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Elya C, Lavrentovich D, Lee E, Pasadyn C, Duval J, Basak M, Saykina V, de Bivort B. Neural mechanisms of parasite-induced summiting behavior in 'zombie' Drosophila. eLife 2023; 12:e85410. [PMID: 37184212 PMCID: PMC10259475 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
For at least two centuries, scientists have been enthralled by the "zombie" behaviors induced by mind-controlling parasites. Despite this interest, the mechanistic bases of these uncanny processes have remained mostly a mystery. Here, we leverage the Entomophthora muscae-Drosophila melanogaster "zombie fly" system to reveal the mechanistic underpinnings of summit disease, a manipulated behavior evoked by many fungal parasites. Using a high-throughput approach to measure summiting, we discovered that summiting behavior is characterized by a burst of locomotion and requires the host circadian and neurosecretory systems, specifically DN1p circadian neurons, pars intercerebralis to corpora allata projecting (PI-CA) neurons and corpora allata (CA), the latter being solely responsible for juvenile hormone (JH) synthesis and release. Using a machine learning classifier to identify summiting animals in real time, we observed that PI-CA neurons and CA appeared intact in summiting animals, despite invasion of adjacent regions of the "zombie fly" brain by E. muscae cells and extensive host tissue damage in the body cavity. The blood-brain barrier of flies late in their infection was significantly permeabilized, suggesting that factors in the hemolymph may have greater access to the central nervous system during summiting. Metabolomic analysis of hemolymph from summiting flies revealed differential abundance of several compounds compared to non-summiting flies. Transfusing the hemolymph of summiting flies into non-summiting recipients induced a burst of locomotion, demonstrating that factor(s) in the hemolymph likely cause summiting behavior. Altogether, our work reveals a neuro-mechanistic model for summiting wherein fungal cells perturb the fly's hemolymph, activating a neurohormonal pathway linking clock neurons to juvenile hormone production in the CA, ultimately inducing locomotor activity in their host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn Elya
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Danylo Lavrentovich
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Emily Lee
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Cassandra Pasadyn
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Jasper Duval
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Maya Basak
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Valerie Saykina
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Benjamin de Bivort
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
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2
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Okuda K, Silva Costa Franco MM, Yasunaga A, Gazzinelli R, Rabinovitch M, Cherry S, Silverman N. Leishmania amazonensis sabotages host cell SUMOylation for intracellular survival. iScience 2022; 25:104909. [PMID: 36060064 PMCID: PMC9436752 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmania parasites use elaborate virulence mechanisms to invade and thrive in macrophages. These virulence mechanisms inhibit host cell defense responses and generate a specialized replicative niche, the parasitophorous vacuole. In this work, we performed a genome-wide RNAi screen in Drosophila macrophage-like cells to identify the host factors necessary for Leishmania amazonensis infection. This screen identified 52 conserved genes required specifically for parasite entry, including several components of the SUMOylation machinery. Further studies in mammalian macrophages found that L. amazonensis infection inhibited SUMOylation within infected macrophages and this inhibition enhanced parasitophorous vacuole growth and parasite proliferation through modulation of multiple genes especially ATP6V0D2, which in turn affects CD36 expression and cholesterol levels. Together, these data suggest that parasites actively sabotage host SUMOylation and alter host transcription to improve their intracellular niche and enhance their replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendi Okuda
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, USA
| | - Miriam Maria Silva Costa Franco
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, USA
| | - Ari Yasunaga
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ricardo Gazzinelli
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, USA
- Centro de Tecnologia de Vacinas, Universidade Federal of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270, Brazil
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - Minas, Belo Horizonte, MG 30190, Brazil
| | - Michel Rabinovitch
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sara Cherry
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Neal Silverman
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, USA
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3
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Nainu F, Salim E, Emran TB, Sharma R. Drosophila melanogaster as a Versatile Model for Studying Medically Important Insect Vector-Borne Parasites. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:939813. [PMID: 35719344 PMCID: PMC9201246 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.939813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Firzan Nainu
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia
- *Correspondence: Firzan Nainu, ; orcid.org/0000-0003-0989-4023
| | - Emil Salim
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia
| | - Talha Bin Emran
- Department of Pharmacy, BGC Trust University Bangladesh, Chittagong, Bangladesh
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Rohit Sharma
- Department of Rasashastra and Bhaishajya Kalpana, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
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4
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Aromolaran O, Beder T, Adedeji E, Ajamma Y, Oyelade J, Adebiyi E, Koenig R. Predicting host dependency factors of pathogens in Drosophila melanogaster using machine learning. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:4581-4592. [PMID: 34471501 PMCID: PMC8385402 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogens causing infections, and particularly when invading the host cells, require the host cell machinery for efficient regeneration and proliferation during infection. For their life cycle, host proteins are needed and these Host Dependency Factors (HDF) may serve as therapeutic targets. Several attempts have approached screening for HDF producing large lists of potential HDF with, however, only marginal overlap. To get consistency into the data of these experimental studies, we developed a machine learning pipeline. As a case study, we used publicly available lists of experimentally derived HDF from twelve different screening studies based on gene perturbation in Drosophila melanogaster cells or in vivo upon bacterial or protozoan infection. A total of 50,334 gene features were generated from diverse categories including their functional annotations, topology attributes in protein interaction networks, nucleotide and protein sequence features, homology properties and subcellular localization. Cross-validation revealed an excellent prediction performance. All feature categories contributed to the model. Predicted and experimentally derived HDF showed a good consistency when investigating their common cellular processes and function. Cellular processes and molecular function of these genes were highly enriched in membrane trafficking, particularly in the trans-Golgi network, cell cycle and the Rab GTPase binding family. Using our machine learning approach, we show that HDF in organisms can be predicted with high accuracy evidencing their common investigated characteristics. We elucidated cellular processes which are utilized by invading pathogens during infection. Finally, we provide a list of 208 novel HDF proposed for future experimental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olufemi Aromolaran
- Department of Computer & Information Sciences, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | - Thomas Beder
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Eunice Adedeji
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | - Yvonne Ajamma
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | - Jelili Oyelade
- Department of Computer & Information Sciences, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | - Ezekiel Adebiyi
- Department of Computer & Information Sciences, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
- Covenant University Bioinformatics Research (CUBRe), Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | - Rainer Koenig
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
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Melcarne C, Lemaitre B, Kurant E. Phagocytosis in Drosophila: From molecules and cellular machinery to physiology. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 109:1-12. [PMID: 30953686 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2018] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Phagocytosis is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism that plays a key role in both host defence and tissue homeostasis in multicellular organisms. A range of surface receptors expressed on different cell types allow discriminating between self and non-self (or altered) material, thus enabling phagocytosis of pathogens and apoptotic cells. The phagocytosis process can be divided into four main steps: 1) binding of the phagocyte to the target particle, 2) particle internalization and phagosome formation, through remodelling of the plasma membrane, 3) phagosome maturation, and 4) particle destruction in the phagolysosome. In this review, we describe our present knowledge on phagocytosis in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, assessing each of the key steps involved in engulfment of both apoptotic cells and bacteria. We also assess the physiological role of phagocytosis in host defence, development and tissue homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Melcarne
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - B Lemaitre
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - E Kurant
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 34988, Israel.
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6
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Hao Y, Yu S, Luo F, Jin LH. Jumu is required for circulating hemocyte differentiation and phagocytosis in Drosophila. Cell Commun Signal 2018; 16:95. [PMID: 30518379 PMCID: PMC6280549 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-018-0305-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The regulatory mechanisms of hematopoiesis and cellular immunity show a high degree of similarity between insects and mammals, and Drosophila has become a good model for investigating cellular immune responses. Jumeau (Jumu) is a member of the winged-helix/forkhead (FKH) transcription factor family and is required for Drosophila development. Adult jumu mutant flies show defective hemocyte phagocytosis and a weaker defense capability against pathogen infection. Here, we further investigated the role of jumu in the regulation of larval hemocyte development and phagocytosis. Methods In vivo phagocytosis assays, immunohistochemistry, Real-time quantitative PCR and immunoblotting were performed to investigate the effect of Jumu on hemocyte phagocytosis. 5-Bromo-2-deoxyUridine (BrdU) labeling, phospho-histone H3 (PH3) and TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) staining were performed to analyze the proliferation and apoptosis of hemocyte; immunohistochemistry and Mosaic analysis with a repressible cell marker (MARCM) clone analysis were performed to investigate the role of Jumu in the activation of Toll pathway. Results Jumu indirectly controls hemocyte phagocytosis by regulating the expression of NimC1 and cytoskeleton reorganization. The loss of jumu also causes abnormal proliferation and differentiation in circulating hemocytes. Our results suggest that a severe deficiency of jumu leads to the generation of enlarged multinucleate hemocytes by affecting the normal cell mitosis process and induces numerous lamellocytes by activating the Toll pathway. Conclusions Jumu regulates circulating hemocyte differentiation and phagocytosis in Drosophila. Our findings provide new insight into the mechanistic roles of cytoskeleton regulatory proteins in phagocytosis and establish a basis for further analyses of the regulatory mechanism of the mammalian ortholog of Jumu in mammalian innate immunity. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12964-018-0305-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangguang Hao
- Department of Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, People's Republic of China.,Department of Translational medicine research center, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, 110034, People's Republic of China
| | - Shichao Yu
- Department of Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, People's Republic of China
| | - Fangzhou Luo
- Department of Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Hua Jin
- Department of Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, People's Republic of China.
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7
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Im JH, Lazzaro BP. Population genetic analysis of autophagy and phagocytosis genes in Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205024. [PMID: 30281656 PMCID: PMC6169979 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy and phagocytosis are cellular immune mechanisms for internalization and elimination of intracellular and extracellular pathogens. Some pathogens have evolved the ability to inhibit or manipulate these processes, raising the prospect of adaptive reciprocal co-evolution by the host. We performed population genetic analyses on phagocytosis and autophagy genes in Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans to test for molecular evolutionary signatures of immune adaptation. We found that phagocytosis and autophagy genes as a whole exhibited an elevated level of haplotype homozygosity in both species. In addition, we detected signatures of recent selection, notably in the Atg14 and Ykt6 genes in D. melanogaster and a pattern of elevated sequence divergence in the genderblind (gb) gene on the D. simulans lineage. These results suggest that the evolution of the host cellular immune system as a whole may be shaped by a dynamic conflict between Drosophila and its pathogens even without pervasive evidence of strong adaptive evolution at the individual gene level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joo Hyun Im
- Cornell Institute of Host-Microbe Interactions and Disease, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America.,Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics, and Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America.,Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
| | - Brian P Lazzaro
- Cornell Institute of Host-Microbe Interactions and Disease, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America.,Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics, and Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America.,Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States of America
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8
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Naydenov NG, Joshi S, Feygin A, Saini S, Litovchick L, Ivanov AI. A membrane fusion protein, Ykt6, regulates epithelial cell migration via microRNA-mediated suppression of Junctional Adhesion Molecule A. Cell Cycle 2018; 17:1812-1831. [PMID: 30010460 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2018.1496755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Vesicle trafficking regulates epithelial cell migration by remodeling matrix adhesions and delivering signaling molecules to the migrating leading edge. Membrane fusion, which is driven by soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor associated receptor (SNARE) proteins, is an essential step of vesicle trafficking. Mammalian SNAREs represent a large group of proteins, but few have been implicated in the regulation of cell migration. Ykt6 is a unique SNARE existing in equilibrium between active membrane-bound and inactive cytoplasmic pools, and mediating vesicle trafficking between different intracellular compartments. The biological functions of this protein remain poorly understood. In the present study, we found that Ykt6 acts as a negative regulator of migration and invasion of human prostate epithelial cells. Furthermore, Ykt6 regulates the integrity of epithelial adherens and tight junctions. The observed anti-migratory activity of Ykt6 is mediated by a unique mechanism involving the expressional upregulation of microRNA 145, which selectively decreases the cellular level of Junctional Adhesion Molecule (JAM) A. This decreased JAM-A expression limits the activity of Rap1 and Rac1 small GTPases, thereby attenuating cell spreading and motility. The described novel functions of Ykt6 could be essential for the regulation of epithelial barriers, epithelial repair, and metastatic dissemination of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayden G Naydenov
- a Department of Inflammation and Immunity , Lerner Research Institute of Cleveland Clinic Foundation , Cleveland , OH , USA.,b Department of Human and Molecular Genetics , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , VA , USA
| | - Supriya Joshi
- b Department of Human and Molecular Genetics , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , VA , USA
| | - Alex Feygin
- b Department of Human and Molecular Genetics , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , VA , USA
| | - Siddharth Saini
- c Department of Internal Medicine , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , VA , USA
| | - Larisa Litovchick
- c Department of Internal Medicine , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , VA , USA
| | - Andrei I Ivanov
- a Department of Inflammation and Immunity , Lerner Research Institute of Cleveland Clinic Foundation , Cleveland , OH , USA.,b Department of Human and Molecular Genetics , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , VA , USA
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9
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Host and Bacterial Factors Control Susceptibility of Drosophila melanogaster to Coxiella burnetii Infection. Infect Immun 2017; 85:IAI.00218-17. [PMID: 28438980 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00218-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of Q fever, a zoonotic disease that threatens both human and animal health. Due to the paucity of experimental animal models, little is known about how host factors interface with bacterial components and affect pathogenesis. Here, we used Drosophila melanogaster, in conjunction with the biosafety level 2 (BSL2) Nine Mile phase II (NMII) clone 4 strain of C. burnetii, as a model to investigate host and bacterial components implicated in infection. We demonstrate that adult Drosophila flies are susceptible to C. burnetii NMII infection and that this bacterial strain, which activates the immune deficiency (IMD) pathway, is able to replicate and cause mortality in the animals. We show that in the absence of Eiger, the only known tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily homolog in Drosophila, Coxiella-infected flies exhibit reduced mortality from infection. We also demonstrate that the Coxiella type 4 secretion system (T4SS) is critical for the formation of the Coxiella-containing vacuole and establishment of infection in Drosophila Altogether, our data reveal that the Drosophila TNF homolog Eiger and the Coxiella T4SS are implicated in the pathogenesis of C. burnetii in flies. The Drosophila/NMII model mimics relevant aspects of the infection in mammals, such as a critical role of host TNF and the bacterial T4SS in pathogenesis. Our work also demonstrates the usefulness of this BSL2 model to investigate both host and Coxiella components implicated in infection.
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10
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John Von Freyend S, Kwok-Schuelein T, Netter HJ, Haqshenas G, Semblat JP, Doerig C. Subverting Host Cell P21-Activated Kinase: A Case of Convergent Evolution across Pathogens. Pathogens 2017; 6:pathogens6020017. [PMID: 28430160 PMCID: PMC5488651 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens6020017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular pathogens have evolved a wide range of strategies to not only escape from the immune systems of their hosts, but also to directly exploit a variety of host factors to facilitate the infection process. One such strategy is to subvert host cell signalling pathways to the advantage of the pathogen. Recent research has highlighted that the human serine/threonine kinase PAK, or p21-activated kinase, is a central component of host-pathogen interactions in many infection systems involving viruses, bacteria, and eukaryotic pathogens. PAK paralogues are found in most mammalian tissues, where they play vital roles in a wide range of functions. The role of PAKs in cell proliferation and survival, and their involvement in a number of cancers, is of great interest in the context of drug discovery. In this review we discuss the latest insights into the surprisingly central role human PAK1 plays for the infection by such different infectious disease agents as viruses, bacteria, and parasitic protists. It is our intention to open serious discussion on the applicability of PAK inhibitors for the treatment, not only of neoplastic diseases, which is currently the primary objective of drug discovery research targeting these enzymes, but also of a wide range of infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona John Von Freyend
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia.
| | - Terry Kwok-Schuelein
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia.
- Cancer Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia.
| | - Hans J Netter
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia.
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Melbourne Health, The Peter Doherty Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia.
| | - Gholamreza Haqshenas
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia.
| | | | - Christian Doerig
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia.
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Abnave P, Conti F, Torre C, Ghigo E. What RNAi screens in model organisms revealed about microbicidal response in mammals? Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2015; 4:184. [PMID: 25629007 PMCID: PMC4290690 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2014.00184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The strategies evolved by pathogens to infect hosts and the mechanisms used by the host to eliminate intruders are highly complex. Because several biological pathways and processes are conserved across model organisms, these organisms have been used for many years to elucidate and understand the mechanisms of the host-pathogen relationship and particularly to unravel the molecular processes enacted by the host to kill pathogens. The emergence of RNA interference (RNAi) and the ability to apply it toward studies in model organisms have allowed a breakthrough in the elucidation of host-pathogen interactions. The aim of this mini-review is to highlight and describe recent breakthroughs in the field of host-pathogen interactions using RNAi screens of model organisms. We will focus specifically on the model organisms Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Danio rerio. Moreover, a recent study examining the immune system of planarian will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasad Abnave
- CNRS UMR 7278, URMITE, IRD198, INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille Université Marseille, France
| | - Filippo Conti
- CNRS UMR 7278, URMITE, IRD198, INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille Université Marseille, France
| | - Cedric Torre
- CNRS UMR 7278, URMITE, IRD198, INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille Université Marseille, France
| | - Eric Ghigo
- CNRS UMR 7278, URMITE, IRD198, INSERM U1095, Aix-Marseille Université Marseille, France
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12
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Horn L, Leips J, Starz‐Gaiano M. Phagocytic ability declines with age in adult Drosophila hemocytes. Aging Cell 2014; 13:719-28. [PMID: 24828474 PMCID: PMC4116448 DOI: 10.1111/acel.12227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Most multicellular organisms show a physiological decline in immune function with age. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying these changes. We examined Drosophila melanogaster, an important model for identifying genes affecting innate immunity and senescence, to explore the role of phagocytosis in age-related immune dysfunction. We characterized the localized response of immune cells at the dorsal vessel to bacterial infection in 1-week- and 5-week-old flies. We developed a quantitative phagocytosis assay for adult Drosophila and utilized this to characterize the effect of age on phagocytosis in transgenic and natural variant lines. We showed that genes necessary for bacterial engulfment in other contexts are also required in adult flies. We found that blood cells from young and old flies initially engulf bacteria equally well, while cells from older flies accumulate phagocytic vesicles and thus are less capable of destroying pathogens. Our results have broad implications for understanding how the breakdown in cellular processes influences immune function with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Horn
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Maryland Baltimore County Baltimore MD 21250USA
| | - Jeff Leips
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Maryland Baltimore County Baltimore MD 21250USA
| | - Michelle Starz‐Gaiano
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Maryland Baltimore County Baltimore MD 21250USA
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13
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Singh S, Carpenter AE, Genovesio A. Increasing the Content of High-Content Screening: An Overview. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 19:640-50. [PMID: 24710339 PMCID: PMC4230961 DOI: 10.1177/1087057114528537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/31/2013] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Target-based high-throughput screening (HTS) has recently been critiqued for its relatively poor yield compared to phenotypic screening approaches. One type of phenotypic screening, image-based high-content screening (HCS), has been seen as particularly promising. In this article, we assess whether HCS is as high content as it can be. We analyze HCS publications and find that although the number of HCS experiments published each year continues to grow steadily, the information content lags behind. We find that a majority of high-content screens published so far (60−80%) made use of only one or two image-based features measured from each sample and disregarded the distribution of those features among each cell population. We discuss several potential explanations, focusing on the hypothesis that data analysis traditions are to blame. This includes practical problems related to managing large and multidimensional HCS data sets as well as the adoption of assay quality statistics from HTS to HCS. Both may have led to the simplification or systematic rejection of assays carrying complex and valuable phenotypic information. We predict that advanced data analysis methods that enable full multiparametric data to be harvested for entire cell populations will enable HCS to finally reach its potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shantanu Singh
- Imaging Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anne E Carpenter
- Imaging Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Auguste Genovesio
- Imaging Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA École Normale Supérieure, 45, Rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris
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Péan CB, Dionne MS. Intracellular infections in Drosophila melanogaster: host defense and mechanisms of pathogenesis. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2014; 42:57-66. [PMID: 23648644 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2013.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Revised: 04/12/2013] [Accepted: 04/19/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The fruit-fly Drosophila melanogaster has emerged as a powerful model to study innate immunity against intracellular pathogens. To combat infection, the fly relies on multiple lines of defense, many of which are shared with mammals and arthropod vectors of human diseases. In addition to conserved immune pathways, the ease of performing sophisticated genetic screens has allowed the identification of novel host immune factors and novel pathogen virulence factors. Recently, some groups have exploited this to simultaneously analyze the host and pathogen genetics of intracellular infection. This review aims to unravel the Drosophila immune response against intracellular pathogens, highlighting recent discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire B Péan
- Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology of Inflammation and Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, King's College London School of Medicine, London SE1 1UL, UK
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15
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Valanne S. Functional genomic analysis of the Drosophila immune response. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2014; 42:93-101. [PMID: 23707784 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2013.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2013] [Revised: 05/13/2013] [Accepted: 05/13/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster has been widely used as a model organism for over a century now, and also as an immunological research model for over 20 years. With the emergence of RNA interference (RNAi) in Drosophila as a robust tool to silence genes of interest, large-scale or genome-wide functional analysis has become a popular way of studying the Drosophila immune response in cell culture. Drosophila immunity is composed of cellular and humoral immunity mechanisms, and especially the systemic, humoral response pathways have been extensively dissected using the functional genomic approach. Although most components of the main immune pathways had already been found using traditional genetic screening techniques, important findings including pathway components, positive and negative regulators and modifiers have been made with RNAi screening. Additionally, RNAi screening has produced new information on host-pathogen interactions related to the pathogenesis of many microbial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Valanne
- Institute of Biomedical Technology and BioMediTech, Tampere University, 33520 Tampere, Finland.
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