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Reyes-Guerrero DE, Higuera-Piedrahita RI, Maza-Lopez J, Mendoza-de-Gives P, Camas-Pereyra R, López-Arellano ME. Analysis of P-gp genes relative expression associated to ivermectin resistance in Haemonchus contortus larval stages from in vitro cultures (L 3 and xL 3) and from gerbils ( Meriones unguiculatus) (L 4) as models of study. J Helminthol 2024; 98:e19. [PMID: 38356358 DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x24000087] [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: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
The aim of the study was to compare the relative gene expression of Haemonchus contortus P-glycoprotein genes (Hco-pgp) between fourth (L4), infective (L3), and transitory infective (xL3) larval stages as laboratory models to study ivermectin (IVM) resistance. The H. contortus resistant to IVM (IVMr) and susceptible to IVM (IVMs) strains were used to develop xL3in vitro culture and to infect Meriones unguiculatus (gerbils) to collect L4 stages. Morphometric differences were evaluated from 25 individuals of H. contortus from each strain. Relative gene expression from xL3 and L4 was determined between comparison of IVMr stages and from IVMr vs IVMs stages. Seven Hco-pgp genes (1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, and 16) were analysed by RT-qPCR using L3 stage as control group, per strain, and GAPDH and β-tubulin as constitutive genes. Morphological changes were confirmed between xL3 and L4 developing oral shape, oesophagus, and intestinal tube. In addition, the body length and width showed statistical differences (p < 0.05). The Hco-pgp1, 2, 3, and 4 genes (p < 0.05) were upregulated from 7.1- to 463.82-fold changes between IVMr stages, and Hco-pgp9 (13.12-fold) and Hco-pgp10 (13.56-fold) genes showed differences between L4 and xL3, respectively. The comparative study between IVMr vs IVMs strains associated to xL3 and L4 displayed significant upregulation for most of the Hco-pgp genes among 4.89-188.71 fold-change. In conclusion, these results suggest the use of H. contortus xL3 and L4 as suitable laboratory models to study IVMr associated with Hco-pgp genes to contribute to the understanding of anthelmintic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- D E Reyes-Guerrero
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Salud Animal e Inocuidad, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Carr. Fed. Cuernavaca-Cuautla 8534, C.P. 62574 Jiutepec, Mor., México
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, C.P. 04510, México
| | - R I Higuera-Piedrahita
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuautitlán-Teoloyucan Km 2.5, Col. San Sebastián Xhala. Cuautitlán, Estado de México, México
| | - J Maza-Lopez
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Salud Animal e Inocuidad, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Carr. Fed. Cuernavaca-Cuautla 8534, C.P. 62574 Jiutepec, Mor., México
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México, C.P. 04510, México
| | - P Mendoza-de-Gives
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Salud Animal e Inocuidad, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Carr. Fed. Cuernavaca-Cuautla 8534, C.P. 62574 Jiutepec, Mor., México
| | - R Camas-Pereyra
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Salud Animal e Inocuidad, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Carr. Fed. Cuernavaca-Cuautla 8534, C.P. 62574 Jiutepec, Mor., México
| | - M E López-Arellano
- Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Salud Animal e Inocuidad, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Carr. Fed. Cuernavaca-Cuautla 8534, C.P. 62574 Jiutepec, Mor., México
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XENOFOOD—An Autoclaved Feed Supplement Containing Autoclavable Antimicrobial Peptides—Exerts Anticoccidial GI Activity, and Causes Bursa Enlargement, but Has No Detectable Harmful Effects in Broiler Cockerels despite In Vitro Detectable Cytotoxicity on LHM Cells. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12030458. [PMID: 36986380 PMCID: PMC10059668 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12030458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Entomopathogenic bacteria are obligate symbionts of entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) species. These bacteria biosynthesize and release non-ribosomal-templated hybrid peptides (NR-AMPs), with strong, and large-spectral antimicrobial potential, capable of inactivating pathogens belonging to different prokaryote, and eukaryote taxa. The cell-free conditioned culture media (CFCM) of Xenorhabdus budapestensis and X. szentirmaii efficiently inactivate poultry pathogens like Clostridium, Histomonas, and Eimeria. To learn whether a bio-preparation containing antimicrobial peptides of Xenorhabdus origin with accompanying (in vitro detectable) cytotoxic effects could be considered a safely applicable preventive feed supplement, we conducted a 42-day feeding experiment on freshly hatched broiler cockerels. XENOFOOD (containing autoclaved X. budapestensis, and X. szentirmaii cultures developed on chicken food) were consumed by the birds. The XENOFOOD exerted detectable gastrointestinal (GI) activity (reducing the numbers of the colony-forming Clostridium perfringens units in the lower jejunum. No animal was lost in the experiment. Neither the body weight, growth rate, feed-conversion ratio, nor organ-weight data differed between the control (C) and treated (T) groups, indicating that the XENOFOOD diet did not result in any detectable adverse effects. We suppose that the parameters indicating a moderate enlargement of bursas of Fabricius (average weight, size, and individual bursa/spleen weight-ratios) in the XENOFOOD-fed group must be an indirect indication that the bursa-controlled humoral immune system neutralized the cytotoxic ingredients of the XENOFOOD in the blood, not allowing to reach their critical cytotoxic concentration in the sensitive tissues.
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Štěrbová K, Rychlá N, Matoušková P, Skálová L, Raisová Stuchlíková L. Short-chain dehydrogenases in Haemonchus contortus: changes during life cycle and in relation to drug-resistance. Vet Res 2023; 54:19. [PMID: 36882840 PMCID: PMC9993613 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-023-01148-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDRs) regulate the activities of many hormones and other signaling molecules and participate in the deactivation of various carbonyl-bearing xenobiotics. Nevertheless, knowledge about these important enzymes in helminths remains limited. The aim of our study was to characterize the SDR superfamily in the parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus. Genome localization of SDRs was explored, and phylogenetic analysis in comparison with SDRs from free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the domestic sheep (Ovis aries, a typical host of H. contortus) was constructed. The expression profile of selected SDRs during the life cycle along with differences between the drug-susceptible and drug-resistant strains, were also studied. Genome sequencing enabled the identification of 46 members of the SDR family in H. contortus. A number of genes have no orthologue in the sheep genome. In all developmental stages of H. contortus, SDR1, SDR3, SDR5, SDR6, SDR14, and SDR18 genes were the most expressed, although in individual stages, huge differences in expression levels were observed. A comparison of SDRs expression between the drug-susceptible and drug-resistant strains of H. contortus revealed several SDRs with changed expression in the resistant strain. Specifically, SDR1, SDR12, SDR13, SDR16 are SDR candidates related to drug-resistance, as the expression of these SDRs is consistently increased in most stages of the drug-resistant H. contortus. These findings revealing several SDR enzymes of H. contortus warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolína Štěrbová
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Heyrovského, 1203, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Nikola Rychlá
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Heyrovského, 1203, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Matoušková
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Heyrovského, 1203, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Skálová
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Heyrovského, 1203, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Raisová Stuchlíková
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Heyrovského, 1203, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
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Zheng Y, Young ND, Song J, Chang BC, Gasser RB. An informatic workflow for the enhanced annotation of excretory/secretory proteins of Haemonchus contortus. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:2696-2704. [PMID: 37143762 PMCID: PMC10151223 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Major advances in genomic and associated technologies have demanded reliable bioinformatic tools and workflows for the annotation of genes and their products via comparative analyses using well-curated reference data sets, accessible in public repositories. However, the accurate in silico annotation of molecules (proteins) encoded in organisms (e.g., multicellular parasites) which are evolutionarily distant from those for which these extensive reference data sets are available, including invertebrate model organisms (e.g., Caenorhabditis elegans - free-living nematode, and Drosophila melanogaster - the vinegar fly) and vertebrate species (e.g., Homo sapiens and Mus musculus), remains a major challenge. Here, we constructed an informatic workflow for the enhanced annotation of biologically-important, excretory/secretory (ES) proteins ("secretome") encoded in the genome of a parasitic roundworm, called Haemonchus contortus (commonly known as the barber's pole worm). We critically evaluated the performance of five distinct methods, refined some of them, and then combined the use of all five methods to comprehensively annotate ES proteins, according to gene ontology, biological pathways and/or metabolic (enzymatic) processes. Then, using optimised parameter settings, we applied this workflow to comprehensively annotate 2591 of all 3353 proteins (77.3%) in the secretome of H. contortus. This result is a substantial improvement (10-25%) over previous annotations using individual, "off-the-shelf" algorithms and default settings, indicating the ready applicability of the present, refined workflow to gene/protein sequence data sets from a wide range of organisms in the Tree-of-Life.
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Žofka M, Thuy Nguyen L, Mašátová E, Matoušková P. Image recognition based on deep learning in Haemonchus contortus motility assays. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:2372-2380. [PMID: 35664223 PMCID: PMC9127531 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.05.014] [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: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Poor efficacy of some anthelmintics and rising concerns about the widespread drug resistance have highlighted the need for new drug discovery. The parasitic nematode Haemonchus contortus is an important model organism widely used for studies of drug resistance and drug screening with the current gold standard being the motility assay. We applied a deep learning approach Mask R-CNN for analysing motility videos containing varying rates of motile worms and compared it to other commonly used algorithms with different levels of complexity, namely the Wiggle Index and the Wide Field-of-View Nematode Tracking Platform. Mask R-CNN consistently outperformed the other algorithms in terms of the detection of worms as well as the precision of motility forecasts, having a mean absolute percentage error of 7.6% and a mean absolute error of 5.6% for the detection and motility forecasts, respectively. Using Mask R-CNN for motility assays confirmed the common problem with algorithms that use non-maximum suppression in detecting overlapping objects, which negatively impacts the overall precision. The use of intersect over union as a measure of the classification of motile / non-motile instances had an overall accuracy of 89%, indicating that it is a viable alternative to previously used methods based on movement characteristics, such as body bends. In comparison to the existing methods evaluated here, Mask R-CNN performed better and we anticipate that this method will broaden the number of possible approaches to video analysis of worm motility.
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Zajíčková M, Prchal L, Vokřál I, Nguyen LT, Kurz T, Gasser R, Bednářová K, Mičundová M, Lungerich B, Michel O, Skálová L. Assessing the Anthelmintic Candidates BLK127 and HBK4 for Their Efficacy on Haemonchus contortus Adults and Eggs, and Their Hepatotoxicity and Biotransformation. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14040754. [PMID: 35456588 PMCID: PMC9024958 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14040754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
As a widely distributed parasitic nematode of ruminants, Haemonchus contortus has become resistant to most anthelmintic classes, there has been a major demand for new compounds against H. contortus and related nematodes. Recent phenotypic screening has revealed two compounds, designated as BLK127 and HBK4, that are active against H. contortus larvae. The present study was designed to assess the activity of these compounds against H. contortus eggs and adults, hepatotoxicity in rats and sheep, as well as biotransformation in H. contortus adults and the ovine liver. Both compounds exhibited no inhibitory effect on the hatching of eggs. The benzyloxy amide BLK127 significantly decreased the viability of adults in sensitive and resistant strains of H. contortus and showed no hepatotoxic effect, even at the highest concentration tested (100 µM). In contrast, HBK4 had no impact on the viability of H. contortus adults and exhibited significant hepatotoxicity. Based on these findings, HBK4 was excluded from further studies, while BLK127 seems to be a potential candidate for a new anthelmintic. Consequently, biotransformation of BLK127 was tested in H. contortus adults and the ovine liver. In H. contortus, several metabolites formed via hydroxylation, hydrolysis and glycosidation were identified, but the extent of biotransformation was low, and the total quantity of the metabolites formed did not differ significantly between the sensitive and resistant strains. In contrast, ovine liver cells metabolized BLK127 more extensively with a glycine conjugate of 4-(pentyloxy)benzoic acid as the main BLK127 metabolite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markéta Zajíčková
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Heyrovského 1203, 50005 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; (M.Z.); (L.T.N.); (K.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Lukáš Prchal
- University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Biomedical Research Centre, Sokolska 581, 50005 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic;
| | - Ivan Vokřál
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, 50005 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic;
| | - Linh Thuy Nguyen
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Heyrovského 1203, 50005 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; (M.Z.); (L.T.N.); (K.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Thomas Kurz
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich-Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (T.K.); (B.L.); (O.M.)
| | - Robin Gasser
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia;
| | - Klára Bednářová
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Heyrovského 1203, 50005 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; (M.Z.); (L.T.N.); (K.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Magdalena Mičundová
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Heyrovského 1203, 50005 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; (M.Z.); (L.T.N.); (K.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Beate Lungerich
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich-Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (T.K.); (B.L.); (O.M.)
| | - Oliver Michel
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich-Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (T.K.); (B.L.); (O.M.)
| | - Lenka Skálová
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, Heyrovského 1203, 50005 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; (M.Z.); (L.T.N.); (K.B.); (M.M.)
- Correspondence:
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Ma G, Gasser RB, Wang T, Korhonen PK, Young ND. Toward integrative 'omics of the barber's pole worm and related parasitic nematodes. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2020; 85:104500. [PMID: 32795511 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Advances in nucleic acid sequencing, mass spectrometry and computational biology have facilitated the identification, annotation and analysis of genes, transcripts, proteins and metabolites in model nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans and Pristionchus pacificus) and socioeconomically important parasitic nematodes (Clades I, III, IV and V). Significant progress has been made in genomics and transcriptomics as well as in the proteomics and lipidomics of Haemonchus contortus (the barber's pole worm) - one of the most pathogenic representatives of the order Strongylida. Here, we review salient aspects of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, lipidomics, glycomics and functional genomics, and discuss the rise of integrative 'omics of this economically important parasite. Although our knowledge of the molecular biology, genetics and biochemistry of H. contortus and related species has progressed significantly, much remains to be explored, particularly in areas such as drug resistance, unique/unknown genes, host-parasite interactions, parasitism and the pathogenesis of disease, by integrating the use of multiple 'omics methods. This approach should lead to a better understanding of H. contortus and its relatives at a 'systems biology' level, and should assist in developing new interventions against these parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangxu Ma
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Robin B Gasser
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Pasi K Korhonen
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Neil D Young
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
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Ribeiro DM, Salama AAK, Vitor ACM, Argüello A, Moncau CT, Santos EM, Caja G, de Oliveira JS, Balieiro JCC, Hernández-Castellano LE, Zachut M, Poleti MD, Castro N, Alves SP, Almeida AM. The application of omics in ruminant production: a review in the tropical and sub-tropical animal production context. J Proteomics 2020; 227:103905. [PMID: 32712373 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The demand for animal products (e.g. dairy and beef) in tropical regions is expected to increase in parallel with the public demand for sustainable practices, due to factors such as population growth and climate change. The necessity to increase animal production output must be achieved with better management and production technologies. For this to happen, novel research methodologies, animal selection and postgenomic tools play a pivotal role. Indeed, improving breeder selection programs, the quality of meat and dairy products as well as animal health will contribute to higher sustainability and productivity. This would surely benefit regions where resource quality and quantity are increasingly unstable, and research is still very incipient, which is the case of many regions in the tropics. The purpose of this review is to demonstrate how omics-based approaches play a major role in animal science, particularly concerning ruminant production systems and research associated to the tropics and developing countries. SIGNIFICANCE: Environmental conditions in the tropics make livestock production harder, compared to temperate regions. Due to global warming, the sustainability of livestock production will become increasingly problematic. The use of novel omics technologies could generate useful information to understand adaptation mechanisms of resilient breeds and/or species. The application of omics to tropical animal production is still residual in the currently available literature. With this review, we aim to summarize the most notable results in the field whilst encouraging further research to deal with the future challenges that animal production in the tropics will need to face.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Ribeiro
- LEAF Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ahmed A K Salama
- Group of Research in Ruminants (G2R), Department of Animal and Food Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana C M Vitor
- CIISA - Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. da Universidade Técnica, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Anastasio Argüello
- Animal Production and Biotechnology group, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35413 Arucas, Spain
| | - Cristina T Moncau
- FZEA - Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Avenida Duque de Caxias Norte - 225, 13635-900 Pirassununga, SP, Brazil
| | - Edson M Santos
- Departamento de Zootecnia, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Areia, PB, Brazil
| | - Gerardo Caja
- Group of Research in Ruminants (G2R), Department of Animal and Food Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juliana S de Oliveira
- Departamento de Zootecnia, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Areia, PB, Brazil
| | - Júlio C C Balieiro
- FMVZ - School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Avenida Duque de Caxias Norte - 225, 13635-900 Pirassununga, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Maya Zachut
- Department of Ruminant Science, Institute of Animal Sciences Agricultural Research Organization/Volcani Center, Rishon Lezion 7505101, Israel
| | - Mirele D Poleti
- FZEA - Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Avenida Duque de Caxias Norte - 225, 13635-900 Pirassununga, SP, Brazil
| | - Noemi Castro
- Animal Production and Biotechnology group, Institute of Animal Health and Food Safety, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35413 Arucas, Spain
| | - Susana P Alves
- CIISA - Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. da Universidade Técnica, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - André M Almeida
- LEAF Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal.
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Comparative study of transcription profiles of the P-glycoprotein transporters of two Haemonchus contortus isolates: Susceptible and resistant to ivermectin. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2020; 238:111281. [PMID: 32434064 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2020.111281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to analyze the mRNA transcription levels of ten functional genes of P-glycoproteins (P-gp) in free life stages, eggs and infective larvae (L3) and in endoparasitic stages, fourth larval stage (L4) and adult males of two native isolates of Haemonchus contortus: resistant and susceptible to IVM. The IVM resistant isolate was obtained from sheep naturally infected with H. contortus, and the susceptible isolate (with no pressure to IVM) conserved since 1990. The lethal effect of IVM was evaluated under in vitro conditions, which showed significant differences between susceptible and resistant H. contortus L3 isolates (P < 0.01). The IVM susceptible isolate revealed a lethal effect of 79.22% at 11.42 mM, whereas that resistant isolate showed no lethal effect at any of the four assessed concentrations (1.43, 2.85, 5.71 and 11.42 mM) of IVM. The expression levels of ten Hco-pgp genes (1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, and 16) were evaluated in the resistant isolate of H. contortus and compared to the susceptible isolate (as control), using two constitutive genes (GAPDH and β-tubulin). Up-regulation at two statistical significant values (P ≤ 0.05, 0.1) was the criterion to associate IVM resistance with the free life and endoparasitic stages of H. contortus. The expression levels in H. contortus adult nematodes showed 5.64 to 127.56-fold increase for Hco-pgp genes 1, 9, 12, 14, and 16, followed by an increase for Hco-pgp-2 (49.75-fold) and Hco-pgp-10 (106.40-fold) in L4, and for Hco-pgp-16 (2.90-fold) in eggs (P ≤ 0.05). In addition, high expression levels with P < 0.1 were detected in H. contortus L3, L4, and adults for Hco-pgp genes 1, 4, 11, 12, and 16, with changes ranging from 2.17 to 29.72-fold. In conclusion, the highest expression was observed in the adult stage of H. contortus, and the most frequent gene with a significant P-value was Hco-pgp-16, revealing it plays an important role in IVM resistance.
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Jiao Y, Preston S, Hofmann A, Taki A, Baell J, Chang BCH, Jabbar A, Gasser RB. A perspective on the discovery of selected compounds with anthelmintic activity against the barber's pole worm-Where to from here? ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2020; 108:1-45. [PMID: 32291083 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2019.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Parasitic roundworms (nematodes) cause substantial morbidity and mortality in animals worldwide. Anthelmintic treatment is central to controlling these worms, but widespread resistance to most of the commercially available anthelmintics for veterinary and agricultural use is compromising control, such that there is an urgency to discover new and effective drugs. The purpose of this article is to review information on parasitic nematodes, the treatment and control of parasitic nematode infections and aspects of discovering new anthelmintics in the context of anthelmintic resistance problems, and then to discuss some progress that our group has made in identifying selected compounds with activity against nematodes. The focus of our recent work has been on discovering new chemical entities and known drugs with anthelmintic activities against Haemonchus contortus as well as other socioeconomically important parasitic nematodes for subsequent development. Using whole worm-based phenotypic assays, we have been screening compound collections obtained via product-development-partnerships and/or collaborators, and active compounds have been assessed for their potential as anthelmintic candidates. Following the screening of 15,333 chemicals from five distinct compound collections against H. contortus, we have discovered one new chemical entity (designated SN00797439), two human kinase inhibitors (SNS-032 and AG-1295), 14 tetrahydroquinoxaline analogues, one insecticide (tolfenpyrad) and two tolfenpyrad (pyrazole-5-carboxamide) derivatives (a-15 and a-17) with anthelmintic activity in vitro. Some of these 20 'hit' compounds have selectivity against H. contortus in vitro when compared to particular human cell lines. In our opinion, some of these compounds could represent starting points for 'lead' development. Accordingly, the next research steps to be pursued include: (i) chemical optimisation of representative chemicals via structure-activity relationship (SAR) evaluations; (ii) assessment of the breadth of spectrum of anthelmintic activity on a range of other parasitic nematodes, such as strongyloids, ascaridoids, enoplids and filarioids; (iii) detailed investigations of the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) of optimised chemicals with broad nematocidal or nematostatic activity; and (iv) establishment of the modes of action of lead candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqing Jiao
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Sarah Preston
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Faculty of Science and Technology, Federation University, Ballarat, VIC, Australia
| | - Andreas Hofmann
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Aya Taki
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jonathan Baell
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Bill C H Chang
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Abdul Jabbar
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Robin B Gasser
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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Zajíčková M, Nguyen LT, Skálová L, Raisová Stuchlíková L, Matoušková P. Anthelmintics in the future: current trends in the discovery and development of new drugs against gastrointestinal nematodes. Drug Discov Today 2019; 25:430-437. [PMID: 31883953 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2019.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The control of gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs), the most abundant and serious parasites of livestock, has become difficult because of the limited number of available drugs and fast development of drug resistance. Thus, considerable efforts have been devoted to developing new anthelmintics that are efficient against nematodes, especially resistant species. Here, we summarize the most recent results using various approaches: target-based or high-throughput screening (HTS) of compound libraries; the synthesis of new derivatives or new combinations of current anthelmintics; the repurposing of drugs currently approved for other indications; and lastly, the identification of active plant products. We also evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each of these approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markéta Zajíčková
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Linh Thuy Nguyen
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Skálová
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Raisová Stuchlíková
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Matoušková
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
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Stroehlein AJ, Gasser RB, Hall RS, Young ND. Interactive online application for the prediction, ranking and prioritisation of drug targets in Schistosoma haematobium. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:605. [PMID: 30482220 PMCID: PMC6257948 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-3197-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic worms of the genus Schistosoma that still affects some 200 million people. The mainstay of schistosomiasis control is a single drug, praziquantel. The reliance on this drug carries a risk of resistance emerging to this anthelmintic, such that research towards alternative anti-schistosomal drugs is warranted. In this context, a number of studies have employed computational approaches to prioritise proteins for investigation as drug targets, based on extensive genomic, transcriptomic and small-molecule data now available. METHODS Here, we established a customisable, online application for the prioritisation of drug targets and applied it, for the first time, to the entire inferred proteome of S. haematobium. This application enables selection of weighted and ranked proteins representing potential drug targets, and integrates transcriptional data, orthology and gene essentiality information as well as drug-drug target associations and chemical properties of predicted ligands. RESULTS Using this application, we defined 25 potential drug targets in S. haematobium that associated with approved drugs, and 3402 targets that (although they could not be linked to any compounds) are conserved among a range of socioeconomically important flatworm species and might represent targets for new trematocides. CONCLUSIONS The online application developed here represents an interactive, customisable, expandable and reproducible drug target ranking and prioritisation approach that should be useful for the prediction of drug targets in schistosomes and other species of parasitic worms in the future. We have demonstrated the utility of this online application by predicting potential drug targets in S. haematobium that can now be evaluated using functional genomics tools and/or small molecules, to establish whether they are indeed essential for parasite survival, and to assist in the discovery of novel anti-schistosomal compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas J. Stroehlein
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010 Australia
| | - Robin B. Gasser
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010 Australia
| | - Ross S. Hall
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010 Australia
| | - Neil D. Young
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010 Australia
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Stroehlein AJ, Young ND, Gasser RB. Advances in kinome research of parasitic worms - implications for fundamental research and applied biotechnological outcomes. Biotechnol Adv 2018; 36:915-934. [PMID: 29477756 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2018.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Protein kinases are enzymes that play essential roles in the regulation of many cellular processes. Despite expansions in the fields of genomics, transcriptomics and bioinformatics, there is limited information on the kinase complements (kinomes) of most eukaryotic organisms, including parasitic worms that cause serious diseases of humans and animals. The biological uniqueness of these worms and the draft status of their genomes pose challenges for the identification and classification of protein kinases using established tools. In this article, we provide an account of kinase biology, the roles of kinases in diseases and their importance as drug targets, and drug discovery efforts in key socioeconomically important parasitic worms. In this context, we summarise methods and resources commonly used for the curation, identification, classification and functional annotation of protein kinase sequences from draft genomes; review recent advances made in the characterisation of the worm kinomes; and discuss the implications of these advances for investigating kinase signalling and developing small-molecule inhibitors as new anti-parasitic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas J Stroehlein
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | - Neil D Young
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Robin B Gasser
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
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Preston S, Jiao Y, Baell JB, Keiser J, Crawford S, Koehler AV, Wang T, Simpson MM, Kaplan RM, Cowley KJ, Simpson KJ, Hofmann A, Jabbar A, Gasser RB. Screening of the 'Open Scaffolds' collection from Compounds Australia identifies a new chemical entity with anthelmintic activities against different developmental stages of the barber's pole worm and other parasitic nematodes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2017; 7:286-294. [PMID: 28732272 PMCID: PMC5517787 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2017.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2017] [Revised: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The discovery and development of novel anthelmintic classes is essential to sustain the control of socioeconomically important parasitic worms of humans and animals. With the aim of offering novel, lead-like scaffolds for drug discovery, Compounds Australia released the 'Open Scaffolds' collection containing 33,999 compounds, with extensive information available on the physicochemical properties of these chemicals. In the present study, we screened 14,464 prioritised compounds from the 'Open Scaffolds' collection against the exsheathed third-stage larvae (xL3s) of Haemonchus contortus using recently developed whole-organism screening assays. We identified a hit compound, called SN00797439, which was shown to reproducibly reduce xL3 motility by ≥ 70%; this compound induced a characteristic, "coiled" xL3 phenotype (IC50 = 3.46-5.93 μM), inhibited motility of fourth-stage larvae (L4s; IC50 = 0.31-12.5 μM) and caused considerable cuticular damage to L4s in vitro. When tested on other parasitic nematodes in vitro, SN00797439 was shown to inhibit (IC50 = 3-50 μM) adults of Ancylostoma ceylanicum (hookworm) and first-stage larvae of Trichuris muris (whipworm) and eventually kill (>90%) these stages. Furthermore, this compound completely inhibited the motility of female and male adults of Brugia malayi (50-100 μM) as well as microfilariae of both B. malayi and Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm). Overall, these results show that SN00797439 acts against genetically (evolutionarily) distant parasitic nematodes i.e. H. contortus and A. ceylanicum [strongyloids] vs. B. malayi and D. immitis [filarioids] vs. T. muris [enoplid], and, thus, might offer a novel, lead-like scaffold for the development of a relatively broad-spectrum anthelmintic. Our future work will focus on assessing the activity of SN00797439 against other pathogens that cause neglected tropical diseases, optimising analogs with improved biological activities and characterising their targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Preston
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Faculty of Science and Technology, Federation University, Ballarat, Victoria 3350, Australia
| | - Yaqing Jiao
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jonathan B Baell
- Monash University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS), Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jennifer Keiser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Simon Crawford
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anson V Koehler
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tao Wang
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Moana M Simpson
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Don Young Road, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ray M Kaplan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Karla J Cowley
- Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kaylene J Simpson
- Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andreas Hofmann
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Don Young Road, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Abdul Jabbar
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Robin B Gasser
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
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Preston S, Luo J, Zhang Y, Jabbar A, Crawford S, Baell J, Hofmann A, Hu M, Zhou HB, Gasser RB. Selenophene and thiophene-core estrogen receptor ligands that inhibit motility and development of parasitic stages of Haemonchus contortus. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:346. [PMID: 27306029 PMCID: PMC4910235 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1612-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Parasitic worms represent a substantial disease burden in animals and humans worldwide. The control of parasitic roundworms (nematodes) relies heavily on the use of anthelmintic drugs. However, widespread drug resistance in nematodes seriously compromises the effectiveness of many anthelmintics around the world. Thus, there is a need to discover new drugs, with unique modes of action, against parasites. Methods Here, we synthesised and tested 74 selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) for in vitro-activity on parasitic larvae of Haemonchus contortus (barber’s pole worm), one of the most important nematode pathogens of small ruminants (including sheep and goats) and a key representative of one of the largest groups of parasitic nematodes (the Strongylida) of animals. We also studied the morphology of treated and untreated larvae using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and assessed the agonistic/antagonistic activity of SERMs in a human embryonic kidney cell line using a luciferase reporter assay system. Results We identified three SERMs (one selenophene and two thiophene-core compounds) with potent inhibitory activities (at 3–25 μM) on the motility and development of parasitic stages of H. contortus. An SEM examination of treated H. contortus revealed considerable damage to the cuticle of fourth- but not exsheathed, third-stage larvae; this damage appeared to be consistent with that observed upon treatment with monepantel but not moxidectin (control compounds). Conclusion The potency of the three SERMs compared favourably with commercially available anthelmintics, such that they warrant further assessment as nematocides. Future studies could focus on assessing the selectivity of these SERMs to parasites, characterising their target(s) and/or designing analogs that are parasite-specific. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1612-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Preston
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Junjie Luo
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Wuhan University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Yuezhou Zhang
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.,Medicinal Chemistry, Monash University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS), Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Abdul Jabbar
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Simon Crawford
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Jonathan Baell
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS), Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Andreas Hofmann
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.,Structural Chemistry Program, Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Min Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Hai-Bing Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Wuhan University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.
| | - Robin B Gasser
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia. .,Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, Wuhan University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.
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Gasser RB, Korhonen PK, Zhu XQ, Young ND. Harnessing the Toxocara Genome to Underpin Toxocariasis Research and New Interventions. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2016; 91:87-110. [PMID: 27015948 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2015.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Parasitic worms, such as flatworms (platyhelminths) and roundworms (nematodes), cause substantial morbidity and mortality in animals and people globally. The ascaridoid nematode Toxocara canis is a zoonotic parasite of socioeconomic significance worldwide. In humans, this worm causes toxocariasis (disease) mainly in underprivileged communities in both the developed and developing worlds. While reasonably well studied from clinical and epidemiological perspectives, little is understood about the molecular biology of T. canis, its relationship with its hosts and the disease that it causes. However, a recent report of the draft genome and transcriptomes of T. canis should underpin many fundamental and applied research areas in the future. The present article gives a background on Toxocara and toxocariasis, a brief account of diagnostic approaches for specific identification and genetic analysis, and gives a perspective on the impact that the genome of T. canis and advanced molecular technologies could have on our understanding of the parasite and the diseases that it causes as well as the design of new and improved approaches for the diagnosis, treatment and control of toxocariasis.
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Stroehlein AJ, Young ND, Korhonen PK, Jabbar A, Hofmann A, Sternberg PW, Gasser RB. The Haemonchus contortus kinome--a resource for fundamental molecular investigations and drug discovery. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:623. [PMID: 26644012 PMCID: PMC4672506 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-1231-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Protein kinases regulate a plethora of essential signalling and other biological pathways in all eukaryotic organisms, but very little is known about them in most parasitic nematodes. METHODS Here, we defined, for the first time, the entire complement of protein kinases (kinome) encoded in the barber's pole worm (Haemonchus contortus) through an integrated analysis of transcriptomic and genomic datasets using an advanced bioinformatic workflow. RESULTS We identified, curated and classified 432 kinases representing ten groups, 103 distinct families and 98 subfamilies. A comparison of the kinomes of H. contortus and Caenorhabditis elegans (a related, free-living nematode) revealed considerable variation in the numbers of casein kinases, tyrosine kinases and Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases, which likely relate to differences in biology, habitat and life cycle between these worms. Moreover, a suite of kinase genes was selectively transcribed in particular developmental stages of H. contortus, indicating central roles in developmental and reproductive processes. In addition, using a ranking system, drug targets (n = 13) and associated small-molecule effectors (n = 1517) were inferred. CONCLUSIONS The H. contortus kinome will provide a useful resource for fundamental investigations of kinases and signalling pathways in this nematode, and should assist future anthelmintic discovery efforts; this is particularly important, given current drug resistance problems in parasitic nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas J Stroehlein
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Neil D Young
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Pasi K Korhonen
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Abdul Jabbar
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Andreas Hofmann
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
- Structural Chemistry Program, Eskitis Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Paul W Sternberg
- HHMI, Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
| | - Robin B Gasser
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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