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Insights about the structure of farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS) and the activity of bisphosphonates on the proliferation and ultrastructure of Leishmania and Giardia. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:168. [PMID: 32248823 PMCID: PMC7132869 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04019-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The enzyme farnesyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS) is positioned in the intersection of different sterol biosynthesis pathways such as those producing isoprenoids, dolichols and ergosterol. FPPS is ubiquitous in eukaryotes and is inhibited by nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (N-BP). N-BP activity and the mechanisms of cell death as well as damage to the ultrastructure due to N-BP has not yet been investigated in Leishmania infantum and Giardia. Thus, we evaluated the effect of N-BP on cell viability and ultrastructure and then performed structural modelling and phylogenetic analysis on the FPPS enzymes of Leishmania and Giardia. Methods We performed multiple sequence alignment with MAFFT, phylogenetic analysis with MEGA7, and 3D structural modelling for FPPS with Modeller 9.18 and on I-Tasser server. We performed concentration curves with N-BP in Leishmania promastigotes and Giardia trophozoites to estimate the IC50via the MTS/PMS viability method. The ultrastructure was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy, and the mechanism of cell death by flow cytometry. Results The nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate risedronate had stronger anti-proliferative activity in Leishmania compared to other N-BPs with an IC50 of 13.8 µM, followed by ibandronate and alendronate with IC50 values of 85.1 µM and 112.2 µM, respectively. The effect of N-BPs was much lower on trophozoites of Giardia than Leishmania (IC50 of 311 µM for risedronate). Giardia treated with N-BP displayed concentric membranes around the nucleus and nuclear pyknosis. Leishmania had mitochondrial swelling, myelin figures, double membranes, and plasma membrane blebbing. The same population labelled with annexin-V and 7-AAD had a loss of membrane potential (TMRE), indicative of apoptosis. Multiple sequence alignments and structural alignments of FPPS proteins showed that Giardia and Leishmania FPPS display low amino acid identity but possess the conserved aspartate-rich motifs. Conclusions Giardia and Leishmania FPPS enzymes are phylogenetically distant but display conserved protein signatures. The N-BPs effect on FPPS was more pronounced in Leishmania than Giardia. This might be due to general differences in metabolism and differences in the FPPS catalytic site.![]()
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Coelho AC, Oliveira JC, Espada CR, Reimão JQ, Trinconi CT, Uliana SRB. A Luciferase-Expressing Leishmania braziliensis Line That Leads to Sustained Skin Lesions in BALB/c Mice and Allows Monitoring of Miltefosine Treatment Outcome. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004660. [PMID: 27144739 PMCID: PMC4856402 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2015] [Accepted: 04/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Leishmania braziliensis is the most prevalent species isolated from patients displaying cutaneous and muco-cutaneous leishmaniasis in South America. However, there are difficulties for studying L. braziliensis pathogenesis or response to chemotherapy in vivo due to the natural resistance of most mouse strains to infection with these parasites. The aim of this work was to develop an experimental set up that could be used to assess drug efficacy against L. braziliensis. The model was tested using miltefosine. Methodology/Principal Findings A L. braziliensis line, originally isolated from a cutaneous leishmaniasis patient, was passaged repeatedly in laboratory rodents and further genetically manipulated to express luciferase. Once collected from a culture of parasites freshly transformed from amastigotes, 106 wild type or luciferase-expressing stationary phase promastigotes were inoculated subcutaneously in young BALB/c mice or golden hamsters. In both groups, sustained cutaneous lesions developed at the site of inoculation, no spontaneous self- healing being observed 4 months post-inoculation, if left untreated. Compared to the wild type line features, no difference was noted for the luciferase-transgenic line. Infected animals were treated with 5 or 15 mg/kg/day miltefosine orally for 15 days. At the end of treatment, lesions had regressed and parasites were not detected. However, relapses were observed in animals treated with both doses of miltefosine. Conclusions/Significance Here we described experimental settings for a late-healing model of cutaneous leishmaniasis upon inoculation of a luciferase-expressing L. braziliensis line that can be applied to drug development projects. These settings allowed the monitoring of the transient efficacy of a short-term miltefosine administration. Leishmania braziliensis is the most prevalent species isolated from patients displaying either cutaneous or mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in South America. In this study, we developed a transgenic luciferase-expressing L. braziliensis line. These parasites were passaged in hamsters and mice and then transformed back into promastigotes. Once inoculated subcutaneously in the footpad of young laboratory animals—BALB/c mice or golden hamsters, rapid and sustained footpad thickness increase developed. This experimental model was used to monitor the parasite load fluctuations and the response to miltefosine treatment. Mice were treated orally over a two-week period, starting at week 4 post-inoculation. Though such a regimen was shown to display efficacy, the effect was not sustained and both parasite re-expansion and delayed footpad thickness increase were noticed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano C. Coelho
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jordana C. Oliveira
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Caroline R. Espada
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Q. Reimão
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cristiana T. Trinconi
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Silvia R. B. Uliana
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Opperdoes FR, Butenko A, Flegontov P, Yurchenko V, Lukeš J. Comparative Metabolism of Free-living Bodo saltans
and Parasitic Trypanosomatids. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2016; 63:657-78. [DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Revised: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fred R. Opperdoes
- de Duve Institute; Université Catholique de Louvain; Brussels B-1200 Belgium
| | - Anzhelika Butenko
- Life Science Research Centre; Faculty of Science; University of Ostrava; Ostrava 710 00 Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Flegontov
- Life Science Research Centre; Faculty of Science; University of Ostrava; Ostrava 710 00 Czech Republic
- Biology Centre; Institute of Parasitology; Czech Academy of Sciences; České Budějovice (Budweis) 370 05 Czech Republic
- A.A. Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems; Russian Academy of Sciences; Moscow 127 051 Russia
| | - Vyacheslav Yurchenko
- Life Science Research Centre; Faculty of Science; University of Ostrava; Ostrava 710 00 Czech Republic
- Biology Centre; Institute of Parasitology; Czech Academy of Sciences; České Budějovice (Budweis) 370 05 Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science; Institute of Environmental Technologies; University of Ostrava; Ostrava 710 00 Czech Republic
| | - Julius Lukeš
- Biology Centre; Institute of Parasitology; Czech Academy of Sciences; České Budějovice (Budweis) 370 05 Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science; University of South Bohemia; České Budějovice (Budweis) 370 05 Czech Republic
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research; Toronto ON M5G 1Z8 Canada
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Zhang Q, Huang L, Zhang C, Xie P, Zhang Y, Ding S, Xu F. Synthesis and biological activity of polyprenols. Fitoterapia 2015; 106:184-93. [PMID: 26358482 DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2015.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Revised: 09/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The polyprenols and their derivatives are highlighted in this study. These lipid linear polymers of isoprenoid residues are widespread in nature from bacteria to human cells. This review primarily presents the synthesis and biological activities of polyprenyl derivatives. Attention is focused on the synthesis and biological activity of dolichols, polyprenyl ester derivatives and polyprenyl amines. Other polyprenyl derivatives, such as oxides of polyprenols, aromatic polyprenols, polyprenyl bromide and polyprenyl sulphates, are mentioned. It is noted that polyprenyl phosphates and polyprenyl-linked glycosylation have better antibacterial, gene therapy and immunomodulating performance, whereas polyprenyl amines have better for antibacterial and antithrombotic activity. Dolichols, polyprenyl acetic esters, polyprenyl phosphates and polyprenyl-linked glycosylation have pharmacological anti-tumour effects. Finally, the postulated prospect of polyprenols and their derivatives are discussed. Further in vivo studies on the above derivatives are needed. The compatibility of polyprenols and their derivatives with other drugs should be studied, and new preparations of polyprenyl derivatives, such as hydrogel glue and release-controlled drugs, are suggested for future research and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Zhang
- Institute of Chemical Industry of Forest Products, CAF, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, China; National Engineering Lab. for Biomass Chemical Utilization, Key and Open lab. of Forest Chemical Engineering, SFA, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, China; Key Lab. of Biomass Energy and Material, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, China; Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Lixin Huang
- Institute of Chemical Industry of Forest Products, CAF, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, China; National Engineering Lab. for Biomass Chemical Utilization, Key and Open lab. of Forest Chemical Engineering, SFA, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, China; Key Lab. of Biomass Energy and Material, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, China.
| | - Caihong Zhang
- Institute of Chemical Industry of Forest Products, CAF, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, China; National Engineering Lab. for Biomass Chemical Utilization, Key and Open lab. of Forest Chemical Engineering, SFA, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, China; Key Lab. of Biomass Energy and Material, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, China
| | - Pujun Xie
- Institute of Chemical Industry of Forest Products, CAF, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, China; National Engineering Lab. for Biomass Chemical Utilization, Key and Open lab. of Forest Chemical Engineering, SFA, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, China; Key Lab. of Biomass Energy and Material, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, China
| | - Yaolei Zhang
- Institute of Chemical Industry of Forest Products, CAF, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, China; National Engineering Lab. for Biomass Chemical Utilization, Key and Open lab. of Forest Chemical Engineering, SFA, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, China; Key Lab. of Biomass Energy and Material, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, China
| | - Shasha Ding
- Institute of Chemical Industry of Forest Products, CAF, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, China; National Engineering Lab. for Biomass Chemical Utilization, Key and Open lab. of Forest Chemical Engineering, SFA, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, China; Key Lab. of Biomass Energy and Material, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210042, China
| | - Feng Xu
- Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
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Coelho AC, Trinconi CT, Senra L, Yokoyama-Yasunaka JKU, Uliana SRB. Leishmania is not prone to develop resistance to tamoxifen. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2015; 5:77-83. [PMID: 26150922 PMCID: PMC4486464 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2015.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2015] [Revised: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Tamoxifen, an antineoplastic agent, is active in vitro and in vivo against the parasitic protozoa Leishmania. As part of our efforts to unravel this drug's mechanisms of action against the parasite and understand how resistance could arise, we tried to select tamoxifen-resistant Leishmania amazonensis. Three different strategies to generate tamoxifen resistant mutants were used: stepwise increase in drug concentration applied to promastigote cultures, chemical mutagenesis followed by drug selection and treatment of infected mice followed by selection of amastigotes. For amastigote selection, we employed a method with direct plating of parasites recovered from lesions into semi-solid media. Tamoxifen resistant parasites were not rescued by any of these methods. Miltefosine was used as a control in selection experiments and both stepwise selection and chemical mutagenesis allowed successful isolation of miltefosine resistant mutants. These findings are consistent with a multi-target mode of action to explain tamoxifen's leishmanicidal properties. Considering that drug resistance is a major concern in anti-parasitic chemotherapy, these findings support the proposition of using tamoxifen as a partner in drug combination schemes for the treatment of leishmaniasis. Tamoxifen is effective in the treatment of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. Resistance to tamoxifen was not found in promastigotes upon mutagenesis/selection. Resistance to tamoxifen was not detected in amastigotes after in vivo selection. Tamoxifen may be a good partner in drug combination schemes for leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano C Coelho
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-900, SP, Brazil
| | - Cristiana T Trinconi
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-900, SP, Brazil
| | - Luisa Senra
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-900, SP, Brazil
| | - Jenicer K U Yokoyama-Yasunaka
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-900, SP, Brazil
| | - Silvia R B Uliana
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-900, SP, Brazil
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Reimão JQ, Miguel DC, Taniwaki NN, Trinconi CT, Yokoyama-Yasunaka JKU, Uliana SRB. Antileishmanial activity of the estrogen receptor modulator raloxifene. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e2842. [PMID: 24810565 PMCID: PMC4014391 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2013] [Accepted: 03/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The treatment of leishmaniasis relies mostly on parenteral drugs with potentially serious adverse effects. Additionally, parasite resistance in the treatment of leishmaniasis has been demonstrated for the majority of drugs available, making the search for more effective and less toxic drugs and treatment regimens a priority for the control of leishmaniasis. The aims of this study were to evaluate the antileishmanial activity of raloxifene in vitro and in vivo and to investigate its mechanism of action against Leishmania amazonensis. Methodology/Principal Findings Raloxifene was shown to possess antileishmanial activity in vitro against several species with EC50 values ranging from 30.2 to 38.0 µM against promastigotes and from 8.8 to 16.2 µM against intracellular amastigotes. Raloxifene's mechanism of action was investigated through transmission electron microscopy and labeling with propidium iodide, DiSBAC2(3), rhodamine 123 and monodansylcadaverine. Microscopic examinations showed that raloxifene treated parasites displayed autophagosomes and mitochondrial damage while the plasma membrane remained continuous. Nonetheless, plasma membrane potential was rapidly altered upon raloxifene treatment with initial hyperpolarization followed by depolarization. Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential was also verified. Treatment of L. amazonensis – infected BALB/c mice with raloxifene led to significant decrease in lesion size and parasite burden. Conclusions/Significance The results of this work extend the investigation of selective estrogen receptor modulators as potential candidates for leishmaniasis treatment. The antileishmanial activity of raloxifene was demonstrated in vitro and in vivo. Raloxifene produces functional disorder on the plasma membrane of L. amazonensis promastigotes and leads to functional and morphological disruption of mitochondria, which culminate in cell death. Cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis are part of the group we call neglected diseases. They are serious conditions that afflict millions in vast regions of the world. These diseases are very difficult to treat. This is due to the scanty choice of effective drugs together with their potentially severe side effects. One way of finding new treatments for these neglected conditions is to repurpose drugs that are already in use to treat other diseases. In this paper, we show that raloxifene, a drug that is used for the treatment of osteoporosis and also as an alternative in the treatment of breast cancer, is active against the causative agents of leishmaniasis and is effective in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis in an experimental model. We also show that the antileishmanial mechanism of action of raloxifene is related to damage to the cell membrane and to the mitochondrion of the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Q. Reimão
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Danilo C. Miguel
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Noemi N. Taniwaki
- Núcleo de Microscopia Eletrônica, Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cristiana T. Trinconi
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Silvia R. B. Uliana
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Real F, Vidal RO, Carazzolle MF, Mondego JMC, Costa GGL, Herai RH, Würtele M, de Carvalho LM, Carmona e Ferreira R, Mortara RA, Barbiéri CL, Mieczkowski P, da Silveira JF, Briones MRDS, Pereira GAG, Bahia D. The genome sequence of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis: functional annotation and extended analysis of gene models. DNA Res 2013; 20:567-81. [PMID: 23857904 PMCID: PMC3859324 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dst031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
We present the sequencing and annotation of the Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis genome, an etiological agent of human cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Amazon region of Brazil. L. (L.) amazonensis shares features with Leishmania (L.) mexicana but also exhibits unique characteristics regarding geographical distribution and clinical manifestations of cutaneous lesions (e.g. borderline disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis). Predicted genes were scored for orthologous gene families and conserved domains in comparison with other human pathogenic Leishmania spp. Carboxypeptidase, aminotransferase, and 3′-nucleotidase genes and ATPase, thioredoxin, and chaperone-related domains were represented more abundantly in L. (L.) amazonensis and L. (L.) mexicana species. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these two species share groups of amastin surface proteins unique to the genus that could be related to specific features of disease outcomes and host cell interactions. Additionally, we describe a hypothetical hybrid interactome of potentially secreted L. (L.) amazonensis proteins and host proteins under the assumption that parasite factors mimic their mammalian counterparts. The model predicts an interaction between an L. (L.) amazonensis heat-shock protein and mammalian Toll-like receptor 9, which is implicated in important immune responses such as cytokine and nitric oxide production. The analysis presented here represents valuable information for future studies of leishmaniasis pathogenicity and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Real
- 1Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - EPM/UNIFESP, Rua Botucatu 862, 6 andar, 04023-062 São Paulo, Brazil
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D'Alexandri FL, Tonhosolo R, Kimura EA, Katzin AM. Mass spectrometry analysis of polyisoprenoids alcohols and carotenoids via ESI(Li(+))-MS/MS. Methods Mol Biol 2009; 580:109-128. [PMID: 19784596 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-60761-325-1_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Direct analysis of polyisoprenoid alcohols by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) often produces poor results requiring off-line time- and sample-consuming derivatization techniques. In this chapter, we describe a simple ESI-MS approach for the direct analysis of polyisoprenoid alcohols from biological samples. Lithium iodide is used to promote cationization by intense formation of [M+Li](+) adducts. Detection of polyisoprenoids with mass determination can thus be performed with high sensitivity (LOD near 100 pM), whereas characteristic collision-induced dissociations observed for both dolichols and polyprenols permit investigation of their structure. We also describe a simple ESI-MS approach for the direct analysis of carotenoids in biological samples using lithium iodide to promote their ionization and the analysis of several carotenoids as proof-of-principle cases. Finally, we applied ESI(Li(+))-MS and ESI(Li(+))-MS/MS to investigate the presence of carotenoids in Plasmodium falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Luiz D'Alexandri
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Physiological Chemistry II, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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