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Kaiser A. The Role of Spermidine and Its Key Metabolites in Important, Pathogenic Human Viruses and in Parasitic Infections Caused by Plasmodium falciparum and Trypanosoma brucei. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13050803. [PMID: 37238673 DOI: 10.3390/biom13050803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The triamine spermidine is a key metabolite of the polyamine pathway. It plays a crucial role in many infectious diseases caused by viral or parasitic infections. Spermidine and its metabolizing enzymes, i.e., spermidine/spermine-N1-acetyltransferase, spermine oxidase, acetyl polyamine oxidase, and deoxyhypusine synthase, fulfill common functions during infection in parasitic protozoa and viruses which are obligate, intracellular parasites. The competition for this important polyamine between the infected host cell and the pathogen determines the severity of infection in disabling human parasites and pathogenic viruses. Here, we review the impact of spermidine and its metabolites in disease development of the most important, pathogenic human viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, HIV, Ebola, and in the human parasites Plasmodium and Trypanosomes. Moreover, state-of-the-art translational approaches to manipulate spermidine metabolism in the host and the pathogen are discussed to accelerate drug development against these threatful, infectious human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Kaiser
- Medical Research Centre, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45147 Essen, Germany
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Mitochondrial Spermidine Synthase is Essential for Blood-stage growth of the Malaria Parasite. Microbiol Res 2022; 265:127181. [PMID: 36162149 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2022.127181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Positively-charged polyamines are essential molecules for the replication of eukaryotic cells and are particularly important for the rapid proliferation of parasitic protozoa and cancer cells. Unlike in Trypanosoma brucei, the inhibition of the synthesis of intermediate polyamine Putrescine caused only partial defect in malaria parasite blood-stage growth. In contrast, reducing the intracellular concentrations of Spermidine and Spermine by polyamine analogs caused significant defects in blood-stage growth in Plasmodium yoelii and P. falciparum. However, little is known about the synthesizing enzyme of Spermidine and Spermine in the malaria parasite. Herein, malaria parasite conserved Spermidine Synthase (SpdS) gene was targeted for deletion/complementation analyses by knockout/knock-in constructs in P. yoelii. SpdS was found to be essential for blood-stage growth. Live fluorescence imaging in blood-stages and sporozoites confirmed a specific mitochondrial localization, which is not known for any polyamine-synthesizing enzyme so far. This study identifies SpdS as an excellent drug targeting candidate against the malaria parasite, which is localized to the parasite mitochondrion.
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Aroonsri A, Wongsombat C, Shaw P, Franke S, Przyborski J, Kaiser A. Investigation of an Allosteric Deoxyhypusine Synthase Inhibitor in P. falciparum. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27082463. [PMID: 35458660 PMCID: PMC9030622 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27082463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The treatment of a variety of protozoal infections, in particular those causing disabling human diseases, is still hampered by a lack of drugs or increasing resistance to registered drugs. However, in recent years, remarkable progress has been achieved to combat neglected tropical diseases by sequencing the parasites’ genomes or the validation of new targets in the parasites by novel genetic manipulation techniques, leading to loss of function. The novel amino acid hypusine is a posttranslational modification (PTM) that occurs in eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (EIF5A) at a specific lysine residue. This modification occurs by two steps catalyzed by deoxyhypusine synthase (dhs) and deoxyhypusine hydroxylase (DOHH) enzymes. dhs from Plasmodium has been validated as a druggable target by small molecules and reverse genetics. Recently, the synthesis of a series of human dhs inhibitors led to 6-bromo-N-(1H-indol-4yl)-1-benzothiophene-2-carboxamide, a potent allosteric inhibitor with an IC50 value of 0.062 µM. We investigated this allosteric dhs inhibitor in Plasmodium. In vitro P. falciparum growth assays showed weak inhibition activity, with IC50 values of 46.1 µM for the Dd2 strain and 51.5 µM for the 3D7 strain, respectively. The antimalarial activity could not be attributed to the targeting of the Pfdhs gene, as shown by chemogenomic profiling with transgenically modified P. falciparum lines. Moreover, in dose-dependent enzymatic assays with purified recombinant P. falciparum dhs protein, only 45% inhibition was observed at an inhibitor dose of 0.4 µM. These data are in agreement with a homology-modeled Pfdhs, suggesting significant structural differences in the allosteric site between the human and parasite enzymes. Virtual screening of the allosteric database identified candidate ligand binding to novel binding pockets identified in P. falciparum dhs, which might foster the development of parasite-specific inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiyada Aroonsri
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Luang 12120, Thailand; (A.A.); (C.W.); (P.S.)
| | - Chayaphat Wongsombat
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Luang 12120, Thailand; (A.A.); (C.W.); (P.S.)
| | - Philip Shaw
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Khlong Luang 12120, Thailand; (A.A.); (C.W.); (P.S.)
| | - Siegrid Franke
- Interdisziplinäres Forschungszentrum IFZ, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (S.F.); (J.P.)
| | - Jude Przyborski
- Interdisziplinäres Forschungszentrum IFZ, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Giessen, Germany; (S.F.); (J.P.)
| | - Annette Kaiser
- Medical Research Centre, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45147 Essen, Germany
- Correspondence:
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Kaiser A, Agostinelli E. Hypusinated EIF5A as a feasible drug target for Advanced Medicinal Therapies in the treatment of pathogenic parasites and therapy-resistant tumors. Amino Acids 2022; 54:501-511. [DOI: 10.1007/s00726-021-03120-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Jõgi NO, Kitaba N, Storaas T, Schlünssen V, Triebner K, Holloway JW, Horsnell WGC, Svanes C, Bertelsen RJ. Ascaris exposure and its association with lung function, asthma, and DNA methylation in Northern Europe. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2021; 149:1960-1969. [PMID: 34996616 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ascaris infections, with a worldwide prevalence above 10%, can cause respiratory pathology. However, long-term effects on lung function in humans are largely unknown. OBJECTIVE We investigated the associations of Ascaris exposure with lung function, asthma, and DNA methylation. METHODS Serum Ascaris IgG antibodies were measured in 671 adults aged 18 to 47 years (46% women) from Aarhus, Bergen, and Tartu RHINESSA study centers. Seropositivity was defined as IgG above the 90th percentile. Linear and logistic regressions were used to analyze Ascaris seropositivity as associated with lung function and asthma, adjusted for age, height, and smoking and clustered by center. DNA methylation in blood was profiled by a commercial methylation assay. RESULTS Ascaris seropositivity was associated with lower FEV1 (-247 mL; 95% CI, -460, -34) and higher odds for asthma (adjusted odds ratio, 5.84; 95% CI, 1.67, 20.37) among men but not women, also after further adjusting for house dust mite sensitivity, consistent across study centers. At a genome-wide level, Ascaris exposure was associated with 23 differentially methylated sites in men and 3 in women. We identified hypermethylation of the MYBPC1 gene, which can regulate airway muscle contraction. We also identified genes linked to asthma pathogenesis such as CRHR1 and GRK1, as well as a differentially methylated region in the PRSS22 gene linked to nematode infection. CONCLUSION Ascaris exposure was associated with substantially lower lung function and increased asthma risk among men. Seropositive participants had sex-specific differences in DNA methylation compared to the unexposed, thus suggesting that exposure may lead to sex-specific epigenetic changes associated with lung pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils O Jõgi
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Negusse Kitaba
- Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Torgeir Storaas
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Vivi Schlünssen
- Department of Public Health, Environmental Occupation, and Health, Danish Ramazzini Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kai Triebner
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Core Facility for Metabolomics, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - John W Holloway
- Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - William G C Horsnell
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine/Division of Immunology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom; Laboratory of Molecular and Experimental Immunology and Neurogenetics, CNRS-University of Orléans and Le Studium Institute for Advanced Studies, Orléans, France.
| | - Cecilie Svanes
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Randi J Bertelsen
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Oral Health Centre of Expertise in Western Norway, Bergen, Norway
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Kaiser A, Heiss K, Mueller AK, Fimmers R, Matthes J, Njuguna JT. Inhibition of EIF-5A prevents apoptosis in human cardiomyocytes after malaria infection. Amino Acids 2020; 52:693-710. [PMID: 32367435 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-020-02843-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
In this study, a determination of Troponin I and creatine kinase activity in whole-blood samples in a cohort of 100 small infants in the age of 2-5 years from Uganda with complicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria suggests the prevalence of cardiac symptoms in comparison to non-infected, healthy patients. Troponin I and creatine kinase activity increased during infection. Different reports showed that complicated malaria coincides with hypoxia in children. The obtained clinical data prompted us to further elucidate the underlying regulatory mechanisms of cardiac involvement in human cardiac ventricular myocytes. Complicated malaria is the most common clinical presentation and might induce cardiac impairment by hypoxia. Eukaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF-5A) is involved in hypoxia induced factor (HIF-1α) expression. EIF-5A is a protein posttranslationally modified by hypusination involving catalysis of the two enzymes deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) and deoxyhypusine hydroxylase. Treatment of human cardiomyocytes with GC7, an inhibitor of DHS, catalyzing the first step in hypusine biosynthesis led to a decrease in proinflammatory and proapoptotic myocardial caspase-1 activity in comparison to untreated cardiomyocytes. This effect was even more pronounced after co-administration of GC7 and GPI from P. falciparum simulating the pathology of severe malaria. Moreover, in comparison to untreated and GC7-treated cardiomyocytes, co-administration of GC7 and GPI significantly decreased the release of cytochrome C and lactate from damaged mitochondria. In sum, coadministration of GC7 prevented cardiac damage driven by hypoxia in vitro. Our approach demonstrates the potential of the pharmacological inhibitor GC7 to ameliorate apoptosis in cardiomyocytes in an in vitro model simulating severe malaria. This regulatory mechanism is based on blocking EIF-5A hypusination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Kaiser
- Medical Research Centre, University Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45147, Essen, Germany.
| | - Kirsten Heiss
- Centre for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology Unit, University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Infectious Diseases (DZIF), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ann-Kristin Mueller
- Centre for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology Unit, University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Infectious Diseases (DZIF), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rolf Fimmers
- Institut für Medizinische Biometrie, Informatik Und Epedimologie, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53107, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jan Matthes
- Centre of Pharmcology, University of Cologne, Gleueler Strasse 24, 50931, Köln, Germany
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Aroonsri A, Posayapisit N, Kongsee J, Siripan O, Vitsupakorn D, Utaida S, Uthaipibull C, Kamchonwongpaisan S, Shaw PJ. Validation of Plasmodium falciparum deoxyhypusine synthase as an antimalarial target. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6713. [PMID: 31024761 PMCID: PMC6475138 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hypusination is an essential post-translational modification in eukaryotes. The two enzymes required for this modification, namely deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) and deoxyhypusine hydrolase are also conserved. Plasmodium falciparum human malaria parasites possess genes for both hypusination enzymes, which are hypothesized to be targets of antimalarial drugs. Methods Transgenic P. falciparum parasites with modification of the PF3D7_1412600 gene encoding PfDHS enzyme were created by insertion of the glmS riboswitch or the M9 inactive variant. The PfDHS protein was studied in transgenic parasites by confocal microscopy and Western immunoblotting. The biochemical function of PfDHS enzyme in parasites was assessed by hypusination and nascent protein synthesis assays. Gene essentiality was assessed by competitive growth assays and chemogenomic profiling. Results Clonal transgenic parasites with integration of glmS riboswitch downstream of the PfDHS gene were established. PfDHS protein was present in the cytoplasm of transgenic parasites in asexual stages. The PfDHS protein could be attenuated fivefold in transgenic parasites with an active riboswitch, whereas PfDHS protein expression was unaffected in control transgenic parasites with insertion of the riboswitch-inactive sequence. Attenuation of PfDHS expression for 72 h led to a significant reduction of hypusinated protein; however, global protein synthesis was unaffected. Parasites with attenuated PfDHS expression showed a significant growth defect, although their decline was not as rapid as parasites with attenuated dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (PfDHFR-TS) expression. PfDHS-attenuated parasites showed increased sensitivity to N 1-guanyl-1,7-diaminoheptane, a structural analog of spermidine, and a known inhibitor of DHS enzymes. Discussion Loss of PfDHS function leads to reduced hypusination, which may be important for synthesis of some essential proteins. The growth defect in parasites with attenuated Pf DHS expression suggests that this gene is essential. However, the slower decline of PfDHS mutants compared with PfDHFR-TS mutants in competitive growth assays suggests that PfDHS is less vulnerable as an antimalarial target. Nevertheless, the data validate PfDHS as an antimalarial target which can be inhibited by spermidine-like compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiyada Aroonsri
- Protein-Ligand Engineering and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Medical Molecular Biology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Navaporn Posayapisit
- Protein-Ligand Engineering and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Medical Molecular Biology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Jindaporn Kongsee
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Onsiri Siripan
- Protein-Ligand Engineering and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Medical Molecular Biology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Danoo Vitsupakorn
- Protein-Ligand Engineering and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Medical Molecular Biology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Sugunya Utaida
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Chairat Uthaipibull
- Protein-Ligand Engineering and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Medical Molecular Biology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Sumalee Kamchonwongpaisan
- Protein-Ligand Engineering and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Medical Molecular Biology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Philip J Shaw
- Protein-Ligand Engineering and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Medical Molecular Biology Research Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathum Thani, Thailand
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