1
|
Genné D, Jiricka W, Sarr A, Voordouw MJ. Tick-to-host transmission differs between Borrelia afzelii strains. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0167523. [PMID: 37676027 PMCID: PMC10580945 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01675-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Many vector-borne pathogens establish multiple-strain infections in the vertebrate host and the arthropod vector. Multiple-strain infections in the host influence strain acquisition by naive vectors. Whether multiple-strain infections in the vector influence strain-specific transmission to naive hosts remains unknown. The spirochete, Borrelia afzelii, causes Lyme borreliosis and multiple-strain infections are common in both the tick vector and vertebrate host. Our study used two B. afzelii strains: Fin-Jyv-A3 and NE4049. Donor mice were infected with Fin-Jyv-A3 alone, NE4049 alone, or with both strains. Larval ticks fed on donor mice and molted into nymphal ticks infected with either strain or both strains. These nymphs were fed on test mice to determine whether multiple-strain infections in the nymph influence nymph-to-host transmission (NHT). Multiple-strain infection in the donor mice reduced the acquisition of both strains by ticks by 23%. Thus, a substantial fraction of infected nymphs from the multiple strain treatment were infected with the "wrong" competitor strain rather than the "right" focal strain. As a result, nymphs from the multiple strain treatment were 46% less likely to infect the test mice with the focal strain compared to nymphs from the single strain treatment. However, multiple-strain infection in the nymphal tick had no effect on the NHT of either strain. The nymphal spirochete load of Fin-Jyv-A3 was 1.9 times higher compared to NE4049. NHT of Fin-Jyv-A3 (79%) was 1.5 times higher compared to NE4049 (53%). Our study suggests that B. afzelii strains with higher nymphal spirochete loads have higher NHT. IMPORTANCE For many vector-borne pathogens, multiple-strain infections in the vertebrate host or arthropod vector are common. Multiple-strain infections in the host reduce strain acquisition by feeding vectors. Whether multiple-strain infections in the vector influence strain transmission to the host remains unknown. In our study, we used two strains of the tick-borne spirochete Borrelia afzelii, which causes Lyme borreliosis, to investigate whether multiple-strain infections in the nymphal tick influenced nymph-to-host transmission (NHT) of strains. Multiple-strain infections in mice reduced the acquisition of both B. afzelii strains by nymphal ticks. As a result, nymphs from the multiple strain treatment were less likely to infect naive test mice with the focal strain. Multiple-strain infection in the nymphal ticks did not influence the NHT of either strain. The strain with the higher bacterial abundance in the nymph had higher NHT. Our study suggests that pathogen abundance in the arthropod vector is important for vector-to-host transmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dolores Genné
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Whitney Jiricka
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Anouk Sarr
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Maarten J. Voordouw
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Habtamu K, Petros B, Yan G. Plasmodium vivax: the potential obstacles it presents to malaria elimination and eradication. Trop Dis Travel Med Vaccines 2022; 8:27. [PMID: 36522671 PMCID: PMC9753897 DOI: 10.1186/s40794-022-00185-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Initiatives to eradicate malaria have a good impact on P. falciparum malaria worldwide. P. vivax, however, still presents significant difficulties. This is due to its unique biological traits, which, in comparison to P. falciparum, pose serious challenges for malaria elimination approaches. P. vivax's numerous distinctive characteristics and its ability to live for weeks to years in liver cells in its hypnozoite form, which may elude the human immune system and blood-stage therapy and offer protection during mosquito-free seasons. Many malaria patients are not fully treated because of contraindications to primaquine use in pregnant and nursing women and are still vulnerable to P. vivax relapses, although there are medications that could radical cure P. vivax. Additionally, due to CYP2D6's highly variable genetic polymorphism, the pharmacokinetics of primaquine may be impacted. Due to their inability to metabolize PQ, some CYP2D6 polymorphism alleles can cause patients to not respond to treatment. Tafenoquine offers a radical treatment in a single dose that overcomes the potentially serious problem of poor adherence to daily primaquine. Despite this benefit, hemolysis of the early erythrocytes continues in individuals with G6PD deficiency until all susceptible cells have been eliminated. Field techniques such as microscopy or rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) miss the large number of submicroscopic and/or asymptomatic infections brought on by reticulocyte tropism and the low parasitemia levels that accompany it. Moreover, P. vivax gametocytes grow more quickly and are much more prevalent in the bloodstream. P. vivax populations also have a great deal of genetic variation throughout their genome, which ensures evolutionary fitness and boosts adaptation potential. Furthermore, P. vivax fully develops in the mosquito faster than P. falciparum. These characteristics contribute to parasite reservoirs in the human population and facilitate faster transmission. Overall, no genuine chance of eradication is predicted in the next few years unless new tools for lowering malaria transmission are developed (i.e., malaria elimination and eradication). The challenging characteristics of P. vivax that impede the elimination and eradication of malaria are thus discussed in this article.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kassahun Habtamu
- Department of Microbial, Cellular & Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Menelik II Medical & Health Science College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Beyene Petros
- Department of Microbial, Cellular & Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Guiyun Yan
- Program in Public Health, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Arias CF, Acosta FJ, Fernandez-Arias C. Killing the competition: a theoretical framework for liver-stage malaria. Open Biol 2022; 12:210341. [PMID: 35350863 PMCID: PMC8965401 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.210341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The first stage of malaria infections takes place inside the host's hepatocytes. Remarkably, Plasmodium parasites do not infect hepatocytes immediately after reaching the liver. Instead, they migrate through several hepatocytes before infecting their definitive host cells, thus increasing their chances of immune destruction. Considering that malaria can proceed normally without cell traversal, this is indeed a puzzling behaviour. In fact, the role of hepatocyte traversal remains unknown to date, implying that the current understanding of malaria is incomplete. In this work, we hypothesize that the parasites traverse hepatocytes to actively trigger an immune response in the host. This behaviour would be part of a strategy of superinfection exclusion aimed to reduce intraspecific competition during the blood stage of the infection. Based on this hypothesis, we formulate a comprehensive theory of liver-stage malaria that integrates all the available knowledge about the infection. The interest of this new paradigm is not merely theoretical. It highlights major issues in the current empirical approach to the study of Plasmodium and suggests new strategies to fight malaria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clemente F. Arias
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain,Grupo Interdisciplinar de Sistemas Complejos de Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Cristina Fernandez-Arias
- Departamento de Inmunología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain,Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Venter F, Matthews KR, Silvester E. Parasite co-infection: an ecological, molecular and experimental perspective. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212155. [PMID: 35042410 PMCID: PMC8767208 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Laboratory studies of pathogens aim to limit complexity in order to disentangle the important parameters contributing to an infection. However, pathogens rarely exist in isolation, and hosts may sustain co-infections with multiple disease agents. These interact with each other and with the host immune system dynamically, with disease outcomes affected by the composition of the community of infecting pathogens, their order of colonization, competition for niches and nutrients, and immune modulation. While pathogen-immune interactions have been detailed elsewhere, here we examine the use of ecological and experimental studies of trypanosome and malaria infections to discuss the interactions between pathogens in mammal hosts and arthropod vectors, including recently developed laboratory models for co-infection. The implications of pathogen co-infection for disease therapy are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frank Venter
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, Ashworth Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Scotland EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Keith R Matthews
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, Ashworth Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Scotland EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Eleanor Silvester
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, Ashworth Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Scotland EH9 3FL, UK.,Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, The Keith Peters Building, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Strauss M, Lo Presti MS, Ramírez JC, Bazán PC, Velázquez López DA, Báez AL, Paglini PA, Schijman AG, Rivarola HW. Differential tissue distribution of discrete typing units after drug combination therapy in experimental Trypanosoma cruzi mixed infection. Parasitology 2021; 148:1595-1601. [PMID: 35060468 PMCID: PMC11010057 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182021001281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present work was to evaluate the distribution of the different clones of the parasite prevailing after treatment with benznidazole (BZ) and clomipramine (CLO), in mice infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, Casibla isolate which consists of a mixture of two discrete typing units (DTUs). Albino Swiss mice were infected and treated with high and low concentrations of BZ (100 or 6.25 mg/kg), CLO (5 or 1.25 mg/kg), or the combination of both low doses (BZ6.25 + CLO1.25), during the acute phase of experimental infection. Treatment efficacy was evaluated by comparing parasitaemia, survival and tissular parasite presence. For DTUs genotyping, blood, skeletal and cardiac muscle samples were analysed by multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The combined treatment had similar outcomes to BZ6.25; BZ100 was the most effective treatment, but it failed to reach parasite clearance and produced greater histological alterations. Non-treated mice and the ones treated with monotherapies showed both DTUs while BZ6.25 + CLO1.25 treated mice showed only TcVI parasites in all the tissues studied. These findings suggest that the treatment may modify the distribution of infecting DTUs in host tissues. Coinfection with T. cruzi clones belonging to different DTUs reveals a complex scenario for the treatment of Chagas disease and search for new therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Strauss
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA) UNC-CONICET, Centro de Estudios e Investigación de la Enfermedad de Chagas y Leishmaniasis, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Santa Rosa 1085, X5000ESU-Córdoba, Argentina
| | - M. Silvina Lo Presti
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA) UNC-CONICET, Centro de Estudios e Investigación de la Enfermedad de Chagas y Leishmaniasis, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Santa Rosa 1085, X5000ESU-Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Juan C. Ramírez
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas (LaBMECh), Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular “Dr. Héctor N. Torres” (INGEBI-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - P. Carolina Bazán
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA) UNC-CONICET, Centro de Estudios e Investigación de la Enfermedad de Chagas y Leishmaniasis, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Santa Rosa 1085, X5000ESU-Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Daniela A. Velázquez López
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA) UNC-CONICET, Centro de Estudios e Investigación de la Enfermedad de Chagas y Leishmaniasis, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Santa Rosa 1085, X5000ESU-Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Alejandra L. Báez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA) UNC-CONICET, Centro de Estudios e Investigación de la Enfermedad de Chagas y Leishmaniasis, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Santa Rosa 1085, X5000ESU-Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Patricia A. Paglini
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA) UNC-CONICET, Centro de Estudios e Investigación de la Enfermedad de Chagas y Leishmaniasis, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Santa Rosa 1085, X5000ESU-Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Alejandro G. Schijman
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular de la Enfermedad de Chagas (LaBMECh), Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular “Dr. Héctor N. Torres” (INGEBI-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Héctor W. Rivarola
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA) UNC-CONICET, Centro de Estudios e Investigación de la Enfermedad de Chagas y Leishmaniasis, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Santa Rosa 1085, X5000ESU-Córdoba, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ramaprasad A, Klaus S, Douvropoulou O, Culleton R, Pain A. Plasmodium vinckei genomes provide insights into the pan-genome and evolution of rodent malaria parasites. BMC Biol 2021; 19:69. [PMID: 33888092 PMCID: PMC8063448 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-00995-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Rodent malaria parasites (RMPs) serve as tractable tools to study malaria parasite biology and host-parasite-vector interactions. Among the four RMPs originally collected from wild thicket rats in sub-Saharan Central Africa and adapted to laboratory mice, Plasmodium vinckei is the most geographically widespread with isolates collected from five separate locations. However, there is a lack of extensive phenotype and genotype data associated with this species, thus hindering its use in experimental studies. Results We have generated a comprehensive genetic resource for P. vinckei comprising of five reference-quality genomes, one for each of its subspecies, blood-stage RNA sequencing data for five P. vinckei isolates, and genotypes and growth phenotypes for ten isolates. Additionally, we sequenced seven isolates of the RMP species Plasmodium chabaudi and Plasmodium yoelii, thus extending genotypic information for four additional subspecies enabling a re-evaluation of the genotypic diversity and evolutionary history of RMPs. The five subspecies of P. vinckei have diverged widely from their common ancestor and have undergone large-scale genome rearrangements. Comparing P. vinckei genotypes reveals region-specific selection pressures particularly on genes involved in mosquito transmission. Using phylogenetic analyses, we show that RMP multigene families have evolved differently across the vinckei and berghei groups of RMPs and that family-specific expansions in P. chabaudi and P. vinckei occurred in the common vinckei group ancestor prior to speciation. The erythrocyte membrane antigen 1 and fam-c families in particular show considerable expansions among the lowland forest-dwelling P. vinckei parasites. The subspecies from the highland forests of Katanga, P. v. vinckei, has a uniquely smaller genome, a reduced multigene family repertoire and is also amenable to transfection making it an ideal parasite for reverse genetics. We also show that P. vinckei parasites are amenable to genetic crosses. Conclusions Plasmodium vinckei isolates display a large degree of phenotypic and genotypic diversity and could serve as a resource to study parasite virulence and immunogenicity. Inclusion of P. vinckei genomes provide new insights into the evolution of RMPs and their multigene families. Amenability to genetic crossing and transfection make them also suitable for classical and functional genetics to study Plasmodium biology. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-00995-5.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abhinay Ramaprasad
- Pathogen Genomics Group, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.,Malaria Unit, Department of Pathology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan.,Present address: Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Severina Klaus
- Malaria Unit, Department of Pathology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan.,Biomedical Sciences, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Olga Douvropoulou
- Pathogen Genomics Group, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Richard Culleton
- Malaria Unit, Department of Pathology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan. .,Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, 454 Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan. .,Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan.
| | - Arnab Pain
- Pathogen Genomics Group, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. .,Center for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, N20 W10 Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Intrinsic multiplication rate variation and plasticity of human blood stage malaria parasites. Commun Biol 2020; 3:624. [PMID: 33116247 PMCID: PMC7595149 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01349-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogen multiplication rate is theoretically an important determinant of virulence, although often poorly understood and difficult to measure accurately. We show intrinsic asexual blood stage multiplication rate variation of the major human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum to be associated with blood-stage infection intensity in patients. A panel of clinical isolates from a highly endemic West African population was analysed repeatedly during five months of continuous laboratory culture, showing a range of exponential multiplication rates at all timepoints tested, mean rates increasing over time. All isolates had different genome sequences, many containing within-isolate diversity that decreased over time in culture, but increases in multiplication rates were not primarily attributable to genomic selection. New mutants, including premature stop codons emerging in a few isolates, did not attain sufficiently high frequencies to substantially affect overall multiplication rates. Significantly, multiplication rate variation among the isolates at each of the assayed culture timepoints robustly correlated with parasite levels seen in patients at clinical presentation, indicating innate parasite control of multiplication rate that contributes to virulence. Lindsay Stewart et al. analyze clinical isolates of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum from a highly endemic West African population and show that intrinsic multiplication rate variation is associated with blood-stage infection intensity. Their results indicate that parasite control of multiplication contributes to virulence.
Collapse
|
8
|
Upmanyu K, Matlani M, Yadav P, Rathi U, Mallick PK, Singh R. Allelic variation of msp-3α gene in Plasmodium vivax isolates and its correlation with the severity of disease in vivax malaria. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2020; 85:104530. [PMID: 32896637 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is a global socio-economic burden of which Plasmodium vivax contributes for about 70-80 million cases on an annual basis worldwide and 60-65% cases in India. Diversity observed in highly polymorphic Merozoite Surface Protein-3α (msp-3α) encoded by MSP-3 gene family, has been used efficiently for genotyping of P. vivax infection. This study aims to correlate the severity of clinical symptoms with parasite load, genotype of P. vivax and multiplicity of infection. Based on clinical symptoms classification, 31 (67.9%) out of 46 cases were found to be severe while 15 (32.6%) were non-severe and correlation of the severity of vivax infection with parasite load was not observed. Analysis of msp3-α allele genotype showed that out of 31 severe cases, 19 (61.2%) were single-clone infection cases whereas 12 (38.7%) were multi-clone infections. Similarly, out of 15 non-severe cases, 9 (60%) were single clone and 6 (40%) were multi-clone infections indicating the absence of a correlation between the multiplicity of infection and disease severity. Allele frequency observed was 65.9%, 23.4%, 23.4%, and 28.2% for allele A, B, C and D, respectively. An important finding was the greater distribution of allele D than alleles B and C, which has been reported as a rare allele otherwise. Further, of 13 cases with allele D, 76.9% (10/13) cases were severe. This study showed the absence of a correlation between the severity of clinical symptoms with parasite load and multiplicity of infection but at the same time drives a possibility of severe vivax malarial symptoms to have an association with the persistence of allele D in the population. This upon exploration can lead to the development of a target in detection of severe cases of malaria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kirti Upmanyu
- ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Monika Matlani
- Department of Microbiology, VMMC, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Priya Yadav
- ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Utkarsh Rathi
- Department of Microbiology, VMMC, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Ruchi Singh
- ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi, India.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Björkman A, Morris U. Why Asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum Infections Are Common in Low-Transmission Settings. Trends Parasitol 2020; 36:898-905. [PMID: 32855077 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum infections in low-transmission settings are often asymptomatic with low parasite densities despite low herd immunity. Based on studies in Zanzibar, this may be due to parasitic (nonvirulence) rather than host (immunity) factors. In high-transmission settings, high replication rate and virulence represents a competitive advantage, whereas in low-transmission settings nonvirulent parasites escape both competition and treatment. Such parasites also survive longer in low-transmission settings due to lower host immunity response and less frequent indirect drug exposure. This has major implications for optimal malaria control and elimination strategies.
Collapse
|
10
|
Tang J, Templeton TJ, Cao J, Culleton R. The Consequences of Mixed-Species Malaria Parasite Co-Infections in Mice and Mosquitoes for Disease Severity, Parasite Fitness, and Transmission Success. Front Immunol 2020; 10:3072. [PMID: 32038623 PMCID: PMC6987389 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.03072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The distributions of human malaria parasite species overlap in most malarious regions of the world, and co-infections involving two or more malaria parasite species are common. Little is known about the consequences of interactions between species during co-infection for disease severity and parasite transmission success. Anti-malarial interventions can have disproportionate effects on malaria parasite species and may locally differentially reduce the number of species in circulation. Thus, it is important to have a clearer understanding of how the interactions between species affect disease and transmission dynamics. Controlled competition experiments using human malaria parasites are impossible, and thus we assessed the consequences of mixed-species infections on parasite fitness, disease severity, and transmission success using the rodent malaria parasite species Plasmodium chabaudi, Plasmodium yoelii, and Plasmodium vinckei. We compared the fitness of individual species within single species and co-infections in mice. We also assessed the disease severity of single vs. mixed infections in mice by measuring mortality rates, anemia, and weight loss. Finally, we compared the transmission success of parasites in single or mixed species infections by quantifying oocyst development in Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. We found that co-infections of P. yoelii with either P. vinckei or P. chabaudi led to a dramatic increase in infection virulence, with 100% mortality observed in mixed species infections, compared to no mortality for P. yoelii and P. vinckei single infections, and 40% mortality for P. chabaudi single infections. The increased mortality in the mixed infections was associated with an inability to clear parasitaemia, with the non-P. yoelii parasite species persisting at higher parasite densities than in single infections. P. yoelii growth was suppressed in all mixed infections compared to single infections. Transmissibility of P. vinckei and P. chabaudi to mosquitoes was also reduced in the presence of P. yoelii in co-infections compared to single infections. The increased virulence of co-infections containing P. yoelii (reticulocyte restricted) and P. chabaudi or P. vinckei (predominantly normocyte restricted) may be due to parasite cell tropism and/or immune modulation of the host. We explain the reduction in transmission success of species in co-infections in terms of inter-species gamete incompatibility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianxia Tang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China.,Malaria Unit, Department of Pathology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Thomas J Templeton
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Jun Cao
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Richard Culleton
- Malaria Unit, Department of Pathology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Genné D, Sarr A, Rais O, Voordouw MJ. Competition Between Strains of Borrelia afzelii in Immature Ixodes ricinus Ticks Is Not Affected by Season. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:431. [PMID: 31921706 PMCID: PMC6930885 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Vector-borne pathogens often consist of genetically distinct strains that can establish co-infections in the vertebrate host and the arthropod vector. Co-infections (or mixed infections) can result in competitive interactions between strains with important consequences for strain abundance and transmission. Here we used the spirochete bacterium, Borrelia afzelii, as a model system to investigate the interactions between strains inside its tick vector, Ixodes ricinus. Larvae were fed on mice infected with either one or two strains of B. afzelii. Engorged larvae were allowed to molt into nymphs that were subsequently exposed to three seasonal treatments (artificial summer, artificial winter, and natural winter), which differed in temperature and light conditions. We used strain-specific qPCRs to quantify the presence and abundance of each strain in the immature ticks. Co-infection in the mice reduced host-to-tick transmission to larval ticks and this effect was maintained in the resultant nymphs at 1 and 4 months after the larva-to-nymph molt. Competition between strains in co-infected ticks reduced the abundance of both strains. This inter-strain competition occurred in the three life stages that we investigated: engorged larvae, recently molted nymphs, and overwintered nymphs. The abundance of B. afzelii in the nymphs declined by 40.5% over a period of 3 months, but this phenomenon was not influenced by the seasonal treatment. Future studies should investigate whether inter-strain competition in the tick influences the subsequent strain-specific transmission success from the tick to the vertebrate host.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dolores Genné
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Anouk Sarr
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Rais
- Laboratory of Ecology and Epidemiology of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Maarten J Voordouw
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.,Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Tirrell AR, Vendrely KM, Checkley LA, Davis SZ, McDew-White M, Cheeseman IH, Vaughan AM, Nosten FH, Anderson TJC, Ferdig MT. Pairwise growth competitions identify relative fitness relationships among artemisinin resistant Plasmodium falciparum field isolates. Malar J 2019; 18:295. [PMID: 31462253 PMCID: PMC6714446 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-019-2934-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Competitive outcomes between co-infecting malaria parasite lines can reveal fitness disparities in blood stage growth. Blood stage fitness costs often accompany the evolution of drug resistance, with the expectation that relatively fitter parasites will be more likely to spread in populations. With the recent emergence of artemisinin resistance, it is important to understand the relative competitive fitness of the metabolically active asexual blood stage parasites. Genetically distinct drug resistant parasite clones with independently evolved sets of mutations are likely to vary in asexual proliferation rate, contributing to their chance of transmission to the mosquito vector. Methods An optimized in vitro 96-well plate-based protocol was used to quantitatively measure-head-to-head competitive fitness during blood stage development between seven genetically distinct field isolates from a hotspot of emerging artemisinin resistance and the laboratory strain, NF54. These field isolates were isolated from patients in Southeast Asia carrying different alleles of kelch13 and included both artemisinin-sensitive and artemisinin-resistant isolates. Fluorescent labeled microsatellite markers were used to track the relative densities of each parasite throughout the co-growth period of 14–60 days. All-on-all competitions were conducted for the panel of eight parasite lines (28 pairwise competitions) to determine their quantitative competitive fitness relationships. Results Twenty-eight pairwise competitive growth outcomes allowed for an unambiguous ranking among a set of seven genetically distinct parasite lines isolated from patients in Southeast Asia displaying a range of both kelch13 alleles and clinical clearance times and a laboratory strain, NF54. This comprehensive series of assays established the growth relationships among the eight parasite lines. Interestingly, a clinically artemisinin resistant parasite line that carries the wild-type form of kelch13 outcompeted all other parasites in this study. Furthermore, a kelch13 mutant line (E252Q) was competitively more fit without drug than lines with other resistance-associated kelch13 alleles, including the C580Y allele that has expanded to high frequencies under drug pressure in Southeast Asian resistant populations. Conclusions This optimized competitive growth assay can be employed for assessment of relative growth as an index of fitness during the asexual blood stage growth between natural lines carrying different genetic variants associated with artemisinin resistance. Improved understanding of the fitness costs of different parasites proliferating in human blood and the role different resistance mutations play in the context of specific genetic backgrounds will contribute to an understanding of the potential for specific mutations to spread in populations, with the potential to inform targeted strategies for malaria therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abigail R Tirrell
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Katelyn M Vendrely
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Lisa A Checkley
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Sage Z Davis
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | | | | | | | - François H Nosten
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine Research Building, University of Oxford Old Road Campus, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Michael T Ferdig
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Nkhoma SC, Banda RL, Khoswe S, Dzoole-Mwale TJ, Ward SA. Intra-host dynamics of co-infecting parasite genotypes in asymptomatic malaria patients. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2018; 65:414-424. [PMID: 30145390 PMCID: PMC6219893 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2018.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Malaria-infected individuals often harbor mixtures of genetically distinct parasite genotypes. We studied intra-host dynamics of parasite genotypes co-infecting asymptomatic adults in an area of intense malaria transmission in Chikhwawa, Malawi. Serial blood samples (5 ml) were collected over seven consecutive days from 25 adults with asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum malaria and analyzed to determine whether a single peripheral blood sample accurately captures within-host parasite diversity. Blood samples from three of the participants were also analyzed by limiting dilution cloning and SNP genotyping of the parasite clones isolated to examine both the number and relatedness of co-infecting parasite haplotypes. We observed rapid turnover of co-infecting parasite genotypes in 88% of the individuals sampled (n = 22) such that the genetic composition of parasites infecting these individuals changed dramatically over the course of seven days of follow up. Nineteen of the 25 individuals sampled (76%) carried multiple parasite genotypes at baseline. Analysis of serial blood samples from three of the individuals revealed that they harbored 6, 12 and 17 distinct parasite haplotypes respectively. Approximately 70% of parasite haplotypes recovered from the three extensively sampled individuals were unrelated (proportion of shared alleles <83.3%) and were deemed to have primarily arisen from superinfection (inoculation of unrelated parasite haplotypes through multiple mosquito bites). The rest were related at the half-sib level or greater and were deemed to have been inoculated into individual human hosts via parasite co-transmission from single mosquito bites. These findings add further to the growing weight of evidence indicating that a single blood sample poorly captures within-host parasite diversity and underscore the importance of repeated blood sampling to accurately capture within-host parasite ecology. Our data also demonstrate a more pronounced role for parasite co-transmission in generating within-host parasite diversity in high transmission settings than previously assumed. Taken together, these findings have important implications for understanding the evolution of drug resistance, malaria transmission, parasite virulence, allocation of gametocyte sex ratios and acquisition of malaria immunity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Standwell C Nkhoma
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi; Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK; Wellcome Trust-Liverpool-Glasgow Centre for Global Health Research, 70 Pembroke Place, Liverpool L69 3GF, UK.
| | - Rachel L Banda
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Stanley Khoswe
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Tamika J Dzoole-Mwale
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Stephen A Ward
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Genné D, Sarr A, Gomez-Chamorro A, Durand J, Cayol C, Rais O, Voordouw MJ. Competition between strains of Borrelia afzelii inside the rodent host and the tick vector. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20181804. [PMID: 30381382 PMCID: PMC6235042 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple-strain pathogens often establish mixed infections inside the host that result in competition between strains. In vector-borne pathogens, the competitive ability of strains must be measured in both the vertebrate host and the arthropod vector to understand the outcome of competition. Such studies could reveal the existence of trade-offs in competitive ability between different host types. We used the tick-borne bacterium Borrelia afzelii to test for competition between strains in the rodent host and the tick vector, and to test for a trade-off in competitive ability between these two host types. Mice were infected via tick bite with either one or two strains, and these mice were subsequently used to create ticks with single or mixed infections. Competition in the rodent host reduced strain-specific host-to-tick transmission and competition in the tick vector reduced the abundance of both strains. The strain that was competitively superior in host-to-tick transmission was competitively inferior with respect to bacterial abundance in the tick. This study suggests that in multiple-strain vector-borne pathogens there are trade-offs in competitive ability between the vertebrate host and the arthropod vector. Such trade-offs could play an important role in the coexistence of pathogen strains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dolores Genné
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Anouk Sarr
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Gomez-Chamorro
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Jonas Durand
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Claire Cayol
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Olivier Rais
- Laboratory of Ecology and Epidemiology of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Maarten J Voordouw
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Duncan AB, Dusi E, Schrallhammer M, Berendonk T, Kaltz O. Population-level dynamics in experimental mixed infections: evidence for competitive exclusion among bacterial parasites ofParamecium caudatum. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.05280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alison B. Duncan
- Inst. of Evolutionary Sciences; Univ. of Montpellier; Montpellier France
| | - Eike Dusi
- Inst. of Hydrobiology; Technische Univ. Dresden; Germany
| | - Martina Schrallhammer
- Inst. of Hydrobiology; Technische Univ. Dresden; Germany
- Microbiology; Inst. of Biology II, Albert-Ludwigs Univ. Freiburg; Freiburg Germany
| | | | - Oliver Kaltz
- Inst. of Evolutionary Sciences; Univ. of Montpellier; Montpellier France
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Strauss M, Velázquez López DA, Moya DM, Bazán PC, Báez AL, Rivarola HW, Paglini-Oliva PA, Lo Presti MS. Differential tissue distribution of Trypanosoma cruzi during acute experimental infection: Further evidence using natural isolates. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2018; 222:29-33. [PMID: 29709547 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2018.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Revised: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
In the present work, we evaluated the effect of mixed Trypanosoma cruzi infections, studying the biological distribution of the different parasites in blood, heart and skeletal muscle during the acute phase. Albino Swiss mice were infected with different parasite strain/isolates or with a combination of them. The parasites in the different tissues were typified through specific PCR, population variability was analyzed through RFLP studies and parasitological and histopathological parameters were evaluated. We found a predominance of TcII and TcVI in all tissues samples respect to TcV and different parasite populations were found in circulation and in the tissues from the same host. These results verify the distribution of parasites in host tissues from early stages of infection and show biological interactions among different genotypes and populations of T. cruzi.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Strauss
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA) UNC - CONICET, Centro de Estudios e Investigación de la Enfermedad de Chagas y Leishmaniasis, Cátedra de Física Biomédica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Daniela A Velázquez López
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA) UNC - CONICET, Centro de Estudios e Investigación de la Enfermedad de Chagas y Leishmaniasis, Cátedra de Física Biomédica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Diego M Moya
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA) UNC - CONICET, Centro de Estudios e Investigación de la Enfermedad de Chagas y Leishmaniasis, Cátedra de Física Biomédica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - P Carolina Bazán
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA) UNC - CONICET, Centro de Estudios e Investigación de la Enfermedad de Chagas y Leishmaniasis, Cátedra de Física Biomédica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Alejandra L Báez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA) UNC - CONICET, Centro de Estudios e Investigación de la Enfermedad de Chagas y Leishmaniasis, Cátedra de Física Biomédica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - H Walter Rivarola
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA) UNC - CONICET, Centro de Estudios e Investigación de la Enfermedad de Chagas y Leishmaniasis, Cátedra de Física Biomédica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Patricia A Paglini-Oliva
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA) UNC - CONICET, Centro de Estudios e Investigación de la Enfermedad de Chagas y Leishmaniasis, Cátedra de Física Biomédica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - M Silvina Lo Presti
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA) UNC - CONICET, Centro de Estudios e Investigación de la Enfermedad de Chagas y Leishmaniasis, Cátedra de Física Biomédica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Córdoba, Argentina.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Russell SL, Cavanaugh CM. Intrahost Genetic Diversity of Bacterial Symbionts Exhibits Evidence of Mixed Infections and Recombinant Haplotypes. Mol Biol Evol 2017; 34:2747-2761. [DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msx188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
|
18
|
Xu J, Xu X, Shakeel M, Li S, Wang S, Zhou X, Yu J, Xu X, Yu X, Jin F. The Entomopathogenic Fungi Isaria fumosorosea Plays a Vital Role in Suppressing the Immune System of Plutella xylostella: RNA-Seq and DGE Analysis of Immunity-Related Genes. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1421. [PMID: 28804478 PMCID: PMC5532397 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Most, if not all, entomopathogenic fungi have been used as alternative control agents to decrease the insect resistance and harmful effects of the insecticides on the environment. Among them, Isaria fumosorosea has also shown great potential to control different insect pests. In the present study, we explored the immune response of P. xylostella to the infection of I. fumosorosea at different time points by using RNA-Sequencing and differential gene expression technology at the genomic level. To gain insight into the host-pathogen interaction at the genomic level, five libraries of P. xylostella larvae at 12, 18, 24, and 36 h post-infection and a control were constructed. In total, 161 immunity-related genes were identified and grouped into four categories; immune recognition families, toll and Imd pathway, melanization, and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). The results of differentially expressed immunity-related genes depicted that 15, 13, 53, and 14 up-regulated and 38, 51, 56, and 49 were down-regulated in P. xylostella at 12, 18, 24, and 36 h post-treatment, respectively. RNA-Seq results of immunity-related genes revealed that the expression of AMPs was reduced after treatment with I. fumosorosea. To validate RNA-Seq results by RT-qPCR, 22 immunity-related genes were randomly selected. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that I. fumosorosea has the potential to suppress the immune response of P. xylostella and can become a potential biopesticide for controlling P. xylostella.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Xu
- Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide and Application of Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxia Xu
- Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide and Application of Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou, China
| | - Muhammad Shakeel
- Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide and Application of Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou, China
| | - Shuzhong Li
- Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide and Application of Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou, China
| | - Shuang Wang
- Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide and Application of Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou, China
| | | | - Jialin Yu
- Beijing Genomic InstituteShenzhen, China
| | | | - Xiaoqiang Yu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-KansasKansas City, MO, United States
| | - Fengliang Jin
- Laboratory of Bio-Pesticide and Application of Guangdong Province, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Murray L, Stewart LB, Tarr SJ, Ahouidi AD, Diakite M, Amambua-Ngwa A, Conway DJ. Multiplication rate variation in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6436. [PMID: 28743888 PMCID: PMC5527095 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06295-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
It is important to understand intrinsic variation in asexual blood stage multiplication rates of the most virulent human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Here, multiplication rates of long-term laboratory adapted parasite clones and new clinical isolates were measured, using a newly standardised assay of growth from low starting density in replicate parallel cultures with erythrocytes from multiple different donors, across multiple cycles. Multiplication rates of long-term established clones were between 7.6 and 10.5 fold per 48 hours, with clone Dd2 having a higher rate than others (clones 3D7, HB3 and D10). Parasite clone-specific growth was then analysed in co-culture assays with all possible heterologous pairwise combinations. This showed that co-culture of different parasites did not affect their replication rates, indicating that there were no suppressive interactions operating between parasites. Multiplication rates of eleven new clinical isolates were measured after a few weeks of culture, and showed a spectrum of replication rates between 2.3 and 6.0 fold per 48 hours, the entire range being lower than for the long-term laboratory adapted clones. Multiplication rate estimates remained stable over time for several isolates tested repeatedly up to three months after culture initiation, indicating considerable persistence of this important trait variation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lee Murray
- Pathogen Molecular Biology Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Lindsay B Stewart
- Pathogen Molecular Biology Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah J Tarr
- Pathogen Molecular Biology Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | | | - Mahamadou Diakite
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | | | - David J Conway
- Pathogen Molecular Biology Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Abkallo HM, Martinelli A, Inoue M, Ramaprasad A, Xangsayarath P, Gitaka J, Tang J, Yahata K, Zoungrana A, Mitaka H, Acharjee A, Datta PP, Hunt P, Carter R, Kaneko O, Mustonen V, Illingworth CJR, Pain A, Culleton R. Rapid identification of genes controlling virulence and immunity in malaria parasites. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006447. [PMID: 28704525 PMCID: PMC5507557 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying the genetic determinants of phenotypes that impact disease severity is of fundamental importance for the design of new interventions against malaria. Here we present a rapid genome-wide approach capable of identifying multiple genetic drivers of medically relevant phenotypes within malaria parasites via a single experiment at single gene or allele resolution. In a proof of principle study, we found that a previously undescribed single nucleotide polymorphism in the binding domain of the erythrocyte binding like protein (EBL) conferred a dramatic change in red blood cell invasion in mutant rodent malaria parasites Plasmodium yoelii. In the same experiment, we implicated merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1) and other polymorphic proteins, as the major targets of strain-specific immunity. Using allelic replacement, we provide functional validation of the substitution in the EBL gene controlling the growth rate in the blood stages of the parasites. Developing a greater understanding of malaria genetics is a key step in combating the threat posed by the disease. Here we use a novel approach to study two important properties of the parasite; the rate at which parasites grow within a single host, and the means by which parasites are affected by the host immune system. Two malaria strains with different biological properties were crossed in mosquitoes to produce a hybrid population, which was then grown in naïve and vaccinated mice. Parasites with genes conveying increased growth or immune evasion are favoured under natural selection, leaving a signature on the genetic composition of the cross population. We describe a novel mathematical approach to interpret this signature, identifying selected genes within the parasite population. We discover new genetic variants conveying increased within-host growth and resistance to host immunity in a mouse malaria strain. Experimental validation highlights the ability of this rapid experimental process for generating insights into malaria biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hussein M. Abkallo
- Malaria Unit, Department of Pathology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Axel Martinelli
- Global Station for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Megumi Inoue
- Malaria Unit, Department of Pathology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Abhinay Ramaprasad
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Phonepadith Xangsayarath
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Department of Protozooolgy, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Jesse Gitaka
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Department of Protozooolgy, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Centre for Malaria Elimination, School of Medicine, Mount Kenya University, Thika, Kenya
| | - Jianxia Tang
- Key Laboratory of National Health and Family Planning Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kazuhide Yahata
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Department of Protozooolgy, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Augustin Zoungrana
- Malaria Unit, Department of Pathology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Hayato Mitaka
- Malaria Unit, Department of Pathology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Arita Acharjee
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur - 741 246, West Bengal, India
| | - Partha P. Datta
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur - 741 246, West Bengal, India
| | - Paul Hunt
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Carter
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Osamu Kaneko
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Department of Protozooolgy, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Ville Mustonen
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher J. R. Illingworth
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (CJRI); (AP); (RC)
| | - Arnab Pain
- Global Station for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- * E-mail: (CJRI); (AP); (RC)
| | - Richard Culleton
- Malaria Unit, Department of Pathology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- * E-mail: (CJRI); (AP); (RC)
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Jacquet M, Margos G, Fingerle V, Voordouw MJ. Comparison of the lifetime host-to-tick transmission between two strains of the Lyme disease pathogen Borrelia afzelii. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:645. [PMID: 27986081 PMCID: PMC5162089 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1929-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Transmission from the vertebrate host to the arthropod vector is a critical step in the life-cycle of any vector-borne pathogen. How the probability of host-to-vector transmission changes over the duration of the infection is an important predictor of pathogen fitness. The Lyme disease pathogen Borrelia afzelii is transmitted by Ixodes ricinus ticks and establishes a chronic infection inside rodent reservoir hosts. The present study compares the temporal pattern of host-to-tick transmission between two strains of B. afzelii. Methods Laboratory mice were experimentally infected via tick bite with one of two strains of B. afzelii: A3 and A10. Mice were repeatedly infested with pathogen-free larval Ixodes ricinus ticks over a period of 4 months. Engorged larval ticks moulted into nymphal ticks that were tested for infection with B. afzelii using qPCR. The proportion of infected nymphs was used to characterize the pattern of host-to-tick transmission over time. Results Both strains of B. afzelii followed a similar pattern of host-to-tick transmission. Transmission decreased from the acute to the chronic phase of the infection by 16.1 and 29.3% for strains A3 and A10, respectively. Comparison between strains found no evidence of a trade-off in transmission between the acute and chronic phase of infection. Strain A10 had higher lifetime fitness and established a consistently higher spirochete load in nymphal ticks than strain A3. Conclusion Quantifying the relationship between host-to-vector transmission and the age of infection in the host is critical for estimating the lifetime fitness of vector-borne pathogens. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1929-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Jacquet
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Gabriele Margos
- National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Munich, Oberschleissheim, Germany.,Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Volker Fingerle
- National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Munich, Oberschleissheim, Germany.,Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Maarten J Voordouw
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Parasites, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Pacheco MA, Lopez-Perez M, Vallejo AF, Herrera S, Arévalo-Herrera M, Escalante AA. Multiplicity of Infection and Disease Severity in Plasmodium vivax. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004355. [PMID: 26751811 PMCID: PMC4709143 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 12/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Multiplicity of infection (MOI) refers to the average number of distinct parasite genotypes concurrently infecting a patient. Although several studies have reported on MOI and the frequency of multiclonal infections in Plasmodium falciparum, there is limited data on Plasmodium vivax. Here, MOI and the frequency of multiclonal infections were studied in areas from South America where P. vivax and P. falciparum can be compared. Methodology/Principal Findings As part of a passive surveillance study, 1,328 positive malaria patients were recruited between 2011 and 2013 in low transmission areas from Colombia. Of those, there were only 38 P. vivax and 24 P. falciparum clinically complicated cases scattered throughout the time of the study. Samples from uncomplicated cases were matched in time and location with the complicated cases in order to compare the circulating genotypes for these two categories. A total of 92 P. vivax and 57 P. falciparum uncomplicated cases were randomly subsampled. All samples were genotyped by using neutral microsatellites. Plasmodium vivax showed more multiclonal infections (47.7%) than P. falciparum (14.8%). Population genetics and haplotype network analyses did not detect differences in the circulating genotypes between complicated and uncomplicated cases in each parasite. However, a Fisher exact test yielded a significant association between having multiclonal P. vivax infections and complicated malaria. No association was found for P. falciparum infections. Conclusion The association between multiclonal infections and disease severity in P. vivax is consistent with previous observations made in rodent malaria. The contrasting pattern between P. vivax and P. falciparum could be explained, at least in part, by the fact that P. vivax infections have lineages that were more distantly related among them than in the case of the P. falciparum multiclonal infections. Future research should address the possible role that acquired immunity and exposure may have on multiclonal infections and their association with disease severity. Previous studies on rodent malarias and mathematical models have postulated a link between multiclonal infections and disease severity. This association has been tested in Plasmodium falciparum mostly in Africa with limited information on P. vivax. Furthermore, there is a paucity of information from areas with low transmission. Here, we used samples available from a passive surveillance carried out in Colombia, South America. We found an association between multiclonal infections and disease severity in P. vivax but not in P. falciparum. Although the number of complicated malaria cases is low, the contrasting pattern between these two species emphasizes their epidemiological differences. We discuss how this pattern could be the result of a higher divergence among the P. vivax lineages co-infecting a patient. We hypothesize that low levels of acquired immunity may play a role in the association between multiclonal infections and disease severity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M. Andreína Pacheco
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (igem), Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Mary Lopez-Perez
- Caucaseco Scientific Research Center and Malaria Vaccine and Drug Development Center, Cali, Colombia
| | - Andrés F. Vallejo
- Caucaseco Scientific Research Center and Malaria Vaccine and Drug Development Center, Cali, Colombia
| | - Sócrates Herrera
- Caucaseco Scientific Research Center and Malaria Vaccine and Drug Development Center, Cali, Colombia
| | - Myriam Arévalo-Herrera
- Caucaseco Scientific Research Center and Malaria Vaccine and Drug Development Center, Cali, Colombia
- Faculty of Health, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | - Ananias A. Escalante
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (igem), Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|