Purification of native histidine-rich protein 2 (nHRP2) from Plasmodium falciparum culture supernatant, infected RBCs, and parasite lysate

Background Despite the widespread use of histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2)-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), purified native HRP2 antigen is not standardly used in research applications or assessment of RDTs used in the field. Methods This report describes the purification of native HRP2 (nHRP2) from the HB3 Plasmodium falciparum culture strain. As this culture strain lacks pfhrp3 from its genome, it is an excellent source of HRP2 protein only and does not produce the closely-related HRP3. The nHRP2 protein was isolated from culture supernatant, infected red blood cells (iRBCs), and whole parasite lysate using nickel-metal chelate chromatography. Biochemical characterization of nHRP2 from HB3 culture was conducted by SDS-PAGE and western blotting, and nHRP2 was assayed by RDT, ELISA, and bead-based immunoassay. Results Purified nHRP2 was identified by SDS-PAGE and western blot as a − 60 kDa protein that bound anti-HRP-2 monoclonal antibodies. Mouse anti-HRP2 monoclonal antibody was found to produce high optical density readings between dilutions of 1:100 and 1:3,200 by ELISA with assay signal observed up to a 1:200,000 dilution. nHRP2 yield from HB3 culture by bead-based immunoassay revealed that both culture supernatant and iRBC lysate were practical sources of large quantities of this antigen, producing a total yield of 292.4 µg of nHRP2 from two pooled culture preparations. Assessment of nHRP2 recognition by RDTs revealed that Carestart Pf HRP2 and HRP2/pLDH RDTs detected purified nHRP2 when applied at concentrations between 20.6 and 2060 ng/mL, performing within a log-fold dilution of commercially-available recombinant HRP2. The band intensity observed for the nHRP2 dilutions was equivalent to that observed for P. falciparum culture strain dilutions of 3D7 and US06 F Nigeria XII between 12.5 and 1000 parasites/µL. Conclusions Purified nHRP2 could be a valuable reagent for laboratory applications as well as assessment of new and existing RDTs prior to their use in clinical settings. These results establish that it is possible to extract microgram quantities of the native HRP2 antigen from HB3 culture and that this purified protein is well recognized by existing monoclonal antibody lines and RDTs. Graphical Abstract

Purification of Native Histidine-Rich Protein 2 (nHRP2) from Plasmodium Falciparum Culture Supernatant, Infected Rbcs, and Parasite Lysate

Background: Despite the widespread use of histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2)-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), purified native HRP2 antigen is not standardly used in research applications or assessment of RDTs used in the field.Methods: This report describes the purification of native HRP2 (nHRP2) from the HB3 P. falciparum culture strain. As this culture strain lacks pfhrp3 from its genome, it is an excellent source of HRP2 protein only and does not produce the closely-related HRP3. The nHRP2 protein was isolated from culture supernatant, infected red blood cells (iRBCs), and whole parasite lysate using nickel-metal chelate chromatography. Biochemical characterization of nHRP2 from HB3 culture was conducted by SDS-PAGE and western blotting, and nHRP2 was assayed by RDT, ELISA, and bead-based immunoassay.Results: Purified nHRP2 was identified by SDS-PAGE and western blot as a ~60 kDa protein that bound anti-HRP-2 monoclonal antibodies. Mouse anti-HRP2 monoclonal antibody was found to produce high optical density readings between dilutions of 1:100 and 1:3,200 by ELISA with assay signal observed up to a 1:200,000 dilution. nHRP2 yield from HB3 culture by bead-based immunoassay revealed that both culture supernatant and iRBC lysate were practical sources of large quantities of this antigen, producing a total yield of 292.4 µg of nHRP2 from two pooled culture preparations. Assessment of nHRP2 recognition by RDTs revealed that Carestart Pf HRP2 and HRP2/pLDH RDTs detected purified nHRP2 when applied at concentrations between 20.6 to 2060 ng/mL, performing within a log-fold dilution of commercially-available recombinant HRP2. The band intensity observed for the nHRP2 dilutions was equivalent to that observed for P. falciparum culture strain dilutions of 3D7 and US06 F Nigeria XII between 12.5 and 1,000 parasites/µl.Conclusions: Purified nHRP2 could be a valuable reagent for laboratory applications as well as assessment of new and existing RDTs prior to their use in clinical settings. These results establish that it is possible to extract microgram quantities of the native HRP2 antigen from HB3 culture and that this purified protein is well recognized by existing monoclonal antibody lines and RDTs.

Purification of Native Histidine-Rich Protein 2 (Nhrp2) from Plasmodium Falciparum Culture Supernatant, Infected Rbcs, and Parasite Lysate

Background: Despite the widespread use of histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2)-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), purified native HRP2 antigen is not standardly used in research applications or assessment of RDTs used in the field.Methods: This report describes purification of native HRP2 (nHRP2) from the HB3 P. falciparum culture strain. As this culture strain lacks pfhrp3 from its genome, it is an excellent source of HRP2 protein only, and does not produce the closely-related HRP3. The nHRP2 protein was isolated from culture supernatant, infected red blood cells (iRBCs), and whole parasite lysate using nickel-metal chelate chromatography. Biochemical characterization of nHRP2 from HB3 culture was conducted by SDS-PAGE and western blotting, and nHRP2 was assayed by RDT, ELISA, and bead-based immunoassay.Results: Purified nHRP2 was identified by SDS-PAGE and western blot as a ~60 kDa protein that bound anti-HRP-2 monoclonal antibodies. Mouse anti-HRP2 monoclonal antibody was found to produce high optical density readings between dilutions of 1:100 and 1:3,200 by ELISA with assay signal observed up to a 1:200,000 dilution. nHRP2 yield from HB3 culture by bead-based immunoassay revealed that both culture supernatant and iRBC lysate were practical sources of large quantities of this antigen, producing a total yield of 292.4 µg of nHRP2 from two pooled culture preparations. Assessment of nHRP2 recognition by RDTs revealed that Carestart Pf HRP2 and HRP2/pLDH RDTs detected purified nHRP2 when applied at concentrations between 20.6 to 2060 ng/mL, performing within a log-fold dilution of commercially-available recombinant HRP2. The band intensity observed for the nHRP2 dilutions was equivalent to that observed for P. falciparum culture strain dilutions of 3D7 and US06 F Nigeria XII between 12.5 and 1,000 parasites/µl.Conclusions: Purified nHRP2 could be a valuable reagent for laboratory applications as well as assessment of new and existing RDTs prior to their use in clinical settings. These results establish that it is possible to extract microgram quantities of the native HRP2 antigen from HB3 culture and that this purified protein is well recognized by existing monoclonal antibody lines and RDTs.

Oxidative Stress-Mediated Overexpression of Uracil DNA Glycosylase inLeishmania donovaniConfers Tolerance against Antileishmanial Drugs

Leishmania donovaniis an intracellular protozoan parasite that causes endemic tropical disease visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Present drugs used against this fatal disease are facing resistance and toxicity issues. Survival of leishmania inside the host cells depends on the parasite’s capacity to cope up with highly oxidative environment. Base excision repair (BER) pathway inL. donovaniremains unexplored. We studied uracil DNA glycosylase (UNG), the key enzyme involved in BER pathway, and found that the glycosylase activity of recombinant LdUNG (Leishmania donovaniUNG) expressed inE. coliis in sync with the activity of the parasite lysate under different reaction conditions. Overexpression of UNG in the parasite enhances its tolerance towards various agents which produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) and shows a higher infectivity in macrophages. Surprisingly, exposure of parasite to amphotericin B and sodium antimony gluconate upregulates the expression of UNG. Further, we found that the drug resistant parasites isolated from VL patients show higher expression of UNG. Mechanisms of action of some currently used drugs include accumulation of ROS. Our findings strongly suggest that targeting LdUNG would be an attractive therapeutic strategy as well as potential measure to tackle the problem of drug resistance in the treatment of leishmaniasis.

P35 and P22 Toxoplasma gondii antigens abbreviate regions to diagnose acquired toxoplasmosis during pregnancy: toward single-sample assays

Background: P35 and P22 Methods: We bioinformatically predicted P35 and P22 regions with the highest density of epitopes, and expressed them in pET32/BL21DE3 alternative expression system, obtaining the soluble proteins rP35a and rP22a. We assessed their diagnostic performance using pregnant woman serum samples typified as: not infected, NI (IgG−, IgM−), typical-chronic, TC (IgM−, IgG+), presumably acute, A (IgG+, IgM+, low-avidity IgG), and recently chronic, RC (IgG+, IgM+, high-avidity IgG). Results: rP35a performed better than rP22a to differentiate A from RC, the areas under the curve (AUC) being 0.911 and 0.818, respectively. They, however, performed similarly to differentiate A from TC+RC (AUC: 0.915 and 0.907, respectively). rP35a and rP22a evaluation by avidity ELISA to discriminate A from RC rendered AUC values of 0.974 and 0.921, respectively. The indirect ELISA and avidity ELISA results analyzed in tandem were consistent with those obtained using commercial kits. Conclusions: rP35a and rP22a features suggest that, with complementary use, they could replace parasite lysate for toxoplasmosis infection screening and for acute toxoplasmosis diagnosis. Our proposal should be validated by a longitudinal study and may lead to a reliable toxoplasmosis pregnancy control, performing tests in only one serum sample.

Comparative Immunogenicities of Full-Length Plasmodium falciparum Merozoite Surface Protein 3 and a 24-Kilodalton N-Terminal Fragment

ABSTRACTRecombinantPlasmodium falciparummerozoite surface protein 3 (PfMSP3F) and a 24-kDa fragment from its N terminus (MSP3N) that includes the essential conserved domain, which elicits the maximum antibody (Ab)-dependent cellular inhibition (ADCI), were expressed as soluble proteins inEscherichia coli. Both proteins were found to be stable in both soluble and lyophilized forms. Immunization with MSP3F and MSP3N formulated separately with two human-compatible adjuvants, aluminum hydroxide (Alhydrogel) and Montanide ISA 720, produced significant antibody responses in mice and rabbits. Polyclonal Abs against both antigens recognized native MSP3 in the parasite lysate. These two Abs also recognized two synthetic peptides, previously characterized to possess B cell epitopes from the N-terminal region. Antibody depletion assay showed that most of the IgG response is directed toward the N-terminal region of the full protein. Anti-MSP3F and anti-MSP3N rabbit antibodies did not inhibit merozoite invasion or intraerythrocytic development but significantly reduced parasitemia in the presence of human monocytes. The ADCI demonstrated by anti-MSP3N antibodies was comparable to that exhibited by anti-MSP3F antibodies (both generated in rabbit). These results suggest that the N-terminal fragment of MSP3 can be considered a vaccine candidate that can form part of a multigenic vaccine against malaria.

Maternal Trypanosoma cruzi Infection Upregulates Capacity of Uninfected Neonate Cells To Produce Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Cytokines

ABSTRACT The possibility of maternal in utero modulation of the innate and/or adaptive immune responses of uninfected newborns fromTrypanosoma cruzi-infected mothers was investigated by studying the capacity of their whole blood cells to produce cytokines in response to T. cruzi lysate or lipopolysaccharide-plus-phytohemagglutinin (LPS-PHA) stimulation. Cells of such newborns occasionally released gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and no interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-4 upon specific stimulation, while their mothers responded by the production of IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-4. Infection in mothers was also associated with a hyperactivation of maternal cells and also, strikingly, of cells of their uninfected neonates, since their release of proinflammatory (IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α]) as well as of anti-inflammatory (IL-10 and soluble TNF receptor) cytokines or factors was upregulated in the presence of LPS-PHA and/or parasite lysate. These results show that T. cruzi infection in mothers induces profound perturbations in the cytokine response of their uninfected neonates. Such maternal influence on neonatal innate immunity might contribute to limit the occurrence and severity of congenital infection.

A recombinant Leishmania antigen that stimulates human peripheral blood mononuclear cells to express a Th1-type cytokine profile and to produce interleukin 12.

Leishmania braziliensis causes cutaneous and mucosal leishmaniasis in humans. Most patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis heal spontaneously and may therefore have developed protective immunity. There appears to be a mixed cytokine profile associated with active cutaneous or mucosal disease, and a dominant T helper (Th)1-type response associated with healing. Leishmanial antigens that elicit these potent proliferative and cytokine responses from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) are now being identified. Herein, we report on the cloning and expression of a L. braziliensis gene homologous to the eukaryotic ribosomal protein eIF4A (LeIF) and patient PBMC responses to rLeIF. Patients with mucosal and self-healing cutaneous disease had significantly higher proliferative responses than those with cutaneous lesions. Whereas the parasite lysate stimulated patient PBMC to produce a mixed Th1/Th2-type cytokine profile, LeIF stimulated the production of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin 2 (IL-2), and tumor necrosis factor alpha but not IL-4 or IL-10. Recombinant LeIF (rLeIF) downregulated both IL-10 mRNA in the "resting" PBMC of leishmaniasis patients and LPS-induced IL-10 production by patient PBMC. rLeIF also stimulated the production of IL-12 in cultured PBMC from both patients and uninfected individuals. The production of IFN-gamma by patient PBMC stimulated with either rLeIF or parasite lysate was IL-12 dependent, whereas anti-IFN-gamma monoclonal antibody only partially blocked the LeIF-induced production of IL-12. In vitro production of both IFN-gamma and IL-12 was abrogated by exogenous human recombinant IL-10. Therefore, we have identified a recombinant leishmanial antigen that elicits IL-12 production and Th1-type responses in patients as well as IL-12 production in normal human PBMC.

Peptidase in the plasma of mice infected withTrypanosoma brucei brucei

SUMMARYThe plasma of mice infected with pleomorphicTrypanosoma brucei bruceicontains a peptidase which has the same electrophoretic mobility on starch gels as a parasite peptidase. An enzyme with this electrophoretic mobility was not detected in the plasma of uninfected mice. The molecular weight of this enzyme in either parasite lysate or plasma from infected mice was approximately 40000 Da when assayed on a size exclusion column using high-performance liquid chromatography. The enzyme can cleave the dipeptides leu-ala, val-leu and pro-leu, but not the dipeptide phe-ala. The enzyme also cleaved the tripeptides tyr-tyr-tyr and leu-gly-gly. Another parasite peptidase which migrates on starch gels to a different position than the above-mentioned peptidase cleaved the dipeptides leu-ala, val-leu and pro-leu but could not cleave the tripeptides tyr-tyr-tyr or leu-gly-gly. Furthermore, incubation of this parasite peptidase with normal mouse plasma at 37 °C resulted in an apparent loss of detectable activity. It is postulated that the plasma of mice modifies either the charge or enzymic activity of this peptidase. We speculate that the parasite peptidase present in the plasma of mice infected withT. bruceicould contribute to pathogenesis.