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Imhoff RD, Rosenthal MR, Ashraf K, Bhanot P, Ng CL, Flaherty DP. Identification of covalent fragment inhibitors for Plasmodium falciparum UCHL3 with anti-malarial efficacy. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2023; 94:129458. [PMID: 37634761 PMCID: PMC10529062 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2023.129458] [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: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Malaria continues to be a major burden on global health, responsible for 619,000 deaths in 2021. The causative agent of malaria is the eukaryotic parasite Plasmodium. Resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), the current first-line treatment for malaria, has emerged in Asia, South America, and more recently Africa, where >90% of all malaria-related deaths occur. This has necessitated the identification and investigation of novel parasite proteins and pathways as antimalarial targets, including components of the ubiquitin proteasome system. Here, we investigate Plasmodium falciparum deubiquitinase ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L3 (PfUCHL3) as one such target. We carried out a high-throughput screen with covalent fragments and identified seven scaffolds that selectively inhibit the plasmodial UCHL3, but not human UCHL3 or the closely related human UCHL1. After assessing toxicity in human cells, we identified four promising hits and demonstrated their efficacy against asexual P. falciparum blood stages and P. berghei sporozoite stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan D Imhoff
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, United States
| | - Melissa R Rosenthal
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States
| | - Kutub Ashraf
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, United States
| | - Purnima Bhanot
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, United States
| | - Caroline L Ng
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States; Global Center for Health Security, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States; Department of Biology, University of Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182, United States.
| | - Daniel P Flaherty
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, United States; Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, West Lafayette, IN 47907, United States; Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, West Lafayette, IN 47907, United States.
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Avery VM. Malaria high-content imaging, where to next? Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:718-719. [PMID: 37500332 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
High-content imaging has produced greater insights into the complexities of cell biology. The ability to characterise specific phenotypes, as demonstrated by Rosenthal and Ng, provides a powerful tool for elucidating mechanisms of action and resistance, illustrating that high-content imaging in malaria research is only limited by our creativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicky M Avery
- Discovery Biology, Centre for Cellular Phenomics, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia; School of Environment & Sciences, Griffith Sciences, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia.
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