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research article

Host cell CRISPR genomics and modelling reveal shared metabolic vulnerabilities in the intracellular development of Plasmodium falciparum and related hemoparasites

Maurizio, Marina
•
Masid, Maria
•
Woods, Kerry
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December 1, 2024
Nature Communications

Parasitic diseases, particularly malaria (caused by Plasmodium falciparum) and theileriosis (caused by Theileria spp.), profoundly impact global health and the socioeconomic well-being of lower-income countries. Despite recent advances, identifying host metabolic proteins essential for these auxotrophic pathogens remains challenging. Here, we generate a novel metabolic model of human hepatocytes infected with P. falciparum and integrate it with a genome-wide CRISPR knockout screen targeting Theileria-infected cells to pinpoint shared vulnerabilities. We identify key host metabolic enzymes critical for the intracellular survival of both of these lethal hemoparasites. Remarkably, among the metabolic proteins identified by our synergistic approach, we find that host purine and heme biosynthetic enzymes are essential for the intracellular survival of P. falciparum and Theileria, while other host enzymes are only essential under certain metabolic conditions, highlighting P. falciparum’s adaptability and ability to scavenge nutrients selectively. Unexpectedly, host porphyrins emerge as being essential for both parasites. The shared vulnerabilities open new avenues for developing more effective therapies against these debilitating diseases, with the potential for broader applicability in combating apicomplexan infections.

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Type
research article
DOI
10.1038/s41467-024-50405-x
Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85199189514

PubMed ID

39034325

Author(s)
Maurizio, Marina

University of Bern, Institute of Animal Pathology

Masid, Maria

Université de Lausanne (UNIL)

Woods, Kerry

University of Bern, Institute of Animal Pathology

Caldelari, Reto

University of Bern

Doench, John G.

Broad Institute

Naguleswaran, Arunasalam

University of Bern, Institute of Animal Pathology

Joly, Denis  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

González-Fernández, Martín

University of Bern, Institute of Animal Pathology

Zemp, Jonas

University of Bern, Institute of Animal Pathology

Borteele, Mélanie  

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

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Date Issued

2024-12-01

Publisher

Nature Research

Published in
Nature Communications
Volume

15

Issue

1

Article Number

6145

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
LCSB  
FunderFunding(s)Grant NumberGrant URL

University of Bern

Department for BioMedical Research

Swiss National Science Foundation

173972,189127,198543

Available on Infoscience
January 24, 2025
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/243403
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