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The Bovine Seminal Plasma Protein PDC-109 Possesses Pan-Antiviral Activity. Viruses 2022; 14:v14092031. [PMID: 36146836 PMCID: PMC9504757 DOI: 10.3390/v14092031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian seminal plasma contains a multitude of bioactive components, including lipids, glucose, mineral elements, metabolites, proteins, cytokines, and growth factors, with various functions during insemination and fertilization. The seminal plasma protein PDC-109 is one of the major soluble components of the bovine ejaculate and is crucially important for sperm motility, capacitation, and acrosome reaction. A hitherto underappreciated function of seminal plasma is its anti-microbial and antiviral activity, which may limit the sexual transmission of infectious diseases during intercourse. We have recently discovered that PDC-109 inhibits the membrane fusion activity of influenza virus particles and significantly impairs viral infections at micromolar concentrations. Here we investigated whether the antiviral activity of PDC-109 is restricted to Influenza or if other mammalian viruses are similarly affected. We focused on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of the Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19), thoroughly assessing PDC-109 inhibition with SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S)-pseudotyped reporter virus particles, but also live-virus infections. Consistent with our previous publications, we found significant virus inhibition, albeit accompanied by substantial cytotoxicity. However, using time-of-addition experiments we discovered a treatment regimen that enables virus suppression without affecting cell viability. We furthermore demonstrated that PDC-109 is also able to impair infections mediated by the VSV glycoprotein (VSVg), thus indicating a broad pan-antiviral activity against multiple virus species and families.
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Nouwen LV, Everts B. Pathogens MenTORing Macrophages and Dendritic Cells: Manipulation of mTOR and Cellular Metabolism to Promote Immune Escape. Cells 2020; 9:cells9010161. [PMID: 31936570 PMCID: PMC7017145 DOI: 10.3390/cells9010161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 01/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Myeloid cells, including macrophages and dendritic cells, represent an important first line of defense against infections. Upon recognition of pathogens, these cells undergo a metabolic reprogramming that supports their activation and ability to respond to the invading pathogens. An important metabolic regulator of these cells is mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). During infection, pathogens use host metabolic pathways to scavenge host nutrients, as well as target metabolic pathways for subversion of the host immune response that together facilitate pathogen survival. Given the pivotal role of mTOR in controlling metabolism and DC and macrophage function, pathogens have evolved strategies to target this pathway to manipulate these cells. This review seeks to discuss the most recent insights into how pathogens target DC and macrophage metabolism to subvert potential deleterious immune responses against them, by focusing on the metabolic pathways that are known to regulate and to be regulated by mTOR signaling including amino acid, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, and autophagy.
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Burnaevskiy N, Peng T, Reddick LE, Hang HC, Alto NM. Myristoylome profiling reveals a concerted mechanism of ARF GTPase deacylation by the bacterial protease IpaJ. Mol Cell 2015; 58:110-22. [PMID: 25773595 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2015.01.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2014] [Revised: 01/02/2015] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
N-myristoylation is an essential fatty acid modification that governs the localization and activity of cell signaling enzymes, architectural proteins, and immune regulatory factors. Despite its importance in health and disease, there are currently no methods for reversing protein myristoylation in vivo. Recently, the Shigella flexneri protease IpaJ was found to cleave myristoylated glycine of eukaryotic proteins, yet the discriminatory mechanisms of substrate selection required for targeted demyristoylation have not yet been evaluated. Here, we performed global myristoylome profiling of cells treated with IpaJ under distinct physiological conditions. The protease is highly promiscuous among diverse N-myristoylated proteins in vitro but is remarkably specific to Golgi-associated ARF/ARL family GTPases during Shigella infection. Reconstitution studies revealed a mechanistic framework for substrate discrimination based on IpaJ's function as a GTPase "effector" of bacterial origin. We now propose a concerted model for IpaJ function that highlights its potential for programmable demyristoylation in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay Burnaevskiy
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-8816, USA
| | - Tao Peng
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Microbial Pathogenesis, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - L Evan Reddick
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-8816, USA
| | - Howard C Hang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Microbial Pathogenesis, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Neal M Alto
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-8816, USA.
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Alfsen A, Tatischeff I. The Lipid Bilayer of Biological Vesicles: A Liquid-Crystalline Material as Nanovehicles of Information. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.4236/jbnb.2014.52013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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5
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García CC, Sepúlveda CS, Damonte EB. Novel therapeutic targets for arenavirus hemorrhagic fevers. Future Virol 2011. [DOI: 10.2217/fvl.10.65] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Several members of the family Arenaviridae can cause severe hemorrhagic fevers in humans, representing a serious public health problem in endemic areas of Africa and South America. The Lassa virus is the most prevalent and dangerous arenavirus, causing over 300,000 infections per year and several thousand deaths. Furthermore, pathogenic arenaviruses are considered as category A potential agents for bioterrorism. Based on the danger of arenaviruses for human health, the increased emergence of new viral species in recent years and the lack of effective tools for their control or prevention, the search for novel antiviral compounds effective against these pathogenic agents is a continuous demanding effort. This article focuses on novel strategies to identify inhibitors for arenavirus therapy, analyzing viral and host proteins essential for virus infection as potential targets for antiviral development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cybele C García
- Laboratorio de Virología, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas & Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón 2, Piso 4, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Claudia S Sepúlveda
- Laboratorio de Virología, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas & Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón 2, Piso 4, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina
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6
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Synthesis of new alkyl-type glycerolipids from methylthiomethyl ethers. Russ Chem Bull 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s11172-008-0298-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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7
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Overby AK, Popov VL, Pettersson RF, Neve EPA. The cytoplasmic tails of Uukuniemi Virus (Bunyaviridae) G(N) and G(C) glycoproteins are important for intracellular targeting and the budding of virus-like particles. J Virol 2007; 81:11381-91. [PMID: 17670814 PMCID: PMC2045573 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00767-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional motifs within the cytoplasmic tails of the two glycoproteins G(N) and G(C) of Uukuniemi virus (UUK) (Bunyaviridae family) were identified with the help of our recently developed virus-like particle (VLP) system for UUK virus (A. K. Overby, V. Popov, E. P. Neve, and R. F. Pettersson, J. Virol. 80:10428-10435, 2006). We previously reported that information necessary for the packaging of ribonucleoproteins into VLPs is located within the G(N) cytoplasmic tail (A. K. Overby, R. F. Pettersson, and E. P. Neve, J. Virol. 81:3198-3205, 2007). The G(N) glycoprotein cytoplasmic tail specifically interacts with the ribonucleoproteins and is critical for genome packaging. In addition, two other regions in the G(N) cytoplasmic tail, encompassing residues 21 to 25 and 46 to 50, were shown to be important for particle generation and release. By the introduction of point mutations within these two regions, we demonstrate that leucines at positions 23 and 24 are crucial for the initiation of VLP budding, while leucine 46, glutamate 47, and leucine 50 are important for efficient exit from the endoplasmic reticulum and subsequent transport to the Golgi complex. We found that budding and particle generation are highly dependent on the intracellular localization of both glycoproteins. The short cytoplasmic tail of UUK G(C) contains a lysine at position -3 from the C terminus that is highly conserved among members of the Phlebovirus, Hantavirus, and Orthobunyavirus genera. Mutating this single amino acid residue in G(C) resulted in the mislocalization of not only G(C) but also G(N) to the plasma membrane, and VLP generation was compromised in cells expressing this mutant. Together, these results demonstrate that the cytoplasmic tails of both G(N) and G(C) contain specific information necessary for efficient virus particle generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K Overby
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Stockholm Branch, Karolinska Institute, Box 240, SE-17177 Stockholm, Sweden
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Byrdwell WC, Perry RH. Liquid chromatography with dual parallel mass spectrometry and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for analysis of sphingomyelin and dihydrosphingomyelin. J Chromatogr A 2007; 1146:164-85. [PMID: 17303148 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2007.01.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2006] [Revised: 01/25/2007] [Accepted: 01/29/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Liquid chromatography coupled to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry (MS), in parallel, was used for simultaneous detection of bovine milk sphingolipids (BMS). APCI-MS mass spectra exhibited mostly ceramide-like fragment ions, [Cer-H(2)O+H](+) and [Cer-2H(2)O+H](+), which were used to identify individual molecular species of BMS according to fatty acyl chain length:degree of unsaturation and long-chain base (LCB). ESI-MS was used to confirm the molecular weights of BMS species. Both sphingomyelin (SM) and dihydrosphingomyelin (DSM) molecular species were identified, with DSM species constituting 20% of BMS. Approximately 56 to 58% of DSM species contained a d16:0 LCB, while 34 to 37% contained a d18:0 LCB. Approximately 26 to 30% of SM species contained a d16:1 LCB, while 57 to 60% contained a d18:1 LCB. BMS species contained both odd and even carbon chain lengths. The most abundant DSM species contained a d16:0 LCB with a 22:0, 23:0 or 24:0 fatty acyl chain, while the most abundant SM species contained a d18:1 LCB with a 16:0 or 23:0 fatty acyl chain. (31)P NMR spectroscopy was used to conclusively confirm that DSM is a dietary component in BMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wm Craig Byrdwell
- Food Composition Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service-BHNRC, Beltsville, MD 20904, USA.
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da Silva AC, Kratz JM, Farias FM, Henriques AT, Dos Santos J, Leonel RM, Lerner C, Mothes B, Barardi CRM, Simões CMO. In Vitro Antiviral Activity of Marine Sponges Collected Off Brazilian Coast. Biol Pharm Bull 2006; 29:135-40. [PMID: 16394526 DOI: 10.1248/bpb.29.135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
This paper describes the in vitro antiviral evaluation of 27 different marine sponges (Porifera) collected off Brazilian coastline in the search for novel drug leads. With these sponges aqueous and organic extracts were prepared and tested for anti-herpetic (HSV-1, KOS strain), anti-adenovirus (human AdV serotype 5) and anti-rotavirus (simian RV SA11) activities. The evaluation of the cytotoxicity and potential antiviral activity of these extracts were performed by using MTT assay. Results were expressed as 50% cytotoxicity (CC50) and 50% effective (EC50) concentrations, respectively, in order to calculate the selectivity indices (SI=CC50/EC50) of each extract. From the 40 sponge extracts tested, 17 extracts showed antiviral action in different degrees. The results concerning the antiviral activity were obtained by using three different strategies: (1) simultaneous assay, when sponge extracts were added to the cells at the same time of the viruses; (2) pre treatment assay, when sponge extracts were added to the cells 15 h prior to the viruses infection; and (3) post treatment assay, when the viruses were added to the cells and remained during 2 h prior to the addition of sponge extracts. The antiviral assays with HSV-1/KOS and AdV-5 showed more promising results when the pre treatment test was employed. In relation to the RV-SA11 virus, only the simultaneous assay showed antiviral activity. The extracts presenting the most promising results were the aqueous extracts of Cliona sp., Agelas sp.2, Tethya sp., Axinella aff corrugata, Polymastia janeirensis and Protosuberites sp., and these extracts deserve special attention in further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Cordeiro da Silva
- Laboratório de Virologia Aplicada da UFSC, Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, CCS, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil
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Callahan MK, Popernack PM, Tsutsui S, Truong L, Schlegel RA, Henderson AJ. Phosphatidylserine on HIV envelope is a cofactor for infection of monocytic cells. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2003; 170:4840-5. [PMID: 12707367 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.170.9.4840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
HIV-1 is an enveloped retrovirus that acquires its outer membrane as the virion exits the cell. Because of the association of apoptosis with the progression of AIDS, HIV-1-infected T cells or macrophages might be expected to express elevated levels of surface phosphatidylserine (PS), a hallmark of programmed cell death. Virions produced by these cells would also be predicted to have PS on the surface of their envelopes. In this study, data are presented that support this hypothesis and suggest that PS is required for macrophage infection. The PS-specific protein annexin V was used to enrich for virus particles and to inhibit HIV-1 replication in primary macrophages, but not T cells. HIV-1 replication was also significantly inhibited with vesicles consisting of PS, but not phosphatidylcholine. PS is specifically required for HIV-1 infection because viruses pseudotyped with vesicular stomatitis virus G and amphotropic murine leukemia virus envelopes were not inhibited by PS vesicles or annexin V. These data indicate that PS is an important cofactor for HIV-1 infection of macrophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa K Callahan
- Graduate Program in Biochemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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Mattacks CA, Sadler D, Pond CM. Site-specific differences in the action of NRTI drugs on adipose tissue incubated in vitro with lymphoid cells, and their interaction with dietary lipids. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2003; 135:11-29. [PMID: 12781837 DOI: 10.1016/s1532-0456(03)00024-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Existing theories of the origin of HIV-related adipose tissue redistribution syndrome cannot adequately explain simultaneous hypertrophy of certain depots and atrophy of others, or its occasional occurrence in untreated HIV infection. These experiments explore the hypothesis that hypertrophy of lymphoid tissue-containing adipose depots arises from drug-induced disruption to local interactions between perinodal adipocytes and activated lymphoid cells. Guinea pigs were fed on plain or lipid-supplemented (10% suet, sunflower or fish oil) chow ad libitum or restricted, and the popliteal lymph nodes were activated by repeated injection of lipopolysaccharide. Explants of perinodal and other samples from popliteal, mesentery, omentum and nodeless perirenal and epididymal depots were incubated with lymphoid cells and zidovudine, didanosine, lamivudine or stavudine at physiological concentrations (0.1-1 microg/ml) or interleukin-10 and interleukin-6, and basal and maximum lipolysis was measured. All drugs increased lipolysis from perinodal adipocytes, especially mesenteric, though less than exogenous cytokines. Effects on adipocytes from non-perinodal sites and nodeless depots were minimal. The sunflower-oil diet enhanced, and the fish-oil and restricted diets reduced, these effects. We conclude that these NRTI antiretroviral drugs modulate the local interactions between perinodal adipocytes and activated lymphoid cells. Local interactions, and hence the selective hypertrophy of node-containing adipose depots, may be curtailed by dietary manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine A Mattacks
- Department of Biological Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
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Llansola M, Erceg S, Hernández-Viadel M, Felipo V. Prevention of ammonia and glutamate neurotoxicity by carnitine: molecular mechanisms. Metab Brain Dis 2002; 17:389-97. [PMID: 12602515 DOI: 10.1023/a:1021922305036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Carnitine has beneficial effects in different pathologies and prevents acute ammonia toxicity (ammonia-induced death of animals). Acute ammonia toxicity is mediated by excessive activation of the NMDA-type of glutamate receptors, which mediates glutamate neurotoxicity. We showed that carnitine prevents glutamate neurotoxicity in primary cultures of cerebellar neurons. This supports the idea that the protective effect of carnitine against ammonia toxicity is due to the protective effect against glutamate neurotoxicity. We are studying the mechanism by which carnitine protects against glutamate neurotoxicity. Carnitine increases the binding affinity of glutamate for metabotropic glutamate receptors. The protective effect of carnitine is lost if metabotropic glutamate receptors are blocked with specific antagonists. Moreover, activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors by specific agonists also prevents glutamate neurotoxicity. This indicates that the protective effect of carnitine against glutamate neurotoxicity is mediated by activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors. The molecule of carnitine has a trimethylamine group. Different compounds containing a trimethylamine group (carbachol, betaine, etc.) also prevent ammonia-induced animal death and glutamate-induced neuronal death. Moreover, metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonists also prevent the protective effect of most of these compounds. We summarize here some studies aimed to identify the mechanism and the molecular target that are responsible for the protective effect of carnitine against ammonia and glutamate neurotoxicity. Finally it is also shown that carnitine inhibits the hydrolysis of inositol phospholipids induced by activation of different types of metabotropic receptors, but this effect seems not responsible for its protective effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Llansola
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Instituto de Investigaciones Citológicas, FVIB, Valencia, Spain
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Maurer-Stroh S, Eisenhaber B, Eisenhaber F. N-terminal N-myristoylation of proteins: refinement of the sequence motif and its taxon-specific differences. J Mol Biol 2002; 317:523-40. [PMID: 11955007 DOI: 10.1006/jmbi.2002.5425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
N-terminal N-myristoylation is a lipid anchor modification of eukaryotic and viral proteins targeting them to membrane locations, thus changing the cellular function of modified proteins. Protein myristoylation is critical in many pathways; e.g. in signal transduction, apoptosis, or alternative extracellular protein export. The myristoyl-CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase (NMT) recognizes the sequence motif of appropriate substrate proteins at the N terminus and attaches the lipid moiety to the absolutely required N-terminal glycine residue. Reliable recognition of capacity for N-terminal myristoylation from the substrate protein sequence alone is desirable for proteome-wide function annotation projects but the existing PROSITE motif is not practical, since it produces huge numbers of false positive and even some false negative predictions. As a first step towards a new prediction method, it is necessary to refine the sequence motif coding for N-terminal N-myristoylation. Relying on the in-depth study of the amino acid sequence variability of substrate proteins, on binding site analyses in X-ray structures or 3D homology models for NMTs from various taxa, and on consideration of biochemical data extracted from the scientific literature, we found indications that, at least within a complete substrate protein, the N-terminal 17 protein residues experience different types of variability restrictions. We identified three motif regions: region 1 (positions 1-6) fitting the binding pocket; region 2 (positions 7-10) interacting with the NMT's surface at the mouth of the catalytic cavity; and region 3 (positions 11-17) comprising a hydrophilic linker. Each region was characterized by physical requirements to single sequence positions or groups of positions regarding volume, polarity, backbone flexibility and other typical properties of amino acids (http://mendel.imp.univie.ac.at/myristate/). These specificity differences are confined partly to taxonomic ranges and are proposed for the design of NMT inhibitors in pathogenic fungal and protozoan systems including Aspergillus fumigatus, Leishmania major, Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei, Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba histolytica, Pneumocystis carinii, Strongyloides stercoralis and Schistosoma mansoni. An exhaustive search for NMT-homologues led to the discovery of two putative entomopoxviral NMTs.
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Zaera MG, Miró O, Pedrol E, Soler A, Picón M, Cardellach F, Casademont J, Nunes V. Mitochondrial involvement in antiretroviral therapy-related lipodystrophy. AIDS 2001; 15:1643-51. [PMID: 11546938 DOI: 10.1097/00002030-200109070-00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The management of HIV infection has greatly improved during recent years essentially because of the appearance of new antiretroviral drugs. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has achieved important reductions of viraemia and significant recoveries of CD4(+) cell counts in HIV-infected patients. Nonetheless, cases of HIV-infected individuals experiencing lipodystrophy (LD) are being increasingly reported. The purpose of this work was to analyse whether the presence of mitochondrial abnormalities is a frequent feature in LD, since we previously detected mitochondrial abnormalities in an HIV-patient. The second main objective was to study whether LD could be associated with a specific drug. DESIGN Seven HIV patients presenting LD and five HIV non-LD controls participated in the study. LD patients met the following criteria: (1) LD was their only clinical abnormality, (2) LD was clinically relevant, (3) compliance with antiretroviral treatment was higher than 90% and (4) patients did not have personal or familial history suggestive of mitochondrial disease or neuromuscular disorder. METHODS Histological stainings, histo-enzymatic reactions, enzymatic and respiratory activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion and rearrangements were examined on muscle mitochondria. RESULTS Structural muscle abnormalities, mitochondrial respiratory chain dysfunction or mtDNA deletions were detected in all HIV lipodystrophic patients. CONCLUSIONS The mitochondrial abnormalities found suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction could play a role in the development of antiretroviral therapy-related lipodystrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- M G Zaera
- Centre de Genètica Mèdica i Molecular-IRO, Barcelona, Spain
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