Plasmodium yoelii: axenic development of the parasite mosquito stages

Study of the parasite mosquito stages of Plasmodium and its use in the production of sporozoite vaccines against malaria has been hampered by the technical difficulties of in vitro development. Here, we show the complete axenic development of the parasite mosquito stages of Plasmodium yoelii. While we demonstrate that matrigel is not required for parasite development, soluble factors produced and secreted by Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells appear to be crucial for the ookinete to oocyst transition. Parasites cultured axenically are both morphologically and biologically similar to mosquito-derived ookinetes, oocysts, and sporozoites. Axenically derived sporozoites were capable of producing an infection in mice as determined by RT-PCR; however, the parasitemia was significantly much less than that produced by mosquito-derived sporozoites. Our cell free system for development of the mosquito stages of P. yoelii provides a simplified approach to generate sporozoites that may be for biological assays and genetic manipulations.     

Immunogold localization of circumsporozoite protein of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum during sporogony in Anopheles stephensi midguts

The occurrence of the circumsporozoite (CS) proteins of Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites was monitored during sporogonic development in Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. Using a monoclonal anti-CS protein antibody (3Sp2) and immunogold labeling on ultrathin cryosections it was found that CS protein is synthesized in immature oocysts from day 6 onwards when there are not yet signs of sporozoite formation. The CS protein is rapidly incorporated in the oocyst plasmalemma, which subsequently invaginates into the parasite. In the oocyst only the external sporozoite membrane contains CS protein. The inner pellicle membranes, rhoptries and micronemes do not react with monoclonal antibody (MoAb) 3Sp2.     

Roles of the amino terminal region and repeat region of the Plasmodium berghei circumsporozoite protein in parasite infectivity

The circumsporozoite protein (CSP) plays a key role in malaria sporozoite infection of both mosquito salivary glands and the vertebrate host. The conserved Regions I and II have been well studied but little is known about the immunogenic central repeat region and the N-terminal region of the protein. Rodent malaria Plasmodium berghei parasites, in which the endogenous CS gene has been replaced with the avian Plasmodium gallinaceum CS (PgCS) sequence, develop normally in the A. stephensi mosquito midgut but the sporozoites are not infectious. We therefore generated P. berghei transgenic parasites carrying the PgCS gene, in which the repeat region was replaced with the homologous region of P. berghei CS (PbCS). A further line, in which both the N-terminal region and repeat region were replaced with the homologous regions of PbCS, was also generated. Introduction of the PbCS repeat region alone, into the PgCS gene, did not rescue sporozoite species-specific infectivity. However, the introduction of both the PbCS repeat region and the N-terminal region into the PgCS gene completely rescued infectivity, in both the mosquito vector and the mammalian host. Immunofluorescence experiments and western blot analysis revealed correct localization and proteolytic processing of CSP in the chimeric parasites. The results demonstrate, in vivo, that the repeat region of P. berghei CSP, alone, is unable to mediate sporozoite infectivity in either the mosquito or the mammalian host, but suggest an important role for the N-terminal region in sporozoite host cell invasion.     

Plasmodium berghei: cloning of the circumsporozoite protein gene

A DNA fragment encoding the carboxy terminal 80% of the Plasmodium berghei circumsporozoite protein was selected from a genomic DNA expression library. Sequencing revealed that the P. berghei circumsporozoite protein was similar in overall structure to circumsporozoite proteins from other malaria species, although the central repeat region was unique in comprising two different blocks of tandem peptide repeats: 11 eight amino acid repeats with predominant sequence DPAPPNAN were followed by 16 two amino repeats, predominantly PQ. The P. berghei circumsporozoite protein exhibited limited, but about equal amino acid homology to circumsporozoite proteins from P. knowlesi, P. vivax, and P. falciparum, indicating that P. berghei is not closely related to any of these other malaria species. Cloning of the P. berghei circumsporozoite protein gene will allow direct testing of sporozoite vaccines in mice.     

Motility and infectivity of Plasmodium berghei sporozoites expressing avian Plasmodium gallinaceum circumsporozoite protein

Avian and rodent malaria sporozoites selectively invade different vertebrate cell types, namely macrophages and hepatocytes, and develop in distantly related vector species. To investigate the role of the circumsporozoite (CS) protein in determining parasite survival in different vector species and vertebrate host cell types, we replaced the endogenous CS protein gene of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei with that of the avian parasite P. gallinaceum and control rodent parasite P. yoelii. In anopheline mosquitoes, P. berghei parasites carrying P. gallinaceum and rodent parasite P. yoelii CS protein gene developed into oocysts and sporozoites. Plasmodium gallinaceum CS expressing transgenic sporozoites, although motile, failed to invade mosquito salivary glands and to infect mice, which suggests that motility alone is not sufficient for invasion. Notably, a percentage of infected Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes showed melanotic encapsulation of late stage oocysts. This was not observed in control infections or in A. gambiae infections. These findings shed new light on the role of the CS protein in the interaction of the parasite with both the mosquito vector and the rodent host.     

Levels of circumsporozoite protein in the Plasmodium oocyst determine sporozoite morphology

The sporozoite stage of the Plasmodium parasite is formed by budding from a multinucleate oocyst in the mosquito midgut. During their life, sporozoites must infect the salivary glands of the mosquito vector and the liver of the mammalian host; both events depend on the major sporozoite surface protein, the circumsporozoite protein (CS). We previously reported that Plasmodium berghei oocysts in which the CS gene is inactivated do not form sporozoites. Here, we analyzed the ultrastructure of P.berghei oocyst differentiation in the wild type, recombinants that do not produce or produce reduced amounts of CS, and corresponding complemented clones. The results indicate that CS is essential for establishing polarity in the oocyst. The amounts of CS protein correlate with the extent of development of the inner membranes and associated microtubules underneath the oocyst outer membrane, which normally demarcate focal budding sites. This is a first example of a protein controlling both morphogenesis and infectivity of a parasite stage.     

Plasmodium falciparum: glycosylation status of Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein expressed in the baculovirus system

We expressed the main surface antigen of Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites, the circumsporozoite protein (CSP), in High Five (Trichoplusia ni) insect cells using the baculovirus system. Significant amounts of the recombinant protein could be obtained, as judged by SDS-PAGE, Western blot, and immunofluorescence analysis. The cellular localization for recombinant CSP was determined by immunofluorescence. The high fluorescence signal of the permeabilized cells, relative to that of fixed nonpermeabilized cells, revealed a clear intracellular localization of this surface antigen. Analysis of possible posttranslational modifications of CSP showed that this recombinant protein is only N-glycosylated in the baculovirus system. Although DNA-sequence analysis revealed a GPI-cleavage/attachment site, no GPI anchor could be demonstrated. These analyses show that the glycosylation status of this recombinant protein may not reflect its native form in P. falciparum. The impact of these findings on vaccine development will be discussed.     

Mutational analysis of the GPI-anchor addition sequence from the circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium

The plasma membrane of Plasmodium sporozoites is uniformly covered by the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored circumsporozoite (CS) protein. Sporozoites form in the mosquito midgut through a budding process that occurs within a multinucleate oocyst underneath the basal lamina of the gut. Earlier genetic studies established that normal sporozoite development requires CS. Mutant parasites lacking CS [CS (-)] do not form sporozoites. Ultrastructural analysis of the oocysts from these parasites revealed that there is an early block in the cytokinesis that occurs within the multinucleate oocysts to generate individual sporozoites. Parasites that are hypomorphic for CS expression gave rise to sporozoites with abnormal morphology. These results proved that CS plays a direct role in the maturation of oocysts and in the normal budding of sporozoites. In this article, we examined if the membrane localization of CS via a GPI-anchor, is crucial for its function during sporozoite formation. We generated three mutants in Plasmodium berghei CS, CS-DeltaGPI, CS-TM1 and CS-TM2. In CS-DeltaGPI, we deleted the signal sequence required for the addition of a GPI-anchor to CS. The resulting protein was found only in the cytoplasm of the oocyst. In CS-TM1 and CS-TM2, the GPI-anchor addition sequence of CS was substituted by the transmembrane domain and truncated (to different degrees) cytoplasmic tail of Plasmodium thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (TRAP). The resulting CS protein was detected on the plasma membrane of the oocysts. The amount of CS in the mutants was similar to that of wild type. The sporozoite budding and development were abrogated in both CS-DeltaGPI and CS-TM mutants. The ultrastructure of the mutant oocysts was indistinguishable from that of the CS (-) parasites. Our results suggest that the GPI-anchor of the CS protein is required for sporogenesis.     

Antigenic analysis of the repeat domain of the circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium vivax

In the present study we analyzed the fine specificity of mouse monoclonal and human polyclonal antibodies directed against the repeat domain of the circumsporozoite (CS) protein of the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium vivax. Five synthetic peptides, representing monomeric and dimeric repeats of this malarial antigen, were assayed for their capacity to inhibit the binding of these antibodies to a yeast-derived recombinant CS protein. The results revealed the existence of at least two distinct repeated overlapping epitopes in the CS protein of P. vivax. Furthermore, polyclonal sera contain antibodies which recognize additional determinants not represented by the synthetic repeat peptides. Some of these sera contain antibodies recognizing a region flanking the repeat domain (region I). The present findings are in contrast with the antibody response in rodents and humans to the Plasmodium falciparum CS protein, which is directed against a single repeated immunodominant epitope.     

Sequence variation in putative functional domains of the circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium falciparum. Implications for vaccine development

Sequences of the circumsporozoite protein gene from five isolates of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum are compared, and the extent of sequence variability within putative functional domains is assessed in terms relating to vaccine efficacy. Nucleotide substitutions were observed outside of the immunodominant domain. Of the substitutions observed outside of the repeat domain, none were silent. The substitutions correlated with biologically functional regions, such as a helper T cell epitope (Th2R) and a region (N1) which may be important in liver invasion. Contrary to previous impressions, the small numbers of amino acid changes in these areas of the protein seem potentially very significant. The immunodominant repeat region displays several characteristics that implicate a rapid evolutionary mechanism, most probably involving recombination. The data supporting this are 1) variable numbers of repeats, 2) a shifting pattern of substitutions among the isolates, and 3) codon bias. The region thus has the potential for very rapid change should an effective anti-repeat vaccine come into use. We conclude that strain variability is significant, that the potential for large scale variation in the repeats is great, and that regions that may be critical for an effective vaccine are polymorphic. Their potential impact on malaria vaccine development must be addressed.     

Human recognition of T cell epitopes on the Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite protein.

In order to identify T cell epitopes recognized by human in the Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite protein, 28 overlapping synthetic peptides spanning the entire circumsporozoite protein were tested for their ability to stimulate proliferation of PBMC from 22 adults living in a malaria-endemic area of the Colombian Pacific Coast and from four individuals who never had a history of malaria infection. In addition, BALB/c mice were immunized with pools of peptides, and their lymph node cells were stimulated in vitro with individual peptides. Four epitopes were recognized by human lymphocytes but not all of them by mice. One of the epitopes was located inside the central repetitive B cell immunodominant domain. Several of the variants of the repeats were recognized by about one-third of the studied individuals. Another T cell epitope was located in the amino terminus and the other two in the carboxyl region. Peptides were recognized by both immune and nonimmune donors. Some of them were frequently recognized suggesting a lack of genetic restriction, whereas some others were recognized by only a few individuals but induced strong proliferation. These epitopes may be of potential value for a malaria subunit vaccine.     

Cellular immune response of humans to the circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium vivax.

The cellular immune response to the circumsporozoite (CS) protein of Plasmodium vivax of individuals from malaria-endemic areas of Brazil was studied. We examined the in vitro proliferative response of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 22 individuals when stimulated with a CS recombinant protein (rPvCS-2) and two other synthetic peptides based on the sequence of the P. vivax CS protein. Seven of the individuals from malaria-endemic area displayed an antigen-specific in vitro proliferative response to the recombinant protein PvCS-2 and one out of 6, proliferative response to the peptide 308-320. In contrast, none of the individuals displayed a proliferative response when stimulated with the D/A peptide which represent some of the repeated units present in this CS protein. Our study, therefore, provides evidence for the presence, within the major surface antigen of P. vivax sporozoites, of epitopes capable to induce proliferation of human PBMC.     

Seroprevalence to the circumsporozoite protein peptide antigen of Plasmodium vivax in Korean children

Recently, malaria re-emerged in the Republic of Korea (ROK), but there have been only a few reports on malaria seroprevalence. For the epidemiological study in children, a total of 1,176 serum samples were obtained from children and adolescent inhabitants from the three different regions, Pajoo, the Guro district in the western part of Seoul (Guro), and Ansan, from June to September 2002, when the transmission rate was high. Anti-circumsporozoite protein (CSP) antibody levels were assessed in samples using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Among the three regions, the highest IgG seroreactivity against the CSP antigen of Plasmodium vivax was found in the children from Pajoo (8.0%), followed by the children from Guro (3.2%), and those in Ansan (0.02%) had the lowest seroreactivity. In Pajoo, the profile of antibody response showed the highest in age 9, but decreased with age towards 12 years old. We found significant correlation between the seroprevalence and annual incidence in the investigated areas, suggesting that the area-related patterns reflected the differences of inoculation rates in children.     

Palmitoyl transferases have critical roles in the development of mosquito and liver stages of Plasmodium

As the Plasmodium parasite transitions between mammalian and mosquito host, it has to adjust quickly to new environments. Palmitoylation, a reversible and dynamic lipid post‐translational modification, plays a central role in regulating this process and has been implicated with functions for parasite morphology, motility and host cell invasion. While proteins associated with the gliding motility machinery have been described to be palmitoylated, no palmitoyl transferase responsible for regulating gliding motility has previously been identified. Here, we characterize two palmityol transferases with gene tagging and gene deletion approaches. We identify DHHC3, a palmitoyl transferase, as a mediator of ookinete development, with a crucial role for gliding motility in ookinetes and sporozoites, and we co‐localize the protein with a marker for the inner membrane complex in the ookinete stage. Ookinetes and sporozoites lacking DHHC3 are impaired in gliding motility and exhibit a strong phenotype in vivo; with ookinetes being significantly less infectious to their mosquito host and sporozoites being non‐infectious to mice. Importantly, genetic complementation of the DHHC3‐ko parasite completely restored virulence. We generated parasites lacking both DHHC3, as well as the palmitoyl transferase DHHC9, and found an enhanced phenotype for these double knockout parasites, allowing insights into the functional overlap and compensational nature of the large family of PbDHHCs. These findings contribute to our understanding of the organization and mechanism of the gliding motility machinery, which as is becoming increasingly clear, is mediated by palmitoylation.     

Ultrastructural localization of Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein in newly invaded hepatoma cells

The fate and disposition of the circumsporozoite (CS) protein of Plasmodium falciparum was investigated during hepatoma cell invasion with several sera raised against defined CS peptides, including both repeat and nonrepeat regions spanning approximately 60% of the P. falciparum CS gene product. Distribution of the protein, as revealed by immunoelectron microscopy, was limited to the surface of the sporozoite both before and after invasion. In particular, no CS protein antigen was detected in association with either the parasitophorous vacuole membrane or the host cell surface.     

Cellular effector mechanisms against Plasmodium liver stages

Advances in our understanding of the molecular and cell biology of the malaria parasite have led to new vaccine development efforts resulting in a pipeline of over 40 candidates undergoing clinical phase I-III trials. Vaccine-induced CD4+ and CD8+ T cells specific for pre-erythrocytic stage antigens have been found to express cytolytic and multi-cytokine effector functions that support a key role for these T cells within the hepatic environment. However, little is known of the cellular interactions that occur during the effector phase in which the intracellular hepatic stage of the parasite is targeted and destroyed. This review focuses on cell biological aspects of the interaction between malaria-specific effector cells and the various antigen-presenting cells that are known to exist within the liver, including hepatocytes, dendritic cells, Kupffer cells, stellate cells and sinusoidal endothelia. Considering the unique immune properties of the liver, it is conceivable that these different hepatic antigen-presenting cells fulfil distinct but complementary roles during the effector phase against Plasmodium liver stages.     

Plasmodium falciparum: release of circumsporozoite protein by sporozoites in the mosquito vector.

The release of circumsporozoite (CS) protein by Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites was investigated to identify factors regulating this process within infected Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes. The potential for sporozoites to release CS protein in vitro was not dependent upon their site-specific developmental stage (i.e., mature oocysts, hemolymph, salivary glands), their duration in the vector, or their exposure to mosquito-derived components such as salivary glands or hemolymph. The capacity of sporozoites to release CS protein was depressed by mosquito blood feeding during periods of sporozoite migration to the salivary glands, but the effect was only temporary and those sporozoites already in the glands were not affected. Free CS protein in the salivary glands was present in 93.3% of 45 infective mosquitoes. Sporozoites from these same, individual mosquitoes were also tested in vitro for CS protein release. In both cases, the amount of soluble CS protein increased as a function of sporozoite density but the total amount of CS protein per sporozoite became progressively less with increasing numbers of sporozoites. Further experiments showed that sporozoite contact with increasing amounts of soluble CS protein caused a down-regulation of CS protein release. Thus, a primary factor regulating the production and release of CS protein by sporozoites is their contact with soluble CS protein within the mosquito.     

The circumsporozoite gene of the Plasmodium cynomolgi complex

An analysis of the circumsporozoite (CS) genes of six closely related plasmodia is presented. Like other plasmodial antigens, the CS protein contains tandem repeats flanked by conventional nonrepeated sequences. Our analysis shows that the repeats, which encode the immunodominant epitope of the CS protein, diverge more rapidly than the remainder of the gene, and that the maintenance and evolution of the repeats cannot be explained as the result of selection at the protein level. We argue that a mechanism acts directly on the DNA sequence to constrain the internal divergence of the repeats, and as a result promotes their rapid divergence between taxa.     

An immunologically cryptic epitope of Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein facilitates liver cell recognition and induces protective antibodies that block liver cell invasion

Circumsporozoite, a predominant surface protein, is involved in invasion of liver cells by Plasmodium sporozoites, which leads to malaria. We have previously reported that the amino terminus region (amino acids 27-117) of P. falciparum circumsporozoite protein plays a critical role in the invasion of liver cells by the parasite. Here we show that invasion-blocking antibodies are induced by a polypeptide encoding these 91 amino acids, only when it is presented in the absence of the rest of the protein. This suggests that when present in the whole protein, the amino terminus remains immunologically cryptic. A single reactive epitope was identified and mapped to a stretch of 21 amino acids from position 93 to 113. The epitope is configurational in nature, since its recognition was affected by deleting as little as 3 amino acids from either end of the 21-residue peptide. Lysine 104, the only known polymorphic position in the epitope, affected its recognition by the antibodies, and its conversion to leucine in the protein led to a substantial loss of binding activity of the protein to the hepatocytes. This indicated that in the protein, the epitope serves as a binding ligand and facilitates the interaction between sporozoite and hepatic cells. When considered along with the observation that in its native state this motif is immunologically unresponsive, we suggest that hiding functional moieties of the protein from the immune system is an evasion strategy to preserve liver cell binding function and may be of importance in designing anti-sporozoite vaccines.