Male-Specific Protein Disulphide Isomerase Function is Essential for Plasmodium Transmission and a Vulnerable Target for Intervention

Sci Rep. 2019 Dec 4;9(1):18300. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-54613-0.

Abstract

Inhibiting transmission of Plasmodium is an essential strategy in malaria eradication, and the biological process of gamete fusion during fertilization is a proven target for this approach. Lack of knowledge of the mechanisms underlying fertilization have been a hindrance in the development of transmission-blocking interventions. Here we describe a protein disulphide isomerase essential for malarial transmission (PDI-Trans/PBANKA_0820300) to the mosquito. We show that PDI-Trans activity is male-specific, surface-expressed, essential for fertilization/transmission, and exhibits disulphide isomerase activity which is up-regulated post-gamete activation. We demonstrate that PDI-Trans is a viable anti-malarial drug and vaccine target blocking malarial transmission with the use of PDI inhibitor bacitracin (98.21%/92.48% reduction in intensity/prevalence), and anti-PDI-Trans antibodies (66.22%/33.16% reduction in intensity/prevalence). To our knowledge, these results provide the first evidence that PDI function is essential for malarial transmission, and emphasize the potential of anti-PDI agents to act as anti-malarials, facilitating the future development of novel transmission-blocking interventions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antimalarials* / pharmacology
  • Antimalarials* / therapeutic use
  • Bacitracin* / pharmacology
  • Bacitracin* / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Malaria Vaccines* / pharmacology
  • Malaria Vaccines* / therapeutic use
  • Malaria* / prevention & control
  • Malaria* / transmission
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Plasmodium berghei / drug effects
  • Plasmodium berghei / enzymology*
  • Plasmodium berghei / pathogenicity
  • Protein Disulfide-Isomerases / physiology*
  • Protozoan Proteins / physiology

Substances

  • Antimalarials
  • Malaria Vaccines
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • Bacitracin
  • Protein Disulfide-Isomerases