Crosstalk between circadian clocks and pathogen niche.

Circadian rhythms are intrinsic 24-hour oscillations found in nearly all life forms. They orchestrate key physiological and behavioral processes, allowing anticipation and response to daily environmental changes. These rhythms manifest across entire organisms, in various organs, and through intricate molecular feedback loops that govern cellular oscillations. Recent studies describe circadian regulation of pathogens, including parasites, bacteria, viruses, and fungi, some of which have their own circadian rhythms while others are influenced by the rhythmic environment of hosts. Pathogens target specific tissues and organs within the host to optimize their replication. Diverse cellular compositions and the interplay among various cell types create unique microenvironments in different tissues, and distinctive organs have unique circadian biology. Hence, residing pathogens are exposed to cyclic conditions, which can profoundly impact host-pathogen interactions. This review explores the influence of circadian rhythms and mammalian tissue-specific interactions on the dynamics of pathogen-host relationships. Overall, this demonstrates the intricate interplay between the body's internal timekeeping system and its susceptibility to pathogens, which has implications for the future of infectious disease research and treatment.

Circadian rhythms mediate malaria transmission potential.

Malaria transmission begins when infected female Anopheles mosquitos deposit Plasmodium parasites into the mammalian host's skin during a bloodmeal. The salivary gland-resident sporozoite parasites migrate to the bloodstream, subsequently invading and replicating within hepatocytes. As Anopheles mosquitos are more active at night, with a 24-hour rhythm, we investigated whether their salivary glands are under circadian control, anticipating bloodmeals and modulating sporozoite biology for host encounters. Here we show that approximately half of the mosquito salivary gland transcriptome, particularly genes essential for efficient bloodmeals such as anti-blood clotting factors, exhibits circadian rhythmic expression. Furthermore, we demonstrate that mosquitoes prefer to feed during nighttime, with the amount of blood ingested varying cyclically throughout the day. Notably, we show a substantial subset of the sporozoite transcriptome cycling throughout the day. These include genes involved in parasite motility, potentially modulating the ability to initiate infection at different times of day. Thus, although sporozoites are typically considered quiescent, our results demonstrate their transcriptional activity, revealing robust daily rhythms of gene expression. Our findings suggest a circadian evolutionary relationship between the vector, parasite and mammalian host that together modulate malaria transmission.

Circadian alignment of early onset caloric restriction promotes longevity in male C57BL/6J mice.

Caloric restriction (CR) prolongs life span, yet the mechanisms by which it does so remain poorly understood. Under CR, mice self-impose chronic cycles of 2-hour feeding and 22-hour fasting, raising the question of if it is calories, fasting, or time of day that is the cause of this increased life span. We show here that 30% CR was sufficient to extend the life span by 10%; however, a daily fasting interval and circadian alignment of feeding acted together to extend life span by 35% in male C57BL/6J mice. These effects were independent of body weight. Aging induced widespread increases in gene expression associated with inflammation and decreases in the expression of genes encoding components of metabolic pathways in liver from ad libitum-fed mice. CR at night ameliorated these aging-related changes. Our results show that circadian interventions promote longevity and provide a perspective to further explore mechanisms of aging.

Circadian rhythms in infectious diseases and symbiosis.

Timing is everything. Many organisms across the tree of life have evolved timekeeping mechanisms that regulate numerous of their cellular functions to optimize timing by anticipating changes in the environment. The specific environmental changes that are sensed depends on the organism. For animals, plants, and free-living microbes, environmental cues include light/dark cycles, daily temperature fluctuations, among others. In contrast, for a microbe that is never free-living, its rhythmic environment is its host's rhythmic biology. Here, we describe recent research on the interactions between hosts and microbes, from the perspective both of symbiosis as well as infections. In addition to describing the biology of the microbes, we focus specifically on how circadian clocks modulate these host-microbe interactions.

Trypanosoma brucei triggers a broad immune response in the adipose tissue.

Adipose tissue is one of the major reservoirs of Trypanosoma brucei parasites, the causative agent of sleeping sickness, a fatal disease in humans. In mice, the gonadal adipose tissue (AT) typically harbors 2-5 million parasites, while most solid organs show 10 to 100-fold fewer parasites. In this study, we tested whether the AT environment responds immunologically to the presence of the parasite. Transcriptome analysis of T. brucei infected adipose tissue revealed that most upregulated host genes are involved in inflammation and immune cell functions. Histochemistry and flow cytometry confirmed an increasingly higher number of infiltrated macrophages, neutrophils and CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes upon infection. A large proportion of these lymphocytes effectively produce the type 1 effector cytokines, IFN-γ and TNF-α. Additionally, the adipose tissue showed accumulation of antigen-specific IgM and IgG antibodies as infection progressed. Mice lacking T and/or B cells (Rag2-/-, Jht-/-), or the signature cytokine (Ifng-/-) displayed a higher parasite load both in circulation and in the AT, demonstrating the key role of the adaptive immune system in both compartments. Interestingly, infections of C3-/- mice showed that while complement system is dispensable to control parasite load in the blood, it is necessary in the AT and other solid tissues. We conclude that T. brucei infection triggers a broad and robust immune response in the AT, which requires the complement system to locally reduce parasite burden.

Importance of circadian timing for aging and longevity.

Dietary restriction (DR) decreases body weight, improves health, and extends lifespan. DR can be achieved by controlling how much and/or when food is provided, as well as by adjusting nutritional composition. Because these factors are often combined during DR, it is unclear which are necessary for beneficial effects. Several drugs have been utilized that target nutrient-sensing gene pathways, many of which change expression throughout the day, suggesting that the timing of drug administration is critical. Here, we discuss how dietary and pharmacological interventions promote a healthy lifespan by influencing energy intake and circadian rhythms.

Sleeping Sickness: A Tale of Two Clocks.

Sleeping sickness is caused by a eukaryotic unicellular parasite known to infect wild animals, cattle, and humans. It causes a fatal disease that disrupts many rhythmic physiological processes, including daily rhythms of hormonal secretion, temperature regulation, and sleep, all of which are under circadian (24-h) control. In this review, we summarize research on sleeping sickness parasite biology and the impact it has on host health. We also consider the possible evolutionary advantages of sleep and circadian deregulation for the parasite.

Sleeping Sickness Disrupts the Sleep-Regulating Adenosine System.

Patients with sleeping sickness, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei, have disruptions in both sleep timing and sleep architecture. However, the underlying cause of these sleep disturbances is not well understood. Here, we assessed the sleep architecture of male mice infected with T. brucei and found that infected mice had drastically altered sleep patterns. Interestingly, T. brucei-infected mice also had a reduced homeostatic sleep response to sleep deprivation, a response modulated by the adenosine system. We found that infected mice had a reduced electrophysiological response to an adenosine receptor antagonist and increased adenosine receptor gene expression. Although the mechanism by which T. brucei infection causes these changes remains to be determined, our findings suggest that the symptoms of sleeping sickness may be because of alterations in homeostatic adenosine signaling.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Sleeping sickness is a fatal disease that disrupts the circadian clock, causes disordered temperature regulation, and induces sleep disturbance. To examine the neurologic effects of infection in the absence of other symptoms, in this study, we used a mouse model of sleeping sickness in which the acute infection was treated but brain infection remained. Using this model, we evaluated the effects of the sleeping sickness parasite, Trypanosoma brucei, on sleep patterns in mice, under both normal and sleep-deprived conditions. Our findings suggest that signaling of adenosine, a neuromodulator involved in mediating homeostatic sleep drive, may be reduced in infected mice.

The malaria parasite has an intrinsic clock.

Malarial rhythmic fevers are the consequence of the synchronous bursting of red blood cells (RBCs) on completion of the malaria parasite asexual cell cycle. Here, we hypothesized that an intrinsic clock in the parasite Plasmodium chabaudi underlies the 24-hour-based rhythms of RBC bursting in mice. We show that parasite rhythms are flexible and lengthen to match the rhythms of hosts with long circadian periods. We also show that malaria rhythms persist even when host food intake is evenly spread across 24 hours, suggesting that host feeding cues are not required for synchrony. Moreover, we find that the parasite population remains synchronous and rhythmic even in an arrhythmic clock mutant host. Thus, we propose that parasite rhythms are generated by the parasite, possibly to anticipate its circadian environment.

Disruption of the Plasmodium falciparum Life Cycle through Transcriptional Reprogramming by Inhibitors of Jumonji Demethylases.

Little is known about the role of the three Jumonji C (JmjC) enzymes in Plasmodium falciparum (Pf). Here, we show that JIB-04 and other established inhibitors of mammalian JmjC histone demethylases kill asexual blood stage parasites and are even more potent at blocking gametocyte development and gamete formation. In late stage parasites, JIB-04 increased levels of trimethylated lysine residues on histones, suggesting the inhibition of P. falciparum Jumonji demethylase activity. These epigenetic defects coincide with deregulation of invasion, cell motor, and sexual development gene programs, including gene targets coregulated by the PfAP2-I transcription factor and chromatin-binding factor, PfBDP1. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that PfJmj3 converts 2-oxoglutarate to succinate in an iron-dependent manner consistent with mammalian Jumonji enzymes, and this catalytic activity is inhibited by JIB-04 and other Jumonji inhibitors. Our pharmacological studies of Jumonji activity in the malaria parasite provide evidence that inhibition of these enzymatic activities is detrimental to the parasite.

Periodic Parasites and Daily Host Rhythms.

Biological rhythms appear to be an elegant solution to the challenge of coordinating activities with the consequences of the Earth's daily and seasonal rotation. The genes and molecular mechanisms underpinning circadian clocks in multicellular organisms are well understood. In contrast, the regulatory mechanisms and fitness consequences of biological rhythms exhibited by parasites remain mysterious. Here, we explore how periodicity in parasite traits is generated and why daily rhythms matter for parasite fitness. We focus on malaria (Plasmodium) parasites which exhibit developmental rhythms during replication in the mammalian host's blood and in transmission to vectors. Rhythmic in-host parasite replication is responsible for eliciting inflammatory responses, the severity of disease symptoms, and fueling transmission, as well as conferring tolerance to anti-parasite drugs. Thus, understanding both how and why the timing and synchrony of parasites are connected to the daily rhythms of hosts and vectors may make treatment more effective and less toxic to hosts.

Genomics of circadian rhythms in health and disease.

Circadian clocks are endogenous oscillators that control 24-h physiological and behavioral processes. The central circadian clock exerts control over myriad aspects of mammalian physiology, including the regulation of sleep, metabolism, and the immune system. Here, we review advances in understanding the genetic regulation of sleep through the circadian system, as well as the impact of dysregulated gene expression on metabolic function. We also review recent studies that have begun to unravel the circadian clock's role in controlling the cardiovascular and nervous systems, gut microbiota, cancer, and aging. Such circadian control of these systems relies, in part, on transcriptional regulation, with recent evidence for genome-wide regulation of the clock through circadian chromosome organization. These novel insights into the genomic regulation of human physiology provide opportunities for the discovery of improved treatment strategies and new understanding of the biological underpinnings of human disease.

Trypanosoma brucei triggers a marked immune response in male reproductive organs.

African trypanosomiasis is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei, transmitted between mammals by the bite of a tsetse. It has been recently shown that parasites accumulate in large numbers in various organs and tissues, including the mouse testis. Whether parasites are protected from the immune system in the male reproductive organ or can be transmitted through sexual route remains unknown. Here we show that parasites can be detected by fine needle aspiration cytology of the male reproductive system in mice, and histopathological analysis revealed that T. brucei accumulates in the stroma of the epididymis, epididymal adipose tissue and fibrous tunics of the testis. No parasites were found in the lumen of intact epididymal ducts or seminiferous tubules of the testis, indicating that the large majority of the parasites are not located in immune-privileged sites. In fact, these parasites are associated with marked inflammatory cell infiltration, parasite degeneration, and severe tissue damage and rupture of epididymal ducts, which may be related with reduced fertility. Overall, we show that just like in the bloodstream and most other tissues, in the male reproductive organs, T. brucei are exposed to a strong immune response. The detection of a very high number of parasites in this organ and its accessibility opens the possibility of using fine needle aspiration cytology as a complementary diagnostic tool in Animal African Trypanosomiasis.

Sleeping sickness is a circadian disorder.

Sleeping sickness is a fatal disease caused by Trypanosoma brucei, a unicellular parasite that lives in the bloodstream and interstitial spaces of peripheral tissues and the brain. Patients have altered sleep/wake cycles, body temperature, and endocrine profiles, but the underlying causes are unknown. Here, we show that the robust circadian rhythms of mice become phase advanced upon infection, with abnormal activity occurring during the rest phase. This advanced phase is caused by shortening of the circadian period both at the behavioral level as well as at the tissue and cell level. Period shortening is T. brucei specific and independent of the host immune response, as co-culturing parasites with explants or fibroblasts also shortens the clock period, whereas malaria infection does not. We propose that T. brucei causes an advanced circadian rhythm disorder, previously associated only with mutations in clock genes, which leads to changes in the timing of sleep.

Mice under Caloric Restriction Self-Impose a Temporal Restriction of Food Intake as Revealed by an Automated Feeder System.

Caloric restriction (CR) extends lifespan in mammals, yet the mechanisms underlying its beneficial effects remain unknown. The manner in which CR has been implemented in longevity experiments is variable, with both timing and frequency of meals constrained by work schedules. It is commonplace to find that nocturnal rodents are fed during the daytime and meals are spaced out, introducing prolonged fasting intervals. Since implementation of feeding paradigms over the lifetime is logistically difficult, automation is critical, but existing systems are expensive and not amenable to scale. We have developed a system that controls duration, amount, and timing of food availability and records feeding and voluntary wheel-running activity in mice. Using this system, mice were exposed to temporal or caloric restriction protocols. Mice under CR self-imposed a temporal component by consolidating food intake and unexpectedly increasing wheel-running activity during the rest phase, revealing previously unrecognized relationships among feeding, metabolism, and behavior.

Trypanosoma brucei metabolism is under circadian control.

The Earth's rotation forced life to evolve under cyclic day and night environmental changes. To anticipate such daily cycles, prokaryote and eukaryote free-living organisms evolved intrinsic clocks that regulate physiological and behavioural processes. Daily rhythms have been observed in organisms living within hosts, such as parasites. Whether parasites have intrinsic molecular clocks or whether they simply respond to host rhythmic physiological cues remains unknown. Here, we show that Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of human sleeping sickness, has an intrinsic circadian clock that regulates its metabolism in two different stages of the life cycle. We found that, in vitro, ∼10% of genes in T. brucei are expressed with a circadian rhythm. The maximum expression of these genes occurs at two different phases of the day and may depend on a post-transcriptional mechanism. Circadian genes are enriched in cellular metabolic pathways and coincide with two peaks of intracellular adenosine triphosphate concentration. Moreover, daily changes in the parasite population lead to differences in suramin sensitivity, a drug commonly used to treat this infection. These results demonstrate that parasites have an intrinsic circadian clock that is independent of the host, and which regulates parasite biology throughout the day.

Pyrimidine Salvage Enzymes Are Essential for De Novo Biosynthesis of Deoxypyrimidine Nucleotides in Trypanosoma brucei.

The human pathogenic parasite Trypanosoma brucei possess both de novo and salvage routes for the biosynthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides. Consequently, they do not require salvageable pyrimidines for growth. Thymidine kinase (TK) catalyzes the formation of dTMP and dUMP and is one of several salvage enzymes that appear redundant to the de novo pathway. Surprisingly, we show through analysis of TK conditional null and RNAi cells that TK is essential for growth and for infectivity in a mouse model, and that a catalytically active enzyme is required for its function. Unlike humans, T. brucei and all other kinetoplastids lack dCMP deaminase (DCTD), which provides an alternative route to dUMP formation. Ectopic expression of human DCTD resulted in full rescue of the RNAi growth phenotype and allowed for selection of viable TK null cells. Metabolite profiling by LC-MS/MS revealed a buildup of deoxypyrimidine nucleosides in TK depleted cells. Knockout of cytidine deaminase (CDA), which converts deoxycytidine to deoxyuridine led to thymidine/deoxyuridine auxotrophy. These unexpected results suggested that T. brucei encodes an unidentified 5'-nucleotidase that converts deoxypyrimidine nucleotides to their corresponding nucleosides, leading to their dead-end buildup in TK depleted cells at the expense of dTTP pools. Bioinformatics analysis identified several potential candidate genes that could encode 5'-nucleotidase activity including an HD-domain protein that we show catalyzes dephosphorylation of deoxyribonucleotide 5'-monophosphates. We conclude that TK is essential for synthesis of thymine nucleotides regardless of whether the nucleoside precursors originate from the de novo pathway or through salvage. Reliance on TK in the absence of DCTD may be a shared vulnerability among trypanosomatids and may provide a unique opportunity to selectively target a diverse group of pathogenic single-celled eukaryotes with a single drug.

Trypanosoma brucei Parasites Occupy and Functionally Adapt to the Adipose Tissue in Mice.

Trypanosoma brucei is an extracellular parasite that causes sleeping sickness. In mammalian hosts, trypanosomes are thought to exist in two major niches: early in infection, they populate the blood; later, they breach the blood-brain barrier. Working with a well-established mouse model, we discovered that adipose tissue constitutes a third major reservoir for T. brucei. Parasites from adipose tissue, here termed adipose tissue forms (ATFs), can replicate and were capable of infecting a naive animal. ATFs were transcriptionally distinct from bloodstream forms, and the genes upregulated included putative fatty acid ß-oxidation enzymes. Consistent with this, ATFs were able to utilize exogenous myristate and form ß-oxidation intermediates, suggesting that ATF parasites can use fatty acids as an external carbon source. These findings identify the adipose tissue as a niche for T. brucei during its mammalian life cycle and could potentially explain the weight loss associated with sleeping sickness.

GMP synthase is essential for viability and infectivity of Trypanosoma brucei despite a redundant purine salvage pathway.

The causative agent of human African trypanosomiasis, Trypanosoma brucei, lacks de novo purine biosynthesis and depends on purine salvage from the host. The purine salvage pathway is redundant and contains two routes to guanosine-5'-monophosphate (GMP) formation: conversion from xanthosine-5'-monophosphate (XMP) by GMP synthase (GMPS) or direct salvage of guanine by hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT). We show recombinant T. brucei GMPS efficiently catalyzes GMP formation. Genetic knockout of GMPS in bloodstream parasites led to depletion of guanine nucleotide pools and was lethal. Growth of gmps null cells was only rescued by supraphysiological guanine concentrations (100 µM) or by expression of an extrachromosomal copy of GMPS. Hypoxanthine was a competitive inhibitor of guanine rescue, consistent with a common uptake/metabolic conversion mechanism. In mice, gmps null parasites were unable to establish an infection demonstrating that GMPS is essential for virulence and that plasma guanine is insufficient to support parasite purine requirements. These data validate GMPS as a potential therapeutic target for treatment of human African trypanosomiasis. The ability to strategically inhibit key metabolic enzymes in the purine pathway unexpectedly bypasses its functional redundancy by exploiting both the nature of pathway flux and the limited nutrient environment of the parasite's extracellular niche.