“The Molecular Mechanisms of Complement Evasion by Asexual Blood Stages and Infective Sporozoites of Plasmodium Falciparum”
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“The molecular mechanisms of complement evasion by asexual blood stages and infective sporozoites of Plasmodium falciparum” Von der Fakultät für Mathematik, Informatik und Naturwissenschaften der RWTH Aachen University zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines Doktors der Naturwissenschaften genehmigte Dissertation vorgelegt von Thiago Ferreira de Araujo Rosa, M.Sc from Campina Grande, Brazil Supervision: Univ.-Prof. Dr. phil. nat. Gabriele Pradel Univ.-Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Lothar Rink Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 04. Juli 2018 Diese Dissertation ist auf den Internetseiten der Universitätsbibliothek online verfügbar. Statutory declaration Hereby I declare on oath that I have the present dissertation with the title “The molecular mechanisms of complement evasion by asexual blood stages and infective sporozoites of Plasmodium falciparum” is the result of my own work. I did not receive any help and all sources and / or materials applied are listed and specified in the thesis. _______________________ _________________________ City, Date Thiago Ferreira de Araujo Rosa Acknowledgement At first, I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Gabriele Pradel for giving me the opportunity to develop my doctorate studies in her laboratory. The environment provided and her guidance helped to become a different person and a better professional. I am very grateful for the opportunity to work in my own way and the possibility to incorporate my ideas in my studies. I am very thankful for Prof. Dr. Lothar Rink for the acceptance as a second referee in this thesis. My sincere thanks go to collaborators Prof. Dr. Christine Skerka and Prof Dr. Peter Zipfel for all the support and suggestions given during the development of my studies. Similarly, I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena and Dr. Joel Vega-Rodriguez for the support, encouragement and suggestions given in order to develop my thesis and to make me a better scientist. I owe my deepest gratitude to my colleague Dr. Che Julius Ngwa who invested his time to guide me through my journey in complement system and malaria researches. His support and honest words were essentials to the development of this thesis. My heartfelt thanks also go to the students who developed their studies and dissertations in the project of complement evasion by malaria parasites. So many thanks Ansgar Flammersfeld, Janine Wenker, Martin Kochem, Frederick Huppertz, Loana Epping, Rebecca Bobbert and Timo Reiss. You all taught me a lot. I also wish to express my sincerest thanks for the help and encouragement to Tim Weissbach (RiTimTim), Dr. Christine Wirth (CC Wirth) and Dr. Andreas von Bohl (Dedé) who supported me during the first years in Germany. I truly respect them as professionals but also as great friends. Furthermore I would like to thank Alexandra Golzmann for constant support, her help and friendship. I highly appreciate Christine Böhme and Elke Wilden for all the bureaucratic work needed for the development of my studies and trips. I also thank all members of Pradel’s group, in special Emilie Njila, Meike Kiesow, Sandra Bennink and Dr. Martin Singheiser. My studies and stay in Germany would not be possible without the support of my German family, so many thanks Markus Breuer, Mohammed Sharaf, Michael Buenten, Dirk Meyle, Frau Inge Meyle and Frank Buettner for being by my side these four years. Similarly, many thanks to my family back in Brazil, in special to my big brother Wagner, who is so proud of me without knowing exactly what I do. LOL Finally, my biggest thanks go to my parents, heroes and best friends, Nerildo Rosa and Gilene F. de A. Rosa who support in everything I proposed myself to do. I am lucky. Table of contents List of figures………………………………………………………………………………………………………….i List of tables…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..iii Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………………………....iv Kurzdarstellung……………………………………………………………………………………………………......vi 1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………...1 1.1. Malaria…………………………………………………………………………………………………...1 1.2. Plasmodium falciparum………………………………………………………………………………….4 1.3. Immune response to Malaria…………………………………………………………………………….7 1.4. The human complement system………………………………………………………………………..10 1.4.1. Complement system activation……………………………………………………………….10 1.4.2. Regulation of the complement system………………………………………………………..13 1.5. Factor H family proteins………………………………………………………………………………..15 1.6. Strategies of complement regulation by pathogens…………………………………………………….21 1.6.1. Acquisition of host inhibitors by pathogens promotes complement evasion…………………21 1.6.2. Microbial proteins involved in complement evasion………………………………………...24 1.6.3. Fibrinolytic protease Plasmin as an inhibitor of the complement system…………………….25 1.7. The complement system and malaria…………………………………………………………………..27 1.8. Aim of the study……………………………………………………………………………………….30 2. Materials and Methods……………………………………………………………………………………..32 2.1. Materials……………………………………………………………………………………………….32 2.1.1. Instruments……………………………………………………………………………………...32 2.1.2. Consumables…………………………………………………………………………………….33 2.1.3. Chemicals..............................................................................................................................…...34 2.1.4. Antibodies and antisera………………………………………………………………………….34 2.1.5. Purified and recombinant proteins and peptides………………………………………………...36 2.1.6. Protein ladder……………………………………………………………………………………37 2.1.7. Miscellaneous materials…………………………………………………………………………37 2.1.8. Kits………………………………………………………………………………………………38 2.1.9. Bioinformatic Sources and Computer Programs…………………………………………….….38 2.1.10. Parasite lines and mosquitos…………………………………………………………………...38 2.1.11. Buffers, media and solutions…………………………………………………………………..39 2.2. Methods………………………………………………………………………………………………...42 2.2.1. Cell biology……………………………………………………………………………………...42 2.2.1.1. Culture of Plasmodium falciparum…………………………………………………….42 2.2.1.2. Freezing and thawing of P. falciparum cultures………………………………………..43 2.2.1.3. Determination of parasitemia and gametocytemia……………......................................44 2.2.1.4. Synchronization and percoll purification of P. falciparum asexual stage…………...…46 2.2.1.5. Purification of P. falciparum infective stage sporozoites………………………………48 2.2.1.6. Pig erythrocyte lysis assay……………………………………………………………...48 2.2.1.7. P. falciparum replication assay…………………………………………………………49 2.2.1.8. Gametocytogenesis assay………………………………………………………………49 2.2.1.9. Gelatin flotation purification…………………………………………………………...50 2.2.1.10. Microwell adhesion assay……………………………………………………………..50 2.2.1.11. Merozoite invasion assay……………………………………………………………...51 2.2.1.12. Indirect immunofluorescence assay…………………………………………………...51 2.2.2. Protein biochemical methods……………………………………………………………………52 2.2.2.1. SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis..................................................................…...52 2.2.2.2. Western blot analysis…………………………………………………………………...53 2.2.2.3. Cofactor activity assay………………………………………………………………….54 2.2.2.4. ELISA for terminal complement complex detection…………………………………...54 2.2.2.5. Competition assay………………………………………………………………………55 2.2.2.6. Deposition assay………………………………………………………………………..55 2.2.2.7. Complement cleavage assay……………………………………………………………56 2.2.2.8. FH deletion mutants binding assay……………………………………………………..56 3. Results……………………………………………………………………………………………………….57 3.1. Effect of human complement system on the survival of Plasmodium falciparum…………………….57 3.2. Effect of human complement system components on the viability of Plasmodium falciparum………62 3.2.1. The deposition of complement components on Plasmodium falciparum surface……………62 3.2.2. Recruitment of complement regulators by asexual blood stage of Plasmodium falciparum…67 3.2.3. Factor H interaction to P. falciparum membrane is knob-independent………………………73 3.3. The role of plasmin(ogen) during complement evasion by Plasmodium falciparum……………….....76 3.3.1. The binding of plasmin(ogen) to asexual blood stages……………………………………….76 3.3.2. Plasmin-mediated complement C3b degradation on the parasite surface…………………….79 3.4. Factor H-related proteins and their role in complement evasion by malaria parasites………………...81 3.4.1. Factor H-related proteins 1 and 3 binding to asexual stages of P. falciparum…………………..81 3.4.2. The effect of FHR-1 binding during complement evasion by Plasmodium falciparum sexual stages…………………………………………………………………………………………………...85 3.5. Effect of complement system and its components on Plasmodium falciparum infective stage ……....90 3.5.1. Complement C3b deposition and MAC on sporozoite surface……………………………….90 3.5.2. The recruitment of FH and its effect on sporozoite surface…………………………………..92 3.5.3. The role of plasminogen on the surface of Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites…………….94 4. Discussion…………………………………………………………………………………………………...96 4.1. The effect of human complement on the viabily of P. falciparum asexual blood stages………………97 4.2. Recruitment of complement factor H by Plasmodium falciparum asexual blood stages……………..100 4.3. The role of plasmin(ogen) during complement evasion by P. falciparum……………………………103 4.4. The role of factor H-related protein 1 during complement evasion by malaria parasites…………….105 4.5. Complement evasion mechanisms of Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites…………………………..107 5. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………109 6. Future perspectives………………………………………………………………………………………...110 7. References………………………………………………………………………………………………….112 8. Abbreviations………………………………………………………………………………………………129 9. List of Publication………………………………………………………………………………………….130