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Present C, Girão RD, Lin C, Caljon G, Van Calenbergh S, Moreira O, Ruivo LADS, Batista MM, Azevedo R, Batista DDGJ, Soeiro MDNC. N 6-methyltubercidin gives sterile cure in a cutaneous Leishmania amazonensis mouse model. Parasitology 2024; 151:506-513. [PMID: 38533610 PMCID: PMC11106500 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182024000362] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Leishmania is a trypanosomatid parasite that causes skin lesions in its cutaneous form. Current therapies rely on old and expensive drugs, against which the parasites have acquired considerable resistance. Trypanosomatids are unable to synthesize purines relying on salvaging from the host, and nucleoside analogues have emerged as attractive antiparasitic drug candidates. 4-Methyl-7-β-D-ribofuranosyl-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine (CL5564), an analogue of tubercidin in which the amine has been replaced by a methyl group, demonstrates activity against Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania infantum. Herein, we investigated its in vitro and in vivo activity against L. amazonensis. CL5564 was 6.5-fold (P = 0.0002) more potent than milteforan™ (ML) against intracellular forms in peritoneal mouse macrophages, and highly selective, while combination with ML gave an additive effect. These results stimulated us to study the activity of CL5564 in mouse model of cutaneous Leishmania infection. BALB/c female and male mice infected by L. amazonensis treated with CL5564 (10 mg kg−1, intralesional route for five days) presented a >93% reduction of paw lesion size likely ML given orally at 40 mg kg−1, while the combination (10 + 40 mg kg−1 of CL5564 and ML, respectively) caused >96% reduction. The qPCR confirmed the suppression of parasite load, but only the combination approach reached 66% of parasitological cure. These results support additional studies with nucleoside derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra Present
- Laboratorio de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Roberson Donola Girão
- Laboratorio de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Cai Lin
- Laboratory for Medicinal Chemistry (Campus Heymans), Ghent University, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Guy Caljon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Serge Van Calenbergh
- Laboratory for Medicinal Chemistry (Campus Heymans), Ghent University, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Otacilio Moreira
- Laboratório de Virologia e Parasitologia Molecular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Alexandre de Souza Ruivo
- Laboratório de Virologia e Parasitologia Molecular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcos Meuser Batista
- Laboratorio de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Raquel Azevedo
- Laboratorio de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Denise da Gama Jaen Batista
- Laboratorio de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Maria de Nazaré Correia Soeiro
- Laboratorio de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Avenida Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Liu ZQ. Is it still worth renewing nucleoside anticancer drugs nowadays? Eur J Med Chem 2024; 264:115987. [PMID: 38056297 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115987] [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: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Nucleoside has situated the convergence point in the discovery of novel drugs for decades, and a large number of nucleoside derivatives have been constructed for screening novel pharmacological properties at various experimental platforms. Notably, nearly 20 nucleosides are approved to be used in the clinic treatment of various cancers. Nevertheless, the blossom of synthetic nucleoside analogs in comparison with the scarcity of nucleoside anticancer drugs leads to a question: Is it still worth insisting on the screening of novel anticancer drugs from nucleoside derivatives? Hence, this review attempts to emphasize the importance of nucleoside analogs in the discovery of novel anticancer drugs. Firstly, we introduce the metabolic procedures of nucleoside anticancer drug (such as 5-fluorouracil) and summarize the designing of novel nucleoside anticancer candidates based on clinically used nucleoside anticancer drugs (such as gemcitabine). Furthermore, we collect anticancer properties of some recently synthesized nucleoside analogs, aiming at emphasizing the availability of nucleoside analogs in the discovery of anticancer drugs. Finally, a variety of synthetic strategies including the linkage of sugar moiety with nucleobase scaffold, modifications on the sugar moiety, and variations on the nucleobase structure are collected to exhibit the abundant protocols in the achievement of nucleoside analogs. Taken the above discussions collectively, nucleoside still advantages for the finding of novel anticancer drugs because of the clearly metabolic procedures, successfully clinic applications, and abundantly synthetic routines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zai-Qun Liu
- Department of Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, People's Republic of China.
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Bhowal P, Roy B, Ganguli S, Igloi GL, Banerjee R. Elucidating the structure-function attributes of a trypanosomal arginyl-tRNA synthetase. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2023; 256:111597. [PMID: 37852416 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2023.111597] [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: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are fundamental components of the protein translation machinery. In light of their pivotal role in protein synthesis and structural divergence among species, they have always been considered potential targets for the development of antimicrobial compounds. Arginyl-tRNA synthetase from Trypanosoma cruzi (TcArgRS), the parasite responsible for causing Chagas Disease, contains a 100-amino acid insertion that was found to be completely absent in the human counterpart of similar length, as ascertained from multiple sequence alignment results. Thus, we were prompted to perform a preliminary characterization of TcArgRS using biophysical, biochemical, and bioinformatics tools. We expressed the protein in E. coli and validated its in-vitro enzymatic activity. Additionally, analysis of DTNB kinetics, Circular dichroism (CD) spectra, and ligand-binding studies using intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence measurements aided us to understand some structural features in the absence of available crystal structures. Our study indicates that TcArgRS can discriminate between L-arginine and its analogues. Among the many tested substrates, only L-canavanine and L-thioarginine, a synthetic arginine analogue exhibited notable activation. The binding of various substrates was also determined using in silico methods. This study may provide a viable foundation for studying small compounds that can be targeted against TcArgRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratyasha Bhowal
- Department of Biotechnology and Dr. B. C. Guha Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700 019, India
| | - Bappaditya Roy
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, 318 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Sayak Ganguli
- Post Graduate Department of Biotechnology, St. Xavier's College (Autonomous), 30, Park Street, Mullick Bazar, Kolkata 700 016, India.
| | - Gabor L Igloi
- Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr 1, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Rajat Banerjee
- Department of Biotechnology and Dr. B. C. Guha Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700 019, India.
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Robledo SM, Pérez-Silanes S, Fernández-Rubio C, Poveda A, Monzote L, González VM, Alonso-Collado P, Carrión J. Neglected Zoonotic Diseases: Advances in the Development of Cell-Penetrating and Antimicrobial Peptides against Leishmaniosis and Chagas Disease. Pathogens 2023; 12:939. [PMID: 37513786 PMCID: PMC10383258 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12070939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In 2020, the WHO established the road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021-2030, which aims to control and eradicate 20 diseases, including leishmaniosis and Chagas disease. In addition, since 2015, the WHO has been developing a Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance. In this context, the achievement of innovative strategies as an alternative to replace conventional therapies is a first-order socio-sanitary priority, especially regarding endemic zoonoses in poor regions, such as those caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. infections. In this scenario, it is worth highlighting a group of natural peptide molecules (AMPs and CPPs) that are promising strategies for improving therapeutic efficacy against these neglected zoonoses, as they avoid the development of toxicity and resistance of conventional treatments. This review presents the novelties of these peptide molecules and their ability to cross a whole system of cell membranes as well as stimulate host immune defenses or even serve as vectors of molecules. The efforts of the biotechnological sector will make it possible to overcome the limitations of antimicrobial peptides through encapsulation and functionalization methods to obtain approval for these treatments to be used in clinical programs for the eradication of leishmaniosis and Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M Robledo
- Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales PECET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia
| | - Silvia Pérez-Silanes
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Chemistry, ISTUN Instituto de Salud Tropical, IdiSNA, Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Celia Fernández-Rubio
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, ISTUN Instituto de Salud Tropical, IdiSNA, Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ana Poveda
- DNA Replication and Genome Instability Unit, Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Zoonosis y Salud Pública (GIBCIZ), Instituto de Investigación en Zoonosis-CIZ, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador
| | - Lianet Monzote
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine "Pedro Kourí", Apartado Postal No. 601, Marianao 13, La Habana 10400, Cuba
| | - Víctor M González
- Grupo de Aptámeros, Departamento de Bioquímica-Investigación, IRYCIS-Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Carretera de Colmenar Viejo Km. 9.100, 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Paloma Alonso-Collado
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Carrión
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Ansari SB, Kamboj S, Ramalingam K, Meena R, Lal J, Kant R, Shukla SK, Goyal N, Reddy DN. Design and synthesis of N-acyl and dimeric N-Arylpiperazine derivatives as potential antileishmanial agents. Bioorg Chem 2023; 137:106593. [PMID: 37186964 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The current regime for leishmaniasis is associated with several adverse effects, expensive, parenteral treatment for longer periods and the emergence of drug resistance. To develop affordable and potent antileishmanial agents, a series of N-acyl and homodimeric aryl piperazines were synthesized with high purity, predicted druggable properties by in silico methods and investigated their antileishmanial activity. The in vitro biological activity of synthesized compounds against clinically validated intracellular amastigote and extracellular promastigote form of Leishmania donovani parasite showed eight compounds inhibited 50% amastigotes growth below 25 µM. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) and cytotoxicity assessment of eight active compounds, 4a, 4d and 4e demonstrated activity with an IC50 2.0 - 9.1 µM and selectivity index 10 - 42. Compound 4d (IC50 2.0 µM, SI = 42) found to be the best among them with four-folds more potent and eight-folds less toxic than the control drug miltefosine. Overall, results demonstrated that compound 4d is a promising lead candidate for further development as antileishmanial drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shabina B Ansari
- Division of Medicinal and Process Chemistry, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Sakshi Kamboj
- Division of Medicinal and Process Chemistry, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India; Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facility and Research, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Karthik Ramalingam
- Division Of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Rachana Meena
- Division of Medicinal and Process Chemistry, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Jhajan Lal
- Division of Medicinal and Process Chemistry, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Ruchir Kant
- Division Of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Sanjeev K Shukla
- Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facility and Research, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Neena Goyal
- Division Of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Damodara N Reddy
- Division of Medicinal and Process Chemistry, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad 201002, India.
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The Trypanosoma cruzi TcrNT2 Nucleoside Transporter Is a Conduit for the Uptake of 5-F-2'-Deoxyuridine and Tubercidin Analogues. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27228045. [PMID: 36432150 PMCID: PMC9693223 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27228045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the scarce validated drug targets against Chagas disease (CD), caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite's nucleoside salvage system has recently attracted considerable attention. Although the trypanocidal activity of tubercidin (7-deazapurine) has long been known, the identification of a class of 7-substituted tubercidin analogs with potent in vitro and in vivo activity and much-enhanced selectivity has made nucleoside analogs among the most promising lead compounds against CD. Here, we investigate the recently identified TcrNT2 nucleoside transporter and its potential role in antimetabolite chemotherapy. TcrNT2, expressed in a Leishmania mexicana cell line lacking the NT1 nucleoside transporter locus, displayed very high selectivity and affinity for thymidine with a Km of 0.26 ± 0.05 µM. The selectivity was explained by interactions of 2-oxo, 4-oxo, 5-Me, 3'-hydroxy and 5'-hydroxy with the transporter binding pocket, whereas a hydroxy group at the 2' position was deleterious to binding. This made 5-halogenated 2'-deoxyuridine analogues good substrates but 5-F-2'-deoxyuridine displayed disappointing activity against T. cruzi trypomastigotes. By comparing the EC50 values of tubercidin and its 7-substituted analogues against L. mexicana Cas9, Cas9ΔNT1 and Cas9ΔNT1+TcrNT2 it was shown that TcrNT2 can take up tubercidin and, at a minimum, a subset of the analogs.
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Lesani M, Gosmanov C, Paun A, Lewis MD, McCall LI. Impact of Visceral Leishmaniasis on Local Organ Metabolism in Hamsters. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12090802. [PMID: 36144206 PMCID: PMC9506185 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12090802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmania is an intracellular parasite with different species pathogenic to humans and causing the disease leishmaniasis. Leishmania donovani causes visceral leishmaniasis (VL) that manifests as hepatosplenomegaly, fever, pancytopenia and hypergammaglobulinemia. If left without treatment, VL can cause death, especially in immunocompromised people. Current treatments have often significant adverse effects, and resistance has been reported in some countries. Determining the metabolites perturbed during VL can lead us to find new treatments targeting disease pathogenesis. We therefore compared metabolic perturbation between L. donovani-infected and uninfected hamsters across organs (spleen, liver, and gut). Metabolites were extracted, analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and processed with MZmine and molecular networking to annotate metabolites. We found few metabolites commonly impacted by infection across all three sites, including glycerophospholipids, ceramides, acylcarnitines, peptides, purines and amino acids. In accordance with VL symptoms and parasite tropism, we found a greater overlap of perturbed metabolites between spleen and liver compared to spleen and gut, or liver and gut. Targeting pathways related to these metabolite families would be the next focus that can lead us to find more effective treatments for VL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahbobeh Lesani
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Camil Gosmanov
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Andrea Paun
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Michael D. Lewis
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Laura-Isobel McCall
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
- Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
- Correspondence:
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Nucleoside Transport and Nucleobase Uptake Null Mutants in Leishmania mexicana for the Routine Expression and Characterization of Purine and Pyrimidine Transporters. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158139. [PMID: 35897714 PMCID: PMC9331716 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of transporters is highly challenging, as they cannot be isolated or studied in suspension, requiring a cellular or vesicular system, and, when mediated by more than one carrier, difficult to interpret. Nucleoside analogues are important drug candidates, and all protozoan pathogens express multiple equilibrative nucleoside transporter (ENT) genes. We have therefore developed a system for the routine expression of nucleoside transporters, using CRISPR/cas9 to delete both copies of all three nucleoside transporters from Leishmania mexicana (ΔNT1.1/1.2/2 (SUPKO)). SUPKO grew at the same rate as the parental strain and displayed no apparent deficiencies, owing to the cells’ ability to synthesize pyrimidines, and the expression of the LmexNT3 purine nucleobase transporter. Nucleoside transport was barely measurable in SUPKO, but reintroduction of L. mexicana NT1.1, NT1.2, and NT2 restored uptake. Thus, SUPKO provides an ideal null background for the expression and characterization of single ENT transporter genes in isolation. Similarly, an LmexNT3-KO strain provides a null background for transport of purine nucleobases and was used for the functional characterization of T. cruzi NB2, which was determined to be adenine-specific. A 5-fluorouracil-resistant strain (Lmex5FURes) displayed null transport for uracil and 5FU, and was used to express the Aspergillus nidulans uracil transporter FurD.
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