Molecular and biochemical parasitology最新文献

{"title":"Neuroprotective effects of CysLT2R antagonist on Angiostrongylus cantonensis-induced edema and meningoencephalitis","authors":"Ke-Min Chen ,&nbsp;Kuang-Ping Lan ,&nbsp;Shih-Chan Lai","doi":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111649","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111649","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs) can induce a disruption of the blood–brain barrier (BBB), and this reaction is mediated by cysteinyl-leukotriene receptors. In this study, we used <em>A. cantonensis</em>-induced eosinophilic meningoencephalitis as a model to investigate whether the CysLT2 receptor involved in the pathogenesis of angiostrongyliasis meningoencephalitis. The present study provides evidence that the CysLT2 receptor antagonist HAMI3379 reduced the number of infiltrated eosinophils and brain edema in eosinophilic meningoencephalitis. Additionally, we found that HAMI3379 significantly decreased the protein levels of M1 polarisation markers (CD80, iNOS, IL-5 and TNF-α), increased the expression of M2 polarisation markers (CD206, IL-10 and TGF-β) both <em>in vivo</em> and <em>in vitro</em>. Matrix metalloproteinase-9, S100B, GFAP, fibronectin, and claudin-5 were markedly lower after HAMI3379 treatment. Therefore, HAMI3379 reduced the BBB dysfunction in angiostrongyliasis meningoencephalitis. We have identified microRNA-155 as a BBB dysfunction marker in eosinophilic meningoencephalitis. The results showed that microRNA-155 was 15-fold upregulated in eosinophilic meningoencephalitis and 20-fold upregulated after HAMI3379 treatment. Our results suggest that CysLT2R may be involved in <em>A. cantonensis</em>-induced brain edema and eosinophilic meningoencephalitis and that down-regulation of CysLT2R could be a novel and potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of angiostrongyliasis meningoencephalitis.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":18721,"journal":{"name":"Molecular and biochemical parasitology","volume":"260 ","pages":"Article 111649"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141616855","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Avirulent UG10 Entamoeba histolytica mutant derived from HM-1:IMSS strain shows limited genome variability and aberrant 5-methyl cytosine genomic distribution","authors":"Naurú Idalia Vargas-Maya ,&nbsp;Alika K. Maunakea ,&nbsp;Fátima Berenice Ramírez-Montiel ,&nbsp;Razvan Sultana ,&nbsp;Rafael Peres ,&nbsp;Quetzalli Xiadany Macías-Cervantes ,&nbsp;Ana Laura Medina-Nieto ,&nbsp;Ángeles Rangel-Serrano ,&nbsp;José A. Martínez-Álvarez ,&nbsp;Itzel Páramo-Pérez ,&nbsp;Fernando Anaya-Velázquez ,&nbsp;Felipe Padilla-Vaca ,&nbsp;Bernardo Franco","doi":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111647","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111647","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><em>Entamoeba histolytica</em>, an intestinal parasite of global significance, poses substantial health risks with its associated high morbidity and mortality rates. Despite the current repertoire of molecular tools for the study of gene function in, the regulatory mechanisms governing its pathogenicity remain largely unexplored. This knowledge gap underscores the need to elucidate key genetic determinants orchestrating cellular functions critical to its virulence. Previously, our group generated an avirulent strain, termed UG10, with the same genetic background as the HM1:IMSS strain. UG10 strain, despite showing normal expression levels of well-known virulence factors, was unable to perform <em>in-vitro</em> and <em>in-vivo</em> activities related to amoebic virulence. In this study, we aimed to uncover the genome-wide modifications that rendered the avirulent phenotype of the UG10 strain through whole-genome sequencing. As a complementary approach, we conducted Methylated DNA Immunoprecipitation coupled with sequencing (MeDIP-seq) analysis on both the highly virulent HM1:IMSS strain and the low-virulence UG10 strain to uncover the genome-wide methylation profile. These dual methodologies revealed two aspects of the UG10 avirulent strain. One is the random integration of fragments from the ribosomal gene cluster and tRNA genes, ranging from 120 to 400 bp; and secondly, a clear, enriched methylation profile in the coding and non-coding strand relative to the start codon sequence in genes encoding small GTPases, which is associated with the previously described avirulent phenotype. This study provides the foundation to explore other genetic and epigenetic regulatory circuitries in <em>E. histolytica</em> and novel targets to understand the pathogenic mechanism of this parasite.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":18721,"journal":{"name":"Molecular and biochemical parasitology","volume":"260 ","pages":"Article 111647"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141603891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Therapeutic potential of hydantoin and thiohydantoin compounds against Schistosoma mansoni: An integrated in vitro, DNA, ultrastructural, and ADMET in silico approach","authors":"Antônio Sérgio de Almeida Júnior ,&nbsp;Mayse Manuele Freitas Viana Leal ,&nbsp;Diego Santa Clara Marques ,&nbsp;Anekécia Lauro da Silva ,&nbsp;Rafael de Souza Bezerra ,&nbsp;Yandra Flaviana Siqueira de Souza ,&nbsp;Maria Eduardade Mendonça Silveira ,&nbsp;Fábio AB Santos ,&nbsp;Luiz Carlos Alves ,&nbsp;André de Lima Aires ,&nbsp;Iranildo José da Cruz Filho ,&nbsp;Maria do Carmo Alves de Lima","doi":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111646","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111646","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The study aimed to conduct <em>in vitro</em> biological assessments of hydantoin and thiohydantoin compounds against mature <em>Schistosoma mansoni</em> worms, evaluate their cytotoxic effects and predict their pharmacokinetic parameters using computational methods. The compounds showed low <em>in vitro</em> cytotoxicity and were not considered hemolytic. Antiparasitic activity against adult <em>S. mansoni</em> worms was tested with all compounds at concentrations ranging from 200 to 6.25 μM. Compounds SC01, SC02, and SC03 exhibited low activity. Compounds SC04, SC05, SC06 and SC07 caused 100 % mortality within 24 h of incubation at a concentration of 100 and 200 μM. Thiohydantoin SC04 exhibited the highest activity, resulting in 100 % mortality after 24 h of incubation at a concentration of 50 μM and IC₅₀ of 28 µM. In the ultrastructural analysis (SEM), the compound SC04 (200 µM) induced integumentary changes, formation of integumentary blisters, and destruction of tubercles and spicules. Therefore, the SC04 compound shows promise as an antiparasitic against <em>S. mansoni</em>.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":18721,"journal":{"name":"Molecular and biochemical parasitology","volume":"260 ","pages":"Article 111646"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141476883","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strategies for diagnosing Nosema bombycis (Microsporidia: Nosematidae); the agent of pebrine disease","authors":"Masoumeh Bagheri ,&nbsp;Shirin Dehghan ,&nbsp;Azadeh Zahmatkesh","doi":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111645","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111645","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Pebrine disease, caused by <em>Nosema bombycis</em> (<em>N. bombycis</em>), is the most important pathogen known to the silk industry. Historical evidence from several countries shows that the outbreaks of pebrine disease have largely caused the decline of the sericulture industry. Prevention is the first line to combat pebrine as a deadly disease in silkworm; however, no effective treatment has yet been presented to treat the disease. Many different methods have been used for detection of pebrine disease agent. This review focuses on the explanation and comparison of these methods, and describes their advantages and/or disadvantages. Also, it highlights the ongoing advances in diagnostic methods for <em>N. bombycis</em> that could enable efforts to halt this microsporidia infection. The detection methods are categorized as microscopic, immunological and nucleic acid-based approaches, each with priorities over the other methods; however, the suitability of each method depends on the available equipment in the laboratory, the mass of infection, and the speed and sensitivity of detection. The accessibility and economic efficiency are compared as well as the speed and the sensitivity for each method. Although, the light microscopy is the most common method for detection of <em>N. bombycis</em>, qPCR is the most preferred method for large data based on speed and sensitivity as well as early detection ability.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":18721,"journal":{"name":"Molecular and biochemical parasitology","volume":"260 ","pages":"Article 111645"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141440685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pyridopyrimidinones as a new chemotype of calcium dependent protein kinase 1 (CDPK1) inhibitors for Cryptosporidium","authors":"Elise Waldron-Young ,&nbsp;Wissarut Wijitrmektong ,&nbsp;Ryan Choi ,&nbsp;Grant R. Whitman ,&nbsp;Matthew A. Hulverson ,&nbsp;Raheela Charania ,&nbsp;Aidan Keelaghan ,&nbsp;Li Li ,&nbsp;Songpol Srinual ,&nbsp;Sameer Nikhar ,&nbsp;Case W. McNamara ,&nbsp;Melissa S. Love ,&nbsp;Lauren Huerta ,&nbsp;Malina A. Bakowski ,&nbsp;Ming Hu ,&nbsp;Wesley C. Van Voorhis ,&nbsp;Jan R. Mead ,&nbsp;Gregory D. Cuny","doi":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111637","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111637","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The protozoan protein kinase calcium-dependent protein kinase 1 (CDPK1) has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of cryptosporidiosis. A focused screen of known kinase inhibitors identified a pyridopyrimidinone as a new chemotype of <em>Cryptosporidium parvum</em> (<em>Cp</em>) CDPK1 inhibitors. Structural comparison of <em>Cp</em>CDPK1 to two representative human kinases, RIPK2 and Src, revealed differences in the positioning of the αC-helix that was used in the design of a potent pyridopyrimidinone-based <em>Cp</em>CDPK1 inhibitor <strong>7</strong> (a.k.a. UH15–16, IC₅₀ = 10 nM), which blocked the growth of three <em>C. parvum</em> strains (EC₅₀ = 12–40 nM) as well as <em>C. hominis</em> (EC₅₀ = 85 nM) in HCT-8 host cells. Pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution analyses indicated that <strong>7</strong> had low systemic exposure after oral administration, but high gastrointestinal concentration, as well as good Caco-2 cell permeability. Finally, <strong>7</strong> demonstrated partial efficacy in an IL-12 knock-out mouse model of acute cryptosporidiosis.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":18721,"journal":{"name":"Molecular and biochemical parasitology","volume":"260 ","pages":"Article 111637"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141432317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"MicroRNAs in opisthorchiids and their definitive hosts: Current Status and Perspectives","authors":"Xiang Li ,&nbsp;Jian Ding ,&nbsp;Xiaoli Zhang ,&nbsp;Xueli Zhang ,&nbsp;Xu Jiang ,&nbsp;Rui Chen ,&nbsp;Yang Cheng ,&nbsp;Yifan Sun ,&nbsp;Jie Wan ,&nbsp;Yu Zhang ,&nbsp;Jianping Cao ,&nbsp;Su Han","doi":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111636","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111636","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><em>Opisthorchis felineus</em>, <em>Opisthorchis viverrini</em>, and <em>Clonorchis sinensis</em> (family Opisthorchiidae) are parasitic flatworms that pose serious threats to humans in certain countries and cause opisthorchiasis/clonorchiasis. Opisthorchiid flukes parasitize the biliary tract of the host, causing cholangitis, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis and cholangiocarcinoma. In this review, we primarily focus on recent microRNAs (miRNAs) studies of opisthorchiid flukes and their definitive hosts. Many miRNAs are conserved and expressed in a developmentally stage specific manner in the three opisthorchiid flukes, which play important roles in the growth and development of Opisthorchiidae spp., as well as host-pathogen interactions. Some miRNAs might be potential biomarkers related to carcinogenesis of cholangiocarcinoma. Therefore, this review provides the basis for further investigating the roles of miRNAs in opisthorchiid flukes and their definitive hosts, as well as promoting the development of novel approaches to prevent and treat opisthorchiasis/clonorchiasis.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":18721,"journal":{"name":"Molecular and biochemical parasitology","volume":"260 ","pages":"Article 111636"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141331435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hematological changes due to malaria – An update","authors":"Rana Hussein Naser ,&nbsp;Toktam Rajaii ,&nbsp;Bibi Razieh Hosseini Farash ,&nbsp;Seyyed javad Seyyedtabaei ,&nbsp;Vahid Hajali ,&nbsp;Fatemeh Sadabadi ,&nbsp;Ehsan Saburi","doi":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111635","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111635","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Malaria, a parasitic infection caused by the genus <em>Plasmodium</em>, results to over 20 million reported cases annually worldwide. Most individuals exhibit various symptoms, and blood analysis plays a crucial role in determining the appropriate treatment approach. This study discusses various hematologic complications associated with different <em>Plasmodium</em> species. A review of scientific databases including PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, Scopus, EMBASE, Magiran, SID, IranMedex was conducted using standard keywords such as <em>Plasmodium</em>, malaria, anemia and blood disorders (hematologic disorder) between 2000 and 2024. The review focused on articles pertaining to clinical trials, prospective cohort, retrospective, cross-sectional and case-control studies. Articles evaluating the effects of malaria on blood cells and indices, with target groups including human and animals, were included. Articles not written in English or Farsi were excluded. Our review revealed that, apart from iron deficiency anemia and vascular dysfunction contributed in part by adhesion of infected RBC to endothelium, decreases in hematocrit and hemoglobin levels, as part of pancytopenia and thrombocytopenia, are characteristic of <em>Plasmodium</em> infection. Additionally, the occurrence of inflammation due to the release of inflammatory cytokines and complement activation can complicate the clinical features of malaria in individuals with hematologic conditions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":18721,"journal":{"name":"Molecular and biochemical parasitology","volume":"259 ","pages":"Article 111635"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141301079","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of the effect of bacterial stimulation on the global epigenetic landscape and transcription of immune genes in primarily zoophilic members of the Anopheles gambiae complex (Diptera: Culicidae)","authors":"Nashrin F. Patel ,&nbsp;Blaženka D. Letinić ,&nbsp;Leanne Lobb ,&nbsp;Jacek Zawada ,&nbsp;Dumsani M. Dlamini ,&nbsp;Nondumiso Mabaso ,&nbsp;Givemore Munhenga ,&nbsp;Shüné V. Oliver","doi":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111631","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111631","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Members of the <em>Anopheles gambiae</em> complex vary in their vector competence, and this is often attributed to behavioural differences. Similarly, there are differences in transmission capabilities of the zoophilic members of this complex despite exhibiting similar behaviours. Therefore, behavioural differences alone cannot fully explain vector competence variation within members of the <em>An. gambiae</em> complex. The immune system of mosquitoes plays a key role in determining susceptibility to parasite infection and consequently transmission capacity. This study aimed to examine variations in the immune response of <em>An. arabiensis</em>, <em>An. merus</em> and <em>An. quadriannulatus</em>, a major, minor, and non-vector respectively. The global epigenetic landscape was characterised and the expression of <em>Defensin-1</em> and <em>Gambicin</em> was assessed in response to Gram-positive (<em>Streptococcus pyogenes</em>) and Gram-negative (<em>Escherichia coli</em>) bacterial infections. The effect of insecticide resistance in <em>An. arabiensis</em> on these aspects was also assessed. The immune system was stimulated by a blood-borne bacterial supplementation. The 5mC, 5hmC, m6A methylation levels and Histone Acetyl Transferase activity were assessed with commercial ELISA kits. The transcript levels of <em>Defensin-1</em> and <em>Gambicin</em> were assessed by quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction. Species-specific differences in 5mC and m6A methylation existed both constitutively as well as post immune stimulation. The epigenetic patterns observed in the laboratory strains were largely conserved in F1 offspring of wild-caught adults. The methylation patterns in the major vector typically differed from that of the minor/non-vectors. The differences between insecticide susceptible and resistant <em>An. arabiensis</em> were more reflected in the expression of <em>Defensin-1</em> and <em>Gambicin</em>. The expression of these peptides differed in the strains only after bacterial stimulation. <em>Anopheles merus</em> and <em>An. quadriannulatus</em> expressed significantly higher levels of antimicrobial peptides, both constitutively and after immune stimulation. These findings suggest molecular variations in the immune response of members of the <em>An</em>. <em>gambiae</em> complex.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":18721,"journal":{"name":"Molecular and biochemical parasitology","volume":"260 ","pages":"Article 111631"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166685124000240/pdfft?md5=319161ea823e45001410d6e3ca30ac04&pid=1-s2.0-S0166685124000240-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141284242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spirocerca lupi draft genome, vaccine and anthelmintic targets","authors":"Wiekolize Rothmann-Meyer ,&nbsp;Kershney Naidoo ,&nbsp;Pamela J. de Waal","doi":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111632","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111632","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><em>Spirocerca lupi</em> is a parasitic nematode affecting predominantly domestic dogs. It causes spirocercosis, a disease that is often fatal. The assembled draft genome of <em>S. lupi</em> consists of 13,627 predicted protein-coding genes and is approximately 150 Mb in length. Several known anthelmintic gene targets such as for β-Tubulin, glutamate, and GABA receptors as well as known vaccine gene targets such as cysteine protease inhibitor and cytokines were identified in <em>S. lupi</em> by comparing orthologs of <em>C. elegans</em> anthelmintic gene targets as well as orthologs to known vaccine candidates. New anthelmintic targets were predicted through an inclusion-exclusion strategy and new vaccine targets were predicted through an immunoinformatics approach. New anthelminthic targets include DNA-directed RNA polymerases, chitin synthase, polymerases, and other enzymes. New vaccine targets include cuticle collagens. These gene targets provide a starting platform for new drug identification and vaccine design.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":18721,"journal":{"name":"Molecular and biochemical parasitology","volume":"259 ","pages":"Article 111632"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166685124000252/pdfft?md5=30536aa8d35ccf82718a7e1b8f5f1cd6&pid=1-s2.0-S0166685124000252-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141247496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"AlbuMAX supplemented media induces the formation of transmission-competent P. falciparum gametocytes","authors":"Wouter Graumans ,&nbsp;Alex van der Starre ,&nbsp;Rianne Stoter ,&nbsp;Geert-Jan van Gemert ,&nbsp;Chiara Andolina ,&nbsp;Jordache Ramjith ,&nbsp;Taco Kooij ,&nbsp;Teun Bousema ,&nbsp;Nicholas Proellochs","doi":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111634","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111634","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Asexual blood stage culture of <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> is routinely performed but reproducibly inducing commitment to and maturation of viable gametocytes remains difficult. Culture media can be supplemented with human serum substitutes to induce commitment but these generally only allow for long-term culture of asexual parasites and not transmission-competent gametocytes due to their different lipid composition. Recent insights demonstrated the important roles lipids play in sexual commitment; elaborating on this we exposed ring stage parasites (20–24 hours hpi) for one day to AlbuMAX supplemented media to trigger induction to gametocytogenesis. We observed a significant increase in gametocytes after AlbuMAX induction compared to serum. We also tested the transmission potential of AlbuMAX inducted gametocytes and found a significant higher oocyst intensity compared to serum. We conclude that AlbuMAX supplemented media induces commitment, allows a more stable and predictable production of transmittable gametocytes than serum alone.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":18721,"journal":{"name":"Molecular and biochemical parasitology","volume":"259 ","pages":"Article 111634"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166685124000276/pdfft?md5=bcb32bafd94f80edeeb2f5ed2394903c&pid=1-s2.0-S0166685124000276-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141186588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}