Recent studies suggest that during malaria infection in pregnant women, the placenta selects for a subpopulation of Plasmodium falcifarum by chondroitin 4-sulfate (C4S)-binding. In malaria endemic areas, primigravid women develop maternal malaria and susceptibility to the disease deceases as the gravid status increases, suggesting that women develop a level of protective immunity over successive pregnancies. Determination of the structural motif of the placental C4S that interacts with the parasite infected red blood cells (PRBCs), understanding of details of receptor-ligand interactions, studies on the immune response to C4S- specific parasite ligand in multigravid women living in malaria endemic areas, and studies on the nature and structure of the parasite ligand are likely to assist the development of therapy/vaccine for maternal malaria. This proposal focuses on C4S-mediated adherence of PRBCs to human placenta chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPG). Our preliminary results suggest that either a specific structural motif within the C4S chains of placental CSPGs binds PRBCs or the PRBC adherence to placenta CSPG may involve secondary interactions by either core proteins of CSPGs/co-purifying proteins after the initial C4S-specific recognition. Preliminary studies also show that specific oligosaccharides inhibit PRBC adherence to placenta CSPG. The overall goals of this proposal are to: (1) Purify human placental CSPGs, and study the glycosaminoglycan structures and PRBC binding characteristics of the CSPGs. (2) Determine whether the core proteins of CSPGs/co-purifying proteins participate in PRBC binding. (3) Immunofluorescence localization of PRBC- binding CSPG(s) in placenta. (4) Elucidation of the minimum size and fine structural specificity of the C4S motif that supports PRBCs adherence. (5) Evaluation of C4S ligand-specific immune protection in multigravid women living in malaria endemic areas. The long term goals of this study are to: (a) understand why placenta specifically selects for C4S-binding P. falciparum; (b) study the expression of the PRBC-binding receptor in placenta; (c) characterize the C4S- binding ligand on PRBCs; (d) study C4S oligosaccharides or oligosaccharide-mimetics for maternal malaria therapy; (e) develop C4S oligosaccharide-based drugs for maternal malaria therapy.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI045086-06
Application #
6632080
Study Section
Tropical Medicine and Parasitology Study Section (TMP)
Program Officer
Wali, Tonu M
Project Start
1999-05-01
Project End
2004-04-30
Budget Start
2003-05-01
Budget End
2004-04-30
Support Year
6
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$225,529
Indirect Cost
Name
Pennsylvania State University
Department
Biochemistry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
129348186
City
Hershey
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
17033
Goel, Suchi; Muthusamy, Arivalagan; Miao, Jun et al. (2014) Targeted disruption of a ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA)-like export protein gene in Plasmodium falciparum confers stable chondroitin 4-sulfate cytoadherence capacity. J Biol Chem 289:34408-21
Goel, Suchi; Gowda, D Channe (2011) How specific is Plasmodium falciparum adherence to chondroitin 4-sulfate? Trends Parasitol 27:375-81
Goel, Suchi; Valiyaveettil, Manojkumar; Achur, Rajeshwara N et al. (2010) Dual stage synthesis and crucial role of cytoadherence-linked asexual gene 9 in the surface expression of malaria parasite var proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107:16643-8
Singh, Kavita; Gitti, Rossitza K; Diouf, Ababacar et al. (2010) Subdomain 3 of Plasmodium falciparum VAR2CSA DBL3x is identified as a minimal chondroitin sulfate A-binding region. J Biol Chem 285:24855-62
Goyal, Atul; Goel, Suchi; Gowda, D Channe (2009) Plasmodium falciparum: Assessment of parasite-infected red blood cell binding to placental chondroitin proteoglycan and bovine tracheal chondroitin sulfate A. Exp Parasitol 123:105-10
Achur, Rajeshwara N; Kakizaki, Ikuko; Goel, Suchi et al. (2008) Structural interactions in chondroitin 4-sulfate mediated adherence of Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes in human placenta during pregnancy-associated malaria. Biochemistry 47:12635-43
Achur, Rajeshwara N; Muthusamy, Arivalagan; Madhunapantula, SubbaRao V et al. (2008) Binding affinity of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes from infected placentas and laboratory selected strains to chondroitin 4-sulfate. Mol Biochem Parasitol 159:79-84