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Leong YW, Russell B, Malleret B, Rénia L. Erythrocyte tropism of malarial parasites: The reticulocyte appeal. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1022828. [PMID: 36386653 PMCID: PMC9643692 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1022828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Erythrocytes are formed from the enucleation of erythroblasts in the bone marrow, and as erythrocytes develop from immature reticulocytes into mature normocytes, they undergo extensive cellular changes through their passage in the blood. During the blood stage of the malarial parasite life cycle, the parasite sense and invade susceptible erythrocytes. However, different parasite species display varying erythrocyte tropisms (i.e., preference for either reticulocytes or normocytes). In this review, we explore the erythrocyte tropism of malarial parasites, especially their predilection to invade reticulocytes, as shown from recent studies. We also discuss possible mechanisms mediating erythrocyte tropism and the implications of specific tropisms to disease pathophysiology. Understanding these allows better insight into the role of reticulocytes in malaria and provides opportunities for targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yew Wai Leong
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bruce Russell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Benoit Malleret
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Immunology Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Laurent Rénia
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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Leong YW, Lee EQH, Rénia L, Malleret B. Rodent Malaria Erythrocyte Preference Assessment by an Ex Vivo Tropism Assay. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:680136. [PMID: 34322397 PMCID: PMC8311856 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.680136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Circulating red blood cells consist of young erythrocytes (early and late reticulocytes) and mature erythrocytes (normocytes). The human malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax, have a preference to invade reticulocytes during blood-stage infection. Rodent malaria parasites that also prefer reticulocytes could be useful tools to study human malaria reticulocyte invasion. However, previous tropism studies of rodent malaria are inconsistent from one another, making it difficult to compare cell preference of different parasite species and strains. In vivo measurements of cell tropism are also subjected to many confounding factors. Here we developed an ex vivo tropism assay for rodent malaria with highly purified fractions of murine reticulocytes and normocytes. We measured invasion into the different erythrocyte populations using flow cytometry and evaluated the tropism index of the parasite strains. We found that P. berghei ANKA displayed the strongest reticulocyte preference, followed by P. yoelii 17X1.1, whereas P. chabaudi AS and P. vinckei S67 showed mixed tropism. These preferences are intrinsic and were maintained at different reticulocyte and normocyte availabilities. Our study shed light on the true erythrocyte preference of the parasites and paves the way for future investigations on the receptor-ligand interactions mediating erythrocyte tropism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yew Wai Leong
- Agency for Science, Technology and Research Infectious Diseases Laboratories (A*STAR ID Labs), Immunos, Biopolis, Singapore, Singapore
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Immunos, Biopolis, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Immunology Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Immunology Program, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Erica Qian Hui Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Immunology Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Immunology Program, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Laurent Rénia
- Agency for Science, Technology and Research Infectious Diseases Laboratories (A*STAR ID Labs), Immunos, Biopolis, Singapore, Singapore
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Immunos, Biopolis, Singapore, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Benoit Malleret
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Immunos, Biopolis, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Immunology Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Immunology Program, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore, Singapore
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