Transfection of Babesia bovis by Double Selection with WR99210 and Blasticidin-S and Its Application for Functional Analysis of Thioredoxin Peroxidase-1

PLoS One. 2015 May 11;10(5):e0125993. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125993. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Genetic manipulation is an essential technique to analyze gene function; however, limited methods are available for Babesia bovis, a causative pathogen of the globally important cattle disease, bovine babesiosis. To date, two stable transfection systems have been developed for B. bovis, using selectable markers blasticidin-S deaminase (bsd) or human dihydrofolate reductase (hdhfr). In this work, we combine these two selectable markers in a sequential transfection system. Specifically, a parent transgenic B. bovis line which episomally expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) and human dihydrofolate reductase (hDHFR), was transfected with a plasmid encoding a fusion protein consisting of red fluorescent protein (RFP) and blasticidin-S deaminase (BSD). Selection with WR99210 and blasticidin-S resulted in the emergence of parasites double positive for GFP and RFP. We then applied this method to complement gene function in a parasite line in which thioredoxin peroxidase-1 (Bbtpx-1) gene was knocked out using hDHFR as a selectable marker. A plasmid was constructed harboring both RFP-BSD and Bbtpx-1 expression cassettes, and transfected into a Bbtpx-1 knockout (KO) parasite. Transfectants were independently obtained by two transfection methods, episomal transfection and genome integration. Complementation of Bbtpx-1 resulted in full recovery of resistance to nitrosative stress, via the nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside, which was impaired in the Bbtpx-1 KO parasites. In conclusion, we developed a sequential transfection method in B. bovis and subsequently applied this technique in a gene complementation study. This method will enable broader genetic manipulation of Babesia toward enhancing our understanding of the biology of this parasite.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Babesia bovis / drug effects
  • Babesia bovis / enzymology*
  • Babesia bovis / genetics*
  • Babesiosis / parasitology*
  • Cattle
  • Cattle Diseases / parasitology*
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Gene Order
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Genetic Complementation Test
  • Genetic Loci
  • Nucleosides / pharmacology
  • Peroxiredoxins / genetics*
  • Peroxiredoxins / metabolism*
  • Plasmids / genetics
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Stress, Physiological
  • Transfection*
  • Triazines / pharmacology

Substances

  • Nucleosides
  • Triazines
  • BRL 6231
  • blasticidin S
  • Peroxiredoxins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a NRCPD-OUAVM Joint Research Grant of NRCPD, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (http://www.obihiro.ac.jp/~protozoa/eng/index-eng.html), to CES (No. 24-11), Cooperative Research Grant of NEKKEN, Nagasaki University (http://www.tm.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/nekken/english/index.html) to S-IK (No. 26-A-1) and JSPS KAKENHI, Japan society for the promotion of science (http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/index.html) to MA (No. 25850199). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.