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Connelly SV, Brazeau NF, Msellem M, Ngasala BE, Aydemir O, Goel V, Niaré K, Giesbrecht DJ, Popkin-Hall ZR, Hennelly C, Park Z, Moormann AM, Ong'echa JM, Verity R, Mohammed S, Shija SJ, Mhamilawa LE, Morris U, Mårtensson A, Lin JT, Björkman A, Juliano JJ, Bailey JA. Strong isolation by distance and evidence of population microstructure reflect ongoing Plasmodium falciparum transmission in Zanzibar. eLife 2024; 12:RP90173. [PMID: 38935423 PMCID: PMC11210957 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90173] [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: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The Zanzibar archipelago of Tanzania has become a low-transmission area for Plasmodium falciparum. Despite being considered an area of pre-elimination for years, achieving elimination has been difficult, likely due to a combination of imported infections from mainland Tanzania and continued local transmission. Methods To shed light on these sources of transmission, we applied highly multiplexed genotyping utilizing molecular inversion probes to characterize the genetic relatedness of 282 P. falciparum isolates collected across Zanzibar and in Bagamoyo district on the coastal mainland from 2016 to 2018. Results Overall, parasite populations on the coastal mainland and Zanzibar archipelago remain highly related. However, parasite isolates from Zanzibar exhibit population microstructure due to the rapid decay of parasite relatedness over very short distances. This, along with highly related pairs within shehias, suggests ongoing low-level local transmission. We also identified highly related parasites across shehias that reflect human mobility on the main island of Unguja and identified a cluster of highly related parasites, suggestive of an outbreak, in the Micheweni district on Pemba island. Parasites in asymptomatic infections demonstrated higher complexity of infection than those in symptomatic infections, but have similar core genomes. Conclusions Our data support importation as a main source of genetic diversity and contribution to the parasite population in Zanzibar, but they also show local outbreak clusters where targeted interventions are essential to block local transmission. These results highlight the need for preventive measures against imported malaria and enhanced control measures in areas that remain receptive to malaria reemergence due to susceptible hosts and competent vectors. Funding This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, grants R01AI121558, R01AI137395, R01AI155730, F30AI143172, and K24AI134990. Funding was also contributed from the Swedish Research Council, Erling-Persson Family Foundation, and the Yang Fund. RV acknowledges funding from the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis (reference MR/R015600/1), jointly funded by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), under the MRC/FCDO Concordat agreement and is also part of the EDCTP2 program supported by the European Union. RV also acknowledges funding by Community Jameel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean V Connelly
- MD-PhD Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Nicholas F Brazeau
- MD-PhD Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Mwinyi Msellem
- Research Division, Ministry of HealthZanzibarUnited Republic of Tanzania
| | - Billy E Ngasala
- Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied SciencesDar es SalaamUnited Republic of Tanzania
- Global Health and Migration Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Ozkan Aydemir
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical SchoolWorcesterUnited States
| | - Varun Goel
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Karamoko Niaré
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - David J Giesbrecht
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | - Zachary R Popkin-Hall
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Chris Hennelly
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Zackary Park
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Ann M Moormann
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical SchoolWorcesterUnited States
| | - John M Ong'echa
- Center for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research InstituteKisumuKenya
| | - Robert Verity
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Safia Mohammed
- Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Program (ZAMEP)ZanzibarUnited Republic of Tanzania
| | - Shija J Shija
- Zanzibar Malaria Elimination Program (ZAMEP)ZanzibarUnited Republic of Tanzania
| | - Lwidiko E Mhamilawa
- Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied SciencesDar es SalaamUnited Republic of Tanzania
- Global Health and Migration Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Ulrika Morris
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
| | - Andreas Mårtensson
- Global Health and Migration Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Jessica T Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Anders Björkman
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska InstituteStockholmSweden
| | - Jonathan J Juliano
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Jeffrey A Bailey
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
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2
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Fola AA, He Q, Xie S, Thimmapuram J, Bhide KP, Dorman J, Ciubotariu II, Mwenda MC, Mambwe B, Mulube C, Hawela M, Norris DE, Moss WJ, Bridges DJ, Carpi G. Genomics reveals heterogeneous Plasmodium falciparum transmission and selection signals in Zambia. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2024; 4:67. [PMID: 38582941 PMCID: PMC10998850 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-024-00498-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genomic surveillance is crucial for monitoring malaria transmission and understanding parasite adaptation to interventions. Zambia lacks prior nationwide efforts in malaria genomic surveillance among African countries. METHODS We conducted genomic surveillance of Plasmodium falciparum parasites from the 2018 Malaria Indicator Survey in Zambia, a nationally representative household survey of children under five years of age. We whole-genome sequenced and analyzed 241 P. falciparum genomes from regions with varying levels of malaria transmission across Zambia and estimated genetic metrics that are informative about transmission intensity, genetic relatedness between parasites, and selection. RESULTS We provide genomic evidence of widespread within-host polygenomic infections, regardless of epidemiological characteristics, underscoring the extensive and ongoing endemic malaria transmission in Zambia. Our analysis reveals country-level clustering of parasites from Zambia and neighboring regions, with distinct separation in West Africa. Within Zambia, identity by descent (IBD) relatedness analysis uncovers local spatial clustering and rare cases of long-distance sharing of closely related parasite pairs. Genomic regions with large shared IBD segments and strong positive selection signatures implicate genes involved in sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and artemisinin combination therapies drug resistance, but no signature related to chloroquine resistance. Furthermore, differences in selection signatures, including drug resistance loci, are observed between eastern and western Zambian parasite populations, suggesting variable transmission intensity and ongoing drug pressure. CONCLUSIONS Our findings enhance our understanding of nationwide P. falciparum transmission in Zambia, establishing a baseline for analyzing parasite genetic metrics as they vary over time and space. These insights highlight the urgency of strengthening malaria control programs and surveillance of antimalarial drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abebe A Fola
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Qixin He
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Shaojun Xie
- Bioinformatics Core, Purdue University, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Jyothi Thimmapuram
- Bioinformatics Core, Purdue University, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Ketaki P Bhide
- Bioinformatics Core, Purdue University, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Jack Dorman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Ilinca I Ciubotariu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Mulenga C Mwenda
- PATH-MACEPA, National Malaria Elimination Centre, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Brenda Mambwe
- PATH-MACEPA, National Malaria Elimination Centre, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Conceptor Mulube
- PATH-MACEPA, National Malaria Elimination Centre, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Moonga Hawela
- PATH-MACEPA, National Malaria Elimination Centre, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Douglas E Norris
- The Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - William J Moss
- The Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Giovanna Carpi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
- The Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Purdue Institute for Inflammation, Immunology, & Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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3
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Fola AA, He Q, Xie S, Thimmapuram J, Bhide KP, Dorman J, Ciubotariu II, Mwenda MC, Mambwe B, Mulube C, Hawela M, Norris DE, Moss WJ, Bridges DJ, Carpi G. Genomics reveals heterogeneous Plasmodium falciparum transmission and population differentiation in Zambia and bordering countries. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.02.09.24302570. [PMID: 38370674 PMCID: PMC10871455 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.09.24302570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Genomic surveillance plays a critical role in monitoring malaria transmission and understanding how the parasite adapts in response to interventions. We conducted genomic surveillance of malaria by sequencing 241 Plasmodium falciparum genomes from regions with varying levels of malaria transmission across Zambia. We found genomic evidence of high levels of within-host polygenomic infections, regardless of epidemiological characteristics, underscoring the extensive and ongoing endemic malaria transmission in the country. We identified country-level clustering of parasites from Zambia and neighboring countries, and distinct clustering of parasites from West Africa. Within Zambia, our identity by descent (IBD) relatedness analysis uncovered spatial clustering of closely related parasite pairs at the local level and rare cases of long-distance sharing. Genomic regions with large shared IBD segments and strong positive selection signatures identified genes involved in sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and artemisinin combination therapies drug resistance, but no signature related to chloroquine resistance. Together, our findings enhance our understanding of P. falciparum transmission nationwide in Zambia and highlight the urgency of strengthening malaria control programs and surveillance of antimalarial drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abebe A. Fola
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Qixin He
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Shaojun Xie
- Bioinformatics Core, Purdue University, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Jyothi Thimmapuram
- Bioinformatics Core, Purdue University, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Ketaki P. Bhide
- Bioinformatics Core, Purdue University, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Jack Dorman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | | | | | - Brenda Mambwe
- PATH-MACEPA, National Malaria Elimination Centre, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Conceptor Mulube
- PATH-MACEPA, National Malaria Elimination Centre, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Moonga Hawela
- PATH-MACEPA, National Malaria Elimination Centre, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Douglas E. Norris
- The Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - William J. Moss
- The Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Giovanna Carpi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- The Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Purdue Institute for Inflammation, Immunology, & Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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4
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Kimenyi KM, Akinyi MY, Mwikali K, Gilmore T, Mwangi S, Omer E, Gichuki B, Wambua J, Njunge J, Obiero G, Bejon P, Langhorne J, Abdi A, Ochola-Oyier LI. Distinct transcriptomic signatures define febrile malaria depending on initial infective states, asymptomatic or uninfected. BMC Infect Dis 2024; 24:140. [PMID: 38287287 PMCID: PMC10823747 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-08973-2] [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: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cumulative malaria parasite exposure in endemic regions often results in the acquisition of partial immunity and asymptomatic infections. There is limited information on how host-parasite interactions mediate the maintenance of chronic symptomless infections that sustain malaria transmission. METHODS Here, we determined the gene expression profiles of the parasite population and the corresponding host peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 21 children (< 15 years). We compared children who were defined as uninfected, asymptomatic and those with febrile malaria. RESULTS Children with asymptomatic infections had a parasite transcriptional profile characterized by a bias toward trophozoite stage (~ 12 h-post invasion) parasites and low parasite levels, while early ring stage parasites were characteristic of febrile malaria. The host response of asymptomatic children was characterized by downregulated transcription of genes associated with inflammatory responses, compared with children with febrile malaria,. Interestingly, the host responses during febrile infections that followed an asymptomatic infection featured stronger inflammatory responses, whereas the febrile host responses from previously uninfected children featured increased humoral immune responses. CONCLUSIONS The priming effect of prior asymptomatic infection may explain the blunted acquisition of antibody responses seen to malaria antigens following natural exposure or vaccination in malaria endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelvin M Kimenyi
- KEMRI‑Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Kioko Mwikali
- KEMRI‑Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | | | - Shaban Mwangi
- KEMRI‑Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Elisha Omer
- KEMRI‑Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | | | | | - James Njunge
- KEMRI‑Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - George Obiero
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Philip Bejon
- KEMRI‑Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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5
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Dash R, Skillman KM, Pereira L, Mascarenhas A, Dass S, Walke J, Almeida A, Fernandes M, Gomes E, White J, Chery-Karschney L, Khandeparkar A, Rathod PK, Duraisingh MT, Kanjee U. Development of a Plasmodium vivax biobank for functional ex vivo assays. Malar J 2023; 22:250. [PMID: 37653486 PMCID: PMC10470152 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04668-2] [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: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plasmodium vivax is the second most prevalent cause of malaria yet remains challenging to study due to the lack of a continuous in vitro culture system, highlighting the need to establish a biobank of clinical isolates with multiple freezes per sample for use in functional assays. Different methods for cryopreserving parasite isolates were compared and subsequently the most promising one was validated. Enrichment of early- and late-stage parasites and parasite maturation were quantified to facilitate assay planning. METHODS In order to compare cryopreservation protocols, nine clinical P. vivax isolates were frozen with four glycerolyte-based mixtures. Parasite recovery post thaw, post KCl-Percoll enrichment and in short-term in vitro culture was measured via slide microscopy. Enrichment of late-stage parasites by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) was measured. Short and long-term storage of parasites at either - 80 °C or liquid nitrogen were also compared. RESULTS Of the four cryopreservation mixtures, one mixture (glycerolyte:serum:RBC at a 2.5:1.5:1 ratio) resulted in improved parasite recovery and statistically significant (P < 0.05) enhancement in parasite survival in short-term in vitro culture. A parasite biobank was subsequently generated using this protocol resulting in a collection of 106 clinical isolates, each with 8 vials. The quality of the biobank was validated by measuring several factors from 47 thaws: the average reduction in parasitaemia post-thaw (25.3%); the average fold enrichment post KCl-Percoll (6.65-fold); and the average percent recovery of parasites (22.0%, measured from 30 isolates). During short-term in vitro culture, robust maturation of ring stage parasites to later stages (> 20% trophozoites, schizonts and gametocytes) was observed in 60.0% of isolates by 48 h. Enrichment of mature parasite stages via MACS showed good reproducibility, with an average of 30.0% post-MACS parasitaemia and an average of 5.30 × 105 parasites/vial. Finally, the effect of storage temperature was tested, and no large impacts from short-term (7 days) or long-term (7-10 years) storage at - 80 °C on parasite recovery, enrichment or viability was observed. CONCLUSIONS Here, an optimized freezing method for P. vivax clinical isolates is demonstrated as a template for the generation and validation of a parasite biobank for use in functional assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashmi Dash
- Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, Goa, 403202, India
- Departments of Chemistry and Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Kristen M Skillman
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Ligia Pereira
- Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, Goa, 403202, India
- Departments of Chemistry and Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Anjali Mascarenhas
- Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, Goa, 403202, India
- Departments of Chemistry and Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Sheena Dass
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jayashri Walke
- Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, Goa, 403202, India
- Departments of Chemistry and Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Anvily Almeida
- Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, Goa, 403202, India
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Mezia Fernandes
- Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, Goa, 403202, India
- Departments of Chemistry and Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Edwin Gomes
- Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, Goa, 403202, India
| | - John White
- Departments of Chemistry and Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Laura Chery-Karschney
- Departments of Chemistry and Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | | | - Pradipsinh K Rathod
- Departments of Chemistry and Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Manoj T Duraisingh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Usheer Kanjee
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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6
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Dash R, Skillman KM, Pereira L, Mascarenhas A, Dass S, Walke J, Almeida A, Fernandes M, Gomes E, White J, Chery-Karschney L, Khandeparkar A, Rathod PK, Duraisingh MT, Kanjee U. Development of a Plasmodium vivax biobank for functional ex vivo assays. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.17.533128. [PMID: 36993272 PMCID: PMC10055260 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.17.533128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Background Plasmodium vivax is the second most prevalent cause of malaria yet remains challenging to study due to the lack of a continuous in vitro culture system, highlighting the need to establish a biobank of clinical isolates with multiple freezes per sample for use in functional assays. Different methods for cryopreserving parasite isolates were compared and subsequently the most promising one was validated. Enrichment of early- and late-stage parasites and parasite maturation were quantified to facilitate assay planning. Methods In order to compare cryopreservation protocols, nine clinical P. vivax isolates were frozen with four glycerolyte-based mixtures. Parasite recovery post thaw, post KCl-Percoll enrichment and in short-term in vitro culture was measured via slide microscopy. Enrichment of late-stage parasites by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) was measured. Short and long-term storage of parasites at either -80°C or liquid nitrogen were also compared. Results Of the four cryopreservation mixtures, one mixture (glycerolyte:serum:RBC at a 2.5:1.5:1 ratio) resulted in improved parasite recovery and statistically significant (P<0.05) enhancement in parasite survival in short-term in vitro culture. A parasite biobank was subsequently generated using this protocol resulting in a collection with 106 clinical isolates, each with 8 vials. The quality of the biobank was validated by measuring several factors from 47 thaws: the average reduction in parasitemia post-thaw (25.3%); the average fold enrichment post KCl-Percoll (6.65-fold); and the average percent recovery of parasites (22.0%, measured from 30 isolates). During short-term in vitro culture, robust maturation of ring stage parasites to later stages (>20% trophozoites, schizonts and gametocytes) was observed in 60.0% of isolates by 48 hours. Enrichment of mature parasite stages via MACS showed good reproducibility, with an average 30.0% post-MACS parasitemia and an average 5.30 × 10 5 parasites/vial. Finally, the effect of storage temperature was tested, and no large impacts from short-term (7 day) or long term (7 - 10 year) storage at -80°C on parasite recovery, enrichment or viability was observed. Conclusions Here, an optimized freezing method for P. vivax clinical isolates is demonstrated as a template for the generation and validation of a parasite biobank for use in functional assays.
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