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Zhao W, Xiang Z, Zeng W, Qin Y, Pan M, Wu Y, Duan M, Mou Y, Liang T, Zhang Y, Liu C, Tang X, Huang Y, Yang G, Cui L, Yang Z. Acetyl-CoA Synthetase Mutations S868G and V949I Do Not Confer Resistance to Antimalarial Drugs in vitro in Plasmodium falciparum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.03.597226. [PMID: 38895343 PMCID: PMC11185740 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.03.597226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum acetyl-CoA synthetase (PfACAS) protein is an important source of acetyl-CoA. We detected the mutations S868G and V949I in PfACAS by whole-genome sequencing analysis in some recrudescent parasites after antimalarial treatment with artesunate and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine, suggesting that they may confer drug resistance. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we engineered parasite lines carrying the PfACAS S868G and V949I mutations in two genetic backgrounds and evaluated their susceptibility to antimalarial drugs in vitro. The results demonstrated that PfACAS S868G and V949I mutations alone or in combination were not enough to provide resistance to antimalarial drugs.
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2
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Ebrahimi S, Khosravi MA, Raz A, Karimipoor M, Parvizi P. CRISPR-Cas Technology as a Revolutionary Genome Editing tool: Mechanisms and Biomedical Applications. IRANIAN BIOMEDICAL JOURNAL 2023; 27:219-46. [PMID: 37873636 PMCID: PMC10707817 DOI: 10.61186/ibj.27.5.219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Programmable nucleases are powerful genomic tools for precise genome editing. These tools precisely recognize, remove, or change DNA at a defined site, thereby, stimulating cellular DNA repair pathways that can cause mutations or accurate replacement or deletion/insertion of a sequence. CRISPR-Cas9 system is the most potent and useful genome editing technique adapted from the defense immune system of certain bacteria and archaea against viruses and phages. In the past decade, this technology made notable progress, and at present, it has largely been used in genome manipulation to make precise gene editing in plants, animals, and human cells. In this review, we aim to explain the basic principle, mechanisms of action, and applications of this system in different areas of medicine, with emphasizing on the detection and treatment of parasitic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Ebrahimi
- Molecular Systematics Laboratory, Parasitology Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ali Khosravi
- Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbasali Raz
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Morteza Karimipoor
- Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parviz Parvizi
- Molecular Systematics Laboratory, Parasitology Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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3
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Hoshizaki J, Jagoe H, Lee MCS. Efficient generation of mNeonGreen Plasmodium falciparum reporter lines enables quantitative fitness analysis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:981432. [PMID: 36189342 PMCID: PMC9523114 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.981432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR editing has enabled the rapid creation of fluorescent Plasmodium transgenic lines, facilitating a deeper understanding of parasite biology. The impact of genetic perturbations such as gene disruption or the introduction of drug resistance alleles on parasite fitness is typically quantified in competitive growth assays between the query line and a wild type reference. Although fluorescent reporter lines offer a facile and frequently used method to measure relative growth, this approach is limited by the strain background of the existing reporter, which may not match the growth characteristics of the query strains, particularly if these are slower-growing field isolates. Here, we demonstrate an efficient CRISPR-based approach to generate fluorescently labelled parasite lines using mNeonGreen derived from the LanYFP protein in Branchiostoma lanceolatum, which is one of the brightest monomeric green fluorescent proteins identified. Using a positive-selection approach by insertion of an in-frame blasticidin S deaminase marker, we generated a Dd2 reporter line expressing mNeonGreen under the control of the pfpare (P. falciparum Prodrug Activation and Resistance Esterase) locus. We selected the pfpare locus as an integration site because it is highly conserved across P. falciparum strains, expressed throughout the intraerythrocytic cycle, not essential, and offers the potential for negative selection to further enrich for integrants. The mNeonGreen@pare line demonstrates strong fluorescence with a negligible fitness defect. In addition, the construct developed can serve as a tool to fluorescently tag other P. falciparum strains for in vitro experimentation.
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Kent RS, Briggs EM, Colon BL, Alvarez C, Silva Pereira S, De Niz M. Paving the Way: Contributions of Big Data to Apicomplexan and Kinetoplastid Research. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:900878. [PMID: 35734575 PMCID: PMC9207352 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.900878] [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: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the age of big data an important question is how to ensure we make the most out of the resources we generate. In this review, we discuss the major methods used in Apicomplexan and Kinetoplastid research to produce big datasets and advance our understanding of Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, Trypanosoma and Leishmania biology. We debate the benefits and limitations of the current technologies, and propose future advancements that may be key to improving our use of these techniques. Finally, we consider the difficulties the field faces when trying to make the most of the abundance of data that has already been, and will continue to be, generated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn S. Kent
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Emma M. Briggs
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Beatrice L. Colon
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Catalina Alvarez
- de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sara Silva Pereira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mariana De Niz
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- *Correspondence: Mariana De Niz,
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5
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Deligianni E, Kiamos IS. Gene editing in Plasmodium berghei made easy: Development of a CRISPR/Cas9 protocol using linear donor template and ribozymes for sgRNA generation. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2021; 246:111415. [PMID: 34537287 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2021.111415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Efficient reverse genetics approaches are critical for the study of many organisms. The CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system has led to a plethora of new tools for geneticists. Here, we successfully established a simplified CRISPR/Cas9 system for the malaria model parasite Plasmodium berghei. The homologous directed repair (HDR) template is provided as a linear template with homologous arms of 600-700bp while the CRISPR elements sgRNA and Cas9 are encoded from a single plasmid utilizing the Ribozyme-Guide-Ribozyme (RGR) expression strategy. Our approach eliminates the need for negative selection markers since the plasmid cannot be incorporated into the genome. As a test case we inserted the FLAG encoding sequence into the ACT2 locus using this new approach. We showed that the genetic modification of this locus had no adverse effects on the completion of the P. berghei life cycle, including transmission through the mosquito.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Deligianni
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas, Heraklion, Greece.
| | - Inga Siden Kiamos
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
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6
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Zhao Y, Wang F, Wang C, Zhang X, Jiang C, Ding F, Shen L, Zhang Q. Optimization of CRISPR/Cas System for Improving Genome Editing Efficiency in Plasmodium falciparum. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:625862. [PMID: 33488567 PMCID: PMC7819880 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.625862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of molecular mechanisms and related gene functions have long been restricted by limited genome editing technologies in malaria parasites. Recently, a simple and effective genome editing technology, the CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated) system, has greatly facilitated these studies in many organisms, including malaria parasites. However, due to the special genome feature of malaria parasites, the manipulation and gene editing efficacy of the CRISPR/Cas system in this pathogen need to be improved, particularly in the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Herein, based on the CRISPR/Cas9 system, we developed an integrating strategy to generate a Cas9i system, which significantly shortened the time for generation of transgenic strains in P. falciparum. Moreover, with this Cas9i system, we have successfully achieved multiplexed genome editing (mutating or tagging) by a single-round transfection in P. falciparum. In addition, we for the first time adapted AsCpf1 (Acidaminococcus sp. Cpf1), an alternative to Cas9, into P. falciparum parasites and examined it for gene editing. These optimizations of the CRISPR/Cas system will further facilitate the mechanistic research of malaria parasites and contribute to eliminating malaria in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuemeng Zhao
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Changhong Wang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaobai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Orthopaedic Department of Tongji Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, The School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cizhong Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Orthopaedic Department of Tongji Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, The School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Ding
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Li Shen
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingfeng Zhang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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7
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Yang Y, Tang T, Feng B, Li S, Hou N, Ma X, Jiang L, Xin X, Chen Q. Disruption of Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 may affect haem metabolism in the blood stage. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:611. [PMID: 33298142 PMCID: PMC7725123 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04460-0] [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: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Haem is a key metabolic factor in the life cycle of the malaria parasite. In the blood stage, the parasite acquires host haemoglobin to generate amino acids for protein synthesis and the by-product haem for metabolic use. The malaria parasite can also synthesize haem de novo on its own. Plasmodium falciparum-specific histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2) has a haem-binding site to mediate the formation of haemozoin, a biocrystallized form of haem aggregates. Notably, the gene regulates the mechanism of haemoglobin-derived haem metabolism and the de novo haem biosynthetic pathway in the Pfhrp2-disrupted parasite line during the intraerythrocytic stages. Methods The CRISPR/Cas9 system was used to disrupt the gene locus of Pfhrp2. DNA was extracted from the transgenic parasite, and PCR, Southern blotting and Western blotting were used to confirm the establishment of transgenic parasites. RNA-sequencing and comparative transcriptome analysis were performed to identify differences in gene expression between 3D7 and Pfhrp2--3D7 parasites. Results Pfhrp2- transgenic parasites were successfully established by the CRISPR/Cas9 system. A total of 964, 1261, 3138, 1064, 2512 and 1778 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the six comparison groups, respectively, with 373, 520, 1499, 353, 1253 and 742 of these DEGs upregulated and 591, 741, 1639, 711, 1259 and 1036 of them downregulated, respectively. Five DEGs related to haem metabolism and synthesis were identified in the comparison groups at six time points (0, 8, 16, 24, 32, and 40 h after merozoite invasion). The genes encoding delta-aminolevulinic acid synthetase and ferrochelatase, both related to haem biosynthesis, were found to be significantly upregulated in the comparison groups, and those encoding haem oxygenase, stromal-processing peptidase and porphobilinogen deaminase were found to be significantly downregulated. No GO terms were significantly enriched in haem-related processes (Q value = 1). Conclusion Our data revealed changes in the transcriptome expression profile of the Pfhrp2--3D7 parasite during the intraerythrocytic stages. The findings provide insight at the gene transcript level that will facilitate further research on and development of anti-malaria drugs.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingchao Yang
- MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China. .,Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, China.
| | - Tongke Tang
- Unit of Human Parasite Molecular and Cell Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institute Pasteur of Shanghai, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Bo Feng
- Beijing Red Cross Blood Center, Beijing, China
| | - Shanshan Li
- MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Nan Hou
- MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Ma
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, China
| | - Lubin Jiang
- Unit of Human Parasite Molecular and Cell Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institute Pasteur of Shanghai, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Xiaofang Xin
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, China
| | - Qijun Chen
- MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China. .,Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Shenyang Agriculture University, Shenyang, China.
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Batista FA, Gyau B, Vilacha JF, Bosch SS, Lunev S, Wrenger C, Groves MR. New directions in antimalarial target validation. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2020; 15:189-202. [PMID: 31959021 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1691996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Malaria is one of the most prevalent human infections worldwide with over 40% of the world's population living in malaria-endemic areas. In the absence of an effective vaccine, emergence of drug-resistant strains requires urgent drug development. Current methods applied to drug target validation, a crucial step in drug discovery, possess limitations in malaria. These constraints require the development of techniques capable of simplifying the validation of Plasmodial targets.Areas covered: The authors review the current state of the art in techniques used to validate drug targets in malaria, including our contribution - the protein interference assay (PIA) - as an additional tool in rapid in vivo target validation.Expert opinion: Each technique in this review has advantages and disadvantages, implying that future validation efforts should not focus on a single approach, but integrate multiple approaches. PIA is a significant addition to the current toolset of antimalarial validation. Validation of aspartate metabolism as a druggable pathway provided proof of concept of how oligomeric interfaces can be exploited to control specific activity in vivo. PIA has the potential to be applied not only to other enzymes/pathways of the malaria parasite but could, in principle, be extrapolated to other infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando A Batista
- Structural Biology Unit, XB20 Drug Design, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Unit for Drug Discovery, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Benjamin Gyau
- Structural Biology Unit, XB20 Drug Design, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Juliana F Vilacha
- Structural Biology Unit, XB20 Drug Design, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Soraya S Bosch
- Structural Biology Unit, XB20 Drug Design, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Unit for Drug Discovery, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sergey Lunev
- Structural Biology Unit, XB20 Drug Design, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Carsten Wrenger
- Unit for Drug Discovery, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Matthew R Groves
- Structural Biology Unit, XB20 Drug Design, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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9
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Lee MCS, Lindner SE, Lopez-Rubio JJ, Llinás M. Cutting back malaria: CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing of Plasmodium. Brief Funct Genomics 2019; 18:281-289. [PMID: 31365053 PMCID: PMC6859820 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elz012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 approaches are revolutionizing our ability to perform functional genomics across a wide range of organisms, including the Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria. The ability to deliver single point mutations, epitope tags and gene deletions at increased speed and scale is enabling our understanding of the biology of these complex parasites, and pointing to potential new therapeutic targets. In this review, we describe some of the biological and technical considerations for designing CRISPR-based experiments, and discuss potential future developments that broaden the applications for CRISPR/Cas9 interrogation of the malaria parasite genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus C S Lee
- Parasites and Microbes Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Scott E Lindner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jose-Juan Lopez-Rubio
- Dynamique des Interactions Membranaires Normales et Pathologiques, UMR5235 CNRS, INSERM, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA
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10
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Jillapalli R, Narwal SK, Kolli SK, Mastan BS, Segireddy RR, Dey S, Srivastava PN, Mishra S, Kumar KA. A Plasmodium berghei putative serine-threonine kinase 2 ( PBANKA_0311400) is required for late liver stage development and timely initiation of blood stage infection. Biol Open 2019; 8:bio.042028. [PMID: 31444161 PMCID: PMC6737972 DOI: 10.1242/bio.042028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In Plasmodium, protein kinases govern key biological processes of the parasite life cycle involved in the establishment of infection, dissemination and sexual reproduction. The rodent malaria model Plasmodium berghei encodes for 66 putative eukaryotic protein kinases (ePKs) as identified through modelling domain signatures and are highly conserved in Plasmodium falciparum. We report here the functional characterisation of a putative serine-threonine kinase PBANKA_0311400 identified in this kinome analysis and designate it as Pbstk2. To elucidate its role, we knocked out Pbstk2 locus and performed a detailed phenotypic analysis at different life cycle stages. The Pbstk2 knockout (KO) was not compromised in asexual blood stage propagation, transmission and development in the mosquito vector. The Pbstk2 KO produced viable salivary gland sporozoites that successfully transformed into exo-erythrocytic forms (EEFs) and were morphologically indistinguishable from wild-type GFP (WT GFP) with regard to size and shape until 48 h. An intravenous dose of 1×103Pbstk2 KO sporozoites in C57BL/6 mice failed to establish blood stage infection and a higher dose of 5X103 showed a 2–3 day delay in prepatency as compared to WT GFP parasites. Consistent with such an observation, analysis of in vitro EEF development at 62 h revealed that the hepatic merozoite numbers were reduced to nearly 40% as compared to WT GFP and showed meagre expression of MSP1. Our studies provide evidence for the role of PbSTK2 in late liver stage development and for the successful establishment of a timely blood stage infection. Summary: Requirement of a putative serine threonine kinase 2 (PBANKA_0311400) for Plasmodium berghei liver stage development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Jillapalli
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India
| | - Sunil Kumar Narwal
- Division of Parasitology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Surendra Kumar Kolli
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India
| | - Babu S Mastan
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India
| | - Rameswara Reddy Segireddy
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India
| | - Sandeep Dey
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India
| | | | - Satish Mishra
- Division of Parasitology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Kota Arun Kumar
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India
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11
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Ng CL, Fidock DA. Plasmodium falciparum In Vitro Drug Resistance Selections and Gene Editing. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 2013:123-140. [PMID: 31267498 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9550-9_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Malaria continues to be a global health burden, threatening over 40% of the world's population. Drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum, the etiological agent of the majority of human malaria cases, is compromising elimination efforts. New approaches to treating drug-resistant malaria benefit from defining resistance liabilities of known antimalarial agents and compounds in development and defining genetic changes that mediate loss of parasite susceptibility. Here, we present protocols for in vitro selection of drug-resistant parasites and for site-directed gene editing of candidate resistance mediators to test for causality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline L Ng
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. .,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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