Samirah Perally

Anti-schistosomal Intervention Targets Identified by Lifecycle Transcriptomic Analyses

Background Novel methods to identify anthelmintic drug and vaccine targets are urgently needed, especially for those parasite species currently being controlled by singular, often limited strategies. A clearer understanding of the transcriptional components underpinning helminth development will enable identification of exploitable molecules essential for successful parasite/host interactions. Towards this end, we present a combinatorial, bioinformatics-led approach, employing both statistical and network analyses of transcriptomic data, for identifying new immunoprophylactic and therapeutic lead targets to combat schistosomiasis. Methodology/Principal Findings Utilisation of a Schistosoma mansoni oligonucleotide DNA microarray consisting of 37,632 elements enabled gene expression profiling from 15 distinct parasite lifecycle stages, spanning three unique ecological niches. Statistical approaches of data analysis revealed differential expression of 973 gene products that minimally describe the three major characteristics of schistosome development: asexual processes within intermediate snail hosts, sexual maturation within definitive vertebrate hosts and sexual dimorphism amongst adult male and female worms. Furthermore, we identified a group of 338 constitutively expressed schistosome gene products (including 41 transcripts sharing no sequence similarity outside the Platyhelminthes), which are likely to be essential for schistosome lifecycle progression. While highly informative, statistics-led bioinformatics mining of the transcriptional dataset has limitations, including the inability to identify higher order relationships between differentially expressed transcripts and lifecycle stages. Network analysis, coupled to Gene Ontology enrichment investigations, facilitated a re-examination of the dataset and identified 387 clusters (containing 12,132 gene products) displaying novel examples of developmentally regulated classes (including 294 schistosomula and/or adult transcripts with no known sequence similarity outside the Platyhelminthes), which were undetectable by the statistical comparisons. Conclusions/Significance Collectively, statistical and network-based exploratory analyses of transcriptomic datasets have led to a thorough characterisation of schistosome development. Information obtained from these experiments highlighted key transcriptional programs associated with lifecycle progression and identified numerous anti-schistosomal candidate molecules including G-protein coupled receptors, tetraspanins, Dyp-type peroxidases, fucosyltransferases, leishmanolysins and the netrin/netrin receptor complex.

Biochemical Characterization and Vaccine Potential of a Heme-Binding Glutathione Transferase from the Adult Hookworm Ancylostoma caninum

ABSTRACT We report the cloning and expression of Ac-GST-1, a novel glutathione S-transferase from the adult hookworm Ancylostoma caninum, and its possible role in parasite blood feeding and as a vaccine target. The predicted Ac-GST-1 open reading frame contains 207 amino acids (mass, 24 kDa) and exhibited up to 65% amino acid identity with other nematode GSTs. mRNA encoding Ac-GST-1 was detected in adults, eggs, and larval stages, but the protein was detected only in adult hookworm somatic extracts and excretory/secretory products. Using antiserum to the recombinant protein, Ac-GST-1 was immunolocalized to the parasite hypodermis and muscle tissue and weakly to the intestine. Recombinant Ac-GST-1 was enzymatically active, as determined by conjugation of glutathione to a model substrate, and exhibited a novel high-affinity binding site for hematin. The possible role of Ac-GST-1 in parasite heme detoxification during hemoglobin digestion or heme uptake prompted interest in evaluating it as a potential vaccine antigen. Vaccination of dogs with Ac-GST-1 resulted in a 39.4% reduction in the mean worm burden and 32.3% reduction in egg counts compared to control dogs following larval challenge, although the reductions were not statistically significant. However, hamsters vaccinated with Ac-GST-1 exhibited statistically significant worm reduction (53.7%) following challenge with heterologous Necator americanus larvae. These studies suggest that Ac-GST-1 is a possible drug and vaccine target for hookworm infection.

Molecular Cloning, Biochemical Characterization, and Partial Protective Immunity of the Heme-Binding Glutathione S-Transferases from the Human Hookworm Necator americanus

ABSTRACT Hookworm glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are critical for parasite blood feeding and survival and represent potential targets for vaccination. Three cDNAs, each encoding a full-length GST protein from the human hookworm Necator americanus (and designated Na-GST-1, Na-GST-2, and Na-GST-3, respectively) were isolated from cDNA based on their sequence similarity to Ac-GST-1, a GST from the dog hookworm Ancylostoma caninum. The open reading frames of the three N. americanus GSTs each contain 206 amino acids with 51% to 69% sequence identity between each other and Ac-GST-1. Sequence alignment with GSTs from other organisms shows that the three Na-GSTs belong to a nematode-specific nu-class GST family. All three Na-GSTs, when expressed in Pichia pastoris, exhibited low lipid peroxidase and glutathione-conjugating enzymatic activities but high heme-binding capacities, and they may be involved in the detoxification and/or transport of heme. In two separate vaccine trials, recombinant Na-GST-1 formulated with Alhydrogel elicited 32 and 39% reductions in adult hookworm burdens (P < 0.05) following N. americanus larval challenge relative to the results for a group immunized with Alhydrogel alone. In contrast, no protection was observed in vaccine trials with Na-GST-2 or Na-GST-3. On the basis of these and other preclinical data, Na-GST-1 is under possible consideration for further vaccine development.

The Sigma Class Glutathione Transferase from the Liver Fluke Fasciola hepatica

Background Liver fluke infection of livestock causes economic losses of over US

Heme Transport and Detoxification in Nematodes: Subproteomics Evidence of Differential Role of Glutathione Transferases

3 billion worldwide per annum. The disease is increasing in livestock worldwide and is a re-emerging human disease. There are currently no commercial vaccines, and only one drug with significant efficacy against adult worms and juveniles. A liver fluke vaccine is deemed essential as short-lived chemotherapy, which is prone to resistance, is an unsustainable option in both developed and developing countries. Protein superfamilies have provided a number of leading liver fluke vaccine candidates. A new form of glutathione transferase (GST) family, Sigma class GST, closely related to a leading Schistosome vaccine candidate (Sm28), has previously been revealed by proteomics in the liver fluke but not functionally characterised. Methodology/Principal Findings In this manuscript we show that a purified recombinant form of the F. hepatica Sigma class GST possesses prostaglandin synthase activity and influences activity of host immune cells. Immunocytochemistry and western blotting have shown the protein is present near the surface of the fluke and expressed in eggs and newly excysted juveniles, and present in the excretory/secretory fraction of adults. We have assessed the potential to use F. hepatica Sigma class GST as a vaccine in a goat-based vaccine trial. No significant reduction of worm burden was found but we show significant reduction in the pathology normally associated with liver fluke infection. Conclusions/Significance We have shown that F. hepatica Sigma class GST has likely multi-functional roles in the host-parasite interaction from general detoxification and bile acid sequestration to PGD synthase activity.

Proteomic analysis of embryonic Fasciola hepatica: Characterization and antigenic potential of a developmentally regulated heat shock protein

In contrast to their mammalian hosts, parasitic nematodes are heme auxotrophs and require pathways for the uptake and transport of exogenous heme for incorporation into hemoproteins. Phase II detoxification Nu-class glutathione transferase (GST) proteins have a proposed role as heme-binding ligandins in parasitic nematodes. The genome-verified free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans also cannot synthesize heme and is an ideal functional genomics model to delineate the role of individual nematode GSTs in heme trafficking and heme detoxification. In this study, C. elegans was exposed to externally controlled heme concentrations ranging from 20-fold suboptimal growth levels to 10-fold supra-optimal growth levels to mimic fluctuations in blood- and tissue-feeding parasitic cousins from the same nematode group. A new heme-responsive GST (GST-19) was identified by subproteomics approaches. Functional characterization of this and two other C. elegans GSTs revealed that they all have high affinity for heme compounds similar to mammalian soluble heme carrier proteins such as HBP23 ( K d approximately 10 (-8) M). In the genomics-predicted absence of orthologous mammalian soluble heme-binding proteins in nematodes, we propose that Nu-class GSTs are candidates in the cellular processing of heme compounds. Toxic heme binding may be coupled to enzymatic protection from its breakdown as several GSTs possess glutathione peroxidase activity.

Proteomics and in Silico Approaches To Extend Understanding of the Glutathione Transferase Superfamily of the Tropical Liver Fluke Fasciola gigantica

Fasciola hepatica is responsible for human disease and economic livestock loss on a global scale. We report the first post-genomic investigation of cellular proteins expressed by embryonic F. hepatica via two-dimensional electrophoresis, image analysis and tandem mass spectrometry. Antioxidant proteins and protein chaperones are prominently expressed by embryonic F. hepatica. Molecular differences between the egg and other characterized F. hepatica lifecycle stages were noted. Furthermore, proteins expressed within liver fluke eggs differ to those isolated from the well-characterized eggs of the human blood flatworm Schistosoma mansoni were revealed. Plasticity in expression of major proteins, particularly a prominently expressed 65kDa protein cluster was seen between natural populations of embryonating F. hepatica eggs suggesting that liver fluke embryogenisis is a plastic process. Immunoblotting revealed that the abundant 65kDa protein cluster is recognised by infection sera from three F. hepatica challenged host species. Mass spectrometry and BLAST analyses demonstrated that the 65kDa antigen shows homology to egg antigens of other flatworm parasites, and is represented in a F. hepatica EST database constructed from adult fluke transcripts. EST clones encoding the egg antigen were re-sequenced, predicting two forms of the protein. Four clones predict a 312 aa polypeptide, three clones encode a putative 110 amino acid extension at the N-terminus which may be involved in protein secretion, although this extension was not expressed by natively extracted proteins. Consistent expression of alpha crystallin domains confirmed the protein to be a member of the alpha crystallin containing small heat shock protein (AC/sHSP) superfamily. AC/sHSPs are ubiquitous in nature, however, this is the first time a member of this protein superfamily has been described from F. hepatica. The antigenic AC/sHSP was named Fh-HSP35alpha based on predictions of molecular weight. Production of recombinant Fh-HSP35alpha reveals considerable mass discrepancy between native and recombinant proteins, although descriptions of other characterized flatworm AC/sHSPs, suggest that the native form is a dimer. Immunoblot analyses confirm that the recombinant protein is recognised by F. hepatica challenged hosts, but does not react with sera from non-infected animals. We discuss the potential of recombinant Fh-HSP35alpha as an egg-based diagnostic marker for liver fluke infection.

Early hepatic and peritoneal changes and immune response in goats vaccinated with a recombinant glutathione transferase sigma class and challenged with Fasciola hepatica

Fasciolosis is an important foodborne, zoonotic disease of livestock and humans, with global annual health and economic losses estimated at several billion US

A Proteomics Approach To Quantify Protein Levels Following RNA Interference: Case Study with Glutathione Transferase Superfamily from the Model Metazoan Caenorhabditis elegans

. Fasciola hepatica is the major species in temperate regions, while F. gigantica dominates in the tropics. In the absence of commercially available vaccines to control fasciolosis, increasing reports of resistance to current chemotherapeutic strategies and the spread of fasciolosis into new areas, new functional genomics approaches are being used to identify potential new drug targets and vaccine candidates. The glutathione transferase (GST) superfamily is both a candidate drug and vaccine target. This study reports the identification of a putatively novel Sigma class GST, present in a water-soluble cytosol extract from the tropical liver fluke F. gigantica. The GST was cloned and expressed as an enzymically active recombinant protein. This GST shares a greater identity with the human schistosomiasis GST vaccine currently at Phase II clinical trials than previously discovered F. gigantica GSTs, stimulating interest in its immuno-protective properties. In addition, in silico analysis of the GST superfamily of both F. gigantica and F. hepatica has revealed an additional Mu class GST, Omega class GSTs, and for the first time, a Zeta class member.

Proteomic profiling and protein identification by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry in unsequenced parasitic nematodes.

Changes and local immune response were evaluated in the peritoneal cell populations, duodenal lamina propria and liver from goats immunized with recombinant glutathione transferase sigma class (rFhGST-S1) during early stages of infection with Fasciola hepatica. Group 1 (n=7) was unimmunized and uninfected; group 2 (n=10) was immunized with adjuvant Quil A and infected; group 3 (n=10) was immunised with rFhGST-S1 and infected. Three goats from each group were killed at 7-9 days post-infection (dpi) to evaluate early changes and immune response. The remaining goats were killed at 15 weeks post-infection (wpi). rFhGST-S1 vaccination induced variable response: three goats showed low fluke burden at 15 wpi and two goats showed low hepatic damage at early infection stages. This response was associated to a severe infiltrate of eosinophils in peritoneal fluid and hepatic necrotic foci, high iNOS expression in peritoneal cells and abundant infiltrate of eosinophils surrounding hepatic migrating flukes. T lymphocyte subsets were found in the vicinity of necrotic areas but they were absent in the vicinity of migrating larvae. No significant variation for T cell subsets, except for CD4 and γδ T lymphocytes, that were higher in the Quil A group compared to the rFhGST-S1 group. Expression of IL4 and IFN-γ in the hepatic inflammatory infiltrates was very occasional.