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Moss WJ, Brusini L, Kuehnel R, Brochet M, Brown KM. Apicomplexan phosphodiesterases in cyclic nucleotide turnover: conservation, function, and therapeutic potential. mBio 2024; 15:e0305623. [PMID: 38132724 PMCID: PMC10865986 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03056-23] [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] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexa encompasses a large number of intracellular parasites infecting a wide range of animals. Cyclic nucleotide signaling is crucial for a variety of apicomplexan life stages and cellular processes. The cyclases and kinases that synthesize and respond to cyclic nucleotides (i.e., 3',5'-cyclic guanosine monophosphate and 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate) are highly conserved and essential throughout the parasite phylum. Growing evidence indicates that phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are also critical for regulating cyclic nucleotide signaling via cyclic nucleotide hydrolysis. Here, we discuss recent advances in apicomplexan PDE biology and opportunities for therapeutic interventions, with special emphasis on the major human apicomplexan parasite genera Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, and Babesia. In particular, we show a highly flexible repertoire of apicomplexan PDEs associated with a wide range of cellular requirements across parasites and lifecycle stages. Despite this phylogenetic diversity, cellular requirements of apicomplexan PDEs for motility, host cell egress, or invasion are conserved. However, the molecular wiring of associated PDEs is extremely malleable suggesting that PDE diversity and redundancy are key for the optimization of cyclic nucleotide turnover to respond to the various environments encountered by each parasite and life stage. Understanding how apicomplexan PDEs are regulated and integrating multiple signaling systems into a unified response represent an untapped avenue for future exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J. Moss
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Lorenzo Brusini
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ronja Kuehnel
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mathieu Brochet
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Kevin M. Brown
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
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Elsworth B, Keroack C, Rezvani Y, Paul A, Barazorda K, Tennessen J, Sack S, Moreira C, Gubbels MJ, Meyers M, Zarringhalam K, Duraisingh M. Babesia divergens egress from host cells is orchestrated by essential and druggable kinases and proteases. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2553721. [PMID: 36909484 PMCID: PMC10002801 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2553721/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexan egress from host cells is fundamental to the spread of infection and is poorly characterized in Babesia spp., parasites of veterinary importance and emerging zoonoses. Through the use of video microscopy, transcriptomics and chemical genetics, we have implicated signaling, proteases and gliding motility as key drivers of egress by Babesia divergens. We developed reverse genetics to perform a knockdown screen of putative mediators of egress, identifying kinases and proteases involved in distinct steps of egress (ASP3, PKG and CDPK4) and invasion (ASP2, ASP3 and PKG). Inhibition of egress leads to continued intracellular replication, indicating exit from the replication cycle is uncoupled from egress. Chemical genetics validated PKG, ASP2 and ASP3 as druggable targets in Babesia spp. All taken together, egress in B. divergens more closely resembles T. gondii than the more evolutionarily-related Plasmodium spp. We have established a molecular framework for biological and translational studies of B. divergens egress.
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Rizk MA, El-Sayed SAES, Eltaysh R, Igarashi I. MMV020275 and MMV020490, promising compounds from malaria box for the treatment of equine piroplasmosis. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:101904. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.101904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Compounds from the Medicines for Malaria Venture Box Inhibit In Vitro Growth of Babesia divergens, a Blood-Borne Parasite of Veterinary and Zoonotic Importance. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26237118. [PMID: 34885700 PMCID: PMC8658764 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26237118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesiosis is an infectious disease with an empty drug pipeline. A search inside chemical libraries for novel potent antibabesial candidates may help fill such an empty drug pipeline. A total of 400 compounds (200 drug-like and 200 probe-like) from the Malaria Box were evaluated in the current study against the in vitro growth of Babesia divergens (B. divergens), a parasite of veterinary and zoonotic importance. Novel and more effective anti-B. divergens drugs than the traditionally used ones were identified. Seven compounds (four drug-like and three probe-like) revealed a highly inhibitory effect against the in vitro growth of B. divergens, with IC50s ≤ 10 nanomolar. Among these hits, MMV006913 exhibited an IC50 value of 1 nM IC50 and the highest selectivity index of 32,000. The atom pair fingerprint (APfp) analysis revealed that MMV006913 and MMV019124 showed maximum structural similarity (MSS) with atovaquone and diminazene aceturate (DA), and with DA and imidocarb dipropionate (ID), respectively. MMV665807 and MMV665850 showed MMS with each other and with ID. Of note, a high concentration (0.75 IC50) of MMV006913 caused additive inhibition of B. divergens growth when combined with DA at 0.75 or 0.50 IC50. The Medicines for Malaria Venture box is a treasure trove of anti-B. divergens candidates according to the obtained results.
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Elsworth B, Duraisingh MT. A framework for signaling throughout the life cycle of Babesia species. Mol Microbiol 2020; 115:882-890. [PMID: 33274587 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Babesia species are tick-borne intracellular parasites that infect the red blood cells of their mammalian host, leading to severe or fatal disease. Babesia spp. infect a wide range of mammalian species and cause a significant economic burden globally, predominantly through disease in cattle. Several Babesia spp. are increasingly being recognized as zoonotic pathogens of humans. Babesia spp. have complex life cycles involving multiple stages in the tick and the mammalian host. The parasite utilizes complex signaling pathways during replication, egress, and invasion in each of these stages. They must also rapidly respond to their environment when switching between the mammalian and tick stages. This review will focus on the signaling pathways and environmental stimuli that Babesia spp. utilize in the bloodstream and for transmission to the tick, with an emphasis on the role of phosphorylation- and calcium-based signaling during egress and invasion. The expanding availability of in vitro and in vivo culture systems, genomes, transcriptomes, and transgenic systems available for a range of Babesia spp. should encourage further biological and translational studies of these ubiquitous parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Elsworth
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Manoj T Duraisingh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Souza Silva JA, Tunes LG, Coimbra RS, Ascher DB, Pires DEV, Monte-Neto RL. Unveiling six potent and highly selective antileishmanial agents via the open source compound collection 'Pathogen Box' against antimony-sensitive and -resistant Leishmania braziliensis. Biomed Pharmacother 2020; 133:111049. [PMID: 33378956 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.111049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite all efforts to provide new chemical entities to tackle leishmaniases, we are still dependent on a the limited drug arsenal, together with drawbacks like toxicity and drug-resistant parasites. Collaborative drug discovery emerged as an option to speed up the way to find alternative antileishmanial agents. This is the case of Medicines for Malaria Ventures - MMV, that promotes an open source drug discovery initiative to fight diseases worldwide. Here, we screened 400 compounds from 'Pathogen Box' (PBox) collection against Leishmania braziliensis, the main etiological agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil. Twenty-three compounds were able to inhibit ≥ 80 % L. braziliensis growth at 5 μM. Six out of the PBox selected 23 compounds were found to be highly selective against L. braziliensis intracellular amastigotes with selectivity index varying from > 104 to > 746 and IC50s ranging from 47 to 480 nM. The compounds were also active against antimony-resistant L. braziliensis isolated from the field or laboratory selected mutants, revealing the potential on treating patients infected with drug resistant parasites. Most of the selected compounds were known to be active against kinetoplastids, however, two compounds (MMV688703 and MMV676477) were part of toxoplasmosis and tuberculosis 'PBox' disease set, reinforcing the potential of phenotyping screening to unveil drug repurposing. Here we applied a computational prediction of pharmacokinetic properties using the ADMET predictor pkCSM (http://biosig.unimelb.edu.au/pkcsm/). The tool offered clues on potential drug development needs and can support further in vivo studies. Molecular docking analysis identified CRK3 (LbrM.35.0660), CYP450 (LbrM.30.3580) and PKA (LbrM.18.1180) as L. braziliensis targets for MMV676604, MMV688372 and MMV688703, respectively. Compounds from 'Pathogen Box' thus represents a new hope for novel (or repurposed) small molecules source to tackle leishmaniases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliano A Souza Silva
- Instituto René Rachou - Fiocruz Minas, Av. Augusto de Lima, 1715, Belo Horizonte, 30190-009, MG, Brazil.
| | - Luiza G Tunes
- Instituto René Rachou - Fiocruz Minas, Av. Augusto de Lima, 1715, Belo Horizonte, 30190-009, MG, Brazil.
| | - Roney S Coimbra
- Instituto René Rachou - Fiocruz Minas, Av. Augusto de Lima, 1715, Belo Horizonte, 30190-009, MG, Brazil.
| | - David B Ascher
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Melbourne, Bio21 Institute, 30 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC 3052, Melbourne, Australia; Computational Biology and Clinical Informatics, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, VIC 3004, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Douglas E V Pires
- Instituto René Rachou - Fiocruz Minas, Av. Augusto de Lima, 1715, Belo Horizonte, 30190-009, MG, Brazil; School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne, Doug McDonell Building, VIC 3010, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Rubens L Monte-Neto
- Instituto René Rachou - Fiocruz Minas, Av. Augusto de Lima, 1715, Belo Horizonte, 30190-009, MG, Brazil.
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Veale CGL. Unpacking the Pathogen Box-An Open Source Tool for Fighting Neglected Tropical Disease. ChemMedChem 2019; 14:386-453. [PMID: 30614200 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201800755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The Pathogen Box is a 400-strong collection of drug-like compounds, selected for their potential against several of the world's most important neglected tropical diseases, including trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, cryptosporidiosis, toxoplasmosis, filariasis, schistosomiasis, dengue virus and trichuriasis, in addition to malaria and tuberculosis. This library represents an ensemble of numerous successful drug discovery programmes from around the globe, aimed at providing a powerful resource to stimulate open source drug discovery for diseases threatening the most vulnerable communities in the world. This review seeks to provide an in-depth analysis of the literature pertaining to the compounds in the Pathogen Box, including structure-activity relationship highlights, mechanisms of action, related compounds with reported activity against different diseases, and, where appropriate, discussion on the known and putative targets of compounds, thereby providing context and increasing the accessibility of the Pathogen Box to the drug discovery community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clinton G L Veale
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Pietermaritzburg Campus, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa
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Kamyingkird K, Cao S, Masatani T, Moumouni PFA, Vudriko P, Mousa AAEM, Terkawi MA, Nishikawa Y, Igarashi I, Xuan X. Babesia bovis dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (BboDHODH) is a novel molecular target of drug for bovine babesiosis. J Vet Med Sci 2013; 76:323-30. [PMID: 24189582 PMCID: PMC4013357 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.13-0419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of drug resistance and adverse side effects of current bovine
babesiosis treatment suggest that the search of new drug targets and development of safer
and effective compounds are required. This study focuses on dihydroorotate dehydrogenase
(DHODH), the fourth enzyme of pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway as a potential drug target
for bovine babesiosis. Recombinant Babesia bovis DHODH protein
(rBboDHODH) was produced in Escherichia coli and used for
characterization and measurement of enzymatic activity. Furthermore, the effects of DHODH
inhibitors were evaluated in vitro. The recombinant B.
bovis DHODH histidine fusion protein (rBboDHODH) had 42.4-kDa molecular weight
and exhibited a specific activity of 475.7 ± 245 Unit/mg, a Km =
276.2 µM for L-dihydroorotate and a
Km= 94.41 µM for
decylubiquinone. A 44-kDa band of native BboDHODH was detected by Western blot analysis
and found in parasites mitochondria using a confocal microscope. Among DHODH inhibitors,
atovaquone (ATV) and leflunomide (LFN) significantly inhibited the activity of rBboDHODH
as well as the growth of B. bovis in vitro. The half maximal inhibitory
concentration (IC50) of ATV and LFN was 2.38 ± 0.53 nM and
52.41 ± 11.47 µM, respectively. These results suggest that BboDHODH might
be a novel target for development of new drug for treatment of B. bovis
infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ketsarin Kamyingkird
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
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