A functional microengineered model of the human splenon-on-a-chip.

The spleen is a secondary lymphoid organ specialized in the filtration of senescent, damaged, or infected red blood cells. This unique filtering capacity is largely due to blood microcirculation through filtration beds of the splenic red pulp in an open-slow microcirculation compartment where the hematocrit increases, facilitating the recognition and destruction of unhealthy red blood cells by specialized macrophages. Moreover, in sinusal spleens such as those of humans, blood in the open-slow microcirculation compartment has a unidirectional passage through interendothelial slits before reaching the venous system. This further physical constraint represents a second stringent test for erythrocytes ensuring elimination of those cells lacking deformability. With the aim of replicating the filtering function of the spleen on a chip, we have designed a novel microengineered device mimicking the hydrodynamic forces and the physical properties of the splenon, the minimal functional unit of the red pulp able to maintain filtering functions. In this biomimetic platform, we have evaluated the mechanical and physiological responses of the splenon using human red blood cells and malaria-infected cells. This novel device should facilitate future functional studies of the spleen in relation to malaria and other hematological disorders.

Functional analysis of Plasmodium vivax VIR proteins reveals different subcellular localizations and cytoadherence to the ICAM-1 endothelial receptor.

The subcellular localization and function of variant subtelomeric multigene families in Plasmodium vivax remain vastly unknown. Among them, the vir superfamily is putatively involved in antigenic variation and in mediating adherence to endothelial receptors. In the absence of a continuous in vitro culture system for P. vivax, we have generated P. falciparum transgenic lines expressing VIR proteins to infer location and function. We chose three proteins pertaining to subfamilies A (VIR17), C (VIR14) and D (VIR10), with domains and secondary structures that predictably traffic these proteins to different subcellular compartments. Here, we showed that VIR17 remained inside the parasite and around merozoites, whereas VIR14 and VIR10 were exported to the membrane of infected red blood cells (iRBCs) in an apparent independent pathway of Maurer's clefts. Remarkably, VIR14 was exposed at the surface of iRBCs and mediated adherence to different endothelial receptors expressed in CHO cells under static conditions. Under physiological flow conditions, however, cytoadherence was only observed to ICAM-1, which was the only receptor whose adherence was specifically and significantly inhibited by antibodies against conserved motifs of VIR proteins. Immunofluorescence studies using these antibodies also showed different subcellular localizations of VIR proteins in P. vivax-infected reticulocytes from natural infections. These data suggest that VIR proteins are trafficked to different cellular compartments and functionally demonstrates that VIR proteins can specifically mediate cytoadherence to the ICAM-1 endothelial receptor.

Evidence for different mechanisms of chloroquine resistance in 2 Plasmodium species that cause human malaria.

Chloroquine (CQ)-resistant Plasmodium vivax malaria was first reported 12 years ago, nearly 30 years after the recognition of CQ-resistant P. falciparum. Loss of CQ efficacy now poses a severe problem for the prevention and treatment of both diseases. Mutations in a digestive vacuole protein encoded by a 13-exon gene, pfcrt, were shown recently to have a central role in the CQ resistance (CQR) of P. falciparum. Whether mutations in pfcrt orthologues of other Plasmodium species are involved in CQR remains an open question. This report describes pfcrt homologues from P. vivax, P. knowlesi, P. berghei, and Dictyostelium discoideum. Synteny between the P. falciparum and P. vivax genes is demonstrated. However, a survey of patient isolates and monkey-adapted lines has shown no association between in vivo CQR and codon mutations in the P. vivax gene. This is evidence that the molecular events underlying P. vivax CQR differ from those in P. falciparum.

A superfamily of variant genes encoded in the subtelomeric region of Plasmodium vivax.

The malarial parasite Plasmodium vivax causes disease in humans, including chronic infections and recurrent relapses, but the course of infection is rarely fatal, unlike that caused by Plasmodium falciparum. To investigate differences in pathogenicity between P. vivax and P. falciparum, we have compared the subtelomeric domains in the DNA of these parasites. In P. falciparum, subtelomeric domains are conserved and contain ordered arrays of members of multigene families, such as var, rif and stevor, encoding virulence determinants of cytoadhesion and antigenic variation. Here we identify, through the analysis of a continuous 155,711-base-pair sequence of a P. vivax chromosome end, a multigene family called vir, which is specific to P. vivax. The vir genes are present at about 600-1,000 copies per haploid genome and encode proteins that are immunovariant in natural infections, indicating that they may have a functional role in establishing chronic infection through antigenic variation.

Primary structure of the Plasmodium vivax crk2 gene and interference of the yeast cell cycle upon its conditional expression.

The cdc2 gene product, a 34-kDa protein kinase, plays a universal role in the M phase of the eukaryotic cell cycle. To study the cell cycle regulation in malarial parasites, we have characterized a cdc2-related gene from the most widely distributed human malaria, Plasmodium vivax (Pvcrk2). The full-length Pvcrk2 revealed 90--99% homology with Crk2 proteins from other Plasmodium species and approximately 60% homology with p34(cdc2) proteins from higher eukaryotes. We used the temperature-sensitive Schizosaccharomyces pombe cdc2 mutant (cdc2-33(ts)) for gene complementation studies. Expression of the full-length 33-kDa PvCrk2 protein, a truncated 27-kDa version, and two chimeric proteins in which we exchanged the N- and C-terminal regions of PvCrk2 with their S. pombe counterparts at the restrictive temperature in the mutant cdc2-33(ts) did not complement the cell cycle defect. However, conditional expression of the Pvcrk2 genes or the chimera containing the C terminus from Spcdc2 in mutant cdc2-33(ts) cells produced cell-cycle-arrested phenotypes only in the induced state and at the permissive temperature. Our results thus provide the first compelling genetic evidence that the plasmodial Crk2 gene product(s) is capable of interfering with the well-conserved eukaryotic cell cycle machinery.

Genetic immunization of BALB/c mice with a plasmid bearing the gene coding for a hybrid merozoite surface protein 1-hepatitis B virus surface protein fusion protects mice against lethal Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi PC1 infection.

The genetic immunization of rodents with a plasmid coding for a Plasmodium chabaudi merozoite surface protein 1 (C terminus)-hepatitis B virus surface fusion protein (pPcMSP1(19)-HBs) provided protection of mice against subsequent lethal challenge with P. chabaudi chabaudi PC1-infected red blood cells. The percentage of survivor mice was higher in DNA-immunized mice than in animals immunized with a recombinant rPcMSP1(19)- glutathione S-transferase fusion protein administered in Freund adjuvant. In all mice immunized with the pPcMSP1(19)-HBs, a Th1-specific response, including the production of anti-MSP1(19)-specific immunoglobulins predominantly of the immunoglobulin G2a subtype and reacting almost exclusively against discontinuous epitopes, was elicited. The coinjection of Th1-type cytokine-expressing plasmids (gamma interferon, interleukin-2, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor) mostly abolished protection and boosting of MSP1(19)-specific antibodies. The inclusion of a lymph node-targeting signal did not significantly increase protection. These data provide further evidence that MSP1(19)-HBs DNA constructs might be useful as components of a genetic vaccine against the asexual blood stages of Plasmodium.

Biochemical and immunological properties of a viral hybrid particle expressing the Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein 1 C-terminal region.

BACKGROUND: Mammalian cells expressing the small hepatitis B virus surface protein (HBs) secrete highly immunogenic 20 nm lipoprotein particles. Previous studies demonstrated that the fusion of foreign sequences into certain regions of HBs leads to chimeric particles carrying epitopes for the foreign peptide, as well as for HBs. The present study investigates immunologic and biochemical properties of the fusion of the C-terminal region of the merozoite surface 1 protein of P. vivax, the most widely distributed human malaria parasite, and HBs (PvMSP1(19)-HBs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: COS7 cells were transfected with a plasmid coding for PvMSP1(19)-HBs. The hybrid products were analyzed by density gradient centrifugation and electron microscopy or detected by metabolic labeling and immunoprecipitation with anti-HBs and patient-derived anti-P. vivax serum. Mice were immunized with the vector and the antibody response was checked by ELISA. RESULTS: The fusion PvMSP1(19)-HBs formed particles of 20-45 nm size, which were secreted from COS7 cells. The particles were immunoprecipitable with anti-HBs and serum of different P. vivax-positive individuals. Immunization of mice with the construct as a genetic vaccine showed that antibodies were raised mostly against the PvMSP1(19) domain and recognized the native protein. CONCLUSION: Due to its biochemical and antigenic properties, the hybrid particle will be useful in future vaccine trials against the asexual blood stages of P. vivax as a genetic and/or a proteic subunit candidate.

Antigenic properties of the merozoite surface protein 1 gene of Plasmodium vivax.

Plasmodium vivax is responsible for an approximate 35 million yearly human cases of malaria. Unfortunately, due to the low mortality rate associated with it and the difficulties of continuously in vitro culturing of this parasite, vaccine development against this human malaria has been largely neglected. In here, the antigenic properties of the merozoite surface protein 1 gene of P. vivax (PvMSP-1), were studied. Thus, seven recombinant bacterial plasmids coding different regions of the PvMSP-1 protein were constructed and used to immunize BALB/c mice. The results demonstrated that a plasmid encoding the entire N-terminus comprising 682 amino acids and a plasmid encoding the C-terminus including the two juxtaposed epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains fused to the Hepatitis B surface antigen, were antigenic. Moreover, the elicited immune responses were similar to those reported for these same PvMSP-1 regions in natural human infections.

Longevity of naturally acquired antibody responses to the N- and C-terminal regions of Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein 1.

In an earlier study, we found that individuals with patent infection had significantly higher IgG antibody titers to the 19-kD C-terminal region of Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein 1 (PvMSP1) than individuals treated for malaria 1-4 months earlier. These results suggested that the antibody levels decreased rapidly following treatment. The present study was designed to determine the persistence of antibody response to the N- and C-terminal regions of PvMSP1 after infection with P. vivax in individuals from the city of Bélem in northern Brazil. Our results demonstrated that the vast majority of individuals had a significant decrease in antibody titers to the C-terminal region of PvMSP1 in a period of two months following treatment. Among responders to the C-terminal region, 44.4% became serologically negative and 44.4% had their antibody titers reduced by an average of 13-fold. Only 11.2% of the individuals had their antibody titers maintained or slightly increased during that period. A decrease in the antibody response to the recombinant protein representing the N-terminal region of PvMSP1 was also noted; however, it was not as dramatic. The rapid decrease in the antibody levels to the C-terminal region of PvMSP1 might contribute to the high risk of reinfection in these individuals.

Characterisation of the Cdc2-related kinase 2 gene from Plasmodium knowlesi and P. berghei.

The complete sequence of the cdc2-related kinase 2 (CRK2) gene from Plasmodium knowlesi and from P. berghei was determined. In both species, the CRK2 gene is closely linked to an elongation factor 1 alpha gene. The two CRK2 proteins are highly homologous to the P. falciparum PfPK5 protein. The CRK2 gene of both species is expressed at a low level during the asexual cell-cycle within the host erythrocytes. The P. berghei CRK2 mRNA is also present in gametocytes and in stages during development in the mosquito, suggesting a role of this protein in different parts of the life cycle. A conserved sequence located in the 5' untranslated region immediately upstream of the initiator ATG has the potential to form a stem-loop structure. Although the CRK2 protein possesses most of the domains that are conserved among cdc2-proteins, neither a recombinant P. knowlesi CRK2 protein nor a recombinant P. berghei protein was able to complement a yeast cdc28ts mutant. Furthermore and in contrast to the P. falciparum PfPK5 protein, a recombinant monomeric P. knowlesi CRK2 protein showed no kinase activity.

Malaria parasites contain two identical copies of an elongation factor 1 alpha gene.

Elongation factor 1alpha (EF-1alpha) is an abundant protein in eukaryotic cells, involved chiefly in translation of mRNA on the ribosomes, and is frequently encoded by more than one gene. Here we show the presence of two identical copies of the EF-1alpha gene in the genome of three malaria parasites, Plasmodium knowlesi, P. berghei and P. falciparum. They are organized in a head-to-head orientation and both genes are expressed in a stage specific manner at a high level, indicating that the small intergenic region contains either two strong promoters or a single bidirectional one. Both genes are expressed at the same time during erythrocytic development of the parasite. This expression pattern and the 100% similarity of the two genes excludes the possibility that the duplicated genes developed in accordance to the different types of ribosomes in Plasmodium. It is more likely that the duplication reflects a gene dosage effect. Comparison of codon usage in the Cdc2-related kinase genes (CRK2) of Plasmodium, which are expressed at a very low level, with the EF-1alpha genes indicates the existence of a codon bias for highly expressed genes, as has been shown in other organisms.

Molecular analysis of Plasmodium vivax relapses using the MSP1 molecule as a genetic marker.

Plasmodium vivax has hepatocytic dormant stages, hypnozoites, that cause relapses. This work compared paired isolates from primary attacks and relapses obtained from 10 individuals in Brazil using the merozoite surface protein 1 gene, PvMSP1, as a genetic marker. Four samples from primary attacks contained genetically mixed parasites harboring the 2 major PvMSP1 allelic forms. PCR revealed the presence of these 2 forms in the relapse parasites of 2 patients, demonstrating that the activation of hypnozoites is not clonal. DNA sequences from paired primary/relapse samples demonstrated that the parasites from the primary attack are identical to those in relapse samples in which the same allele forms were detected in both infections. Studies on the naturally acquired humoral immune responses of these patients against a recombinant protein expressing the C-terminus PvMSP1 demonstrated an increase in the titers, affinity maturation, and predominance of the IgG1 subclass during the relapse.

Construction and characterization of a Plasmodium vivax genomic library in yeast artificial chromosomes.

Here we describe the construction of a representative YAC library for the human malarial parasite Plasmodium vivax. As P. vivax cannot be maintained continuously under laboratory conditions, the P. vivax DNA necessary for the library construction was isolated from a single human patient presenting himself with vivax malaria to a local hospital in the Brazilian Amazon. Thus, this YAC library is the first of its kind to be generated from patient-derived material. The YAC library consists of 560 clones with an average insert size of 180 kb. Of 9 published P. vivax genes, 8 were found to be present in the library. In addition, 12 P. vivax telomeric YAC clones were identified.

Acquired immune responses to the N- and C-terminal regions of Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein 1 in individuals exposed to malaria.

In this study, we evaluated the naturally acquired immune response to Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein 1 (PvMSP1) in individuals with recent clinical episodes of malaria from the state of Para, Brazil. Ten recombinant proteins representing the first 682 amino acids (aa) of the N-terminal region and one representing the final 111 aa of the C-terminal region were expressed in Escherichia coli as glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins. Both of these regions have been suggested as candidates for development of a vaccine against Plasmodium sp. The total frequencies of individuals with antibodies and cellular immune responses to PvMSP1 were high (83.8 and 75%, respectively). The recombinant proteins representing the N- and C-terminal regions were recognized by 51.4 and 64.1% of sera, respectively. The frequency of responders to the C-terminal region increased according to the number of previous malaria episodes, reaching 83.3% after four episodes. Cellular immune response was measured by in vitro proliferation and gamma interferon production. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 75 and 47.2% of individuals proliferated in response to stimulation by the N- and C-terminal regions, respectively. Also, we found that one protein representing the N terminus and a second representing the C terminus of PvMSP1 stimulated 54.5% of individuals to secrete gamma interferon. We concluded that PvMSP1 is immunogenic to a large proportion of individuals exposed to malaria. Our results also suggested that the C-terminal region of PvMSP1 containing the two epidermal growth factor-like domains is particularly immunogenic to antibodies and T cells during natural infection in humans.

Plasmodium vivax: epitope mapping of monoclonal antibodies against the N-terminal region of the merozoite surface protein 1.

Plasmodium vivax is the most widely distributed human malaria with an estimate of 35 million cases per year. The deduced amino acid sequence comparisons of the Merozoite Surface Protein 1 (MSP1) from several plasmodial species, including that of P. vivax (PvMSP1), revealed the existence of highly conserved blocks and polymorphic blocks. We had previously shown that sequences within conserved blocks from the N-terminal region of the PvMSP1 were poorly immunogenic in natural human infections. These results suggest that these regions code for important and unknown structural and/or functional features and thus they could potentially be tested as a sub-unit PvMSP1 vaccine. In the present study, a battery of monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) was produced against the N-terminal region of the PvMSP1 in an attempt to determine whether these N-terminal ICBs contained all the epitopes exposed on the native molecule. The results suggest that the most terminal ICB2 and ICB3 blocks are not exposed on the surface of the PvMSP1 native molecule and clearly eliminate the possibility of considering the N-terminal domains as unique components of a sub-unit PvMSP1 vaccine candidate.

Heat shock induction of apoptosis in promastigotes of the unicellular organism Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis.

Apoptosis and/or programmed cell death have been described in examples ranging from fungi to man as gene-regulated processes with roles in cell and tissue physiopathology. These processes require the operation of an intercellular communicating network able to deliver alternative signals for cells with different fates and is thus considered a prerogative of multicellular organisms. Promastigotes from Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis, when shifted from their optimal in vitro growth temperature (22 degrees C) to the temperature of the mammalian host (37 degrees C), die by a calcium-modulated mechanism. More parasites die in the presence of this ion than in its absence, as detected by a colorimetric assay based on the activity of mitochondrial and cytoplasmic dehydrogenases which measures cell death, independently of the process by which it occurs. A heat shock, unable to induce detectable parasite death (34 degrees C for 1 h), is able to significantly raise the concentration of intracellular free calcium in these cells. Heat-shocked parasites present ultrastructural and molecular features characteristic of cells dying by apoptosis. Morphological changes, observed only in the presence of calcium, are mainly nuclear. Cytoplasmic organelles are preserved. Heat shock is also able to induce DNA cleavage into an oligonucleosomal ladder detected in agarose gels by ethidium bromide staining and autoradiography of [alpha 32P]ddATP-labeled fragments. These results indicate that death by apoptosis is not exclusive of multicellular organisms.

Comparison of introns in a cdc2-homologous gene within a number of Plasmodium species.

The first three introns of CRK2, a cdc2-homologous gene, have been compared in a total of seven Plasmodium species. The introns were located at conserved sites, suggesting an ancestral origin. Interspecific comparison of intron sequences agreed with the previously inferred evolutionary relationships of the malaria parasites. Unlike the introns in the rodent malaria species, the similarity of the CRK2 introns was regionalized between the human parasite P. vivax and the simian parasite P. knowlesi: the central region of all three introns showed markedly less interspecific similarity than the 5' and 3' regions. This was also in contrast with the organisation and composition of homologous intron pairs from other genes of the same two species. No conservation at the level of secondary structure could be detected, even between highly similar introns. A database search for intron-containing Plasmodium genes was performed. All introns obtained in this way plus the additional CRK2 introns were scanned for the presence of putative branching site consensus sequences. For P. falciparum, we present an update of the 5' and 3' splice-site consensus.

Plasmodium vivax: dimorphic DNA sequences from the MSP-1 gene code for regions that are immunogenic in natural infections.

The merozoite surface protein 1 gene of Plasmodium vivax (PvMSP-1) is becoming a solid genetic marker for studying the polymorphism of natural parasite populations from this prevalent human malaria. Indeed, a conserved and a variant PvMSP-1 gene segments have been amplified from total genomic parasite DNA obtained from isolates representing seven countries and three continents. Interestingly, the variant PvMSP-1 gene segment contains two highly conserved parental allele forms capable of limited genetic exchange at the sexual stage in the mosquito vector. This variant PvMSP-1 gene segment was amplified from 18 Colombian isolates to try to determine whether the same two parental allele forms were also present in this geographical area. Southern blot and DNA sequencing analyses confirmed their existence among the Colombian isolates. Moreover, expression of these two allele forms as recombinant proteins allowed us to demonstrate for the first time that this PvMSP-1 gene segment codes for amino acid sequences that are exposed on the surface of P. vivax schizonts and that are immunogenic in natural infections.

Characterization of naturally acquired human IgG responses against the N-terminal region of the merozoite surface protein 1 of Plasmodium vivax.

The primary structure of the merozoite surface protein 1 of Plasmodium vivax (PvMSP-1) revealed the existence of conserved and polymorphic blocks of the protein among different Plasmodium species. To characterize the naturally acquired IgG antibody responses to the PvMSP-1 molecule, the entire N-terminal portion of this protein was expressed as 10 overlapping glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins. The affinity-purified recombinant products were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot against the sera of malaria patients from the state of Rondonia, Brazil. We found that the majority of these sera did not contain IgG antibodies recognizing recombinant proteins expressing exclusively interspecies conserved blocks of the molecule. In contrast, a high proportion of these same sera reacted against recombinant products expressing interspecies polymorphic regions of this protein. The poor B cell immunogenicity of the interspecies conserved blocks of the PvMSP-1 molecule most likely reflects important and unknown structural or functional features of these regions.