Interaction of Plasmodium vivax Tryptophan-rich Antigen PvTRAg38 with Band 3 on Human Erythrocyte Surface Facilitates Parasite Growth.

Plasmodium tryptophan-rich proteins are involved in host-parasite interaction and thus potential drug/vaccine targets. Recently, we have described several P. vivax tryptophan-rich antigens (PvTRAgs), including merozoite expressed PvTRAg38, from this noncultivable human malaria parasite. PvTRAg38 is highly immunogenic in humans and binds to host erythrocytes, and this binding is inhibited by the patient sera. This binding is also affected if host erythrocytes were pretreated with chymotrypsin. Here, Band 3 has been identified as the chymotrypsin-sensitive erythrocyte receptor for this parasite protein. Interaction of PvTRAg38 with Band 3 has been mapped to its three different ectodomains (loops 1, 3, and 6) exposed at the surface of the erythrocyte. The binding region of PvTRAg38 to Band3 has been mapped to its sequence, KWVQWKNDKIRSWLSSEW, present at amino acid positions 197-214. The recombinant PvTRAg38 was able to inhibit the parasite growth in in vitro Plasmodium falciparum culture probably by competing with the ligand(s) of this heterologous parasite for the erythrocyte Band 3 receptor. In conclusion, the host-parasite interaction at the molecular level is much more complicated than known so far and should be considered during the development of anti-malarial therapeutics.

Discordance in drug resistance-associated mutation patterns in marker genes of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium knowlesi during coinfections.

OBJECTIVES: Human Plasmodium knowlesi infections have been reported from several South-East Asian countries, excluding India, but its drug susceptibility profile in mixed-infection cases remains unknown. METHODS: The chloroquine resistance transporter (CRT) and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) genes of P. knowlesi and other Plasmodium species were sequenced from clinical isolates obtained from malaria patients living in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. The merozoite surface protein-1 and 18S rRNA genes of P. knowlesi were also sequenced from these isolates. RESULTS: Among 445 samples analysed, only 53 of them had P. knowlesi-specific gene sequences. While 3 of the 53 cases (5.66%) had P. knowlesi monoinfection, the rest were coinfected with Plasmodium falciparum (86.79%, n = 46) or Plasmodium vivax (7.55%, n = 4), but none with Plasmodium malariae or Plasmodium ovale. There was discordance in the drug resistance-associated mutations among the coinfecting Plasmodium species. This is because the P. knowlesi isolates contained wild-type sequences, while P. falciparum isolates had mutations in the CRT and DHFR marker genes associated with a higher level of chloroquine and antifolate drug resistance, respectively. The mutation pattern indicates that the same patient, having a mixed infection, may be harbouring the drug-susceptible P. knowlesi parasite and a highly drug-resistant P. falciparum parasite. CONCLUSIONS: A larger human population in South-East Asia may be at risk of P. knowlesi infection than reported so far. The different drug susceptibility genotypes of P. knowlesi from its coinfecting Plasmodium species in mixed infections adds a new dimension to the malaria control programme, requiring formulation of an appropriate drug policy.

Host-parasite interaction: multiple sites in the Plasmodium vivax tryptophan-rich antigen PvTRAg38 interact with the erythrocyte receptor band 3.

Tryptophan-rich antigens of malarial parasites interact with host molecules and play an important role in parasite survival. Merozoite expressed Plasmodium vivax tryptophan-rich antigen PvTRAg38 binds to human erythrocytes and facilitates parasite growth in a heterlologous Plasmodium falciparum culture system. Recently, we identified band 3 in human erythrocytes as one of its receptors, although the receptor-ligand binding mechanisms remain unknown. In the present study, using synthetic mutated peptides of PvTRAg38, we show that multiple amino acid residues of its 12 amino acid domain (KWVQWKNDKIRS) at position 197-208 interact with three different ectodomains of band 3 receptor on human erythrocytes. Our findings may help in the design of new therapeutic approaches for malaria.

Recognition of Human Erythrocyte Receptors by the Tryptophan-Rich Antigens of Monkey Malaria Parasite Plasmodium knowlesi.

BACKGROUND: The monkey malaria parasite Plasmodium knowlesi also infect humans. There is a lack of information on the molecular mechanisms that take place between this simian parasite and its heterologous human host erythrocytes leading to this zoonotic disease. Therefore, we investigated here the binding ability of P. knowlesi tryptophan-rich antigens (PkTRAgs) to the human erythrocytes and sharing of the erythrocyte receptors between them as well as with other commonly occurring human malaria parasites. METHODS: Six PkTRAgs were cloned and expressed in E.coli as well as in mammalian CHO-K1 cell to determine their human erythrocyte binding activity by cell-ELISA, and in-vitro rosetting assay, respectively. RESULTS: Three of six PkTRAgs (PkTRAg38.3, PkTRAg40.1, and PkTRAg67.1) showed binding to human erythrocytes. Two of them (PkTRAg40.1 and PkTRAg38.3) showed cross-competition with each other as well as with the previously described P.vivax tryptophan-rich antigens (PvTRAgs) for human erythrocyte receptors. However, the third protein (PkTRAg67.1) utilized the additional but different human erythrocyte receptor(s) as it did not cross-compete for erythrocyte binding with either of these two PkTRAgs as well as with any of the PvTRAgs. These three PkTRAgs also inhibited the P.falciparum parasite growth in in-vitro culture, further indicating the sharing of human erythrocyte receptors by these parasite species and the biological significance of this receptor-ligand interaction between heterologous host and simian parasite. CONCLUSIONS: Recognition and sharing of human erythrocyte receptor(s) by PkTRAgs with human parasite ligands could be part of the strategy adopted by the monkey malaria parasite to establish inside the heterologous human host.