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Vydyam P, Chand M, Pou S, Winter RW, Liebman KM, Nilsen A, Doggett JS, Riscoe MK, Ben Mamoun C. Effectiveness of Two New Endochin-like Quinolones, ELQ-596 and ELQ-650, in Experimental Mouse Models of Human Babesiosis. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:1405-1413. [PMID: 38563132 PMCID: PMC11127568 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Endochin-like quinolones (ELQs) define a class of small molecule antimicrobials that target the mitochondrial electron transport chain of various human parasites by inhibiting their cytochrome bc1 complexes. The compounds have shown potent activity against a wide range of protozoan parasites, including the intraerythrocytic parasites Plasmodium and Babesia, the agents of human malaria and babesiosis, respectively. First-generation ELQ compounds were previously found to reduce infection by Babesia microti and Babesia duncani in animal models of human babesiosis but achieved a radical cure only in combination with atovaquone and required further optimization to address pharmacological limitations. Here, we report the identification of two second-generation 3-biaryl ELQ compounds, ELQ-596 and ELQ-650, with potent antibabesial activity in vitro and favorable pharmacological properties. In particular, ELQ-598, a prodrug of ELQ-596, demonstrated high efficacy as an orally administered monotherapy at 10 mg/kg. The compound achieved radical cure in both the chronic model of B. microti-induced babesiosis in immunocompromised mice and the lethal infection model induced by B. duncani in immunocompetent mice. Given its high potency, favorable physicochemical properties, and low toxicity profile, ELQ-596 represents a promising drug for the treatment of human babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratap Vydyam
- Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Meenal Chand
- Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Sovitj Pou
- Experimental Chemotherapy Lab, VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Rolf W. Winter
- Experimental Chemotherapy Lab, VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Katherine M. Liebman
- Experimental Chemotherapy Lab, VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Aaron Nilsen
- Experimental Chemotherapy Lab, VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon 97239
- Department of Chemical Physiology & Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - J. Stone Doggett
- Experimental Chemotherapy Lab, VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon 97239
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Michael K. Riscoe
- Experimental Chemotherapy Lab, VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon 97239
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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Drews SJ, Kjemtrup AM, Krause PJ, Lambert G, Leiby DA, Lewin A, O'Brien SF, Renaud C, Tonnetti L, Bloch EM. Transfusion-transmitted Babesia spp.: a changing landscape of epidemiology, regulation, and risk mitigation. J Clin Microbiol 2023; 61:e0126822. [PMID: 37750699 PMCID: PMC10595070 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01268-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Babesia spp. are tick-borne parasites with a global distribution and diversity of vertebrate hosts. Over the next several decades, climate change is expected to impact humans, vectors, and vertebrate hosts and change the epidemiology of Babesia. Although humans are dead-end hosts for tick-transmitted Babesia, human-to-human transmission of Babesia spp. from transfusion of red blood cells and whole blood-derived platelet concentrates has been reported. In most patients, transfusion-transmitted Babesia (TTB) results in a moderate-to-severe illness. Currently, in North America, most cases of TTB have been described in the United States. TTB cases outside North America are rare, but case numbers may change over time with increased recognition of babesiosis and as the epidemiology of Babesia is impacted by climate change. Therefore, TTB is a concern of microbiologists working in blood operator settings, as well as in clinical settings where transfusion occurs. Microbiologists play an important role in deploying blood donor screening assays in Babesia endemic regions, identifying changing risks for Babesia in non-endemic areas, investigating recipients of blood products for TTB, and drafting TTB policies and guidelines. In this review, we provide an overview of the clinical presentation and epidemiology of TTB. We identify approaches and technologies to reduce the risk of collecting blood products from Babesia-infected donors and describe how investigations of TTB are undertaken. We also describe how microbiologists in Babesia non-endemic regions can assess for changing risks of TTB and decide when to focus on laboratory-test-based approaches or pathogen reduction to reduce TTB risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J. Drews
- Microbiology, Donation Policy and Studies, Canadian Blood Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Division of Diagnostic and Applied Microbiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Anne M. Kjemtrup
- California Department of Public Health, Vector-Borne Disease Section, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Peter J. Krause
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Grayson Lambert
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - David A. Leiby
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, USA
| | - Antoine Lewin
- Epidemiology, Surveillance and Biological Risk Assessment, Medical Affairs and Innovation, Héma-Québec, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Département d'Obstétrique et de Gynécologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sheila F. O'Brien
- Epidemiology and Surveillance, Canadian Blood Services, Donation Policy and Studies, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christian Renaud
- Department of Microbiology, CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Laura Tonnetti
- American Red Cross, Scientific Affairs, Holland Laboratories for the Biomedical Sciences, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Evan M. Bloch
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Liu Q, Guan XA, Li DF, Zheng YX, Wang S, Xuan XN, Zhao JL, He L. Babesia gibsoni Whole-Genome Sequencing, Assembling, Annotation, and Comparative Analysis. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0072123. [PMID: 37432130 PMCID: PMC10434002 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00721-23] [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: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The intracellular protozoan parasite Babesia gibsoni infects canine erythrocytes and causes babesiosis. The hazards to animal health have increased due to the rise of B. gibsoni infections and medication resistance. However, the lack of high-quality full-genome sequencing sets has expanded the obstacles to the development of pathogeneses, drugs, and vaccines. In this study, the whole genome of B. gibsoni was sequenced, assembled, and annotated. The genomic size of B. gibsoni was 7.94 Mbp in total. Four chromosomes with the size of 0.69 Mb, 2.10 Mb, 2.77 Mb, and 2.38 Mb, respectively, 1 apicoplast (28.4 Kb), and 1 mitochondrion (5.9 Kb) were confirmed. KEGG analysis revealed 2,641 putative proteins enriched on 316 pathways, and GO analysis showed 7,571 annotations of the nuclear genome in total. Synteny analysis showed a high correlation between B. gibsoni and B. bovis. A new divergent point of B. gibsoni occurred around 297.7 million years ago, which was earlier than that of B. bovis, B. ovata, and B. bigemina. Orthology analysis revealed 22 and 32 unique genes compared to several Babesia spp. and apicomplexan species. The metabolic pathways of B.gibsoni were characterized, pointing to a minimal size of the genome. A species-specific secretory protein SA1 and 19 homologous genes were identified. Selected specific proteins, including apetala 2 (AP2) factor, invasion-related proteins BgAMA-1 and BgRON2, and rhoptry function proteins BgWH_04g00700 were predicted, visualized, and modeled. Overall, whole-genome sequencing provided molecular-level support for the diagnosis, prevention, clinical treatment, and further research of B. gibsoni. IMPORTANCE The whole genome of B. gibsoni was first sequenced, annotated, and disclosed. The key part of genome composition, four chromosomes, was comparatively analyzed for the first time. A full-scale phylogeny evolution analysis based on the whole-genome-wide data of B. gibsoni was performed, and a new divergent point on the evolutionary path was revealed. In previous reports, molecular studies were often limited by incomplete genomic data, especially in key areas like life cycle regulation, metabolism, and host-pathogen interaction. With the whole-genome sequencing of B. gibsoni, we provide useful genetic data to encourage the exploration of new terrain and make it feasible to resolve the theoretical and practical problems of babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xing-Ai Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Dong-Fang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ya-Xin Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Sen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xue-Nan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Jun-Long Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lan He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Yamagishi J, Ceylan O, Xuan X, Sevinc F. Whole genome sequence and diversity in multigene families of Babesia ovis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1194608. [PMID: 37662008 PMCID: PMC10471129 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1194608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovine babesiosis, caused by Babesia ovis, is an acute, lethal, and endemic disease worldwide and causes a huge economic loss to animal industry. Pathogen genome sequences can be utilized for selecting diagnostic markers, drug targets, and antigens for vaccine development; however, those for B. ovis have not been available so far. In this study, we obtained a draft genome sequence for B. ovis isolated from an infected sheep in Turkey. The genome size was 7.81 Mbp with 3,419 protein-coding genes. It consisted of 41 contigs, and the N50 was 526 Kbp. There were 259 orthologs identified among eight Babesia spp., Plasmodium falciparum, and Toxoplasma gondii. A phylogeny was estimated on the basis of the orthologs, which showed B. ovis to be closest to B. bovis. There were 43 ves genes identified using hmm model as well. They formed a discriminating cluster to other ves multigene family of Babesia spp. but showed certain similarities to those of B. bovis, B. caballi, and Babesia sp. Xinjiang, which is consistent with the phylogeny. Comparative genomics among B. ovis and B. bovis elucidated uniquely evolved genes in these species, which may account for the adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junya Yamagishi
- International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Global Station for Zoonosis Control, GI-CoRE, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Onur Ceylan
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Selcuk, Konya, Türkiye
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Ferda Sevinc
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Selcuk, Konya, Türkiye
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Si W, Fang C, Liu C, Yin M, Xu W, Li Y, Yan X, Shen Y, Cao J, Sun J. Why is Babesia not killed by artemisinin like Plasmodium? Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:193. [PMID: 37291657 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05783-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Babesia spp. are intraerythrocytic apicomplexans that digest and utilize red blood cells in a similar way to intraerythrocytic Plasmodium spp., but unlike the latter, are not sensitive to artemisinin. A comparison of Babesia and Plasmodium genomes revealed that Babesia genomes, which are smaller than those of Plasmodium, lack numerous genes, and especially haem synthesis-related genes, that are found in the latter. Single-cell sequencing analysis showed that the different treatment groups of Babesia microti with expressed pentose phosphate pathway-related, DNA replication-related, antioxidation-related, glycolysis-related, and glutathione-related genes were not as sensitive to artemether as Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL. In particular, pentose phosphate pathway-related, DNA replication-related, and glutathione-related genes, which were actively expressed in P. yoelii 17XNL, were not actively expressed in B. microti. Supplying iron in vivo can promote the reproduction of B. microti. These results suggest that Babesia spp. lack a similar mechanism to that of malaria parasites through which the haem or iron in hemoglobin is utilized, and that this likely leads to their insensitivity to artemisinin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwen Si
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Development, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuantao Fang
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Development, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tenth peoples hospital of Tongji university, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuang Liu
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Development, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng Yin
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenyue Xu
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanna Li
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Development, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoli Yan
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Development, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yujuan Shen
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianping Cao
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Sun
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Development, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
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Beri D, Singh M, Rodriguez M, Goyal N, Rasquinha G, Liu Y, An X, Yazdanbakhsh K, Lobo CA. Global Metabolomic Profiling of Host Red Blood Cells Infected with Babesia divergens Reveals Novel Antiparasitic Target Pathways. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0468822. [PMID: 36786651 PMCID: PMC10100774 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04688-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Babesia divergens is an apicomplexan parasite that infects human red blood cells (RBCs), initiating cycles of invasion, replication, and egress, resulting in extensive metabolic modification of the host cells. Babesia is an auxotroph for most of the nutrients required to sustain these cycles. There are currently limited studies on the biochemical pathways that support these critical processes, necessitating the high-resolution global metabolomics approach described here to uncover the metabolic interactions between parasite and host RBC. Our results reveal an extensive parasite-mediated modulation of RBC metabolite levels of all classes, including lipids, amino acids, carbohydrates, and nucleotides, with numerous metabolic species varying in proportion to the level of infection. Many of these molecules are scavenged from the host RBCs. This is in accord with the needs of a rapidly proliferating parasite with limited biosynthetic capabilities. Probing these pathways in depth, we used growth inhibition assays to quantitate parasite susceptibility to drugs targeting these pathways and stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy to obtain high-resolution images of drug-treated parasites to correlate changes in morphology with specific metabolic blocks in order to validate the data generated by the untargeted metabolomics platform. Thus, interruption of cholesterol scavenging from the host cell led to premature parasite egress, while chemical targeting of the hydrolysis of acyl glycerides led to the buildup of malformed parasites that could not successfully egress. This is the first report detailing the global metabolomic profile of the B. divergens-infected RBC. Besides deciphering diverse aspects of the host-parasite relationship, our results can be exploited by others to uncover further drug targets in the host-parasite biochemical network. IMPORTANCE Human babesiosis is caused by apicomplexan parasites of the Babesia genus and is associated with transfusion-transmitted illness and relapsing disease in immunosuppressed populations. Through its continuous cycles of invasion, proliferation, and egress, B. divergens radically changes the metabolic environment of the host red blood cell, allowing us opportunities to study potential chemical vulnerabilities that can be targeted by drugs. This is the first global metabolomic profiling of Babesia-infected human red blood cells, and our analysis revealed perturbation in all biomolecular classes at levels proportional to the level of infection. In particular, lipids and energy flux pathways in the host cell were altered by infection. We validated the changes in key metabolic pathways by performing inhibition assays accompanied by high-resolution microscopy. Overall, this global metabolomics analysis of Babesia-infected red blood cells has helped to uncover novel aspects of parasite biology and identified potential biochemical pathways that can be targeted for chemotherapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divya Beri
- Department of Blood-Borne Parasites, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Manpreet Singh
- Department of Blood-Borne Parasites, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Marilis Rodriguez
- Department of Blood-Borne Parasites, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Naman Goyal
- Department of Blood-Borne Parasites, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Yunfeng Liu
- Department of Complement Biology, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Xiuli An
- Department of Membrane Biology, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Karina Yazdanbakhsh
- Department of Complement Biology, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Cheryl A. Lobo
- Department of Blood-Borne Parasites, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, New York, USA
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Al-Nazal H, Low L, Kumar S, Good MF, Stanisic DI. A vaccine for human babesiosis: prospects and feasibility. Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:904-918. [PMID: 35933301 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Babesiosis is a tick-borne disease caused by intraerythrocytic Babesia parasites. It is a well-known illness in companion animals and livestock, resulting in substantial economic losses in the cattle industry. Babesiosis is also recognized as an emerging zoonosis of humans in many countries worldwide. There is no vaccine against human babesiosis. Currently, preventive measures are focused on vector avoidance. Although not always effective, treatment includes antimicrobial therapy and exchange transfusion. In this review, we discuss the host's immune response to the parasite, vaccines being used to prevent babesiosis in animals, and lessons from malaria vaccine development efforts to inform the development of a human babesiosis vaccine. An effective human vaccine would be a significant advance towards curtailing this rapidly emerging disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanan Al-Nazal
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Queensland, Australia
| | - Leanne Low
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Sanjai Kumar
- Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Office of Blood Research and Review, Centre for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Michael F Good
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Queensland, Australia
| | - Danielle I Stanisic
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Queensland, Australia.
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Bastos RG, Alzan HF, Rathinasamy VA, Cooke BM, Dellagostin OA, Barletta RG, Suarez CE. Harnessing Mycobacterium bovis BCG Trained Immunity to Control Human and Bovine Babesiosis. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:123. [PMID: 35062784 PMCID: PMC8781211 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10010123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Babesiosis is a disease caused by tickborne hemoprotozoan apicomplexan parasites of the genus Babesia that negatively impacts public health and food security worldwide. Development of effective and sustainable vaccines against babesiosis is currently hindered in part by the absence of definitive host correlates of protection. Despite that, studies in Babesia microti and Babesia bovis, major causative agents of human and bovine babesiosis, respectively, suggest that early activation of innate immune responses is crucial for vertebrates to survive acute infection. Trained immunity (TI) is defined as the development of memory in vertebrate innate immune cells, allowing more efficient responses to subsequent specific and non-specific challenges. Considering that Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), a widely used anti-tuberculosis attenuated vaccine, induces strong TI pro-inflammatory responses, we hypothesize that BCG TI may protect vertebrates against acute babesiosis. This premise is supported by early investigations demonstrating that BCG inoculation protects mice against experimental B. microti infection and recent observations that BCG vaccination decreases the severity of malaria in children infected with Plasmodium falciparum, a Babesia-related parasite. We also discuss the potential use of TI in conjunction with recombinant BCG vaccines expressing Babesia immunogens. In conclusion, by concentrating on human and bovine babesiosis, herein we intend to raise awareness of BCG TI as a strategy to efficiently control Babesia infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reginaldo G. Bastos
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7040, USA;
| | - Heba F. Alzan
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7040, USA;
- Parasitology and Animal Diseases Department, Veterinary Research Institute, National Research Center, Giza 12622, Egypt
| | - Vignesh A. Rathinasamy
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia; (V.A.R.); (B.M.C.)
| | - Brian M. Cooke
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4870, Australia; (V.A.R.); (B.M.C.)
| | - Odir A. Dellagostin
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas 96010-900, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil;
| | - Raúl G. Barletta
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0905, USA;
| | - Carlos E. Suarez
- Animal Disease Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA 99164-7040, USA
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HIRATA H, OMOBOWALE T, ADEBAYO O, ASANUMA N, HARAGUCHI A, MURAKAMI Y, KUSAKISAKO K, IKEDA K, ASAKAWA M, SUZUKI K, ISHIHARA C, IKADAI H. Identification and phylogenetic analysis of Babesia parasites in domestic dogs in Nigeria. J Vet Med Sci 2022; 84:338-341. [PMID: 35110460 PMCID: PMC8983282 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.21-0636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study examined the presence of Babesia parasites in 104 domestic dogs in Nigeria. Sequentially, Babesia parasites infecting domestic dogs underwent genetic and phylogenetic analyses. The results of nested PCR based on the Piroplasmida 18S rRNA gene illustrated that 13.5% (14/104) of the samples were positive. The obtained positive samples determined the nucleotide sequences of the 18S rRNA genes. In the genetic and phylogenetic analyses, four of five nucleotide sequences were similar to Babesia canis rossi, and one sample exhibited a close similarity to a Babesia sp. isolated from a raccoon in Hokkaido, Japan. The present study revealed the widespread presence of B. canis rossi among domestic dogs in Nigeria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Olufunke ADEBAYO
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Agriculture
| | | | | | | | | | - Keiko IKEDA
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Rakuno Gakuen University
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10
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Berná L, Rego N, Francia ME. The Elusive Mitochondrial Genomes of Apicomplexa: Where Are We Now? Front Microbiol 2021; 12:751775. [PMID: 34721355 PMCID: PMC8554336 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.751775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria are vital organelles of eukaryotic cells, participating in key metabolic pathways such as cellular respiration, thermogenesis, maintenance of cellular redox potential, calcium homeostasis, cell signaling, and cell death. The phylum Apicomplexa is entirely composed of obligate intracellular parasites, causing a plethora of severe diseases in humans, wild and domestic animals. These pathogens include the causative agents of malaria, cryptosporidiosis, neosporosis, East Coast fever and toxoplasmosis, among others. The mitochondria in Apicomplexa has been put forward as a promising source of undiscovered drug targets, and it has been validated as the target of atovaquone, a drug currently used in the clinic to counter malaria. Apicomplexans present a single tubular mitochondria that varies widely both in structure and in genomic content across the phylum. The organelle is characterized by massive gene migrations to the nucleus, sequence rearrangements and drastic functional reductions in some species. Recent third generation sequencing studies have reignited an interest for elucidating the extensive diversity displayed by the mitochondrial genomes of apicomplexans and their intriguing genomic features. The underlying mechanisms of gene transcription and translation are also ill-understood. In this review, we present the state of the art on mitochondrial genome structure, composition and organization in the apicomplexan phylum revisiting topological and biochemical information gathered through classical techniques. We contextualize this in light of the genomic insight gained by second and, more recently, third generation sequencing technologies. We discuss the mitochondrial genomic and mechanistic features found in evolutionarily related alveolates, and discuss the common and distinct origins of the apicomplexan mitochondria peculiarities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Berná
- Laboratory of Apicomplexan Biology, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.,Molecular Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.,Bioinformatics Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.,Sección Biomatemática-Laboratorio de Genómica Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Natalia Rego
- Bioinformatics Unit, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - María E Francia
- Laboratory of Apicomplexan Biology, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.,Departamento de Parasitología y Micología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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11
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Tian Z, Gao S, Ren Q, Du J, Guan G, Liu G, Luo J, Yin H. Mitochondrial genome of Theileria uilenbergi endemic in sheep and goats in China. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:3429-3436. [PMID: 34467423 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07304-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondrial genomes provide new insights that help elucidating biological features, genetic evolution, and classification of protozoans. Theileria uilenbergi (T. uilenbergi), transmitted by Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis and H. longicornis, is considered as highly pathogenic to sheep and goats in China. This study reports and outlines features of its mitochondrial genome. The T. uilenbergi mitochondrial genome is a linear monomeric molecule of 6.0 kb length, which encodes three protein-coding genes named cytochrome c oxidase I (cox1), cytochrome b (cob), and cytochrome c oxidase III (cox3), as well as six large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene fragments, and ends in terminal inverted repeats (TIRs). The array structure and organization of the mitochondrial genome of T. uilenbergi is identical to that of T. parva. Phylogenetic analysis based on the amino acid sequences of cox1, cob, and cox3 genes suggests that T. uilenbergi is distantly related to the group of transforming Theileria species such as T. parva. This study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the phylogeny and evolution of the mitochondrial genome of piroplasms and provides useful information of diagnostic marker for T. uilenbergi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhancheng Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shandian Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiaoyun Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, People's Republic of China
| | - Junzheng Du
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, People's Republic of China
| | - Guiquan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangyuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianxun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, Yangzhou, 225009, People's Republic of China
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12
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Chiu JE, Renard I, George S, Pal AC, Alday PH, Narasimhan S, Riscoe MK, Doggett JS, Ben Mamoun C. Cytochrome b Drug Resistance Mutation Decreases Babesia Fitness in the Tick Stages But Not the Mammalian Erythrocytic Cycle. J Infect Dis 2021; 225:135-145. [PMID: 34139755 PMCID: PMC8730496 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Human babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne malaria-like illness caused by Babesia parasites following their development in erythrocytes. Here, we show that a mutation in the Babesia microti mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) that confers resistance to the antibabesial drug ELQ-502 decreases parasite fitness in the arthropod vector. Interestingly, whereas the mutant allele does not affect B. microti fitness during the mammalian blood phase of the parasite life cycle and is genetically stable as parasite burden increases, ELQ-502-resistant mutant parasites developing in the tick vector are genetically unstable with a high rate of the wild-type allele emerging during the nymphal stage. Furthermore, we show that B. microti parasites with this mutation are transmitted from the tick to the host, raising the possibility that the frequency of Cytb resistance mutations may be decreased by passage through the tick vector, but could persist in the environment if present when ticks feed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joy E Chiu
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Isaline Renard
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Santosh George
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Anasuya C Pal
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Sukanya Narasimhan
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | | | | | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Correspondence: Choukri Ben Mamoun, PhD, Yale School of Medicine, Departments of Medicine and Microbial Pathogenesis, Section of Infectious Diseases, 300 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520 ()
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13
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Verma N, Puri A, Essuman E, Skelton R, Anantharaman V, Zheng H, White S, Gunalan K, Takeda K, Bajpai S, Lepore TJ, Krause PJ, Aravind L, Kumar S. Antigen Discovery, Bioinformatics and Biological Characterization of Novel Immunodominant Babesia microti Antigens. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9598. [PMID: 32533024 PMCID: PMC7293334 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66273-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesia microti is an intraerythrocytic parasite and the primary causative agent of human babesiosis. It is transmitted by Ixodes ticks, transfusion of blood and blood products, organ donation, and perinatally. Despite its global public health impact, limited progress has been made to identify and characterize immunodominant B. microti antigens for diagnostic and vaccine use. Using genome-wide immunoscreening, we identified 56 B. microti antigens, including some previously uncharacterized antigens. Thirty of the most immunodominant B. microti antigens were expressed as recombinant proteins in E. coli. Among these, the combined use of two novel antigens and one previously described antigen provided 96% sensitivity and 100% specificity in identifying B. microti antibody containing sera in an ELISA. Using extensive computational sequence and bioinformatics analyses and cellular localization studies, we have clarified the domain architectures, potential biological functions, and evolutionary relationships of the most immunodominant B. microti antigens. Notably, we found that the BMN-family antigens are not monophyletic as currently annotated, but rather can be categorized into two evolutionary unrelated groups of BMN proteins respectively defined by two structurally distinct classes of extracellular domains. Our studies have enhanced the repertoire of immunodominant B. microti antigens, and assigned potential biological function to these antigens, which can be evaluated to develop novel assays and candidate vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitin Verma
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Office of Blood Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA
| | - Ankit Puri
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Office of Blood Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA
| | - Edward Essuman
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Office of Blood Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA
| | - Richard Skelton
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Office of Blood Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA
| | - Vivek Anantharaman
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Hong Zheng
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Office of Blood Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA
| | - Siera White
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Office of Blood Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA
| | - Karthigayan Gunalan
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Kazuyo Takeda
- Lab Of Method Development, Office of Vaccine Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA
| | - Surabhi Bajpai
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Banasthali Vidyapith, Banasthali, 304022, India
| | | | - Peter J Krause
- Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - L Aravind
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Sanjai Kumar
- Laboratory of Emerging Pathogens, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Diseases, Office of Blood Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA.
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14
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Zhao Y, Huang J, Cao J, Zhou Y, Gong H, Zhang H, Zhou J. 4-NBT, a specific inhibitor of Babesia microti thioredoxin reductase, affects parasite biochemistry and proteomic properties. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:1018-1027. [PMID: 31151924 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 04/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Babesia microti is an emerging zoonotic pathogen that is transmitted by ticks and parasites and propagates in mammalian erythrocytes. Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) plays a crucial role in B. microti survival by maintaining cellular redox homeostasis. In the present study, 4-nitro-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (4-NBT) was selected as a specific B. microti TrxR inhibitor by comparing rat and parasite TrxR inhibition levels. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were evaluated using flow cytometry, and in B. microti treated with 4-NBT, ROS levels increased with increasing inhibitor concentration. Furthermore, the inhibitor treatment increased lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl levels, thus indicating a state of oxidative stress. While B. microti treated with 4-NBT appeared to lose the ability to multiply in mice, the fastigium of parasitemia between the treated and control groups was comparable. Furthermore, a TUNEL assay showed that 4-NBT induces apoptosis in B. microti. Proteomic analysis of B. microti treated with 4-NBT detected 960 proteins. Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis identified 118 proteins that were significantly up-regulated and 37 that were significantly down-regulated in the treatment group relative to the control. Of the differential proteins, proteasome and ribosomal subunit expression was up-regulated, thus suggesting that redundant proteins may be damaged by oxidation and waiting for degradation, while proteins for subsistence are waiting for de novo synthesis. Moreover, the findings obtained herein suggest that the DNA and lipids were also damaged and awaiting synthesis or repair. In conclusion, TrxR dysfunction in B. microti results in the breakdown of redox homeostasis and promotes apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanzhen Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jingwei Huang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jie Cao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Yongzhi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Haiyan Gong
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Houshuang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jinlin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China.
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15
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Development of a SNP barcode to genotype Babesia microti infections. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007194. [PMID: 30908478 PMCID: PMC6448979 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesia microti is tick-borne disease that is an emerging threat to public health due to increasing prevalence and expanding geographic range. Detection and constant surveillance of babesiosis is imperative for predicting pathogen expansion. Leveraging our whole genome sequence (WGS) analyses of B. microti, we developed a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based high resolution melt (HRM) surveillance tool. We developed our HRM assay using available sequence data and identified 775 SNPs. From these candidate SNPs, we developed a 32-SNP barcode that is robust and differentiates geographically distinct populations; it contains SNPs that are putatively neutral, located in nuclear, mitochondrial, and apicoplastal regions. The assays are reproducible and robust, requiring a small quantity of DNA (limit of detection as low as 10 pg.). We analyzed the performance of our HRM assay using 26 B. microti clinical samples used in our WGS study from babesiosis endemic regions in the United States. We identified a minimal barcode consisting of 25 SNPs that differentiate geographically distinct populations across all clinical samples evaluated (average minor allele frequency > 0.22). Supporting our previous WGS findings, our 25-SNP barcode identified distinct barcode signatures that segregate B. microti into two lineages: Northeast and Midwest, with the Northeast having three subpopulations: Connecticut/Rhode Island, Nantucket, and the R1 reference group. Our 25-SNP HRM barcode provides a robust means genetic marker set that will aid in tracking the increasing incidence and expanding geographic range of B. microti infections. Babesia microti is an emerging tick-borne disease and is becoming a public health problem. Over the past two decades, the I. scapularis tick population, which is primarily responsible for human infection, has exploded, doubling the number of babesiosis and other I. scapularis-borne disease cases to approximately 48 thousand reported in 2016. The increasing number of endemic areas of B. microti signals the need to develop robust and accurate surveillance tools to effectively monitor and record disease incidence. Here, we used our whole genome sequence analysis of B. microti to develop a genetic barcode for B. microti, composed of 25 robust variants. We show the validation and utility of this SNP barcode on 26 babesiosis positive clinical samples from endemic regions in the United States. This genetic barcode provides a means to identify the genetic origin of a parasite and ultimately gain insight into B. microti population structure and transmission dynamics.
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Abstract
The positioning of chromosomes in the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell is highly organized and has a complex and dynamic relationship with gene expression. In the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, the clustering of a family of virulence genes correlates with their coordinated silencing and has a strong influence on the overall organization of the genome. To identify conserved and species-specific principles of genome organization, we performed Hi-C experiments and generated 3D genome models for five Plasmodium species and two related apicomplexan parasites. Plasmodium species mainly showed clustering of centromeres, telomeres, and virulence genes. In P. falciparum, the heterochromatic virulence gene cluster had a strong repressive effect on the surrounding nuclear space, while this was less pronounced in Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium berghei, and absent in Plasmodium yoelii In Plasmodium knowlesi, telomeres and virulence genes were more dispersed throughout the nucleus, but its 3D genome showed a strong correlation with gene expression. The Babesia microti genome showed a classical Rabl organization with colocalization of subtelomeric virulence genes, while the Toxoplasma gondii genome was dominated by clustering of the centromeres and lacked virulence gene clustering. Collectively, our results demonstrate that spatial genome organization in most Plasmodium species is constrained by the colocalization of virulence genes. P. falciparum and P. knowlesi, the only two Plasmodium species with gene families involved in antigenic variation, are unique in the effect of these genes on chromosome folding, indicating a potential link between genome organization and gene expression in more virulent pathogens.
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17
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Magni R, Luchini A, Liotta L, Molestina RE. Analysis of the Babesia microti proteome in infected red blood cells by a combination of nanotechnology and mass spectrometry. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:139-144. [PMID: 30391228 PMCID: PMC10548858 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Proteomics of Babesia microti has lagged behind other apicomplexans despite recent genome and transcriptome studies. Here, we used a combination of nanotechnology and mass spectrometry to provide a proteomic profile of B. microti acute infection. We identified ∼500 parasite proteins in blood with functions such as transport, carbohydrate and energy metabolism, proteolysis, DNA and RNA metabolism, signaling, translation, lipid biosynthesis, and motility and invasion. We also identified surface antigens with roles in the immune response to the parasite. This first evaluation of the B. microti proteome in erythrocytes provides information for the study of intracellular survival and development of diagnostic tools using mass spectrometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Magni
- Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 20110, USA
| | - Alessandra Luchini
- Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 20110, USA
| | - Lance Liotta
- Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, George Mason University, Manassas, VA 20110, USA
| | - Robert E Molestina
- Protistology Laboratory, American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA 20110, USA.
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18
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To kill a piroplasm: genetic technologies to advance drug discovery and target identification in Babesia. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:153-163. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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19
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Guo J, Miao X, He P, Li M, Wang S, Cui J, Huang C, He L, Zhao J. Babesia gibsoni endemic to Wuhan, China: mitochondrial genome sequencing, annotation, and comparison with apicomplexan parasites. Parasitol Res 2018; 118:235-243. [PMID: 30474737 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-6158-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Babesia gibsoni (B. gibsoni), an intracellular apicomplexan protozoan, poses great threat to canine health. Currently, little information is available about the B. gibsoni (WH58) endemic to Wuhan, China. Here, the mitochondrial (mt) genome of B. gibsoni (WH58) was amplified by five pairs of primers and sequenced and annotated by alignment with the reported mt genome sequences of Babesia canis (B. canis, KC207822), Babesia orientalis (KF218819), Babesia bovis (AB499088), and Theileria equi (AB499091). The evolutionary relationships were analyzed with the amino acid sequences of cytochrome c oxidase I (cox1) and cytochrome b (cob) genes in apicomplexan parasite species. Additionally, the mt genomes of Babesia, Theileria, and Plasmodium spp. were compared in size, host infection, form, distribution, and direction of the protein-coding genes. The full size of the mt genome of B. gibsoni (WH58) was 5865 bp with a linear form, containing terminal-inverted repeats on both ends, six large subunit ribosomal RNA fragments, and three protein-coding genes: cox1, cob, and cytochrome c oxidase III (cox3). Babesia, Theileria, and Plasmodium spp. had a similar mt genome size of about 6000 bp. The mt genomes of parasites that cause canine babesiosis showed a slightly smaller size than the other species. Moreover, Babesia microti (R1 strain) was about 11,100 bp in size, which was twice larger than that of the other species. The mt form was linear for Babesia and Theileria spp. but circular for Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium knowlesi. Additionally, all the species contained the three protein-coding genes of cox1, cox3, and cob except Toxoplasma gondii (RH strain) which only contained the cox1 and cob genes. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that B. gibsoni (WH58) was more identical to B. gibsoni (AB499087), B. canis (KC207822), and Babesia rossi (KC207823) and most divergent from Babesia conradae in Babesia spp. Despite the highest similarity to B. gibsoni (AB499087) reported in Japan, B. gibsoni (WH58) showed notable differences in the sequence of nucleotides and amino acids and the property in virulence to host and in vitro cultivation. This study compared the mt genomes of the two B. gibsoni isolates and other parasites in the phylum Apicomplexa and provided new insights into their differences and evolutionary relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaoyan Miao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Pei He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Muxiao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Sen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Jie Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Cuiqin Huang
- College of Life Science, Longyan University, Longyan, Fujian, China.,Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for the Prevention and Control of Animal Infectious Diseases and Biotechnology, Longyan, 364012, Fujian, China
| | - Lan He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Junlong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China. .,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China. .,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
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Stahl P, Poinsignon Y, Pouedras P, Ciubotaru V, Berry L, Emu B, Krause PJ, Ben Mamoun C, Cornillot E. Case report of the patient source of the Babesia microti R1 reference strain and implications for travelers. J Travel Med 2018; 25:4696553. [PMID: 29394381 PMCID: PMC6927858 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/tax073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 10/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2002, a previously healthy 69-year-old man travelled to France from the United States and presented to our hospital with a febrile illness that subsequently was determined to be babesiosis. The blood isolated from this patient served as a source for propagation of the Babesia microti R1 strain with subsequent sequencing and annotation of the parasite genome. METHODS Upon admission, we obtained a medical history, performed a physical examination, and examined his blood for the presence of a blood borne pathogen by microscopy, PCR and indirect immunofluorescence antibody testing. Once the diagnosis of babesiosis was made, we reviewed the literature to assess the distribution of B. microti-associated babesiosis cases in immunocompetent patients from outside the USA. RESULTS The patient recalled a tick bite during the previous month on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The diagnosis was confirmed by identification of Babesia-infected red blood cells on blood smears, amplification of B. microti DNA in blood by PCR and the presence of B. microti antibody in the serum. This strain was the first isolate of B. microti to be fully sequenced and its annotated genome serves as a reference for molecular and cell biology studies aimed at understanding B. microti pathophysiology and developing diagnostic tests and therapies. A review of babesiosis cases demonstrates a worldwide distribution of B. microti and identifies potential emerging endemic areas where travelers may be at risk of contracting B. microti infection. CONCLUSION This case provides clinical information about the patient infected with the R1 isolate and a review of travel risk, diagnosis and treatment of babesiosis in endemic and non-endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Stahl
- Institute of Virology, Parasitology Unit, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Gießen and Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Yves Poinsignon
- Internal Medicine Department, Centre Hospitalier Bretagne Atlantique, Vannes, France
| | - Pascal Pouedras
- Microbiology Department, Centre Hospitalier Bretagne Atlantique, Vannes, France
| | - Vasilica Ciubotaru
- Internal Medicine Department, Centre Hospitalier Bretagne Atlantique, Vannes, France
| | - Laurence Berry
- Dynamique des Interactions Membranaires Normales et Pathologiques, UMR5235 CNRS, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Brinda Emu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Peter J Krause
- Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, 60 College St., New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Emmanuel Cornillot
- Institut de Biologie Computationnelle (IBC), Montpellier, France.,Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM - INSERM U1194), Institut régional du Cancer Montpellier (ICM) & Université de Montpellier, France
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21
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review summarizes the current status of blood screening to prevent transfusion-transmitted babesiosis (TTB). RECENT FINDINGS Babesia microti has recently been determined to be the most common transfusion-transmitted pathogen in the United States. Patients who acquire TTB often experience severe illness with an associated mortality rate of about 20%. Recent studies have demonstrated that laboratory screening using B. microti antibody and/or PCR assays can effectively identify infectious blood donors and that this approach may offer a cost- effective means of intervention. Pathogen inactivation methods may offer an alternative solution. None of these methods has yet been licensed by US Food and Drug Administration, however, and current efforts to prevent TTB rely on excluding blood donors who report having had babesiosis. SUMMARY TTB imposes a significant health burden on the United States population. Further research is needed to better inform decisions on optimal screening strategies and reentry criteria, but given the acute need and the currently available screening tools, initiation of blood donor screening to prevent TTB should be given high priority.
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22
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Hai X, Zhang H, Wang Z, Gong H, Cao J, Zhou Y, Zhou J. Identification of 2-Cys Peroxiredoxin (BmTPx-2) as Antioxidant Active Molecule from Babesia microti. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1959. [PMID: 29067017 PMCID: PMC5641339 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are a family of antioxidant enzymes that reduce peroxides in the presence of thioredoxin, thioredoxin reductase, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) to resist oxidative stress. In this study, we identified and isolated a 2-Cys Prx designated as ‘BmTPx-2’ from Babesia microti, with a full-length cDNA of 826 bp and an open reading frame of 756 bp, which encodes a 251-amino acid protein. BLAST analysis demonstrated that BmTPx-2 shows the typical features of members of the 2-Cys Prx family, which includes harboring two conserved VCP motifs with Cys101 and Cys221 conserved cysteine residues. Recombinant BmTPx-2 was expressed in Escherichia coli and analyzed by western blot. The antioxidant activity of BmTPx-2 was demonstrated using a mixed-function oxidation system and oxidation of NADPH. Furthermore, BmTPx-2 mRNA expression level in parasites at the erythrocytes and tick stages were analyzed by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Peak BmTPx-2 mRNA transcription was detected 8 days after infection at the erythrocyte stage, but not at the tick stage. Taken together, this study characterized BmTPx-2 from B. microti as an antioxidant molecule that was specifically transcribed at the erythrocyte stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xunan Hai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Houshuang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhonghua Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Haiyan Gong
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Cao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongzhi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinlin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China.,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, China
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23
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Babesia microti: from Mice to Ticks to an Increasing Number of Highly Susceptible Humans. J Clin Microbiol 2017; 55:2903-2912. [PMID: 28747374 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00504-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesia microti, a zoonotic intraerythrocytic parasite, is the primary etiological agent of human babesiosis in the United States. Human infections range from subclinical illness to severe disease resulting in death, with symptoms being related to host immune status. Despite advances in our understanding and management of B. microti, the incidence of infection in the United States has increased. Therefore, research focused on eradicating disease and optimizing clinical management is essential. Here we review this remarkable organism, with emphasis on the clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic aspects of human disease.
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24
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Cursino-Santos JR, Singh M, Pham P, Lobo CA. A novel flow cytometric application discriminates among the effects of chemical inhibitors on various phases ofBabesia divergensintraerythrocytic cycle. Cytometry A 2017; 91:216-231. [DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.23062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Revised: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 12/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Manpreet Singh
- Department of Blood Borne Parasites; New York Blood Center; New York New York
| | - Petra Pham
- Flow Cytometry Core Facility; New York Blood Center; New York New York
| | - Cheryl A. Lobo
- Department of Blood Borne Parasites; New York Blood Center; New York New York
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25
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Schreeg ME, Marr HS, Tarigo JL, Cohn LA, Bird DM, Scholl EH, Levy MG, Wiegmann BM, Birkenheuer AJ. Mitochondrial Genome Sequences and Structures Aid in the Resolution of Piroplasmida phylogeny. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165702. [PMID: 27832128 PMCID: PMC5104439 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The taxonomy of the order Piroplasmida, which includes a number of clinically and economically relevant organisms, is a hotly debated topic amongst parasitologists. Three genera (Babesia, Theileria, and Cytauxzoon) are recognized based on parasite life cycle characteristics, but molecular phylogenetic analyses of 18S sequences have suggested the presence of five or more distinct Piroplasmida lineages. Despite these important advancements, a few studies have been unable to define the taxonomic relationships of some organisms (e.g. C. felis and T. equi) with respect to other Piroplasmida. Additional evidence from mitochondrial genome sequences and synteny should aid in the inference of Piroplasmida phylogeny and resolution of taxonomic uncertainties. In this study, we have amplified, sequenced, and annotated seven previously uncharacterized mitochondrial genomes (Babesia canis, Babesia vogeli, Babesia rossi, Babesia sp. Coco, Babesia conradae, Babesia microti-like sp., and Cytauxzoon felis) and identified additional ribosomal fragments in ten previously characterized mitochondrial genomes. Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated mitochondrial and 18S sequences as well as cox1 amino acid sequence identified five distinct Piroplasmida groups, each of which possesses a unique mitochondrial genome structure. Specifically, our results confirm the existence of four previously identified clades (B. microti group, Babesia sensu stricto, Theileria equi, and a Babesia sensu latu group that includes B. conradae) while supporting the integration of Theileria and Cytauxzoon species into a single fifth taxon. Although known biological characteristics of Piroplasmida corroborate the proposed phylogeny, more investigation into parasite life cycles is warranted to further understand the evolution of the Piroplasmida. Our results provide an evolutionary framework for comparative biology of these important animal and human pathogens and help focus renewed efforts toward understanding the phylogenetic relationships within the group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E. Schreeg
- North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Henry S. Marr
- North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Jaime L. Tarigo
- North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
- University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Leah A. Cohn
- University of Missouri, College of Veterinary Medicine, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - David M. Bird
- North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth H. Scholl
- North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Michael G. Levy
- North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Brian M. Wiegmann
- North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Adam J. Birkenheuer
- North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
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26
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Alzan HF, Knowles DP, Suarez CE. Comparative Bioinformatics Analysis of Transcription Factor Genes Indicates Conservation of Key Regulatory Domains among Babesia bovis, Babesia microti, and Theileria equi. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004983. [PMID: 27832060 PMCID: PMC5104403 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexa tick-borne hemoparasites, including Babesia bovis, Babesia microti, and Theileria equi are responsible for bovine and human babesiosis and equine theileriosis, respectively. These parasites of vast medical, epidemiological, and economic impact have complex life cycles in their vertebrate and tick hosts. Large gaps in knowledge concerning the mechanisms used by these parasites for gene regulation remain. Regulatory genes coding for DNA binding proteins such as members of the Api-AP2, HMG, and Myb families are known to play crucial roles as transcription factors. Although the repertoire of Api-AP2 has been defined and a HMG gene was previously identified in the B. bovis genome, these regulatory genes have not been described in detail in B. microti and T. equi. In this study, comparative bioinformatics was used to: (i) identify and map genes encoding for these transcription factors among three parasites' genomes; (ii) identify a previously unreported HMG gene in B. microti; (iii) define a repertoire of eight conserved Myb genes; and (iv) identify AP2 correlates among B. bovis and the better-studied Plasmodium parasites. Searching the available transcriptome of B. bovis defined patterns of transcription of these three gene families in B. bovis erythrocyte stage parasites. Sequence comparisons show conservation of functional domains and general architecture in the AP2, Myb, and HMG proteins, which may be significant for the regulation of common critical parasite life cycle transitions in B. bovis, B. microti, and T. equi. A detailed understanding of the role of gene families encoding DNA binding proteins will provide new tools for unraveling regulatory mechanisms involved in B. bovis, B. microti, and T. equi life cycles and environmental adaptive responses and potentially contributes to the development of novel convergent strategies for improved control of babesiosis and equine piroplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heba F. Alzan
- Parasitology and Animal Diseases Department, National Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Donald P. Knowles
- Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, WSU, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Carlos E. Suarez
- Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, WSU, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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27
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Carpi G, Walter KS, Mamoun CB, Krause PJ, Kitchen A, Lepore TJ, Dwivedi A, Cornillot E, Caccone A, Diuk-Wasser MA. Babesia microti from humans and ticks hold a genomic signature of strong population structure in the United States. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:888. [PMID: 27821055 PMCID: PMC5100190 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-3225-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Babesia microti is an emerging tick-borne apicomplexan parasite with increasing geographic range and incidence in the United States. The rapid expansion of B. microti into its current distribution in the northeastern USA has been due to the range expansion of the tick vector, Ixodes scapularis, upon which the causative agent is dependent for transmission to humans. Results To reconstruct the history of B. microti in the continental USA and clarify the evolutionary origin of human strains, we used multiplexed hybrid capture of 25 B. microti isolates obtained from I. scapularis and human blood. Despite low genomic variation compared with other Apicomplexa, B. microti was strongly structured into three highly differentiated genetic clusters in the northeastern USA. Bayesian analyses of the apicoplast genomes suggest that the origin of the current diversity of B. microti in northeastern USA dates back 46 thousand years with a signature of recent population expansion in the last 1000 years. Human-derived samples belonged to two rarely intermixing clusters, raising the possibility of highly divergent infectious phenotypes in humans. Conclusions Our results validate the multiplexed hybrid capture strategy for characterizing genome-wide diversity and relatedness of B. microti from ticks and humans. We find strong population structure in B. microti samples from the Northeast indicating potential barriers to gene flow. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3225-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Carpi
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.,Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Katharine S Walter
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Peter J Krause
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Andrew Kitchen
- Department of Anthropology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | | | - Ankit Dwivedi
- Institut de Biologie Computationnelle, University de Montpellier, 34095, Montpellier, Cedex 5, France
| | - Emmanuel Cornillot
- Institut de Biologie Computationnelle, University de Montpellier, 34095, Montpellier, Cedex 5, France
| | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA. .,Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
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28
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Guan G, Korhonen PK, Young ND, Koehler AV, Wang T, Li Y, Liu Z, Luo J, Yin H, Gasser RB. Genomic resources for a unique, low-virulence Babesia taxon from China. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:564. [PMID: 27784333 PMCID: PMC5081931 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1846-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Babesiosis is a socioeconomically important tick-borne disease of animals (including humans) caused by haemoprotozoan parasites. The severity of babesiosis relates to host and parasite factors, particularly virulence/pathogenicity. Although Babesia bovis is a particularly pathogenic species of cattle, there are species of Babesia of ruminants that have limited pathogenicity. For instance, the operational taxonomic unit Babesia sp. Xinjiang (abbreviated here as Bx) of sheep from China is substantially less virulent/pathogenic than B. bovis is in cattle. Although the reason for this distinctiveness is presently unknown, it is possible that Bx has a reduced ability to adhere to cells or evade/suppress immune responses, which might relate to particular proteins, such as the variant erythrocyte surface antigens (VESAs). RESULTS We sequenced and annotated the 8.4 Mb nuclear draft genome of Bx and compared it with those of B. bovis and B. bigemina by synteny analysis; we also investigated the genetic relationship of Bx with selected Babesia species and related apicomplexans for which genomic datasets are available, and explored the VESA complement in Bx. CONCLUSIONS The availability of the Bx genome now provides unique opportunities to elucidate aspects of the molecular biology, biochemistry and physiology of Bx, and to explore the reason(s) for its limited virulence and/or apparent ability to evade immune attack by the host animal. Moreover, the present genomic resource and an in vitro culture system for Bx raises the prospect of establishing a functional genomic platform to explore essential genes as new intervention targets against babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiquan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu China
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Pasi K. Korhonen
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Neil D. Young
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Anson V. Koehler
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Tao Wang
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Youquan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu China
| | - Zhijie Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu China
| | - Jianxun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu China
| | - Hong Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu China
| | - Robin B. Gasser
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
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29
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Silva JC, Cornillot E, McCracken C, Usmani-Brown S, Dwivedi A, Ifeonu OO, Crabtree J, Gotia HT, Virji AZ, Reynes C, Colinge J, Kumar V, Lawres L, Pazzi JE, Pablo JV, Hung C, Brancato J, Kumari P, Orvis J, Tretina K, Chibucos M, Ott S, Sadzewicz L, Sengamalay N, Shetty AC, Su Q, Tallon L, Fraser CM, Frutos R, Molina DM, Krause PJ, Ben Mamoun C. Genome-wide diversity and gene expression profiling of Babesia microti isolates identify polymorphic genes that mediate host-pathogen interactions. Sci Rep 2016; 6:35284. [PMID: 27752055 PMCID: PMC5082761 DOI: 10.1038/srep35284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesia microti, a tick-transmitted, intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite circulating mainly among small mammals, is the primary cause of human babesiosis. While most cases are transmitted by Ixodes ticks, the disease may also be transmitted through blood transfusion and perinatally. A comprehensive analysis of genome composition, genetic diversity, and gene expression profiling of seven B. microti isolates revealed that genetic variation in isolates from the Northeast United States is almost exclusively associated with genes encoding the surface proteome and secretome of the parasite. Furthermore, we found that polymorphism is restricted to a small number of genes, which are highly expressed during infection. In order to identify pathogen-encoded factors involved in host-parasite interactions, we screened a proteome array comprised of 174 B. microti proteins, including several predicted members of the parasite secretome. Using this immuno-proteomic approach we identified several novel antigens that trigger strong host immune responses during the onset of infection. The genomic and immunological data presented herein provide the first insights into the determinants of B. microti interaction with its mammalian hosts and their relevance for understanding the selective pressures acting on parasite evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana C. Silva
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201 USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Emmanuel Cornillot
- Institut de Biologie Computationnelle, IBC, Université de Montpellier, 860 rue St Priest, Bat 5 - CC05019, 34095 Montpellier, Cedex 5, France
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier, IRCM - INSERM U896 & Université de Montpellier & ICM, Institut régional du Cancer Montpellier, Campus Val d’Aurelle, 34298 Montpellier, Cedex 5 France
| | - Carrie McCracken
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Sahar Usmani-Brown
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, 15 York St., New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06520 USA
- Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, 60 College St., New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06520 USA
| | - Ankit Dwivedi
- Institut de Biologie Computationnelle, IBC, Université de Montpellier, 860 rue St Priest, Bat 5 - CC05019, 34095 Montpellier, Cedex 5, France
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier, IRCM - INSERM U896 & Université de Montpellier & ICM, Institut régional du Cancer Montpellier, Campus Val d’Aurelle, 34298 Montpellier, Cedex 5 France
| | - Olukemi O. Ifeonu
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Jonathan Crabtree
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Hanzel T. Gotia
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Azan Z. Virji
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, 15 York St., New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06520 USA
| | - Christelle Reynes
- Institut de Genomique Fonctionnelle, IGF - CNRS UMR 5203, 141 rue de la cardonille, 34094 Montpellier, Cedex 05, France
| | - Jacques Colinge
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier, IRCM - INSERM U896 & Université de Montpellier & ICM, Institut régional du Cancer Montpellier, Campus Val d’Aurelle, 34298 Montpellier, Cedex 5 France
| | - Vidya Kumar
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, 15 York St., New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06520 USA
| | - Lauren Lawres
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, 15 York St., New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06520 USA
| | | | | | - Chris Hung
- Antigen Discovery Inc., Irvine, CA, 92618 USA
| | - Jana Brancato
- Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, 60 College St., New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06520 USA
| | - Priti Kumari
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Joshua Orvis
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Kyle Tretina
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Marcus Chibucos
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201 USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Sandy Ott
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Lisa Sadzewicz
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Naomi Sengamalay
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Amol C. Shetty
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Qi Su
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Luke Tallon
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Claire M. Fraser
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Roger Frutos
- Université de Montpellier, IES, UMR 5214, 860 rue de St Priest, Bt5, 34095 Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR 17, Cirad-Ird, TA-A17/G, Campus International de Baillarguet, 34398 Montpellier, France
| | | | - Peter J. Krause
- Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, 60 College St., New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06520 USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, 15 York St., New Haven, Connecticut, CT 06520 USA
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Cornillot E, Dassouli A, Pachikara N, Lawres L, Renard I, Francois C, Randazzo S, Brès V, Garg A, Brancato J, Pazzi JE, Pablo J, Hung C, Teng A, Shandling AD, Huynh VT, Krause PJ, Lepore T, Delbecq S, Hermanson G, Liang X, Williams S, Molina DM, Ben Mamoun C. A targeted immunomic approach identifies diagnostic antigens in the human pathogen Babesia microti. Transfusion 2016; 56:2085-99. [PMID: 27184823 PMCID: PMC5644385 DOI: 10.1111/trf.13640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Revised: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Babesia microti is a protozoan parasite responsible for the majority of reported cases of human babesiosis and a major risk to the blood supply. Laboratory screening of blood donors may help prevent transfusion-transmitted babesiosis but there is no Food and Drug Administration-approved screening method yet available. Development of a sensitive, specific, and highly automated B. microti antibody assay for diagnosis of acute babesiosis and blood screening could have an important impact on decreasing the health burden of B. microti infection. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Herein, we take advantage of recent advances in B. microti genomic analyses, field surveys of the reservoir host, and human studies in endemic areas to apply a targeted immunomic approach to the discovery of B. microti antigens that serve as signatures of active or past babesiosis infections. Of 19 glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein candidates (BmGPI1-19) identified in the B. microti proteome, 17 were successfully expressed, printed on a microarray chip, and used to screen sera from uninfected and B. microti-infected mice and humans to determine immune responses that are associated with active and past infection. RESULTS Antibody responses to various B. microti BmGPI antigens were detected and BmGPI12 was identified as the best biomarker of infection that provided high sensitivity and specificity when used in a microarray antibody assay. CONCLUSION BmGPI12 alone or in combination with other BmGPI proteins is a promising candidate biomarker for detection of B. microti antibodies that might be useful in blood screening to prevent transfusion-transmitted babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Cornillot
- Institut de Biologie Computationnelle (IBC), Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM-INSERM U1194), Institut régional du Cancer Montpellier (ICM) and Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Amina Dassouli
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire (LBCM-EA4558 Vaccination Antiparasitaire), UFR Pharmacie, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Niseema Pachikara
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Lauren Lawres
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Isaline Renard
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Celia Francois
- Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire (LBCM-EA4558 Vaccination Antiparasitaire), UFR Pharmacie, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Sylvie Randazzo
- Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire (LBCM-EA4558 Vaccination Antiparasitaire), UFR Pharmacie, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Virginie Brès
- Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire (LBCM-EA4558 Vaccination Antiparasitaire), UFR Pharmacie, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Aprajita Garg
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Janna Brancato
- Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | | | - Chris Hung
- Antigen Discovery, Inc., Irvine, California
| | - Andy Teng
- Antigen Discovery, Inc., Irvine, California
| | | | | | - Peter J. Krause
- Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Timothy Lepore
- Division of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Stephane Delbecq
- Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire (LBCM-EA4558 Vaccination Antiparasitaire), UFR Pharmacie, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | - Scott Williams
- Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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31
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Abstract
Babesiosis is caused by intraerythrocytic protozoan parasites that are transmitted by ticks, or less commonly through blood transfusion or transplacentally. Human babesiosis was first recognized in a splenectomized patient in Europe but most cases have been reported from the northeastern and upper midwestern United States in people with an intact spleen and no history of immune impairment. Cases are reported in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, and South America. Babesiosis shares many clinical features with malaria and can be fatal, particularly in the elderly and the immunocompromised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edouard G Vannier
- Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, 800 Washington Street Box #041, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, 15 York Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Peter J Krause
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, 15 York Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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32
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The PCR detection and phylogenetic characterization of Babesia microti in questing ticks in Mongolia. Parasitol Int 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2015.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Pedroni MJ, Vidadala RSR, Choi R, Keyloun KR, Reid MC, Murphy RC, Barrett LK, Van Voorhis WC, Maly DJ, Ojo KK, Lau AOT. Bumped kinase inhibitor prohibits egression in Babesia bovis. Vet Parasitol 2015; 215:22-8. [PMID: 26790733 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2015.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Revised: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Babesiosis is a global zoonotic disease acquired by the bite of a Babesia-infected Ixodes tick or through blood transfusion with clinical relevance affecting humans and animals. In this study, we evaluated a series of small molecule compounds that have previously been shown to target specific apicomplexan enzymes in Plasmodium, Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium. The compounds, bumped kinase inhibitors (BKIs), have strong therapeutic potential targeting apicomplexa-specific calcium dependent protein kinases (CDPKs). We investigated if BKIs also show inhibitory activities against piroplasms such as Babesia. Using a subset of BKIs that have promising inhibitory activities to Plasmodium and Toxoplasma, we determined that their actions ranged from 100% and no inhibition against Babesia bovis blood stages. One specific BKI, RM-1-152, showed complete inhibition against B. bovis within 48h and was the only BKI that showed noticeable phenotypic changes to the parasites. Focusing our study on this BKI, we further demonstrated that RM-1-152 has Babesia-static activity and involves the prohibition of merozoite egress while replication and re-invasion of host cells are unaffected. The distinct, abnormal phenotype induced by RM-1-152 suggests that this BKI can be used to investigate less studied cellular processes such as egression in piroplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica J Pedroni
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology & Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | | | - Ryan Choi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Center of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Katelyn R Keyloun
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Center of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pharmacy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Molly C Reid
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Center of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ryan C Murphy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lynn K Barrett
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Center of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Wesley C Van Voorhis
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Center of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Dustin J Maly
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kayode K Ojo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Center of Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Audrey O T Lau
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology & Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
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Rizzoli A, Silaghi C, Obiegala A, Rudolf I, Hubálek Z, Földvári G, Plantard O, Vayssier-Taussat M, Bonnet S, Spitalská E, Kazimírová M. Ixodes ricinus and Its Transmitted Pathogens in Urban and Peri-Urban Areas in Europe: New Hazards and Relevance for Public Health. Front Public Health 2014; 2:251. [PMID: 25520947 PMCID: PMC4248671 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2014.00251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 285] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases represent major public and animal health issues worldwide. Ixodes ricinus, primarily associated with deciduous and mixed forests, is the principal vector of causative agents of viral, bacterial, and protozoan zoonotic diseases in Europe. Recently, abundant tick populations have been observed in European urban green areas, which are of public health relevance due to the exposure of humans and domesticated animals to potentially infected ticks. In urban habitats, small and medium-sized mammals, birds, companion animals (dogs and cats), and larger mammals (roe deer and wild boar) play a role in maintenance of tick populations and as reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens. Presence of ticks infected with tick-borne encephalitis virus and high prevalence of ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., causing Lyme borreliosis, have been reported from urbanized areas in Europe. Emerging pathogens, including bacteria of the order Rickettsiales (Anaplasma phagocytophilum, "Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis," Rickettsia helvetica, and R. monacensis), Borrelia miyamotoi, and protozoans (Babesia divergens, B. venatorum, and B. microti) have also been detected in urban tick populations. Understanding the ecology of ticks and their associations with hosts in a European urbanized environment is crucial to quantify parameters necessary for risk pre-assessment and identification of public health strategies for control and prevention of tick-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annapaola Rizzoli
- Fondazione Edmund Mach, Research and Innovation Centre, San Michele all'Adige , Trento , Italy
| | - Cornelia Silaghi
- Comparative Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität , Munich , Germany ; Vetsuisse-Faculty, Swiss National Centre for Vector Entomology, Institute for Parasitology, University of Zurich , Zürich , Switzerland
| | - Anna Obiegala
- Comparative Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität , Munich , Germany ; Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig , Leipzig , Germany
| | - Ivo Rudolf
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i. , Brno , Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Hubálek
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i. , Brno , Czech Republic
| | - Gábor Földvári
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University , Budapest , Hungary
| | - Olivier Plantard
- INRA, UMR1300 BioEpAR , Nantes , France ; LUNAM Université, Oniris, Ecole nationale vétérinaire, agroalimentaire et de l'alimentation Nantes-Atlantique, UMR BioEpAR , Nantes , France
| | - Muriel Vayssier-Taussat
- USC BIPAR, INRA, ANSES - French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety , Maisons-Alfort , France
| | - Sarah Bonnet
- USC BIPAR, INRA, ANSES - French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety , Maisons-Alfort , France
| | - Eva Spitalská
- Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences , Bratislava , Slovakia
| | - Mária Kazimírová
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences , Bratislava , Slovakia
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35
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Garg A, Stein A, Zhao W, Dwivedi A, Frutos R, Cornillot E, Mamoun CB. Sequence and annotation of the apicoplast genome of the human pathogen Babesia microti. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107939. [PMID: 25280009 PMCID: PMC4184790 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The apicomplexan intraerythrocytic parasite Babesia microti is an emerging human pathogen and the primary cause of human babesiosis, a malaria-like illness endemic in the United States. The pathogen is transmitted to humans by the tick vector, Ixodes scapularis, and by transfusion of blood from asymptomatic B. microti-infected donors. Whereas the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes of this parasite have been sequenced, assembled and annotated, its apicoplast genome remained incomplete, mainly due to its low representation and high A+T content. Here we report the complete sequence and annotation of the apicoplast genome of the B. microti R1 isolate. The genome consists of a 28.7 kb circular molecule encoding primarily functions important for maintenance of the apicoplast DNA, transcription, translation and maturation of organellar proteins. Genome analysis and annotation revealed a unique gene structure and organization of the B. microti apicoplast genome and suggest that all metabolic and non-housekeeping functions in this organelle are nuclear-encoded. B. microti apicoplast functions are significantly different from those of the host, suggesting that they might be useful as targets for development of potent and safe therapies for the treatment of human babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aprajita Garg
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Anna Stein
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - William Zhao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Ankit Dwivedi
- Centre d'étude d'agents Pathogènes et Biotechnologies pour la Santé - UMR 5236, Institut de Biologie Computationnelle, Montpellier, France
| | - Roger Frutos
- Centre d'étude d'agents Pathogènes et Biotechnologies pour la Santé - UMR 5236, Institut de Biologie Computationnelle, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR 17, Cirad-Ird, TA-A17/G, Campus International de Baillarguet, Montpellier, France
| | - Emmanuel Cornillot
- Centre d'étude d'agents Pathogènes et Biotechnologies pour la Santé - UMR 5236, Institut de Biologie Computationnelle, Montpellier, France
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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36
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Rizzoli A, Silaghi C, Obiegala A, Rudolf I, Hubálek Z, Földvári G, Plantard O, Vayssier-Taussat M, Bonnet S, Spitalská E, Kazimírová M. Ixodes ricinus and Its Transmitted Pathogens in Urban and Peri-Urban Areas in Europe: New Hazards and Relevance for Public Health. Front Public Health 2014. [PMID: 25520947 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2014.00251.pmid:25520947;pmcid:pmc4248671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases represent major public and animal health issues worldwide. Ixodes ricinus, primarily associated with deciduous and mixed forests, is the principal vector of causative agents of viral, bacterial, and protozoan zoonotic diseases in Europe. Recently, abundant tick populations have been observed in European urban green areas, which are of public health relevance due to the exposure of humans and domesticated animals to potentially infected ticks. In urban habitats, small and medium-sized mammals, birds, companion animals (dogs and cats), and larger mammals (roe deer and wild boar) play a role in maintenance of tick populations and as reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens. Presence of ticks infected with tick-borne encephalitis virus and high prevalence of ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., causing Lyme borreliosis, have been reported from urbanized areas in Europe. Emerging pathogens, including bacteria of the order Rickettsiales (Anaplasma phagocytophilum, "Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis," Rickettsia helvetica, and R. monacensis), Borrelia miyamotoi, and protozoans (Babesia divergens, B. venatorum, and B. microti) have also been detected in urban tick populations. Understanding the ecology of ticks and their associations with hosts in a European urbanized environment is crucial to quantify parameters necessary for risk pre-assessment and identification of public health strategies for control and prevention of tick-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annapaola Rizzoli
- Fondazione Edmund Mach, Research and Innovation Centre, San Michele all'Adige , Trento , Italy
| | - Cornelia Silaghi
- Comparative Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität , Munich , Germany ; Vetsuisse-Faculty, Swiss National Centre for Vector Entomology, Institute for Parasitology, University of Zurich , Zürich , Switzerland
| | - Anna Obiegala
- Comparative Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität , Munich , Germany ; Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, University of Leipzig , Leipzig , Germany
| | - Ivo Rudolf
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i. , Brno , Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Hubálek
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i. , Brno , Czech Republic
| | - Gábor Földvári
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University , Budapest , Hungary
| | - Olivier Plantard
- INRA, UMR1300 BioEpAR , Nantes , France ; LUNAM Université, Oniris, Ecole nationale vétérinaire, agroalimentaire et de l'alimentation Nantes-Atlantique, UMR BioEpAR , Nantes , France
| | - Muriel Vayssier-Taussat
- USC BIPAR, INRA, ANSES - French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety , Maisons-Alfort , France
| | - Sarah Bonnet
- USC BIPAR, INRA, ANSES - French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety , Maisons-Alfort , France
| | - Eva Spitalská
- Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences , Bratislava , Slovakia
| | - Mária Kazimírová
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences , Bratislava , Slovakia
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