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Tachibana M, Baba M, Iriko H, Shinzawa N, Torii M, Ishino T. Identification of a novel protein localized to the crystalloid of the Plasmodium ookinete. Parasitol Int 2024; 101:102892. [PMID: 38565335 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2024.102892] [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: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Reducing Plasmodium parasite transmission via the mosquito vector is a promising strategy for malaria control and elimination in endemic regions. In the mosquito midgut after the ingestion of an infected blood meal, malaria parasite gametes egress from erythrocytes and fertilize to develop into motile ookinetes that traverse midgut epithelial cells and transform into oocysts adjacent the basal lamina. Plasmodium ookinetes and young oocysts possess a unique organelle called the crystalloid; which has a honeycomb-like matrix structure and is indicated to be involved in sporozoite formation and maturation. In this study, we identified a novel crystalloid protein, PY17X_1113800, that is exclusively expressed in developing ookinetes. The protein possesses a signal peptide sequence, but lacks a transmembrane domain or GPI anchor signal sequence, as well as predicted adhesive domains which are characterisitic of many crystalloid proteins. The protein is highly conserved across the phylum Apicomplexa and within the greater clade Alveolata, such as Vitrella and the ciliates Paramecium and Tetrahymena, but is absent in cryptosporidia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayumi Tachibana
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-science Center, Ehime University, 454 Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, Japan
| | - Minami Baba
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Iriko
- Division of Global Infectious Diseases, Department of Public Health, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 7-10-2 Tomogaoka, Suma-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 654-0142, Japan
| | - Naoaki Shinzawa
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Motomi Torii
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-science Center, Ehime University, 454 Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, Japan
| | - Tomoko Ishino
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan.
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Murata Y, Nishi T, Kaneko I, Iwanaga S, Yuda M. Coordinated regulation of gene expression in Plasmodium female gametocytes by two transcription factors. eLife 2024; 12:RP88317. [PMID: 38252559 PMCID: PMC10945693 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Gametocytes play key roles in the Plasmodium lifecycle. They are essential for sexual reproduction as precursors of the gametes. They also play an essential role in parasite transmission to mosquitoes. Elucidation of the gene regulation at this stage is essential for understanding these two processes at the molecular level and for developing new strategies to break the parasite lifecycle. We identified a novel Plasmodium transcription factor (TF), designated as a partner of AP2-FG or PFG. In this article, we report that this TF regulates the gene expression in female gametocytes in concert with another female-specific TF AP2-FG. Upon the disruption of PFG, majority of female-specific genes were significantly downregulated, and female gametocyte lost the ability to produce ookinetes. ChIP-seq analysis showed that it was located in the same position as AP2-FG, indicating that these two TFs form a complex. ChIP-seq analysis of PFG in AP2-FG-disrupted parasites and ChIP-seq analysis of AP2-FG in PFG-disrupted parasites demonstrated that PFG mediates the binding of AP2-FG to a ten-base motif and that AP2-FG binds another motif, GCTCA, in the absence of PFG. In promoter assays, this five-base motif was identified as another female-specific cis-acting element. Genes under the control of the two forms of AP2-FG, with or without PFG, partly overlapped; however, each form had target preferences. These results suggested that combinations of these two forms generate various expression patterns among the extensive genes expressed in female gametocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuho Murata
- Department of Medical Zoology, Mie University School of MedicineTsu CityJapan
| | - Tsubasa Nishi
- Department of Medical Zoology, Mie University School of MedicineTsu CityJapan
| | - Izumi Kaneko
- Department of Medical Zoology, Mie University School of MedicineTsu CityJapan
| | - Shiroh Iwanaga
- Department of Molecular Protozoology, Research Center for Infectious Disease ControlOsakaJapan
| | - Masao Yuda
- Department of Medical Zoology, Mie University School of MedicineTsu CityJapan
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Tandel J, Walzer KA, Byerly JH, Pinkston B, Beiting DP, Striepen B. Genetic Ablation of a Female-Specific Apetala 2 Transcription Factor Blocks Oocyst Shedding in Cryptosporidium parvum. mBio 2023; 14:e0326122. [PMID: 36786597 PMCID: PMC10233709 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03261-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium is a leading global cause of diarrheal disease, and the infection poses a particularly grave threat to young children and those with weakened immune function. Infection occurs by ingestion of meiotic spores called oocysts, and transmission relies on fecal shedding of new oocysts. The entire life cycle thus occurs in a single host and features asexual as well as sexual forms of replication. Here, we identify and locus tag two Apetala 2-type (AP2) transcription factors and demonstrate that they are exclusively expressed in male and female gametes, respectively. To enable functional studies of essential genes in Cryptosporidium parvum, we develop and validate a small-molecule-inducible gene excision system, which we apply to the female factor AP2-F to achieve conditional gene knockout. Analyzing this mutant, we find the factor to be dispensable for asexual growth and early female fate determination in vitro but to be required for oocyst shedding in infected animals in vivo. Transcriptional analyses conducted in the presence or absence of AP2-F revealed that the factor controls the transcription of genes encoding crystalloid body proteins, which are exclusively expressed in female gametes. In C. parvum, the organelle is restricted to sporozoites, and its loss in other apicomplexan parasites leads to blocked transmission. Overall, our development of conditional gene ablation in C. parvum provides a robust method for genetic analysis in this parasite that enabled us to identify AP2-F as an essential regulator of transcription required for oocyst shedding and transmission. IMPORTANCE The parasite Cryptosporidium infects millions of people worldwide each year, leading to life-threatening diarrheal disease in young children and immunosuppressed individuals. There is no vaccine and only limited treatment. Transmission occurs via the fecal-oral route by an environmentally resilient spore-like oocyst. Infection takes place in the intestinal epithelium, where parasites initially propagate asexually before transitioning to male and female gametes, with sex leading to the formation of new oocysts. The essential role of sexual development for continuous infection and transmission makes it an attractive target for therapy and prevention. To study essential genes and potential drug targets across the life cycle, we established inducible gene excision for C. parvum. We determined that the female-specific transcription factor AP2-F is not required for asexual growth and early female development in vitro but is necessary for oocyst shedding in vivo. This work enhances the genetic tools available to study Cryptosporidium gene function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayesh Tandel
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Katelyn A. Walzer
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jessica H. Byerly
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Brittain Pinkston
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Daniel P. Beiting
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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Guérin A, Strelau KM, Barylyuk K, Wallbank BA, Berry L, Crook OM, Lilley KS, Waller RF, Striepen B. Cryptosporidium uses multiple distinct secretory organelles to interact with and modify its host cell. Cell Host Microbe 2023; 31:650-664.e6. [PMID: 36958336 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of diarrheal disease in children and an important contributor to early childhood mortality. The parasite invades and extensively remodels intestinal epithelial cells, building an elaborate interface structure. How this occurs at the molecular level and the contributing parasite factors are largely unknown. Here, we generated a whole-cell spatial proteome of the Cryptosporidium sporozoite and used genetic and cell biological experimentation to discover the Cryptosporidium-secreted effector proteome. These findings reveal multiple organelles, including an original secretory organelle, and generate numerous compartment markers by tagging native gene loci. We show that secreted proteins are delivered to the parasite-host interface, where they assemble into different structures including a ring that anchors the parasite into its unique epicellular niche. Cryptosporidium thus uses a complex set of secretion systems during and following invasion that act in concert to subjugate its host cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Guérin
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Katherine M Strelau
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Bethan A Wallbank
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Laurence Berry
- LPHI, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier 34095, France
| | - Oliver M Crook
- Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3LB, UK
| | - Kathryn S Lilley
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Ross F Waller
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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PSOP1, putative secreted ookinete protein 1, is localized to the micronemes of Plasmodium yoelii and P. berghei ookinetes. Parasitol Int 2021; 84:102407. [PMID: 34147682 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2021.102407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites cause malaria in mammalian hosts and are transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. Activated gametocytes in the mosquito midgut egress from erythrocytes followed by fertilization and zygote formation. Zygotes differentiate into motile invasive ookinetes, which penetrate the midgut epithelium before forming oocysts beneath the basal lamina. Ookinete development and traversal across the mosquito midgut wall are major bottlenecks in the parasite life cycle. In ookinetes, surface proteins and proteins stored in apical organelles have been shown to be involved in parasite-host interactions. A group of ookinete proteins that are predicted to have such functions are named PSOPs (putative secreted ookinete protein). PSOP1 is possibly involved in migration through the midgut wall, and here its subcellular localization was examined in ookinetes by immunoelectron microscopy. PSOP1 localizes to the micronemes of Plasmodium yoelii and Plasmodium berghei ookinetes, indicating that it is stored and possibly apically secreted during ookinete penetration through the mosquito midgut wall.
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Dessens JT, Tremp AZ, Saeed S. Crystalloids: Fascinating Parasite Organelles Essential for Malaria Transmission. Trends Parasitol 2021; 37:581-584. [PMID: 33941493 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2021.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Crystalloids are malaria parasite organelles exclusive to the ookinete and young oocyst life stages that infect the mosquito. The organelles have key roles in sporozoite development and infectivity but the way this is facilitated on a molecular level remains poorly understood. Recent discoveries have shed new light on these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes T Dessens
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
| | - Annie Z Tremp
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Sadia Saeed
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
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Tremp AZ, Saeed S, Sharma V, Lasonder E, Dessens JT. Plasmodium berghei LAPs form an extended protein complex that facilitates crystalloid targeting and biogenesis. J Proteomics 2020; 227:103925. [PMID: 32736136 PMCID: PMC7487766 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Passage of malaria parasites through mosquitoes involves multiple developmental transitions, from gametocytes that are ingested with the blood meal, through to sporozoites that are transmitted by insect bite to the host. During the transformation from gametocyte to oocyst, the parasite forms a unique transient organelle named the crystalloid, which is involved in sporozoite formation. In Plasmodium berghei, a complex of six LCCL domain-containing proteins (LAPs) reside in the crystalloid and are required for its biogenesis. However, little else is known about the molecular mechanisms that underlie the crystalloid's role in sporogony. In this study, we have used transgenic parasites stably expressing LAP3 fused to GFP, combined with GFP affinity pulldown and high accuracy mass spectrometry, to identify an extended LAP interactome of some fifty proteins. We show that many of these are targeted to the crystalloid, including members of two protein families with CPW-WPC and pleckstrin homology-like domains, respectively. Our findings indicate that the LAPs are part of an intricate protein complex, the formation of which facilitates both crystalloid targeting and biogenesis. Significance Reducing malaria parasite transmission by mosquitoes is a key component of malaria eradication and control strategies. This study sheds important new light on the molecular composition of the crystalloid, an enigmatic parasite organelle that is essential for sporozoite formation and transmission from the insect to the vertebrate host. Our findings provide new mechanistic insight into how proteins are delivered to the crystalloid, and indicate that the molecular mechanisms that underlie crystalloid function are complex, involving several protein families unique to Plasmodium and closely related organisms. The new crystalloid proteins identified will form a useful starting point for studies aimed at unravelling how the crystalloid organelle facilitates sporogony and transmission. A Plasmodium berghei LAP3 interactome of some 50 proteins was determined. Many proteins in the interactome constitute known or novel crystalloid proteins. The interactome includes protein families with PH-like and CPW-WPC domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Z Tremp
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Sadia Saeed
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Vikram Sharma
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Edwin Lasonder
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK; Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Johannes T Dessens
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
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