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Asparagine requirement in Plasmodium berghei as a target to prevent malaria transmission and liver infections.

ABSTRACT: The proteins of Plasmodium, the malaria parasite, are strikingly rich in asparagine. Plasmodium depends primarily on host haemoglobin degradation for amino acids and has a rudimentary pathway for amino acid biosynthesis, but retains a gene encoding asparagine synthetase (AS). Here we show that deletion of AS in Plasmodium berghei (Pb) delays the asexual- and liver-stage development with substantial reduction in the formation of ookinetes, oocysts and sporozoites in mosquitoes. In the absence of asparagine synthesis, extracellular asparagine supports suboptimal survival of PbAS knockout (KO) parasites. Depletion of blood asparagine levels by treating PbASKO-infected mice with asparaginase completely prevents the development of liver stages, exflagellation of male gametocytes and the subsequent formation of sexual stages. In vivo supplementation of asparagine in mice restores the exflagellation of PbASKO parasites. Thus, the parasite life cycle has an absolute requirement for asparagine, which we propose could be targeted to prevent malaria transmission and liver infections.

SUBMITTER: Nagaraj VA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4659947 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Asparagine requirement in Plasmodium berghei as a target to prevent malaria transmission and liver infections.

Nagaraj Viswanathan A VA Mukhi Dhanunjay D Sathishkumar Vinayagam V Subramani Pradeep A PA Ghosh Susanta K SK Pandey Rajeev R RR Shetty Manjunatha C MC Padmanaban Govindarajan G

Nature communications 20151104

The proteins of Plasmodium, the malaria parasite, are strikingly rich in asparagine. Plasmodium depends primarily on host haemoglobin degradation for amino acids and has a rudimentary pathway for amino acid biosynthesis, but retains a gene encoding asparagine synthetase (AS). Here we show that deletion of AS in Plasmodium berghei (Pb) delays the asexual- and liver-stage development with substantial reduction in the formation of ookinetes, oocysts and sporozoites in mosquitoes. In the absence of ...[more]

PMID: 26531182

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Although Plasmodium parasites and intestinal helminths share common endemic areas, the mechanisms of these co-infections on the host immune response remain not fully understood. Liver involvement in severe Plasmodium falciparum infections is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. However, the effect of pre-existing Trichinella spiralis infection on the immune response and liver immune-pathogenesis in P. berghei ANKA (PbANKA)-infected mice needs to be elucidated. METHODS:Outbred Kunming mice were infected with T. spiralis and 9 days later were challenged with P. berghei ANKA (PbANKA), and the investigation occurred at 13 days after co-infection. RESULTS:Compared with PbANKA-mono-infected mice, T. spiralis + PbANKA-co-infected mice had similar survival rate but lower PbANKA parasitaemia; however, there were more severe hepatosplenomegaly, increased liver and spleen indexes, and increased liver pathology observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining; higher expression levels of galectin (Gal)-1, Gal-3, CD68+ macrophages, and elastase-positive neutrophils measured by immunohistochemical staining; upregulated mRNA expression levels of Gal-1, Gal-3, cytokines (interferon-gamma (IFN?) and interleukin (IL)-6), and M1 macrophage polarization marker (inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)) in the liver, and increased expression levels of Gal-1, IFN?, IL-6, eosinophil cationic protein, eosinophil protein X, and M1 (IL-1? and iNOS) and M2 (Ym1) macrophage polarization markers in the spleen of co-infected mice detected by using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). In vitro study showed that compared with PbANKA-mono-infected mice, there were significantly increased expression levels of Gal-1, Gal-3, IL-6, IL-1?, and iNOS in the peritoneal macrophage isolated from co-infected mice detected by using qRT-PCR. Correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations between Gal-3 and IL-1? in the peritoneal macrophages isolated from PbANKA-mono-infected mice, between Gal-3 and IFN? in the spleen of co-infected mice, and between Gal-1 and Ym1 in the peritoneal macrophages isolated from co-infected mice. CONCLUSIONS:Our data indicate that pre-existing infection of T. spiralis may suppress P. berghei parasitaemia and aggravate malaria-induced liver pathology through stimulating Gal-1 and Gal-3 expression, activating macrophages, neutrophils, and eosinophils, and promoting mediator release and cytokine production.

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Asparagine requirement in Plasmodium berghei as a target to prevent malaria transmission and liver infections.

Publications

Asparagine requirement in Plasmodium berghei as a target to prevent malaria transmission and liver infections.

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