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Immunogenicity of Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein multiple antigen peptide vaccine formulated with different adjuvants.

Only low antibody levels were obtained from vaccinating human volunteers with single-chain peptide from the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP). This resulted in modest protection against sporozoite challenge. In addition, HLA restriction limits the probability of synthesis of a vaccine effective for a diverse population. We report immunization studies with a multiple antigen peptide (MAP) system consisting of multiple copies of a B-cell epitope from the central repeat region of the PfCSP in combination with a universal T-cell epitope, the P2P30 portion of tetanus toxin. This MAP4(NANP)6P2P30 vaccine was highly immunogenic in four different strains of mice when used with various safe and nontoxic adjuvants. When this MAP vaccine was encapsulated in liposomes with lipid A and adsorbed to aluminium hydroxide and given three times at 4-week intervals, the resultant antibody prevented 100% of sporozoites from invading and developing into liver stage infection. This high degree of immunogenicity of MAP4(NANP)6P2P30 vaccine formulated in liposomes, lipid A and aluminum hydroxide provides the foundation for consideration of human trials with this formulation.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed2001

Culicoides arakawae (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) efficiently blood-fed and infected with Leucocytozoon caulleryi through a natural membrane.

Culicoides arakawae, the most common Culicoides sp. on chicken farms in East Asia, is an important blood-sucking insect and Leucocytozoon caulleryi vector. How parasites, in an ingested blood bolus, enter the midgut of insects and deal with this complex and biochemically hostile environment is poorly understood. However, successful blood-feeding through a membrane in C. arakawae is beneficial for studying this phenomenon. Therefore, a membrane-feeding method for C. arakawae was developed in. The blood-feeding success rates of C. arakawae fed through five different membranes were: turkey egg at 43.7+/-11.7%, chicken egg at 45.2+/-12.1%, duck egg at 38.8+/-12.0%, pig gut at 0% and chick skin at 0%. In fertility measurements, the average number of eggs produced for C. arakawae fed through egg-shell membrane, at 77.7+/-15.1 per female, was significantly higher (P<0.01) than the 46.7+/-10.6 found in C. arakawae fed on the breast skin of a live chicken. Meanwhile, in parasite infectivity tests, C. arakawae could be infected by L. caulleryi when the vector was blood-fed with infective blood cells reconstituted with specific pathogen-free (SPF) sera through an egg-shell membrane. The sporozoite average and infection rates of inoculated chicks were 166.8+/-12.5 and 100%, respectively. In conclusion, feeding C. arakawae blood through fowl-egg-shell membranes should be an efficient method for in vitro infection of midges as the engorged midges are infected by parasites and display reproductive potential. Furthermore, the method is practical for feeding a large number of midges.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Molecular approaches for inferring evolutionary relationships among protistan parasites.

Within the diverse group of parasites broadly recognized as protists, there are limited morphological characters that can be used to distinguish species and even fewer characters that can infer evolutionary relationships among species. For this reason, molecular data are commonly used to infer relationships among species and strains. These studies most commonly rely on sequences associated with the ribosomal RNA genes but increasingly other nuclear, mitochondrial or plastid genes are contributing data. Molecular systematics has been invaluable in expanding the range of characters that are available for inferring relationships among protistan taxa. As an adjunct to morphological characters, sequence data allow us to better understand the evolutionary history of this group of parasites and thereby erect a well-supported taxonomic framework that reflects these historical relationships. Importantly, the predictive nature of such a framework can aid the search for therapeutic compounds (e.g. via shared biochemical pathways) and highlight organisms that should be tested for cross-reactivity in immunological or molecular diagnostic methods (e.g. use of the closest relatives to assess test specificity). For emergent and poorly known parasites, molecular characterization and placement within the broader phylogenetic framework can help predict likely life history traits, including possible or likely definitive hosts.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Prevalence of encysted apicomplexans in muscles of raptors.

An acid-pepsin digestion technique was used to examine portions of breast muscle and heart from raptors for encysted protozoans. Apicomplexan zoites were present in 52 (45.6%) of the 114 samples examined: 11 of 12 (91.7%) red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus), 20 of 34 (58.8%) red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), two of seven (28.6%) Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperi), three of four (75%) sharp-shinned hawks (Accipiter striatus), one (100%) Mississippi kites (Ictinia misisippiensis), one of two (50%) American kestrels (Falco sparverius), one bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), one of two (50%) golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), one of three (33%) turkey vultures (Cathartes aura), two of three (66.7%) black vultures (Coragyps atratus), three of six (50%) great-horned owls (Bubo virginianus), five of 15 (33.3%) barred owls (Strix varia), and one of 12 (8.3%) screech owls (Asio otus). Encysted protozoans were not observed in digests of tissues from three broad-winged hawks (Buteo platypterus), four ospreys (Pandion haliaetus), and five barn owls (Tyto alba). Apicomplexan cysts resembling Sarcocystis species were observed in tissue sections of muscles from 28 (37.8%) of 74 raptors.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Analysis of extracellular proteins of two Perkinsus spp. isolated from the softshell clam Mya arenaria in vitro.

Biochemical characterization of the extracellular proteins (ECP) of two softshell clam Perkinsus spp. cloned isolates, Perkinsus chesapeaki isolate G-117 and Perkinsus marinus H-49, was performed and compared to that of the oyster-derived P. marinus isolate P-1. G-117 and H-49 demonstrated distinct differences in enzyme activities; however, all three isolates shared common bands. Substrate-impregnated gels showed H-49 to possess proteolytic activities while G-117 did not. Inhibition studies revealed that H-49 ECP contain serine proteases similar to those described for P-1. The G-117 ECP lacked proteolytic activity but showed a higher production of lipolytic enzymes than H-49 or P-1. Optimal in vitro growth temperatures for the two clam isolates were generally lower than those for P-1. G-117 showed faster growth at lower salinities than either H-49 or P-1. Clam Perkinsus spp. isolates appear to be better adapted to lower salinities and temperatures than the P. murinus isolate of the eastern oyster.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Differential sorting and post-secretory targeting of proteins in parasitic invasion.

Toxoplasma gondii uses a highly coordinated arsenal of three structurally and biochemically distinct secretory granules to invade and develop in a wide range of host cells. Proteins of these secretory granules are sorted to strategic subcellular locations using distinctive sorting signals and are then triggered differentially for exocytosis. These secreted proteins are subsequently targeted and inserted into membrane domains.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Apicomplexan plastids as drug targets.

Prokaryotic metabolic pathways in the relict plastid of apicomplexan parasites make this organelle a promising target for drug development. The parasiticidal activity of several herbicides and antibacterial antibiotics is suspected to be a result of their ability to inhibit key plastid activities.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Eukaryotic genomes contain a [2Fez.sbnd;2S] ferredoxin isoform with a conserved C-terminal sequence motif.

Apicomplexan protists contain a single mitochondrial [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin sequence (mtFd) with a highly conserved C-terminal motif, VDGxxpxPH, that distinguishes it from other mtFd, which have heterogeneous C-termini. This isoform of mtFd, called 'type II ferredoxin', is widespread in eukaryotes, some species having two isoforms and others possessing only one. Because of the known modulating role of the C-terminus of type I mtFd during association with itself and other interacting proteins, the presence of a conserved C-terminus in type II mtFd suggests it evolved either as a means for optimized homodimerization or to allow interaction with a highly conserved partner(s) that is yet to be defined.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2003

Aldolase forms a bridge between cell surface adhesins and the actin cytoskeleton in apicomplexan parasites.

Host cell invasion by apicomplexan parasites requires coordinated interactions between cell surface adhesins and the parasite cytoskeleton. We have identified a complex of parasite proteins, including the actin binding protein aldolase, which specifically interacts with the C-terminal domains of several parasite adhesins belonging to the thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (TRAP) family. Binding of aldolase to the adhesin was disrupted by mutation of a critical tryptophan in the C domain, a residue that was previously shown to be essential for parasite motility. Our findings reveal a potential role for aldolase in connecting TRAP family adhesins with the cytoskeleton, and provide a model linking adhesion with motility in apicomplexan parasites.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗
PubMed2001

Migration through host cells by apicomplexan parasites.

In what appears to be an essential prelude to establish a successful infection in the mammalian host, Plasmodium sporozoites move rapidly through several host cells breaching the cell plasma membranes in the process. This mode of invasion precedes the 'traditional' mode in which the sporozoite enters by invagination of the host cell membrane and develops within a parasitophorous vacuole. Here we revisit the existing literature that supports the presence of similar invasive behaviors in other apicomplexan parasites.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Origin, targeting, and function of the apicomplexan plastid.

The discovery of a plastid in Plasmodium, Toxoplasma and related protozoan parasites provides a satisfying resolution to several long-standing mysteries: the mechanism of action for various surprisingly effective antibiotics; the subcellular location of an enigmatic 35 kb episomal DNA; and the nature of an unusual intracellular structure containing multiple membranes. The apicomplexan plastid highlights the importance of lateral genetic transfer in evolution and provides an accessible system for the investigation of protein targeting to secondary endosymbiotic organelles. Combining molecular genetic identification of targeting signals with whole genome analysis promises to yield a complete picture of organellar metabolic pathways and new targets for drug design.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Effect of desferrioxamine and 2,2'-bipyridyl on the proliferation of Perkinsus atlanticus.

Two types of iron chelators, desferrioxamine (DFO) and 2,2'-bipyridyl (BIP), selected for their differential binding properties, permeability and stoechiometry, were tested for their ability to inhibit the in vitro proliferation of the carpet shell clam parasite Perkinsus atlanticus. A tetrazolium-based assay was used to determine the effect of the drugs on cell proliferation. Both chelators were able to inhibit P. atlanticus proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, the 50% inhibitory concentration were 14 and 24 microM for DFO and BIP, respectively, in a 72 h test. This effect was reversed by co-addition of iron, confirming that this activity is due to the sequestration of iron. These results indicate a high degree of susceptibility of the protozoan parasite to chelator-induced iron deprivation. However, this effect was reversible upon removal of the drugs, indicating that the action of both chelators was cytostatic. For the range of concentrations tested the combined drug effects was not significantly higher than the additive effect of the individual drugs.

2,2'-Dipyridyl↗
PubMed2001

Mix and match modules: structure and function of microneme proteins in apicomplexan parasites.

Microneme organelles are found in the apical complex of all apicomplexan parasites and play an important role in the invasion process. The recent identification of microneme proteins from different apicomplexan genera has revealed a striking conservation of structural domains, some of which show functional complementation across species. This supports the idea that the mechanism of host cell invasion across the phylum is conserved not only morphologically, but also functionally at the molecular level. Here, we review and summarize these recent findings.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2001

Aspartyl proteinase genes from apicomplexan parasites: evidence for evolution of the gene structure.

Aspartyl proteinases are a widely distributed family of enzymes. All vertebrate aspartyl proteinases share a conserved nine-exon gene structure, but in other organisms the structure of aspartyl proteinase genes varies considerably. The exon-intron patterns generally reflect phylogeny based on amino acid sequences. However, close comparison of these gene structures reveals some striking features, such as the conservation of intron positions and intron phases between aspartyl proteinases from nematodes and apicomplexans. Here, we discuss the implications of gene structure for the possible evolution of the aspartyl proteinase family, with particular reference to the plasmepsins of Plasmodium falciparum and eimepsin from Eimeria tenella.

Amino Acid Sequence↗