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Placental Sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria Parasites Is Mediated by the Interaction Between VAR2CSA and Chondroitin Sulfate A on Syndecan-1

Ayres Pereira, Marina ; Mandel Clausen, Thomas ; Pehrson, Caroline LU ; Mao, Yang ; Resende, Mafalda ; Daugaard, Mads ; Riis Kristensen, Anders ; Spliid, Charlotte ; Mathiesen, Line and E. Knudsen, Lisbeth , et al. (2016) In PLoS Pathogens 12(8).
Abstract

During placental malaria, Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes sequester in the placenta, causing health problems for both the mother and fetus. The specific adherence is mediated by the VAR2CSA protein, which binds to placental chondroitin sulfate (CS) on chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) in the placental syncytium. However, the identity of the CSPG core protein and the cellular impact of the interaction have remain elusive. In this study we identified the specific CSPG core protein to which the CS is attached, and characterized its exact placental location. VAR2CSA pull-down experiments using placental extracts from whole placenta or syncytiotrophoblast microvillous cell membranes showed three distinct CSPGs available... (More)

During placental malaria, Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes sequester in the placenta, causing health problems for both the mother and fetus. The specific adherence is mediated by the VAR2CSA protein, which binds to placental chondroitin sulfate (CS) on chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) in the placental syncytium. However, the identity of the CSPG core protein and the cellular impact of the interaction have remain elusive. In this study we identified the specific CSPG core protein to which the CS is attached, and characterized its exact placental location. VAR2CSA pull-down experiments using placental extracts from whole placenta or syncytiotrophoblast microvillous cell membranes showed three distinct CSPGs available for VAR2CSA adherence. Further examination of these three CSPGs by immunofluorescence and proximity ligation assays showed that syndecan-1 is the main receptor for VAR2CSA mediated placental adherence. We further show that the commonly used placental choriocarcinoma cell line, BeWo, express a different set of proteoglycans than those present on placental syncytiotrophoblast and may not be the most biologically relevant model to study placental malaria. Syncytial fusion of the BeWo cells, triggered by forskolin treatment, caused an increased expression of placental CS-modified syndecan-1. In line with this, we show that rVAR2 binding to placental CS impairs syndecan-1-related Src signaling in forskolin treated BeWo cells, but not in untreated cells.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
PLoS Pathogens
volume
12
issue
8
article number
e1005831
publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
external identifiers
  • scopus:84984797668
  • pmid:27556547
  • wos:000383376000053
ISSN
1553-7366
DOI
10.1371/journal.ppat.1005831
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
909bbcd3-8f68-4995-93af-d8bfb2ab7aa7
date added to LUP
2016-12-15 15:00:58
date last changed
2024-05-31 19:28:11
@article{909bbcd3-8f68-4995-93af-d8bfb2ab7aa7,
  abstract     = {{<p>During placental malaria, Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes sequester in the placenta, causing health problems for both the mother and fetus. The specific adherence is mediated by the VAR2CSA protein, which binds to placental chondroitin sulfate (CS) on chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) in the placental syncytium. However, the identity of the CSPG core protein and the cellular impact of the interaction have remain elusive. In this study we identified the specific CSPG core protein to which the CS is attached, and characterized its exact placental location. VAR2CSA pull-down experiments using placental extracts from whole placenta or syncytiotrophoblast microvillous cell membranes showed three distinct CSPGs available for VAR2CSA adherence. Further examination of these three CSPGs by immunofluorescence and proximity ligation assays showed that syndecan-1 is the main receptor for VAR2CSA mediated placental adherence. We further show that the commonly used placental choriocarcinoma cell line, BeWo, express a different set of proteoglycans than those present on placental syncytiotrophoblast and may not be the most biologically relevant model to study placental malaria. Syncytial fusion of the BeWo cells, triggered by forskolin treatment, caused an increased expression of placental CS-modified syndecan-1. In line with this, we show that rVAR2 binding to placental CS impairs syndecan-1-related Src signaling in forskolin treated BeWo cells, but not in untreated cells.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ayres Pereira, Marina and Mandel Clausen, Thomas and Pehrson, Caroline and Mao, Yang and Resende, Mafalda and Daugaard, Mads and Riis Kristensen, Anders and Spliid, Charlotte and Mathiesen, Line and E. Knudsen, Lisbeth and Damm, Peter and G. Theander, Thor and Hansson, Stefan and A. Nielsen, Morten and Salanti, Ali}},
  issn         = {{1553-7366}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  number       = {{8}},
  publisher    = {{Public Library of Science (PLoS)}},
  series       = {{PLoS Pathogens}},
  title        = {{Placental Sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria Parasites Is Mediated by the Interaction Between VAR2CSA and Chondroitin Sulfate A on Syndecan-1}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1005831}},
  doi          = {{10.1371/journal.ppat.1005831}},
  volume       = {{12}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}