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Silva Pereira S, Brás D, Porqueddu T, Nascimento AM, De Niz M. Investigation of Trypanosoma-induced vascular damage sheds insights into Trypanosoma vivax sequestration. Cell Surf 2023; 10:100113. [PMID: 37954640 PMCID: PMC10632540 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcsw.2023.100113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple blood-borne pathogens infecting mammals establish close interactions with the host vascular endothelium as part of their life cycles. In this work, we investigate differences in the interactions of three Trypanosoma species: T. brucei, T. congolense and T. vivax with the blood vasculature. Infection with these species results in vastly different pathologies, including different effects on vascular homeostasis, such as changes in vascular permeability and microhemorrhages. While all three species are extracellular parasites, T. congolense is strictly intravascular, while T. brucei is capable of surviving both extra- and intravascularly. Our knowledge regarding T. vivax tropism and its capacity of migration across the vascular endothelium is unknown. In this work, we show for the first time that T. vivax parasites sequester to the vascular endothelium of most organs, and that, like T. congolense, T. vivax Y486 is largely incapable of extravasation. Infection with this parasite species results in a unique effect on vascular endothelium receptors including general downregulation of ICAM1 and ESAM, and upregulation of VCAM1, CD36 and E-selectin. Our findings on the differences between the two sequestering species (T. congolense and T. vivax) and the non-sequestering, but extravasating, T. brucei raise important questions on the relevance of sequestration to the parasite's survival in the mammalian host, and the evolutionary relevance of both sequestration and extravasation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Silva Pereira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Católica Biomedical Research Centre, Católica Medical School, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Daniela Brás
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Teresa Porqueddu
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana M. Nascimento
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mariana De Niz
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Center for Advanced Microscopy and Nikon Imaging Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, USA
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2
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Ungogo MA, Aldfer MM, Natto MJ, Zhuang H, Chisholm R, Walsh K, McGee M, Ilbeigi K, Asseri JI, Burchmore RJS, Caljon G, Van Calenbergh S, De Koning HP. Cloning and Characterization of Trypanosoma congolense and T. vivax Nucleoside Transporters Reveal the Potential of P1-Type Carriers for the Discovery of Broad-Spectrum Nucleoside-Based Therapeutics against Animal African Trypanosomiasis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043144. [PMID: 36834557 PMCID: PMC9960827 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
African Animal Trypanosomiasis (AAT), caused predominantly by Trypanosoma brucei brucei, T. vivax and T. congolense, is a fatal livestock disease throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Treatment options are very limited and threatened by resistance. Tubercidin (7-deazaadenosine) analogs have shown activity against individual parasites but viable chemotherapy must be active against all three species. Divergence in sensitivity to nucleoside antimetabolites could be caused by differences in nucleoside transporters. Having previously characterized the T. brucei nucleoside carriers, we here report the functional expression and characterization of the main adenosine transporters of T. vivax (TvxNT3) and T. congolense (TcoAT1/NT10), in a Leishmania mexicana cell line ('SUPKO') lacking adenosine uptake. Both carriers were similar to the T. brucei P1-type transporters and bind adenosine mostly through interactions with N3, N7 and 3'-OH. Expression of TvxNT3 and TcoAT1 sensitized SUPKO cells to various 7-substituted tubercidins and other nucleoside analogs although tubercidin itself is a poor substrate for P1-type transporters. Individual nucleoside EC50s were similar for T. b. brucei, T. congolense, T. evansi and T. equiperdum but correlated less well with T. vivax. However, multiple nucleosides including 7-halogentubercidines displayed pEC50>7 for all species and, based on transporter and anti-parasite SAR analyses, we conclude that nucleoside chemotherapy for AAT is viable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzuq A. Ungogo
- School of Infection and Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
- Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810107, Kaduna State, Nigeria
- Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Mustafa M. Aldfer
- School of Infection and Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Manal J. Natto
- School of Infection and Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Hainan Zhuang
- School of Infection and Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Robyn Chisholm
- School of Infection and Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Katy Walsh
- School of Infection and Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - MarieClaire McGee
- School of Infection and Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Kayhan Ilbeigi
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Jamal Ibrahim Asseri
- School of Infection and Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Richard J. S. Burchmore
- School of Infection and Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Guy Caljon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Serge Van Calenbergh
- Laboratory for Medicinal Chemistry (Campus Heymans), Ghent University, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Harry P. De Koning
- School of Infection and Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
- Correspondence:
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3
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Romero-Ramirez A, Casas-Sánchez A, Autheman D, Duffy CW, Brandt C, Clare S, Harcourt K, André MR, de Almeida Castilho Neto KJG, Teixeira MMG, Machado RZ, Coombes J, Flynn RJ, Wright GJ, Jackson AP. Vivaxin genes encode highly immunogenic, non-variant antigens on the Trypanosoma vivax cell-surface. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010791. [PMID: 36129968 PMCID: PMC9529106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010791] [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: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma vivax is a unicellular hemoparasite, and a principal cause of animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT), a vector-borne and potentially fatal livestock disease across sub-Saharan Africa. Previously, we identified diverse T. vivax-specific genes that were predicted to encode cell surface proteins. Here, we examine the immune responses of naturally and experimentally infected hosts to these unique parasite antigens, to identify immunogens that could become vaccine candidates. Immunoprofiling of host serum shows that one particular family (Fam34) elicits a consistent IgG antibody response. This gene family, which we now call Vivaxin, encodes at least 124 transmembrane glycoproteins that display quite distinct expression profiles and patterns of genetic variation. We focused on one gene (viv-β8) that encodes one particularly immunogenic vivaxin protein and which is highly expressed during infections but displays minimal polymorphism across the parasite population. Vaccination of mice with VIVβ8 adjuvanted with Quil-A elicits a strong, balanced immune response and delays parasite proliferation in some animals but, ultimately, it does not prevent disease. Although VIVβ8 is localized across the cell body and flagellar membrane, live immunostaining indicates that VIVβ8 is largely inaccessible to antibody in vivo. However, our phylogenetic analysis shows that vivaxin includes other antigens shown recently to induce immunity against T. vivax. Thus, the introduction of vivaxin represents an important advance in our understanding of the T. vivax cell surface. Besides being a source of proven and promising vaccine antigens, the gene family is clearly an important component of the parasite glycocalyx, with potential to influence host-parasite interactions. Animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT) is an important livestock disease throughout sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. AAT is caused by Trypanosoma vivax, among other species, a unicellular parasite that is spread by biting tsetse flies and multiplies in the bloodstream and other tissues, leading to often fatal neurological conditions if untreated. Although concerted drug treatment and vector eradication programmes have succeeded in controlling Human African trypanosomiasis, AAT continues to adversely affect animal health and impede efficient food production and economic development in many less-developed countries. In this study, we attempted to identify parasite surface proteins that stimulated the strongest immune responses in naturally infected animals, as the basis for a vaccine. We describe the discovery of a new, species-specific protein family in T. vivax, which we call vivaxin. We show that one vivaxin protein (VIVβ8) is surface expressed and retards parasite proliferation when used to immunize mice, but does not prevent infection. Nevertheless, we also reveal that vivaxin includes another protein previously shown to induce protective immunity (IFX/VIVβ1). Besides its great potential for novel approaches to AAT control, the vivaxin family is revealed as a significant component of the T. vivax cell surface and may have important, species-specific roles in host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Romero-Ramirez
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Aitor Casas-Sánchez
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Delphine Autheman
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology, Hull York Medical School, York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Craig W. Duffy
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Cordelia Brandt
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Clare
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine Harcourt
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Marcos Rogério André
- Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, Faculty of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Kayo José Garcia de Almeida Castilho Neto
- Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, Faculty of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marta M. G. Teixeira
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rosangela Zacharias Machado
- Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, Faculty of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Janine Coombes
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Robin J. Flynn
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland
| | - Gavin J. Wright
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology, Hull York Medical School, York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew P. Jackson
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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4
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Kasozi KI, MacLeod ET, Ntulume I, Welburn SC. An Update on African Trypanocide Pharmaceutics and Resistance. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:828111. [PMID: 35356785 PMCID: PMC8959112 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.828111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
African trypanosomiasis is associated with Trypanosoma evansi, T. vivax, T. congolense, and T. brucei pathogens in African animal trypanosomiasis (AAT) while T. b gambiense and T. b rhodesiense are responsible for chronic and acute human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), respectively. Suramin sodium suppresses ATP generation during the glycolytic pathway and is ineffective against T. vivax and T. congolense infections. Resistance to suramin is associated with pathogen altered transport proteins. Melarsoprol binds irreversibly with pyruvate kinase protein sulfhydryl groups and neutralizes enzymes which interrupts the trypanosome ATP generation. Melarsoprol resistance is associated with the adenine-adenosine transporter, P2, due to point mutations within this transporter. Eflornithine is used in combination with nifurtimox. Resistance to eflornithine is caused by the deletion or mutation of TbAAT6 gene which encodes the transmembrane amino acid transporter that delivers eflornithine into the cell, thus loss of transporter protein results in eflornithine resistance. Nifurtimox alone is regarded as a poor trypanocide, however, it is effective in melarsoprol-resistant gHAT patients. Resistance is associated with loss of a single copy of the genes encoding for nitroreductase enzymes. Fexinidazole is recommended for first-stage and non-severe second-stage illnesses in gHAT and resistance is associated with trypanosome bacterial nitroreductases which reduce fexinidazole. In AAT, quinapyramine sulfate interferes with DNA synthesis and suppression of cytoplasmic ribosomal activity in the mitochondria. Quinapyramine sulfate resistance is due to variations in the potential of the parasite's mitochondrial membrane. Pentamidines create cross-links between two adenines at 4–5 pairs apart in adenine-thymine-rich portions of Trypanosoma DNA. It also suppresses type II topoisomerase in the mitochondria of Trypanosoma parasites. Pentamidine resistance is due to loss of mitochondria transport proteins P2 and HAPT1. Diamidines are most effective against Trypanosome brucei group and act via the P2/TbAT1 transporters. Diminazene aceturate resistance is due to mutations that alter the activity of P2, TeDR40 (T. b. evansi). Isometamidium chloride is primarily employed in the early stages of trypanosomiasis and resistance is associated with diminazene resistance. Phenanthridine (homidium bromide, also known as ethidium bromide) acts by a breakdown of the kinetoplast network and homidium resistance is comparable to isometamidium. In humans, the development of resistance and adverse side effects against monotherapies has led to the adoption of nifurtimox-eflornithine combination therapy. Current efforts to develop new prodrug combinations of nifurtimox and eflornithine and nitroimidazole fexinidazole as well as benzoxaborole SCYX-7158 (AN5568) for HAT are in progress while little comparable progress has been done for the development of novel therapies to address trypanocide resistance in AAT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keneth Iceland Kasozi
- Infection Medicine, Deanery of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- School of Medicine, Kabale University, Kabale, Uganda
- *Correspondence: Keneth Iceland Kasozi ;
| | - Ewan Thomas MacLeod
- Infection Medicine, Deanery of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Ibrahim Ntulume
- School of Biosecurity Biotechnical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Susan Christina Welburn
- Infection Medicine, Deanery of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Joint Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Susan Christina Welburn
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5
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Autheman D, Crosnier C, Clare S, Goulding DA, Brandt C, Harcourt K, Tolley C, Galaway F, Khushu M, Ong H, Romero-Ramirez A, Duffy CW, Jackson AP, Wright GJ. An invariant Trypanosoma vivax vaccine antigen induces protective immunity. Nature 2021; 595:96-100. [PMID: 34040257 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03597-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosomes are protozoan parasites that cause infectious diseases, including African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) in humans and nagana in economically important livestock1,2. An effective vaccine against trypanosomes would be an important control tool, but the parasite has evolved sophisticated immunoprotective mechanisms-including antigenic variation3-that present an apparently insurmountable barrier to vaccination. Here we show, using a systematic genome-led vaccinology approach and a mouse model of Trypanosoma vivax infection4, that protective invariant subunit vaccine antigens can be identified. Vaccination with a single recombinant protein comprising the extracellular region of a conserved cell-surface protein that is localized to the flagellum membrane (which we term 'invariant flagellum antigen from T. vivax') induced long-lasting protection. Immunity was passively transferred with immune serum, and recombinant monoclonal antibodies to this protein could induce sterile protection and revealed several mechanisms of antibody-mediated immunity, including a major role for complement. Our discovery identifies a vaccine candidate for an important parasitic disease that has constrained socioeconomic development in countries in sub-Saharan Africa5, and provides evidence that highly protective vaccines against trypanosome infections can be achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delphine Autheman
- Cell Surface Signalling Laboratory, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Cécile Crosnier
- Cell Surface Signalling Laboratory, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Simon Clare
- Pathogen Support Team, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - David A Goulding
- Electron and Advanced Light Microscopy, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Cordelia Brandt
- Pathogen Support Team, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | | | | | - Francis Galaway
- Cell Surface Signalling Laboratory, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Malhar Khushu
- Cell Surface Signalling Laboratory, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | - Han Ong
- Cell Surface Signalling Laboratory, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | | | - Craig W Duffy
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Andrew P Jackson
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Gavin J Wright
- Cell Surface Signalling Laboratory, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK.
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK.
- Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, UK.
- York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York, UK.
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Awuah-Mensah G, McDonald J, Steketee PC, Autheman D, Whipple S, D'Archivio S, Brandt C, Clare S, Harcourt K, Wright GJ, Morrison LJ, Gadelha C, Wickstead B. Reliable, scalable functional genetics in bloodstream-form Trypanosoma congolense in vitro and in vivo. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009224. [PMID: 33481935 PMCID: PMC7870057 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT) is a severe, wasting disease of domestic livestock and diverse wildlife species. The disease in cattle kills millions of animals each year and inflicts a major economic cost on agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. Cattle AAT is caused predominantly by the protozoan parasites Trypanosoma congolense and T. vivax, but laboratory research on the pathogenic stages of these organisms is severely inhibited by difficulties in making even minor genetic modifications. As a result, many of the important basic questions about the biology of these parasites cannot be addressed. Here we demonstrate that an in vitro culture of the T. congolense genomic reference strain can be modified directly in the bloodstream form reliably and at high efficiency. We describe a parental single marker line that expresses T. congolense-optimized T7 RNA polymerase and Tet repressor and show that minichromosome loci can be used as sites for stable, regulatable transgene expression with low background in non-induced cells. Using these tools, we describe organism-specific constructs for inducible RNA-interference (RNAi) and demonstrate knockdown of multiple essential and non-essential genes. We also show that a minichromosomal site can be exploited to create a stable bloodstream-form line that robustly provides >40,000 independent stable clones per transfection-enabling the production of high-complexity libraries of genome-scale. Finally, we show that modified forms of T. congolense are still infectious, create stable high-bioluminescence lines that can be used in models of AAT, and follow the course of infections in mice by in vivo imaging. These experiments establish a base set of tools to change T. congolense from a technically challenging organism to a routine model for functional genetics and allow us to begin to address some of the fundamental questions about the biology of this important parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jennifer McDonald
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Pieter C. Steketee
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Delphine Autheman
- Cell Surface Signalling Laboratory, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Whipple
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Simon D'Archivio
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Cordelia Brandt
- Pathogen Support Team, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Clare
- Pathogen Support Team, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine Harcourt
- Pathogen Support Team, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Gavin J. Wright
- Cell Surface Signalling Laboratory, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology, Hull York Medical School, York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Liam J. Morrison
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Catarina Gadelha
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Bill Wickstead
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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7
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Solnes LB, Jacobs AH, Coughlin JM, Du Y, Goel R, Hammoud DA, Pomper MG. Central Nervous System Molecular Imaging. Mol Imaging 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-816386-3.00088-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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8
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Alfituri OA, Quintana JF, MacLeod A, Garside P, Benson RA, Brewer JM, Mabbott NA, Morrison LJ, Capewell P. To the Skin and Beyond: The Immune Response to African Trypanosomes as They Enter and Exit the Vertebrate Host. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1250. [PMID: 32595652 PMCID: PMC7304505 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
African trypanosomes are single-celled extracellular protozoan parasites transmitted by tsetse fly vectors across sub-Saharan Africa, causing serious disease in both humans and animals. Mammalian infections begin when the tsetse fly penetrates the skin in order to take a blood meal, depositing trypanosomes into the dermal layer. Similarly, onward transmission occurs when differentiated and insect pre-adapted forms are ingested by the fly during a blood meal. Between these transmission steps, trypanosomes access the systemic circulation of the vertebrate host via the skin-draining lymph nodes, disseminating into multiple tissues and organs, and establishing chronic, and long-lasting infections. However, most studies of the immunobiology of African trypanosomes have been conducted under experimental conditions that bypass the skin as a route for systemic dissemination (typically via intraperitoneal or intravenous routes). Therefore, the importance of these initial interactions between trypanosomes and the skin at the site of initial infection, and the implications for these processes in infection establishment, have largely been overlooked. Recent studies have also demonstrated active and complex interactions between the mammalian host and trypanosomes in the skin during initial infection and revealed the skin as an overlooked anatomical reservoir for transmission. This highlights the importance of this organ when investigating the biology of trypanosome infections and the associated immune responses at the initial site of infection. Here, we review the mechanisms involved in establishing African trypanosome infections and potential of the skin as a reservoir, the role of innate immune cells in the skin during initial infection, and the subsequent immune interactions as the parasites migrate from the skin. We suggest that a thorough identification of the mechanisms involved in establishing African trypanosome infections in the skin and their progression through the host is essential for the development of novel approaches to interrupt disease transmission and control these important diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar A. Alfituri
- Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Juan F. Quintana
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Annette MacLeod
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Garside
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Robert A. Benson
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - James M. Brewer
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Neil A. Mabbott
- Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Liam J. Morrison
- Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Capewell
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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Jex AR, Svärd S, Hagen KD, Starcevich H, Emery-Corbin SJ, Balan B, Nosala C, Dawson SC. Recent advances in functional research in Giardia intestinalis. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2020; 107:97-137. [PMID: 32122532 PMCID: PMC7878119 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2019.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
This review considers current advances in tools to investigate the functional biology of Giardia, it's coding and non-coding genes, features and cellular and molecular biology. We consider major gaps in current knowledge of the parasite and discuss the present state-of-the-art in its in vivo and in vitro cultivation. Advances in in silico tools, including for the modelling non-coding RNAs and genomic elements, as well as detailed exploration of coding genes through inferred homology to model organisms, have provided significant, primary level insight. Improved methods to model the three-dimensional structure of proteins offer new insights into their function, and binding interactions with ligands, other proteins or precursor drugs, and offer substantial opportunities to prioritise proteins for further study and experimentation. These approaches can be supplemented by the growing and highly accessible arsenal of systems-based methods now being applied to Giardia, led by genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic methods, but rapidly incorporating advanced tools for detection of real-time transcription, evaluation of chromatin states and direct measurement of macromolecular complexes. Methods to directly interrogate and perturb gene function have made major leaps in recent years, with CRISPr-interference now available. These approaches, coupled with protein over-expression, fluorescent labelling and in vitro and in vivo imaging, are set to revolutionize the field and herald an exciting time during which the field may finally realise Giardia's long proposed potential as a model parasite and eukaryote.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron R Jex
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Staffan Svärd
- Centre for Biomedicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kari D Hagen
- College of Biological Sciences, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Hannah Starcevich
- College of Biological Sciences, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Samantha J Emery-Corbin
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Balu Balan
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Chris Nosala
- College of Biological Sciences, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Scott C Dawson
- College of Biological Sciences, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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10
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Ndungu K, Thungu D, Wamwiri F, Mireji P, Ngae G, Gitonga P, Mulinge J, Auma J, Thuita J. Route of inoculation influences Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma brucei brucei virulence in Swiss white mice. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218441. [PMID: 31220132 PMCID: PMC6586304 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Experiments on infections caused by trypanosomes are widely performed in Swiss white mice through various inoculation routes. To better understand the effect of route of trypanosome inoculation on disease outcomes in this model, we characterised the virulence of two isolates, Trypanosoma brucei KETRI 2710 and T. congolense KETRI 2765 in Swiss white mice. For each of the isolates, five routes of parasite inoculation, namely intraperitoneal (IP), subcutaneous (SC), intramuscular (IM) intradermal (ID) and intravenous (IV) were compared using groups (n = 6) of mice, with each mouse receiving 1x104 trypanosomes. We subsequently assessed impact of the routes on disease indices that included pre-patent period (PP), parasitaemia levels, Packed Cell Volume (PCV), bodyweight changes and survival time. Pre-patent period for IP inoculated mice was a mean ± SE of 3.8 ± 0.2 and 6.5 ± 0.0 for the T brucei and T. congolense isolates respectively; the PP for mice groups inoculated using other routes were not significantly different(p> 0.05) irrespective of route of inoculation and species of trypanosomes. With ID and IP routes, parasitaemia was significantly higher in T. brucei and significantly lower in T. congolense infected mice and the progression to peak parasitaemia routes showed no significant different between the routes of either species of trypanosome. The IM and ID routes in T. congolense inoculations, and IP and IV in T. b. brucei induced the fastest and slowest parasitaemia progressions respectively. There were significant differences in rates of reduction of PCV with time post infection in mice infected by the two species and which was more pronounced in sc and ip injected mice. No significant differences in mice body weight changes and survivorship was observed between the routes of inoculation. Inoculation route therefore appears to be a critical determinant of pathogenicity of Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma brucei brucei in murine mouse model of African trypanosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kariuki Ndungu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Kikuyu, Kenya
| | - Daniel Thungu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Kikuyu, Kenya
| | - Florence Wamwiri
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Kikuyu, Kenya
| | - Paul Mireji
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Kikuyu, Kenya
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research—Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Geoffrey Ngae
- Food Crops Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Purity Gitonga
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Kikuyu, Kenya
| | | | - Joanna Auma
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Kikuyu, Kenya
| | - John Thuita
- Meru University of Science and Technology, Meru, Kenya
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11
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Calvo-Alvarez E, Cren-Travaillé C, Crouzols A, Rotureau B. A new chimeric triple reporter fusion protein as a tool for in vitro and in vivo multimodal imaging to monitor the development of African trypanosomes and Leishmania parasites. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2018; 63:391-403. [PMID: 29339220 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2018.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosomiases and leishmaniases, caused by a group of related protist parasites, are Neglected Tropical Diseases currently threatening >500 million people worldwide. Reporter proteins have revolutionised the research on infectious diseases and have opened up new advances in the understanding of trypanosomatid-borne diseases in terms of both biology, pathogenesis and drug development. Here, we describe the generation and some applications of a new chimeric triple reporter fusion protein combining the red-shifted firefly luciferase PpyREH9 and the tdTomato red fluorescent protein, fused by the TY1 tag. Expressed in both Trypanosoma brucei brucei and Leishmania major transgenic parasites, this construct was successfully assessed on different state-of-the-art imaging technologies, at different scales ranging from whole organism to cellular level, both in vitro and in vivo in murine models. For T. b. brucei, the usefulness of this triple marker to monitor the entire parasite cycle in both tsetse flies and mice was further demonstrated. This stable reporter allows to qualitatively and quantitatively scrutinize in real-time several crucial aspects of the parasite's development, including the development of African trypanosomes in the dermis of the mammalian host. We briefly discuss developments in bio-imaging technologies and highlight how we could improve our understanding of parasitism by combining the genetic engineering of parasites to the one of the hosting organisms in which they complete their developmental program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefania Calvo-Alvarez
- Trypanosome Transmission Group, Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201, Paris, France.
| | - Christelle Cren-Travaillé
- Trypanosome Transmission Group, Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201, Paris, France
| | - Aline Crouzols
- Trypanosome Transmission Group, Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201, Paris, France
| | - Brice Rotureau
- Trypanosome Transmission Group, Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201, Paris, France
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Guedes RLM, Rodrigues CMF, Coatnoan N, Cosson A, Cadioli FA, Garcia HA, Gerber AL, Machado RZ, Minoprio PMC, Teixeira MMG, de Vasconcelos ATR. A comparative in silico linear B-cell epitope prediction and characterization for South American and African Trypanosoma vivax strains. Genomics 2018; 111:407-417. [PMID: 29499243 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2018.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosoma vivax is a parasite widespread across Africa and South America. Immunological methods using recombinant antigens have been developed aiming at specific and sensitive detection of infections caused by T. vivax. Here, we sequenced for the first time the transcriptome of a virulent T. vivax strain (Lins), isolated from an outbreak of severe disease in South America (Brazil) and performed a computational integrated analysis of genome, transcriptome and in silico predictions to identify and characterize putative linear B-cell epitopes from African and South American T. vivax. A total of 2278, 3936 and 4062 linear B-cell epitopes were respectively characterized for the transcriptomes of T. vivax LIEM-176 (Venezuela), T. vivax IL1392 (Nigeria) and T. vivax Lins (Brazil) and 4684 for the genome of T. vivax Y486 (Nigeria). The results presented are a valuable theoretical source that may pave the way for highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Lucas Muniz Guedes
- Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica (LNCC), Av. Getúlio Vargas, 333, Petrópolis, RJ, Brazil; Grupo Hermes Pardini, Setor de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Vespasiano, MG, Brazil.
| | | | - Nicolas Coatnoan
- Trypanosomatids Infectious Processes Laboratory, Department of Infection and Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Alain Cosson
- Trypanosomatids Infectious Processes Laboratory, Department of Infection and Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Fabiano Antonio Cadioli
- Departamento Clínica, Cirurgia e Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Odontologia e Curso de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Araçatuba, SP, Brazil
| | - Herakles Antonio Garcia
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Alexandra Lehmkuhl Gerber
- Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica (LNCC), Av. Getúlio Vargas, 333, Petrópolis, RJ, Brazil
| | - Rosangela Zacarias Machado
- Laboratório de Immnoparasitologia, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV), Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Campus Jaboticabal, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Paola Marcella Camargo Minoprio
- Trypanosomatids Infectious Processes Laboratory, Department of Infection and Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Marta Maria Geraldes Teixeira
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brazil
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13
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Yayeh M, Dagnachew S, Tilahun M, Melaku A, Mitiku T, Yesuf M, Seyoum Z, Kefyalew H. Comparative experimental studies on Trypanosoma isolates in mice and response to diminazene aceturate and isometamidium chloride treatment. Heliyon 2018; 4:e00528. [PMID: 29560448 PMCID: PMC5857639 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2018.e00528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Revised: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The current study was undertaken from December 2015 to May 2016 with the aim of determining and comparing the pathogenicity and response to diminazene aceturate (DA) and isometamidium chloride (ISM) treatment in experimentally infected mice with trypanosome isolates from Jawi and Birsheleko areas of northwest Ethiopia. A total of 42 mice were used for the experiment. These mice were randomly assigned in to 7 groups of 6 mice per group. Three of the groups (Group 1, 4 and 5) were inoculated with trypanosome isolated from Jawi and three other groups (Group-2, 6 and 7) were inoculated with trypanosome isolated from Birsheleko and the remaining one group (Group 3) was negative control. Each experimental mice were received 0.3 ml of positive blood at the 105 parasites/ml from donor animals intraperitoneally while negative control group were received 0.3 ml sterile water. The mice were clinically observed daily during the study period. Parameters including level of parasitaemia, body weight, PCV and hemoglobin value were recorded once per week for ten consecutive weeks post infection. Trypanocidal treatment was given on day 21 post infection when peak parasitaemia was detected in groups (Group 4-DA-Jawi, 5-ISM-Jawi, 6-DA-BRSH and 7-ISM-BRSH). The treatment doses for DA was at 28 mg/kg and for ISM at 4 mg/kg. In all experimental groups during study period when the mice showed severe clinical signs and at the end of the experiment they were euthanized with 70% ethanol for gross and histopathological examinations. The parameters measured during the study period revealed markers leading to pathological changes in all infected groups. Parasitaemia were detected early in the Jawi isolate infected groups compared to the Birsheleko groups. All infected mice showed clear clinical manifestation of depression, weight loss, reduction in feed intake and huddled together in the corner of the cage. Significant (P < 0.05) reduction was observed in the mean PCV and hemoglobin value of s infected mice compared to the negative control. The mean PCV values of Birsheleko isolate infected group was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than Jawi isolate infected group. This study showed that treatment with either DA or ISM were unable to clear parasitaemia indicating the presence of drug resistance problems for both isolates. Relative improvement in clinical and pathological changes was observed as compared with untreated infected groups. Gross and histopathological lesions were observed in infected groups. In conclusion, the current study suggests the presence of strain difference in virulence between isolates and the drugs unable to cure infections indicating the presence of resistance problems necessitate further molecular characterization of the strains and drug resistance detection in the natural host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muluken Yayeh
- University of Gondar, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, P. O. Box 196, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Shimelis Dagnachew
- University of Gondar, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, P. O. Box 196, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Meseret Tilahun
- University of Gondar, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, P. O. Box 196, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Achenef Melaku
- University of Gondar, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, P. O. Box 196, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Tadegegn Mitiku
- University of Gondar, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, P. O. Box 196, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Mohamed Yesuf
- University of Gondar, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, P. O. Box 196, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Zewdu Seyoum
- University of Gondar, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, P. O. Box 196, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Habtamu Kefyalew
- Bahir Dar Animal Health and Disease Investigation Center, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
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14
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Avci P, Karimi M, Sadasivam M, Antunes-Melo WC, Carrasco E, Hamblin MR. In-vivo monitoring of infectious diseases in living animals using bioluminescence imaging. Virulence 2017; 9:28-63. [PMID: 28960132 PMCID: PMC6067836 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2017.1371897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditional methods of localizing and quantifying the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in living experimental animal models of infections have mostly relied on sacrificing the animals, dissociating the tissue and counting the number of colony forming units. However, the discovery of several varieties of the light producing enzyme, luciferase, and the genetic engineering of bacteria, fungi, parasites and mice to make them emit light, either after administration of the luciferase substrate, or in the case of the bacterial lux operon without any exogenous substrate, has provided a new alternative. Dedicated bioluminescence imaging (BLI) cameras can record the light emitted from living animals in real time allowing non-invasive, longitudinal monitoring of the anatomical location and growth of infectious microorganisms as measured by strength of the BLI signal. BLI technology has been used to follow bacterial infections in traumatic skin wounds and burns, osteomyelitis, infections in intestines, Mycobacterial infections, otitis media, lung infections, biofilm and endodontic infections and meningitis. Fungi that have been engineered to be bioluminescent have been used to study infections caused by yeasts (Candida) and by filamentous fungi. Parasitic infections caused by malaria, Leishmania, trypanosomes and toxoplasma have all been monitored by BLI. Viruses such as vaccinia, herpes simplex, hepatitis B and C and influenza, have been studied using BLI. This rapidly growing technology is expected to continue to provide much useful information, while drastically reducing the numbers of animals needed in experimental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinar Avci
- a Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston , MA , USA.,b Department of Dermatology , Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Mahdi Karimi
- a Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston , MA , USA.,c Department of Medical Nanotechnology , School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.,d Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - Magesh Sadasivam
- a Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston , MA , USA.,e Amity Institute of Nanotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh , Noida , India
| | - Wanessa C Antunes-Melo
- a Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston , MA , USA.,f University of Sao Paulo , Sao Carlos-SP , Brazil
| | - Elisa Carrasco
- a Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston , MA , USA.,g Department of Biosciences , Durham University , Durham , United Kingdom
| | - Michael R Hamblin
- a Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston , MA , USA.,b Department of Dermatology , Harvard Medical School , Boston , MA , USA.,h Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology , Cambridge , MA , USA
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15
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Giardia Colonizes and Encysts in High-Density Foci in the Murine Small Intestine. mSphere 2017; 2:mSphere00343-16. [PMID: 28656177 PMCID: PMC5480036 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00343-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Giardia is a single-celled parasite causing significant diarrheal disease in several hundred million people worldwide. Due to limited access to the site of infection in the gastrointestinal tract, our understanding of the dynamics of Giardia infections in the host has remained limited and largely inferred from laboratory culture. To better understand Giardia physiology and colonization in the host, we developed imaging methods to quantify Giardia expressing bioluminescent physiological reporters in two relevant animal models. We discovered that parasites primarily colonize and encyst in the proximal small intestine in discrete, high-density foci. We also show that high parasite density contributes to encystation initiation. Giardia lamblia is a highly prevalent yet understudied protistan parasite causing significant diarrheal disease worldwide. Hosts ingest Giardia cysts from contaminated sources. In the gastrointestinal tract, cysts excyst to become motile trophozoites, colonizing and attaching to the gut epithelium. Trophozoites later differentiate into infectious cysts that are excreted and contaminate the environment. Due to the limited accessibility of the gut, the temporospatial dynamics of giardiasis in the host are largely inferred from laboratory culture and thus may not mirror Giardia physiology in the host. Here, we have developed bioluminescent imaging (BLI) to directly interrogate and quantify the in vivo temporospatial dynamics of Giardia infection, thereby providing an improved murine model to evaluate anti-Giardia drugs. Using BLI, we determined that parasites primarily colonize the proximal small intestine nonuniformly in high-density foci. By imaging encystation-specific bioreporters, we show that encystation initiates shortly after inoculation and continues throughout the duration of infection. Encystation also initiates in high-density foci in the proximal small intestine, and high density contributes to the initiation of encystation in laboratory culture. We suggest that these high-density in vivo foci of colonizing and encysting Giardia likely result in localized disruption to the epithelium. This more accurate visualization of giardiasis redefines the dynamics of the in vivo Giardia life cycle, paving the way for future mechanistic studies of density-dependent parasitic processes in the host. IMPORTANCEGiardia is a single-celled parasite causing significant diarrheal disease in several hundred million people worldwide. Due to limited access to the site of infection in the gastrointestinal tract, our understanding of the dynamics of Giardia infections in the host has remained limited and largely inferred from laboratory culture. To better understand Giardia physiology and colonization in the host, we developed imaging methods to quantify Giardia expressing bioluminescent physiological reporters in two relevant animal models. We discovered that parasites primarily colonize and encyst in the proximal small intestine in discrete, high-density foci. We also show that high parasite density contributes to encystation initiation.
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16
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Pham JK, Nosala C, Scott EY, Nguyen KF, Hagen KD, Starcevich HN, Dawson SC. Transcriptomic Profiling of High-Density Giardia Foci Encysting in the Murine Proximal Intestine. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:227. [PMID: 28620589 PMCID: PMC5450421 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Giardia is a highly prevalent, understudied protistan parasite causing significant diarrheal disease worldwide. Its life cycle consists of two stages: infectious cysts ingested from contaminated food or water sources, and motile trophozoites that colonize and attach to the gut epithelium, later encysting to form new cysts that are excreted into the environment. Current understanding of parasite physiology in the host is largely inferred from transcriptomic studies using Giardia grown axenically or in co-culture with mammalian cell lines. The dearth of information about the diversity of host-parasite interactions occurring within distinct regions of the gastrointestinal tract has been exacerbated by a lack of methods to directly and non-invasively interrogate disease progression and parasite physiology in live animal hosts. By visualizing Giardia infections in the mouse gastrointestinal tract using bioluminescent imaging (BLI) of tagged parasites, we recently showed that parasites colonize the gut in high-density foci. Encystation is initiated in these foci throughout the entire course of infection, yet how the physiology of parasites within high-density foci in the host gut differs from that of cells in laboratory culture is unclear. Here we use BLI to precisely select parasite samples from high-density foci in the proximal intestine to interrogate in vivo Giardia gene expression in the host. Relative to axenic culture, we noted significantly higher expression (>10-fold) of oxidative stress, membrane transporter, and metabolic and structural genes associated with encystation in the high-density foci. These differences in gene expression within parasite foci in the host may reflect physiological changes associated with high-density growth in localized regions of the gut. We also identified and verified six novel cyst-specific proteins, including new components of the cyst wall that were highly expressed in these foci. Our in vivo transcriptome data support an emerging view that parasites encyst early in localized regions in the gut, possibly as a consequence of nutrient limitation, and also impact local metabolism and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan K Pham
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, DavisDavis, CA, United States
| | - Christopher Nosala
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, DavisDavis, CA, United States
| | - Erica Y Scott
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, DavisDavis, CA, United States
| | - Kristofer F Nguyen
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, DavisDavis, CA, United States
| | - Kari D Hagen
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, DavisDavis, CA, United States
| | - Hannah N Starcevich
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, DavisDavis, CA, United States
| | - Scott C Dawson
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, DavisDavis, CA, United States
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17
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Neuroimaging. IMAGING INFECTIONS 2017. [PMCID: PMC7123586 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-54592-9_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Imaging of infection in the CNS has been handled using cross-sectional imaging for more than two decades now resulting in a large array of descriptive diagnostic criteria, capable, in most circumstances of narrowing the differential diagnosis, detecting life-threatening complications and establishing baseline for assessment of treatment response. Limitations however exist, and in many circumstances, both cross-sectional imaging and nonspecific molecular imaging, such as 18F-FDG, fail to establish a diagnosis. The availability of pathogen-specific imaging agents/ligands would have a great effect on the management of patients with CNS infection. Besides early diagnosis, avoidance of diagnostic brain biopsies can have significant effect on the mortality and morbidity of patients.
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Abstract
Pathogenic animal trypanosomes affecting livestock have represented a major constraint to agricultural development in Africa for centuries, and their negative economic impact is increasing in South America and Asia. Chemotherapy and chemoprophylaxis represent the main means of control. However, research into new trypanocides has remained inadequate for decades, leading to a situation where the few compounds available are losing efficacy due to the emergence of drug-resistant parasites. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current options available for the treatment and prophylaxis of the animal trypanosomiases, with a special focus on the problem of resistance. The key issues surrounding the main economically important animal trypanosome species and the diseases they cause are also presented. As new investment becomes available to develop improved tools to control the animal trypanosomiases, we stress that efforts should be directed towards a better understanding of the biology of the relevant parasite species and strains, to identify new drug targets and interrogate resistance mechanisms.
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Ooi CP, Schuster S, Cren-Travaillé C, Bertiaux E, Cosson A, Goyard S, Perrot S, Rotureau B. The Cyclical Development of Trypanosoma vivax in the Tsetse Fly Involves an Asymmetric Division. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2016; 6:115. [PMID: 27734008 PMCID: PMC5039179 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2016.00115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma vivax is the most prevalent trypanosome species in African cattle. It is thought to be transmitted by tsetse flies after cyclical development restricted to the vector mouthparts. Here, we investigated the kinetics of T. vivax development in Glossina morsitans morsitans by serial dissections over 1 week to reveal differentiation and proliferation stages. After 3 days, stable numbers of attached epimastigotes were seen proliferating by symmetric division in the cibarium and proboscis, consistent with colonization and maintenance of a parasite population for the remaining lifespan of the tsetse fly. Strikingly, some asymmetrically dividing cells were also observed in proportions compatible with a continuous production of pre- metacyclic trypomastigotes. The involvement of this asymmetric division in T. vivax metacyclogenesis is discussed and compared to other trypanosomatids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cher-Pheng Ooi
- Trypanosome Transmission Group, Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201 Paris, France
| | - Sarah Schuster
- Trypanosome Transmission Group, Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201 Paris, France
| | - Christelle Cren-Travaillé
- Trypanosome Transmission Group, Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201 Paris, France
| | - Eloise Bertiaux
- Trypanosome Transmission Group, Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201 Paris, France
| | - Alain Cosson
- Trypanosomatids Infectious Processes Unit, Department of Infection and Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur Paris, France
| | - Sophie Goyard
- Trypanosomatids Infectious Processes Unit, Department of Infection and Epidemiology, Institut Pasteur Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Perrot
- Trypanosome Transmission Group, Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201 Paris, France
| | - Brice Rotureau
- Trypanosome Transmission Group, Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201 Paris, France
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Dagnachew S, Terefe G, Abebe G, Sirak A, Bollo E, Barry D, Goddeeris B. Comparative clinico-pathological observations in young Zebu (Bos indicus) cattle experimentally infected with Trypanosoma vivax isolates from tsetse infested and non-tsetse areas of Northwest Ethiopia. BMC Vet Res 2015; 11:307. [PMID: 26700867 PMCID: PMC4690226 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-015-0625-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Northwest region of Ethiopia is affected by both tsetse and non-tsetse transmitted trypanosomosis with a huge impact on livestock productivity. The objective of this experimental study was to determine clinical and pathological findings in young Zebu cattle experimentally infected with Trypanosoma vivax isolates from tsetse infested and non-tsetse infested areas of Northwest Ethiopia. A total of 18 cattle (Bos indicus) aged between 6 and 12 months, purchased from a trypanosome-free and confirmed to be trypanosome negative divided into three groups of six animals were used. Animals in the first two groups (Group TT: tsetse infested isolate infected and Group NT: non-tsetse infested isolate infected) received 2 mL of infected blood from donor animals at 10(6) trypanosomes/mL, and the remaining group was non-infected control (NIC). Each group was observed for a period of eight consecutive weeks, daily for clinical signs and once per week for parasitaemia. Postmortem examinations were done on euthanized animals, and tissue samples were taken for histopathological analysis. RESULTS The prepatent period of the disease was earlier in the NT group 6 days post infection (dpi) than TT group 12 dpi. The infection was characterized by reduced feed intake, intermittent pyrexia and parasitaemia, enlarged lymph nodes, lacrimation, reduced feed intake and emaciation. Less frequently diarrhea, oedema and nervous signs were observed in both groups of infected animals. At necropsy, infected animals showed enlarged spleen, enlarged lymph nodes, pneumonic and emphysematous lung, enlarged liver, and haemorrhages on the brain and intestine. Histopathological analysis revealed lymphoid hyperplasia of the spleen, necrosis of the liver, encephalitis and hyperplasia of lymph nodes. CONCLUSION Trpanosoma vivax isolates from both tsetse infested and non-tsetse areas showed a variety of virulence factors leading to the development of acute clinical signs, gross and histopathological lesions. However, the parasitaemia and clinical signs appeared earlier in the NT compared to TT infected groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shimelis Dagnachew
- Addis Ababa University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia.
| | - Getachew Terefe
- Addis Ababa University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia.
| | - Getachew Abebe
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Asegedech Sirak
- National Animal Health and Disease Investigation Center, Sebeta, Ethiopia.
| | | | - Dave Barry
- University of Glasgow, CMVLS, Glasgow, UK.
| | - Bruno Goddeeris
- Catholic University of Leuven, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Leuven, Belgium.
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21
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Caballero ZC, Costa-Martins AG, Ferreira RC, P Alves JM, Serrano MG, Camargo EP, Buck GA, Minoprio P, G Teixeira MM. Phylogenetic and syntenic data support a single horizontal transference to a Trypanosoma ancestor of a prokaryotic proline racemase implicated in parasite evasion from host defences. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:222. [PMID: 25890302 PMCID: PMC4417235 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0829-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Proline racemase (PRAC) enzymes of Trypanosoma cruzi (TcPRAC), the agent of Chagas disease, and Trypanosoma vivax (TvPRAC), the agent of livestock trypanosomosis, have been implicated in the B-cells polyclonal activation contributing to immunosuppression and the evasion of host defences. The similarity to prokaryotic PRAC and the absence in Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma congolense have raised many questions about the origin, evolution, and functions of trypanosome PRAC (TryPRAC) enzymes. Findings We identified TryPRAC homologs as single copy genes per haploid genome in 12 of 15 Trypanosoma species, including T. cruzi and T. cruzi marinkellei, T. dionisii, T. erneyi, T. rangeli, T. conorhini and T. lewisi, all parasites of mammals. Polymorphisms in TcPRAC genes matched T. cruzi genotypes: TcI-TcIV and Tcbat have unique genes, while the hybrids TcV and TcVI contain TcPRACA and TcPRACB from parental TcII and TcIII, respectively. PRAC homologs were identified in trypanosomes from anurans, snakes, crocodiles, lizards, and birds. Most trypanosomes have intact PRAC genes. T. rangeli possesses only pseudogenes, maybe in the process of being lost. T. brucei, T. congolense and their allied species, except the more distantly related T. vivax, have completely lost PRAC genes. Conclusions The genealogy of TryPRAC homologs supports an evolutionary history congruent with the Trypanosoma phylogeny. This finding, together with the synteny of PRAC loci, the relationships with prokaryotic PRAC inferred by taxon-rich phylogenetic analysis, and the absence in trypanosomatids of any other genera or in bodonids or euglenids suggest that a common ancestor of Trypanosoma gained PRAC gene by a single and ancient horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from a Firmicutes bacterium more closely related to Gemella and other species of Bacilli than to Clostridium as previously suggested. Our broad phylogenetic study allowed investigation of TryPRAC evolution over long and short timescales. TryPRAC genes diverged to become species-specific and genotype-specific for T. cruzi and T. rangeli, with resulting genealogies congruent with those obtained using vertically inherited genes. The inventory of TryPRAC genes described here is the first step toward the understanding of the roles of PRAC enzymes in trypanosomes differing in life cycles, virulence, and infection and immune evasion strategies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-015-0829-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuleima C Caballero
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil. .,Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología-AIP (INDICASAT-AIP), Ciudad del Saber, Clayon, Panamá.
| | - Andre G Costa-Martins
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil.
| | - Robson C Ferreira
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil.
| | - João M P Alves
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil.
| | - Myrna G Serrano
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia, USA.
| | - Erney P Camargo
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil.
| | - Gregory A Buck
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia, USA.
| | - Paola Minoprio
- Département Infection et Epidemiologie, Institut Pasteur, Laboratoire des Processus Infectieux à Trypanosomatidés, Paris, France.
| | - Marta M G Teixeira
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil.
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Lewis MD, Francisco AF, Taylor MC, Kelly JM. A new experimental model for assessing drug efficacy against Trypanosoma cruzi infection based on highly sensitive in vivo imaging. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 20:36-43. [PMID: 25296657 PMCID: PMC4361455 DOI: 10.1177/1087057114552623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease, one of the world’s major neglected infections. Although development of improved antiparasitic drugs is considered a priority, there have been no significant treatment advances in the past 40 years. Factors that have limited progress include an incomplete understanding of pathogenesis, tissue tropism, and disease progression. In addition, in vivo models, which allow parasite burdens to be tracked throughout the chronic stage of infection, have been lacking. To address these issues, we have developed a highly sensitive in vivo imaging system based on bioluminescent T. cruzi, which express a red-shifted luciferase that emits light in the tissue-penetrating orange-red region of the spectrum. The exquisite sensitivity of this noninvasive murine model has been exploited to monitor parasite burden in real time throughout the chronic stage, has allowed the identification of the gastrointestinal tract as the major niche of long-term infection, and has demonstrated that chagasic heart disease can develop in the absence of locally persistent parasites. Here, we review the parameters of the imaging system and describe how this experimental model can be incorporated into drug development programs as a valuable tool for assessing efficacy against both acute and chronic T. cruzi infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Lewis
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Amanda Fortes Francisco
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Martin C Taylor
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - John M Kelly
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
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23
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Calvo-Álvarez E, Álvarez-Velilla R, Fernández-Prada C, Balaña-Fouce R, Reguera RM. Trypanosomatids see the light: recent advances in bioimaging research. Drug Discov Today 2014; 20:114-21. [PMID: 25256779 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2014.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2014] [Revised: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 09/16/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The use of genetically engineered pathogens that express fluorescent or luminescent proteins represents a huge stride forward in the understanding of trypanosomatid-borne tropical diseases. Nowadays, such modified microorganisms are being used to screen thousands of compounds under a target-free (phenotypic) approach. In addition, experimental infections with transgenic parasites drastically reduce the number of animals required for preclinical studies, because no animal needs to be put down to assess its parasite load. Finally, the use of fluorescent parasites is contributing to unraveling genetic exchange events between trypanosomatid strains. This phenomenon is important for understanding the mechanism by which traits such as virulence, tissue tropism, and drug resistance are transferred, as well as the emergence of novel strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefanía Calvo-Álvarez
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Raquel Álvarez-Velilla
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Christopher Fernández-Prada
- Infectious Diseases Research Center of the CHUL of Québec and Laval University, Québec City, Québec G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Rafael Balaña-Fouce
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain.
| | - Rosa M Reguera
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
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24
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Van Reet N, Van de Vyver H, Pyana PP, Van der Linden AM, Büscher P. A panel of Trypanosoma brucei strains tagged with blue and red-shifted luciferases for bioluminescent imaging in murine infection models. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e3054. [PMID: 25144573 PMCID: PMC4140678 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Genetic engineering with luciferase reporter genes allows monitoring Trypanosoma brucei (T.b.) infections in mice by in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI). Until recently, luminescent T.b. models were based on Renilla luciferase (RLuc) activity. Our study aimed at evaluating red-shifted luciferases for in vivo BLI in a set of diverse T.b. strains of all three subspecies, including some recently isolated from human patients. Methodology/Principal findings We transfected T.b. brucei, T.b. rhodesiense and T.b. gambiense strains with either RLuc, click beetle red (CBR) or Photinus pyralis RE9 (PpyRE9) luciferase and characterised their in vitro luciferase activity, growth profile and drug sensitivity, and their potential for in vivo BLI. Compared to RLuc, the red-shifted luciferases, CBR and PpyRE9, allow tracking of T.b. brucei AnTaR 1 trypanosomes with higher details on tissue distribution, and PpyRE9 allows detection of the parasites with a sensitivity of at least one order of magnitude higher than CBR luciferase. With CBR-tagged T.b. gambiense LiTaR1, T.b. rhodesiense RUMPHI and T.b. gambiense 348 BT in an acute, subacute and chronic infection model respectively, we observed differences in parasite tropism for murine tissues during in vivo BLI. Ex vivo BLI on the brain confirmed central nervous system infection by all luminescent strains of T.b. brucei AnTaR 1, T.b. rhodesiense RUMPHI and T.b. gambiense 348 BT. Conclusions/Significance We established a genetically and phenotypically diverse collection of bioluminescent T.b. brucei, T.b. gambiense and T.b. rhodesiense strains, including drug resistant strains. For in vivo BLI monitoring of murine infections, we recommend trypanosome strains transfected with red-shifted luciferase reporter genes, such as CBR and PpyRE9. Red-shifted luciferases can be detected with a higher sensitivity in vivo and at the same time they improve the spatial resolution of the parasites in the entire body due to the better kinetics of their substrate D-luciferin. Research on African trypanosomes heavily relies on rodent infection models. One way to reduce the number of laboratory rodents used in each experiment and effectively follow the progression of the infection in the same animals is to use genetically modified trypanosomes that allow monitoring of the infection over time with bioluminescence technology, without having to sacrifice the animals at multiple time points. In this study, we were able to establish a collection of bioluminescent strains of all three subspecies of Trypanosoma brucei (T.b.), including T.b. gambiense and T.b. rhodesiense that cause human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) or sleeping sickness. Making use of bioluminescence assays, we demonstrate the diversity of our collection in terms of in vitro and in vivo growth, drug sensitivity and in vivo parasite distribution, including central nervous system tropism. Growth characteristics and drug sensitivity are not affected by the genetic modification with luciferase reporter genes. Trypanosome strains transfected with red-shifted luciferase reporter genes have several advantages compared to the corresponding blue luciferase modified strains. Red light is less absorbed in the blood than blue light, which should lead to higher sensitivity of detection. Furthermore, the substrates that drive the light reaction are better distributed through the body for the red luciferase than for the blue luciferase, which greatly improves spatial resolution of the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick Van Reet
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Hélène Van de Vyver
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Patient Pati Pyana
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Département de Parasitologie, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa Gombe, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Anne Marie Van der Linden
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, Bio-Imaging Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Philippe Büscher
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
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25
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La Greca F, Haynes C, Stijlemans B, De Trez C, Magez S. Antibody-mediated control of Trypanosoma vivax infection fails in the absence of tumour necrosis factor. Parasite Immunol 2014; 36:271-6. [PMID: 24697754 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Accepted: 02/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosoma vivax causes a wasting disease affecting livestock breeding and agriculture in developing countries of sub-Sahara Africa and South America. Being an extracellular parasite, control of T. vivax has been proposed to be mediated by host antibodies. However, the use of a comparative infection model of wild-type (WT) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) knockout (TNF(-/-) ) mice shows that the latter is unable to control first-peak parasitaemia, despite the presence of specific antitrypanosome antibodies. In contrast, WT mice parasitaemia peak control coincides with a combined early onset of TNF production and induction of specific antibodies. TNF is mainly produced by liver-associated monocytes and neutrophils. In this study, no other correlation between cellular immunomodulations and peak parasitaemia control was observed, underscoring the importance of the role of TNF in the control of T. vivax infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- F La Greca
- Research Unit of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Structural Biology Brussels, VIB, Brussels, Belgium
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26
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Garcia HA, Rodrigues AC, Rodrigues CM, Bengaly Z, Minervino AH, Riet-Correa F, Machado RZ, Paiva F, Batista JS, Neves L, Hamilton PB, Teixeira MM. Microsatellite analysis supports clonal propagation and reduced divergence of Trypanosoma vivax from asymptomatic to fatally infected livestock in South America compared to West Africa. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:210. [PMID: 24885708 PMCID: PMC4023172 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2014] [Accepted: 04/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mechanical transmission of the major livestock pathogen Trypanosoma vivax by other biting flies than tsetse allows its spread from Africa to the New World. Genetic studies are restricted to a small number of isolates and based on molecular markers that evolve too slowly to resolve the relationships between American and West African populations and, thus, unable us to uncover the recent history of T. vivax in the New World. METHODS T. vivax genetic diversity, population structure and the source of outbreaks was investigated through the microsatellite multiloci (7 loci) genotype (MLGs) analysis in South America (47isolates from Brazil, Venezuela and French Guiana) and West Africa (12 isolates from The Gambia, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Benin and Nigeria). Relationships among MLGs were explored using phylogenetic, principal component and STRUCTURE analyses. RESULTS Although closely phylogenetically related, for the first time, genetic differences were detected between T. vivax isolates from South America (11 genotypes/47 isolates) and West Africa (12 genotypes/12 isolates) with no MLGs in common. Diversity was far greater across West Africa than in South America, where genotypes from Brazil (MLG1-6), Venezuela (MLG7-10) and French Guiana (MLG11) shared similar but not identical allele composition. No MLG was exclusive to asymptomatic (endemic areas) or sick (outbreaks in non-endemic areas) animals, but only MLGs1, 2 and 3 were responsible for severe haematological and neurological disorders. CONCLUSIONS Our results revealed closely related genotypes of T. vivax in Brazil and Venezuela, regardless of endemicity and clinical conditions of the infected livestock. The MLGs analysis from T. vivax across SA and WA support clonal propagation, and is consistent with the hypothesis that the SA populations examined here derived from common ancestors recently introduced from West Africa. The molecular markers defined here are valuable to assess the genetic diversity, to track the source and dispersion of outbreaks, and to explore the epidemiological and pathological significance of T. vivax genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Marta Mg Teixeira
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
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Goyard S, Dutra PL, Deolindo P, Autheman D, D'Archivio S, Minoprio P. In vivo imaging of trypanosomes for a better assessment of host-parasite relationships and drug efficacy. Parasitol Int 2013; 63:260-8. [PMID: 23892180 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2013.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2012] [Revised: 05/20/2013] [Accepted: 07/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The advances in microscopy combined to the invaluable progress carried by the utilization of molecular, immunological or immunochemical markers and the implementation of more powerful imaging technologies have yielded great improvements to the knowledge of the interaction between microorganisms and their hosts, notably a better understanding of the establishment of infectious processes. Still today, the intricacies of the dialog between parasites, cells and tissues remain limited. Some improvements have been attained with the stable integration and expression of the green fluorescence protein or firefly luciferase and other reporter genes, which have allowed to better approach the monitoring of gene expression and protein localization in vivo, in situ and in real time. Aiming at better exploring the well-established models of murine infections with the characterized strains of Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma vivax, we revisited in the present report the state of the art about the tools for the imaging of Trypanosomatids in vitro and in vivo and show the latest transgenic parasites that we have engineered in our laboratory using conventional transfection methods. The targeting of trypanosomes presented in this study is a promising tool for approaching the biology of parasite interactions with host cells, the progression of the diseases they trigger and the screening of new drugs in vivo or in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Goyard
- Institut Pasteur, Laboratoire des Processus Infectieux à Trypanosomatidés, Département Infection et Epidemiologie, 25 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris, France
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