54K single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) throughout the 8.31 Mb genome, an average of 6.5 SNPs/kb. We report the first buffalo-derived T. parva genome, which is ~20 kb larger than the genome from the reference, cattle-derived, Muguga strain, and contains 25 new potential genes. The average non-synonymous nucleotide diversity (πN) per gene, between buffalo-derived T. parva and the Muguga strain, was 1.3%. This remarkably high level of genetic divergence is supported by an average Wright’s fixation index (FST), genome-wide, of 0.44, reflecting a degree of genetic differentiation between cattle- and buffalo-derived T. parva parasites more commonly seen between, rather than within, species. These findings present clear implications for vaccine development, further demonstrated by the ability to assemble nearly all known antigens in the buffalo-derived strain, which will be critical in design of next generation vaccines. The DNA capture approach used provides a clear advantage in specificity over alternative T. parva DNA enrichment methods used previously, such as those that utilize schizont purification, is less labor intensive, and enables in-depth comparative genomics in this apicomplexan parasite. An estimated 50 million cattle in sub-Saharan Africa are at risk of the deadly livestock disease East coast fever (ECF), caused by the parasite Theileria parva, which imposes tremendous economic hardship on smallholder farmers. An existing ECF vaccine protects against strains circulating among cattle, but not against T. parva derived from African Cape buffalo, its main wildlife carrier. Understanding this difference in protective efficacy requires characterization of the genetic diversity in T. parva strains associated with each mammalian host, a goal that has been hindered by the proliferation of T. parva in nucleated host cells, with much larger genomes. Here we adapted a sequence capture approach to target the whole parasite genome, enabling enrichment of parasite DNA over that of the host. Choices in protocol development resulted in nearly 100% parasite genome specificity and sensitivity, making this approach the most successful yet to generate T. parva genome sequence data in a high-throughput manner. The analyses uncovered a degree of genetic differentiation between cattle- and buffalo-derived genotypes that is akin to levels more commonly seen between species. This approach, which will enable an in-depth T. parva population genomics study from cattle and buffalo in the endemic regions, can easily be adapted to other intracellular pathogens.
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14
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Ribeiro DM, Salama AAK, Vitor ACM, Argüello A, Moncau CT, Santos EM, Caja G, de Oliveira JS, Balieiro JCC, Hernández-Castellano LE, Zachut M, Poleti MD, Castro N, Alves SP, Almeida AM. The application of omics in ruminant production: a review in the tropical and sub-tropical animal production context. J Proteomics 2020; 227:103905. [PMID: 32712373 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The demand for animal products (e.g. dairy and beef) in tropical regions is expected to increase in parallel with the public demand for sustainable practices, due to factors such as population growth and climate change. The necessity to increase animal production output must be achieved with better management and production technologies. For this to happen, novel research methodologies, animal selection and postgenomic tools play a pivotal role. Indeed, improving breeder selection programs, the quality of meat and dairy products as well as animal health will contribute to higher sustainability and productivity. This would surely benefit regions where resource quality and quantity are increasingly unstable, and research is still very incipient, which is the case of many regions in the tropics. The purpose of this review is to demonstrate how omics-based approaches play a major role in animal science, particularly concerning ruminant production systems and research associated to the tropics and developing countries. SIGNIFICANCE: Environmental conditions in the tropics make livestock production harder, compared to temperate regions. Due to global warming, the sustainability of livestock production will become increasingly problematic. The use of novel omics technologies could generate useful information to understand adaptation mechanisms of resilient breeds and/or species. The application of omics to tropical animal production is still residual in the currently available literature. With this review, we aim to summarize the most notable results in the field whilst encouraging further research to deal with the future challenges that animal production in the tropics will need to face.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Ribeiro
- LEAF Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ahmed A K Salama
- Group of Research in Ruminants (G2R), Department of Animal and Food Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana C M Vitor
- CIISA - Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. da Universidade Técnica, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Anastasio Argüello
- Animal Production and Biotechnology group, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35413 Arucas, Spain
| | - Cristina T Moncau
- FZEA - Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Avenida Duque de Caxias Norte - 225, 13635-900 Pirassununga, SP, Brazil
| | - Edson M Santos
- Departamento de Zootecnia, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Areia, PB, Brazil
| | - Gerardo Caja
- Group of Research in Ruminants (G2R), Department of Animal and Food Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juliana S de Oliveira
- Departamento de Zootecnia, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Areia, PB, Brazil
| | - Júlio C C Balieiro
- FMVZ - School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Avenida Duque de Caxias Norte - 225, 13635-900 Pirassununga, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Maya Zachut
- Department of Ruminant Science, Institute of Animal Sciences Agricultural Research Organization/Volcani Center, Rishon Lezion 7505101, Israel
| | - Mirele D Poleti
- FZEA - Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Avenida Duque de Caxias Norte - 225, 13635-900 Pirassununga, SP, Brazil
| | - Noemi Castro
- Animal Production and Biotechnology group, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35413 Arucas, Spain
| | - Susana P Alves
- CIISA - Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. da Universidade Técnica, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - André M Almeida
- LEAF Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal.
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15
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Atchou K, Ongus J, Machuka E, Juma J, Tiambo C, Djikeng A, Silva JC, Pelle R. Comparative Transcriptomics of the Bovine Apicomplexan Parasite Theileria parva Developmental Stages Reveals Massive Gene Expression Variation and Potential Vaccine Antigens. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:287. [PMID: 32582776 PMCID: PMC7296165 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Theileria parva is a protozoan parasite that causes East Coast fever (ECF), an economically important disease of cattle in Africa. It is transmitted mainly by the tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. Research efforts to develop a subunit vaccine based on parasite neutralizing antibodies and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes have met with limited success. The molecular mechanisms underlying T. parva life cycle stages in the tick vector and bovine host are poorly understood, thus limiting progress toward an effective and efficient control of ECF. Transcriptomics has been used to identify candidate vaccine antigens or markers associated with virulence and disease pathology. Therefore, characterization of gene expression throughout the parasite's life cycle should shed light on host-pathogen interactions in ECF and identify genes underlying differences in parasite stages as well as potential, novel therapeutic targets. Recently, the first gene expression profiling of T. parva was conducted for the sporoblast, sporozoite, and schizont stages. The sporozoite is infective to cattle, whereas the schizont is the major pathogenic form of the parasite. The schizont can differentiate into piroplasm, which is infective to the tick vector. The present study was designed to extend the T. parva gene expression profiling to the piroplasm stage with reference to the schizont. Pairwise comparison revealed that 3,279 of a possible 4,084 protein coding genes were differentially expressed, with 1,623 (49%) genes upregulated and 1,656 (51%) downregulated in the piroplasm relative to the schizont. In addition, over 200 genes were stage-specific. In general, there were more molecular functions, biological processes, subcellular localizations, and pathways significantly enriched in the piroplasm than in the schizont. Using known antigens as benchmarks, we identified several new potential vaccine antigens, including TP04_0076 and TP04_0640, which were highly immunogenic in naturally T. parva-infected cattle. All the candidate vaccine antigens identified have yet to be investigated for their capacity to induce protective immune response against ECF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kodzo Atchou
- Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation, Pan African University, Nairobi, Kenya.,Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Juliette Ongus
- Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation, Pan African University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Eunice Machuka
- Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation, Pan African University, Nairobi, Kenya.,Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - John Juma
- Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Christian Tiambo
- Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Appolinaire Djikeng
- Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Joana C Silva
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Roger Pelle
- Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
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