Characterisation of the merozoite surface protein-2 promoter using stable and transient transfection in Plasmodium falciparum

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Abstract

Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein (MSP)-2, is a polymorphic protein whose variable regions define two allelic families, the 3D7/IC-1 and FC27/D10 families. The gene encoding MSP-2 is located on chromosome 2 immediately 3′ of the gene encoding merozoite surface protein-5 (MSP-5) with a 1096 bp intergenic region that presumably contains the MSP-2 promoter. Here we present characterization of the MSP-2 promoter using transient and stable transfection of P. falciparum. The mRNA transcription initiation site was mapped to a position 256 bp upstream of the MSP-2 translation start site. The ability of the intergenic region between MSP-5 and MSP-2 to promote the expression of chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) has been tested using a series of nested deletions in transient transfection experiments. The minimal region required for CAT expression has been defined and putative regulatory elements delineated. These nested deletions were used for heterologous expression of an FC27 family MSP-2 allele in the 3D7 allelic background in transfected 3D7 lines. In each case, the transgenic P. falciparum lines generated co-express both 3D7 and FC27 allelic forms of MSP-2 at the merozoite surface. These results have identified the functional promoter for MSP-2.

Introduction

Antibodies inhibitory to Plasmodium falciparum may function through the inhibition of invasion of human red blood cells by the extracellular merozoite form of the parasite. A target of invasion-inhibitory antibodies is the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored, integral membrane protein MSP-2, a molecule that is an important malaria vaccine candidate [1], [2], [3]. Antibodies against MSP-2 in human sera are associated with decreased malaria morbidity [4], [5], [6], and in various experimental systems, immunisation with recombinant forms of the molecule protect against malaria challenge [7], [8], [9]. It has been demonstrated that both antibodies to MSP-2 and synthetic MSP-2 peptides inhibit merozoite invasion of red blood cells in vitro [10], [11], implicating this molecule in erythrocyte invasion. However, the function of MSP-2 in invasion remains unknown. Targeted disruption of the MSP-2 gene has not been successful, suggesting that this gene may be essential in P. falciparum [12].

The MSP-2 protein consists of highly conserved amino- and carboxy-termini flanking a variable central region. The variable region contains a central repetitive sequence flanked by non-repetitive regions that have been used to define two major allelic families; the FC27 family and the 3D7/IC-1 family. In addition to MSP-2, a number of other merozoite proteins implicated in erythrocyte invasion demonstrate allelic dimorphism, including MSP-1, MSP-3, and EBA-175 [13], [14], [15]. While these dimorphisms appear not to be involved in alternate erythrocyte invasion pathways [16], it is possible that they may be involved in the formation of protein complexes at the merozoite surface or the transport and trafficking of other polymorphic merozoite surface proteins. Trafficking of merozoite proteins may be dependant upon other proteins and complex formation, for example localisation of RAP-2 is dependant on RAP-1 acting as an escorter protein [17]; it is possible that the dimorphisms observed in other merozoite molecules may involve interactions with other polymorphic proteins at the merozoite surface. These interactions may be crucial for the appropriate trafficking and localisation of merozoite proteins including MSP-2.

MSP-2 is encoded by a single exon on chromosome 2 and is flanked 5′ by the genes encoding merozoite surface proteins MSP-4 and MSP-5 and 3′ by the gene encoding adenylosuccinate lyase (ASL) [18], [19], [20] (Fig. 1A). An MSP-4 cDNA clone characterised previously [21], indicated that MSP-4 transcription initiates in the PFB0315w-MSP-4 intergenic region and terminates in the MSP-4-MSP-5 intergenic region (Fig. 1A) [22]. In the 3D7 parasite line, the intergenic region between MSP-5 and MSP-2 is 1096 bp and presumably contains the MSP-2 promoter since there is no evidence to suggest a polycistronic mRNA containing both the MSP-5 and MSP-2 open reading frames. Indeed, it has been demonstrated that a 2 kb MSP-2 mRNA extends from the MSP-5-MSP-2 intergenic region across the 819 bp MSP-2 open reading frame to terminate in the MSP-2-ASL intergenic region in 3D7 [23]. Analysis of the timing of MSP-2 transcription indicates that while low levels of MSP-2 mRNA may be present in rings, the level of MSP-2 RNA peaks in late-trophozoites and schizonts [23], [24], [25].

It has been shown previously that precise timing of transgene expression is a determinant of subsequent localisation to the merozoite surface in Plasmodium berghei and P. falciparum [26], [27]. In P. berghei, P. falciparum AMA-1 has been expressed under the control of the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and the P. berghei AMA-1 promoters, and is correctly localised only under the control of the AMA-1 promoter when AMA-1 expression begins in late-schizonts. It is thought that this timing of expression is required to coincide with the development of the rhoptries to which AMA-1 localises prior to the merozoite surface [28]. The timing of transgene expression can be equally important for subcellular localisation in P. falciparum, and the choice of promoter for expression at the merozoite surface critical. For instance, correct timing of Plasmodium chabaudi AMA-1 transgene expression is required for localisation of the protein to the rhoptries in P. falciparum; under the control of the calmodulin (CAM) promoter, P. chabaudi AMA-1 localised to what appeared to be the parasite plasma membrane surrounding the developing merozoites [27].

The regulated expression of both merozoite-specific and invasion-associated Plasmodial transgenes is essential for the functional analysis of these molecules. We describe characterisation of the merozoite-specific promoter for the MSP-2 gene and define regions sufficient for transgene expression and localisation of the protein at the merozoite surface. We show promoter regions that drive minimal levels of transgene expression in transient assays are sufficient for expression of FC27 MSP-2 at the merozoite surface.

Section snippets

DNA ligase-dependent amplification (DLDA)

An improved DLDA was used to identify MSP-2 transcription start sites [29], [30]. Following first strand cDNA synthesis using SuperScript II reverse transcriptase (GibcoBRL) with the MSP-2 specific oligonucleotide MSP-2D 5′ GGATTACTTTCTGTCATACTTCTCC 3′, and removal of RNA using RNase H (Promega), a double stranded oligonucleotide anchor with a degenerate four nucleotide overhang [30] was ligated onto the cDNA and the fragment amplified. Semi-nested PCR using an oligonucleotide complementary to

Identification of a putative MSP-2 transcription start site

In order to map the MSP-2 transcriptional start site and facilitate the characterisation of the 3D7 MSP-2 promoter, MSP-2 5′ cDNA ends were amplified using a modified DLDA technique, subsequently cloned into pGEM-T and sequenced [30]. Sequencing of multiple clones identified a single putative transcriptional start site at position -256 relative to the MSP-2 translation start codon (Fig. 1B).

Analysis of the MSP-2 5′ region in transiently-transfected parasites

To confirm that the MSP-2 5′ region contains a functional promoter, the 1096 bp MSP-5-MSP-2 intergenic

Discussion

The ability to express transgenes in P. falciparum allows the analysis of protein trafficking [44], [45], the functional analysis of malaria vaccine candidates [46], and the examination of the importance of antibodies to specific antigens in immunity to malaria [47]. Central to addressing these questions is both the appropriate timing of transgene expression throughout the plasmodial life cycle and the subsequent trafficking to the appropriate subcellular destination. In this study, we have

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Vikki Marshall for kindly providing anti-MSP-4 antibodies, Laura Martin and Allan Saul for providing the anti-FC27 MSP-2 monoclonal antibody 8G10/48, and Simon Weisman and Ross Coppel for kindly providing anti-FVO MSP-2 antisera and MSP-2 recombinant proteins. The authors also wish to thank Junici Watanabe for assistance with the FULL-malaria database, Till Voss for critically reading the manuscript and The Red Cross Blood Service (Melbourne, Australia) for the supply

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