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Comas-Ghierra R, Alshaheeb A, McReynolds MR, Shepherd JN, Salinas G. A Minimal Kynurenine Pathway Was Preserved for Rhodoquinone but Not for De Novo NAD + Biosynthesis in Parasitic Worms: The Essential Role of NAD + Rescue Pathways. Antioxid Redox Signal 2024; 40:737-750. [PMID: 37639366 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2023.0293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Aims: To determine the role of the kynurenine (KYN) pathway in rhodoquinone (RQ) and de novo NAD+ biosynthesis and whether NAD+ rescue pathways are essential in parasitic worms (helminths). Results: We demonstrate that RQ, the key electron transporter used by helminths under hypoxia, derives from the tryptophan (Trp) catabolism even in the presence of a minimal KYN pathway. We show that of the KYN pathway genes only the kynureninase and tryptophan/indoleamine dioxygenases are essential for RQ biosynthesis. Metabolic labeling with Trp revealed that the lack of the formamidase and kynurenine monooxygenase genes did not preclude RQ biosynthesis in the flatworm Mesocestoides corti. In contrast, a minimal KYN pathway prevented de novo NAD+ biosynthesis, as revealed by metabolic labeling in M. corti, which also lacks the 3-hydroxyanthranilate 3,4-dioxygenase gene. Our results indicate that most helminths depend solely on NAD+ rescue pathways, and some lineages rely exclusively on the nicotinamide salvage pathway. Importantly, the inhibition of the NAD+ recycling enzyme nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase with FK866 led cultured M. corti to death. Innovation: We use comparative genomics of more than 100 hundred helminth genomes, metabolic labeling, HPLC-mass spectrometry targeted metabolomics, and enzyme inhibitors to define pathways that lead to RQ and NAD+ biosynthesis in helminths. We identified the essential enzymes of these pathways in helminth lineages, revealing new potential pharmacological targets for helminthiasis. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that a minimal KYN pathway was evolutionary maintained for RQ and not for de novo NAD+ biosynthesis in helminths and shed light on the essentiality of NAD+ rescue pathways in helminths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosina Comas-Ghierra
- Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Abdulkareem Alshaheeb
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
- The Pennsylvania State University-Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Melanie R McReynolds
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
- The Pennsylvania State University-Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jennifer N Shepherd
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington, USA
| | - Gustavo Salinas
- Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
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2
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Nagatani H, Mae Y, Konishi M, Matsuzaki M, Kita K, Daldal F, Sakamoto K. UbiN, a novel Rhodobacter capsulatus decarboxylative hydroxylase involved in aerobic ubiquinone biosynthesis. FEBS Open Bio 2023; 13:2081-2093. [PMID: 37716914 PMCID: PMC10626278 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Ubiquinone (UQ) is a lipophilic electron carrier that functions in the respiratory and photosynthetic electron transfer chains of proteobacteria and eukaryotes. Bacterial UQ biosynthesis is well studied in the gammaproteobacterium Escherichia coli, in which most bacterial UQ-biosynthetic enzymes have been identified. However, these enzymes are not always conserved among UQ-containing bacteria. In particular, the alphaproteobacterial UQ biosynthesis pathways contain many uncharacterized steps with unknown features. In this work, we identified in the alphaproteobacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus a new decarboxylative hydroxylase and named it UbiN. Remarkably, the UbiN sequence is more similar to a salicylate hydroxylase than the conventional flavin-containing UQ-biosynthetic monooxygenases. Under aerobic conditions, R. capsulatus ΔubiN mutant cells accumulate 3-decaprenylphenol, which is a UQ-biosynthetic intermediate. In addition, 3-decaprenyl-4-hydroxybenzoic acid, which is the substrate of UQ-biosynthetic decarboxylase UbiD, also accumulates in ΔubiN cells under aerobic conditions. Considering that the R. capsulatus ΔubiD-X double mutant strain (UbiX produces a prenylated FMN required for UbiD) grows as a wild-type strain under aerobic conditions, these results indicate that UbiN catalyzes the aerobic decarboxylative hydroxylation of 3-decaprenyl-4-hydroxybenzoic acid. This is the first example of the involvement of decarboxylative hydroxylation in ubiquinone biosynthesis. This finding suggests that the C1 hydroxylation reaction is, at least in R. capsulatus, the first step among the three hydroxylation steps involved in UQ biosynthesis. Although the C5 hydroxylation reaction is often considered to be the first hydroxylation step in bacterial UQ biosynthesis, it appears that the R. capsulatus pathway is more similar to that found in mammalians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruka Nagatani
- United Graduate School of Agricultural SciencesIwate UniversityMoriokaJapan
| | - Yoshiyuki Mae
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life ScienceHirosaki UniversityJapan
| | - Miharu Konishi
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life ScienceHirosaki UniversityJapan
| | | | - Kiyoshi Kita
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global HealthNagasaki UniversityJapan
- Department of Host‐Defense Biochemistry, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN)Nagasaki UniversityJapan
| | - Fevzi Daldal
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Kimitoshi Sakamoto
- United Graduate School of Agricultural SciencesIwate UniversityMoriokaJapan
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life ScienceHirosaki UniversityJapan
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3
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Abstract
Covering: from 2000 up to the very early part of 2023S-Adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) is a naturally occurring trialkyl sulfonium molecule that is typically associated with biological methyltransfer reactions. However, SAM is also known to donate methylene, aminocarboxypropyl, adenosyl and amino moieties during natural product biosynthetic reactions. The reaction scope is further expanded as SAM itself can be modified prior to the group transfer such that a SAM-derived carboxymethyl or aminopropyl moiety can also be transferred. Moreover, the sulfonium cation in SAM has itself been found to be critical for several other enzymatic transformations. Thus, while many SAM-dependent enzymes are characterized by a methyltransferase fold, not all of them are necessarily methyltransferases. Furthermore, other SAM-dependent enzymes do not possess such a structural feature suggesting diversification along different evolutionary lineages. Despite the biological versatility of SAM, it nevertheless parallels the chemistry of sulfonium compounds used in organic synthesis. The question thus becomes how enzymes catalyze distinct transformations via subtle differences in their active sites. This review summarizes recent advances in the discovery of novel SAM utilizing enzymes that rely on Lewis acid/base chemistry as opposed to radical mechanisms of catalysis. The examples are categorized based on the presence of a methyltransferase fold and the role played by SAM within the context of known sulfonium chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Hsuan Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Daan Ren
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Byungsun Jeon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Hung-Wen Liu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
- Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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4
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Salomaki ED, Terpis KX, Rueckert S, Kotyk M, Varadínová ZK, Čepička I, Lane CE, Kolisko M. Gregarine single-cell transcriptomics reveals differential mitochondrial remodeling and adaptation in apicomplexans. BMC Biol 2021; 19:77. [PMID: 33863338 PMCID: PMC8051059 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01007-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Apicomplexa is a diverse phylum comprising unicellular endobiotic animal parasites and contains some of the most well-studied microbial eukaryotes including the devastating human pathogens Plasmodium falciparum and Cryptosporidium hominis. In contrast, data on the invertebrate-infecting gregarines remains sparse and their evolutionary relationship to other apicomplexans remains obscure. Most apicomplexans retain a highly modified plastid, while their mitochondria remain metabolically conserved. Cryptosporidium spp. inhabit an anaerobic host-gut environment and represent the known exception, having completely lost their plastid while retaining an extremely reduced mitochondrion that has lost its genome. Recent advances in single-cell sequencing have enabled the first broad genome-scale explorations of gregarines, providing evidence of differential plastid retention throughout the group. However, little is known about the retention and metabolic capacity of gregarine mitochondria. RESULTS Here, we sequenced transcriptomes from five species of gregarines isolated from cockroaches. We combined these data with those from other apicomplexans, performed detailed phylogenomic analyses, and characterized their mitochondrial metabolism. Our results support the placement of Cryptosporidium as the earliest diverging lineage of apicomplexans, which impacts our interpretation of evolutionary events within the phylum. By mapping in silico predictions of core mitochondrial pathways onto our phylogeny, we identified convergently reduced mitochondria. These data show that the electron transport chain has been independently lost three times across the phylum, twice within gregarines. CONCLUSIONS Apicomplexan lineages show variable functional restructuring of mitochondrial metabolism that appears to have been driven by adaptations to parasitism and anaerobiosis. Our findings indicate that apicomplexans are rife with convergent adaptations, with shared features including morphology, energy metabolism, and intracellularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric D Salomaki
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Kristina X Terpis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Sonja Rueckert
- School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Michael Kotyk
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Ivan Čepička
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Christopher E Lane
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA.
| | - Martin Kolisko
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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5
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Gawryluk RMR, Stairs CW. Diversity of electron transport chains in anaerobic protists. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2020; 1862:148334. [PMID: 33159845 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2020.148334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic microbes (protists) that occupy low-oxygen environments often have drastically different mitochondrial metabolism compared to their aerobic relatives. A common theme among many anaerobic protists is the serial loss of components of the electron transport chain (ETC). Here, we discuss the diversity of the ETC across the tree of eukaryotes and review hypotheses for how ETCs are modified, and ultimately lost, in protists. We find that while protists have converged to some of the same metabolism as anaerobic animals, there are clear protist-specific strategies to thrive without oxygen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M R Gawryluk
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Courtney W Stairs
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 223 62 Lund, Sweden; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden.
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6
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Rhodoquinone in bacteria and animals: Two distinct pathways for biosynthesis of this key electron transporter used in anaerobic bioenergetics. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2020; 1861:148278. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2020.148278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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7
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Szyttenholm J, Chaspoul F, Bauzan M, Ducluzeau AL, Chehade MH, Pierrel F, Denis Y, Nitschke W, Schoepp-Cothenet B. The controversy on the ancestral arsenite oxidizing enzyme; deducing evolutionary histories with phylogeny and thermodynamics. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2020; 1861:148252. [PMID: 32569664 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2020.148252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The three presently known enzymes responsible for arsenic-using bioenergetic processes are arsenite oxidase (Aio), arsenate reductase (Arr) and alternative arsenite oxidase (Arx), all of which are molybdoenzymes from the vast group referred to as the Mo/W-bisPGD enzyme superfamily. Since arsenite is present in substantial amounts in hydrothermal environments, frequently considered as vestiges of primordial biochemistry, arsenite-based bioenergetics has long been predicted to be ancient. Conflicting scenarios, however, have been put forward proposing either Arr/Arx or Aio as operating in the ancestral metabolism. Phylogenetic data argue in favor of Aio whereas biochemical and physiological data led several authors to propose Arx/Arr as the most ancient anaerobic arsenite metabolizing enzymes. Here we combine phylogenetic approaches with physiological and biochemical experiments to demonstrate that the Arx/Arr enzymes could not have been functional in the Archaean geological eon. We propose that Arr reacts with menaquinones to reduce arsenate whereas Arx reacts with ubiquinone to oxidize arsenite, in line with thermodynamic considerations. The distribution of the quinone biosynthesis pathways, however, clearly indicates that the ubiquinone pathway is recent. An updated phylogeny of Arx furthermore reinforces the hypothesis of a recent emergence of this enzyme. We therefore conclude that anaerobic arsenite redox conversion in the Archaean must have been performed in a metabolism involving Aio.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Szyttenholm
- Aix-Marseille Univ., CNRS, BIP UMR 7281, FR 3479, IMM, 13402 Marseille Cedex 20, France
| | - Florence Chaspoul
- Aix Marseille Univ., CNRS, IRD, IMBE UMR 7263, Faculté de Pharmacie, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Marielle Bauzan
- Aix-Marseille Univ., CNRS, Plateforme Fermentation, FR3479, IMM, 13402 Marseille Cedex 20, France
| | - Anne-Lise Ducluzeau
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7220, USA
| | | | - Fabien Pierrel
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, TIMC-IMAG, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Yann Denis
- Aix-Marseille Univ., CNRS, Plateforme Transcriptomique, FR3479, IMM, 13402 Marseille Cedex 20, France
| | - Wolfgang Nitschke
- Aix-Marseille Univ., CNRS, BIP UMR 7281, FR 3479, IMM, 13402 Marseille Cedex 20, France
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8
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Tan JH, Lautens M, Romanelli-Cedrez L, Wang J, Schertzberg MR, Reinl SR, Davis RE, Shepherd JN, Fraser AG, Salinas G. Alternative splicing of coq-2 controls the levels of rhodoquinone in animals. eLife 2020; 9:e56376. [PMID: 32744503 PMCID: PMC7434440 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasitic helminths use two benzoquinones as electron carriers in the electron transport chain. In normoxia, they use ubiquinone (UQ), but in anaerobic conditions inside the host, they require rhodoquinone (RQ) and greatly increase RQ levels. We previously showed the switch from UQ to RQ synthesis is driven by a change of substrates by the polyprenyltransferase COQ-2 (Del Borrello et al., 2019; Roberts Buceta et al., 2019); however, the mechanism of substrate selection is not known. Here, we show helminths synthesize two coq-2 splice forms, coq-2a and coq-2e, and the coq-2e-specific exon is only found in species that synthesize RQ. We show that in Caenorhabditis elegans COQ-2e is required for efficient RQ synthesis and survival in cyanide. Importantly, parasites switch from COQ-2a to COQ-2e as they transit into anaerobic environments. We conclude helminths switch from UQ to RQ synthesis principally via changes in the alternative splicing of coq-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- June H Tan
- The Donnelly Centre, University of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | | | - Laura Romanelli-Cedrez
- Laboratorio de Biología de Gusanos. Unidad Mixta, Departamento de Biociencias, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República - Institut Pasteur de MontevideoMontevideoUruguay
| | - Jianbin Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraUnited States
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of TennesseeKnoxvilleUnited States
| | | | - Samantha R Reinl
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Gonzaga UniversitySpokaneUnited States
| | - Richard E Davis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraUnited States
| | - Jennifer N Shepherd
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Gonzaga UniversitySpokaneUnited States
| | | | - Gustavo Salinas
- Laboratorio de Biología de Gusanos. Unidad Mixta, Departamento de Biociencias, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República - Institut Pasteur de MontevideoMontevideoUruguay
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9
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Rotterová J, Salomaki E, Pánek T, Bourland W, Žihala D, Táborský P, Edgcomb VP, Beinart RA, Kolísko M, Čepička I. Genomics of New Ciliate Lineages Provides Insight into the Evolution of Obligate Anaerobiosis. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2037-2050.e6. [PMID: 32330419 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.03.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Oxygen plays a crucial role in energetic metabolism of most eukaryotes. Yet adaptations to low-oxygen concentrations leading to anaerobiosis have independently arisen in many eukaryotic lineages, resulting in a broad spectrum of reduced and modified mitochondrion-related organelles (MROs). In this study, we present the discovery of two new class-level lineages of free-living marine anaerobic ciliates, Muranotrichea, cl. nov. and Parablepharismea, cl. nov., that, together with the class Armophorea, form a major clade of obligate anaerobes (APM ciliates) within the Spirotrichea, Armophorea, and Litostomatea (SAL) group. To deepen our understanding of the evolution of anaerobiosis in ciliates, we predicted the mitochondrial metabolism of cultured representatives from all three classes in the APM clade by using transcriptomic and metagenomic data and performed phylogenomic analyses to assess their evolutionary relationships. The predicted mitochondrial metabolism of representatives from the APM ciliates reveals functional adaptations of metabolic pathways that were present in their last common ancestor and likely led to the successful colonization and diversification of the group in various anoxic environments. Furthermore, we discuss the possible relationship of Parablepharismea to the uncultured deep-sea class Cariacotrichea on the basis of single-gene analyses. Like most anaerobic ciliates, all studied species of the APM clade host symbionts, which we propose to be a significant accelerating factor in the transitions to an obligately anaerobic lifestyle. Our results provide an insight into the evolutionary mechanisms of early transitions to anaerobiosis and shed light on fine-scale adaptations in MROs over a relatively short evolutionary time frame.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johana Rotterová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague 128 43, Czech Republic.
| | - Eric Salomaki
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Pánek
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague 128 43, Czech Republic
| | - William Bourland
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725-1515, USA
| | - David Žihala
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava 710 00, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Táborský
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Virginia P Edgcomb
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Roxanne A Beinart
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI 02882, USA
| | - Martin Kolísko
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice 370 05, Czech Republic; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Čepička
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague 128 43, Czech Republic
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10
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Roberts Buceta PM, Romanelli-Cedrez L, Babcock SJ, Xun H, VonPaige ML, Higley TW, Schlatter TD, Davis DC, Drexelius JA, Culver JC, Carrera I, Shepherd JN, Salinas G. The kynurenine pathway is essential for rhodoquinone biosynthesis in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:11047-11053. [PMID: 31177094 PMCID: PMC6635453 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ac119.009475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A key metabolic adaptation of some species that face hypoxia as part of their life cycle involves an alternative electron transport chain in which rhodoquinone (RQ) is required for fumarate reduction and ATP production. RQ biosynthesis in bacteria and protists requires ubiquinone (Q) as a precursor. In contrast, Q is not a precursor for RQ biosynthesis in animals such as parasitic helminths, and most details of this pathway have remained elusive. Here, we used Caenorhabditis elegans as a model animal to elucidate key steps in RQ biosynthesis. Using RNAi and a series of C. elegans mutants, we found that arylamine metabolites from the kynurenine pathway are essential precursors for RQ biosynthesis de novo Deletion of kynu-1, encoding a kynureninase that converts l-kynurenine (KYN) to anthranilic acid (AA) and 3-hydroxykynurenine (3HKYN) to 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3HAA), completely abolished RQ biosynthesis but did not affect Q levels. Deletion of kmo-1, which encodes a kynurenine 3-monooxygenase that converts KYN to 3HKYN, drastically reduced RQ but not Q levels. Knockdown of the Q biosynthetic genes coq-5 and coq-6 affected both Q and RQ levels, indicating that both biosynthetic pathways share common enzymes. Our study reveals that two pathways for RQ biosynthesis have independently evolved. Unlike in bacteria, where amination is the last step in RQ biosynthesis, in worms the pathway begins with the arylamine precursor AA or 3HAA. Because RQ is absent in mammalian hosts of helminths, inhibition of RQ biosynthesis may have potential utility for targeting parasitic infections that cause important neglected tropical diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Romanelli-Cedrez
- Laboratorio de Biologća de Gusanos, Unidad Mixta, Departamento de Biociencias, Facultad de Qućmica, Universidad de la República-Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Shannon J Babcock
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington 99258 and
| | - Helen Xun
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington 99258 and
| | - Miranda L VonPaige
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington 99258 and
| | - Thomas W Higley
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington 99258 and
| | - Tyler D Schlatter
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington 99258 and
| | - Dakota C Davis
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington 99258 and
| | - Julia A Drexelius
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington 99258 and
| | - John C Culver
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington 99258 and
| | - Inés Carrera
- Laboratorio de Biologća de Gusanos, Unidad Mixta, Departamento de Biociencias, Facultad de Qućmica, Universidad de la República-Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Jennifer N Shepherd
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington 99258 and.
| | - Gustavo Salinas
- Laboratorio de Biologća de Gusanos, Unidad Mixta, Departamento de Biociencias, Facultad de Qućmica, Universidad de la República-Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay.
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11
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Del Borrello S, Lautens M, Dolan K, Tan JH, Davie T, Schertzberg MR, Spensley MA, Caudy AA, Fraser AG. Rhodoquinone biosynthesis in C. elegans requires precursors generated by the kynurenine pathway. eLife 2019; 8:e48165. [PMID: 31232688 PMCID: PMC6656428 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasitic helminths infect over a billion humans. To survive in the low oxygen environment of their hosts, these parasites use unusual anaerobic metabolism - this requires rhodoquinone (RQ), an electron carrier that is made by very few animal species. Crucially RQ is not made or used by any parasitic hosts and RQ synthesis is thus an ideal target for anthelmintics. However, little is known about how RQ is made and no drugs are known to block RQ synthesis. C. elegans makes RQ and can use RQ-dependent metabolic pathways - here, we use C. elegans genetics to show that tryptophan degradation via the kynurenine pathway is required to generate the key amine-containing precursors for RQ synthesis. We show that C. elegans requires RQ for survival in hypoxic conditions and, finally, we establish a high throughput assay for drugs that block RQ-dependent metabolism. This may drive the development of a new class of anthelmintic drugs. This study is a key first step in understanding how RQ is made in parasitic helminths.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - June H Tan
- The Donnelly CentreUniversity of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | - Taylor Davie
- The Donnelly CentreUniversity of TorontoTorontoCanada
| | | | - Mark A Spensley
- The Donnelly CentreUniversity of TorontoTorontoCanada
- Whole Animal PhenotypingPhenalysys IncTorontoCanada
| | - Amy A Caudy
- The Donnelly CentreUniversity of TorontoTorontoCanada
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