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Finkensieper J, Mayerle F, Rentería-Solís Z, Fertey J, Makert GR, Lange F, Besecke J, Schopf S, Poremba A, König U, Standfest B, Thoma M, Daugschies A, Ulbert S. Apicomplexan parasites are attenuated by low-energy electron irradiation in an automated microfluidic system and protect against infection with Toxoplasma gondii. Parasitol Res 2023:10.1007/s00436-023-07880-w. [PMID: 37233817 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07880-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Radiation-attenuated intracellular parasites are promising immunization strategies. The irradiated parasites are able to invade host cells but fail to fully replicate, which allows for the generation of an efficient immune response. Available radiation technologies such as gamma rays require complex shielding constructions and are difficult to be integrated into pharmaceutical production processes. In this study, we evaluated for the first time low-energy electron irradiation (LEEI) as a method to generate replication-deficient Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptosporidium parvum. Similar to other radiation technologies, LEEI mainly damages nucleic acids; however, it is applicable in standard laboratories. By using a novel, continuous, and microfluidic-based LEEI process, tachyzoites of T. gondii and oocysts of C. parvum were irradiated and subsequently analyzed in vitro. The LEEI-treated parasites invaded host cells but were arrested in intracellular replication. Antibody-based analysis of surface proteins revealed no significant structural damage due to LEEI. Similarly, excystation rates of sporozoites from irradiated C. parvum oocysts were similar to those from untreated controls. Upon immunization of mice, LEEI-attenuated T. gondii tachyzoites induced high levels of antibodies and protected the animals from acute infection. These results suggest that LEEI is a useful technology for the generation of attenuated Apicomplexan parasites and has potential for the development of anti-parasitic vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Finkensieper
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, Perlickstrasse 1, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Florian Mayerle
- Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA, Nobelstrasse 12, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Zaida Rentería-Solís
- Institute of Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, An den Tierkliniken 35, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Albrecht-Daniel-Thaer Institute, Rudolf-Breitscheid-Str. 35, 04463 Großpösna, Germany
| | - Jasmin Fertey
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, Perlickstrasse 1, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gustavo R Makert
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, Perlickstrasse 1, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Franziska Lange
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, Perlickstrasse 1, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Joana Besecke
- Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP, Winterbergstrasse 28, 01277, Dresden, Germany
| | - Simone Schopf
- Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP, Winterbergstrasse 28, 01277, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andre Poremba
- Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP, Winterbergstrasse 28, 01277, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ulla König
- Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP, Winterbergstrasse 28, 01277, Dresden, Germany
| | - Bastian Standfest
- Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA, Nobelstrasse 12, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Martin Thoma
- Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA, Nobelstrasse 12, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Arwid Daugschies
- Institute of Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, An den Tierkliniken 35, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ulbert
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, Perlickstrasse 1, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
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Gao X, Yin J, Wang D, Li X, Zhang Y, Wang C, Zhang Y, Zhu G. Discovery of New Microneme Proteins in Cryptosporidium parvum and Implication of the Roles of a Rhomboid Membrane Protein (CpROM1) in Host-Parasite Interaction. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:778560. [PMID: 34966810 PMCID: PMC8710574 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.778560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites possess several unique secretory organelles, including rhoptries, micronemes, and dense granules, which play critical roles in the invasion of host cells. The molecular content of these organelles and their biological roles have been well-studied in Toxoplasma and Plasmodium, but are underappreciated in Cryptosporidium, which contains many parasites of medical and veterinary importance. Only four proteins have previously been identified or proposed to be located in micronemes, one of which, GP900, was confirmed using immunogold electron microscopy (IEM) to be present in the micronemes of intracellular merozoites. Here, we report on the discovery of four new microneme proteins (MICs) in the sporozoites of the zoonotic species C. parvum, identified using immunofluorescence assay (IFA). These proteins are encoded by cgd3_980, cgd1_3550, cgd1_3680, and cgd2_1590. The presence of the protein encoded by cgd3_980 in sporozoite micronemes was further confirmed using IEM. Cgd3_980 encodes one of the three C. parvum rhomboid peptidases (ROMs) and is, thus, designated CpROM1. IEM also confirmed the presence of CpROM1 in the micronemes of intracellular merozoites, parasitophorous vacuole membranes (PVM), and feeder organelles (FO). CpROM1 was enriched in the pellicles and concentrated at the host cell–parasite interface during the invasion of sporozoites and its subsequent transformation into trophozoites. CpROM1 transcript levels were also higher in oocysts and excysted sporozoites than in the intracellular parasite stages. These observations indicate that CpROM1, an intramembrane peptidase with membrane proteolytic activity, is involved in host–parasite interactions, including invasion and proteostasis of PVM and FO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Gao
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, The Institute of Zoonosis, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jigang Yin
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, The Institute of Zoonosis, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Dongqiang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, The Institute of Zoonosis, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xiaohui Li
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, The Institute of Zoonosis, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, The Institute of Zoonosis, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Chenchen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, The Institute of Zoonosis, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Electron Microscopy Core Facility, The Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Guan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, The Institute of Zoonosis, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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