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Kovářová J, Moos M, Barrett MP, Horn D, Zíková A. The bloodstream form of Trypanosoma brucei displays non-canonical gluconeogenesis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012007. [PMID: 38394337 PMCID: PMC10917290 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma brucei is a causative agent of the Human and Animal African Trypanosomiases. The mammalian stage parasites infect various tissues and organs including the bloodstream, central nervous system, skin, adipose tissue and lungs. They rely on ATP produced in glycolysis, consuming large amounts of glucose, which is readily available in the mammalian host. In addition to glucose, glycerol can also be used as a source of carbon and ATP and as a substrate for gluconeogenesis. However, the physiological relevance of glycerol-fed gluconeogenesis for the mammalian-infective life cycle forms remains elusive. To demonstrate its (in)dispensability, first we must identify the enzyme(s) of the pathway. Loss of the canonical gluconeogenic enzyme, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, does not abolish the process hence at least one other enzyme must participate in gluconeogenesis in trypanosomes. Using a combination of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and RNA interference, we generated mutants for four enzymes potentially capable of contributing to gluconeogenesis: fructose-1,6-bisphoshatase, sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase, phosphofructokinase and transaldolase, alone or in various combinations. Metabolomic analyses revealed that flux through gluconeogenesis was maintained irrespective of which of these genes were lost. Our data render unlikely a previously hypothesised role of a reverse phosphofructokinase reaction in gluconeogenesis and preclude the participation of a novel biochemical pathway involving transaldolase in the process. The sustained metabolic flux in gluconeogenesis in our mutants, including a triple-null strain, indicates the presence of a unique enzyme participating in gluconeogenesis. Additionally, the data provide new insights into gluconeogenesis and the pentose phosphate pathway, and improve the current understanding of carbon metabolism of the mammalian-infective stages of T. brucei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Kovářová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Moos
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Michael P. Barrett
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - David Horn
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Alena Zíková
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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2
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Andrade-Alviárez D, Bonive-Boscan AD, Cáceres AJ, Quiñones W, Gualdrón-López M, Ginger ML, Michels PAM. Delineating transitions during the evolution of specialised peroxisomes: Glycosome formation in kinetoplastid and diplonemid protists. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:979269. [PMID: 36172271 PMCID: PMC9512073 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.979269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
One peculiarity of protists belonging to classes Kinetoplastea and Diplonemea within the phylum Euglenozoa is compartmentalisation of most glycolytic enzymes within peroxisomes that are hence called glycosomes. This pathway is not sequestered in peroxisomes of the third Euglenozoan class, Euglenida. Previous analysis of well-studied kinetoplastids, the ‘TriTryps’ parasites Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp., identified within glycosomes other metabolic processes usually not present in peroxisomes. In addition, trypanosomatid peroxins, i.e. proteins involved in biogenesis of these organelles, are divergent from human and yeast orthologues. In recent years, genomes, transcriptomes and proteomes for a variety of euglenozoans have become available. Here, we track the possible evolution of glycosomes by querying these databases, as well as the genome of Naegleria gruberi, a non-euglenozoan, which belongs to the same protist supergroup Discoba. We searched for orthologues of TriTryps proteins involved in glycosomal metabolism and biogenesis. Predicted cellular location(s) of each metabolic enzyme identified was inferred from presence or absence of peroxisomal-targeting signals. Combined with a survey of relevant literature, we refine extensively our previously postulated hypothesis about glycosome evolution. The data agree glycolysis was compartmentalised in a common ancestor of the kinetoplastids and diplonemids, yet additionally indicates most other processes found in glycosomes of extant trypanosomatids, but not in peroxisomes of other eukaryotes were either sequestered in this ancestor or shortly after separation of the two lineages. In contrast, peroxin divergence is evident in all euglenozoans. Following their gain of pathway complexity, subsequent evolution of peroxisome/glycosome function is complex. We hypothesize compartmentalisation in glycosomes of glycolytic enzymes, their cofactors and subsequently other metabolic enzymes provided selective advantage to kinetoplastids and diplonemids during their evolution in changing marine environments. We contend two specific properties derived from the ancestral peroxisomes were key: existence of nonselective pores for small solutes and the possibility of high turnover by pexophagy. Critically, such pores and pexophagy are characterised in extant trypanosomatids. Increasing amenability of free-living kinetoplastids and recently isolated diplonemids to experimental study means our hypothesis and interpretation of bioinformatic data are suited to experimental interrogation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Andrade-Alviárez
- Laboratorio de Enzimología de Parásitos, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela
| | - Alejandro D. Bonive-Boscan
- Laboratorio de Enzimología de Parásitos, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela
| | - Ana J. Cáceres
- Laboratorio de Enzimología de Parásitos, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela
| | - Wilfredo Quiñones
- Laboratorio de Enzimología de Parásitos, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela
| | | | - Michael L. Ginger
- School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, United Kingdom
| | - Paul A. M. Michels
- Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution and Centre for Translational and Chemical Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Paul A. M. Michels,
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El-Hawary SS, Mohammed R, Lithy NM, AbouZid SF, Mansour MA, Almahmoud SA, Huwaimel B, Amin E. Digalloyl Glycoside: A Potential Inhibitor of Trypanosomal PFK from Euphorbia abyssinica J.F. Gmel. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:173. [PMID: 35050063 PMCID: PMC8779944 DOI: 10.3390/plants11020173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Human African trypanosomiasis is an endemic infectious disease caused by Trypanosoma brucei via the bite of tsetse-fly. Most of the drugs used for the treatment, e.g., Suramin, have shown several problems, including the high level of toxicity. Accordingly, the discovery of anti-trypanosomal drugs from natural sources has become an urgent requirement. In our previous study on the anti-trypanosomal potential of Euphorbia species, Euphorbia abyssinica displayed significant anti-trypanosomal activity. Therefore, a phytochemical investigation of the methanolic extract of E. abyssinica was carried out. Twelve compounds, including two triterpenes (1, 2); one sterol-glucoside (4); three ellagic acid derivatives (3, 9, 11); three gallic acid derivatives (5, 6, 10); and three flavonoids (7, 8, 12), were isolated. The structures of isolated compounds were determined through different spectroscopic techniques. Compound (10) was obtained for the first time from genus Euphorbia while all other compounds except compound (4), were firstly reported in E. abyssinica. Consequently, an in silico study was used to estimate the anti-trypanosomal activity of the isolated compounds. Several compounds displayed interesting activity where 1,6-di-O-galloyl-d-glucose (10) appeared as the most potent inhibitor of trypanosomal phosphofructokinase (PFK). Moreover, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and ADMET calculations were performed for 1,6-di-O-galloyl-d-glucose. In conclusion, 1,6-di-O-galloyl-d-glucose revealed high binding free energy as well as desirable molecular dynamics and pharmacokinetic properties; therefore, it could be suggested for further in vitro and in vivo studies for trypanosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seham S. El-Hawary
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt;
| | - Rabab Mohammed
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62514, Egypt; (R.M.); (S.F.A.)
| | - Nadia M. Lithy
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Nahda University Beni-Suef, Beni-Suef 62521, Egypt;
| | - Sameh Fekry AbouZid
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62514, Egypt; (R.M.); (S.F.A.)
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Heliopolis University, Cairo 11785, Egypt
| | - Mostafa A. Mansour
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Nahda University Beni-Suef, Beni-Suef 62521, Egypt;
| | - Suliman A. Almahmoud
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Buraidah 51452, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Bader Huwaimel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Hail, Hail 34464, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Elham Amin
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62514, Egypt; (R.M.); (S.F.A.)
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Buraidah 51452, Saudi Arabia;
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Celebi M, Inan T, Kurkcuoglu O, Akten ED. Potential allosteric sites captured in glycolytic enzymes via residue-based network models: Phosphofructokinase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and pyruvate kinase. Biophys Chem 2021; 280:106701. [PMID: 34736071 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2021.106701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Likelihood of new allosteric sites for glycolytic enzymes, phosphofructokinase (PFK), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GADPH) and pyruvate kinase (PK) was evaluated for bacterial, parasitic and human species. Allosteric effect of a ligand binding at a site was revealed on the basis of low-frequency normal modes via Cα-harmonic residue network model. In bacterial PFK, perturbation of the proposed allosteric site outperformed the known allosteric one, producing a high amount of stabilization or reduced dynamics, on all catalytic regions. Another proposed allosteric spot at the dimer interface in parasitic PFK exhibited major stabilization effect on catalytic regions. In parasitic GADPH, the most desired allosteric response was observed upon perturbation of its tunnel region which incorporated key residues for functional regulation. Proposed allosteric site in bacterial PK produced a satisfactory allosteric response on all catalytic regions, whereas in human and parasitic PKs, a partial inhibition was observed. Residue network model based solely on contact topology identified the 'hub residues' with high betweenness tracing plausible allosteric communication pathways between distant functional sites. For both bacterial PFK and PK, proposed sites accommodated hub residues twice as much as the known allosteric site. Tunnel region in parasitic GADPH with the strongest allosteric effect among species, incorporated the highest number of hub residues. These results clearly suggest a one-to-one correspondence between the degree of allosteric effect and the number of hub residues in that perturbation site, which increases the likelihood of its allosteric nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Metehan Celebi
- Graduate Program of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kadir Has University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Tugce Inan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ozge Kurkcuoglu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ebru Demet Akten
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Kadir Has University, Istanbul, Turkey.
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5
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Biochemical and transcript level differences between the three human phosphofructokinases show optimisation of each isoform for specific metabolic niches. Biochem J 2021; 477:4425-4441. [PMID: 33141153 PMCID: PMC7702303 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20200656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
6-Phosphofructokinase-1-kinase (PFK) tetramers catalyse the phosphorylation of fructose 6-phosphate (F6P) to fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (F16BP). Vertebrates have three PFK isoforms (PFK-M, PFK-L, and PFK-P). This study is the first to compare the kinetics, structures, and transcript levels of recombinant human PFK isoforms. Under the conditions tested PFK-M has the highest affinities for F6P and ATP (K0.5ATP 152 µM; K0.5F6P 147 µM), PFK-P the lowest affinities (K0.5ATP 276 µM; K0.5F6P 1333 µM), and PFK-L demonstrates a mixed picture of high ATP affinity and low F6P affinity (K0.5ATP 160 µM; K0.5F6P 1360 µM). PFK-M is more resistant to ATP inhibition compared with PFK-L and PFK-P (respectively, 23%, 31%, 50% decreases in specificity constants). GTP is an alternate phospho donor. Interface 2, which regulates the inactive dimer to active tetramer equilibrium, differs between isoforms, resulting in varying tetrameric stability. Under the conditions tested PFK-M is less sensitive to fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (F26BP) allosteric modulation than PFK-L or PFK-P (allosteric constants [K0.5ATP+F26BP/K0.5ATP] 1.10, 0.92, 0.54, respectively). Structural analysis of two allosteric sites reveals one may be specialised for AMP/ADP and the other for smaller/flexible regulators (citrate or phosphoenolpyruvate). Correlations between PFK-L and PFK-P transcript levels indicate that simultaneous expression may expand metabolic capacity for F16BP production whilst preserving regulatory capabilities. Analysis of cancer samples reveals intriguing parallels between PFK-P and PKM2 (pyruvate kinase M2), and simultaneous increases in PFK-P and PFKFB3 (responsible for F26BP production) transcript levels, suggesting prioritisation of metabolic flexibility in cancers. Our results describe the kinetic and transcript level differences between the three PFK isoforms, explaining how each isoform may be optimised for distinct roles.
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6
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The Phosphofructokinase Isoform AtPFK5 Is a Novel Target of Plastidic Thioredoxin-f-Dependent Redox Regulation. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:antiox10030401. [PMID: 33800095 PMCID: PMC7998735 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10030401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The chloroplast primary metabolism is of central importance for plant growth and performance. Therefore, it is tightly regulated in order to adequately respond to multiple environmental conditions. A major fluctuation that plants experience each day is the change between day and night, i.e., the change between assimilation and dissimilation. Among other mechanisms, thioredoxin-mediated redox regulation is an important component of the regulation of plastid-localized metabolic enzymes. While assimilatory processes such as the Calvin–Benson cycle are activated under illumination, i.e., under reducing conditions, carbohydrate degradation is switched off during the day. Previous analyses have identified enzymes of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway to be inactivated by reduction through thioredoxins. In this work, we present evidence that an enzyme of the plastidic glycolysis, the phosphofructokinase isoform AtPFK5, is also inactivated through reduction by thioredoxins, namely by thioredoxin-f. With the help of chemical oxidation, mutant analyses and further experiments, the highly conserved motif CXDXXC in AtPFK5 was identified as the target sequence for this regulatory mechanism. However, knocking out this isoform in plants had only very mild effects on plant growth and performance, indicating that the complex primary metabolism in plants can overcome a lack in AtPFK5 activity.
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McNae IW, Kinkead J, Malik D, Yen LH, Walker MK, Swain C, Webster SP, Gray N, Fernandes PM, Myburgh E, Blackburn EA, Ritchie R, Austin C, Wear MA, Highton AJ, Keats AJ, Vong A, Dornan J, Mottram JC, Michels PAM, Pettit S, Walkinshaw MD. Fast acting allosteric phosphofructokinase inhibitors block trypanosome glycolysis and cure acute African trypanosomiasis in mice. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1052. [PMID: 33594070 PMCID: PMC7887271 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21273-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The parasitic protist Trypanosoma brucei is the causative agent of Human African Trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness. The parasite enters the blood via the bite of the tsetse fly where it is wholly reliant on glycolysis for the production of ATP. Glycolytic enzymes have been regarded as challenging drug targets because of their highly conserved active sites and phosphorylated substrates. We describe the development of novel small molecule allosteric inhibitors of trypanosome phosphofructokinase (PFK) that block the glycolytic pathway resulting in very fast parasite kill times with no inhibition of human PFKs. The compounds cross the blood brain barrier and single day oral dosing cures parasitaemia in a stage 1 animal model of human African trypanosomiasis. This study demonstrates that it is possible to target glycolysis and additionally shows how differences in allosteric mechanisms may allow the development of species-specific inhibitors to tackle a range of proliferative or infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain W McNae
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James Kinkead
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Divya Malik
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Li-Hsuan Yen
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Martin K Walker
- Selcia Ltd., Fyfield Business and Research Park, Fyfield Road, Ongar, Essex, UK
| | | | - Scott P Webster
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Nick Gray
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Peter M Fernandes
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Elmarie Myburgh
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, UK
| | - Elizabeth A Blackburn
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ryan Ritchie
- Institute of Infection Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical Veterinary Life-Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Carol Austin
- Selcia Ltd., Fyfield Business and Research Park, Fyfield Road, Ongar, Essex, UK
| | - Martin A Wear
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Adrian J Highton
- Selcia Ltd., Fyfield Business and Research Park, Fyfield Road, Ongar, Essex, UK
| | - Andrew J Keats
- Selcia Ltd., Fyfield Business and Research Park, Fyfield Road, Ongar, Essex, UK
| | - Antonio Vong
- Selcia Ltd., Fyfield Business and Research Park, Fyfield Road, Ongar, Essex, UK
| | - Jacqueline Dornan
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jeremy C Mottram
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Paul A M Michels
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Simon Pettit
- Selcia Ltd., Fyfield Business and Research Park, Fyfield Road, Ongar, Essex, UK.
| | - Malcolm D Walkinshaw
- Wellcome Centre for Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, Max Born Crescent, Edinburgh, UK.
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Ali S, Alamzeb M, Rashid MU, Setzer WN. Effect of Temperature on 1H NMR Spectra, Antitrypanosomal Activity, Conformational Analysis, and Molecular Docking of Curine Derivatives from Berberis brevissima. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2020; 83:1383-1393. [PMID: 32364734 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.9b00397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The ethanolic root extract of Berberis brevissima afforded a new bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid, 13-nitrochondrofoline (2), and two known bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids, chondrofoline (1) and curine (4). The acetylation of chondrofoline (1) gave O-acetylchondrofoline (3). The dimeric structures of 1 and 2 were studied through variable-temperature 1H NMR spectroscopy at 25, 40, 60, and 80 °C and conformational analysis, using density functional theory employing the M06-2X functional and the 6-31G* basis set. The in vitro antitrypanosomal activity of compounds 1, 2, 3, and 4 against Trypanosoma brucei showed significant potential with MIC values of 2.6, 2.2, 2.3, and 3.8 μM, respectively. Molecular docking evaluation of alkaloids 1, 2, 3, and 4 against known T. brucei protein targets revealed T. brucei phosphodiesterase B1 to be the preferred target. The docking energies of the alkaloids with Tb6PGL (PDB 3EB9) ranged from -88.8 to -106.0 kJ/mol and was comparable to the cocrystallized ligand, citrate (Edock = -78.3 kJ/mol). It seems reasonable that the curine alkaloids may compete with the natural substrates for these protein targets and serve as leads in designing and developing more potent and selective drugs against T. brucei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saqib Ali
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Kotli, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Kotli 11100, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Alamzeb
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Kotli, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Kotli 11100, Pakistan
| | - Mamoon Ur Rashid
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Biophysics, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City 729000, Vietnam
| | - William N Setzer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama 35899, United States
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9
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Ayyildiz M, Celiker S, Ozhelvaci F, Akten ED. Identification of Alternative Allosteric Sites in Glycolytic Enzymes for Potential Use as Species-Specific Drug Targets. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:88. [PMID: 32478093 PMCID: PMC7240002 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Three allosteric glycolytic enzymes, phosphofructokinase, glyceraldehyde-3 phosphate dehydrogenase and pyruvate kinase, associated with bacterial, parasitic and human species, were explored to identify potential allosteric sites that would be used as prime targets for species-specific drug design purposes using a newly developed approach which incorporates solvent mapping, elastic network modeling, sequence and structural alignments. The majority of binding sites detected by solvent mapping overlapped with the interface regions connecting the subunits, thus appeared as promising target sites for allosteric regulation. Each binding site was then evaluated by its ability to alter the global dynamics of the receptor defined by the percentage change in the frequencies of the lowest-frequency modes most significantly and as anticipated, the most effective ones were detected in the vicinity of the well-reported catalytic and allosteric sites. Furthermore, some of our proposed regions intersected with experimentally resolved sites which are known to be critical for activity regulation, which further validated our approach. Despite the high degree of structural conservation encountered between bacterial/parasitic and human glycolytic enzymes, the majority of the newly presented allosteric sites exhibited a low degree of sequence conservation which further increased their likelihood to be used as species-specific target regions for drug design studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merve Ayyildiz
- Graduate Program of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kadir Has University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Serkan Celiker
- Graduate Program of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kadir Has University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Fatih Ozhelvaci
- Graduate Program of Computational Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - E. Demet Akten
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Kadir Has University, Istanbul, Turkey
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10
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Fernandes PM, Kinkead J, McNae IW, Vásquez-Valdivieso M, Wear MA, Michels PAM, Walkinshaw MD. Kinetic and structural studies of Trypanosoma and Leishmania phosphofructokinases show evolutionary divergence and identify AMP as a switch regulating glycolysis versus gluconeogenesis. FEBS J 2020; 287:2847-2861. [PMID: 31838765 PMCID: PMC7383607 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosomatids possess glycosome organelles that contain much of the glycolytic machinery, including phosphofructokinase (PFK). We present kinetic and structural data for PFK from three human pathogenic trypanosomatids, illustrating intriguing differences that may reflect evolutionary adaptations to differing ecological niches. The activity of Leishmania PFK – to a much larger extent than Trypanosoma PFK – is reliant on AMP for activity regulation, with 1 mm AMP increasing the L. infantum PFK (LiPFK) kcat/K0.5F6P value by 10‐fold, compared to only a 1.3‐ and 1.4‐fold increase for T. cruzi and T. brucei PFK, respectively. We also show that Leishmania PFK melts at a significantly lower (> 15 °C) temperature than Trypanosoma PFKs and that addition of either AMP or ATP results in a marked stabilization of the protein. Sequence comparisons of Trypanosoma spp. and Leishmania spp. show that divergence of the two genera involved amino acid substitutions that occur in the enzyme’s ‘reaching arms’ and ‘embracing arms’ that determine tetramer stability. The dramatic effects of AMP on Leishmania activity compared with the Trypanosoma PFKs may be explained by differences between the T‐to‐R equilibria for the two families, with the low‐melting Leishmania PFK favouring the flexible inactive T‐state in the absence of AMP. Sequence comparisons along with the enzymatic and structural data presented here also suggest there was a loss of AMP‐dependent regulation in Trypanosoma species rather than gain of this characteristic in Leishmania species and that AMP acts as a key regulator in Leishmania governing the balance between glycolysis and gluconeogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Fernandes
- Centre for Translational and Chemical Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James Kinkead
- Centre for Translational and Chemical Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Iain W McNae
- Centre for Translational and Chemical Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Monserrat Vásquez-Valdivieso
- Centre for Translational and Chemical Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Martin A Wear
- Centre for Translational and Chemical Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paul A M Michels
- Centre for Translational and Chemical Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Malcolm D Walkinshaw
- Centre for Translational and Chemical Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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11
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Design, synthesis and molecular docking studies of novel N-arylsulfonyl-benzimidazoles with anti Trypanosoma cruzi activity. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 165:1-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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12
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The kinetic characteristics of human and trypanosomatid phosphofructokinases for the reverse reaction. Biochem J 2019; 476:179-191. [PMID: 30404924 PMCID: PMC6340114 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20180635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Revised: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic ATP-dependent phosphofructokinases (PFKs) are often considered unidirectional enzymes catalysing the transfer of a phospho moiety from ATP to fructose 6-phosphate to produce ADP and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. The reverse reaction is not generally considered to occur under normal conditions and has never been demonstrated for any eukaryotic ATP-dependent PFKs, though it does occur in inorganic pyrophosphate-dependent PFKs and has been experimentally shown for bacterial ATP-dependent PFKs. The evidence is provided via two orthogonal assays that all three human PFK isoforms can catalyse the reverse reaction in vitro, allowing determination of kinetic properties. Additionally, the reverse reaction was shown possible for PFKs from three clinically important trypanosomatids; these enzymes are contained within glycosomes in vivo. This compartmentalisation may facilitate reversal, given the potential for trypanosomatids to have an altered ATP/ADP ratio in glycosomes compared with the cytosol. The kinetic properties of each trypanosomatid PFK were determined, including the response to natural and artificial modulators of enzyme activity. The possible physiological relevance of the reverse reaction in trypanosomatid and human PFKs is discussed.
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13
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Negreiros RS, Lander N, Huang G, Cordeiro CD, Smith SA, Morrissey JH, Docampo R. Inorganic polyphosphate interacts with nucleolar and glycosomal proteins in trypanosomatids. Mol Microbiol 2018; 110:973-994. [PMID: 30230089 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is a polymer of three to hundreds of phosphate units bound by high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds and present from bacteria to humans. Most polyP in trypanosomatids is concentrated in acidocalcisomes, acidic calcium stores that possess a number of pumps, exchangers, and channels, and are important for their survival. In this work, using polyP as bait we identified > 25 putative protein targets in cell lysates of both Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma brucei. Gene ontology analysis of the binding partners found a significant over-representation of nucleolar and glycosomal proteins. Using the polyphosphate-binding domain (PPBD) of Escherichia coli exopolyphosphatase (PPX), we localized long-chain polyP to the nucleoli and glycosomes of trypanosomes. A competitive assay based on the pre-incubation of PPBD with exogenous polyP and subsequent immunofluorescence assay of procyclic forms (PCF) of T. brucei showed polyP concentration-dependent and chain length-dependent decrease in the fluorescence signal. Subcellular fractionation experiments confirmed the presence of polyP in glycosomes of T. brucei PCF. Targeting of yeast PPX to the glycosomes of PCF resulted in polyP hydrolysis, alteration in their glycolytic flux and increase in their susceptibility to oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel S Negreiros
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Noelia Lander
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.,Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Guozhong Huang
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Ciro D Cordeiro
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.,Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Stephanie A Smith
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - James H Morrissey
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Roberto Docampo
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.,Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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14
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Identification of a pyrophosphate-dependent kinase and its donor selectivity determinants. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1765. [PMID: 29720581 PMCID: PMC5931981 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04201-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Almost all kinases utilize ATP as their phosphate donor, while a few kinases utilize pyrophosphate (PPi) instead. PPi-dependent kinases are often homologous to their ATP-dependent counterparts, but determinants of their different donor specificities remain unclear. We identify a PPi-dependent member of the ribokinase family, which differs from known PPi-dependent kinases, and elucidate its PPi-binding mode based on the crystal structures. Structural comparison and sequence alignment reveal five important residues: three basic residues specifically recognizing PPi and two large hydrophobic residues occluding a part of the ATP-binding pocket. Two of the three basic residues adapt a conserved motif of the ribokinase family for the PPi binding. Using these five key residues as a signature pattern, we discover additional PPi-specific members of the ribokinase family, and thus conclude that these residues are the determinants of PPi-specific binding. Introduction of these residues may enable transformation of ATP-dependent ribokinase family members into PPi-dependent enzymes. While most kinases are ATP-dependent some utilize pyrophosphate (PPi) instead. Here the authors structurally characterize a PPi-dependent kinase, identify its key recognition residues and find further PPi-dependent ribokinase family members with this signature pattern.
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15
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Evaluation of Antigens for Development of a Serological Test for Human African Trypanosomiasis. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168074. [PMID: 27936225 PMCID: PMC5148118 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Control and elimination of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) can be accelerated through the use of diagnostic tests that are more accurate and easier to deploy. The goal of this work was to evaluate the immuno-reactivity of antigens and identify candidates to be considered for development of a simple serological test for the detection of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense or T. b. rhodesiense infections, ideally both. Methodology/Principal Findings The reactivity of 35 antigens was independently evaluated by slot blot and ELISA against sera from both T. b. gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense infected patients and controls. The antigens that were most reactive by both tests to T. b. gambiense sera were the membrane proteins VSG LiTat 1.3, VSG LiTat 1.5 and ISG64. Reactivity to T. b. rhodesiense sera was highest with VSG LiTat 1.3, VSG LiTat 1.5 and SRA, although much lower than with T. b. gambiense samples. The reactivity of all possible combinations of antigens was also calculated. When the slot blot results of 2 antigens were paired, a VSG LiTat 1.3- ISG75 combination performed best on T. b. gambiense sera, while a VSG LiTat 1.3-VSG LiTat 1.5 combination was the most reactive using ELISA. A combination of SRA and either VSG LiTat 1.3 or VSG LiTat 1.5 had the highest reactivity on T. b. rhodesiense sera according to slot blot, while in ELISA, pairing SRA with either GM6 or VSG LiTat 1.3 yielded the best results. Conclusions This study identified antigens that were highly reactive to T. b. gambiense sera, which could be considered for developing a serological test for gambiense HAT, either individually or in combination. Antigens with potential for inclusion in a test for T. b. rhodesiense HAT were also identified, but because their reactivity was comparatively lower, a search for additional antigens would be required before developing a test for this form of the disease.
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16
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Ogungbe IV, Setzer WN. The Potential of Secondary Metabolites from Plants as Drugs or Leads against Protozoan Neglected Diseases-Part III: In-Silico Molecular Docking Investigations. Molecules 2016; 21:E1389. [PMID: 27775577 PMCID: PMC6274513 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21101389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and human African trypanosomiasis continue to cause considerable suffering and death in developing countries. Current treatment options for these parasitic protozoal diseases generally have severe side effects, may be ineffective or unavailable, and resistance is emerging. There is a constant need to discover new chemotherapeutic agents for these parasitic infections, and natural products continue to serve as a potential source. This review presents molecular docking studies of potential phytochemicals that target key protein targets in Leishmania spp., Trypanosoma spp., and Plasmodium spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ifedayo Victor Ogungbe
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA.
| | - William N Setzer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899, USA.
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17
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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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18
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Abstract
Phosphofructokinase-1 (Pfk) acts as the main control point of flux through glycolysis. It is involved in complex allosteric regulation and Pfk mutations have been linked to cancer development. Whereas the 3D structure and structural basis of allosteric regulation of prokaryotic Pfk has been studied in great detail, our knowledge about the molecular basis of the allosteric behaviour of the more complex mammalian Pfk is still very limited. To characterize the structural basis of allosteric regulation, the subunit interfaces and the functional consequences of modifications in Tarui's disease and cancer, we analysed the physiological homotetramer of human platelet Pfk at up to 2.67 Å resolution in two crystal forms. The crystallized enzyme is permanently activated by a deletion of the 22 C-terminal residues. Complex structures with ADP and fructose-6-phosphate (F6P) and with ATP suggest a role of three aspartates in the deprotonation of the OH-nucleophile of F6P and in the co-ordination of the catalytic magnesium ion. Changes at the dimer interface, including an asymmetry observed in both crystal forms, are the primary mechanism of allosteric regulation of Pfk by influencing the F6P-binding site. Whereas the nature of this conformational switch appears to be largely conserved in bacterial, yeast and mammalian Pfk, initiation of these changes differs significantly in eukaryotic Pfk.
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19
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Webb BA, Forouhar F, Szu FE, Seetharaman J, Tong L, Barber DL. Structures of human phosphofructokinase-1 and atomic basis of cancer-associated mutations. Nature 2015; 523:111-4. [PMID: 25985179 PMCID: PMC4510984 DOI: 10.1038/nature14405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2014] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK1), the “gatekeeper” of glycolysis, catalyses the committed step of the glycolytic pathway by converting fructose 6-phosphate (F6P) to fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. Allosteric activation and inhibition of PFK1 by over 10 metabolites and in response to hormonal signaling fine-tune glycolytic flux to meet energy requirements1. Mutations inhibiting PFK1 activity cause glycogen storage disease type VII, also known as Tarui disease2, and mice deficient in muscle PFK1 have decreased fat stores3. Additionally, PFK1 is suggested to have important roles in metabolic reprograming in cancer4,5. Despite its critical role in glucose flux, the biologically relevant crystal structure of the mammalian PFK1 tetramer has not been determined. We report here the first structures of the mammalian PFK1 tetramer, for the human platelet isoform (PFKP), in complex with ATP-Mg2+ and ADP at 3.1 and 3.4 Å, respectively. The structures reveal substantial conformational changes in the enzyme upon nucleotide hydrolysis as well as a unique tetramer interface. Mutations of residues in this interface can affect tetramer formation, enzyme catalysis and regulation, indicating the functional importance of the tetramer. With altered glycolytic flux being a hallmark of cancers6, these new structures allow a molecular understanding of the functional consequences of somatic PFK1 mutations identified in human cancers. We characterized three of these mutations and show they have distinct effects on allosteric regulation of PFKP activity and lactate production. The PFKP structural blueprint for somatic mutations as well as the catalytic site can guide therapeutic targeting of PFK1 activity to control dysregulated glycolysis in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley A Webb
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Farhad Forouhar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northeast Structural Genomics Consortium, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Fu-En Szu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northeast Structural Genomics Consortium, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Jayaraman Seetharaman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northeast Structural Genomics Consortium, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Liang Tong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northeast Structural Genomics Consortium, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | - Diane L Barber
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
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20
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Kloos M, Brüser A, Kirchberger J, Schöneberg T, Sträter N. Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of human muscle phosphofructokinase, the main regulator of glycolysis. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2014; 70:578-82. [PMID: 24817713 PMCID: PMC4014322 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x14008723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Whereas the three-dimensional structure and the structural basis of the allosteric regulation of prokaryotic 6-phosphofructokinases (Pfks) have been studied in great detail, knowledge of the molecular basis of the allosteric behaviour of the far more complex mammalian Pfks is still very limited. The human muscle isozyme was expressed heterologously in yeast cells and purified using a five-step purification protocol. Protein crystals suitable for diffraction experiments were obtained by the vapour-diffusion method. The crystals belonged to space group P6222 and diffracted to 6.0 Å resolution. The 3.2 Å resolution structure of rabbit muscle Pfk (rmPfk) was placed into the asymmetric unit and optimized by rigid-body and group B-factor refinement. Interestingly, the tetrameric enzyme dissociated into a dimer, similar to the situation observed in the structure of rmPfk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Kloos
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, University of Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Antje Brüser
- Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jürgen Kirchberger
- Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Torsten Schöneberg
- Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Norbert Sträter
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, University of Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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21
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Brimacombe KR, Walsh MJ, Liu L, Vásquez-Valdivieso MG, Morgan HP, McNae I, Fothergill-Gilmore LA, Michels PAM, Auld DS, Simeonov A, Walkinshaw MD, Shen M, Boxer MB. Identification of ML251, a Potent Inhibitor of T. brucei and T. cruzi Phosphofructokinase. ACS Med Chem Lett 2014; 5:12-7. [PMID: 24900769 DOI: 10.1021/ml400259d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2013] [Accepted: 10/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) is a severe, often fatal disease caused by the parasitic protist Trypanosoma brucei. The glycolytic pathway has been identified as the sole mechanism for ATP generation in the infective stage of these organisms, and several glycolytic enzymes, phosphofructokinase (PFK) in particular, have shown promise as potential drug targets. Herein, we describe the discovery of ML251, a novel nanomolar inhibitor of T. brucei PFK, and the structure-activity relationships within the series.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle R. Brimacombe
- National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Martin J. Walsh
- National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Li Liu
- National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Montserrat G. Vásquez-Valdivieso
- Centre
for Translational and Chemical Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, The King’s Buildings,
Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, U.K
| | - Hugh P. Morgan
- Centre
for Translational and Chemical Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, The King’s Buildings,
Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, U.K
| | - Iain McNae
- Centre
for Translational and Chemical Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, The King’s Buildings,
Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, U.K
| | - Linda A. Fothergill-Gilmore
- Centre
for Translational and Chemical Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, The King’s Buildings,
Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, U.K
| | - Paul A. M. Michels
- Research
Unit for Tropical Diseases, de Duve Institute and Laboratory of Biochemistry, Université catholique de Louvain, Avenue Hippocrate 74, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Douglas S. Auld
- National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Anton Simeonov
- National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Malcolm D. Walkinshaw
- Centre
for Translational and Chemical Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Michael Swann Building, The King’s Buildings,
Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, U.K
| | - Min Shen
- National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Matthew B. Boxer
- National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 9800 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
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22
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Smirlis D, Soares MBP. Selection of molecular targets for drug development against trypanosomatids. Subcell Biochem 2014; 74:43-76. [PMID: 24264240 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7305-9_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosomatid parasites are a group of flagellated protozoa that includes the genera Leishmania and Trypanosoma, which are the causative agents of diseases (leishmaniases, sleeping sickness and Chagas disease) that cause considerable morbidity and mortality, affecting more than 27 million people worldwide. Today no effective vaccines for the prevention of these diseases exist, whereas current chemotherapy is ineffective, mainly due to toxic side effects of current drugs and to the emergence of drug resistance and lack of cost effectiveness. For these reasons, rational drug design and the search of good candidate drug targets is of prime importance. The search for drug targets requires a multidisciplinary approach. To this end, the completion of the genome project of many trypanosomatid species gives a vast amount of new information that can be exploited for the identification of good drug candidates with a prediction of "druggability" and divergence from mammalian host proteins. In addition, an important aspect in the search for good drug targets is the "target identification" and evaluation in a biological pathway, as well as the essentiality of the gene in the mammalian stage of the parasite, which is provided by basic research and genetic and proteomic approaches. In this chapter we will discuss how these bioinformatic tools and experimental evaluations can be integrated for the selection of candidate drug targets, and give examples of metabolic and signaling pathways in the parasitic protozoa that can be exploited for rational drug design.
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23
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Lavorato SN, Andrade SF, Silva THA, Alves RJ, Oliveira RB. Phosphofructokinase: structural and functional aspects and design of selective inhibitors. MEDCHEMCOMM 2012. [DOI: 10.1039/c2md20122d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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24
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Gualdrón-López M, Brennand A, Hannaert V, Quiñones W, Cáceres AJ, Bringaud F, Concepción JL, Michels PAM. When, how and why glycolysis became compartmentalised in the Kinetoplastea. A new look at an ancient organelle. Int J Parasitol 2011; 42:1-20. [PMID: 22142562 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2011.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2011] [Revised: 10/13/2011] [Accepted: 10/14/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
A characteristic, well-studied feature of the pathogenic protists belonging to the family Trypanosomatidae is the compartmentalisation of the major part of the glycolytic pathway in peroxisome-like organelles, hence designated glycosomes. Such organelles containing glycolytic enzymes appear to be present in all members of the Kinetoplastea studied, and have recently also been detected in a representative of the Diplonemida, but they are absent from the Euglenida. Glycosomes therefore probably originated in a free-living, common ancestor of the Kinetoplastea and Diplonemida. The initial sequestering of glycolytic enzymes inside peroxisomes may have been the result of a minor mistargeting of proteins, as generally observed in eukaryotic cells, followed by preservation and its further expansion due to the selective advantage of this specific form of metabolic compartmentalisation. This selective advantage may have been a largely increased metabolic flexibility, allowing the organisms to adapt more readily and efficiently to different environmental conditions. Further evolution of glycosomes involved, in different taxonomic lineages, the acquisition of additional enzymes and pathways - often participating in core metabolic processes - as well as the loss of others. The acquisitions may have been promoted by the sharing of cofactors and crucial metabolites between different pathways, thus coupling different redox processes and catabolic and anabolic pathways within the organelle. A notable loss from the Trypanosomatidae concerned a major part of the typical peroxisomal H(2)O(2)-linked metabolism. We propose that the compartmentalisation of major parts of the enzyme repertoire involved in energy, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism has contributed to the multiple development of parasitism, and its elaboration to complicated life cycles involving consecutive different hosts, in the protists of the Kinetoplastea clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melisa Gualdrón-López
- Research Unit for Tropical Diseases, de Duve Institute and Laboratory of Biochemistry, Université catholique de Louvain, Avenue Hippocrate 74, Postal Box B1.74.01, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
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25
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Bora H, Garg S, Sen P, Kumar D, Kaur P, Khan RH, Sharma YD. Plasmodium vivax tryptophan-rich antigen PvTRAg33.5 contains alpha helical structure and multidomain architecture. PLoS One 2011; 6:e16294. [PMID: 21283717 PMCID: PMC3024423 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2010] [Accepted: 12/19/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Tryptophan-rich proteins from several malarial parasites have been identified where they play an important role in host-parasite interaction. Structural characterization of these proteins is needed to develop them as therapeutic targets. Here, we describe a novel Plasmodium vivax tryptophan-rich protein named PvTRAg33.5. It is expressed by blood stage(s) of the parasite and its gene contains two exons. The exon 1 encodes for a 23 amino acids long putative signal peptide which is likely to be cleaved off whereas the exon 2 encodes for the mature protein of 252 amino acids. The mature protein contains B-cell epitopes which were recognized by the human immune system during P.vivax infection. The PvTRAg33.5 contains 24 (9.5%) tryptophan residues and six motifs whose patterns were similar among tryptophan-rich proteins. The modeled structure of the PvTRAg33.5 consists of a multidomain architecture which is stabilized by the presence of large number of tryptophan residues. The recombinant PvTRAg33.5 showed predominantly α helical structure and alpha helix to beta sheet transition at pH below 4.5. Protein acquires an irreversible non-native state at temperature more than 50°C at neutral pH. Its secondary and tertiary structures remain stable in the presence of 35% alcohol but these structures are destabilized at higher alcohol concentrations due to the disturbance of hydrophobic interactions between tryptophanyl residues. These structural changes in the protein might occur during its translocation to interact with other proteins at its final destination for biological function such as erythrocyte invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hema Bora
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Sheena Garg
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Priyankar Sen
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Deepak Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Punit Kaur
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Rizwan Hasan Khan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
- * E-mail: (YDS); (RHK)
| | - Yagya D. Sharma
- Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
- * E-mail: (YDS); (RHK)
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Jacobs RT, Nare B, Phillips MA. State of the art in African trypanosome drug discovery. Curr Top Med Chem 2011; 11:1255-74. [PMID: 21401507 PMCID: PMC3101707 DOI: 10.2174/156802611795429167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2010] [Accepted: 11/25/2010] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
African sleeping sickness is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa where the WHO estimates that 60 million people are at risk for the disease. Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is 100% fatal if untreated and the current drug therapies have significant limitations due to toxicity and difficult treatment regimes. No new chemical agents have been approved since eflornithine in 1990. The pentamidine analog DB289, which was in late stage clinical trials for the treatment of early stage HAT recently failed due to toxicity issues. A new protocol for the treatment of late-stage T. brucei gambiense that uses combination nifurtomox/eflornithine (NECT) was recently shown to have better safety and efficacy than eflornithine alone, while being easier to administer. This breakthrough represents the only new therapy for HAT since the approval of eflornithine. A number of research programs are on going to exploit the unusual biochemical pathways in the parasite to identify new targets for target based drug discovery programs. HTS efforts are also underway to discover new chemical entities through whole organism screening approaches. A number of inhibitors with anti-trypanosomal activity have been identified by both approaches, but none of the programs are yet at the stage of identifying a preclinical candidate. This dire situation underscores the need for continued effort to identify new chemical agents for the treatment of HAT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert T. Jacobs
- SCYNEXIS, Inc., Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709-2878
| | - Bakela Nare
- SCYNEXIS, Inc., Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709-2878
| | - Margaret A. Phillips
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 6001 Forest Park Rd, Dallas, Texas 75390-9041
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Sträter N, Marek S, Kuettner EB, Kloos M, Keim A, Brüser A, Kirchberger J, Schöneberg T. Molecular architecture and structural basis of allosteric regulation of eukaryotic phosphofructokinases. FASEB J 2010; 25:89-98. [PMID: 20833871 DOI: 10.1096/fj.10-163865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryotic ATP-dependent 6-phosphofructokinases (Pfks) differ from their bacterial counterparts in a much more complex structural organization and allosteric regulation. Pichia pastoris Pfk (PpPfk) is, with ∼ 1 MDa, the most complex and probably largest eukaryotic Pfk. We have determined the crystal structure of full-length PpPfk to 3.05 Å resolution in the T state. PpPfk forms a (αβγ)(4) dodecamer of D(2) symmetry with dimensions of 161 × 157 × 233 Å mainly via interactions of the α chains. The N-terminal domains of the α and β chains have folds that are distantly related to glyoxalase I, but the active sites are no longer functional. Interestingly, these domains located at the 2 distal ends of this protein along the long 2-fold axis form a (αβ)(2) dimer as does the core Pfk domains; however, the domains are swapped across the tetramerization interface. In PpPfk, the unique γ subunit participates in oligomerization of the αβ chains. This modulator protein was acquired from an ancient S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferase. The identification of novel ATP binding sites, which do not correspond to the bacterial catalytic or effector binding sites, point to marked structural and functional differences between bacterial and eukaryotic Pfks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norbert Sträter
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, University of Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
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Acetate and succinate production in amoebae, helminths, diplomonads, trichomonads and trypanosomatids: common and diverse metabolic strategies used by parasitic lower eukaryotes. Parasitology 2009; 137:1315-31. [PMID: 20028611 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182009991843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Parasites that often grow anaerobically in their hosts have adopted a fermentative strategy relying on the production of partially oxidized end products, including lactate, glycerol, ethanol, succinate and acetate. This review focuses on recent progress in understanding acetate production in protist parasites, such as amoebae, diplomonads, trichomonads, trypanosomatids and in the metazoan parasites helminths, as well as the succinate production pathway(s) present in some of them. We also describe the unconventional organisation of the tricarboxylic acid cycle associated with the fermentative strategy adopted by the procyclic trypanosomes, which may resemble the probable structure of the primordial TCA cycle in prokaryotes.
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Cavalli A, Bolognesi ML. Neglected Tropical Diseases: Multi-Target-Directed Ligands in the Search for Novel Lead Candidates against Trypanosoma and Leishmania. J Med Chem 2009; 52:7339-59. [DOI: 10.1021/jm9004835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Cavalli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
- Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Italian Institute of Technology, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Maria Laura Bolognesi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
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