Fine structure of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum in human hepatocytes in vitro

Summary Recent advances in the ability to culture the hepatic forms of mammalian malaria parasites, particularly of the important human pathogen Plasmodium falciparum have provided novel opportunities to study the ultrastrucural organisation of the parasite in its natural host cell the human hepatocyte. In this electron-microscopic and immunofluorescence study we have found the morphology of both parasite and host cell to be well preserved. The exoerythrocytic forms, which may be found at densities of up to 100/cm², grow at rates comparable to that in vivo in the chimpanzee. In the multiplying 5- and 7-day schizogonic forms the ultrastructural organisation of the parasite bears striking resemblances to other mammalian parasites, e.g., the secretory activity and distribution of the peripheral vacuole system, but also homology with avian parasites, e.g., in nuclear and nucleolar structure and mitochondrial form. The latter homologies support earlier suggestions of the close phylogenetic relationship of P. falciparum with the avian parasites. Evidence is also presented showing the persistence of the cytoskeleton of the invasive sporozoite within the cytoplasm of the ensuing rapidly growing vegetative parasites.     

A putative kinase-related protein (PKRP) from Plasmodium berghei mediates infection in the midgut and salivary glands of the mosquito

The completion of the Plasmodium (malaria) life cycle in the mosquito requires the parasite to traverse first the midgut and later the salivary gland epithelium. We have identified a putative kinase-related protein (PKRP) that is predicted to be an atypical protein kinase, which is conserved across many species of Plasmodium. The pkrp gene encodes a RNA of about 5300 nucleotides that is expressed as a 90 kDa protein in sporozoites. Targeted disruption of the pkrp gene in Plasmodium berghei, a rodent model of malaria, compromises the ability of parasites to infect different tissues within the mosquito host. Early infection of mosquito midgut is reduced by 58-71%, midgut oocyst production is reduced by 50-90% and those sporozoites that are produced are defective in their ability to invade mosquito salivary glands. Midgut sporozoites are not morphologically different from wild-type parasites by electron microscopy. Some sporozoites that emerged from oocysts were attached to the salivary glands but most were found circulating in the mosquito hemocoel. Our findings indicate that a signalling pathway involving PbPKRP regulates the level of Plasmodium infection in the mosquito midgut and salivary glands.     

Plasmodium falciparum: effect of radiation on levels of gene transcripts in sporozoites

Humans immunized by the bites of irradiated Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) sporozoite-infected mosquitoes are protected against malaria. Radiation attenuates the sporozoites preventing them from fully developing and replicating in hepatocytes, but the effects of radiation on gene expression in sporozoites are unknown. We used RT-PCR (35 cycles of PCR followed by densitometry) to assess the expression of ten genes in Pf sporozoites, and in sporozoites irradiated with 15,000cGy. Irradiation reduced expression substantially (>60%) of two DNA repair genes; moderately (30-60%) of PfUIS3, the Pf orthologue of PbUIS3, a gene up-regulated in Plasmodium berghei sporozoites and of a third DNA repair gene; and minimally (<30%) of the Pf18S ribosomal RNA, PfCSP, PfSSP2/TRAP, and PfCELTOS genes. Irradiation increased expression of PfSPATR minimally. PfLSA1 RNA was not detectable in sporozoites. These results establish that radiation of sporozoites affects gene expression levels and provide the foundation for studies to identify specific genes involved in attenuation and protective immunity.     

Characterization of the Theileria parva sporozoite proteome

East Coast fever is a lymphoproliferative disease caused by the tick-borne protozoan parasite Theileria parva. The sporozoite stage of this parasite, harboured and released from the salivary glands of the tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus during feeding, invades and establishes infection in bovine lymphocytes. Blocking this initial stage of invasion presents a promising vaccine strategy for control of East Coast fever and can in part be achieved by targeting the major sporozoite surface protein p67. To support research on the biology of T. parva and the identification of additional candidate vaccine antigens, we report on the sporozoite proteome as defined by LC–MS/MS analysis. In total, 4780 proteins were identified in an enriched preparation of sporozoites. Of these, 2007 were identified as T. parva proteins, representing close to 50% of the total predicted parasite proteome. The remaining 2773 proteins were derived from the tick vector. The identified sporozoite proteins include a set of known T. parva antigens targeted by antibodies and cytotoxic T cells from cattle that are immune to East Coast fever. We also identified proteins predicted to be orthologs of Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite surface molecules and invasion organelle proteins, and proteins that may contribute to the phenomenon of bovine lymphocyte transformation. Overall, these data establish a protein expression profile of T. parva sporozoites as an important starting point for further study of a parasitic species which has considerable agricultural impact.     

Malaria vectors of Papua New Guinea

Understanding malaria transmission in Papua New Guinea (PNG) requires exact knowledge of which Anopheles species are transmitting malaria and is complicated by the cryptic species status of many of these mosquitoes. To identify the malaria vectors in PNG we studied Anopheles specimens from 232 collection localities around human habitation throughout PNG (using CO₂ baited light traps and human bait collections). A total of 22,970 mosquitoes were individually assessed using a Plasmodium sporozoite enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to identify Plasmodiumfalciparum, Plasmodiumvivax and Plasmodiummalariae circumsporozoite proteins. All mosquitoes were identified to species by morphology and/or PCR. Based on distribution, abundance and their ability to develop sporozoites, we identified five species as major vectors of malaria in PNG. These included: Anophelesfarauti, Anopheleshinesorum (incriminated here, to our knowledge, for the first time), Anophelesfarauti 4, Anopheleskoliensis and Anophelespunctulatus. Anopheleslongirostris and Anophelesbancroftii were also incriminated in this study. Surprisingly, An. longirostris showed a high incidence of infections in some areas. A newly identified taxon within the Punctulatus Group, tentatively called An. farauti 8, was also found positive for circumsporozoite protein. These latter three species, together with Anopheleskarwari and Anophelessubpictus, incriminated in other studies, appear to be only minor vectors, while Anophelesfarauti 6 appears to be the major vector in the highland river valleys (>1500 m above sea level). The nine remaining Anopheles species found in PNG have been little studied and their bionomics are unknown; most appear to be uncommon with limited distribution and their possible role in malaria transmission has yet to be determined.     

The shikimate pathway enzyme that generates chorismate is not required for the development of Plasmodium berghei in the mammalian host nor the mosquito vector

In Plasmodium, the shikimate pathway is a potential target for malaria chemotherapy owing to its absence in the mammalian host. Chorismate, the end product of this pathway, serves as a precursor for aromatic amino acids, Para-aminobenzoic acid and ubiquinone, and is synthesised by Chorismate synthase (CS). Therefore, it follows that the Cs locus may be refractory to genetic manipulation. By utilising a conditional mutagenesis system of yeast Flp/FRT, we demonstrate an unexpectedly dispensable role of CS in Plasmodium. Our studies reiterate the need to establish an obligate reliance on Plasmodium metabolic enzymes through genetic approaches before their selection as drug targets.     

Experimental monkey hosts for human plasmodia

There has long been a need for a laboratory host of human plasmodia. Although certain of the anthropoid apes, especially Pan troglodytes (the chimpanzee) are susceptible to one or more species of these malarias, there are numerous difficulties in utilizing such animals as experimental subjects. Of the Old World monkeys, only macaques have shown some susceptibility to Plasmodium falciparum.With the demonstration in 1966 that P. vivax would develop in Aotus trivirgatus (the night monkey), New World monkeys became established as models for investigation. Later it was determined that vivax lines could be maintained in Saimiri, Saguinus, and Ateles spp. Adaptation of P. falciparum directly from man has been achieved in Aotus, with subsequent passage in Saimiri and Cebus; other Panamanian monkeys show only transitory parasitemias. Thus far, P. malariae has been infective only to Aotus.Infectivity of the gametocytes to mosquitoes has been retained in monkeys, with transmission back to man or to other monkeys, thus providing all stages of the parasites for biologic, chemotherapeutic, pathologic or immunologic studies.     

Towards a reference map of Eimeria tenella sporozoite proteins by two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry

Eimeria tenella is a parasite of great importance as a disease causing agent in the poultry industry. Until recently, biological studies have focused on specific proteins, some of which play an important role in the parasite life cycle. Post-genomic studies will make it possible to understand the complexity of the parasites and their interactions with host cells. Here we present a systematic reference map of the proteins from E. tenella sporozoites. The proteins expressed at the sporozoite stage were resolved between isoelectric points 3-10 and 4-7. They were systematically identified using mass spectrometry and 16 known Eimeria sporozoite proteins were identified on two-dimensional maps. Peptide fragmentation data from mass spectrometry were compared to single and consensus expression sequence tags in databases and to the E. tenella genome (not annotated). Among the set of unknown proteins analysed, 12 new assignments were proposed on the basis of similarities with Apicomplexa proteins. In order to define sporozoite proteins as potential targets for coccidiosis therapy, proteins were studied according to their relative abundance and immunogenicity in the sporozoite. Immunoblots of sporozoite 2D maps with chicken sera were performed and approximately 50 proteins were defined as antigens. It was shown that abundance and immunogenicity are not related in the sporozoite stage. Perspectives of gene prediction and completion of the genome annotation by a proteomic approach is discussed.     

Plasmodium berghei: infective exoerythrocytic schizonts in primary monolayer cultures of rat liver cells.

Suspensions of rat liver cells which included hepatic exoerythrocytic schizonts (HEX) of Plasmodium berghei were used to initiate primary monolayer cultures of rat hepatic cells. These cell suspensions were prepared by using an enzymatic method for the dissociation of the livers of rats that had been infected with sporozoites of P. berghei 3 to 10, 18 to 28, and 29 to 36 hr prior to the liver dissociation procedure. These cell suspensions included HEX which were infective for recipient rodents when inoculated intraperitoneally into the recipients. HEX were considered to have been successfully maintained if they retained their infectivity for rodents following the cultivation period. The relative number of infective HEX present in the liver cell suspensions before and after cultivation was determined by use of an infectivity assay. Using this infectivity assay, it was observed that less infective HEX were present in the cell population following cultivation than were present before cultivation. Infective HEX were recovered from culture in experiments in which the time in vitro ranged from 3 to 44 hr. Twelve of fifteen (80%) attempts to maintain infective HEX in culture for 21 to 28 hr were successful, while one of eight (12.5%) attempts to maintain HEX in culture for 36 to 48 hr were successful. Thus, these experiments have provided an 80% success rate for maintaining HEX for a period equivalent to over 50% of the incubation period of HEX of this parasite. This technique should be sufficient for studying in vitro the factors which influence the development of HEX, as well as for testing methods of causal prophylaxis.