1
|
Yanase R, Pruzinova K, Owino BO, Rea E, Moreira-Leite F, Taniguchi A, Nonaka S, Sádlová J, Vojtkova B, Volf P, Sunter JD. Discovery of essential kinetoplastid-insect adhesion proteins and their function in Leishmania-sand fly interactions. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6960. [PMID: 39138209 PMCID: PMC11322530 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51291-z] [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: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Leishmania species, members of the kinetoplastid parasites, cause leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease, in millions of people worldwide. Leishmania has a complex life cycle with multiple developmental forms, as it cycles between a sand fly vector and a mammalian host; understanding their life cycle is critical to understanding disease spread. One of the key life cycle stages is the haptomonad form, which attaches to insect tissues through its flagellum. This adhesion, conserved across kinetoplastid parasites, is implicated in having an important function within their life cycles and hence in disease transmission. Here, we discover the kinetoplastid-insect adhesion proteins (KIAPs), which localise in the attached Leishmania flagellum. Deletion of these KIAPs impairs cell adhesion in vitro and prevents Leishmania from colonising the stomodeal valve in the sand fly, without affecting cell growth. Additionally, loss of parasite adhesion in the sand fly results in reduced physiological changes to the fly, with no observable damage of the stomodeal valve and reduced midgut swelling. These results provide important insights into a comprehensive understanding of the Leishmania life cycle, which will be critical for developing transmission-blocking strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryuji Yanase
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK.
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
| | - Katerina Pruzinova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Barrack O Owino
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Edward Rea
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Flávia Moreira-Leite
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
- Department of Biochemistry, Central Oxford Structural Molecular Imaging Centre (COSMIC), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Atsushi Taniguchi
- Laboratory for Spatiotemporal Regulations, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
- Research Center of Mathematics for Social Creativity, Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Shigenori Nonaka
- Laboratory for Spatiotemporal Regulations, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Japan
- Spatiotemporal Regulations Group, Exploratory Research Center for Life and Living Systems, Okazaki, Japan
- Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Jovana Sádlová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Barbora Vojtkova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Petr Volf
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.
| | - Jack D Sunter
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Peacock L, Kay C, Bailey M, Gibson W. Experimental genetic crosses in tsetse flies of the livestock pathogen Trypanosoma congolense savannah. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:4. [PMID: 38178172 PMCID: PMC10765672 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-06105-4] [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: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In tropical Africa animal trypanosomiasis is a disease that has severe impacts on the health and productivity of livestock in tsetse fly-infested regions. Trypanosoma congolense savannah (TCS) is one of the main causative agents and is widely distributed across the sub-Saharan tsetse belt. Population genetics analysis has shown that TCS is genetically heterogeneous and there is evidence for genetic exchange, but to date Trypanosoma brucei is the only tsetse-transmitted trypanosome with experimentally proven capability to undergo sexual reproduction, with meiosis and production of haploid gametes. In T. brucei sex occurs in the fly salivary glands, so by analogy, sex in TCS should occur in the proboscis, where the corresponding portion of the developmental cycle takes place. Here we test this prediction using genetically modified red and green fluorescent clones of TCS. METHODS Three fly-transmissible strains of TCS were transfected with genes for red or green fluorescent protein, linked to a gene for resistance to the antibiotic hygromycin, and experimental crosses were set up by co-transmitting red and green fluorescent lines in different combinations via tsetse flies, Glossina pallidipes. To test whether sex occurred in vitro, co-cultures of attached epimastigotes of one red and one green fluorescent TCS strain were set up and sampled at intervals for 28 days. RESULTS All interclonal crosses of genetically modified trypanosomes produced hybrids containing both red and green fluorescent proteins, but yellow fluorescent hybrids were only present among trypanosomes from the fly proboscis, not from the midgut or proventriculus. It was not possible to identify the precise life cycle stage that undergoes mating, but it is probably attached epimastigotes in the food canal of the proboscis. Yellow hybrids were seen as early as 14 days post-infection. One intraclonal cross in tsetse and in vitro co-cultures of epimastigotes also produced yellow hybrids in small numbers. The hybrid nature of the yellow fluorescent trypanosomes observed was not confirmed by genetic analysis. CONCLUSIONS Despite absence of genetic characterisation of hybrid trypanosomes, the fact that these were produced only in the proboscis and in several independent crosses suggests that they are products of mating rather than cell fusion. The three-way strain compatibility observed is similar to that demonstrated previously for T. brucei, indicating that a simple two mating type system does not apply for either trypanosome species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lori Peacock
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, BS40 7DU, UK
| | - Chris Kay
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Mick Bailey
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, BS40 7DU, UK
| | - Wendy Gibson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Povelones ML, Holmes NA, Povelones M. A sticky situation: When trypanosomatids attach to insect tissues. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011854. [PMID: 38128049 PMCID: PMC10734937 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmission of trypanosomatids to their mammalian hosts requires a complex series of developmental transitions in their insect vectors, including stable attachment to an insect tissue. While there are many ultrastructural descriptions of attached cells, we know little about the signaling events and molecular mechanisms involved in this process. Each trypanosomatid species attaches to a specific tissue in the insect at a particular stage of its life cycle. Attachment is mediated by the flagellum, which is modified to accommodate a filament-rich plaque within an expanded region of the flagellar membrane. Attachment immediately precedes differentiation to the mammal-infectious stage and in some cases a direct mechanistic link has been demonstrated. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge of trypanosomatid attachment in insects, including structure, function, signaling, candidate molecules, and changes in gene expression. We also highlight remaining questions about this process and how the field is poised to address them through modern approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Megan L. Povelones
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Nikki A. Holmes
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Michael Povelones
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Nicoletti CD, Dos Santos Galvão RM, de Sá Haddad Queiroz M, Barboclher L, Faria AFM, Teixeira GP, Souza ALA, de Carvalho da Silva F, Ferreira VF, da Silva Lima CH, Borba-Santos LP, Rozental S, Futuro DO, Faria RX. Inclusion complex of O-allyl-lawsone with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin: Preparation, physical characterization, antiparasitic and antifungal activity. J Bioenerg Biomembr 2023:10.1007/s10863-023-09970-x. [PMID: 37442875 DOI: 10.1007/s10863-023-09970-x] [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: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
The subclass naphthoquinone represents a substance group containing several compounds with important activities against various pathogenic microorganisms. Accordingly, we evaluated O-allyl-lawsone (OAL) antiparasitic and antifungal activity free and encapsulated in 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (OAL MKN) against Trypanosoma cruzi and Sporothrix spp. OAL and OAL MKN were synthesized and characterized by physicochemical methods. The IC50 values of OAL against T. cruzi were 2.4 µM and 96.8 µM, considering epimastigotes and trypomastigotes, respectively. At the same time, OAL MKN exhibited a lower IC50 value (0.5 µM) for both trypanosome forms and low toxicity for mammalian cells. Additionally, the encapsulation showed a selectivity index approximately 240 times higher than that of benznidazole. Regarding antifungal activity, OAL and OAL MKN inhibited Sporothrix brasiliensis growth at 16 µM, while Sporothrix schenckii was inhibited at 32 µM. OAL MKN also exhibited higher selectivity toward fungus than mammalian cells. In conclusion, we described the encapsulation of O-allyl-lawsone in 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin, increasing the antiparasitic activity compared with the free form and reducing the cytotoxicity and increasing the selectivity towardSporothrix yeasts and the T. cruzi trypomastigote form. This study highlights the potential development of this inclusion complex as an antiparasitic and antifungal agent to treat neglected diseases.
Collapse
Grants
- E-26/202.800/2017, SEI-260003/001178/2020, E-26/203.246/2017, E-26/203.246/2017, E-26/010.000984/2019, E-26/200.982/2021, E-26/010/00168/2015 Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
- E-26/202.800/2017, SEI-260003/001178/2020, E-26/203.246/2017, E-26/203.246/2017, E-26/010.000984/2019, E-26/200.982/2021, E-26/010/00168/2015 Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
- E-26/202.800/2017, SEI-260003/001178/2020, E-26/203.246/2017, E-26/203.246/2017, E-26/010.000984/2019, E-26/200.982/2021, E-26/010/00168/2015 Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
- E-26/202.800/2017, SEI-260003/001178/2020, E-26/203.246/2017, E-26/203.246/2017, E-26/010.000984/2019, E-26/200.982/2021, E-26/010/00168/2015 Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
- E-26/202.800/2017, SEI-260003/001178/2020, E-26/203.246/2017, E-26/203.246/2017, E-26/010.000984/2019, E-26/200.982/2021, E-26/010/00168/2015 Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
- E-26/202.800/2017, SEI-260003/001178/2020, E-26/203.246/2017, E-26/203.246/2017, E-26/010.000984/2019, E-26/200.982/2021, E-26/010/00168/2015 Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
- E-26/202.800/2017, SEI-260003/001178/2020, E-26/203.246/2017, E-26/203.246/2017, E-26/010.000984/2019, E-26/200.982/2021, E-26/010/00168/2015 Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
- E-26/202.800/2017, SEI-260003/001178/2020, E-26/203.246/2017, E-26/203.246/2017, E-26/010.000984/2019, E-26/200.982/2021, E-26/010/00168/2015 Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
- 308755/2018-9, 301873/2019-4, and 308755/2018-9 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- 308755/2018-9, 301873/2019-4, and 308755/2018-9 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- 308755/2018-9, 301873/2019-4, and 308755/2018-9 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Deckmann Nicoletti
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Departamento de Tecnologia Farmacêutica, Universidade Federal Fluminense, 24241-000, Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Raíssa Maria Dos Santos Galvão
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências e Biotecnologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Campus Valonguinho, 24020-141, Niterói, RJ, Brasil
| | - Marcella de Sá Haddad Queiroz
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Departamento de Tecnologia Farmacêutica, Universidade Federal Fluminense, 24241-000, Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Lais Barboclher
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Departamento de Tecnologia Farmacêutica, Universidade Federal Fluminense, 24241-000, Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ana Flávia Martins Faria
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências e Biotecnologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Campus Valonguinho, 24020-141, Niterói, RJ, Brasil
| | - Guilherme Pegas Teixeira
- Laboratório de Avaliação e Promoção da Saúde Ambiental, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, n° 4365, Pavilhão Lauro Travassos, sala 01, 21040-900, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - André Luis Ameida Souza
- Universidade Iguaçu, Nova Iguaçu - RJ, Av. Abílio Augusto Távora, 2134, 26260-045, Jardim Alvorada, Brazil
| | - Fernando de Carvalho da Silva
- Departamento de Quimica Orgânica, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Campus Valonguinho, 24020-141, Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Vitor Francisco Ferreira
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Departamento de Tecnologia Farmacêutica, Universidade Federal Fluminense, 24241-000, Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | | | - Luana P Borba-Santos
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-170, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Sonia Rozental
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-170, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Débora Omena Futuro
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Departamento de Tecnologia Farmacêutica, Universidade Federal Fluminense, 24241-000, Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Robson Xavier Faria
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências e Biotecnologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Campus Valonguinho, 24020-141, Niterói, RJ, Brasil.
- Laboratório de Avaliação e Promoção da Saúde Ambiental, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, n° 4365, Pavilhão Lauro Travassos, sala 01, 21040-900, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Peacock L, Kay C, Collett C, Bailey M, Gibson W. Development of the livestock pathogen Trypanosoma (Nannomonas) simiae in the tsetse fly with description of putative sexual stages from the proboscis. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:231. [PMID: 37434196 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05847-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tsetse-transmitted African animal trypanosomiasis is recognised as an important disease of ruminant livestock in sub-Saharan Africa, but also affects domestic pigs, with Trypanosoma simiae notable as a virulent suid pathogen that can rapidly cause death. Trypanosoma simiae is widespread in tsetse-infested regions, but its biology has been little studied compared to T. brucei and T. congolense. METHODS Trypanosoma simiae procyclics were cultured in vitro and transfected using protocols developed for T. brucei. Genetically modified lines, as well as wild-type trypanosomes, were transmitted through tsetse flies, Glossina pallidipes, to study T. simiae development in the tsetse midgut, proventriculus and proboscis. The development of proventricular trypanosomes was also studied in vitro. Image and mensural data were collected and analysed. RESULTS A PFR1::YFP line successfully completed development in tsetse, but a YFP::HOP1 line failed to progress beyond midgut infection. Analysis of image and mensural data confirmed that the vector developmental cycles of T. simiae and T. congolense are closely similar, but we also found putative sexual stages in T. simiae, as judged by morphological similarity to these stages in T. brucei. Putative meiotic dividers were abundant among T. simiae trypanosomes in the proboscis, characterised by a large posterior nucleus and two anterior kinetoplasts. Putative gametes and other meiotic intermediates were also identified by characteristic morphology. In vitro development of proventricular forms of T. simiae followed the pattern previously observed for T. congolense: long proventricular trypanosomes rapidly attached to the substrate and shortened markedly before commencing cell division. CONCLUSIONS To date, T. brucei is the only tsetse-transmitted trypanosome with experimentally proven capability to undergo sexual reproduction, which occurs in the fly salivary glands. By analogy, sexual stages of T. simiae or T. congolense are predicted to occur in the proboscis, where the corresponding portion of the developmental cycle takes place. While no such stages have been observed in T. congolense, for T. simiae putative sexual stages were abundant in the tsetse proboscis. Although our initial attempt to demonstrate expression of a YFP-tagged, meiosis-specific protein was unsuccessful, the future application of transgenic approaches will facilitate the identification of meiotic stages and hybrids in T. simiae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lori Peacock
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, BS40 7DU, UK
| | - Chris Kay
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Clare Collett
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
- Pathogen Immunology Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, Wiltshire, UK
| | - Mick Bailey
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, BS40 7DU, UK
| | - Wendy Gibson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Calvo-Álvarez E, Bonnefoy S, Salles A, Benson FE, McKean PG, Bastin P, Rotureau B. Redistribution of FLAgellar Member 8 during the trypanosome life cycle: Consequences for cell fate prediction. Cell Microbiol 2021; 23:e13347. [PMID: 33896083 PMCID: PMC8459223 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The single flagellum of African trypanosomes is essential in multiple aspects of the parasites' development. The FLAgellar Member 8 protein (FLAM8), localised to the tip of the flagellum in cultured insect forms of Trypanosoma brucei, was identified as a marker of the locking event that controls flagellum length. Here, we investigated whether FLAM8 could also reflect the flagellum maturation state in other parasite cycle stages. We observed that FLAM8 distribution extended along the entire flagellar cytoskeleton in mammalian‐infective forms. Then, a rapid FLAM8 concentration to the distal tip occurs during differentiation into early insect forms, illustrating the remodelling of an existing flagellum. In the tsetse cardia, FLAM8 further localises to the entire length of the new flagellum during an asymmetric division. Strikingly, in parasites dividing in the tsetse midgut and in the salivary glands, the amount and distribution of FLAM8 in the new flagellum were seen to predict the daughter cell fate. We propose and discuss how FLAM8 could be considered a meta‐marker of the flagellum stage and maturation state in trypanosomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Estefanía Calvo-Álvarez
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201, Paris, France.,Trypanosome Transmission Group, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Serge Bonnefoy
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201, Paris, France
| | - Audrey Salles
- Unit of Technology and Service Photonic BioImaging (UTechS PBI), C2RT, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Fiona E Benson
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Paul G McKean
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Philippe Bastin
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201, Paris, France
| | - Brice Rotureau
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Institut Pasteur and INSERM U1201, Paris, France.,Trypanosome Transmission Group, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Krige AS, Thompson RCA, Seidlitz A, Keatley S, Botero A, Clode PL. 'Hook, line, and sinker': Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) uncovers Trypanosoma noyesi in Australian questing ticks. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 12:101596. [PMID: 33126202 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosomes are blood-borne parasites infecting a range of mammalian hosts worldwide. In Australia, an increasing number of novel Trypanosoma species have been identified from various wildlife hosts, some of which are critically endangered. Trypanosoma noyesi is a recently described species of biosecurity concern, due to a close relationship to the South American human pathogen, Trypanosoma cruzi. This genetic similarity increases the risk for introduction of T. cruzi via a local vector. Unfortunately, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the vectorial capacity of Australian invertebrates for native Trypanosoma species. Australian ixodid ticks (Ixodidae), which are widespread ectoparasites of mammalian wildlife, have received the most attention as likely candidates for trypanosome transmission and have been previously implicated as vectors. However, as all studies to date have focused on blood-fed ticks collected directly from infected mammalian hosts, the question of whether ticks maintain a trypanosome infection between blood meals is unknown. In this study, we investigated the presence of Trypanosoma within 148 Australian adult and nymph questing ticks of the species Amblyomma triguttatum, Ixodes australiensis, Ixodes myrmecobii and larvae Ixodes spp., collected from an endemic region of south-west Australia. Using a novel HRM-qPCR detection method that can discriminate between species of Trypanosoma based on primer melting temperature (Tm), we report the first molecular detection of Trypanosoma DNA in Australian questing ticks, with 6 ticks DNA positive for T. noyesi. Additionally, the presence of intact T. noyesi parasites within all (n = 3) smeared gut and gland contents of questing ticks was confirmed using a fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) assay. Whilst this study was unable to determine the in situ tissue location of trypanosomes for the purpose of discerning a potential route of transmission, these combined molecular and FISH smear data indicate that trypanosomes can persist in ticks between blood meals and that ticks are possibly vectors in the transmission of T. noyesi between native wildlife. Transmission experiments are still required to evaluate the competency of Australian ticks as vectors for T. noyesi. Nevertheless, these novel findings warrant further investigation concerning potential life stages and the development of trypanosomes in both Australian, and other, tick species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Sheree Krige
- UWA School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia.
| | - R C Andrew Thompson
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Anke Seidlitz
- School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Sarah Keatley
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Adriana Botero
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - Peta L Clode
- UWA School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia; Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bertiaux E, Mallet A, Rotureau B, Bastin P. Intraflagellar transport during assembly of flagella of different length in Trypanosoma brucei isolated from tsetse flies. J Cell Sci 2020; 133:jcs248989. [PMID: 32843573 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.248989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Multicellular organisms assemble cilia and flagella of precise lengths differing from one cell to another, yet little is known about the mechanisms governing these differences. Similarly, protists assemble flagella of different lengths according to the stage of their life cycle. Trypanosoma brucei assembles flagella of 3 to 30 µm during its development in the tsetse fly. This provides an opportunity to examine how cells naturally modulate organelle length. Flagella are constructed by addition of new blocks at their distal end via intraflagellar transport (IFT). Immunofluorescence assays, 3D electron microscopy and live-cell imaging revealed that IFT was present in all T. brucei life cycle stages. IFT proteins are concentrated at the base, and IFT trains are located along doublets 3-4 and 7-8 and travel bidirectionally in the flagellum. Quantitative analysis demonstrated that the total amount of flagellar IFT proteins correlates with the length of the flagellum. Surprisingly, the shortest flagellum exhibited a supplementary large amount of dynamic IFT material at its distal end. The contribution of IFT and other factors to the regulation of flagellum length is discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eloïse Bertiaux
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université école doctorale complexité du vivant, ED 515, 7, quai Saint-Bernard, case 32, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Adeline Mallet
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université école doctorale complexité du vivant, ED 515, 7, quai Saint-Bernard, case 32, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
- Ultrastructural Bio Imaging Unit, C2RT, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Brice Rotureau
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Philippe Bastin
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
Current understanding of flagellum/cilium length regulation focuses on a few model organisms with flagella of uniform length. Leptomonas pyrrhocoris is a monoxenous trypanosomatid parasite of firebugs. When cultivated in vitro, L. pyrrhocoris duplicates every 4.2 ± 0.2 h, representing the shortest doubling time reported for trypanosomatids so far. Each L. pyrrhocoris cell starts its cell cycle with a single flagellum. A new flagellum is assembled de novo, while the old flagellum persists throughout the cell cycle. The flagella in an asynchronous L. pyrrhocoris population exhibited a vast length variation of ∼3 to 24 μm, casting doubt on the presence of a length regulation mechanism based on a single balance point between the assembly and disassembly rate in these cells. Through imaging of live L. pyrrhocoris cells, a rapid, partial disassembly of the existing, old flagellum is observed upon, if not prior to, the initial assembly of a new flagellum. Mathematical modeling demonstrated an inverse correlation between the flagellar growth rate and flagellar length and inferred the presence of distinct, cell cycle-dependent disassembly mechanisms with different rates. On the basis of these observations, we proposed a min-max model that could account for the vast flagellar length range observed for asynchronous L. pyrrhocoris. This model may also apply to other flagellated organisms with flagellar length variation.IMPORTANCE Current understanding of flagellum biogenesis during the cell cycle in trypanosomatids is limited to a few pathogenic species, including Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi, and Leishmania spp. The most notable characteristics of trypanosomatid flagella studied so far are the extreme stability and lack of ciliary disassembly/absorption during the cell cycle. This is different from cilia in Chlamydomonas and mammalian cells, which undergo complete absorption prior to cell cycle initiation. In this study, we examined flagellum duplication during the cell cycle of Leptomonas pyrrhocoris With the shortest duplication time documented for all Trypanosomatidae and its amenability to culture on agarose gel with limited mobility, we were able to image these cells through the cell cycle. Rapid, cell cycle-specific flagellum disassembly different from turnover was observed for the first time in trypanosomatids. Given the observed length-dependent growth rate and the presence of different disassembly mechanisms, we proposed a min-max model that can account for the flagellar length variation observed in L. pyrrhocoris.
Collapse
|
10
|
Hammarton TC. Who Needs a Contractile Actomyosin Ring? The Plethora of Alternative Ways to Divide a Protozoan Parasite. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:397. [PMID: 31824870 PMCID: PMC6881465 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytokinesis, or the division of the cytoplasm, following the end of mitosis or meiosis, is accomplished in animal cells, fungi, and amoebae, by the constriction of an actomyosin contractile ring, comprising filamentous actin, myosin II, and associated proteins. However, despite this being the best-studied mode of cytokinesis, it is restricted to the Opisthokonta and Amoebozoa, since members of other evolutionary supergroups lack myosin II and must, therefore, employ different mechanisms. In particular, parasitic protozoa, many of which cause significant morbidity and mortality in humans and animals as well as considerable economic losses, employ a wide diversity of mechanisms to divide, few, if any, of which involve myosin II. In some cases, cell division is not only myosin II-independent, but actin-independent too. Mechanisms employed range from primitive mechanical cell rupture (cytofission), to motility- and/or microtubule remodeling-dependent mechanisms, to budding involving the constriction of divergent contractile rings, to hijacking host cell division machinery, with some species able to utilize multiple mechanisms. Here, I review current knowledge of cytokinesis mechanisms and their molecular control in mammalian-infective parasitic protozoa from the Excavata, Alveolata, and Amoebozoa supergroups, highlighting their often-underappreciated diversity and complexity. Billions of people and animals across the world are at risk from these pathogens, for which vaccines and/or optimal treatments are often not available. Exploiting the divergent cell division machinery in these parasites may provide new avenues for the treatment of protozoal disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tansy C Hammarton
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Sinclair AN, de Graffenried CL. More than Microtubules: The Structure and Function of the Subpellicular Array in Trypanosomatids. Trends Parasitol 2019; 35:760-777. [PMID: 31471215 PMCID: PMC6783356 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2019.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The subpellicular microtubule array defines the wide range of cellular morphologies found in parasitic kinetoplastids (trypanosomatids). Morphological studies have characterized array organization, but little progress has been made towards identifying the molecular mechanisms that are responsible for array differentiation during the trypanosomatid life cycle, or the apparent stability and longevity of array microtubules. In this review, we outline what is known about the structure and biogenesis of the array, with emphasis on Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi, and Leishmania, which cause life-threatening diseases in humans and livestock. We highlight unanswered questions about this remarkable cellular structure that merit new consideration in light of our recently improved understanding of how the 'tubulin code' influences microtubule dynamics to generate complex cellular structures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy N Sinclair
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
Trypanosomes have complex life cycles within which there are both proliferative and differentiation cell divisions. The coordination of the cell cycle to achieve these different divisions is critical for the parasite to infect both host and vector. From studying the regulation of the proliferative cell cycle of the Trypanosoma brucei procyclic life cycle stage, three subcycles emerge that control the duplication and segregation of ( a) the nucleus, ( b) the kinetoplast, and ( c) a set of cytoskeletal structures. We discuss how the clear dependency relationships within these subcycles, and the potential for cross talk between them, are likely required for overall cell cycle coordination. Finally, we look at the implications this interdependence has for proliferative and differentiation divisions through the T. brucei life cycle and in related parasitic trypanosomatid species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard J. Wheeler
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SY, United Kingdom
| | - Keith Gull
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, United Kingdom
| | - Jack D. Sunter
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Abeywickrema M, Vachova H, Farr H, Mohr T, Wheeler RJ, Lai DH, Vaughan S, Gull K, Sunter JD, Varga V. Non-equivalence in old- and new-flagellum daughter cells of a proliferative division in Trypanosoma brucei. Mol Microbiol 2019; 112:1024-1040. [PMID: 31286583 PMCID: PMC6771564 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Differentiation of Trypanosoma brucei, a flagellated protozoan parasite, between life cycle stages typically occurs through an asymmetric cell division process, producing two morphologically distinct daughter cells. Conversely, proliferative cell divisions produce two daughter cells, which look similar but are not identical. To examine in detail differences between the daughter cells of a proliferative division of procyclic T. brucei we used the recently identified constituents of the flagella connector. These segregate asymmetrically during cytokinesis allowing the new‐flagellum and the old‐flagellum daughters to be distinguished. We discovered that there are distinct morphological differences between the two daughters, with the new‐flagellum daughter in particular re‐modelling rapidly and extensively in early G1. This re‐modelling process involves an increase in cell body, flagellum and flagellum attachment zone length and is accompanied by architectural changes to the anterior cell end. The old‐flagellum daughter undergoes a different G1 re‐modelling, however, despite this there was no difference in G1 duration of their respective cell cycles. This work demonstrates that the two daughters of a proliferative division of T. brucei are non‐equivalent and enables more refined morphological analysis of mutant phenotypes. We suggest all proliferative divisions in T. brucei and related organisms will involve non‐equivalence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Movin Abeywickrema
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Hana Vachova
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, Prague, 14220, Czech Republic
| | - Helen Farr
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Timm Mohr
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Richard J Wheeler
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SY, UK
| | - De-Hua Lai
- Center for Parasitic Organisms, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, P.R. China
| | - Sue Vaughan
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Keith Gull
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Jack D Sunter
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Vladimir Varga
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, Prague, 14220, Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Kay C, Peacock L, Gibson W. Trypanosoma congolense: In Vitro Culture and Transfection. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 53:e77. [PMID: 30707507 DOI: 10.1002/cpmc.77] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosoma congolense, together with T. vivax and T. brucei, causes African animal trypanosomiasis (AAT), or nagana, a livestock disease carried by bloodsucking tsetse flies in sub-Saharan Africa. These parasitic protists cycle between two hosts: mammal and tsetse fly. The environment offered by each host to the trypanosome is markedly different, and hence the metabolism of stages found in the mammal differs from that of insect stages. For research on new diagnostics and therapeutics, it is appropriate to use the mammalian life cycle stage, bloodstream forms. Insect stages such as procyclics are useful for studying differentiation and also serve as a convenient source of easily cultured, non-infective organisms. Here, we present protocols in current use in our laboratory for the in vitro culture of different life cycle stages of T. congolense-procyclics, epimastigotes, and bloodstream forms-together with methods for transfection enabling the organism to be genetically modified. © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chris Kay
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Lori Peacock
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.,Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Wendy Gibson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|