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Patel NF, Letinić BD, Lobb L, Zawada J, Dlamini DM, Mabaso N, Munhenga G, Oliver SV. Comparison of the effect of bacterial stimulation on the global epigenetic landscape and transcription of immune genes in primarily zoophilic members of the Anopheles gambiae complex (Diptera: Culicidae). Mol Biochem Parasitol 2024; 260:111631. [PMID: 38844266 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Members of the Anopheles gambiae complex vary in their vector competence, and this is often attributed to behavioural differences. Similarly, there are differences in transmission capabilities of the zoophilic members of this complex despite exhibiting similar behaviours. Therefore, behavioural differences alone cannot fully explain vector competence variation within members of the An. gambiae complex. The immune system of mosquitoes plays a key role in determining susceptibility to parasite infection and consequently transmission capacity. This study aimed to examine variations in the immune response of An. arabiensis, An. merus and An. quadriannulatus, a major, minor, and non-vector respectively. The global epigenetic landscape was characterised and the expression of Defensin-1 and Gambicin was assessed in response to Gram-positive (Streptococcus pyogenes) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacterial infections. The effect of insecticide resistance in An. arabiensis on these aspects was also assessed. The immune system was stimulated by a blood-borne bacterial supplementation. The 5mC, 5hmC, m6A methylation levels and Histone Acetyl Transferase activity were assessed with commercial ELISA kits. The transcript levels of Defensin-1 and Gambicin were assessed by quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction. Species-specific differences in 5mC and m6A methylation existed both constitutively as well as post immune stimulation. The epigenetic patterns observed in the laboratory strains were largely conserved in F1 offspring of wild-caught adults. The methylation patterns in the major vector typically differed from that of the minor/non-vectors. The differences between insecticide susceptible and resistant An. arabiensis were more reflected in the expression of Defensin-1 and Gambicin. The expression of these peptides differed in the strains only after bacterial stimulation. Anopheles merus and An. quadriannulatus expressed significantly higher levels of antimicrobial peptides, both constitutively and after immune stimulation. These findings suggest molecular variations in the immune response of members of the An. gambiae complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nashrin F Patel
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa; Wits Research Institute for Malaria, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Blaženka D Letinić
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa; Wits Research Institute for Malaria, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Leanne Lobb
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa; Wits Research Institute for Malaria, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Clinical HIV Research Unit, Wits Health Consortium, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jacek Zawada
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa; Wits Research Institute for Malaria, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) National Zoological Gardens, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Dumsani M Dlamini
- Wits Research Institute for Malaria, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nondumiso Mabaso
- Wits Research Institute for Malaria, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Givemore Munhenga
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa; Wits Research Institute for Malaria, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Shüné V Oliver
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa; Wits Research Institute for Malaria, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
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2
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Kianifard L, Rafiqi AM, Akcakir O, Aly ASI, Billingsley PF, Uysal S. A recombinant Aspergillus oryzae fungus transmitted from larvae to adults of Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes inhibits malaria parasite oocyst development. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12177. [PMID: 37500682 PMCID: PMC10374630 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38654-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The control of malaria parasite transmission from mosquitoes to humans is hampered by decreasing efficacies of insecticides, development of drug resistance against the last-resort antimalarials, and the absence of effective vaccines. Herein, the anti-plasmodial transmission blocking activity of a recombinant Aspergillus oryzae (A. oryzae-R) fungus strain, which is used in human food industry, was investigated in laboratory-reared Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. The recombinant fungus strain was genetically modified to secrete two anti-plasmodial effector peptides, MP2 (midgut peptide 2) and EPIP (enolase-plasminogen interaction peptide) peptides. The transstadial transmission of the fungus from larvae to adult mosquitoes was confirmed following inoculation of A. oryzae-R in the water trays used for larval rearing. Secretion of the anti-plasmodial effector peptides inside the mosquito midguts inhibited oocyst formation of P. berghei parasites. These results indicate that A. oryzae can be used as a paratransgenesis model carrying effector proteins to inhibit malaria parasite development in An. stephensi. Further studies are needed to determine if this recombinant fungus can be adapted under natural conditions, with a minimal or no impact on the environment, to target mosquito-borne infectious disease agents inside their vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Kianifard
- Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, 34820, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ab Matteen Rafiqi
- Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, 34820, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Osman Akcakir
- Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, 34820, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ahmed S I Aly
- Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, 34820, Istanbul, Turkey
- School of Science and Engineering, Al Akhawayn University, Ifrane, 53000, Morocco
| | - Peter F Billingsley
- Sanaria Inc., 9800 Medical Center Dr., Suite A209, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Serdar Uysal
- Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, 34820, Istanbul, Turkey.
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3
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Parres-Mercader M, Pance A, Gómez-Díaz E. Novel systems to study vector-pathogen interactions in malaria. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1146030. [PMID: 37305421 PMCID: PMC10253182 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1146030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Some parasitic diseases, such as malaria, require two hosts to complete their lifecycle: a human and an insect vector. Although most malaria research has focused on parasite development in the human host, the life cycle within the vector is critical for the propagation of the disease. The mosquito stage of the Plasmodium lifecycle represents a major demographic bottleneck, crucial for transmission blocking strategies. Furthermore, it is in the vector, where sexual recombination occurs generating "de novo" genetic diversity, which can favor the spread of drug resistance and hinder effective vaccine development. However, understanding of vector-parasite interactions is hampered by the lack of experimental systems that mimic the natural environment while allowing to control and standardize the complexity of the interactions. The breakthrough in stem cell technologies has provided new insights into human-pathogen interactions, but these advances have not been translated into insect models. Here, we review in vivo and in vitro systems that have been used so far to study malaria in the mosquito. We also highlight the relevance of single-cell technologies to progress understanding of these interactions with higher resolution and depth. Finally, we emphasize the necessity to develop robust and accessible ex vivo systems (tissues and organs) to enable investigation of the molecular mechanisms of parasite-vector interactions providing new targets for malaria control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Parres-Mercader
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPBLN, CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Alena Pance
- School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Gómez-Díaz
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPBLN, CSIC), Granada, Spain
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Nourani L, Mehrizi AA, Pirahmadi S, Pourhashem Z, Asadollahi E, Jahangiri B. CRISPR/Cas advancements for genome editing, diagnosis, therapeutics, and vaccine development for Plasmodium parasites, and genetic engineering of Anopheles mosquito vector. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2023; 109:105419. [PMID: 36842543 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2023]
Abstract
Malaria as vector-borne disease remains important health concern with over 200 million cases globally. Novel antimalarial medicines and more effective vaccines must be developed to eliminate and eradicate malaria. Appraisal of preceding genome editing approaches confirmed the CRISPR/Cas nuclease system as a novel proficient genome editing system and a tool for species-specific diagnosis, and drug resistance researches for Plasmodium species, and gene drive to control Anopheles population. CRISPR/Cas technology, as a handy tool for genome editing can be justified for the production of transgenic malaria parasites like Plasmodium transgenic lines expressing Cas9, chimeric Plasmodium transgenic lines, knockdown and knockout transgenic parasites, and transgenic parasites expressing alternative alleles, and also mutant strains of Anopheles such as only male mosquito populations, generation of wingless mosquitoes, and creation of knock-out/ knock-in mutants. Though, the incorporation of traditional methods and novel molecular techniques could noticeably enhance the quality of results. The striking development of a CRISPR/Cas-based diagnostic kit that can specifically diagnose the Plasmodium species or drug resistance markers is highly required in malaria settings with affordable cost and high-speed detection. Furthermore, the advancement of genome modifications by CRISPR/Cas technologies resolves contemporary restrictions to culturing, maintaining, and analyzing these parasites, and the aptitude to investigate parasite genome functions opens up new vistas in the better understanding of pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Nourani
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Akram Abouie Mehrizi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Sakineh Pirahmadi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zeinab Pourhashem
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elahe Asadollahi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Babak Jahangiri
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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Srinivasan S, Ghosh C, Das S, Thakare A, Singh S, Ganesh A, Mahawar H, Jaisimha A, Krishna M, Chattopadhyay A, Borah R, Singh V, M S, Kumar N, Kumar S, Swain S, Subramani S. Identification of a TNF-TNFR-like system in malaria vectors (Anopheles stephensi) likely to influence Plasmodium resistance. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19079. [PMID: 36351999 PMCID: PMC9646898 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23780-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification of Plasmodium-resistance genes in malaria vectors remains an elusive goal despite the recent availability of high-quality genomes of several mosquito vectors. Anopheles stephensi, with its three distinctly-identifiable forms at the egg stage, correlating with varying vector competence, offers an ideal species to discover functional mosquito genes implicated in Plasmodium resistance. Recently, the genomes of several strains of An. stephensi of the type-form, known to display high vectorial capacity, were reported. Here, we report a chromosomal-level assembly of an intermediate-form of An. stephensi strain (IndInt), shown to have reduced vectorial capacity relative to a strain of type-form (IndCh). The contig level assembly with a L50 of 4 was scaffolded into chromosomes by using the genome of IndCh as the reference. The final assembly shows a heterozygous paracentric inversion, 3Li, involving 8 Mbp, which is syntenic to the extensively-studied 2La inversion implicated in Plasmodium resistance in An. gambiae involving 21 Mbp. Deep annotation of genes within the 3Li region in the IndInt assembly using the state-of-the-art protein-fold prediction and other annotation tools reveals the presence of a tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) like gene, which is the homolog of the Eiger gene in Drosophila. Subsequent chromosome-wide searches revealed homologs of Wengen (Wgn) and Grindelwald (Grnd) genes, which are known to be the receptors for Eiger in Drosophila. We have identified all the genes in IndInt required for Eiger-mediated signaling by analogy to the TNF-alpha system, suggesting the presence of a functionally-active Eiger signaling pathway in IndInt. Comparative genomics of the three type-forms with that of IndInt, reveals structurally disruptive mutations in Eiger gene in all three strains of the type-form, suggesting compromised innate immunity in the type-form as the likely cause of high vectorial capacity in these strains. This is the first report of the presence of a homolog of Eiger in malaria vectors, known to be involved in cell death in Drosophila, within an inversion region in IndInt syntenic to an inversion associated with Plasmodium resistance in An. gambiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhashini Srinivasan
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Chaitali Ghosh
- grid.508203.c0000 0004 9410 4854Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Center at inStem, Bellary Road, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, 560065 India
| | - Shrestha Das
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Aditi Thakare
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Siddharth Singh
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Apoorva Ganesh
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Harsh Mahawar
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Aadhya Jaisimha
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Mohanapriya Krishna
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Aritra Chattopadhyay
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Rishima Borah
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Vikrant Singh
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Soumya M
- grid.508203.c0000 0004 9410 4854Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Center at inStem, Bellary Road, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, 560065 India
| | - Naveen Kumar
- grid.508203.c0000 0004 9410 4854Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Center at inStem, Bellary Road, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, 560065 India
| | - Sampath Kumar
- grid.508203.c0000 0004 9410 4854Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Center at inStem, Bellary Road, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, 560065 India
| | - Sunita Swain
- grid.508203.c0000 0004 9410 4854Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Center at inStem, Bellary Road, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, 560065 India
| | - Suresh Subramani
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242TIGS, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA
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Pan X, Luo Y, Liao N, Zhang Y, Xiao M, Chen P, Lu C, Dong Z. CRISPR/Cpf1 multiplex genome editing system increases silkworm tolerance to BmNPV. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 200:566-573. [PMID: 35066025 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.01.109] [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: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology is now widely used in insect studies, but the use of CRISPR can be further increased to improve insect genome engineering. We established a direct mutation at multiple loci in several genes simultaneously used by CRISPR/Cpf1 multiplex genome editing technology to target the BmNPV genome. We constructed a transgenic line that can target the BmNPV ie-1, gp64, and DNApoly genes simultaneously, and hybridized this line with an FnCpf1 transgenic line to obtain an FnCpf1 × gNPVM binary hybrid expression system and to activate the FnCpf1 gene editing system. We showed that the multiple gene editing system introduced deletions, mutations, and insertions at three target sites, and that it did not affect the economic traits of transgenic silkworm lines. The antiviral response of multiplexed genome editing lines increased significantly, and viral gene transcription and replication were significantly affected in the transgenic silkworm lines. This study provides innovative resistance materials for silkworm breeding and also provides a simplified platform for efficient insect multi genome engineering and genetic operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Yan Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Nachuan Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Ya Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Miao Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Peng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Cheng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, 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 Silkworm Genome Biology, 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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7
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James ER, Wen Y, Overby J, Pluchino K, McTighe S, Matheny S, Eappen A, Hoffman SL, Billingsley PF. Cryopreservation of Anopheles stephensi embryos. Sci Rep 2022; 12:43. [PMID: 34997079 PMCID: PMC8741979 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04113-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to cryopreserve mosquitoes would revolutionize work on these vectors of major human infectious diseases by conserving stocks, new isolates, lab-bred strains, and transgenic lines that currently require continuous life cycle maintenance. Efforts over several decades to develop a method for cryopreservation have, until now, been fruitless: we describe here a method for the cryopreservation of Anopheles stephensi embryos yielding hatch rates of ~ 25%, stable for > 5 years. Hatched larvae developed into fertile, fecund adults and blood-fed females, produced fully viable second generation eggs, that could be infected with Plasmodium falciparum at high intensities. The key components of the cryopreservation method are: embryos at 15-30 min post oviposition, two incubation steps in 100% deuterated methanol at - 7 °C and - 14.5 °C, and rapid cooling. Eggs are recovered by rapid warming with concomitant dilution of cryoprotectant. Eggs of genetically modified A. stephensi and of A. gambiae were also successfully cryopreserved. This enabling methodology will allow long-term conservation of mosquitoes as well as acceleration of genetic studies and facilitation of mass storage of anopheline mosquitoes for release programs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Shane McTighe
- Sanaria Inc, Rockville, MD, USA.,Department of Dermatology, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Rockville, MD, USA
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