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Nourani L, Mehrizi AA, Pirahmadi S, Pourhashem Z, Asadollahi E, Jahangiri B. CRISPR/Cas advancements for genome editing, diagnosis, therapeutics, and vaccine development for Plasmodium parasites, and genetic engineering of Anopheles mosquito vector. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2023; 109:105419. [PMID: 36842543 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2023]
Abstract
Malaria as vector-borne disease remains important health concern with over 200 million cases globally. Novel antimalarial medicines and more effective vaccines must be developed to eliminate and eradicate malaria. Appraisal of preceding genome editing approaches confirmed the CRISPR/Cas nuclease system as a novel proficient genome editing system and a tool for species-specific diagnosis, and drug resistance researches for Plasmodium species, and gene drive to control Anopheles population. CRISPR/Cas technology, as a handy tool for genome editing can be justified for the production of transgenic malaria parasites like Plasmodium transgenic lines expressing Cas9, chimeric Plasmodium transgenic lines, knockdown and knockout transgenic parasites, and transgenic parasites expressing alternative alleles, and also mutant strains of Anopheles such as only male mosquito populations, generation of wingless mosquitoes, and creation of knock-out/ knock-in mutants. Though, the incorporation of traditional methods and novel molecular techniques could noticeably enhance the quality of results. The striking development of a CRISPR/Cas-based diagnostic kit that can specifically diagnose the Plasmodium species or drug resistance markers is highly required in malaria settings with affordable cost and high-speed detection. Furthermore, the advancement of genome modifications by CRISPR/Cas technologies resolves contemporary restrictions to culturing, maintaining, and analyzing these parasites, and the aptitude to investigate parasite genome functions opens up new vistas in the better understanding of pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Nourani
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Akram Abouie Mehrizi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Sakineh Pirahmadi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zeinab Pourhashem
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elahe Asadollahi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Babak Jahangiri
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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Baker DA, Stewart LB, Large JM, Bowyer PW, Ansell KH, Jiménez-Díaz MB, El Bakkouri M, Birchall K, Dechering KJ, Bouloc NS, Coombs PJ, Whalley D, Harding DJ, Smiljanic-Hurley E, Wheldon MC, Walker EM, Dessens JT, Lafuente MJ, Sanz LM, Gamo FJ, Ferrer SB, Hui R, Bousema T, Angulo-Barturén I, Merritt AT, Croft SL, Gutteridge WE, Kettleborough CA, Osborne SA. A potent series targeting the malarial cGMP-dependent protein kinase clears infection and blocks transmission. Nat Commun 2017; 8:430. [PMID: 28874661 PMCID: PMC5585294 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00572-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
To combat drug resistance, new chemical entities are urgently required for use in next generation anti-malarial combinations. We report here the results of a medicinal chemistry programme focused on an imidazopyridine series targeting the Plasmodium falciparum cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase (PfPKG). The most potent compound (ML10) has an IC50 of 160 pM in a PfPKG kinase assay and inhibits P. falciparum blood stage proliferation in vitro with an EC50 of 2.1 nM. Oral dosing renders blood stage parasitaemia undetectable in vivo using a P. falciparum SCID mouse model. The series targets both merozoite egress and erythrocyte invasion, but crucially, also blocks transmission of mature P. falciparum gametocytes to Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. A co-crystal structure of PvPKG bound to ML10, reveals intimate molecular contacts that explain the high levels of potency and selectivity we have measured. The properties of this series warrant consideration for further development to produce an antimalarial drug.Protein kinases are promising drug targets for treatment of malaria. Here, starting with a medicinal chemistry approach, Baker et al. generate an imidazopyridine that selectively targets Plasmodium falciparum PKG, inhibits blood stage parasite growth in vitro and in mice and blocks transmission to mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Baker
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
| | - Lindsay B Stewart
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Jonathan M Large
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, SG1 2FX, UK
| | - Paul W Bowyer
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Keith H Ansell
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, SG1 2FX, UK
| | - María B Jiménez-Díaz
- Tres Cantos Medicines Development Campus-Diseases of the Developing World, GlaxoSmithKline, Tres Cantos,, 28760, Madrid, Spain
| | - Majida El Bakkouri
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, MaRS South Tower, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5G 1L7
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, 610 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5G 2M9
| | - Kristian Birchall
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, SG1 2FX, UK
| | - Koen J Dechering
- TropIQ Health Sciences, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nathalie S Bouloc
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, SG1 2FX, UK
| | - Peter J Coombs
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, SG1 2FX, UK
| | - David Whalley
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, SG1 2FX, UK
| | - Denise J Harding
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, SG1 2FX, UK
| | | | - Mary C Wheldon
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, SG1 2FX, UK
| | - Eloise M Walker
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Johannes T Dessens
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - María José Lafuente
- Tres Cantos Medicines Development Campus-Diseases of the Developing World, GlaxoSmithKline, Tres Cantos,, 28760, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura M Sanz
- Tres Cantos Medicines Development Campus-Diseases of the Developing World, GlaxoSmithKline, Tres Cantos,, 28760, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco-Javier Gamo
- Tres Cantos Medicines Development Campus-Diseases of the Developing World, GlaxoSmithKline, Tres Cantos,, 28760, Madrid, Spain
| | - Santiago B Ferrer
- Tres Cantos Medicines Development Campus-Diseases of the Developing World, GlaxoSmithKline, Tres Cantos,, 28760, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raymond Hui
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, MaRS South Tower, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5G 1L7
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, 610 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5G 2M9
| | - Teun Bousema
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 HP, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Iñigo Angulo-Barturén
- Tres Cantos Medicines Development Campus-Diseases of the Developing World, GlaxoSmithKline, Tres Cantos,, 28760, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andy T Merritt
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, SG1 2FX, UK
| | - Simon L Croft
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Winston E Gutteridge
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | | | - Simon A Osborne
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, SG1 2FX, UK
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Othman AS, Marin-Mogollon C, Salman AM, Franke-Fayard BM, Janse CJ, Khan SM. The use of transgenic parasites in malaria vaccine research. Expert Rev Vaccines 2017; 16:1-13. [DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2017.1333426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Syibli Othman
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Catherin Marin-Mogollon
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Blandine M. Franke-Fayard
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Chris J. Janse
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Shahid M. Khan
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
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Salman AM, Mogollon CM, Lin JW, van Pul FJA, Janse CJ, Khan SM. Generation of Transgenic Rodent Malaria Parasites Expressing Human Malaria Parasite Proteins. Methods Mol Biol 2015; 1325:257-286. [PMID: 26450395 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2815-6_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We describe methods for the rapid generation of transgenic rodent Plasmodium berghei (Pb) parasites that express human malaria parasite (HMP) proteins, using the recently developed GIMO-based transfection methodology. Three different genetic modifications are described resulting in three types of transgenic parasites. (1) Additional Gene (AG) mutants. In these mutants the HMP gene is introduced as an "additional gene" into a silent/neutral locus of the Pb genome under the control of either a constitutive or stage-specific Pb promoter. This method uses the GIMO-transfection protocol and AG mutants are generated by replacing the positive-negative selection marker (SM) hdhfr::yfcu cassette in a neutral locus of a standard GIMO mother line with the HMP gene expression cassette, resulting in SM free transgenic parasites. (2) Double-step Replacement (DsR) mutants. In these mutants the coding sequence (CDS) of the Pb gene is replaced with the CDS of the HMP ortholog in a two-step GIMO-transfection procedure. This process involves first the replacement of the Pb CDS with the hdhfr::yfcu SM, followed by insertion of the HMP ortholog at the same locus thereby replacing hdhfr::yfcu with the HMP CDS. These steps use the GIMO-transfection protocol, which exploits both positive selection for Pb orthologous gene-deletion and negative selection for HMP gene-insertion, resulting in SM free transgenic parasites. (3) Double-step Insertion (DsI) mutants. When a Pb gene is essential for blood stage development the DsR strategy is not possible. In these mutants the HMP expression cassette is first introduced into the neutral locus in a standard GIMO mother line as described for AG mutants but under the control elements of the Pb orthologous gene; subsequently, the Pb ortholog CDS is targeted for deletion through replacement of the Pb CDS with the hdhfr::yfcu SM, resulting in transgenic parasites with a new GIMO locus permissive for additional gene-insertion modifications.The different types of transgenic parasites can be exploited to examine interactions of drugs/inhibitors or immune factors with HMP molecules in vivo. Mice either immunized with HMP-vaccines or treated with specific drugs can be infected/challenged with these transgenic mutants to evaluate drug or vaccine efficacy in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed M Salman
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, LUMC, Leiden, The Netherlands
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Jing-Wen Lin
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, LUMC, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Division of Parasitology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London, UK
| | - Fiona J A van Pul
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, LUMC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Chris J Janse
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, LUMC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Shahid M Khan
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, LUMC, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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