A genetic screen in rodent malaria parasites identifies five new apicoplast putative membrane transporters, one of which is essential in human malaria parasites

AbstractThe study of human malaria caused by species of Plasmodium has undoubtedly been enriched by the use of model systems, such as the rodent malaria parasites originally isolated from African thicket rats. A significant gap in the arsenal of resources of the species that make up the rodent malaria parasites has been the lack of any such tools for the fourth of the species, Plasmodium vinckei. This has recently been rectified by Abhinay Ramaprasad and colleagues, whose pivotal paper published in BMC Biology describes a cornucopia of new P. vinckei ‘omics datasets, mosquito transmission experiments, transfection protocols, and virulence phenotypes, to propel this species firmly into the twenty-first century.

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Generation of Transgenic Rodent Malaria Parasites Expressing Human Malaria Parasite Proteins

Malaria Vaccines - Methods in Molecular Biology ◽

10.1007/978-1-4939-2815-6_21 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 257-286 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Ahmed M. Salman ◽

Catherin Marin Mogollon ◽

Jing-wen Lin ◽

Fiona J. A. van Pul ◽

Chris J. Janse ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Malaria Parasite ◽

Malaria Parasites ◽

Human Malaria Parasite ◽

Rodent Malaria ◽

Human Malaria

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Rodent Malaria Erythrocyte Preference Assessment by an Ex Vivo Tropism Assay

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fcimb.2021.680136 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Yew Wai Leong ◽

Erica Qian Hui Lee ◽

Laurent Rénia ◽

Benoit Malleret

Keyword(s):

Ex Vivo ◽

Preference Assessment ◽

Cell Tropism ◽

Malaria Parasites ◽

Rodent Malaria ◽

Human Malaria ◽

Ligand Interactions ◽

Blood Stage Infection ◽

Stage Infection

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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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Membrane transporters in the relict plastid of malaria parasites.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.1033035.374646 ◽

2006 ◽

Author(s):

Jurgen Soll

Keyword(s):

Membrane Transporters ◽

Malaria Parasites

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Development of transgenic fungi that kill human malaria parasites in mosquitoes.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.11706956.12786055 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Saskia Hogenhout

Keyword(s):

Malaria Parasites ◽

Human Malaria

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Non-human primate and human malaria: past, present and future

Journal of Travel Medicine ◽

10.1093/jtm/taab036 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Spinello Antinori ◽

Cecilia Bonazzetti ◽

Andrea Giacomelli ◽

Mario Corbellino ◽

Massimo Galli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plasmodium Knowlesi ◽

Plasmodium Species ◽

Molecular Techniques ◽

Malaria Parasites ◽

Human Malaria ◽

Complex Interactions ◽

Zoonotic Malaria ◽

The Impact ◽

Human Plasmodium ◽

Human Primate

Abstract Background Studies of the malaria parasites infecting various non-human primates (NHPs) have increased our understanding of the origin, biology and pathogenesis of human Plasmodium parasites. This review considers the major discoveries concerning NHP malaria parasites, highlights their relationships with human malaria and considers the impact that this may have on attempts to eradicate the disease. Results The first description of NHP malaria parasites dates back to the early 20th century. Subsequently, experimental and fortuitous findings indicating that some NHP malaria parasites can be transmitted to humans have raised concerns about the possible impact of a zoonotic malaria reservoir on efforts to control human malaria. Advances in molecular techniques over the last 15 years have contributed greatly to our knowledge of the existence and geographical distribution of numerous Plasmodium species infecting NHPs, and extended our understanding of their close phylogenetic relationships with human malaria parasites. The clinical application of such techniques has also made it possible to document ongoing spillovers of NHP malaria parasites (Plasmodium knowlesi, P. cynomolgi, P. simium, P. brasilianum) in humans living in or near the forests of Asia and South America, thus confirming that zoonotic malaria can undermine efforts to eradicate human malaria. Conclusions Increasing molecular research supports the prophetic intuition of the pioneers of modern malariology who saw zoonotic malaria as a potential obstacle to the full success of malaria eradication programmes. It is, therefore, important to continue surveillance and research based on one-health approaches in order to improve our understanding of the complex interactions between NHPs, mosquito vectors and humans during a period of ongoing changes in the climate and the use of land, monitor the evolution of zoonotic malaria, identify the populations most at risk and implement appropriate preventive strategies.

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Genome sequence, transcriptome, and annotation of rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis N67

BMC Genomics ◽

10.1186/s12864-021-07555-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Cui Zhang ◽

Cihan Oguz ◽

Sue Huse ◽

Lu Xia ◽

Jian Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dna Sequences ◽

Malaria Parasite ◽

Vaccine Development ◽

De Novo ◽

Gene Families ◽

Plasmodium Yoelii ◽

Control Measures ◽

Effective Control ◽

Malaria Parasites ◽

Rodent Malaria

Abstract Background Rodent malaria parasites are important models for studying host-malaria parasite interactions such as host immune response, mechanisms of parasite evasion of host killing, and vaccine development. One of the rodent malaria parasites is Plasmodium yoelii, and multiple P. yoelii strains or subspecies that cause different disease phenotypes have been widely employed in various studies. The genomes and transcriptomes of several P. yoelii strains have been analyzed and annotated, including the lethal strains of P. y. yoelii YM (or 17XL) and non-lethal strains of P. y. yoelii 17XNL/17X. Genomic DNA sequences and cDNA reads from another subspecies P. y. nigeriensis N67 have been reported for studies of genetic polymorphisms and parasite response to drugs, but its genome has not been assembled and annotated. Results We performed genome sequencing of the N67 parasite using the PacBio long-read sequencing technology, de novo assembled its genome and transcriptome, and predicted 5383 genes with high overall annotation quality. Comparison of the annotated genome of the N67 parasite with those of YM and 17X parasites revealed a set of genes with N67-specific orthology, expansion of gene families, particularly the homologs of the Plasmodium chabaudi erythrocyte membrane antigen, large numbers of SNPs and indels, and proteins predicted to interact with host immune responses based on their functional domains. Conclusions The genomes of N67 and 17X parasites are highly diverse, having approximately one polymorphic site per 50 base pairs of DNA. The annotated N67 genome and transcriptome provide searchable databases for fast retrieval of genes and proteins, which will greatly facilitate our efforts in studying the parasite biology and gene function and in developing effective control measures against malaria.

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