1
|
Cubillos EFG, Snebergerova P, Borsodi S, Reichensdorferova D, Levytska V, Asada M, Sojka D, Jalovecka M. Establishment of a stable transfection and gene targeting system in Babesia divergens. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1278041. [PMID: 38156314 PMCID: PMC10753763 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1278041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Babesia divergens is an emerging tick-borne pathogen considered as the principal causative agent of bovine babesiosis in Europe with a notable zoonotic risk to human health. Despite its increasing impact, considerable gaps persist in our understanding of the molecular interactions between this parasite and its hosts. In this study, we address the current limitation of functional genomic tools in B. divergens and introduce a stable transfection system specific to this parasite. We define the parameters for a drug selection system hdhfr-WR99210 and evaluate different transfection protocols for highly efficient generation of transgenic parasites expressing GFP. We proved that plasmid delivery into bovine erythrocytes prior to their infection is the most optimal transfection approach for B. divergens, providing novel evidence of Babesia parasites' ability to spontaneously uptake external DNA from erythrocytes cytoplasm. Furthermore, we validated the bidirectional and symmetrical activity of ef-tgtp promoter, enabling simultaneous expression of external genes. Lastly, we generated a B. divergens knockout line by targeting a 6-cys-e gene locus. The observed dispensability of this gene in intraerythrocytic parasite development makes it a suitable recipient locus for further transgenic application. The platform for genetic manipulations presented herein serves as the initial step towards developing advanced functional genomic tools enabling the discovery of B. divergens molecules involved in host-vector-pathogen interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eliana F. G. Cubillos
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Pavla Snebergerova
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Sarka Borsodi
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | | | - Viktoriya Levytska
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Masahito Asada
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Daniel Sojka
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Marie Jalovecka
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hakimi H, Yamagishi J, Kawazu SI, Asada M. Advances in understanding red blood cell modifications by Babesia. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010770. [PMID: 36107982 PMCID: PMC9477259 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesia are tick-borne protozoan parasites that can infect livestock, pets, wildlife animals, and humans. In the mammalian host, they invade and multiply within red blood cells (RBCs). To support their development as obligate intracellular parasites, Babesia export numerous proteins to modify the RBC during invasion and development. Such exported proteins are likely important for parasite survival and pathogenicity and thus represent candidate drug or vaccine targets. The availability of complete genome sequences and the establishment of transfection systems for several Babesia species have aided the identification and functional characterization of exported proteins. Here, we review exported Babesia proteins; discuss their functions in the context of immune evasion, cytoadhesion, and nutrient uptake; and highlight possible future topics for research and application in this field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Hakimi
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (HH); (MA)
| | - Junya Yamagishi
- Division of Collaboration and Education, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Shin-ichiro Kawazu
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Masahito Asada
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
- * E-mail: (HH); (MA)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wang S, Li D, Chen F, Jiang W, Luo W, Zhu G, Zhao J, He L. Establishment of a Transient and Stable Transfection System for Babesia duncani Using a Homologous Recombination Strategy. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:844498. [PMID: 35463640 PMCID: PMC9019647 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.844498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic modification provides an invaluable molecular tool to dissect the biology and pathogenesis of pathogens. However, no report is available about the genetic modification of Babesia duncani, a pathogen responsible for human babesiosis that is widespread in North America, suggesting the necessity to develop a genetic manipulation method to improve the strategies for studying and understanding the biology of protozoan pathogens. The establishment of a genetic modification method requires promoters, selectable markers, and reporter genes. Here, the double-copy gene elongation factor-1α (ef-1α) and its promoters were amplified by conventional PCR and confirmed by sequencing. We established a transient transfection system by using the ef-1αB promoter and the reporter gene mCherry and achieved stable transfection through homologous recombination to integrate the selection marker hDHFR-eGFP into the parasite genome. The potential of this genetic modification method was tested by knocking out the thioredoxin peroxidase-1 (TPX-1) gene, and under the drug pressure of 5 nM WR99210, 96.3% of the parasites were observed to express green fluorescence protein (eGFP) by flow cytometry at day 7 post-transfection. Additionally, the clone line of the TPX-1 knockout parasite was successfully obtained by the limiting dilution method. This study provided a transfection method for B. duncani, which may facilitate gene function research and vaccine development of B. duncani.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Dongfang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fangwei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Weijun Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wanxin Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Guan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, the Institute of Zoonosis, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Junlong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lan He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Lan He,
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Recent Advances in Molecular Genetic Tools for Babesia. Vet Sci 2021; 8:vetsci8100222. [PMID: 34679052 PMCID: PMC8541370 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci8100222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of in vitro culture and completion of genome sequencing of several Babesia parasites promoted the efforts to establish transfection systems for these parasites to dissect the gene functions. It has been more than a decade since the establishment of first transfection for Babesia bovis, the causative agent of bovine babesiosis. However, the number of genes that were targeted by genetic tools in Babesia parasites is limited. This is partially due to the low efficiencies of these methods. The recent adaptation of CRISPR/Cas9 for genome editing of Babesia bovis can accelerate the efforts for dissecting this parasite’s genome and extend the knowledge on biological aspects of erythrocytic and tick stages of Babesia. Additionally, glmS ribozyme as a conditional knockdown system is available that could be used for the characterization of essential genes. The development of high throughput genetic tools is needed to dissect the function of multigene families, targeting several genes in a specific pathway, and finally genome-wide identification of essential genes to find novel drug targets. In this review, we summarized the current tools that are available for Babesia and the genes that are being targeted by these tools. This may draw a perspective for the future development of genetic tools and pave the way for the identification of novel drugs or vaccine targets.
Collapse
|
5
|
Wang J, Wang X, Guan G, Yang J, Liu J, Liu A, Li Y, Luo J, Yin H. Stable transfection system for Babesia sp. Xinjiang. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:463. [PMID: 34503543 PMCID: PMC8428105 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04940-x] [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: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stable transfection systems have been described in many protozoan parasites, including Plasmodium falciparum, Cryptosporidium parvum, Babesia bovis, Babesia ovata, and Babesia gibsoni. For Babesia sp. Xinjiang (Bxj), which is the causative pathogen of ovine babesiosis and mainly prevails across China, the platform of those techniques remains absent. Genetic manipulation techniques are powerful tools to enhance our knowledge on parasite biology, which may provide potential drug targets and diagnostic markers. METHODS We evaluated the inhibition efficiency of blasticidin (BSD) and WR99210 to Bxj. Then, a plasmid was constructed bearing selectable marker BSD, green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene, and rhoptry-associated protein-1 3' terminator region (rap 3' TR). The plasmid was integrated into the elongation factor-1 alpha (ef-1α) site of Bxj genome by cross-over homologous recombination technique. Twenty μg of plasmid was transfected into Bxj merozoites. Subsequently, drug selection was performed 24 h after transfection to generate transfected parasites. RESULTS Transfected parasite lines, Bxj-c1, Bxj-c2, and Bxj-c3, were successfully obtained after transfection, drug selection, and colonization. Exogenous genes were integrated into the Bxj genome, which were confirmed by PCR amplification and sequencing. In addition, results of western blot (WB) and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) revealed that GFP-BSD had expressed for 11 months. CONCLUSIONS In our present study, stable transfection system for Bxj was successfully developed. We anticipate that this platform will greatly facilitate basic research of Bxj.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, China
| | - Xiaoxing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, China
| | - Guiquan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, China.
| | - Jifei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, China
| | - Junlong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, China
| | - Aihong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, China
| | - Youquan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, China
| | - Jianxun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, China
| | - Hong Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, China. .,Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonose, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ogata S, Pereira JAC, Jhonny LVA, Carolina HPG, Matsuno K, Orba Y, Sawa H, Kawamori F, Nonaka N, Nakao R. Molecular Survey of Babesia and Anaplasma Infection in Cattle in Bolivia. Vet Sci 2021; 8:vetsci8090188. [PMID: 34564582 PMCID: PMC8473379 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci8090188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Latin American countries produce more than a quarter of the world's beef and are a major global supplier of livestock protein. Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are a major constraint to the livestock industry worldwide, including in Latin America. The aim of this study was to detect and characterise tick-borne pathogens in cattle from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where no detailed epidemiological data are available. Blood samples were collected from 104 cattle. Apicomplexan parasites were detected by nested PCR amplification of the 18S ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA), and Anaplasmataceae was screened by the PCR amplification of 16S rDNA, followed by characterisation based on the heat shock protein and citrate synthase gene sequences. Babesia infection was observed in nine cattle (one Babesia bovis and eight Babesia bigemina), while Anaplasmataceae infection was detected in thirty-two cattle. A sequencing analysis confirmed the presence of Anaplasma marginale and Anaplasma platys-like. These results provide the first molecular evidence for the four above-mentioned tick-borne pathogens in cattle in Bolivia. This information improves our understanding of the epidemiology of TBDs and will help in formulating appropriate and improved pathogen control strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shohei Ogata
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan; (S.O.); (N.N.)
| | - Juan Antonio Cristian Pereira
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno, Av. 26 de Febrero Entre Av. Busch y Av. Centenario, Ciudad Universitaria, Modulo 228, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia; (J.A.C.P.); (L.V.A.J.); (H.P.G.C.); (F.K.)
| | - Loza Vega Ariel Jhonny
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno, Av. 26 de Febrero Entre Av. Busch y Av. Centenario, Ciudad Universitaria, Modulo 228, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia; (J.A.C.P.); (L.V.A.J.); (H.P.G.C.); (F.K.)
| | - Herbas Perez Gladys Carolina
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno, Av. 26 de Febrero Entre Av. Busch y Av. Centenario, Ciudad Universitaria, Modulo 228, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia; (J.A.C.P.); (L.V.A.J.); (H.P.G.C.); (F.K.)
| | - Keita Matsuno
- Division of Risk Analysis and Management, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N 20 W 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan;
- International Collaboration Unit, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N 20 W 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan; (Y.O.); (H.S.)
- One Health Research Center, Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
| | - Yasuko Orba
- International Collaboration Unit, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N 20 W 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan; (Y.O.); (H.S.)
- Division of Molecular Pathobiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N 20 W 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Sawa
- International Collaboration Unit, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N 20 W 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan; (Y.O.); (H.S.)
- One Health Research Center, Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
- Division of Molecular Pathobiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, N 20 W 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo 001-0020, Japan
| | - Fumihiko Kawamori
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno, Av. 26 de Febrero Entre Av. Busch y Av. Centenario, Ciudad Universitaria, Modulo 228, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia; (J.A.C.P.); (L.V.A.J.); (H.P.G.C.); (F.K.)
| | - Nariaki Nonaka
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan; (S.O.); (N.N.)
| | - Ryo Nakao
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Graduate School of Infectious Diseases, Hokkaido University, N 18 W 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan; (S.O.); (N.N.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-11-706-5196
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Wang X, Wang J, Liu J, Yang J, Lv Z, Liu A, Li Y, Li Y, Lan H, Liu G, Luo J, Guan G, Yin H. Establishment of a transient transfection system for Babesia sp. Xinjiang using homologous promoters. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:3625-3630. [PMID: 34414508 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07250-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Babesia species, the agentic pathogens of human and animal babesiosis, are spread worldwide. Over the last decade, genetic manipulation approaches have been applied with many protozoan parasites, including Plasmodium falciparum, Trypanosoma cruzi, Cryptosporidium parvum, Theileria annulata, Theileria parva, Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina, Babesia ovata, Babesia gibsoni, and Babesia ovis. For Babesia sp. Xinjiang (BspXJ), which is the causative pathogen of ovine babesiosis mainly in China, the efficiency of these techniques remains unclear. Firstly, a plasmid bearing the elongation factor-1 alpha promoter and the firefly luciferase reporter gene and rap stop region were transfected into BspXJ by electroporation and nucleoporation to determine the most suitable transfection solution. Then, six program settings were evaluated to confirm the best for BspXJ transient transfection, and a series of different amounts of plasmid DNA were transfected to generate relatively high luminescence values. Finally, the activities of four promoters derived from BspXJ were evaluated using the developed transient transfection system. After evaluating of various transfection parameters, the human T cell nucleofector solution, program V-024 and 20 μg of plasmid DNA were selected as the most favorable conditions for BspXJ transient transfection. These findings provide critical information for BspXJ genetic manipulation, an essential tool to identify virulence factors and to further elucidate the basic biology of this parasite.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, China
| | - Jinming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, China
| | - Junlong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, China
| | - Jifei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, China
| | - Zhaoyong Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, China
| | - Aihong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, China
| | - Youquan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, China
| | - Yubin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, China
| | - Haiou Lan
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, China
| | - Guangyuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, China
| | - Jianxun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, China
| | - Guiquan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, China.
| | - Hong Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, China. .,Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonose, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Tuvshintulga B, Nugraha AB, Mizutani T, Liu M, Ishizaki T, Sivakumar T, Xuan X, Yokoyama N, Igarashi I. Development of a stable transgenic Theileria equi parasite expressing an enhanced green fluorescent protein/blasticidin S deaminase. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9107. [PMID: 33907262 PMCID: PMC8079379 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88594-w] [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: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Theileria equi, an intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite, causes equine piroplasmosis, a disease which negatively impacts the global horse industry. Genetic manipulation is one of the research tools under development as a control method for protozoan parasites, but this technique needs to be established for T. equi. Herein, we report on the first development of a stable transgenic T. equi line expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein/blasticidin S deaminase (eGFP/BSD). To express the exogenous fusion gene in T. equi, regulatory regions of the elongation factor-1 alpha (ef-1α) gene were identified in T. equi. An eGFP/BSD-expression cassette containing the ef-1α gene promoter and terminator regions was constructed and integrated into the T. equi genome. On day 9 post-transfection, blasticidin-resistant T. equi emerged. In the clonal line of T. equi obtained by limiting dilution, integration of the eGFP/BSD-expression cassette was confirmed in the designated B-locus of the ef-1α gene via PCR and Southern blot analyses. Parasitaemia dynamics between the transgenic and parental T. equi lines were comparable in vitro. The eGFP/BSD-expressing transgenic T. equi and the methodology used to generate it offer new opportunities for better understanding of T. equi biology, with the add-on possibility of discovering effective control methods against equine piroplasmosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bumduuren Tuvshintulga
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan.,Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Zaisan, Ulaanbaatar, 17024, Mongolia
| | - Arifin Budiman Nugraha
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan.,Department of Animal Infectious Diseases and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, IPB University, Jl. Agatis, Kampus IPB Dramaga, Bogor, Jawa Barat, 16680, Indonesia
| | - Tomoka Mizutani
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Mingming Liu
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Takahiro Ishizaki
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
| | - Thillaiampalam Sivakumar
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Naoaki Yokoyama
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan.
| | - Ikuo Igarashi
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Wang J, Gao S, Yang J, Liu J, Li Y, Luo J, Guan G, Yin H. Cross-priming amplification targeting the 18S rRNA gene for the rapid diagnosis of Babesia bovis infection. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101713. [PMID: 33827035 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Babesia bovis is a known causative agent of bovine babesiosis and is widely distributed across China. Rapid detection and accurate identification of B. bovis is essential for follow-up management and epidemiological investigations. In this study, a cross-priming amplification combined with vertical flow (CPA-VF) assay was developed. The detection limit of the CPA-VF assay targeting the 18S rRNA gene was 320 fg per reaction at 61 °C for 60 min. No cross-reactions were observed with other piroplasms infective to cattle. Furthermore, 36 blood samples from experimentally-infected animals were accurately assessed using the CPA-VF assay. The performance of the CPA-VF assay was compared with the results of conventional PCR for 219 blood samples from the field. Our results demonstrate that the CPA-VF assay is a practical and effective diagnostic tool for bovine babesiosis caused by B. bovis infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, PR China.
| | - Shandian Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, PR China.
| | - Jifei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, PR China.
| | - Junlong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, PR China.
| | - Youquan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, PR China.
| | - Jianxun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, PR China.
| | - Guiquan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, PR China.
| | - Hong Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, PR China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Elsworth B, Duraisingh MT. A framework for signaling throughout the life cycle of Babesia species. Mol Microbiol 2020; 115:882-890. [PMID: 33274587 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Babesia species are tick-borne intracellular parasites that infect the red blood cells of their mammalian host, leading to severe or fatal disease. Babesia spp. infect a wide range of mammalian species and cause a significant economic burden globally, predominantly through disease in cattle. Several Babesia spp. are increasingly being recognized as zoonotic pathogens of humans. Babesia spp. have complex life cycles involving multiple stages in the tick and the mammalian host. The parasite utilizes complex signaling pathways during replication, egress, and invasion in each of these stages. They must also rapidly respond to their environment when switching between the mammalian and tick stages. This review will focus on the signaling pathways and environmental stimuli that Babesia spp. utilize in the bloodstream and for transmission to the tick, with an emphasis on the role of phosphorylation- and calcium-based signaling during egress and invasion. The expanding availability of in vitro and in vivo culture systems, genomes, transcriptomes, and transgenic systems available for a range of Babesia spp. should encourage further biological and translational studies of these ubiquitous parasites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Elsworth
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Manoj T Duraisingh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Jaijyan DK, Govindasamy K, Singh J, Bhattacharya S, Singh AP. Establishment of a stable transfection method in Babesia microti and identification of a novel bidirectional promoter of Babesia microti. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15614. [PMID: 32973208 PMCID: PMC7515924 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72489-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesia microti, an emerging human pathogen, is primarily transmitted through a bite of an infected tick and blood transfusions in human. Stable transfection technique has been reported in many protozoan parasites over the past few years. However, in vivo transient and stable transfection method has not been established for Babesia microti. Here, for the first time, we present a method of transient as well as stable transfection of the Babesia microti (B. microti) in the in vivo conditions. We have identified a novel promoter of B. microti. We also demonstrated that Plasmodium berghei DHFR promoter is recognized and functional in B. microti. We show that BM-CTQ41297 promoter control the expression of two genes, which are present on either side and thus represents a bi-functional promoter in B. microti. The predicted promoter activity values using Promoter 2.0 program is higher for BM- CTQ41297 promoter than strong promoters such as β-actin, ef-1β, and many other promoters. Furthermore, we discovered a non-essential locus for the genetic manipulation of the parasite, allowing us to stably integrate foreign genes; GFP, mCherry, into the B. microti. The transfection using an electroporation method and genetic manipulation of B. microti is now achievable and it is possible to obtain transfected viable parasites under in vivo growing conditions. The growth curve analysis of transfected and WT B. microti are similar indicating no defects in the transgenic parasites. This study will enable other researchers in understanding the B. microti biology, host modulation and diverse parasite developmental stages using reverse genetics and holds great potential to identify novel drug targets and vaccine development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dabbu Kumar Jaijyan
- National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 10067, India
| | | | - Jyoti Singh
- National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 10067, India
| | - Shreya Bhattacharya
- National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 10067, India
| | - Agam Prasad Singh
- National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 10067, India.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Transient Transfection of the Zoonotic Parasite Babesia microti. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9020108. [PMID: 32050586 PMCID: PMC7169379 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9020108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of genetic manipulation techniques has been reported in many protozoan parasites over the past few years. However, these techniques have not been established for Babesia microti. Here, we report the first successful transient transfection of B. microti. The plasmids containing the firefly luciferase reporter gene were transfected into B. microti by an AMAXA 4D Nucleofection system. Twenty-four-hour synchronization, the 5'-actin promoter, program FA100, and 50 μg of plasmid DNA constituted the best conditions for the transient transfection of B. microti. This finding is the first step towards a stable transfection method for B. microti, which may contribute to a better understanding of the biology of the parasite.
Collapse
|
13
|
Rizk MA, El-Sayed SAES, Nassif M, Mosqueda J, Xuan X, Igarashi I. Assay methods for in vitro and in vivo anti-Babesia drug efficacy testing: Current progress, outlook, and challenges. Vet Parasitol 2019; 279:109013. [PMID: 32070899 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2019.109013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Absence of an effective high-throughput drug-screening system for Babesia parasites is considered one of the main causes for the presence of a wide gap in the treatment of animal babesiosis when compared with other hemoprotozoan diseases, such as malaria. Recently, a simple, accurate, and automatic fluorescence assay was established for large-scale anti-Babesia (B. bovis, B. bigemina, B. divergens, B. caballi and T. equi) drug screening. Such development will facilitate anti-Babesia drug discovery, especially in the post-genomic era, which will bring new chemotherapy targets with the completion of the Babesia genome sequencing project currently in progress. In this review, we present the current progress in the various assays for in vitro and in vivo anti-Babesia drug testing, as well as the challenges, highlighting new insights into the future of anti-Babesia drug screening.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Abdo Rizk
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-Cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan; Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Shimaa Abd El-Salam El-Sayed
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-Cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan; Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry of Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Medhat Nassif
- Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Egypt
| | - Juan Mosqueda
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-Cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan; Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Avenida de las Ciencias s/n, 76230, Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-Cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Ikuo Igarashi
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-Cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Wang J, Liu A, Zhang S, Gao S, Rashid M, Li Y, Liu J, Ma Q, Li Z, Liu Z, Luo J, Guan G, Yin H. High resolution melting analysis of the 18S rRNA gene for the rapid diagnosis of bovine babesiosis. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:523. [PMID: 31694676 PMCID: PMC6833191 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3781-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Bovine babesiosis is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Babesia and presents a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. Disease severity depends on the type of Babesia species infection. Generally, B. bovis and B. bigemina are considered as the causative agents of bovine babesiosis; in addition, Babesia ovata and B. major are a group of benign bovine piroplasms. Therefore, species identification is important for diagnosis, epidemiological investigations and follow-up management. Methods Real-time PCR combined with high resolution melting (RT-PCR-HRM) analysis was used to detect and discriminate four Babesia species infective to cattle, including Babesia bovis, B. bigemina, B. major and B. ovata. The melting profiles and melting temperatures (Tm) of the amplicon targeting 18S rRNA revealed differences that can discriminate the four Babesia spp. Sensitivity and specificity of the analytical method were evaluated using 50 blood samples collected from experimentally infected cattle and 240 blood samples from areas where bovine babesiosis is an issue. Results RT-PCR-HRM analysis allowed to detect and discriminate four Babesia spp. (B. bovis, B. bigemina, B. major and B. ovata), which were responsible for bovine babesiosis in China. The protocol was validated with DNA samples from experimentally infected cattle and field infection in cattle. Conclusions Our results indicate that RT-PCR-HRM is a fast and robust tool for the simultaneous detection and discrimination of four Babesia species that are responsible for bovine babesiosis in China. This approach is applicable for both field and experimental samples, thus it could be useful in epidemiological investigations and diagnoses of bovine babesiosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Aihong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Shangdi Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Shandian Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Muhammad Rashid
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Youquan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Junlong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Quanying Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhijie Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianxun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Guiquan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hong Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China. .,Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Rosa C, Asada M, Hakimi H, Domingos A, Pimentel M, Antunes S. Transient transfection of Babesia ovis using heterologous promoters. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:101279. [PMID: 31481343 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.101279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Babesia species, etiological agents of babesiosis, a recognized emerging tick-borne disease, are a significant animal and human health concern with a worldwide socio-economic impact. The development of genetic manipulation techniques, such as transfection technology, is pivotal to improve knowledge regarding the biology of these poorly studied parasites towards better disease control strategies. For Babesia ovis, responsible for ovine babesiosis, a tick-borne disease of small ruminants, these tools are not yet available. The present study was based on the existence of interchangeable cross-species functional promoters between Babesia species. Herein, we describe for the first time B. ovis transient transfection using two heterologous promoters, the ef-1α-B intergenic regions from B. bovis and B. ovata. Their ability to drive expression of a reporter luciferase in B. ovis supports their cross-species functionality. Also, the ef-1α-B promoter region from B. ovata resulted in statistically significantly higher luminescence values in comparison to the control, thus a possibly suitable promoter for stable gene expression. Evaluation of transfection efficiency using qPCR demonstrated that higher luminescence levels were due to promoter strength rather than a higher transfection efficiency. These findings represent a step forward in the development of methods for B. ovis genetic manipulation, an undoubtedly necessary tool to study this parasite basic biology, including its life cycle, the parasite interactions with host cells and virulence factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Rosa
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal; Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (IHMT-UNL), R. da Junqueira 100, 1349-008, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Masahito Asada
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Sakamoto 1-12-4, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
| | - Hassan Hakimi
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Sakamoto 1-12-4, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
| | - Ana Domingos
- Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (IHMT-UNL), R. da Junqueira 100, 1349-008, Lisboa, Portugal; Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (GHTM-IHMT-UNL), Rua da Junqueira, 100, 1349-008, Portugal
| | - Madalena Pimentel
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sandra Antunes
- Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (IHMT-UNL), R. da Junqueira 100, 1349-008, Lisboa, Portugal; Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (GHTM-IHMT-UNL), Rua da Junqueira, 100, 1349-008, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Mack EA, Xiao YP, Allred DR. Knockout of Babesia bovis rad51 ortholog and its complementation by expression from the BbACc3 artificial chromosome platform. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0215882. [PMID: 31386669 PMCID: PMC6684078 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesia bovis establishes persistent infections of long duration in cattle, despite the development of effective anti-disease immunity. One mechanism used by the parasite to achieve persistence is rapid antigenic variation of the VESA1 cytoadhesion ligand through segmental gene conversion (SGC), a phenomenon thought to be a form of homologous recombination (HR). To begin investigation of the enzymatic basis for SGC we initially identified and knocked out the Bbrad51 gene encoding the B. bovis Rad51 ortholog. BbRad51 was found to be non-essential for in vitro growth of asexual-stage parasites. However, its loss resulted in hypersensitivity to methylmethane sulfonate (MMS) and an apparent defect in HR. This defect rendered attempts to complement the knockout phenotype by reinsertion of the Bbrad51 gene into the genome unsuccessful. To circumvent this difficulty, we constructed an artificial chromosome, BbACc3, into which the complete Bbrad51 locus was inserted, for expression of BbRad51 under regulation by autologous elements. Maintenance of BbACc3 makes use of centromeric sequences from chromosome 3 and telomeric ends from chromosome 1 of the B. bovis C9.1 line. A selection cassette employing human dihydrofolate reductase enables recovery of transformants by selection with pyrimethamine. We demonstrate that the BbACc3 platform is stably maintained once established, assembles nucleosomes to form native chromatin, and expands in telomere length over time. Significantly, the MMS-sensitivity phenotype observed in the absence of Bbrad51 was successfully complemented at essentially normal levels. We provide cautionary evidence, however, that in HR-competent parasites BbACc3 can recombine with native chromosomes, potentially resulting in crossover. We propose that, under certain circumstances this platform can provide a useful alternative for the genetic manipulation of this group of parasites, particularly when regulated gene expression under the control of autologous elements may be important.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erin A. Mack
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Yu-Ping Xiao
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - David R. Allred
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Initiated Babesia ovata Sexual Stages under In Vitro Conditions Were Recognized by Anti-CCp2 Antibodies, Showing Changes in the DNA Content by Imaging Flow Cytometry. Pathogens 2019; 8:pathogens8030104. [PMID: 31319568 PMCID: PMC6789521 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens8030104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual stage induction under in vitro conditions is useful for biological and molecular studies of Babesia parasites. Therefore, in the present study, we induced B. ovata tick stages using the chemical inducers: xanthurenic acid (XA), dithiothreitol (DTT) and tris (2-carboxyethyl) phosphine (TCEP) at 27 °C or 37 °C conditions. Cultures at low temperature (27 °C) or treated with XA/TCEP induced a large number of extra-erythrocytic merozoites, which transformed into round shape cells at 12-24 h post-induction (pi). However, typical forms of tick stages (aggregation forms and the spiky forms/ray bodies) were only observed in the cultures treated with 40 mM or 60 mM of DTT during 3-6 h pi. The induced cells were recognized by anti-CCp2 rabbit antisera. DNA content of the cell population treated with 40 mM of DTT was analyzed by imaging flow cytometry at 0, 12 and 48 h pi. The results indicated that the parasite population with diploid-like double DNA content increased at 48 h pi. Our observations on morphological and changes in the DNA content provide useful information for understanding the life cycle of B. ovata under in vitro conditions, which will facilitate further studies on basic biology and the development of transmission blocking vaccines against bovine babesiosis.
Collapse
|
18
|
Abstract
Babesia bovis, the most virulent causative agent of bovine babesiosis, is prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Although the whole-genome sequence was released more than a decade ago, functional analysis of the genomics of this parasite is hampered by the limited breadth of genetic engineering tools. In this study, we implemented the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9 system for B. bovis and demonstrated its potential for genome editing. Cas9 and human dihydrofolate reductase (hDHFR) were simultaneously expressed by the B. bovis elongation factor-1α bidirectional promoter, and a single guide RNA was expressed via the B. bovis U6 spliceosomal RNA promoter. Using a single plasmid construct, we were able to add an epitope tag to spherical body protein 3 (SBP3), introduce a point mutation into thioredoxin peroxidase 1 (tpx-1) to impair the function of the product, and replace the tpx-1 open reading frame with the other protein. Epitope tagging of SBP3 was efficient using this system, with a negligible number of remaining wild-type parasites and a pure transgenic population produced by allelic replacement of tpx-1 This advancement in genetic engineering tools for B. bovis will aid functional analysis of the genome and underpin characterization of candidate drug and vaccine targets.IMPORTANCE Babesia bovis is the most virulent cause of bovine babesiosis worldwide. The disease consequences are death, abortion, and economical loss due to reduced milk and meat production. Available vaccines are not effective, treatment options are limited, and emergence of drug and acaricide resistance has been reported from different regions. There is an urgent need to identify new drug and vaccine targets. Greater than half of the genes in B. bovis genome, including several expanded gene families which are unique for Babesia spp., have no predicted function. The available genetic engineering tools are based on conventional homologous recombination, which is time-consuming and inefficient. In this study, we adapted the CRISPR/Cas9 system as a robust genetic engineering tool for B. bovis This advancement will aid future functional studies of uncharacterized genes.
Collapse
|
19
|
To kill a piroplasm: genetic technologies to advance drug discovery and target identification in Babesia. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:153-163. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
|
20
|
Liu M, Adjou Moumouni PF, Asada M, Hakimi H, Masatani T, Vudriko P, Lee SH, Kawazu SI, Yamagishi J, Xuan X. Establishment of a stable transfection system for genetic manipulation of Babesia gibsoni. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:260. [PMID: 29685172 PMCID: PMC5914073 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2853-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Genetic manipulation techniques, such as transfection, have been previously reported in many protozoan parasites. In Babesia, stable transfection systems have only been established for bovine Babesia parasites. We recently reported a transient transfection system and the selection of promoter candidates for Babesia gibsoni. The establishment of a stable transfection system for B. gibsoni is considered to be urgent to improve our understanding of the basic biology of canine Babesia parasites for a better control of babesiosis. Results GFP-expressing parasites were observed by fluorescence microscopy as early as two weeks after drug selection, and consistently expressed GFP for more than 3 months without drug pressure. Genome integration was confirmed by PCR, sequencing and Southern blot analysis. Conclusions We present the first successful establishment of a stable transfection system for B. gibsoni. This finding will facilitate functional analysis of Babesia genomes using genetic manipulation and will serve as a foundation for the development of tick-Babesia and host-Babesia infection models. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-2853-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Liu
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Paul Franck Adjou Moumouni
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Masahito Asada
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Sakamoto 1-12-4, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
| | - Hassan Hakimi
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Sakamoto 1-12-4, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
| | - Tatsunori Masatani
- Transboundary Animal Diseases Research Center, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan
| | - Patrick Vudriko
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Seung-Hun Lee
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichiro Kawazu
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Junya Yamagishi
- Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, North 20, West 10 Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0020, Japan.,Global Station for Zoonosis Control, GI-CoRE, Hokkaido University, North 20, West 10 Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0020, Japan
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Liu M, Adjou Moumouni PF, Cao S, Asada M, Wang G, Gao Y, Guo H, Li J, Vudriko P, Efstratiou A, Ringo AE, Lee SH, Hakimi H, Masatani T, Sunaga F, Kawazu SI, Yamagishi J, Jia L, Inoue N, Xuan X. Identification and characterization of interchangeable cross-species functional promoters between Babesia gibsoni and Babesia bovis. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 9:330-333. [PMID: 29174364 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The development of transgenic techniques has been reported in many protozoan parasites over the past few years. We recently established a successful transient transfection system for Babesia gibsoni based on Bg 5'-ef-1α promoter. This study investigated 6 homologous and 6 heterologous promoters for B. gibsoni and B. bovis and identified novel interchangeable cross-species functional promoters between B. gibsoni and B. bovis. Ten out of twelve promoters had heterologous promoter function. In particular, Bg 5'-ef-1α and Bg 5'-actin heterologous promoters resulted in a significantly higher luciferase activity than Bb 5'-ef-1α homologous promoter in B. bovis. The present study showed that Bg 5'-actin promoted the highest luciferase activity in both B. gibsoni and B. bovis. The study further indicates that heterologous promoter function widely exists between B. gibsoni and B. bovis. This finding is an important step for future stable transfection construct design and for the production of vaccines based on transfected B. gibsoni and B. bovis parasites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Liu
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Paul Franck Adjou Moumouni
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Shinuo Cao
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Masahito Asada
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Sakamoto 1-12-4, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
| | - Guanbo Wang
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Yang Gao
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Huanping Guo
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Jixu Li
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Patrick Vudriko
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Artemis Efstratiou
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Aaron Edmond Ringo
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Seung-Hun Lee
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Hassan Hakimi
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Sakamoto 1-12-4, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
| | - Tatsunori Masatani
- Transboundary Animal Diseases Research Center, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan
| | - Fujiko Sunaga
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichiro Kawazu
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Junya Yamagishi
- Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, North 20, West 10 Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0020, Japan; Global Station for Zoonosis Control, GI-CoRE, Hokkaido University, North 20, West 10 Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 001-0020, Japan
| | - Lijun Jia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural College of Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin, 133000, China
| | - Noboru Inoue
- Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Yamagishi J, Asada M, Hakimi H, Tanaka TQ, Sugimoto C, Kawazu SI. Whole-genome assembly of Babesia ovata and comparative genomics between closely related pathogens. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:832. [PMID: 29078748 PMCID: PMC5660447 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-4230-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Babesia ovata, belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa, is an infectious parasite of bovids. It is not associated with the manifestation of severe symptoms, in contrast to other types of bovine babesiosis caused by B. bovis and B. bigemina; however, upon co-infection with Theileria orientalis, it occasionally induces exacerbated symptoms. Asymptomatic chronic infection in bovines is usually observed only for B. ovata. Comparative genomic analysis could potentially reveal factors involved in these distinguishing characteristics; however, the genomic and molecular basis of these phenotypes remains elusive, especially in B. ovata. From a technical perspective, the current development of a very long read sequencer, MinION, will facilitate the obtainment of highly integrated genome sequences. Therefore, we applied next-generation sequencing to acquire a high-quality genome of the parasite, which provides fundamental information for understanding apicomplexans. Results The genome was assembled into 14,453,397 bp in size with 5031 protein-coding sequences (91 contigs and N50 = 2,090,503 bp). Gene family analysis revealed that ves1 alpha and beta, which belong to multigene families in B. bovis, were absent from B. ovata, the same as in B. bigemina. Instead, ves1a and ves1b, which were originally specified in B. bigemina, were present. The B. ovata and B. bigemina ves1a configure one cluster together even though they divided into two sub-clusters according to the spp. In contrast, the ves1b cluster was more dispersed and the overlap among B. ovata and B. bigemina was limited. The observed redundancy and rapid evolution in sequence might reflect the adaptive history of these parasites. Moreover, same candidate genes which potentially involved in the distinct phenotypes were specified by functional analysis. An anamorsin homolog is one of them. The human anamorsin is involved in hematopoiesis and the homolog was present in B. ovata but absent in B. bigemina which causes severe anemia. Conclusions Taking these findings together, the differences demonstrated by comparative genomics potentially explain the evolutionary history of these parasites and the differences in their phenotypes. Besides, the draft genome provides fundamental information for further characterization and understanding of these parasites. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-017-4230-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Junya Yamagishi
- Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. .,Global Station for Zoonosis Control, GI-CoRE, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
| | - Masahito Asada
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Hassan Hakimi
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | | | - Chihiro Sugimoto
- Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.,Global Station for Zoonosis Control, GI-CoRE, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichiro Kawazu
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Liu M, Asada M, Cao S, Adjou Moumouni PF, Vudriko P, Efstratiou A, Hakimi H, Masatani T, Sunaga F, Kawazu SI, Yamagishi J, Xuan X. Transient transfection of intraerythrocytic Babesia gibsoni using elongation factor-1 alpha promoter. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2017; 216:56-59. [PMID: 28729071 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2017.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Revised: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The development of gene manipulation techniques has been reported in many protozoan parasites over the past few years. However, these techniques have not yet been established for Babesia gibsoni. Here, we report for the first time, the successful transient transfection of B. gibsoni. The plasmid containing the firefly luciferase reporter gene (pBS-ELA) was transfected into B. gibsoni by an AMAXA 4D Nucleofector™ device. Transfection using program FA113 and Lonza buffer SF showed the highest luciferase expression. Twenty micrograms of plasmid produced the highest relative transfection efficiency. The fluorescent protein-expressing parasites were determined by GFP-containing plasmid (pBS-EGA) at 48 and 72h post transfection. This finding is the first step towards a stable transfection method for B. gibsoni, which may contribute to a better understanding of the biology of the parasite.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Liu
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Masahito Asada
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Sakamoto 1-12-4, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Shinuo Cao
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Paul Franck Adjou Moumouni
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Patrick Vudriko
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Artemis Efstratiou
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Hassan Hakimi
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Sakamoto 1-12-4, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Tatsunori Masatani
- Transboundary Animal Diseases Research Center, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
| | - Fujiko Sunaga
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichiro Kawazu
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Junya Yamagishi
- Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, North 20, West 10 Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0020, Japan; Global Station for Zoonosis Control, GI-CoRE, Hokkaido University, North 20, West 10 Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0020, Japan
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Maeda H, Hatta T, Alim MA, Tsubokawa D, Mikami F, Kusakisako K, Matsubayashi M, Umemiya-Shirafuji R, Tsuji N, Tanaka T. Initial development of Babesia ovata in the tick midgut. Vet Parasitol 2016; 233:39-42. [PMID: 28043386 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2016.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The initial development of Babesia ovata in the midgut of the vector tick Haemaphysalis longicornis has been demonstrated through in vitro and in vivo studies. Although the research on the partial developmental cycles of B. ovata in the tick midgut was performed in our previous study by using ticks fed on experimentally B. ovata-infected cattle, detailed information on the developmental stages of B. ovata in H. longicornis was limited. This report describes the sequential development of stages of B. ovata in an in vitro study using B. ovata-infected erythrocytes and tick midgut contents. The in vivo study also confirmed the developmental stages in the midgut contents of artificially B. ovata-infected ticks. In this observation, we have recognized the distinct forms of B. ovata developmental stages in the tick midgut; the aggregation forms and ray bodies with shorter spikes and light-stained cytoplasm were shown by Giemsa staining. The similarities and differences of the stages as compared to previous reports have been discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Maeda
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan; Department of Pathological and Preventive Veterinary Science, The United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, Yoshida, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan
| | - Takeshi Hatta
- Department of Parasitology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Kitasato, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0374, Japan.
| | - M Abdul Alim
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
| | - Daigo Tsubokawa
- Department of Parasitology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Kitasato, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0374, Japan
| | - Fusako Mikami
- Department of Parasitology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Kitasato, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0374, Japan
| | - Kodai Kusakisako
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan; Department of Pathological and Preventive Veterinary Science, The United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, Yoshida, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan
| | - Makoto Matsubayashi
- Laboratory of International Prevention of Epidemics, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Gakuen-cho, Nakaku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
| | - Rika Umemiya-Shirafuji
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Naotoshi Tsuji
- Department of Parasitology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Kitasato, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0374, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Tanaka
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan; Department of Pathological and Preventive Veterinary Science, The United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, Yoshida, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Establishment of a novel tick-Babesia experimental infection model. Sci Rep 2016; 6:37039. [PMID: 27841321 PMCID: PMC5107930 DOI: 10.1038/srep37039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks are potent vectors of many deadly human and animal pathogens. Tick-borne babesiosis is a well-recognized malaria-like disease that occurs worldwide and recently has attracted increased attention as an emerging zoonosis. Although the proliferation of Babesia organisms is essential in the vectors, their detailed lifecycle with time information for migration in ticks remains unknown. A novel study model for the elucidation of the migration speed of Babesia parasites in their vector tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, has been developed using an artificial feeding system with quantitative PCR method. The detectable DNA of Babesia parasites gradually disappeared in the tick midgut at 1 day post engorgement (DPE), and in contrary increased in other organs. The results indicated that the Babesia parasite passed the H. longicornis midgut within 24 hours post engorgement, migrated to the hemolymph, and then proliferated in the organs except the midgut. This time point may be an important curfew for Babesia parasites to migrate in the tick lumen. We also visualized the Babesia parasites in the experimentally infected ticks and in their eggs using IFAT for detecting their cytoskeletal structure, which suggested the successful tick infection and transovarial transmission of the parasite. This model will shed light on the further understanding of tick-Babesia interactions.
Collapse
|
26
|
Sivakumar T, Igarashi I, Yokoyama N. Babesia ovata: Taxonomy, phylogeny and epidemiology. Vet Parasitol 2016; 229:99-106. [PMID: 27809988 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2016.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Revised: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Babesia ovata, which is transmitted by Haemaphysalis longicornis, is an intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite of cattle. Based on its morphology, B. ovata is classified as a large-type Babesia. The developmental stages of B. ovata have been described both in cattle and the tick vector. In infected adult female ticks, the parasite is transovarially transmitted to the tick eggs. The sexual reproduction of B. ovata has been demonstrated in the tick midgut. The diagnostic tools that are currently available for the specific detection of B. ovata in cattle include microscopy and polymerase chain reaction assays. The development of improved molecular and serological diagnostic tools has been constrained by the limited availability of genetic data. B. ovata has been reported in cattle populations in Japan, Korea, China, Mongolia and Thailand. B. ovata was thought to be a benign parasite; however, infections in immuno compromised or Theileria orientalis-infected animals are clinically significant. Thus, control strategies aimed at minimizing the prevalence of B. ovata are vital. The taxonomy of B. ovata is unclear, and the phylogenetic position has not been well defined. Consequently, non-B. ovata species have sometimes been classified as B. ovata. In this review, we provide an outline of the lifecycle, geographical distribution, and control of B. ovata, and critically discuss the taxonomy and phylogeny of this bovine Babesia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thillaiampalam Sivakumar
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Ikuo Igarashi
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Naoaki Yokoyama
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|