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Tang L, Sabi MM, Fu M, Guan J, Wang Y, Xia T, Zheng K, Qu H, Han B. Host cell manipulation by microsporidia secreted effectors: Insights into intracellular pathogenesis. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2024:e13029. [PMID: 39030770 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.13029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
Microsporidia are prolific producers of effector molecules, encompassing both proteins and nonproteinaceous effectors, such as toxins, small RNAs, and small peptides. These secreted effectors play a pivotal role in the pathogenicity of microsporidia, enabling them to subvert the host's innate immunity and co-opt metabolic pathways to fuel their own growth and proliferation. However, the genomes of microsporidia, despite falling within the size range of bacteria, exhibit significant reductions in both structural and physiological features, thereby affecting the repertoire of secretory effectors to varying extents. This review focuses on recent advances in understanding how microsporidia modulate host cells through the secretion of effectors, highlighting current challenges and proposed solutions in deciphering the complexities of microsporidial secretory effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyuan Tang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Musa Makongoro Sabi
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Ming Fu
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Jingyu Guan
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Yongliang Wang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Tian Xia
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Kai Zheng
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Hongnan Qu
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, Shandong University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Bing Han
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, Shandong University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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Usmani M, Coudray N, Riggi M, Raghu R, Ramchandani H, Bobe D, Kopylov M, Zhong ED, Iwasa JH, Ekiert DC, Bhabha G. Cryo-ET reveals the in situ architecture of the polar tube invasion apparatus from microsporidian parasites. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.13.603322. [PMID: 39026755 PMCID: PMC11257570 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.13.603322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Microsporidia are divergent fungal pathogens that employ a harpoon-like apparatus called the polar tube (PT) to invade host cells. The PT architecture and its association with neighboring organelles remain poorly understood. Here, we use cryo-electron tomography to investigate the structural cell biology of the PT in dormant spores from the human-infecting microsporidian species, Encephalitozoon intestinalis . Segmentation and subtomogram averaging of the PT reveal at least four layers: two protein-based layers surrounded by a membrane, and filled with a dense core. Regularly spaced protein filaments form the structural skeleton of the PT. Combining cryo-electron tomography with cellular modeling, we propose a model for the 3-dimensional organization of the polaroplast, an organelle that is continuous with the membrane layer that envelops the PT. Our results reveal the ultrastructure of the microsporidian invasion apparatus in situ , laying the foundation for understanding infection mechanisms.
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3
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Fayet M, Long M, Han B, Belkorchia A, Delbac F, Polonais V. New insights into Microsporidia polar tube function and invasion mechanism. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2024:e13043. [PMID: 38973152 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.13043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Microsporidia comprise a large phylum of single-cell and obligate intracellular parasites that can infect a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate hosts including humans. These fungal-related parasites are characterized by a highly reduced genome, a strong energy dependence on their host, but also by their unique invasion organelle known as the polar tube which is coiled within the resistant spore. Upon appropriate environmental stimulation, the long hollow polar tube (ranging from 50 to 500 μm in length) is extruded at ultra-fast speeds (300 μm/s) from the spore acting as a harpoon-like organelle to transport and deliver the infectious material or sporoplasm into the host cell. To date, seven polar tube proteins (PTPs) with distinct localizations along the extruded polar tube have been described. For example, the specific location of PTP4 and PTP7 at the tip of the polar tube supports their role in interacting with cellular receptor(s). This chapter provides a brief overview on the current understanding of polar tube structure and dynamics of extrusion, primarily through recent advancements in cryo-tomography and 3D reconstruction. It also explores the various mechanisms used for host cell invasion. Finally, recent studies on the structure and maturation of sporoplasm and its moving through the tube are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurine Fayet
- Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement", CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Mengxian Long
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Bing Han
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Abdel Belkorchia
- Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement", CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Frédéric Delbac
- Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement", CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Valerie Polonais
- Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement", CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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Fang W, Zhou L, Deng B, Guo B, Chen X, Chen P, Lu C, Dong Z, Pan M. Establishment of a Secretory Protein-Inducible CRISPR/Cas9 System for Nosema bombycis in Insect Cells. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:13175-13185. [PMID: 38817125 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c08647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Gene editing techniques are widely and effectively used for the control of pathogens, but it is difficult to directly edit the genes of Microsporidia due to its unique spore wall structure. Innovative technologies and methods are urgently needed to break through this limitation of microsporidia therapies. Here, we establish a microsporidia-inducible gene editing system through core components of microsporidia secreted proteins, which could edit target genes after infection with microsporidia. We identified that Nosema bombycis NB29 is a secretory protein and found to interact with itself. The NB29-N3, which lacked the nuclear localization signal, was localized in the cytoplasm, and could be tracked into the nucleus after interacting with NB29-B. Furthermore, the gene editing system was constructed with the Cas9 protein expressed in fusion with the NB29-N3. The system could edit the exogenous gene EGFP and the endogenous gene BmRpn3 after overexpression of NB29 or infection with N. bombycis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxuan Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Liang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Boyuan Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Binyu Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Xue Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Peng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Cheng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
- Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Zhanqi Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
- Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Minhui Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
- Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
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5
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Chang R, Davydov A, Jaroenlak P, Budaitis B, Ekiert DC, Bhabha G, Prakash M. Energetics of the microsporidian polar tube invasion machinery. eLife 2024; 12:RP86638. [PMID: 38381133 PMCID: PMC10942582 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia are eukaryotic, obligate intracellular parasites that infect a wide range of hosts, leading to health and economic burdens worldwide. Microsporidia use an unusual invasion organelle called the polar tube (PT), which is ejected from a dormant spore at ultra-fast speeds, to infect host cells. The mechanics of PT ejection are impressive. Anncaliia algerae microsporidia spores (3-4 μm in size) shoot out a 100-nm-wide PT at a speed of 300 μm/s, creating a shear rate of 3000 s-1. The infectious cargo, which contains two nuclei, is shot through this narrow tube for a distance of ∼60-140 μm (Jaroenlak et al, 2020) and into the host cell. Considering the large hydraulic resistance in an extremely thin tube and the low-Reynolds-number nature of the process, it is not known how microsporidia can achieve this ultrafast event. In this study, we use Serial Block-Face Scanning Electron Microscopy to capture 3-dimensional snapshots of A. algerae spores in different states of the PT ejection process. Grounded in these data, we propose a theoretical framework starting with a systematic exploration of possible topological connectivity amongst organelles, and assess the energy requirements of the resulting models. We perform PT firing experiments in media of varying viscosity, and use the results to rank our proposed hypotheses based on their predicted energy requirement. We also present a possible mechanism for cargo translocation, and quantitatively compare our predictions to experimental observations. Our study provides a comprehensive biophysical analysis of the energy dissipation of microsporidian infection process and demonstrates the extreme limits of cellular hydraulics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ray Chang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Ari Davydov
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Pattana Jaroenlak
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Breane Budaitis
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Damian C Ekiert
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Gira Bhabha
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Manu Prakash
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
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Lv Q, Hong L, Qi L, Chen Y, Xie Z, Liao H, Li C, Li T, Meng X, Chen J, Bao J, Wei J, Han B, Shen Q, Weiss LM, Zhou Z, Long M, Pan G. Microsporidia dressing up: the spore polaroplast transport through the polar tube and transformation into the sporoplasm membrane. mBio 2024; 15:e0274923. [PMID: 38193684 PMCID: PMC10865828 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02749-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites that infect a wide variety of hosts including humans. Microsporidian spores possess a unique, highly specialized invasion apparatus involving the polar filament, polaroplast, and posterior vacuole. During spore germination, the polar filament is discharged out of the spore forming a hollow polar tube that transports the sporoplasm components including the nucleus into the host cell. Due to the complicated topological changes occurring in this process, the details of sporoplasm formation are not clear. Our data suggest that the limiting membrane of the nascent sporoplasm is formed by the polaroplast after microsporidian germination. Using electron microscopy and 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3' tetramethyl indocarbocyanine perchlorate staining, we describe that a large number of vesicles, nucleus, and other cytoplasm contents were transported out via the polar tube during spore germination, while the posterior vacuole and plasma membrane finally remained in the empty spore coat. Two Nosema bombycis sporoplasm surface proteins (NbTMP1 and NoboABCG1.1) were also found to localize in the region of the polaroplast and posterior vacuole in mature spores and in the discharged polar tube, which suggested that the polaroplast during transport through the polar tube became the limiting membrane of the sporoplasm. The analysis results of Golgi-tracker green and Golgi marker protein syntaxin 6 were also consistent with the model of the transported polaroplast derived from Golgi transformed into the nascent sporoplasm membrane.IMPORTANCEMicrosporidia, which are obligate intracellular pathogenic organisms, cause huge economic losses in agriculture and even threaten human health. The key to successful infection by the microsporidia is their unique invasion apparatus which includes the polar filament, polaroplast, and posterior vacuole. When the mature spore is activated to geminate, the polar filament uncoils and undergoes a rapid transition into the hollow polar tube that transports the sporoplasm components including the microsporidian nucleus into host cells. Details of the structural difference between the polar filament and polar tube, the process of cargo transport in extruded polar tube, and the formation of the sporoplasm membrane are still poorly understood. Herein, we verify that the polar filament evaginates to form the polar tube, which serves as a conduit for transporting the nucleus and other sporoplasm components. Furthermore, our results indicate that the transported polaroplast transforms into the sporoplasm membrane during spore germination. Our study provides new insights into the cargo transportation process of the polar tube and origin of the sporoplasm membrane, which provide important clarification of the microsporidian infection mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Liuyi Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lei Qi
- Biomedical Research Center for Structural Analysis, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yuqing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhengkai Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hongjie Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chunfeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Tian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xianzhi Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jie Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jialing Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Junhong Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Bing Han
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Qingtao Shen
- School of Life Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Louis M. Weiss
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Zeyang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Mengxian Long
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guoqing Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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Sharma H, Jespersen N, Ehrenbolger K, Carlson LA, Barandun J. Ultrastructural insights into the microsporidian infection apparatus reveal the kinetics and morphological transitions of polar tube and cargo during host cell invasion. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002533. [PMID: 38422169 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
During host cell invasion, microsporidian spores translocate their entire cytoplasmic content through a thin, hollow superstructure known as the polar tube. To achieve this, the polar tube transitions from a compact spring-like state inside the environmental spore to a long needle-like tube capable of long-range sporoplasm delivery. The unique mechanical properties of the building blocks of the polar tube allow for an explosive transition from compact to extended state and support the rapid cargo translocation process. The molecular and structural factors enabling this ultrafast process and the structural changes during cargo delivery are unknown. Here, we employ light microscopy and in situ cryo-electron tomography to visualize multiple ultrastructural states of the Vairimorpha necatrix polar tube, allowing us to evaluate the kinetics of its germination and characterize the underlying morphological transitions. We describe a cargo-filled state with a unique ordered arrangement of microsporidian ribosomes, which cluster along the thin tube wall, and an empty post-translocation state with a reduced diameter but a thicker wall. Together with a proteomic analysis of endogenously affinity-purified polar tubes, our work provides comprehensive data on the infection apparatus of microsporidia and uncovers new aspects of ribosome regulation and transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Sharma
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Nathan Jespersen
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Kai Ehrenbolger
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars-Anders Carlson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jonas Barandun
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Ma M, Ling M, Huang Q, Xu Y, Yang X, Kyei B, Wang Q, Tang X, Shen Z, Zhang Y, Zhao G. Functional characterization of Nosema bombycis (microsporidia) trehalase 3. Parasitol Res 2023; 123:59. [PMID: 38112902 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-08082-0] [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: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Nosema bombycis, an obligate intracellular parasite, is a single-celled eukaryote known to infect various tissues of silkworms, leading to the manifestation of pebrine. Trehalase, a glycosidase responsible for catalyzing the hydrolysis of trehalose into two glucose molecules, assumes a crucial role in thermal stress tolerance, dehydration, desiccation stress, and asexual development. Despite its recognized importance in these processes, the specific role of trehalase in N. bombycis remains uncertain. This investigation focused on exploring the functions of trehalase 3 in N. bombycis (NbTre3). Immunofluorescence analysis of mature (dormant) spores indicated that NbTre3 primarily localizes to the spore membrane or spore wall, suggesting a potential involvement in spore germination. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction results indicated that the transcriptional level of NbTre3 peaked at 6 h post N. bombycis infection, potentially contributing to energy storage for proliferation. Throughout the life cycle of N. bombycis within the host cell, NbTre3 was detected in sporoplasm during the proliferative stage rather than the sporulation stage. RNA interference experiments revealed a substantial decrease in the relative transcriptional level of NbTre3, accompanied by a certain reduction in the relative transcriptional level of Nb16S rRNA. These outcomes suggest that NbTre3 may play a role in the proliferation of N. bombycis. The application of the His pull-down technique identified 28 proteins interacting with NbTre3, predominantly originating from the host silkworm. This finding implies that NbTre3 may participate in the metabolism of the host cell, potentially utilizing the host cell's energy resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhen Ma
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Min Ling
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Qilong Huang
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yijie Xu
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xu Yang
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Bismark Kyei
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- The Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- The Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement of Silkworm and Mulberry of Agricultural Ministry, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xudong Tang
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- The Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- The Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement of Silkworm and Mulberry of Agricultural Ministry, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhongyuan Shen
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- The Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- The Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement of Silkworm and Mulberry of Agricultural Ministry, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yiling Zhang
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China.
- The Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China.
- The Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement of Silkworm and Mulberry of Agricultural Ministry, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China.
| | - Guodong Zhao
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- The Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- The Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement of Silkworm and Mulberry of Agricultural Ministry, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
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9
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Antao NV, Lam C, Davydov A, Riggi M, Sall J, Petzold C, Liang FX, Iwasa JH, Ekiert DC, Bhabha G. 3D reconstructions of parasite development and the intracellular niche of the microsporidian pathogen Encephalitozoon intestinalis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7662. [PMID: 37996434 PMCID: PMC10667486 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43215-0] [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: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia are an early-diverging group of fungal pathogens with a wide host range. Several microsporidian species cause opportunistic infections in humans that can be fatal. As obligate intracellular parasites with highly reduced genomes, microsporidia are dependent on host metabolites for successful replication and development. Our knowledge of microsporidian intracellular development remains rudimentary, and our understanding of the intracellular niche occupied by microsporidia has relied on 2D TEM images and light microscopy. Here, we use serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) to capture 3D snapshots of the human-infecting species, Encephalitozoon intestinalis, within host cells. We track E. intestinalis development through its life cycle, which allows us to propose a model for how its infection organelle, the polar tube, is assembled de novo in developing spores. 3D reconstructions of parasite-infected cells provide insights into the physical interactions between host cell organelles and parasitophorous vacuoles, which contain the developing parasites. The host cell mitochondrial network is substantially remodeled during E. intestinalis infection, leading to mitochondrial fragmentation. SBF-SEM analysis shows changes in mitochondrial morphology in infected cells, and live-cell imaging provides insights into mitochondrial dynamics during infection. Our data provide insights into parasite development, polar tube assembly, and microsporidia-induced host mitochondria remodeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelle V Antao
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cherry Lam
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ari Davydov
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Margot Riggi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Joseph Sall
- Office of Science and Research Microscopy Laboratory, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christopher Petzold
- Office of Science and Research Microscopy Laboratory, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Feng-Xia Liang
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Office of Science and Research Microscopy Laboratory, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Janet H Iwasa
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - Damian C Ekiert
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Gira Bhabha
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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10
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Chanarat S. Transcription machinery of the minimalist: comparative genomic analysis provides insights into the (de)regulated transcription mechanism of microsporidia - fungal-relative parasites. Transcription 2023; 14:1-17. [PMID: 36757099 PMCID: PMC10353337 DOI: 10.1080/21541264.2023.2174765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia are eukaryotic obligate intracellular parasites closely related to fungi. Co-evolving with infected hosts, microsporidia have highly reduced their genomes and lacked several biological components. As it is beneficial for intracellular parasites like microsporidia to reduce their genome size, it is therefore reasonable to assume that genes encoding multifactorial complex machinery of transcription could be a potential target to be excluded from microsporidian genomes during the reductive evolution. In such a case, an evolutionary dilemma occurs because microsporidia cannot remove all transcription-machinery-encoding genes, products of which are essential for initialthe initial steps of gene expression. Here, I propose that while genes encoding core machinery are conserved, several genes known to function in fine-tune regulation of transcription are absent. This genome compaction strategy may come at the cost of loosely regulated or less controllable transcription. Alternatively, analogous to microsporidian polar tube, the parasites may have specialized factors to regulate their RNA synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sittinan Chanarat
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Center for Excellence in Protein and Enzyme Technology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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11
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Whelan TA, Fast NM. Microsporidia. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R936-R938. [PMID: 37751700 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
In this Quick guide, Thomas Whelan and Naomi Fast introduce the microsporidia: obligate intracellular parasites with the most extremely reduced genomes known in eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Whelan
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Naomi M Fast
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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12
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Velázquez-Lizárraga AE, Sukonthamarn P, Junprung W, Nanakorn Z, Itsathitphaisarn O, Jaroenlak P, Tassanakajon A. Molecular characterization of turtle-like protein in whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and its role in Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei infection. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 140:108976. [PMID: 37506856 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2023.108976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) is a microsporidian parasite that infects shrimp hepatopancreas, causing growth retardation and disease susceptibility. Knowledge of the host-pathogen molecular mechanisms is essential to understanding the microsporidian pathogenesis. Turtle-like protein (TLP) is part of the immunoglobulin superfamily of proteins, which is widely distributed in the animal kingdom. TLP has multiple functions, such as cell surface receptors and cell adhesion molecules. The spore wall proteins (SWPs) of microsporidia are involved in the infection mechanisms. Some SWPs are responsible for spore adherence, which is part of the activation and host cell invasion processes. Previous studies showed that TLP from silkworms (Bombyx mori) interacted with SWP26, contributing to the infectivity of Nosema bombycis to its host. In this study, we identified and characterized for the first time, the Litopenaeus vannamei TLP gene (LvTLP), which encodes an 827-aa protein (92.4 kDa) composed of five immunoglobulin domains, two fibronectin type III domains, and a transmembrane region. The LvTLP transcript was expressed in all tested tissues and upregulated in the hepatopancreas at 1 and 7 days post-cohabitation (dpc) and at 9 dpc in hemocytes. To identify the LvTLP binding counterpart, recombinant (r)LvTLP and recombinant (r)EhSWP1 were produced in Escherichia coli. Coimmunoprecipitation and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays demonstrated that rLvTLP interacted with rEhSWP with high affinity (KD = 1.20 × 10-7 M). In EHP-infected hepatopancreases, LvTLP was clustered and co-localized with some of the developing EHP plasmodia. Furthermore, LvTLP gene silencing reduced the EHP copy numbers compared with those of the control group, suggesting the critical role of LvTLP in EHP infection. These results provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of the host-pathogen interactions during EHP infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián E Velázquez-Lizárraga
- Center of Excellence for Molecular Biology and Genomic of Shrimp, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phaya Thai Rd, Wang Mai, Pathum Wan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Pongsakorn Sukonthamarn
- Center of Excellence for Molecular Biology and Genomic of Shrimp, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phaya Thai Rd, Wang Mai, Pathum Wan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Wisarut Junprung
- Center of Excellence for Molecular Biology and Genomic of Shrimp, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phaya Thai Rd, Wang Mai, Pathum Wan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Zittipong Nanakorn
- Center of Excellence for Molecular Biology and Genomic of Shrimp, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phaya Thai Rd, Wang Mai, Pathum Wan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Ornchuma Itsathitphaisarn
- Center of Excellence for Shrimp Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (Centex Shrimp), Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, 272 Rama VI, Road, Thung Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Pattana Jaroenlak
- Center of Excellence for Molecular Biology and Genomic of Shrimp, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phaya Thai Rd, Wang Mai, Pathum Wan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Anchalee Tassanakajon
- Center of Excellence for Molecular Biology and Genomic of Shrimp, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phaya Thai Rd, Wang Mai, Pathum Wan, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
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13
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Chen Y, Lv Q, Liao H, Xie Z, Hong L, Qi L, Pan G, Long M, Zhou Z. The microsporidian polar tube: origin, structure, composition, function, and application. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:305. [PMID: 37649053 PMCID: PMC10468886 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05908-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia are a class of obligate intracellular parasitic unicellular eukaryotes that infect a variety of hosts, even including humans. Although different species of microsporidia differ in host range and specificity, they all share a similar infection organelle, the polar tube, which is also defined as the polar filament in mature spores. In response to the appropriate environmental stimulation, the spore germinates with the polar filament everted, forming a hollow polar tube, and then the infectious cargo is transported into host cells via the polar tube. Hence, the polar tube plays a key role in microsporidian infection. Here, we review the origin, structure, composition, function, and application of the microsporidian polar tube, focusing on the origin of the polar filament, the structural differences between the polar filament and polar tube, and the characteristics of polar tube proteins. Comparing the three-dimensional structure of PTP6 homologous proteins provides new insight for the screening of additional novel polar tube proteins with low sequence similarity in microsporidia. In addition, the interaction of the polar tube with the spore wall and the host are summarized to better understand the infection mechanism of microsporidia. Due to the specificity of polar tube proteins, they are also used as the target in the diagnosis and prevention of microsporidiosis. With the present findings, we propose a future study on the polar tube of microsporidia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Qing Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Hongjie Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Zhengkai Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Liuyi Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Lei Qi
- Biomedical Research Center for Structural Analysis, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Guoqing Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Mengxian Long
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
| | - Zeyang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, 400047, China
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14
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Chang R, Davydov A, Jaroenlak P, Budaitis B, Ekiert DC, Bhabha G, Prakash M. Energetics of the Microsporidian Polar Tube Invasion Machinery. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.17.524456. [PMID: 36711805 PMCID: PMC9884504 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.17.524456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Microsporidia are eukaryotic, obligate intracellular parasites that infect a wide range of hosts, leading to health and economic burdens worldwide. Microsporidia use an unusual invasion organelle called the polar tube (PT), which is ejected from a dormant spore at ultra-fast speeds, to infect host cells. The mechanics of PT ejection are impressive. Anncaliia algerae microsporidia spores (3-4 μm in size) shoot out a 100-nm-wide PT at a speed of 300 μm/sec, creating a shear rate of 3000 sec-1. The infectious cargo, which contains two nuclei, is shot through this narrow tube for a distance of ~60-140 μm (Jaroenlak et al., 2020) and into the host cell. Considering the large hydraulic resistance in an extremely thin tube and the low-Reynolds-number nature of the process, it is not known how microsporidia can achieve this ultrafast event. In this study, we use Serial Block-Face Scanning Electron Microscopy to capture 3-dimensional snapshots of A. algerae spores in different states of the PT ejection process. Grounded in these data, we propose a theoretical framework starting with a systematic exploration of possible topological connectivity amongst organelles, and assess the energy requirements of the resulting models. We perform PT firing experiments in media of varying viscosity, and use the results to rank our proposed hypotheses based on their predicted energy requirement. We also present a possible mechanism for cargo translocation, and quantitatively compare our predictions to experimental observations. Our study provides a comprehensive biophysical analysis of the energy dissipation of microsporidian infection process and demonstrates the extreme limits of cellular hydraulics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ray Chang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Ari Davydov
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Pattana Jaroenlak
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Breane Budaitis
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Damian C. Ekiert
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Gira Bhabha
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Manu Prakash
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
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15
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Cooper C, Thompson RCA, Clode PL. Investigating parasites in three dimensions: trends in volume microscopy. Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:668-681. [PMID: 37302958 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
To best understand parasite, host, and vector morphologies, host-parasite interactions, and to develop new drug and vaccine targets, structural data should, ideally, be obtained and visualised in three dimensions (3D). Recently, there has been a significant uptake of available 3D volume microscopy techniques that allow collection of data across centimetre (cm) to Angstrom (Å) scales by utilising light, X-ray, electron, and ion sources. Here, we present and discuss microscopy tools available for the collection of 3D structural data, focussing on electron microscopy-based techniques. We highlight their strengths and limitations, such that parasitologists can identify techniques best suited to answer their research questions. Additionally, we review the importance of volume microscopy to the advancement of the field of parasitology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal Cooper
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation, and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
| | - R C Andrew Thompson
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Peta L Clode
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation, and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
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16
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Alice Liang FX. Optimal Diverse Biological Sample Preparation Methods for 2D and 3D Electron Microscopy Imaging. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2023; 29:92. [PMID: 37613164 DOI: 10.1093/micmic/ozad067.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Xia Alice Liang
- The Microscopy Core Laboratory, Division of Advanced Research Technologies, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, USA
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17
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Antao NV, Lam C, Davydov A, Riggi M, Sall J, Petzold C, Liang FX, Iwasa J, Ekiert DC, Bhabha G. 3D reconstructions of parasite development and the intracellular niche of the microsporidian pathogen E. intestinalis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.02.547383. [PMID: 37425741 PMCID: PMC10327200 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.02.547383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Microsporidia are an early-diverging group of fungal pathogens that infect a wide range of hosts. Several microsporidian species infect humans, and infections can lead to fatal disease in immunocompromised individuals. As obligate intracellular parasites with highly reduced genomes, microsporidia are dependent on metabolites from their hosts for successful replication and development. Our knowledge of how microsporidian parasites develop inside the host remains rudimentary, and our understanding of the intracellular niche occupied by microsporidia has thus far relied largely on 2D TEM images and light microscopy. Here, we use serial block face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) to capture 3D snapshots of the human-infecting microsporidian, Encephalitozoon intestinalis , within host cells. We track the development of E. intestinalis through its life cycle, which allows us to propose a model for how its infection organelle, the polar tube, is assembled de novo in each developing spore. 3D reconstructions of parasite-infected cells provide insights into the physical interactions between host cell organelles and parasitophorous vacuoles, which contain the developing parasites. The host cell mitochondrial network is substantially remodeled during E. intestinalis infection, leading to mitochondrial fragmentation. SBF-SEM analysis shows changes in mitochondrial morphology in infected cells, and live-cell imaging provides insights into mitochondrial dynamics during infection. Together, our data provide insights into parasite development, polar tube assembly, and microsporidia-induced mitochondrial remodeling in the host cell.
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18
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Fayet M, Prybylski N, Collin ML, Peyretaillade E, Wawrzyniak I, Belkorchia A, Akossi RF, Diogon M, El Alaoui H, Polonais V, Delbac F. Identification and localization of polar tube proteins in the extruded polar tube of the microsporidian Anncaliia algerae. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8773. [PMID: 37253964 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35511-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites able to infect a wide range of hosts from invertebrates to vertebrates. The success of their invasion process is based on an original organelle, the polar tube, which is suddenly extruded from the spore to inoculate the sporoplasm into the host cytoplasm. The polar tube is mainly composed of proteins named polar tube proteins (PTPs). A comparative analysis allowed us to identify genes coding for 5 PTPs (PTP1 to PTP5) in the genome of the microsporidian Anncaliia algerae. While PTP1 and PTP2 are found on the whole polar tube, PTP3 is present in a large part of the extruded polar tube except at its end-terminal part. On the contrary, PTP4 is specifically detected at the end-terminal part of the polar tube. To complete PTPs repertoire, sequential sporal protein extractions were done with high concentration of reducing agents. In addition, a method to purify polar tubes was developed. Mass spectrometry analysis conducted on both samples led to the identification of a PTP3-like protein (PTP3b), and a new PTP (PTP7) only found at the extremity of the polar tube. The specific localization of PTPs asks the question of their roles in cell invasion processes used by A. algerae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurine Fayet
- "Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement", CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Nastasia Prybylski
- "Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement", CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Marie-Laure Collin
- "Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement", CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Eric Peyretaillade
- "Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement", CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Ivan Wawrzyniak
- "Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement", CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Abdel Belkorchia
- "Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement", CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Reginald Florian Akossi
- "Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement", CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Marie Diogon
- "Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement", CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Hicham El Alaoui
- "Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement", CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Valérie Polonais
- "Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement", CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
| | - Frédéric Delbac
- "Laboratoire "Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement", CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
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19
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Oanh NK, Na BK, Yoo WG. The Potential Breakthroughs with ChatGPT in Parasitology. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 2023; 18:275-278. [PMID: 37583636 PMCID: PMC10423911 DOI: 10.18502/ijpa.v18i2.13197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
The Article Abstract is not available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nguyen Kim Oanh
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727, Republic of Korea
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Republic of Korea
| | - Byoung-Kuk Na
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727, Republic of Korea
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Republic of Korea
| | - Won Gi Yoo
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727, Republic of Korea
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Republic of Korea
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20
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Lv Q, Zhou B, Liao H, He X, Chen Y, Pan G, Long M, Zhou Z. Proteomic profile of polar filament and polar tube from fungal pathogen microsporidium Nosema bombycis provides new insights into its unique invasion organelle. J Proteomics 2022; 263:104617. [PMID: 35595055 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2022.104617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Microsporidium is a kind of intracellular fungal pathogen that greatly threatens the human health, breeding industry, and food security. All members of microsporidia possess a unique, highly specialized invasion organelle, described as the polar filament. Like "reversing a finger of gloves", the polar filament discharges out of mature spores to transform as the polar tube, and pathogenic sporoplasm is transported to host cell through polar tube to complete infection. During the invasion process, the structure of polar filament and polar tube has changed, so does the protein composition on them? In this study, we firstly proposed a purification method for polar filament and polar tube from microsporidium Nosema bombycis which was infected silkworm Bombyx mori, and it was also found that the structure of polar filament and polar tube was obviously different. Therefore, the proteome of these two structures was comparatively analyzed. A total of 881 and 1216 proteins were respectively identified from the polar filament and polar tube. Ten potential novel polar tube proteins (PTPs) were screened, providing a reference for the novel PTPs identification. Compared with the polar filament, there were 35 upregulated and 41 downregulated proteins on the polar tube. GO and KEGG pathway analysis of all proteins from the polar filament and polar tube provided us with a profound understanding for the microsporidian germination process, which was of great significance for clarifying the infection mechanism of microsporidia. SIGNIFICANCE: Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites that infect a wide variety of hosts, including humans. The polar filament is a unique invasion organelle for microsporidia, and it is also one of the important indexes of microsporidian taxonomy. The polar tube is deformed from the primitive polar filament in mature spores. During the germination, the polar filament turns into a polar tube, like "reversing a finger of gloves", through which pathogenic sporoplasm is transported to host cells to complete infection. Since the structure of the polar filament and polar tube has changed, what about their protein composition? In this study, it was the first time to purify the polar filament and the polar tube from microsporidium Nosema bombycis that was infected silkworm Bombyx mori, which provided new insights for studying the invasion organelle of microsporidia. Comparing the fine structure of polar filament and polar tube, we found that their structure was obviously different. Therefore, the protein composition of these two structures is supposed to be varied. In this case, the proteome of these two structures was comparatively analyzed. A total of 881 and 1216 proteins were respectively identified from the polar filament and polar tube. Ten potential novel polar tube proteins (PTPs) were screened, providing a reference for the novel PTPs identification. Compared with the polar filament, there were 35 upregulated and 41 downregulated proteins on the polar tube. GO and KEGG pathway analysis of all proteins from the polar filament and polar tube provided us with a profound understanding for the microsporidian germination process, which was of great significance for clarifying the infection mechanism of microsporidia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Bingqian Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Hongjie Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xiuli He
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yuqing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Guoqing Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Mengxian Long
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Zeyang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 400047, China.
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21
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Waffle Method: A general and flexible approach for improving throughput in FIB-milling. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1857. [PMID: 35387991 PMCID: PMC8987090 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29501-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryo-FIB/SEM combined with cryo-ET has emerged from within the field of cryo-EM as the method for obtaining the highest resolution structural information of complex biological samples in-situ in native and non-native environments. However, challenges remain in conventional cryo-FIB/SEM workflows, including milling thick specimens with vitrification issues, specimens with preferred orientation, low-throughput when milling small and/or low concentration specimens, and specimens that distribute poorly across grid squares. Here we present a general approach called the ‘Waffle Method’ which leverages high-pressure freezing to address these challenges. We illustrate the mitigation of these challenges by applying the Waffle Method and cryo-ET to reveal the macrostructure of the polar tube in microsporidian spores in multiple complementary orientations, which was previously not possible due to preferred orientation. We demonstrate the broadness of the Waffle Method by applying it to three additional cellular samples and a single particle sample using a variety of cryo-FIB-milling hardware, with manual and automated approaches. We also present a unique and critical stress-relief gap designed specifically for waffled lamellae. We propose the Waffle Method as a way to achieve many advantages of cryo-liftout on the specimen grid while avoiding the long, challenging, and technically-demanding process required for cryo-liftout. Here the authors describe the Waffle Method, aimed at increasing the throughput of and solves several challenges present in cryo-FIB/SEM sample preparation for cryo-ET analysis — the highest-resolution method for obtaining 3D views of native biological specimens in-situ.
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22
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Wei J, Fei Z, Pan G, Weiss LM, Zhou Z. Current Therapy and Therapeutic Targets for Microsporidiosis. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:835390. [PMID: 35356517 PMCID: PMC8959712 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.835390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia are obligate intracellular, spore-forming parasitic fungi which are grouped with the Cryptomycota. They are both opportunistic pathogens in humans and emerging veterinary pathogens. In humans, they cause chronic diarrhea in immune-compromised patients and infection is associated with increased mortality. Besides their role in pébrine in sericulture, which was described in 1865, the prevalence and severity of microsporidiosis in beekeeping and aquaculture has increased markedly in recent decades. Therapy for these pathogens in medicine, veterinary, and agriculture has become a recent focus of attention. Currently, there are only a few commercially available antimicrosporidial drugs. New therapeutic agents are needed for these infections and this is an active area of investigation. In this article we provide a comprehensive summary of the current as well as several promising new agents for the treatment of microsporidiosis including: albendazole, fumagillin, nikkomycin, orlistat, synthetic polyamines, and quinolones. Therapeutic targets which could be utilized for the design of new drugs are also discussed including: tubulin, type 2 methionine aminopeptidase, polyamines, chitin synthases, topoisomerase IV, triosephosphate isomerase, and lipase. We also summarize reports on the utility of complementary and alternative medicine strategies including herbal extracts, propolis, and probiotics. This review should help facilitate drug development for combating microsporidiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhong Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhihui Fei
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guoqing Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Louis M. Weiss
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Zeyang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
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23
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Willis AR, Reinke AW. Factors That Determine Microsporidia Infection and Host Specificity. EXPERIENTIA SUPPLEMENTUM (2012) 2022; 114:91-114. [PMID: 35544000 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-93306-7_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Microsporidia are a large phylum of obligate intracellular parasites that infect an extremely diverse range of animals and protists. In this chapter, we review what is currently known about microsporidia host specificity and what factors influence microsporidia infection. Extensive sampling in nature from related hosts has provided insight into the host range of many microsporidia species. These field studies have been supported by experiments conducted in controlled laboratory environments which have helped to demonstrate host specificity. Together, these approaches have revealed that, while examples of generalist species exist, microsporidia specificity is often narrow, and species typically infect one or several closely related hosts. For microsporidia to successfully infect and complete their life cycle within a compatible host, several steps must occur, including spore germination, host cell invasion, and proliferation of the parasite within the host tissue. Many factors influence infection, including temperature, seasonality, nutrient availability, and the presence or absence of microbes, as well as the developmental stage, sex, and genetics of the host. Several studies have identified host genomic regions that influence resistance to microsporidia, and future work is likely to uncover molecular mechanisms of microsporidia host specificity in more detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra R Willis
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Aaron W Reinke
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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24
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Jaroenlak P, Usmani M, Ekiert DC, Bhabha G. Mechanics of Microsporidian Polar Tube Firing. EXPERIENTIA SUPPLEMENTUM (2012) 2022; 114:215-245. [PMID: 35544005 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-93306-7_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
As obligate intracellular parasites with reduced genomes, microsporidia must infect host cells in order to replicate and cause disease. They can initiate infection by utilizing a harpoon-like invasion organelle called the polar tube (PT). The PT is both visually and functionally a striking organelle and is a characteristic feature of the microsporidian phylum. Outside the host, microsporidia exist as transmissible, single-celled spores. Inside each spore, the PT is arranged as a tight coil. Upon germination, the PT undergoes a large conformational change into a long, linear tube and acts as a tunnel for the delivery of infectious cargo from the spore to a host cell. The firing process is extremely rapid, occurring on a millisecond timescale, and the emergent tube may be as long as 20 times the size of the spore body. In this chapter, we discuss what is known about the structure of the PT, the mechanics of the PT firing process, and how it enables movement of material from the spore body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pattana Jaroenlak
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mahrukh Usmani
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Damian C Ekiert
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Gira Bhabha
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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25
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Han B, Takvorian PM, Weiss LM. The Function and Structure of the Microsporidia Polar Tube. EXPERIENTIA SUPPLEMENTUM (2012) 2022; 114:179-213. [PMID: 35544004 PMCID: PMC10037675 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-93306-7_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Microsporidia are obligate intracellular pathogens that were initially identified about 160 years ago. Current phylogenetic analysis suggests that they are grouped with Cryptomycota as a basal branch or sister group to the fungi. Microsporidia are found worldwide and can infect a wide range of animals from invertebrates to vertebrates, including humans. They are responsible for a variety of diseases once thought to be restricted to immunocompromised patients but also occur in immunocompetent individuals. The small oval spore containing a coiled polar filament, which is part of the extrusion and invasion apparatus that transfers the infective sporoplasm to a new host, is a defining characteristic of all microsporidia. When the spore becomes activated, the polar filament uncoils and undergoes a rapid transition into a hollow tube that will transport the sporoplasm into a new cell. The polar tube has the ability to increase its diameter from approximately 100 nm to over 600 nm to accommodate the passage of an intact sporoplasm and penetrate the plasmalemma of the new host cell. During this process, various polar tube proteins appear to be involved in polar tube attachment to host cell and can interact with host proteins. These various interactions act to promote host cell infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Han
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Peter M Takvorian
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Louis M Weiss
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA.
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26
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Grover M, Fasseas MK, Essmann C, Liu K, Braendle C, Félix MA, Glockling SL, Barkoulas M. Infection of C. elegans by Haptoglossa Species Reveals Shared Features in the Host Response to Oomycete Detection. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:733094. [PMID: 34722333 PMCID: PMC8552708 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.733094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Oomycetes are a group of eukaryotic organisms that includes many important pathogens of animals and plants. Within this group, the Haptoglossa genus is characterised by the presence of specialised gun cells carrying a harpoon-like infection apparatus. While several Haptoglossa pathogens have been morphologically described, there are currently no host systems developed to study the infection process or host responses in the lab. In this study, we report that Haptoglossa species are potent natural pathogens of Caenorhabditis nematodes. Using electron microscopy, we characterise the infection process in C. elegans and demonstrate that the oomycete causes excessive tissue degradation upon entry in the body cavity, whilst leaving the host cuticle intact. We also report that the host transcriptional response to Haptoglossa infection shares similarities with the response against the oomycete Myzocytiopsis humicola, a key example of which is the induction of chitinase-like (chil) genes in the hypodermis. We demonstrate that this shared feature of the host response can be mounted by pathogen detection without any infection, as previously shown for M. humicola. These results highlight similarities in the nematode immune response to natural infection by phylogenetically distinct oomycetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Grover
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael K Fasseas
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Clara Essmann
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kenneth Liu
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Marie-Anne Félix
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, Inserm, Paris, France
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27
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Abstract
Microsporidia are obligate intracellular pathogens identified ∼150 years ago as the cause of pébrine, an economically important infection in silkworms. There are about 220 genera and 1,700 species of microsporidia, which are classified based on their ultrastructural features, developmental cycle, host-parasite relationship, and molecular analysis. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that microsporidia are related to the fungi, being grouped with the Cryptomycota as a basal branch or sister group to the fungi. Microsporidia can be transmitted by food and water and are likely zoonotic, as they parasitize a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. Infection in humans occurs in both immunocompetent and immunodeficient hosts, e.g., in patients with organ transplantation, patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and patients receiving immune modulatory therapy such as anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha antibody. Clusters of infections due to latent infection in transplanted organs have also been demonstrated. Gastrointestinal infection is the most common manifestation; however, microsporidia can infect virtually any organ system, and infection has resulted in keratitis, myositis, cholecystitis, sinusitis, and encephalitis. Both albendazole and fumagillin have efficacy for the treatment of various species of microsporidia; however, albendazole has limited efficacy for the treatment of Enterocytozoon bieneusi. In addition, immune restoration can lead to resolution of infection. While the prevalence rate of microsporidiosis in patients with AIDS has fallen in the United States, due to the widespread use of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), infection continues to occur throughout the world and is still seen in the United States in the setting of cART if a low CD4 count persists.
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28
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Generation of a Microsporidia Species Attribute Database and Analysis of the Extensive Ecological and Phenotypic Diversity of Microsporidia. mBio 2021; 12:e0149021. [PMID: 34182782 PMCID: PMC8262960 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01490-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia are a large group of fungus-related obligate intracellular parasites. Though many microsporidia species have been identified over the past 160 years, depiction of the full diversity of this phylum is lacking. To systematically describe the characteristics of these parasites, we created a database of 1,440 species and their attributes, including the hosts they infect and spore characteristics. We find that microsporidia have been reported to infect 16 metazoan and 4 protozoan phyla, with smaller phyla being underrepresented. Most species are reported to infect only a single host, but those that are generalists are also more likely to infect a broader set of host tissues. Strikingly, polar tubes are threefold longer in species that infect tissues besides the intestine, suggesting that polar tube length is a determinant of tissue specificity. Phylogenetic analysis revealed four clades which each contain microsporidia that infect hosts from all major habitats. Although related species are more likely to infect similar hosts, we observe examples of changes in host specificity and convergent evolution. Taken together, our results show that microsporidia display vast diversity in their morphology and the hosts they infect, illustrating the flexibility of these parasites to evolve new traits.
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29
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Bao J, Mo B, An G, Luo J, Poncz M, Pan G, Li T, Zhou Z. Von Willebrand Factor Facilitates Intravascular Dissemination of Microsporidia Encephalitozoon hellem. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:694957. [PMID: 34095003 PMCID: PMC8176104 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.694957] [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] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia are a group of spore-forming, fungus-related pathogens that can infect both invertebrates and vertebrates including humans. The primary infection site is usually digestive tract, but systemic infections occur as well and cause damages to organs such as lung, brain, and liver. The systemic spread of microsporidia may be intravascular, requiring attachment and colonization in the presence of shear stress. Von Willebrand Factor (VWF) is a large multimeric intravascular protein and the key attachment sites for platelets and coagulation factors. Here in this study, we investigated the interactions between VWF and microsporidia Encephalitozoon hellem (E. hellem), and the modulating effects on E. hellem after VWF binding. Microfluidic assays showed that E. hellem binds to ultra-large VWF strings under shear stress. In vitro germination assay and infection assay proved that E. hellem significantly increased the rates of germination and infection, and these effects would be reversed by VWF blocking antibody. Mass spectrometry analysis further revealed that VWF-incubation altered various aspects of E. hellem including metabolic activity, levels of structural molecules, and protein maturation. Our findings demonstrated that VWF can bind microsporidia in circulation, and modulate its pathogenicity, including promoting germination and infection rate. VWF facilitates microsporidia intravascular spreading and systemic infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialing Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Biying Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guozhen An
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jian Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Mortimer Poncz
- Department of Pediatrics, The Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Guoqing Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Tian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zeyang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
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