Friends of Parasitology Friends of Parasitology The Institute of Parasitology NewsletterThe Institute of Parasitology Newsletter

Volume 2, Spring/Summer, 2005

publish an interview with Kris in our next Newsletter. The Institute has hosted a number of visitors over the past 6 months, including Mark Sandeman, on sabbatical from Australia, Viriya Pankao (PhD student), from Thailand and Aurelie Girard (MSc student), from France. Mark managed to walk on water (the mighty but frozen St Lawrence) while here, confirming the adage that a good nematologist is some-one very special. Viriya will soon return to Bangkok to finish her studies and we will remember her warm nature and dedication in the lab. Aurelie is taking her stage with Gaetan Faubert till the Fall. Finally, further good news is the growth in interest for our new MSc (Applied) in Biotechnology, with over 70 applications for Fall 2005. Our first intake of students is currently conducting their research project over the summer. We are de-lighted that our new program is taking off. Have a great Summer!

1 A word from the Director

1 From the Editor

2 New hope for Trypanosomiasis

control

2 Understanding the glycosome

3 Fifth Annual Quebec

Parasitology Symposium

3 Robert P. Harpur Fellowship in

Parasitology

3 Visiting the Institute

3 Student Conversations

4 Institute Barbeque

I N T H I S I S S U E

Institute of Parasitology Macdonald Campus, McGill University 21,111 Lakeshore Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec Canada H9X 3V9 Tel. : (514) 398-7726 Fax : (514) 398-7857 graduate.parasitology@mcgill.ca Director Terry Spithill

Editor: Jim Smith

From the Editor

A word from the Director

It seems Spring is well and truly in the air and the campus is bursting into green after a long recovery from Winter over March–April. Lac St Louis has al-most burst her banks with this year’s thaw but I have been advised by our resident historian, one G. Bingham, that the river level has been known to be much higher– still it looks very impres-sive to me! Spring is a time of rebirth and the Institute is in the process of tre-mendous academic renewal, with one search completed, a search in progress and a new search about to begin. As I mentioned in the previous Newsletter, we have now finalised an appointment in helminth functional genomics and I ex-pect to be able to share the full news with you in the Fall. We have a search ongoing for a position in Bioinformatics and have a fine list of applicants who will be interviewed in the next two months. As indicated by our Editor, the Institute will say farewell this summer to Kris Chadee, who has just won a prestigious Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, in the area of Gastrointestinal Inflammation, which he will take up at the University of Calgary. Many of our alumni will know Kris well as he has been an active fac-ulty member for 18 years, having com-pleted his PhD here with Gene Meerovitch in 1985, then returned to join the staff in 1987. Kris has built a fine international reputation studying the pathogenesis of Entamoeba histolytica, and has directed a most productive labo-ratory. Kris has shown a great ability to not only win grants to support his re-search, but also foster the careers of his students, many of whom hold competi-tive fellowships. Kris’ publication record exemplifies his success, and his work enjoys a high citation rate, indicating the impact his research has had in his field. I join with everyone at the Institute to celebrate Kris’ achievement and wish Kris all the very best as he establishes himself in Calgary. Kris will represent the “Alberta satellite” of our Centre. We will

Institute Director Terry Spithill

Continued on page 2

McGill

Firstly, my thanks to everyone who wrote to say how much they enjoyed the last issue of the newsletter. It’s the end of term and I am sure there is a collective sigh of relief as another aca-demic year comes to a close, prompting thoughts of all the things one can do that there wasn’t time for during the term (and funnily enough didn’t always get done last summer either!). Of course nothing really stops, it’s just that the focus changes, research continues, the-ses and proposals still have to be read, grants have to be written and hopefully a few conferences attended. We are looking forward to our 5th Annual Quebec Parasitology Symposium in June. The Symposium is really in full stride now and is a major event in our calendar. As the venue changes every year, hosted by different member institu-tions of the Centre for Host-Parasite

New hope for Trypano-somiasis control - $1.2 m from Gates Foundation

If you would prefer to receive future issues of this newsletter electronically, please notify Jim Smith at james.smith@mcgill.ca

African Trypanosomi-asis is a major disease of livestock and hu-mans in sub-Saharan Africa. In cattle the disease is known as Nagana and in hu-mans, Sleeping Sick-ness. Because of de-veloping drug resistance, these diseases have become more pressing in recent years. It has been estimated that 66,000 people died of Sleeping Sickness in 1999, over 300,000 people are infected and over 60 million people are at risk. Cattle are at risk of Nagana in al-most all of equatorial Africa. Currently 44 million head of cattle can only survive with repeated chemotherapy, and huge areas of Africa cannot be used for live-stock production because of the risk of Nagana and Sleeping Sickness. Collaborative work between Roger Prich-ard and former student /alumnus Dr. George Lubega, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, has demonstrated that the protein tubulin, isolated and purified from Trypanosoma brucei, when used as an antigen, protected mice from infection with Trypanosoma brucei and other Trypanosoma species. In addition, they were able to demonstrate that anti-tubulin antibodies were able to

inhibit the growth of trypanosomes in culture. Together with colleague Dr. Vi-dadi Yusibov, Fraunhofer USA. Inc., Center for Molecular Biotechnology, Newark, Delaware, USA, this led to a successful grant application to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The pro-ject entitled “Pre-clinical assessment and identification of target antigens for devel-oping an efficacious and cost-effective vaccine to prevent African trypanosomi-asis” has been funded for 2 years at $1.2 m. The first phase of this collaborative pro-ject will involve both vaccination studies in mice and cattle, and in vitro work. Dr. Yusibov will prepare recombinant poly-peptide specific antigens in a plant vec-tor, a technique he has pioneered as an effective way of producing and delivering vaccines utilizing plant viruses. Work at McGill will concentrate on preparing native antigen, to which specific antibod-ies will be raised. The native antigen will be used as a vaccination control and in in vitro assessment of the ability of the recombinant antigens to induce strong antibody responses. Antibody pull-down control vaccines will also be used to as-sess responses in animals. The in vivo vaccination studies will be carried out by George Lubega’s team, in Kampala. Vaccination studies will initially be conducted in mice, and subsequently in cattle, against different strains/species of Try-panosoma brucei (brucei, rhodesiense, gambiense, congolense). If the work proves successful in mice and cattle, consideration will be given to developing a human vaccine. This is exciting research with potential large payoffs in terms of animal produc-tivity and human health in Africa.

Interactions, it gives both staff, and par-ticularly students, the opportunity to inter-act with fellow researchers in Quebec, and to foster new collaborations and friendships. Lastly, it is with some sadness that we say a fond farewell to Kris Chadee who is moving to the University of Calgary this June. We wish him and France good fortune in their new adventure. Kris and I shared bench space during our student days in Eugene Meerovitch’s Laboratory so we have a long history. Kris has run a strong and vibrant re-search program, and has mentored many students during his years at the Institute. His sometimes raucous laugh will be missed echoing along the Institute corridors. Although relocated, I am sure Kris will maintain strong ties with the Institute. Jim Smith, Faculty Lecturer & Editor james.smith@mcgill.ca

Understand-ing the Glycosome

Leishmania and other trypanosomatids. Leishmaniasis is currently endemic in 88 countries and according to WHO, there are 350 million people at risk of infection with 1-2 million new infections annually and an estimated 59,000 deaths per year. Within the glycosome a number of vital cellular functions are performed including glycolysis, fatty acid β-oxidation, purine salvage, lipid biosynthe-sis and CO2 fixation. Recently, Armando and his most senior doctoral student Pat Madrid discussed the work leading to their recent publica-tion in the journal, Molecular and Cellular Biology 24: 7331–7344 (2004). Armando - why Leishmania and why specifically the Glycosome? Leishmania is of course of interest be-cause it is an important human pathogen and there is no real safe or effective treatment against the disease. In addi-tion, drug resistance is becoming a prob-lem. Leishmania are regarded as being primitive organisms that diverged early from the main eukaryotic lineage. The glycosome is an organelle which is unique to this group, the trypanosomat-ids in general. This organelle is evolu-tionary related to the peroxisome of eu-karyotes. A comparison of these two organelles gives us an excellent model system to study organ divergence and specialization as a function of time. For instance, we can see that the receptor protein Pex5 functions differently in as-sembly in the glycosome than in the per-oxisome. In peroxisomes this Pex5 shut-tles through the peroxisome, whereas in glycosomes, the Pex5 receptor drops its cargo at the membrane and does not enter the glycosome. Pat – what is the focus of your latest paper?

It centers on the function of a cytosolic receptor protein known as peroxin5 (Pex5), the protein is responsible for sorting and targeting proteins that are specific for the glycosome. In this paper we were examining the structural change in the Pex5 complex upon binding and

Armando Jardim joined the Institute in 2000. The focus of his research is the organelle known as the glycosome, which is functionally important in

FRIENDS OF PARASITOLOGY Volume 2 2

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Fifth Annual Quebec Parasitology Symposium Our annual Symposium will be held this year on June 13-14, at the Montreal General Hospital, and is hosted by the Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre and organized by Dr Mary Stevenson. The Symposium continues to grow and for the first time will have published abstracts. In addition to the oral and poster presentations from members of the Centre for Host-Parasite Interactions, there will also be presentations from invited speakers:

• Alan Sher, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA , • Malcom Gardner, Institute for Genomic Research , Rockville, MD, USA • Marshall Lightowlers, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, AU.

releasing the PTS1 cargo protein at the glycosome membrane surface. By understanding these basic mechanisms and characterizing the receptor structure, it may be possible to design small peptides which can block proper targeting of proteins to the glycosome. In a related parasite, Trypanosoma brucei, it has been demonstrated that disruption of machinery involved in targeting proteins to the glycosome results in the mistargeting of these proteins to the cytosol which is a lethal event for the parasite. Pat – you are close to finishing your doctoral studies; what’s next? I intend to continue in a similar area, and I have been offered a post-doc in the Cancer Centre in Toronto to look at protein targeting and transport in cancer cells. Pat - how would you sum up your research experience, both in Armando’s lab and at the Institute? I have really enjoyed my time at the Institute and would recommend it to any one considering graduate studies. I have particularly enjoyed being in Armando’s lab: he is the best supervisor I have had. He is very supportive, good at trouble shooting and my work has gone fast because of interest and constant input into my thesis research. My stay has been a good experience. Armando – Pat was your first student and has obviously done well under your tutorship. What do you look for in a student? It’s a tough question, but I suppose what I am looking for is vision and dedication. I usually ask prospective students where they see themselves in the next few years. If a student has clear goals then this is a definite asset and will be a motivating force. Armando – where do you see the research in you lab going over the next 5 years? The focus over the next few years will continue to be the glycosome, with particular emphasis on understanding the mechanism of how proteins are translocated across the membrane. We want to understand, at the molecular level, the impact on parasite biology when there is disruption of these protein-protein interactions that mediate the proper targeting of proteins to the glycosome. The structure-function studies are crucial for validating the glycosome as a chemotherapeutic target.

Visiting the Institute.

The Robert P. Harpur Fellowship in Parasitology We are pleased to announce that The Robert P. Harpur Fellowship in Parasitology is now available to provide support for International Students completing their doctoral studies at the Institute of Parasitology. The Fellowship provides support for 3 years and is valued at $16,000/year. The fellowship has been established with a generous bequest from the late Dr. Robert P. Harpur. It was Dr. Harpur’s wish that the funds support international students and research. Bob was a committed teacher with a keen interest in the welfare and pro-gress of graduate students. He was active in recruiting international students to the Institute and to his laboratory. This fellowship is a most appropriate and lasting tribute to his commitment and teaching philosophy.

Dr Mark Sandeman from the Department of Agriculture, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, where he is Head of Department, spent 3 months as part of a sabbatical at the

Institute in Terry Spihill’s laboratory. Mark's research interests include the control of ectoparasites and arthropods of sheep and immuno-parasitology of veterinary animals. It was a pleasure having Mark as a visitor and we hope to see him again in the near future.

Student Conversations Viriya Pankao is a PhD student from the Dept of Anat-omy, Mahidol Uni-versity, Thailand who has been spending 9 months at the Institute in Dr. Terry Spithill’s laboratory. When did you arrive in Canada and why did you come to the institute? I am in the 4th year of my PhD studies, working on Fasciola. My scholarship provides me with the opportunity to travel outside my country as part of my training.

Institute Kudos Leslie Payne was selected as one of three finalists to present her work as a poster at the April 2005 Society for In-ternational Nutrition Research meeting in San Diego, CA, and was awarded first prize. Leslie presented her MSc thesis work entitled “Vitamin A supplementa-tion reduces reinfection with Ascaris in Indigenous Panamanian preschool chil-dren”. Leslie is jointly supervised by Marilyn Scott and Kris Koski (Dietetics and Human Nutrition) Annie-Claude Bourgeois received an "Excellent Presentation" award for her poster entitled “The impact of boron deficiency and boron excess on gastroin-testinal nematodes”. The paper was co-authored by Tao Tu, and supervisors were Drs. Kristine Koski and Marilyn Scott. Kris Chadee is a recipient of a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Gastrointesti-nal Inflammation. Kris will be taking up his appointment at the University of Calgary in July. Terry Spithill together with Drs. Brian Ward, Momar Ndao, Greg Matlash-ewski, and Andrew Kirk, from McGill and Brian Wilson from the Ontario Can-cer Centre were successful in obtaining a CIHR Operating ($400,000) and CIHR-Industrial ($300,000) grant to develop biomarkers for parasitic diseases using SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

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Mike Osei-Atweneboana Mike is a Ghanaian PhD student in his third year of study working in Roger Prich-ard’s labora-tory, on the disease known as River Blindness or onchocerciasis. He divides his time between laboratory work at the Institute and field work in Ghana. How did you come to apply to the Insti-tute for Graduate studies? After my Master’s I had decided that I would like to go either to Canada or the UK to do a PhD. In 2001, I was intro-duced by a senior colleague to Dr. Prich-ard during his visit to attend a WHO experts review meeting on Onchocerci-asis in Ghana. After a discussions with him, it seemed our interests and re-search goals were similar and he sug-gested I apply for graduate studies. What is the subject of your project? Molecular epidemiology of reduced iver-mectin responsiveness in Onchocerca volvulus in Ghana. How important is your research in terms of potential benefit to your country? The close down of the Onchocerciasis Control program in West Africa at the

Institute Barbeque The Institute BBQ was a little late this year, and was held on Friday 22 Oct. outside the Ceilidh. Although the weather was a little brisk, it was dry and provided you huddled around the barbeque and had a few drinks you could keep warm.

Nick Patocka and Joe Nabhan exercise their culinary talents to produce excellent fare!

Jaime Sanchez & Ana Pilar “Brrrr.. This is fun!” The food was excellent, and we thank Nick Patocka with help from Darcy Mon-cada, Joe Nabhan and Barry Van Bergen for organizing the event.

end of 2002 has led to the transfer of responsibility for disease control to participating countries, including Ghana. This means that each country will require the necessary human resources to man-age an effective control program. With the emergence of possible resistance of Onchocerca volvulus to ivermectin (IVM) treatment in Ghana, there is the need for someone who has expertise in func-tional genomics on the control team. His role would be to contribute towards early detection of resistant strains of parasites and the development and use of diag-nostic tools for monitoring the spread of resistance. He would also give appropri-ate advice to the governing authorities, to help develop strategies towards appro-priate preventive measures. My research training would help me fulfill this role. Your research has both a lab and a field component: how important is this to your project? To some extent, my research project is tailored to be of some relevance to my country, in addition to the contributions it will make within the scientific community. Therefore my project involves carrying out epidemiological studies (fieldwork) in onchocerciasis endemic communities, to determine the areas where the parasites are showing a sub-optimal response to IVM treatment and where IVM is effec-tive, characterize IVM treatment history correctly, and to provide excellent para-site material for my molecular genetic analysis. Thus, the project gives me the opportunity to obtain both field and labo-ratory experience. How do you see your future after you have obtained your PhD? I see a very bright future with a lot of opportunities staring right at me back home. I intend using my training and expertise to help control the disease, onchocerciasis What do you think is the most enduring memory that you will take with you when you leave the institute? There are several things. One of the most interesting aspects are the semi-nars, because I realized that it brings out the potential in the student to effectively

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Contact Jim Smith at james.smith@mcgill.ca.

communicate his science. You can do a lot of good research, but I believe that it is so important to know how to communi-cate what you have done and I feel our weekly seminar course has really helped me learn to communicate effectively. I also like the very special relationship between the staff and students here; there is a very warm relationship and for me particularly I think that Dr. Prichard’s relationship with his students is very good, he has a very good heart.

My supervisor has collaborated with Dr. Spithill in the past, and thought that it would be good to come and learn how to express the protein I am working on, Fatty Acid Binding Protein, in the yeast expression system. What have you enjoyed most about your visit? It has been very good for my self confi-dence, and also helped improve my time management skills. I have also enjoyed traveling and visiting new places. Thanks to Dr. Faubert, I had the chance to try snowboarding – I fell a lot - but it was fun. I have made many friends here, par-ticularly in Dr. Spithill’s lab. What are your long term plans ? I hope to finish in the next year, do some teaching, followed by a post-doc.