A genomic approach to the identification of transmission blocking antigens of malaria parasites

• Project/Area Number: 25870525
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Parasitology (including sanitary zoology); Genome biology
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: CULLETON Richard 長崎大学, 熱帯医学研究所, 准教授 (10503782)
• Research Collaborator: ABKALLO Hussein
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥2,730,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥630,000)
• Keywords: malaria / genomics / bioinformatics / LGS / WGS / gametocyte / vaccine / Gametocyte / Malaria / Genomics / Genetics / Bioinformatics / Vaccine

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project has enabled a better understanding of the transmission dynamics of malaria parasites through manipulation of rodent malaria parasites in mosquitoes. We have developed a sophisticated methodology to identify genes that control important parts of the parasites life cycle. We have also shown that parasites may not become more dangerous through interaction with other parasite strains in nature.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Little Polymorphism at the K13 Propeller Locus in Worldwide Plasmodium falciparum Populations Prior to the Introduction of Artemisinin Combination Therapies (2016)
  • Author(s): Mita T, Culleton R, Takahashi N, Nakamura M, Tsukahara T, Hunja CW, Zayar ZW, Hitake WW, Marma AS, Dysoley L, Ndounga M, Dzodzomenyo M, Akhwale WS, Kobayashi J, Uemura H, Kaneko A, Hombhanje F, Ferreira MU, Björkman A, Endo H, Ohashi J
  • Journal Title: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Volume: 印刷中 Issue: 6 Pages: 3340-3347
  • DOI: 10.1128/aac.02370-15
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Humans frequently exposed to a range of non-human primate malaria parasite species through the bites of Anopheles dirus mosquitoes in South-central Vietnam (2015)
  • Author(s): Maeno Y, Quang NT, Culleton R, Kawai S, Masuda G, Nakazawa S, Marchand RP
  • Journal Title: Parasites and Vectors Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Pages: 376-376
  • DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0995-y
  • NAID: 120005947150
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Vector sequence contamination of the Plasmodium vivax sequence database in PlasmoDB and In silico correction of 26 parasite sequences (2015)
  • Author(s): Zhi-Yong Tao, Xu Sui, Cao Jun, Richard Culleton, Qiang Fang, Hui Xia and Qi Gao
  • Journal Title: Parasites & Vectors Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Pages: 318-318
  • DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0927-x
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] How genomics is contributing to the fight against artemisinin-resistant malaria parasites (2015)
  • Author(s): Cravo P, Napolitano H, Culleton R
  • Journal Title: Acta Tropica Volume: 148 Pages: 1-7
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2015.04.007
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Plasmodium knowlesi: from severe zoonosis to animal model (2015)
  • Author(s): Cox-Singh J & Culleton R
  • Journal Title: Trends in Parasitology Volume: 31 Issue: 6 Pages: 232-238
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2015.03.003
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Within-host Competition Does Not Select for Virulence in Malaria Parasites; Studies with Plasmodium yoelii. (2015)
  • Author(s): Hussein M. Abkallo, Julie-Anne Tangena, Jianxia Tang, Nobuyuki Kobayashi, Megumi Inoue, Augustin Zoungrana, Nick Colegrave, Richard Culleton
  • Journal Title: PloS Pathogens Volume: 11 Issue: 2 Pages: 1004628-1004628
  • DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004628
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Malaria parasites genetics: doing something useful (2015)
  • Author(s): Culleton RL, Abkallo HM
  • Journal Title: Parasitology International Volume: 64 Issue: 3 Pages: 244-253
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2014.07.006
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Protein trafficking in Plasmodium falciparum infected red cells and impact of the expansion of exported protein families (2015)
  • Author(s): Prajapati, SK, Culleton, R., Singh, OP
  • Journal Title: Parasitology Volume: 印刷中
  • NAID: 120006986400
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Global distribution of polymorphisms associated with delayed Plasmodium falciparum parasite clearance following artemisinin treatment: genotyping of archive blood samples. (2014)
  • Author(s): Murai K, Culleton R, Hisaoka T, Endo H, Mita T*.
  • Journal Title: Parasitol Int. Volume: 64(3) Issue: 3 Pages: 267-273
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2014.11.002
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Detection of Plasmodium knowlesi DNA in the urine and faeces of a Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) over the course of an experimentally induced infection (2014)
  • Author(s): Kawai S, Sato M, Kato-Hayashi S, Kishi H, Huffman M, Maeno Y, Culleton R, Nakazawa S
  • Journal Title: Malaria Journal Volume: 13 Issue: 1 Pages: 373-373
  • DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-13-373
  • NAID: 120006986377
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Clinical Presentation and Laboratory Diagnosis of the First Human Case in a Scottish Traveller (2014)
  • Author(s): Cordina, C., Culleton, R., Jones, B.L., Smith, C., McConnachie, A., Coyne, M and Alexander, C.L Plasmodium knowlesi
  • Journal Title: Journal of Travel Medicine Volume: (In Press) Issue: 5 Pages: 357-360
  • DOI: 10.1111/jtm.12131
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] African origin of the malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax. Nature Communications 5: 3346, 2014. (2014)
  • Author(s): Liu W, et al.
  • Journal Title: Nature Communications Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Pages: 3346-3346
  • DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4346
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] DNA from Pre-Erythrocytic Stage Malaria Parasites is Detectable by PCR in the Faeces and Blood of Hosts (2014)
  • Author(s): Abkallo HM, Liu W, Hokama S, Ferreira PE, Nakazawa S, Maeno Y, Quang NT, Kaneko O, Huffman MA, Kawai S, Marchand RP, Carter R, B.H. H, Culleton R
  • Journal Title: International Journal for Parasitology Volume: 印刷中
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Phenotypic, Genotypic, and Transcriptomic Characterisation of the Plasmodium vinckei clade of Rodent Malaria Parasites (2016)
  • Author(s): Abhinay Ramaprasad, Hussein Abkallo, Arnab Pain, Culleton Richard
  • Organizer: 第８４回日本寄生虫学会
  • Place of Presentation: 宮崎市民会館（宮崎県宮崎市）
  • Year and Date: 2016-03-20
• [Presentation] The role of the innate immune response in blocking the transmission of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii to mosquitoes (2015)
  • Author(s): Richard Culleton
  • Organizer: 第84回日本寄生虫学会大会
  • Place of Presentation: 東京都三鷹市杏林大学
  • Year and Date: 2015-03-21 – 2015-03-22
• [Presentation] Detection of Pre-Erythrocytic Stage Malaria Parasite DNA in Blood and Faeces of Sporozoite-Infected Mice and Monkeys (2014)
  • Author(s): Richard Culleton
  • Organizer: 第55回日本熱帯医学会大会・第29回日本国際保健医療学会学術大会合同大会
  • Place of Presentation: 東京都新宿区（独）国立国際医療研究センター
  • Year and Date: 2014-11-02
• [Presentation] Within-host competition does not select for virulence in malaria parasites: the case of Plasmodium yoelii (2014)
  • Author(s): Richard Culleton
  • Organizer: 第13回あわじしま感染症・免疫フォーラム in 奈良
  • Place of Presentation: 奈良市、奈良県新公会堂
  • Year and Date: 2014-09-23 – 2014-09-26
• [Presentation] Combining classical genetics with quantitative whole genome sequencing: identifying the genes of interest in apicomplexan parasites (2014)
  • Author(s): Richard Culleton
  • Organizer: The First Symposium: the Consortium for the Control of Zoonoses
  • Place of Presentation: 北海道札幌市北海道大学国際連携研究教育局
  • Year and Date: 2014-08-28 – 2014-08-31
  • Invited
• [Presentation] DNA from Pre-Erythrocytic Stage Malaria Parasites is Detectable by PCR in the Faeces and Blood of Hosts
  • Author(s): Richard Culleton
  • Organizer: 第８３回日本寄生虫学会
  • Place of Presentation: 愛媛大学城北キャンパス（愛媛県松山市）
• [Presentation] DNA from pre-erythrocytic parasites is detectable by PCR in the blood and faeces of hosts.
  • Author(s): Richard Culleton
  • Organizer: The fourth International Symposium on Human and Monkey Malaria in Vietnam(Nagasaki sympo)
  • Place of Presentation: 長崎大学熱帯医学研究所（長崎市）
• [Presentation] Detection of Pre-Erythrocytic Stage Malaria Parasite DNA in Blood and Faeces of Sporozoite- Infected Mice and Monkeys
  • Author(s): Richard Culleton
  • Organizer: 第５４回日本熱帯医学会
  • Place of Presentation: 長崎ブリックホール（長崎市）
• [Presentation] Detection of Pre-Erythrocytic Stage Malaria Parasite DNA in Blood and Faeces of Sporozoite- Infected Mice and Monkeys
  • Author(s): Hussein Abkallo
  • Organizer: 第１２回あわじしま感染症免疫フォーラム
  • Place of Presentation: 淡路夢舞台国際会議場（兵庫県淡路市）