Background: Leishmania tarentolae, a unicellular eukaryotic protozoan, has been established as a novel host for recombinant protein production in recent years. Current protocols for protein expression in Leishmania are, however, time consuming and require extensive lab work in order to identify well-expressing cell lines. Here we established an alternative protein expression work-flow that employs recently engineered infrared fluorescence protein (IFP) as a suitable and easy-to-handle reporter protein for recombinant protein expression in Leishmania. As model proteins we tested three proteins from the plant Arabidopsis thaliana, including a NAC and a type-B ARR transcription factor. Results: IFP and IFP fusion proteins were expressed in Leishmania and rapidly detected in cells by deconvolution microscopy and in culture by infrared imaging of 96-well microtiter plates using small cell culture volumes (2 μL - 100 μL). Motility, shape and growth of Leishmania cells were not impaired by intracellular accumulation of IFP. In-cell detection of IFP and IFP fusion proteins was straightforward already at the beginning of the expression pipeline and thus allowed early pre-selection of well-expressing Leishmania clones. Furthermore, IFP fusion proteins retained infrared fluorescence after electrophoresis in denaturing SDS-polyacrylamide gels, allowing direct in-gel detection without the need to disassemble cast protein gels. Thus, parameters for scaling up protein production and streamlining purification routes can be easily optimized when employing IFP as reporter. Conclusions: Using IFP as biosensor we devised a protocol for rapid and convenient protein expression in Leishmania tarentolae. Our expression pipeline is superior to previously established methods in that it significantly reduces the hands-on-time and work load required for identifying well-expressing clones, refining protein production parameters and establishing purification protocols. The facile in-cell and in-gel detection tools built on IFP make Leishmania amenable for high-throughput expression of proteins from plant and animal sources.

L’émergence de résistances de Leishmania vis-à-vis de certaines molécules ainsi que le coût élevé des traitements de la leishmaniose constituent une problématique dans les zones d’endémie défavorisées. Le développement de nouvelles molécules efficaces et à bas coût est donc un enjeu majeur dans la prise en charge de cette maladie tropicale négligée. La voie métabolique du furanose présente chez Leishmania, mais complètement absente chez l’Homme, est une voie identifiée comme une cible potentielle. Chez Leishmania, cette voie est associée à la production de plusieurs facteurs de virulence, le LPG, et les GIPLs (espèce-dépendant). L’octyle de galactofuranose, analogue du substrat original a été développé et testé dans le cadre d’un modèle d’infection à Leishmania donovani. In vitro, une efficacité doseindépendante contre la forme amastigote a étédémontrée dans un modèle de macrophages humains. In vivo sur modèle murin infecté, l’oct-galf a montré des effets immunomodulateurs marqués, au-delà d’une activité anti-parasitaire plus modeste. Pour comprendre ces résultats, une nouvelle approche mécanistique a été envisagée. L’intelectin-1 (aussi appelé omentin-1) qui fait l’objet de nombreuses publications, est capable de lier les motifs furanosidiques. Les capacités de cette lectine à modifier les voies métaboliques énergétiques via l’AMPK corrèlent avec les résultats retrouvés dans nos modèles d’étude et suggèrent son implication dans l’effet anti-parasitaire observé. / The emergence of Leishmania resistance against various molecules as well as high cost of treatment of leishmaniasis represent a health problem in endemic developing countries. Development of new molecules, effective and at low-cost, is a key challenge in the management of this neglected disease. Furanose pathway is reported in Leishmania parasites, but is completely absent in Human. It was identified as a potential drug target. InLeishmania, this pathway is associated with production of virulence factors, LPG and GIPLs (species-dependant). Octyl-galactofuranose (oct-galf), an analogue of the original substrate, was developed and evaluate in the context of Leishmania donovani infection. In vitro, a dose-independent efficacy against amastigote form was demonstrated in a human macrophages model. Using a murine model, oct-galf showed strong immunomodulatory effects in vivo, while a moderate anti-parasitic effect. In order to better understand theseresults, a new mechanistic approach was considered. Intelectin-1 (also named omentin- 1) relating to a large number of publications, is able to bind furanosidic moieties. Abilities of this lectin to regulate energetic metabolic pathways via AMPK correlate with results we observed in our models and suggest its involvement in the anti-parasitic effects.

No description available.

Thèse (Ph. D.) -- Université Laval, 1998. / Bibliogr.: f. 80-101. Publié aussi en version électronique.

Thèse (M.Sc.) -- Université Laval, 1997. / Bibliogr.: f. 67-83. Publ. aussi en version électronique.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Univ., 2003. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thèse (Ph. D.)--Université Laval, 2004. / Bibliogr.: f. [172]-233. Publié aussi en version électronique.

Thesis (Ph. D)--University of Washington, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 126-137).

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Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil / A proposta deste trabalho foi estudar algumas das variáveis envolvidas na transmissão da leishmaniose visceral (LV) em oito bairros do município de Sabará (MG). Para o levantamento da fauna de flebotomíneos, influência dos fatores climáticos, identificação de repasto sanguíneo e infecção natural por Leishmania, para isso foram realizadas capturas utilizando armadilhas luminosas do tipo HP, tanto no peri como no intradomicílio, nos seguintes bairros: Alvorada, Novo Alvorada, Alvorada Velho, Bom Retiro, Nova Vista, Casa Branca, Rio Negro e Ana Lúcia, no período de janeiro de 2011 a dezembro 2012. Além desses estudos, foram realizados dois inquéritos caninos censitários nos mesmos bairros, nos anos de 2011 e 2012, para o cálculo da taxa de positividade. Para análises parasitológicas e moleculares, foram selecionados aleatoriamente 50 cães soropositivos para os testes de RIFI e ELISA, que foram eutanasiados e necropsiados para obtenção de amostras de pele, linfonodo mesentérico e baço, além de aspirado de medula óssea. Com essas amostras, foram realizados os testes: exame direto (parasitológico), PCR e mielocultura visando confirmar a infecção e identificar a espécie de Leishmania circulante. A fauna flebotomínica foi constituída de quatro espécies, sendo Lutzomyia longipalpis a mais abundante, totalizando 95,0% dos exemplares capturados. Destes, 23,0% foi capturado no intradomicílio. Verificou-se uma tendência no aumento do número de espécimens após o período chuvoso. Das 28 fêmeas ingurgitadas, 67,9% se alimentaram no homem (Homo sapiens) e 25,0% tiveram como fonte alimentar a ave (Gallus gallus). Nove pools foram utilizados para verificar a infecção natural, destes três se apresentaram positivos e, após sequenciamento de DNA, foi observado que a espécie circulante nos vetores foi Leishmania infantum. A taxa média de infecção canina foi de 4,25% em 2011 e 3,34% em 2012. A positividade das amostras (pele, baço, medula e linfonodo) obtidas dos cães soropositivos foi de 100,0% pela PCR, 76,0% pela mielocultura e 66,0% pelo exame parasitológico direto. Entre os quatro tipos de amostras estudadas, o linfonodo foi o tecido que apresentou maior positividade (98,0%). O sequenciamento de DNA das amostras positivas de linfonodo indicou Le. Infantum como sendo a espécie circulante nos cães do município. Após se correlacionarem os casos humanos, caninos e a presença da espécie Lu. longipalpis, encontrada positiva para Le. infantum, pode-se sugerir que os bairros Alvorada e Nova Vista merecem atenção especial como importantes áreas de risco para LV no município. / The purpose of the present study was to investigate some epidemiological aspects related the transmission of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in eight districts of the town of Sabará, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. We surveyed the local phlebotomine sand fly fauna and the main feeding sources, analyzed the interference of climate variables on the populational fluctuation and verified the rates of natural infection of vector species of VL. The entomological captures were performed with HP light traps, from January 2011 to December 2012, in both intra and peridomiciles of houses located in the following districts of Sabará: Alvorada, Novo Alvorada, Alvorada Velho, Bom Retiro, Nova Vista, Casa Branca, Rio Negro and Ana Lúcia. During our study, the plebotomine sand fly population showed a tendency to increase after the rainy period. Four species of phlebotomine sand flies were present, most of them (95.0%) being Lutzomyia longipalpis. Twenty-three percent of them was captured inside the houses. Amongst 28 engorged females, 67.9% had fed on humans (Homo sapiens) and 25% on chicken (Gallus gallus). Leishmania infantum DNA was genotyped in three of nine pooled samples of Lu. longipalpis. Two canine census surveys were performed in the same districts allowing the calculation of the average positivity rate of canine VL, in each year of study, as 4.25% in 2011 and 3.34% in 2012. Fifty among the seropositive dogs for VL faded to euthanasia were randomly selected for parasitological and molecular analyses of tissues (skin, mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen, as well as bone marrow aspirates). All those samples gave 100% of positivity by PCR, 76% positivity by myeloculture and 66% positivity by direct parasitological examination. The highest overall positivity (98%) was obtained with lymph nodes, where the infecting parasite was also genotyped as L. infantum. The combined analysis of the human and canine cases of VL and the vector population data in Sabará, allow us to suggest that Alvorada and Nova Vista districts deserve special attention as main risk areas of VL in the city.

No / Cryptolepine (5-methyl-10H-indolo [3, 2-b] quinoline), an indoloquinoline alkaloid (1) isolated from a medicinal plant traditionally used in Western Africa for treatment of malaria, has been shown to possess broad spectrum biological activity in addition to its antiplasmodial effect. Here, the antileishmanial properties of 11 synthetic derivatives of cryptolepine against Leishmania donovani parasites have been evaluated for the first time. 2,7-Dibromocryptolepine (8; IC50 0.5 ± 0.1 μM) was found to be the most active analogue against the promastigote form of a classical L. donovani strain (AG83) in comparison to the natural alkaloid, cryptolepine (1; IC50 1.6 ± 0.1 μM). Further, 8 was found to substantially inhibit the intracellular amastigote forms of two clinical isolates, one of them being an SbV-resistant strain of L. donovani. Moreover, the toxicity of 8 against normal mouse peritoneal macrophage cells was markedly lower than that of 1 (IC50 values: 9.0 ± 1.2 and 1.1 ± 0.3 μM, respectively), indicating 8 to be a prospective “lead” towards novel antileishmanial therapy. This was supported by studies on the mechanism of cytotoxicity induced by 8 in L. donovani promastigotes (AG83), which revealed the cytoplasmic and nuclear features of metazoan apoptosis. Light microscopic observation demonstrated a gradual decline in the motility, cell volume, and survival of the treated parasites with increasing incubation time. Flow cytometric analysis of phosphatidylserine externalization and distribution of cells in different phases of cell cycle confirmed the presence of a substantial percentage of cells in early apoptotic stage. Disruption of mitochondrial membrane integrity in terms of depolarization of membrane potential, and finally degradation of chromosomal DNA into oligonucleosomal fragments—the hallmark event of apoptosis—characterized the mode of cell death in L. donovani promastigotes.