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Varela ELP, Gomes ARQ, Santos ASBD, Cruz JNDA, Carvalho EPDE, Prazeres BAPD, Dolabela MF, Percario S. Lycopene supplementation promoted increased survival and decreased parasitemia in mice with severe malaria: comparison with N-acetylcysteine. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2024; 96:e20230347. [PMID: 39046019 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202420230347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of malaria, causing anemia, respiratory complications, and cerebral malaria. To mitigate oxidative stress, we investigated the effect of nutritional supplementation whit lycopene (LYC) on the evolution of parasitemia and survival rate in mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA (Pb), comparing to the effects promoted by N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Therefore, 175 mice were randomly distributed into 4 groups; Sham: untreated and uninfected animals; Pb: animals infected with Pb; LYC+Pb: animals treated with LYC and infected with Pb; NAC+Pb: animals treated with NAC and infected with Pb. The animals were followed for 12 days after infection, and survival and parasitemia rates were evaluated. There was a 40.1% increase in parasitemia in the animals of the Pb group on the 12th day, and a survival rate of 45%. LYC supplementation slowed the development of parasitemia to 19% and promoted a significative increase in the survival rate of 80% on the 12th day after infection, compared to the Pb group, effects superior to those promoted by NAC, providing strong evidence of the beneficial effect of LYC on in vivo malaria and stressing the importance of antioxidant supplementation in the treatment of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Everton Luiz P Varela
- Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Pesquisas em Estresse Oxidativo, Av. Augusto Correa, 01, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia - Rede BIONORTE, Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Av. Augusto Correa, 01, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Antônio Rafael Q Gomes
- Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Pesquisas em Estresse Oxidativo, Av. Augusto Correa, 01, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Av. Augusto Correa, 01, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Aline S B Dos Santos
- Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Pesquisas em Estresse Oxidativo, Av. Augusto Correa, 01, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia - Rede BIONORTE, Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Av. Augusto Correa, 01, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Jorddy N DA Cruz
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Av. Augusto Correa, 01, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Eliete P DE Carvalho
- Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Pesquisas em Estresse Oxidativo, Av. Augusto Correa, 01, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia - Rede BIONORTE, Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Av. Augusto Correa, 01, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Benedito Antônio P Dos Prazeres
- Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Pesquisas em Estresse Oxidativo, Av. Augusto Correa, 01, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia - Rede BIONORTE, Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Av. Augusto Correa, 01, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Maria Fani Dolabela
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia - Rede BIONORTE, Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Av. Augusto Correa, 01, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Av. Augusto Correa, 01, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Sandro Percario
- Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Pesquisas em Estresse Oxidativo, Av. Augusto Correa, 01, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia - Rede BIONORTE, Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Av. Augusto Correa, 01, 66075-110 Belém, PA, Brazil
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Loveridge KM, Sigala PA. Identification of a divalent metal transporter required for cellular iron metabolism in malaria parasites. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.10.587216. [PMID: 38798484 PMCID: PMC11118319 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.10.587216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites invade and multiply inside red blood cells (RBCs), the most iron-rich compartment in humans. Like all cells, P. falciparum requires nutritional iron to support essential metabolic pathways, but the critical mechanisms of iron acquisition and trafficking during RBC infection have remained obscure. Parasites internalize and liberate massive amounts of heme during large-scale digestion of RBC hemoglobin within an acidic food vacuole (FV) but lack a heme oxygenase to release porphyrin-bound iron. Although most FV heme is sequestered into inert hemozoin crystals, prior studies indicate that trace heme escapes biomineralization and is susceptible to non-enzymatic degradation within the oxidizing FV environment to release labile iron. Parasites retain a homolog of divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), a known mammalian iron transporter, but its role in P. falciparum iron acquisition has not been tested. Our phylogenetic studies indicate that P. falciparum DMT1 (PfDMT1) retains conserved molecular features critical for metal transport. We localized this protein to the FV membrane and defined its orientation in an export-competent topology. Conditional knockdown of PfDMT1 expression is lethal to parasites, which display broad cellular defects in iron-dependent functions, including impaired apicoplast biogenesis and mitochondrial polarization. Parasites are selectively rescued from partial PfDMT1 knockdown by supplementation with exogenous iron, but not other metals. These results support a cellular paradigm whereby PfDMT1 is the molecular gatekeeper to essential iron acquisition by blood-stage malaria parasites and suggest that therapeutic targeting of PfDMT1 may be a potent antimalarial strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kade M. Loveridge
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Paul A. Sigala
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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Zhou H, Mao H, Xing J. LC-HRMS methods for the quantification of two artemisinin drugs and their metabolites in rat blood and plasma. Biomed Chromatogr 2024; 38:e5844. [PMID: 38326977 DOI: 10.1002/bmc.5844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
As first-line antimalarials used in the artemisinin combination therapy, artemisinin drugs exert their action inside red blood cells. However, the blood pharmacokinetic characteristics of artemisinin drugs have not been fully revealed owing to their built-in chemical instability initiated by Fe2+ released from hemoglobin, with limited information on their metabolites. In this study, liquid chromatography tandem high-resolution mass spectrometric (LC-HRMS) methods were developed for the quantification of two representative artemisinin drugs (artemisinin, ART; dihydroartemisinin, DHA) and their respective metabolite (deoxyartemisinin, D-ART; dihydroartemisinin glucuronide, DHA-Glu) in rat blood/plasma. The blood samples were pretreated with the stabilizer (0.4 m potassium dichromate and 3% EDTA-2Na). The methods displayed excellent specificity, linearity, accuracy and precision for ART (17.7-709.2 nm) and its metabolite D-ART (18.8-751.9 nm), and the linear range was 40.0-4,000.0 nm for both DHA and DHA-Glu. The methods were successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic studies of ART and DHA in rats. The blood-to-plasma ratio was 0.8-1.5 for ART, 1.0-1.5 for D-ART, 1.2-2.2 for DHA and 0.9-1.3 for DHA-Glu, which was time dependent. The results indicated that artemisinin drugs and their metabolites showed a high but different blood-to-plasma ratio, which should be considered when optimizating their dosing regimens or evaluating their clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongchang Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Huzhou University, Huzhou, China
| | - Huixiu Mao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jie Xing
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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Yu S, Tong L, Shen J, Li C, Hu Y, Feng K, Shao J. Recent research progress based on ferroptosis-related signaling pathways and the tumor microenvironment on it effects. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 269:116290. [PMID: 38518522 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
The existing therapies for cancer are not remote satisfactory due to drug-resistance in tumors that are malignant. There is a pressing necessity to take a step forward to develop innovative therapies that can complement current ones. Multiple investigations have demonstrated that ferroptosis therapy, a non-apoptotic modality of programmed cell death, has tremendous potential in face of multiple crucial events, such as drug resistance and toxicity in aggressive malignancies. Recently, ferroptosis at the crosswalk of chemotherapy, materials science, immunotherapy, tumor microenvironment, and bionanotechnology has been presented to elucidate its therapeutic feasibility. Given the burgeoning progression of ferroptosis-based nanomedicine, the newest advancements in this field at the confluence of ferroptosis-inducers, nanotherapeutics, along with tumor microenvironment are given an overview. Here, the signaling pathways of ferroptosis-related were first talked about briefly. The emphasis discussion was placed on the pharmacological mechanisms and the nanodrugs design of ferroptosis inducing agents based on multiple distinct metabolism pathways. Additionally, a comprehensive overview of the action mechanisms by which the tumor microenvironment influences ferroptosis was elaborately descripted. Finally, some limitations of current researches and future research directions were also deliberately discussed to provide details about therapeutic avenues for ferroptosis-related diseases along with the design of anti-drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijing Yu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China
| | - Lingwu Tong
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China
| | - Jiangwen Shen
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China
| | - Chenglei Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China
| | - Yongshan Hu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China
| | - Keke Feng
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China
| | - Jingwei Shao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, China.
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5
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Avalos-Padilla Y, Fernàndez-Busquets X. Nanotherapeutics against malaria: A decade of advancements in experimental models. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 16:e1943. [PMID: 38426407 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Malaria, caused by different species of protists of the genus Plasmodium, remains among the most common causes of death due to parasitic diseases worldwide, mainly for children aged under 5. One of the main obstacles to malaria eradication is the speed with which the pathogen evolves resistance to the drug schemes developed against it. For this reason, it remains urgent to find innovative therapeutic strategies offering sufficient specificity against the parasite to minimize resistance evolution and drug side effects. In this context, nanotechnology-based approaches are now being explored for their use as antimalarial drug delivery platforms due to the wide range of advantages and tuneable properties that they offer. However, major challenges remain to be addressed to provide a cost-efficient and targeted therapeutic strategy contributing to malaria eradication. The present work contains a systematic review of nanotechnology-based antimalarial drug delivery systems generated during the last 10 years. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunuen Avalos-Padilla
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain
- Nanomalaria Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institute (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Fernàndez-Busquets
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain
- Nanomalaria Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institute (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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6
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Ying Z, Yin M, Zhu Z, Shang Z, Pei Y, Liu J, Liu Q. Iron Stress Affects the Growth and Differentiation of Toxoplasma gondii. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2493. [PMID: 38473741 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Iron is an indispensable nutrient for the survival of Toxoplasma gondii; however, excessive amounts can lead to toxicity. The parasite must overcome the host's "nutritional immunity" barrier and compete with the host for iron. Since T. gondii can infect most nucleated cells, it encounters increased iron stress during parasitism. This study assessed the impact of iron stress, encompassing both iron depletion and iron accumulation, on the growth of T. gondii. Iron accumulation disrupted the redox balance of T. gondii while enhancing the parasite's ability to adhere in high-iron environments. Conversely, iron depletion promoted the differentiation of tachyzoites into bradyzoites. Proteomic analysis further revealed proteins affected by iron depletion and identified the involvement of phosphotyrosyl phosphatase activator proteins in bradyzoite formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhu Ying
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Meng Yin
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Zifu Zhu
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Zheng Shang
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yanqun Pei
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jing Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Qun Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
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Hill KS, Schuler EE, Ellingson SR, Kolesar JM. Artesunate acts through cytochrome c to inhibit growth of pediatric AML cells. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22383. [PMID: 38104159 PMCID: PMC10725448 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49928-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Artesunate is a derivative of artemisinin, an active compound isolated from Artemisia annua which has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and to treat malaria worldwide. Artemisinin derivatives have exhibited anti-cancer activity against both solid tumors and leukemia. The direct target(s) of artesunate are controversial; although, heme-bound proteins in the mitochondria have been implicated. We utilized computational modeling to calculate the predicted binding score of artesunate with heme-bound mitochondrial proteins and identified cytochrome c as potential artesunate target. UV-visible spectroscopy showed changes in the absorbance spectrum, and thus protein structure, when cytochrome c was incubated with artesunate. Artesunate induces apoptosis, disrupts mitochondrial membrane potential, and is antagonized by methazolamide in pediatric AML cells indicating a probable mechanism of action involving cytochrome c. We utilized a multi-disciplinary approach to show that artesunate can interact with and is dependent on cytochrome c release to induce cell death in pediatric AML cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen S Hill
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Erin E Schuler
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Sally R Ellingson
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, UK College of Medicine, Cancer Research Informatics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Jill M Kolesar
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
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8
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Lucky AB, Wang C, Shakri AR, Kalamuddin M, Chim-Ong A, Li X, Miao J. Plasmodium falciparum GCN5 plays a key role in regulating artemisinin resistance-related stress responses. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0057723. [PMID: 37702516 PMCID: PMC10583690 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00577-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum causes the most severe malaria and is exposed to various environmental and physiological stresses in the human host. Given that GCN5 plays a critical role in regulating stress responses in model organisms, we aimed to elucidate PfGCN5's function in stress responses in P. falciparum. The protein level of PfGCN5 was substantially induced under three stress conditions [heat shock, low glucose starvation, and dihydroartemisinin, the active metabolite of artemisinin (ART)]. With a TetR-DOZI conditional knockdown (KD) system, we successfully down-regulated PfGCN5 to ~50% and found that KD parasites became more sensitive to all three stress conditions. Transcriptomic analysis via RNA-seq identified ~1,000 up- and down-regulated genes in the wild-type (WT) and KD parasites under these stress conditions. Importantly, DHA induced transcriptional alteration of many genes involved in many aspects of stress responses, which were heavily shared among the altered genes under heat shock and low glucose conditions, including ART-resistance-related genes such as K13 and coronin. Based on the expression pattern between WT and KD parasites under three stress conditions, ~300-400 genes were identified to be involved in PfGCN5-dependent, general, and stress-condition-specific responses with high levels of overlaps among three stress conditions. Notably, using ring-stage survival assay, we found that KD or inhibition of PfGCN5 could sensitize the ART-resistant parasites to the DHA treatment. All these indicate that PfGCN5 is pivotal in regulating general and ART-resistance-related stress responses in malaria parasites, implicating PfGCN5 as a potential target for malaria intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amuza Byaruhanga Lucky
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Chengqi Wang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Ahmad Rushdi Shakri
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Mohammad Kalamuddin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Anongruk Chim-Ong
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Xiaolian Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Jun Miao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
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9
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Lucky AB, Wang C, Shakri AR, Kalamuddin M, Chim-Ong A, Li X, Miao J. Plasmodium falciparum GCN5 plays a key role in regulating artemisinin resistance-related stress responses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.11.523703. [PMID: 36711954 PMCID: PMC9882135 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.11.523703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum causes the most severe malaria and is exposed to various environmental and physiological stresses in the human host. Given that GCN5 plays a critical role in regulating stress responses in model organisms, we aimed to elucidate PfGCN5's function in stress responses in P. falciparum . The protein level of PfGCN5 was substantially induced under three stress conditions (heat shock, low glucose starvation, and dihydroartemisinin, the active metabolite of artemisinin (ART)). With a TetR-DOZI conditional knockdown (KD) system, we successfully down-regulated PfGCN5 to ∼50% and found that KD parasites became more sensitive to all three stress conditions. Transcriptomic analysis via RNA-seq identified ∼1,000 up-and down-regulated genes in the wildtype (WT) and KD parasites under these stress conditions. Importantly, DHA induced transcriptional alteration of many genes involved in many aspects of stress responses, which were heavily shared among the altered genes under heat shock and low glucose conditions, including ART-resistance-related genes such as K13 and coronin . Based on the expression pattern between WT and KD parasites under three stress conditions, ∼300-400 genes were identified to be involved in PfGCN5-dependent, general and stress-condition-specific responses with high levels of overlaps among three stress conditions. Notably, using ring-stage survival assay (RSA), we found that KD or inhibition of PfGCN5 could sensitize the ART-resistant parasites to the DHA treatment. All these indicate that PfGCN5 is pivotal in regulating general and ART-resistance-related stress responses in malaria parasites, implicating PfGCN5 as a potential target for malaria intervention. IMPORTANCE Malaria leads to about half a million deaths annually and these casualties were majorly caused by the infection of Plasmodium falciparum . This parasite strives to survive by defending against a variety of stress conditions, such as malaria cyclical fever (heat shock), starvation due to low blood sugar (glucose) levels (hypoglycemia), and drug treatment. Previous studies have revealed that P. falciparum has developed unique stress responses to different stresses including ART treatment, and ART-resistant parasites harbor elevated stress responses. In this study, we provide critical evidence on the role of PfGCN5, a histone modifier, and a chromatin coactivator, in regulating general and stress-specific responses in malaria parasites, indicating that PfGCN5 can be used as a potential target for anti-malaria intervention.
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Wang Y, Tian J, Chen J, Ni S, Yao Y, Wang L, Wu X, Song R, Chen J. Nontargeted metabolomics integrated with 1 H NMR and LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS methods to depict a more comprehensive metabolic profile in response to chrysosplenetin and artemisinin co-treatment against artemisinin-sensitive and -resistant Plasmodium berghei K173. Biomed Chromatogr 2023; 37:e5561. [PMID: 36471489 DOI: 10.1002/bmc.5561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Our previous work revealed mutual and specific metabolites/pathways in artemisinin-sensitive and -resistant Plasmodium berghei K173-infected mice. In this study, we further investigated whether chrysosplenetin, a candidate chemical to prevent artemisinin resistance, can regulate these metabolites/pathways by integrating nontargeted metabolomics with 1 H NMR and LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS spectrum. The nuclear magnetic resonance method generated specifically altered metabolites in response to co-treatment with chrysosplenetin, including: the products of glycolysis such as glucose, pyruvate, lactate and alanine; taurine, closely associated with liver injury; arginine and proline as essential amino acids for parasites; TMAO, a biomarker for dysbacteriosis and renal function; and tyrosine, which is used to generate levodopa and dopamine and may improve the torpor state of mice. Importantly, we noticed that chrysosplenetin might depress the activated glycolysis induced by sensitive parasites, but oppositely promoted the inhibited glycolysis to generate more lactate, which suppresses the proliferation of resistant parasites. Moreover, chrysosplentin possibly disturbs the heme biosynthetic pathway in mitochondria. The MS method yielded changed coenzyme A, phosphatidylcholine and ceramides, closely related to mitochondria β-oxidation, cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. These two means shared no overlapped metabolites and formed a more broader metabolic map to study the potential mechanisms of chrysosplenetin as a promising artemisinin resistance inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yisen Wang
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jingxuan Tian
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jie Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Shanhong Ni
- Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Ying Yao
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Lirong Wang
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Xiuli Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Ruilong Song
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Senile Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
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11
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He Z, Yu C, Pan Z, Li X, Zhang X, Huang Q, Liao X, Hu J, Zeng F, Ru L, Yu W, Xu Q, Song J, Liang J. Erythrocyte membrane with CLIPPKF as biomimetic nanodecoy traps merozoites and attaches to infected red blood cells to prevent Plasmodium infection. J Nanobiotechnology 2023; 21:15. [PMID: 36647056 PMCID: PMC9841648 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-022-01709-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria remains a serious threat to global public health. With poor efficacies of vaccines and the emergence of drug resistance, novel strategies to control malaria are urgently needed. RESULTS We developed erythrocyte membrane-camouflaged nanoparticles loaded with artemether based on the growth characteristics of Plasmodium. The nanoparticles could capture the merozoites to inhibit them from repeatedly infecting normal erythrocytes, owing to the interactions between merozoites and heparin-like molecules on the erythrocyte membrane. Modification with a phosphatidylserine-targeting peptide (CLIPPKF) improved the drug accumulation in infected red blood cells (iRBCs) from the externalized phosphatidylserine induced by Plasmodium infection. In Plasmodium berghei ANKA strain (pbANKA)-infected C57BL/6 mice, the nanoparticles significantly attenuated Plasmodium-induced inflammation, apoptosis, and anemia. We observed reduced weight variation and prolonged survival time in pbANKA-challenged mice, and the nanoparticles showed good biocompatibility and negligible cytotoxicity. CONCLUSION Erythrocyte membrane-camouflaged nanoparticles loaded with artemether were shown to provide safe and effective protection against Plasmodium infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhouqing He
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Artemisinin Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405 China
| | - Chuyi Yu
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Artemisinin Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405 China
| | - Ziyi Pan
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Artemisinin Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405 China
| | - Xiaobo Li
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Artemisinin Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405 China
| | - Xiangxiang Zhang
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Artemisinin Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405 China
| | - Qijing Huang
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Artemisinin Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405 China
| | - Xingcheng Liao
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Artemisinin Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405 China
| | - Jiaoting Hu
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Artemisinin Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405 China
| | - Feng Zeng
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Artemisinin Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405 China
| | - Li Ru
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Artemisinin Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405 China
| | - Wanlin Yu
- grid.413402.00000 0004 6068 0570Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120 China
| | - Qin Xu
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Artemisinin Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405 China
| | - Jianping Song
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Artemisinin Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405 China
| | - Jianming Liang
- grid.411866.c0000 0000 8848 7685Artemisinin Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201203 China
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12
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A Plasmodium falciparum ubiquitin-specific protease (PfUSP) is essential for parasite survival and its disruption enhances artemisinin efficacy. Biochem J 2023; 480:25-39. [PMID: 36511651 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Proteins associated with ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) are potential drug targets in the malaria parasite. The ubiquitination and deubiquitination are key regulatory processes for the functioning of UPS. In this study, we have characterized the biochemical and functional role of a novel ubiquitin-specific protease (USP) domain-containing protein of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (PfUSP). We have shown that the PfUSP is an active deubiquitinase associated with parasite endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Selection linked integration (SLI) method for C-terminal tagging and GlmS-ribozyme mediated inducible knock-down (iKD) of PfUSP was utilized to assess its functional role. Inducible knockdown of PfUSP resulted in a remarkable reduction in parasite growth and multiplication; specifically, PfUSP-iKD disrupted ER morphology and development, blocked the development of healthy schizonts, and hindered proper merozoite development. PfUSP-iKD caused increased ubiquitylation of specific proteins, disrupted organelle homeostasis and reduced parasite survival. Since the mode of action of artemisinin and the artemisinin-resistance are shown to be associated with the proteasome machinery, we analyzed the effect of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) on PfUSP-iKD parasites. Importantly, the PfUSP-knocked-down parasite showed increased sensitivity to dihydroartemisinin (DHA), whereas no change in chloroquine sensitivity was observed, suggesting a role of PfUSP in combating artemisinin-induced cellular stress. Together, the results show that Plasmodium PfUSP is an essential protease for parasite survival, and its inhibition increases the efficacy of artemisinin-based drugs. Therefore, PfUSP can be targeted to develop novel scaffolds for developing new antimalarials to combat artemisinin resistance.
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13
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Kampoun T, Koonyosying P, Ruangsuriya J, Prommana P, Shaw PJ, Kamchonwongpaisan S, Suwito H, Puspaningsih NNT, Uthaipibull C, Srichairatanakool S. Antagonistic antimalarial properties of a methoxyamino chalcone derivative and 3-hydroxypyridinones in combination with dihydroartemisinin against Plasmodium falciparum. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15187. [PMID: 37131988 PMCID: PMC10149052 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The spread of artemisinin (ART)-resistant Plasmodium falciparum threatens the control of malaria. Mutations in the propeller domains of P. falciparum Kelch13 (k13) are strongly associated with ART resistance. Ferredoxin (Fd), a component of the ferredoxin/NADP+ reductase (Fd/FNR) redox system, is essential for isoprenoid precursor synthesis in the plasmodial apicoplast, which is important for K13-dependent hemoglobin trafficking and ART activation. Therefore, Fd is an antimalarial drug target and fd mutations may modulate ART sensitivity. We hypothesized that loss of Fd/FNR function enhances the effect of k13 mutation on ART resistance. Methods In this study, methoxyamino chalcone (C3), an antimalarial compound that has been reported to inhibit the interaction of recombinant Fd and FNR proteins, was used as a chemical inhibitor of the Fd/FNR redox system. We investigated the inhibitory effects of dihydroartemisinin (DHA), C3, and iron chelators including deferiprone (DFP), 1-(N-acetyl-6-aminohexyl)-3-hydroxy-2-methylpyridin-4-one (CM1) and deferiprone-resveratrol hybrid (DFP-RVT) against wild-type (WT), k13 mutant, fd mutant, and k13 fd double mutant P. falciparum parasites. Furthermore, we investigated the pharmacological interaction of C3 with DHA, in which the iron chelators were used as reference ART antagonists. Results C3 showed antimalarial potency similar to that of the iron chelators. As expected, combining DHA with C3 or iron chelators exhibited a moderately antagonistic effect. No differences were observed among the mutant parasites with respect to their sensitivity to C3, iron chelators, or the interactions of these compounds with DHA. Discussion The data suggest that inhibitors of the Fd/FNR redox system should be avoided as ART partner drugs in ART combination therapy for treating malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanyaluck Kampoun
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Pimpisid Koonyosying
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Jetsada Ruangsuriya
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Parichat Prommana
- Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Philip J. Shaw
- Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Sumalee Kamchonwongpaisan
- Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Hery Suwito
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Airlangga University, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Ni Nyoman Tri Puspaningsih
- Laboratory of Proteomics, University-CoE Research Center for Bio-Molecule Engineering, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Chairat Uthaipibull
- Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand
- Thailand Center of Excellence for Life Sciences (TCELS), Bangkok, Thailand
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14
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Sanchez CP, Manson EDT, Moliner Cubel S, Mandel L, Weidt SK, Barrett MP, Lanzer M. The Knock-Down of the Chloroquine Resistance Transporter PfCRT Is Linked to Oligopeptide Handling in Plasmodium falciparum. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0110122. [PMID: 35867395 PMCID: PMC9431119 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01101-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The chloroquine resistance transporter, PfCRT, is an essential factor during intraerythrocytic development of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. PfCRT resides at the digestive vacuole of the parasite, where hemoglobin taken up by the parasite from its host cell is degraded. PfCRT can acquire several mutations that render PfCRT a drug transporting system expelling compounds targeting hemoglobin degradation from the digestive vacuole. The non-drug related function of PfCRT is less clear, although a recent study has suggested a role in oligopeptide transport based on studies conducted in a heterologous expression system. The uncertainty about the natural function of PfCRT is partly due to a lack of a null mutant and a dearth of functional assays in the parasite. Here, we report on the generation of a conditional PfCRT knock-down mutant in P. falciparum. The mutant accumulated oligopeptides 2 to at least 8 residues in length under knock-down conditions, as shown by comparative global metabolomics. The accumulated oligopeptides were structurally diverse, had an isoelectric point between 4.0 and 5.4 and were electrically neutral or carried a single charge at the digestive vacuolar pH of 5.2. Fluorescently labeled dipeptides and live cell imaging identified the digestive vacuole as the compartment where oligopeptides accumulated. Our findings suggest a function of PfCRT in oligopeptide transport across the digestive vacuolar membrane in P. falciparum and associated with it a role in nutrient acquisition and the maintenance of the colloid osmotic balance. IMPORTANCE The chloroquine resistance transporter, PfCRT, is important for the survival of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. It increases the tolerance to many antimalarial drugs, and it is essential for the development of the parasite within red blood cells. While we understand the role of PfCRT in drug resistance in ever increasing detail, the non-drug resistance functions are still debated. Identifying the natural substrate of PfCRT has been hampered by a paucity of functional assays to test putative substrates in the parasite system and the absence of a parasite mutant deficient for the PfCRT encoding gene. By generating a conditional PfCRT knock-down mutant, together with comparative metabolomics and uptake studies using fluorescently labeled oligopeptides, we could show that PfCRT is an oligopeptide transporter. The oligopeptides were structurally diverse and were electrically neutral or carried a single charge. Our data support a function of PfCRT in oligopeptide transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia P. Sanchez
- Center of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Sonia Moliner Cubel
- Center of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Stefan K. Weidt
- Glasgow Polyomics, University of Glasgow, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Michael P. Barrett
- Glasgow Polyomics, University of Glasgow, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- The Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Lanzer
- Center of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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15
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Ezeani C, Ezenyi I, Erhunse N, Sahal D, Akunne T, Okoli C. Assessment of antimalarial medicinal plants used in Nigerian ethnomedicine reveals antimalarial potential of Cucurbita pepo leaf extract. Heliyon 2022; 8:e09916. [PMID: 35856000 PMCID: PMC9287786 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Medicinal plants are often used to treat malaria in different parts of Nigeria and exploiting these can unravel new therapeutic leads. This study evaluated the antiplasmodial potential of selected plants used to treat malaria in Nsukka, Enugu state, Nigeria. Leaves of three different plants (Cucurbita pepo, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and Pennisetum purpureum) were collected for screening and two extracts viz., 70%v/v ethanol and dichloromethane/methanol (1:1 v/v), were prepared for each. An acute toxicity test was done in mice and cytotoxicity was assessed using human hepatoma cell line (HUH). The extracts were screened against chloroquine-sensitive P. falciparum (Pf3D7) in vitro, and chloroquine-resistant P. berghei ANKA in vivo using a 4 day-suppressive test in mice. Cucurbita pepo ethanol extract was further tested for hemolytic effect on human erythrocytes and in established infection in mice. Parameters assessed were post-treatment parasitemia, hematological indices, organ (brain, kidney, liver, and spleen) weights, and survival. The extracts were non-cytotoxic up to a test dose of 100 μg/ml and 2000 mg/kg fed - mice did not show acute or delayed toxicity. Cucurbita pepo ethanol extract (CpE) displayed excellent in vitro antiplasmodial activity with IC50 of 3.05 μg/ml. At an oral dose of 500 mg/kg, mice were observed to display significant (p < 0.01) ∼51% suppression of parasitemia. The extract did not produce any significant hemolytic effect up to a test concentration of 1 mg/ml. In established infection, a dose of 300 mg/kg significantly (p < 0.01) protected mice from anemia caused by low hematocrit. The extract produced significant (p < 0.05) elevation in red blood cells and platelet counts, and an increase in hemoglobin was evident at 100 and 300 mg/kg. Further, CpE in a dose-dependent manner, reversed liver and spleen weight increase seen in untreated, infected mice. These findings show C. pepo as a potential candidate for further studies to identify its bioactive principle(s) and possible mechanism(s) of antimalarial action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinelo Ezeani
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Ifeoma Ezenyi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Idu, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Nekpen Erhunse
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Benin, Benin-city, Edo State, Nigeria.,Malaria Drug Discovery Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Dinkar Sahal
- Malaria Drug Discovery Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Theophine Akunne
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
| | - Charles Okoli
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
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16
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Dimeric Artesunate Glycerophosphocholine Conjugate Nano-Assemblies as Slow-Release Antimalarials to Overcome Kelch 13 Mutant Artemisinin Resistance. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2022; 66:e0206521. [PMID: 35416709 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02065-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Current best practice for the treatment of malaria relies on short half-life artemisinins that are failing against emerging Kelch 13 mutant parasite strains. Here, we introduce a liposome-like self-assembly of a dimeric artesunate glycerophosphocholine conjugate (dAPC-S) as an amphiphilic prodrug for the short-lived antimalarial drug, dihydroartemisinin (DHA), with enhanced killing of Kelch 13 mutant artemisinin-resistant parasites. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) images and the dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique show that dAPC-S typically exhibits a multilamellar liposomal structure with a size distribution similar to that of the liposomes generated using thin-film dispersion (dAPC-L). Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS) was used to monitor the release of DHA. Sustainable release of DHA from dAPC-S and dAPC-L assemblies increased the effective dose and thus efficacy against Kelch 13 mutant artemisinin-resistant parasites in an in vitro assay. To better understand the enhanced killing effect, we investigated processes for deactivation of both the assemblies and DHA, including the roles of serum components and trace levels of iron. Analysis of parasite proteostasis pathways revealed that dAPC assemblies exert their activity via the same mechanism as DHA. We conclude that this easily prepared multilamellar liposome-like dAPC-S with long-acting efficacy shows potential for the treatment of severe and artemisinin-resistant malaria.
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17
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Li S, Xu W, Wang H, Tang T, Ma J, Cui Z, Shi H, Qin T, Zhou H, Li L, Jiang T, Li C. Ferroptosis plays an essential role in the antimalarial mechanism of low-dose dihydroartemisinin. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 148:112742. [PMID: 35228063 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.112742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The activation of artemisinin and its derivatives (ARTs) to generate ROS and other free radicals is mainly heme- or ferrous iron-dependent. ARTs induce ferroptosis in tumor cells, although the involvement of ferroptosis in malaria remains unclear. We found that three typical inducers of ferroptosis (erastin, RSL3 and sorafenib) could effectively mimic DHA inhibition on the growth of blood-stage parasites, which exhibited synergistic or nearly additive interactions in vitro with DHA, while the combination of DHA with ferroptosis inhibitors (deferoxamine, liproxstatin-1) had an obvious antagonistic effect. DHA, similar to ferroptosis inducers, can simultaneously induce the accumulation of ferroptosis-associated cellular labile iron and lipid peroxide. However, deferoxamine and liproxstatin-1 reduced the increase in ferrous iron and lipid peroxide caused by DHA. These results suggested that ferroptosis might be an effective way to induce cell death in parasites and could be a primary mechanism by which DHA kills parasites, with almost 50% contribution at low concentrations. These results provide a new strategy for antimalarial drug screening and clinical medication guidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Li
- Research Center of Artemisinin, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
| | - Wenhui Xu
- Beijing Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China.
| | - Huajing Wang
- Research Center of Artemisinin, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
| | - Tian Tang
- Research Center of Artemisinin, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Ji Ma
- Research Center of Artemisinin, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Zhao Cui
- Research Center of Artemisinin, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Hang Shi
- Research Center of Artemisinin, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Ting Qin
- Research Center of Artemisinin, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Hongying Zhou
- Research Center of Artemisinin, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Lanfang Li
- Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Tingliang Jiang
- Research Center of Artemisinin, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Canghai Li
- Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
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18
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A Phosphoinositide-Binding Protein Acts in the Trafficking Pathway of Hemoglobin in the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum. mBio 2022; 13:e0323921. [PMID: 35038916 PMCID: PMC8764524 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03239-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphoinositide lipids play key roles in a variety of processes in eukaryotic cells, but our understanding of their functions in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is still very much limited. To gain a deeper comprehension of the roles of phosphoinositides in this important pathogen, we attempted gene inactivation for 24 putative effectors of phosphoinositide metabolism. Our results reveal that 79% of the candidates are refractory to genetic deletion and are therefore potentially essential for parasite growth. Inactivation of the gene coding for a Plasmodium-specific putative phosphoinositide-binding protein, which we named PfPX1, results in a severe growth defect. We show that PfPX1 likely binds phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate and that it localizes to the membrane of the digestive vacuole of the parasite and to vesicles filled with host cell cytosol and labeled with endocytic markers. Critically, we provide evidence that it is important in the trafficking pathway of hemoglobin from the host erythrocyte to the digestive vacuole. Finally, inactivation of PfPX1 renders parasites resistant to artemisinin, the frontline antimalarial drug. Globally, the minimal redundancy in the putative phosphoinositide proteins uncovered in our work supports that targeting this pathway has potential for antimalarial drug development. Moreover, our identification of a phosphoinositide-binding protein critical for the trafficking of hemoglobin provides key insight into this essential process. IMPORTANCE Malaria represents an enormous burden for a significant proportion of humanity, and the lack of vaccines and problems with drug resistance to all antimalarials demonstrate the need to develop new therapeutics. Inhibitors of phosphoinositide metabolism are currently being developed as antimalarials but our understanding of this biological pathway is incomplete. The malaria parasite lives inside human red blood cells where it imports hemoglobin to cover some of its nutritional needs. In this work, we have identified a phosphoinositide-binding protein that is important for the transport of hemoglobin in the parasite. Inactivation of this protein decreases the ability of the parasite to proliferate. Our results have therefore identified a potential new target for antimalarial development.
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19
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Auparakkitanon S, Wilairat P, Wilairat P. Will the in situ activator(s) of artemisinin please stand up? Mol Biochem Parasitol 2022; 248:111461. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2022.111461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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20
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Kingston DGI, Cassera MB. Antimalarial Natural Products. PROGRESS IN THE CHEMISTRY OF ORGANIC NATURAL PRODUCTS 2022; 117:1-106. [PMID: 34977998 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-89873-1_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Natural products have made a crucial and unique contribution to human health, and this is especially true in the case of malaria, where the natural products quinine and artemisinin and their derivatives and analogues, have saved millions of lives. The need for new drugs to treat malaria is still urgent, since the most dangerous malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, has become resistant to quinine and most of its derivatives and is becoming resistant to artemisinin and its derivatives. This volume begins with a short history of malaria and follows this with a summary of its biology. It then traces the fascinating history of the discovery of quinine for malaria treatment and then describes quinine's biosynthesis, its mechanism of action, and its clinical use, concluding with a discussion of synthetic antimalarial agents based on quinine's structure. The volume then covers the discovery of artemisinin and its development as the source of the most effective current antimalarial drug, including summaries of its synthesis and biosynthesis, its mechanism of action, and its clinical use and resistance. A short discussion of other clinically used antimalarial natural products leads to a detailed treatment of other natural products with significant antiplasmodial activity, classified by compound type. Although the search for new antimalarial natural products from Nature's combinatorial library is challenging, it is very likely to yield new antimalarial drugs. The chapter thus ends by identifying over ten natural products with development potential as clinical antimalarial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G I Kingston
- Department of Chemistry and the Virginia Tech Center for Drug Discovery, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
| | - Maria Belen Cassera
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases (CTEGD), University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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21
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Mesén-Ramírez P, Bergmann B, Elhabiri M, Zhu L, von Thien H, Castro-Peña C, Gilberger TW, Davioud-Charvet E, Bozdech Z, Bachmann A, Spielmann T. The parasitophorous vacuole nutrient channel is critical for drug access in malaria parasites and modulates the artemisinin resistance fitness cost. Cell Host Microbe 2021; 29:1774-1787.e9. [PMID: 34863371 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2021.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Intraerythrocytic malaria parasites proliferate bounded by a parasitophorous vacuolar membrane (PVM). The PVM contains nutrient permeable channels (NPCs) conductive to small molecules, but their relevance for parasite growth for individual metabolites is largely untested. Here we show that growth-relevant levels of major carbon and energy sources pass through the NPCs. Moreover, we find that NPCs are a gate for several antimalarial drugs, highlighting their permeability properties as a critical factor for drug design. Looking into NPC-dependent amino acid transport, we find that amino acid shortage is a reason for the fitness cost in artemisinin-resistant (ARTR) parasites and provide evidence that NPC upregulation to increase amino acids acquisition is a mechanism of ARTR parasites in vitro and in human infections to compensate this fitness cost. Hence, the NPCs are important for nutrient and drug access and reveal amino acid deprivation as a critical constraint in ARTR parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Mesén-Ramírez
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bärbel Bergmann
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mourad Elhabiri
- UMR7042 Université de Strasbourg‒CNRS‒UHA, Laboratoire d'Innovation Moléculaire et Applications (LIMA), Team Bio(IN)organic and Medicinal Chemistry, European School of Chemistry, Polymers and Materials (ECPM), 25 Rue Becquerel, F-67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - Lei Zhu
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Heidrun von Thien
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Notkestraße 85, Building 15, 22607, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Carolina Castro-Peña
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tim-Wolf Gilberger
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Notkestraße 85, Building 15, 22607, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Davioud-Charvet
- UMR7042 Université de Strasbourg‒CNRS‒UHA, Laboratoire d'Innovation Moléculaire et Applications (LIMA), Team Bio(IN)organic and Medicinal Chemistry, European School of Chemistry, Polymers and Materials (ECPM), 25 Rue Becquerel, F-67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - Zbynek Bozdech
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore; Honorary Visiting Research Fellow, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Anna Bachmann
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Notkestraße 85, Building 15, 22607, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Spielmann
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany.
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22
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Wittlin S, Mäser P. From Magic Bullet to Magic Bomb: Reductive Bioactivation of Antiparasitic Agents. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:2777-2786. [PMID: 34472830 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Paul Ehrlich coined the term "magic bullet" to describe how a drug kills the parasite inside its human host without harming the host itself. Ehrlich concluded that the drug must have a greater affinity to the parasite than to human cells. Today, the specificity of drug action is understood in terms of the drug target. An ideal target is a protein that is essential for the proliferation of the pathogen but absent in human cells. Examples are the enzymes of folate synthesis or of the nonmevalonate pathway in the malaria parasites. However, there are other ways how a drug can kill selectively. Of particular relevance is the specific activation of a prodrug inside the pathogen but not in the host, as this is how the current frontrunners of parasite chemotherapy work. Artemisinins for malaria, fexinidazole for human African trypanosomiasis, benznidazole for Chagas' disease, metronidazole for intestinal protozoa: these molecules are "magic bombs" that are triggered selectively. They are prodrugs that need to be activated by chemical reduction, i.e., the acquisition of an electron, which occurs in the parasite. Such a mode of action is shared by the novel antimalarial peroxides arterolane and artefenomel, which are activated by reduction of the endoperoxide bond with ferrous heme as the likely electron donor, a metabolic end-product of Plasmodium falciparum. Here we provide an overview on the molecular basis of selectivity of antiparasitic drug action with particular reference to the ozonides, the new generation of antimalarial peroxides designed by Jonathan Vennerstrom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Wittlin
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Mäser
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
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23
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Siddiqui FA, Liang X, Cui L. Plasmodium falciparum resistance to ACTs: Emergence, mechanisms, and outlook. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2021; 16:102-118. [PMID: 34090067 PMCID: PMC8188179 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2021.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Emergence and spread of resistance in Plasmodium falciparum to the frontline treatment artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) in the epicenter of multidrug resistance of Southeast Asia threaten global malaria control and elimination. Artemisinin (ART) resistance (or tolerance) is defined clinically as delayed parasite clearance after treatment with an ART drug. The resistance phenotype is restricted to the early ring stage and can be measured in vitro using a ring-stage survival assay. ART resistance is associated with mutations in the propeller domain of the Kelch family protein K13. As a pro-drug, ART is activated primarily by heme, which is mainly derived from hemoglobin digestion in the food vacuole. Activated ARTs can react promiscuously with a wide range of cellular targets, disrupting cellular protein homeostasis. Consistent with this mode of action for ARTs, the molecular mechanisms of K13-mediated ART resistance involve reduced hemoglobin uptake/digestion and increased cellular stress response. Mutations in other genes such as AP-2μ (adaptor protein-2 μ subunit), UBP-1 (ubiquitin-binding protein-1), and Falcipain 2a that interfere with hemoglobin uptake and digestion also increase resistance to ARTs. ART resistance has facilitated the development of resistance to the partner drugs, resulting in rapidly declining ACT efficacies. The molecular markers for resistance to the partner drugs are mostly associated with point mutations in the two food vacuole membrane transporters PfCRT and PfMDR1, and amplification of pfmdr1 and the two aspartic protease genes plasmepsin 2 and 3. It has been observed that mutations in these genes can have opposing effects on sensitivities to different partner drugs, which serve as the principle for designing triple ACTs and drug rotation. Although clinical ACT resistance is restricted to Southeast Asia, surveillance for drug resistance using in vivo clinical efficacy, in vitro assays, and molecular approaches is required to prevent or slow down the spread of resistant parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faiza Amber Siddiqui
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Xiaoying Liang
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
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24
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Behrens HM, Schmidt S, Spielmann T. The newly discovered role of endocytosis in artemisinin resistance. Med Res Rev 2021; 41:2998-3022. [PMID: 34309894 DOI: 10.1002/med.21848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Artemisinin and its derivatives (ART) are the cornerstone of malaria treatment as part of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT). However, reduced susceptibility to artemisinin as well as its partner drugs threatens the usefulness of ACTs. Single point mutations in the parasite protein Kelch13 (K13) are necessary and sufficient for the reduced sensitivity of malaria parasites to ART but several alternative mechanisms for this resistance have been proposed. Recent work found that K13 is involved in the endocytosis of host cell cytosol and indicated that this is the process responsible for resistance in parasites with mutated K13. These studies also identified a series of further proteins that act together with K13 in the same pathway, including previously suspected resistance proteins such as UBP1 and AP-2μ. Here, we give a brief overview of artemisinin resistance, present the recent evidence of the role of endocytosis in ART resistance and discuss previous hypotheses in light of this new evidence. We also give an outlook on how the new insights might affect future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Michaela Behrens
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Section, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sabine Schmidt
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Section, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Spielmann
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Section, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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25
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van Heerden A, van Wyk R, Birkholtz LM. Machine Learning Uses Chemo-Transcriptomic Profiles to Stratify Antimalarial Compounds With Similar Mode of Action. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:688256. [PMID: 34268139 PMCID: PMC8277430 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.688256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid development of antimalarial resistance motivates the continued search for novel compounds with a mode of action (MoA) different to current antimalarials. Phenotypic screening has delivered thousands of promising hit compounds without prior knowledge of the compounds’ exact target or MoA. Whilst the latter is not initially required to progress a compound in a medicinal chemistry program, identifying the MoA early can accelerate hit prioritization, hit-to-lead optimization and preclinical combination studies in malaria research. The effects of drug treatment on a cell can be observed on systems level in changes in the transcriptome, proteome and metabolome. Machine learning (ML) algorithms are powerful tools able to deconvolute such complex chemically-induced transcriptional signatures to identify pathways on which a compound act and in this manner provide an indication of the MoA of a compound. In this study, we assessed different ML approaches for their ability to stratify antimalarial compounds based on varied chemically-induced transcriptional responses. We developed a rational gene selection approach that could identify predictive features for MoA to train and generate ML models. The best performing model could stratify compounds with similar MoA with a classification accuracy of 76.6 ± 6.4%. Moreover, only a limited set of 50 biomarkers was required to stratify compounds with similar MoA and define chemo-transcriptomic fingerprints for each compound. These fingerprints were unique for each compound and compounds with similar targets/MoA clustered together. The ML model was specific and sensitive enough to group new compounds into MoAs associated with their predicted target and was robust enough to be extended to also generate chemo-transcriptomic fingerprints for additional life cycle stages like immature gametocytes. This work therefore contributes a new strategy to rapidly, specifically and sensitively indicate the MoA of compounds based on chemo-transcriptomic fingerprints and holds promise to accelerate antimalarial drug discovery programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh van Heerden
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa.,University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Roelof van Wyk
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa.,University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Lyn-Marie Birkholtz
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa.,University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
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26
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Huang H, He Q, Guo B, Xu X, Wu Y, Li X. Progress in Redirecting Antiparasitic Drugs for Cancer Treatment. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2021; 15:2747-2767. [PMID: 34188451 PMCID: PMC8235938 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s308973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Drug repurposing is a feasible strategy in developing novel medications. Regarding the cancer field, scientists are continuously making efforts to redirect conventional drugs into cancer treatment. This approach aims at exploring new applications in the existing agents. Antiparasitic medications, including artemisinin derivatives (ARTs), quinine-related compounds, niclosamide, ivermectin, albendazole derivatives, nitazoxanide and pyrimethamine, have been deeply investigated and widely applied in treating various parasitic diseases for a long time. Generally, their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties are well understood, while the side effects are roughly acceptable. Scientists noticed that some of these agents have anticancer potentials and explored the underlying mechanisms to achieve drug repurposing. Recent studies show that these agents inhibit cancer progression via multiple interesting ways, inducing ferroptosis induction, autophagy regulation, mitochondrial disturbance, immunoregulation, and metabolic disruption. In this review, we summarize the recent advancement in uncovering antiparasitic drugs' anticancer properties from the perspective of their pharmacological targets. Instead of paying attention to the previously discovered mechanisms, we focus more on newly emerging ones that are worth noticing. While most investigations are focusing on the mechanisms of their antiparasitic effect, more in vivo exploration in clinical trials in the future is necessary. Moreover, we also paid attention to what limits the clinical application of these agents. For some of these agents like ARTs and niclosamide, drug modification, novel delivery system invention, or drug combination are strongly recommended for future exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyang Huang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Qing He
- Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,CAEA Center of Excellence on Nuclear Technology Applications for Insect Control, Beijing, 100048, People's Republic of China
| | - Binghua Guo
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, People's Republic of China
| | - Xudong Xu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Yinjuan Wu
- Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,CAEA Center of Excellence on Nuclear Technology Applications for Insect Control, Beijing, 100048, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuerong Li
- Department of Parasitology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Biological Vector Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,CAEA Center of Excellence on Nuclear Technology Applications for Insect Control, Beijing, 100048, People's Republic of China
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27
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Sutherland CJ, Henrici RC, Artavanis-Tsakonas K. Artemisinin susceptibility in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum: propellers, adaptor proteins and the need for cellular healing. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:fuaa056. [PMID: 33095255 PMCID: PMC8100002 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of the susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to the artemisinin family of antimalarial drugs provide a complex picture of partial resistance (tolerance) associated with increased parasite survival in vitro and in vivo. We present an overview of the genetic loci that, in mutant form, can independently elicit parasite tolerance. These encode Kelch propeller domain protein PfK13, ubiquitin hydrolase UBP-1, actin filament-organising protein Coronin, also carrying a propeller domain, and the trafficking adaptor subunit AP-2μ. Detailed studies of these proteins and the functional basis of artemisinin tolerance in blood-stage parasites are enabling a new synthesis of our understanding to date. To guide further experimental work, we present two major conclusions. First, we propose a dual-component model of artemisinin tolerance in P. falciparum comprising suppression of artemisinin activation in early ring stage by reducing endocytic haemoglobin capture from host cytosol, coupled with enhancement of cellular healing mechanisms in surviving cells. Second, these two independent requirements limit the likelihood of development of complete artemisinin resistance by P. falciparum, favouring deployment of existing drugs in new schedules designed to exploit these biological limits, thus extending the useful life of current combination therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin J Sutherland
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Ryan C Henrici
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London WC1E 7HT, UK
- Center for Global Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, PA, USA
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28
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Egwu CO, Tsamesidis I, Pério P, Augereau JM, Benoit-Vical F, Reybier K. Superoxide: A major role in the mechanism of action of essential antimalarial drugs. Free Radic Biol Med 2021; 167:271-275. [PMID: 33722628 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2021.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the mode of action of antimalarials is central to optimizing their use and the discovery of new therapeutics. Currently used antimalarials belong to a limited series of chemical structures and their mechanisms of action are coutinuously debated. Whereas the involvement of reactive species that in turn kill the parasites sensitive to oxidative stress, is accepted for artemisinins, little is known about the generation of such species in the case of quinolines or hydroxynaphtoquinone. Moreover, the nature of the reactive species involved has never been characterized in Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes. The aim of this work was to determine and elucidate the production of the primary radical, superoxide in Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes treated with artemisinin, dihydroartemisinin, chloroquine and atovaquone, as representatives of three major classes of antimalarials. The intracellular generation of superoxide was quantified by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS). We demonstrated that artemisinins, atovaquone and to a lesser extent chloroquine, generate significant levels of superoxide radicals in Plasmodium falciparum sensitive strains. More so, the production of superoxide was lowered in chloroquine-resistant strain of Plasmodium treated with chloroquine. These results consolidate the knowledge about the mechanism of action of these different antimalarials and should be taken into consideration in the design of future drugs to fight drug-resistant parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinedu O Egwu
- PharmaDev, UMR 152, Université de Toulouse, IRD, UPS, Toulouse, France; Medical Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Alex-Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, P.M.B. 1010, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria; CNRS, LCC, Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France; Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale, IPBS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, France; New Antimalarial Molecules and Pharmacological Approaches, Inserm ERL 1289, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Pierre Pério
- PharmaDev, UMR 152, Université de Toulouse, IRD, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Michel Augereau
- CNRS, LCC, Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France; Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale, IPBS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, France; New Antimalarial Molecules and Pharmacological Approaches, Inserm ERL 1289, Toulouse, France
| | - Françoise Benoit-Vical
- CNRS, LCC, Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France; Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale, IPBS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, France; New Antimalarial Molecules and Pharmacological Approaches, Inserm ERL 1289, Toulouse, France.
| | - Karine Reybier
- PharmaDev, UMR 152, Université de Toulouse, IRD, UPS, Toulouse, France.
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29
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Djouwoug CN, Gounoue RK, Ngueguim FT, NankapTsakem JM, Gouni CD, Kandeda AC, Ngouela S, Lenta BN, Sewald N, Fekam FB, Dimo T. In vitro and in vivo antiplasmodial activity of hydroethanolic bark extract of Bridelia atroviridis müll. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae) and lc-ms-based phytochemical analysis. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2021; 266:113424. [PMID: 33010404 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Malaria is a life-threatening health problem worldwide and treatment remains a major challenge. Natural products from medicinal plants are credible sources for better anti-malarial drugs. AIM OF THE STUDY This study aimed at assessing the in vitro and in vivo antiplasmodial activities of the hydroethanolic extract of Bridelia atroviridis bark. MATERIALS AND METHODS The phytochemical characterization of Bridelia atroviridis extract was carried out by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). The cytotoxicity test on Vero cells was carried out using the resazurin-based assay while the in vitro antiplasmodial activity was determined on Plasmodium falciparum (Dd2 strain, chloroquine resistant) using the SYBR green I-based fluorescence assay. The in vivo assay was performed on Plasmodium berghei-infected rats daily treated for 5 days with distilled water (10 mL/kg) for malaria control, 25 mg/kg of chloroquine sulfate for positive control and 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg of B. atroviridis extract for the three test groups. Parasitaemia was daily monitored using 10% giemsa-staining thin blood smears. At the end of the treatment, animals were sacrificed, blood was collected for hematological and biochemical analysis while organs were removed for biochemical and histopathological analyses. RESULTS The HPLC-MS analysis data of B. atroviridis revealed the presence of bridelionoside D, isomyricitrin, corilagin, myricetin and 5 others compounds not yet identified. Bridelia atroviridis exhibited good in vitro antiplasmodial activity with the IC50 evaluated at 8.08 μg/mL and low cytotoxicity with the median cytotoxic concentration (CC50) higher than 100 μg/mL. B. atroviridis extract significantly reduced the parasitemia (p < 0.05) with an effective dose-50 (ED-50) of 89 mg/kg. B. atroviridis also prevented anemia, leukocytosis and liver and kidneys impairment by decrease of transaminases, ALP, creatinine, uric acid, and triglycerides concentrations. As well, B. atroviridis extract decreased some pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) levels and significantly improved the anti-inflammatory status (P < 0.01) of infected animals marked by a decrease of IL-10 concentration. These results were further confirmed by the improved of antioxidant status and the quasi-normal microarchitecture of the liver, kidneys and spleen in test groups. Overall, the hydroethanolic bark extract of Bridelia atroviridis demonstrated antimalarial property and justified its use in traditional medicine to manage malaria disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Silvere Ngouela
- Laboratory of Natural Substances, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon
| | - Bruno Ndjakou Lenta
- Laboratory of Natural Substances, High Teaching Training College, University of Yaounde I, Cameroon
| | - Nobert Sewald
- Laboratory of Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, University of Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Fabrice Boyom Fekam
- Laboratory for Phytobiochemistry and Medicinal Plants Studies, Antimicrobial and Biocontrol Agents Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, Cameroon
| | - Théophile Dimo
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon.
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30
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Joof F, Goheen MM, Cerami C. Artemisinin Activity in Red Blood Cells from Anemic Children. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2021; 104:271-275. [PMID: 33169662 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Artemisinin combination therapies are the current frontline therapy for falciparum malaria. Artemisinin is activated by heme iron, and the consequent production of reactive oxygen species and carbon-centered radicals results in rapid parasite clearance. Red blood cells (RBCs) from anemic iron-deficient individuals have decreased levels of heme, and such deficiencies are highly prevalent among children and pregnant women in malaria-endemic countries. We, therefore, investigated the possibility that host anemia could impair artemisinin activity and alter the drug sensitivity of artemisinin-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum. We collected RBCs from anemic (n = 35) and nonanemic (n = 11) Gambian children between the ages of 2 and 24 months. Parasites grown in RBCs from both groups were assessed in vitro using the ring-stage survival assay with artemisinin-resistant and artemisinin-sensitive strains of P. falciparum. No differences were found in artemisinin sensitivity (P > 0.05), and there was no correlation between artemisinin activity and host hemoglobin levels. Standard antimalarial drug activity assays for representatives of the major classes of antimalarial drugs found no differences in the IC50 values against P. falciparum between anemic and nonanemic RBCs. We conclude that host anemia does not influence artemisinin activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatou Joof
- 1Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Morgan M Goheen
- 2Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Carla Cerami
- 1Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Banjul, The Gambia
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31
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de Carvalho LP, Kreidenweiss A, Held J. The preclinical discovery and development of rectal artesunate for the treatment of malaria in young children: a review of the evidence. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2020; 16:13-22. [PMID: 32921162 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1804357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite, kills hundreds of thousands of people per year, mainly young children in Sub-Saharan Africa. Artesunate suppositories are recommended as pre-referral malaria treatment in remote endemic areas for severely ill children to prevent progression of the disease and to provide extra time for patients until the definitive severe malaria treatment can be administered. AREAS COVERED The authors provide an overview of the discovery of artesunate and its different formulations focusing on rectal administration, summarizing key studies concerning the pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, safety, tolerability and efficacy of rectal artesunate leading to WHO recommendation and market authorization in Africa. In addition, studies on acceptance and adherence to rectal artesunate administration and the post-launch status are also covered. EXPERT OPINION Efforts by ministries of health in malaria endemic countries together with international health organizations should establish and enforce guidelines to ensure the correct use of artesunate suppositories only as pre-referral medication in presumed severe malaria cases to minimize the risk of abuse as a monotherapy for treatment of uncomplicated malaria. The priority is to not jeopardize the efficacy of artesunate and to prevent resistance development against this valuable drug class in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrea Kreidenweiss
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen , Tübingen, Germany.,Centre De Recherches Médicales De Lambaréné , Lambaréné, Gabon
| | - Jana Held
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen , Tübingen, Germany.,Centre De Recherches Médicales De Lambaréné , Lambaréné, Gabon
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A Cytoplasmic Heme Sensor Illuminates the Impacts of Mitochondrial and Vacuolar Functions and Oxidative Stress on Heme-Iron Homeostasis in Cryptococcus neoformans. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.00986-20. [PMID: 32723917 PMCID: PMC7387795 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00986-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive fungal diseases are increasing in frequency, and new drug targets and antifungal drugs are needed to bolster therapy. The mechanisms by which pathogens obtain critical nutrients such as iron from heme during host colonization represent a promising target for therapy. In this study, we employed a fluorescent heme sensor to investigate heme homeostasis in Cryptococcus neoformans. We demonstrated that endocytosis is a key aspect of heme acquisition and that vacuolar and mitochondrial functions are important in regulating the pool of available heme in cells. Stress generated by oxidative conditions impacts the heme pool, as do the drugs artemisinin and metformin; these drugs have heme-related activities and are in clinical use for malaria and diabetes, respectively. Overall, our study provides insights into mechanisms of fungal heme acquisition and demonstrates the utility of the heme sensor for drug characterization in support of new therapies for fungal diseases. Pathogens must compete with hosts to acquire sufficient iron for proliferation during pathogenesis. The pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans is capable of acquiring iron from heme, the most abundant source in vertebrate hosts, although the mechanisms of heme sensing and acquisition are not entirely understood. In this study, we adopted a chromosomally encoded heme sensor developed for Saccharomyces cerevisiae to examine cytosolic heme levels in C. neoformans using fluorescence microscopy, fluorimetry, and flow cytometry. We validated the responsiveness of the sensor upon treatment with exogenous hemin, during proliferation in macrophages, and in strains defective for endocytosis. We then used the sensor to show that vacuolar and mitochondrial dysregulation and oxidative stress reduced the labile heme pool in the cytosol. Importantly, the sensor provided a tool to further demonstrate that the drugs artemisinin and metformin have heme-related activities and the potential to be repurposed for antifungal therapy. Overall, this study provides insights into heme sensing by C. neoformans and establishes a powerful tool to further investigate mechanisms of heme-iron acquisition in the context of fungal pathogenesis.
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Su Y, Zhao B, Zhou L, Zhang Z, Shen Y, Lv H, AlQudsy LHH, Shang P. Ferroptosis, a novel pharmacological mechanism of anti-cancer drugs. Cancer Lett 2020; 483:127-136. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Birnbaum J, Scharf S, Schmidt S, Jonscher E, Hoeijmakers WAM, Flemming S, Toenhake CG, Schmitt M, Sabitzki R, Bergmann B, Fröhlke U, Mesén-Ramírez P, Blancke Soares A, Herrmann H, Bártfai R, Spielmann T. A Kelch13-defined endocytosis pathway mediates artemisinin resistance in malaria parasites. Science 2020; 367:51-59. [PMID: 31896710 DOI: 10.1126/science.aax4735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 228] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Artemisinin and its derivatives (ARTs) are the frontline drugs against malaria, but resistance is jeopardizing their effectiveness. ART resistance is mediated by mutations in the parasite's Kelch13 protein, but Kelch13 function and its role in resistance remain unclear. In this study, we identified proteins located at a Kelch13-defined compartment. Inactivation of eight of these proteins, including Kelch13, rendered parasites resistant to ART, revealing a pathway critical for resistance. Functional analysis showed that these proteins are required for endocytosis of hemoglobin from the host cell. Parasites with inactivated Kelch13 or a resistance-conferring Kelch13 mutation displayed reduced hemoglobin endocytosis. ARTs are activated by degradation products of hemoglobin. Hence, reduced activity of Kelch13 and its interactors diminishes hemoglobin endocytosis and thereby ART activation, resulting in parasite resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Birnbaum
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Scharf
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sabine Schmidt
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ernst Jonscher
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Sven Flemming
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christa Geeke Toenhake
- Department of Molecular Biology, Radboud University, Geert Grooteplein 26-28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Marius Schmitt
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ricarda Sabitzki
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bärbel Bergmann
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ulrike Fröhlke
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Paolo Mesén-Ramírez
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Hendrik Herrmann
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Richárd Bártfai
- Department of Molecular Biology, Radboud University, Geert Grooteplein 26-28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Tobias Spielmann
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Str. 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany.
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Wu J, Wang X, Chiu FCK, Häberli C, Shackleford DM, Ryan E, Kamaraj S, Bulbule VJ, Wallick AI, Dong Y, White KL, Davis PH, Charman SA, Keiser J, Vennerstrom JL. Structure-Activity Relationship of Antischistosomal Ozonide Carboxylic Acids. J Med Chem 2020; 63:3723-3736. [PMID: 32134263 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Semisynthetic artemisinins and other bioactive peroxides are best known for their powerful antimalarial activities, and they also show substantial activity against schistosomes-another hemoglobin-degrading pathogen. Building on this discovery, we now describe the initial structure-activity relationship (SAR) of antischistosomal ozonide carboxylic acids OZ418 (2) and OZ165 (3). Irrespective of lipophilicity, these ozonide weak acids have relatively low aqueous solubilities and high protein binding values. Ozonides with para-substituted carboxymethoxy and N-benzylglycine substituents had high antischistosomal efficacies. It was possible to increase solubility, decrease protein binding, and maintain the high antischistosomal activity in mice infected with juvenile and adult Schistosoma mansoni by incorporating a weak base functional group in these compounds. In some cases, adding polar functional groups and heteroatoms to the spiroadamantane substructure increased the solubility and metabolic stability, but in all cases decreased the antischistosomal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianbo Wu
- College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 986125, United States
| | - Xiaofang Wang
- College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 986125, United States
| | - Francis C K Chiu
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University (Parkville Campus), 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Cécile Häberli
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland
| | - David M Shackleford
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University (Parkville Campus), 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Eileen Ryan
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University (Parkville Campus), 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Sriraghavan Kamaraj
- College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 986125, United States
| | - Vivek J Bulbule
- College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 986125, United States
| | - Alexander I Wallick
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska 68182, United States
| | - Yuxiang Dong
- College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 986125, United States
| | - Karen L White
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University (Parkville Campus), 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Paul H Davis
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska 68182, United States
| | - Susan A Charman
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University (Parkville Campus), 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Jennifer Keiser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jonathan L Vennerstrom
- College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 986125, United States
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The Plasmodium falciparum Artemisinin Susceptibility-Associated AP-2 Adaptin μ Subunit is Clathrin Independent and Essential for Schizont Maturation. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.02918-19. [PMID: 32098816 PMCID: PMC7042695 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02918-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The efficacy of current antimalarial drugs is threatened by reduced susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to artemisinin, associated with mutations in pfkelch13 Another gene with variants known to modulate the response to artemisinin encodes the μ subunit of the AP-2 adaptin trafficking complex. To elucidate the cellular role of AP-2μ in P. falciparum, we performed a conditional gene knockout, which severely disrupted schizont organization and maturation, leading to mislocalization of key merozoite proteins. AP-2μ is thus essential for blood-stage replication. We generated transgenic P. falciparum parasites expressing hemagglutinin-tagged AP-2μ and examined cellular localization by fluorescence and electron microscopy. Together with mass spectrometry analysis of coimmunoprecipitating proteins, these studies identified AP-2μ-interacting partners, including other AP-2 subunits, the K10 kelch-domain protein, and PfEHD, an effector of endocytosis and lipid mobilization, but no evidence was found of interaction with clathrin, the expected coat protein for AP-2 vesicles. In reverse immunoprecipitation experiments with a clathrin nanobody, other heterotetrameric AP-complexes were shown to interact with clathrin, but AP-2 complex subunits were absent.IMPORTANCE We examine in detail the AP-2 adaptin complex from the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum In most studied organisms, AP-2 is involved in bringing material into the cell from outside, a process called endocytosis. Previous work shows that changes to the μ subunit of AP-2 can contribute to drug resistance. Our experiments show that AP-2 is essential for parasite development in blood but does not have any role in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. This suggests that a specialized function for AP-2 has developed in malaria parasites, and this may be important for understanding its impact on drug resistance.
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Jourdan J, Walz A, Matile H, Schmidt A, Wu J, Wang X, Dong Y, Vennerstrom JL, Schmidt RS, Wittlin S, Mäser P. Stochastic Protein Alkylation by Antimalarial Peroxides. ACS Infect Dis 2019; 5:2067-2075. [PMID: 31626733 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.9b00264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Antimalarial peroxides such as the phytochemical artemisinin or the synthetic ozonides arterolane and artefenomel undergo reductive cleavage of the pharmacophoric peroxide bond by ferrous heme, released by parasite hemoglobin digestion. The generated carbon-centered radicals alkylate heme in an intramolecular reaction and proteins in an intermolecular reaction. Here, we determine the proteinaceous alkylation signatures of artemisinin and synthetic ozonides in Plasmodium falciparum using alkyne click chemistry probes to identify target proteins by affinity purification and mass spectrometry-based proteomics. Using stringent controls and purification procedures, we identified 25 P. falciparum proteins that were alkylated by the antimalarial peroxides in a peroxide-dependent manner, but the alkylation patterns were more random than we had anticipated. Moreover, there was little overlap in the alkylation signatures identified in this work and those disclosed in previous studies. Our findings suggest that alkylation of parasite proteins by antimalarial peroxides is likely to be a nonspecific, stochastic process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joëlle Jourdan
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Annabelle Walz
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hugues Matile
- F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Schmidt
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jianbo Wu
- College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 42nd and Emile, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-6125, United States
| | - Xiaofang Wang
- College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 42nd and Emile, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-6125, United States
| | - Yuxiang Dong
- College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 42nd and Emile, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-6125, United States
| | - Jonathan L. Vennerstrom
- College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 42nd and Emile, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-6125, United States
| | - Remo S. Schmidt
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sergio Wittlin
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Mäser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
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Saeed MEM, Breuer E, Hegazy MEF, Efferth T. Retrospective study of small pet tumors treated with Artemisia annua and iron. Int J Oncol 2019; 56:123-138. [PMID: 31789393 PMCID: PMC6910181 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2019.4921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Artemisinin from Artemisia annua L. and its derivatives are well-known antimalarial drugs. In addition, in vitro studies, in vivo studies and clinical trials have demonstrated that these drugs exhibit anticancer activity in human patients with cancer. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether a phytotherapeutic A. annua preparation exerts anticancer activity in veterinary tumors of small pets. Dogs and cats with spontaneous cancer (n=20) were treated with standard therapy plus a commercial A. annua preparation (Luparte®) and compared with a control group treated with standard therapy alone (n=11). Immunohistochemical analyses were performed with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor biopsies to analyze the expression of transferrin receptor (TfR) and the proliferation marker Ki-67 as possible biomarkers to assess treatment response of tumors to A. annua. Finally, the expression levels of TfR and Ki-67 were compared with the IC50 values towards artemisinin in two dog tumor cells lines (DH82 and DGBM) and a panel of 54 human tumor cell lines. Retrospectively, the present study assessed the survival times of small animals treated by standard therapy with or without A. annua. A. annua treatment was associated with a significantly higher number of animals surviving >18 months compared with animals without A. annua treatment (P=0.0331). Using a second set of small pet tumors, a significant correlation was identified between TfR and Ki-67 expression by immunohistochemistry (P=0.025). To further assess the association of transferrin and Ki-67 expression with cellular response to artemisinin, the present study compared the expression of these two biomarkers and the IC50 values for artemisinin in National Cancer Institute tumor cell lines in vitro. Both markers were inversely associated with artemisinin response (P<0.05), and the expression levels of TfR and Ki-67 were significantly correlated (P=0.008). In conclusion, the promising results of the present retrospective study warrant further confirmation by prospective studies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed E M Saeed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, D‑55128 Rhineland‑Palatinate, Germany
| | - Elmar Breuer
- Veterinary Clinic for Small Animals, 'Alte Ziegelei' Müllheim, D‑79379 Baden, Germany
| | - Mohamed-Elamir F Hegazy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, D‑55128 Rhineland‑Palatinate, Germany
| | - Thomas Efferth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, D‑55128 Rhineland‑Palatinate, Germany
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Ozonide Antimalarial Activity in the Context of Artemisinin-Resistant Malaria. Trends Parasitol 2019; 35:529-543. [PMID: 31176584 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2019.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The ozonides are one of the most advanced drug classes in the antimalarial development pipeline and were designed to improve on limitations associated with current front-line artemisinin-based therapies. Like the artemisinins, the pharmacophoric peroxide bond of ozonides is essential for activity, and it appears that these antimalarials share a similar mode of action, raising the possibility of cross-resistance. Resistance to artemisinins is associated with Plasmodium falciparum mutations that allow resistant parasites to escape short-term artemisinin-mediated damage (elimination half-life ~1 h). Importantly, some ozonides (e.g., OZ439) have a sustained in vivo drug exposure profile, providing a major pharmacokinetic advantage over the artemisinin derivatives. Here, we describe recent progress made towards understanding ozonide antimalarial activity and discuss ozonide utility within the context of artemisinin resistance.
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Fereja TH, Kitte SA, Gao W, Yuan F, Snizhko D, Qi L, Nsabimana A, Liu Z, Xu G. Artesunate-luminol chemiluminescence system for the detection of hemin. Talanta 2019; 204:379-385. [PMID: 31357309 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2019.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Fabricating simple, accurate and user-friendly diagnostic device for "point of care testing" (POCT) applications is one of the most challenging objectives in the analytical field. Hemin detection is important for drugs monitoring, diagnosis, and forensic latent bloodstain imaging. Herein is developed, luminol chemiluminescence biosensor for hemin detection using artesunate as coreactant. A possible mechanism to account for the chemiluminescence reaction is discussed. Hemin was detected using both photomultiplier tube (PMT) and smartphone as detector. The detection limit for hemin using smartphone as detector is 20 nM, enabling the visual detection of hemin in blood sample with a dilution factor of blood up to 120,000. While PMT detector is used, the system is able to detect hemin down to 0.22 nM. In addition to high sensitivity, this sensing system exhibit high selectivity. It can successfully distinguish bloodstain from other stains while applying the system for point of care testing using smart phone as detector. Moreover, the system can detect artesunate with a linear range from 0.1 nM to 1.0 μM with a limit of detection of 0.078 nM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadesse Haile Fereja
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China; Ambo University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, P.O.Box 19, Ambo, Ethiopia
| | - Shimeles Addisu Kitte
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China
| | - Wenyue Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China
| | - Fan Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, PR China; University of Science and Technology of China. Anhui, 230026, PR China
| | - Dmytro Snizhko
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, PR China; Laboratory of Analytical Optochemotronics, Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics, 14 Nauka Ave., Kharkiv, 61166, Ukraine
| | - Liming Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China
| | - Anaclet Nsabimana
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China
| | - Zhongyuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, PR China.
| | - Guobao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, PR China; University of Science and Technology of China. Anhui, 230026, PR China.
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Dhingra SK, Gabryszewski SJ, Small-Saunders JL, Yeo T, Henrich PP, Mok S, Fidock DA. Global Spread of Mutant PfCRT and Its Pleiotropic Impact on Plasmodium falciparum Multidrug Resistance and Fitness. mBio 2019; 10:e02731-18. [PMID: 31040246 PMCID: PMC6495381 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02731-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The global spread of Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) variant haplotypes earlier caused the widespread loss of chloroquine (CQ) efficacy. In Asia, novel PfCRT mutations that emerged on the Dd2 allelic background have recently been implicated in high-level resistance to piperaquine, and N326S and I356T have been associated with genetic backgrounds in which resistance emerged to artemisinin derivatives. By analyzing large-scale genome sequencing data, we report that the predominant Asian CQ-resistant Dd2 haplotype is undetectable in Africa. Instead, the GB4 and previously unexplored Cam783 haplotypes predominate, along with wild-type, drug-sensitive PfCRT that has reemerged as the major haplotype. To interrogate how these alleles impact drug susceptibility, we generated pfcrt-modified isogenic parasite lines spanning the mutational interval between GB4 and Dd2, which includes Cam783 and involves amino acid substitutions at residues 326 and 356. Relative to Dd2, the GB4 and Cam783 alleles were observed to mediate lower degrees of resistance to CQ and the first-line drug amodiaquine, while resulting in higher growth rates. These findings suggest that differences in growth rates, a surrogate of parasite fitness, influence selection in the context of African infections that are frequently characterized by high transmission rates, mixed infections, increased immunity, and less recourse to treatment. We also observe that the Asian Dd2 allele affords partial protection against piperaquine yet does not directly impact artemisinin efficacy. Our results can help inform the regional recommendations of antimalarials, whose activity is influenced by and, in certain cases, enhanced against select PfCRT variant haplotypes.IMPORTANCE Our study defines the allelic distribution of pfcrt, an important mediator of multidrug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum, in Africa and Asia. We leveraged whole-genome sequence analysis and gene editing to demonstrate how current drug combinations can select different allelic variants of this gene and shape region-specific parasite population structures. We document the ability of PfCRT mutations to modulate parasite susceptibility to current antimalarials in dissimilar, pfcrt allele-specific ways. This study underscores the importance of actively monitoring pfcrt genotypes to identify emerging patterns of multidrug resistance and help guide region-specific treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satish K Dhingra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Stanislaw J Gabryszewski
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jennifer L Small-Saunders
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Philipp P Henrich
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
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Vydyam P, Dutta D, Sutram N, Bhattacharyya S, Bhattacharyya MK. A small-molecule inhibitor of the DNA recombinase Rad51 from Plasmodium falciparum synergizes with the antimalarial drugs artemisinin and chloroquine. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:8171-8183. [PMID: 30936202 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.005009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites repair DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) primarily through homologous recombination (HR). Here, because the unrepaired DSBs lead to the death of the unicellular parasite Plasmodium falciparum, we investigated its recombinase, PfRad51, as a potential drug target. Undertaking an in silico screening approach, we identified a compound, B02, that docks to the predicted tertiary structure of PfRad51 with high affinity. B02 inhibited a drug-sensitive P. falciparum strain (3D7) and multidrug-resistant parasite (Dd2) in culture, with IC50 values of 8 and 3 μm, respectively. We found that B02 is more potent against these P. falciparum strains than against mammalian cell lines. Our findings also revealed that the antimalarial activity of B02 synergizes with those of two first-line malaria drugs, artemisinin (ART) and chloroquine (CQ), lowering the IC50 values of ART and CQ by 15- and 8-fold, respectively. Our results also provide mechanistic insights into the anti-parasitic activity of B02, indicating that it blocks the ATPase and strand-exchange activities of PfRad51 and abrogates the formation of PfRad51 foci on damaged DNA at chromosomal sites, probably by blocking homomeric interactions of PfRad51 proteins. The B02-mediated PfRad51 disruption led to the accumulation of unrepaired parasitic DNA and rendered parasites more sensitive to DNA-damaging agents, including ART. Our findings provide a rationale for targeting the Plasmodium DSB repair pathway in combination with ART. We propose that identification of a specific inhibitor of HR in Plasmodium may enable investigations of HR's role in Plasmodium biology, including generation of antigenic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratap Vydyam
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500046, TS, India
| | - Dibyendu Dutta
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500046, TS, India
| | - Niranjan Sutram
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500046, TS, India
| | - Sunanda Bhattacharyya
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500046, TS, India
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He Z, Su H, Shen Y, Shi W, Liu X, Liu Y, Zhang F, Zhang Y, Sun Y, Ge D. Poly(norepinephrine)-coated FeOOH nanoparticles as carriers of artemisinin for cancer photothermal-chemical combination therapy. RSC Adv 2019; 9:9968-9982. [PMID: 35520919 PMCID: PMC9062392 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra01289c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The photothermal-chemical combination therapy is a promising approach for cancer treatment, however, chemotherapy often causes severe toxic and side effects on normal tissues. Herein, tumor-specific FeOOH@PNE-Art nanoparticles were fabricated via coating poly(norepinephrine) (PNE) on FeOOH nanoparticles, followed by loading of artemisinin (Art). The as-prepared nanoparticles exhibited excellent biocompatibility, strong near-infrared (NIR) absorbance and pH-responsive synchronous release of Art and iron ions. The released iron ions could not only supply iron ions in cancer cells which mediate endoperoxide bridge cleavage of Art and generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), but also react with H2O2 at tumour sites via the Fenton reaction and produce hydroxyl radicals, inducing a tumour-specific killing. Moreover, owing to the synchronous release of Art and iron ions as well as the low leakage of iron ions, FeOOH@PNE-Art nanoparticles showed extremely low toxicity to normal tissue. Under NIR light irradiation, the tumours in FeOOH@PNE-Art injected mice were thoroughly eliminated after 7 days of treatment and no tumour recurrence was found 30 days after treatment, manifesting very high efficacy of combination therapy. Tumor-specific FeOOH@PNE-Art nanoparticles were fabricated that showed high efficacy of photothermal-chemical combination therapy and low toxicity to normal tissue.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi He
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Fujian Province University/Research Center of Biomedical Engineering of Xiamen
- Department of Biomaterials
- College of Materials
- Xiamen University
- Xiamen 361005
| | - Huiling Su
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Fujian Province University/Research Center of Biomedical Engineering of Xiamen
- Department of Biomaterials
- College of Materials
- Xiamen University
- Xiamen 361005
| | - Yuqing Shen
- Xiamen Maternal and Child Health Hospital
- Xiamen 361003
- China
| | - Wei Shi
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Fujian Province University/Research Center of Biomedical Engineering of Xiamen
- Department of Biomaterials
- College of Materials
- Xiamen University
- Xiamen 361005
| | - Xin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Fujian Province University/Research Center of Biomedical Engineering of Xiamen
- Department of Biomaterials
- College of Materials
- Xiamen University
- Xiamen 361005
| | - Yang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Fujian Province University/Research Center of Biomedical Engineering of Xiamen
- Department of Biomaterials
- College of Materials
- Xiamen University
- Xiamen 361005
| | - Fuhui Zhang
- Xiamen Maternal and Child Health Hospital
- Xiamen 361003
- China
| | - Yansheng Zhang
- Xiamen Maternal and Child Health Hospital
- Xiamen 361003
- China
| | - Yanan Sun
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Fujian Province University/Research Center of Biomedical Engineering of Xiamen
- Department of Biomaterials
- College of Materials
- Xiamen University
- Xiamen 361005
| | - Dongtao Ge
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Fujian Province University/Research Center of Biomedical Engineering of Xiamen
- Department of Biomaterials
- College of Materials
- Xiamen University
- Xiamen 361005
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Gibbons J, Button-Simons KA, Adapa SR, Li S, Pietsch M, Zhang M, Liao X, Adams JH, Ferdig MT, Jiang RHY. Altered expression of K13 disrupts DNA replication and repair in Plasmodium falciparum. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:849. [PMID: 30486796 PMCID: PMC6263542 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-5207-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plasmodium falciparum exhibits resistance to the artemisinin component of the frontline antimalarial treatment Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy in South East Asia. Millions of lives will be at risk if artemisinin resistance (ART-R) spreads to Africa. Single non-synonymous mutations in the propeller region of PF3D7_1343700,"K13" are implicated in resistance. In this work, we use transcriptional profiling to characterize a laboratory-generated k13 insertional mutant previously demonstrated to have increased sensitivity to artemisinins to explore the functional role of k13. RESULTS A set of RNA-seq and microarray experiments confirmed that the expression profile of k13 is specifically altered during the early ring and early trophozoite stages of the mutant intraerythrocytic development cycle. The down-regulation of k13 transcripts in this mutant during the early ring stage is associated with a transcriptome advance towards a more trophozoite-like state. To discover the specific downstream effect of k13 dysregulation, we developed a new computational method to search for differential gene expression while accounting for the temporal sequence of transcription. We found that the strongest biological signature of the transcriptome shift is an up-regulation of DNA replication and repair genes during the early ring developmental stage and a down-regulation of DNA replication and repair genes during the early trophozoite stage; by contrast, the expressions of housekeeping genes are unchanged. This effect, due to k13 dysregulation, is antagonistic, such that k13 levels are negatively correlated with DNA replication and repair gene expression. CONCLUSION Our results support a role for k13 as a stress response regulator consistent with the hypothesis that artemisinins mode of action is oxidative stress and k13 as a functional homolog of Keap1 which in humans regulates DNA replication and repair genes in response to oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Gibbons
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA.,Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
| | - Katrina A Button-Simons
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, USA
| | - Swamy R Adapa
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
| | - Suzanne Li
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
| | - Maxwell Pietsch
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
| | - Min Zhang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
| | - Xiangyun Liao
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
| | - John H Adams
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
| | - Michael T Ferdig
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, USA
| | - Rays H Y Jiang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA.
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45
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Pasupureddy R, Atul, Seshadri S, Pande V, Dixit R, Pandey KC. Current scenario and future strategies to fight artemisinin resistance. Parasitol Res 2018; 118:29-42. [PMID: 30478733 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-6126-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite several setbacks in the fight against malaria such as insecticide and drug resistance as well as low efficacy of available vaccines, considerable success in reducing malaria burden has been achieved in the past decade. Artemisinins (ARTs and their combination therapies, ACTs), the current frontline drugs against uncomplicated malaria, rapidly kill plasmodial parasites and are non-toxic at short exposures. Though the exact mode of action remains unclear, the endoperoxide bridge, indispensable for ART activity, is thought to react with heme released from hemoglobin hydrolysis and generate free radicals that alkylate multiple protein targets, thereby disrupting proteostasis pathways. However, rapid development of ART resistance in recent years with no potential alternatives on the horizon threaten the elimination efforts. The Greater Mekong Subregion in South-East Asia continues to churn out mutants resistant to multiple ACTs and detected in increasingly expanding geographies. Extensive research on ART-resistant strains have identified a potential candidate Kelch13, crucial for mediating ART resistance. Parasites with mutations in the propeller domains of Plasmodium falciparum Kelch13 protein were shown to have enhanced phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase levels that were concomitant with delayed parasite clearance. Current research focused on understanding the mechanism of Kelch13-mediated ART resistance could provide better insights into Plasmodium resistome. This review covers the current proposed mechanisms of ART activity, resistance strategies adopted by the parasite in response to ACTs and possible future approaches to mitigate the spread of resistance from South-East Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Pasupureddy
- National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka Sector 8, New Delhi, 110077, India.,Institute of Science, Nirma University, SG Highway, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 382481, India
| | - Atul
- National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka Sector 8, New Delhi, 110077, India.,Department of Biotechnology, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, 263001, India
| | - Sriram Seshadri
- Institute of Science, Nirma University, SG Highway, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 382481, India
| | - Veena Pande
- Department of Biotechnology, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, 263001, India
| | - Rajnikant Dixit
- National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka Sector 8, New Delhi, 110077, India
| | - Kailash C Pandey
- National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka Sector 8, New Delhi, 110077, India. .,Department of Biochemistry, Indian Council of Medical Research, National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, 462001, India.
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Batra N, Rajendran V, Agarwal D, Wadi I, Ghosh PC, Gupta RD, Nath M. Synthesis and Antimalarial Evaluation of [1, 2,3]-Triazole-Tethered Sulfonamide-Berberine Hybrids. ChemistrySelect 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.201801905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Neha Batra
- Department of Chemistry; University of Delhi; Delhi 110 007 India
| | - Vinoth Rajendran
- Department of Biochemistry; University of Delhi South Campus; New Delhi 110 021 India
| | - Drishti Agarwal
- Department of Chemistry; University of Delhi; Delhi 110 007 India
| | - Ishan Wadi
- Department of Chemistry; University of Delhi; Delhi 110 007 India
| | - Prahlad C. Ghosh
- Department of Biochemistry; University of Delhi South Campus; New Delhi 110 021 India
| | - Rinkoo D. Gupta
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology; South Asian University; New Delhi 110 021 India
| | - Mahendra Nath
- Department of Chemistry; University of Delhi; Delhi 110 007 India
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47
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Biomimetic magnetoelectric nanocrystals synthesized by polymerization of heme as advanced nanomaterials for biosensing application. Biosens Bioelectron 2018; 114:1-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2018.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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48
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Artemisone and Artemiside Are Potent Panreactive Antimalarial Agents That Also Synergize Redox Imbalance in Plasmodium falciparum Transmissible Gametocyte Stages. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018; 62:AAC.02214-17. [PMID: 29866868 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02214-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of resistance toward artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum has the potential to severely compromise malaria control. Therefore, the development of new artemisinins in combination with new drugs that impart activities toward both intraerythrocytic proliferative asexual and transmissible gametocyte stages, in particular, those of resistant parasites, is urgently required. We define artemisinins as oxidant drugs through their ability to oxidize reduced flavin cofactors of flavin disulfide reductases critical for maintaining redox homeostasis in the malaria parasite. Here we compare the activities of 10-amino artemisinin derivatives toward the asexual and gametocyte stages of P. falciparum parasites. Of these, artemisone and artemiside inhibited asexual and gametocyte stages, particularly stage V gametocytes, in the low-nanomolar range. Further, treatment of both early and late gametocyte stages with artemisone or artemiside combined with the pro-oxidant redox partner methylene blue displayed notable synergism. These data suggest that modulation of redox homeostasis is likely an important druggable process, particularly in gametocytes, and this finding thereby enhances the prospect of using combinations of oxidant and redox drugs for malaria control.
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49
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Towards a better understanding of Artemisia vulgaris : Botany, phytochemistry, pharmacological and biotechnological potential. Food Res Int 2018; 109:403-415. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2018.03.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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50
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Muangphrom P, Seki H, Matsumoto S, Nishiwaki M, Fukushima EO, Muranaka T. Identification and characterization of a novel sesquiterpene synthase, 4-amorphen-11-ol synthase, from Artemisia maritima. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY (TOKYO, JAPAN) 2018; 35:113-121. [PMID: 31819713 PMCID: PMC6879386 DOI: 10.5511/plantbiotechnology.18.0324a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone exhibiting effective antimalarial activity, is produced by only Artemisia annua plant. A key step in artemisinin biosynthesis is the cyclization of farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) to amorpha-4,11-diene catalyzed by amorpha-4,11-diene synthase (AaADS). Intriguingly, several non-artemisinin-producing Artemisia plants also express genes highly homologous to AaADS. Our previous functional analysis of these homologous enzymes revealed that they catalyzed the synthesis of rare natural sesquiterpenoids. In this study, we analyzed the function of another putative sesquiterpene synthase highly homologous to AaADS from A. maritima. Unlike AaADS, in vivo enzymatic assay showed that this enzyme cyclized FPP to 4-amorphen-11-ol, a precursor of several gastroprotective agents. The discovery of 4-amorphen-11-ol synthase (AmAOS) and the successful de novo production of 4-amorphen-11-ol in engineered yeast demonstrated herein provides insights into the methods used to enhance its production for future application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paskorn Muangphrom
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 Japan
| | - Hikaru Seki
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 Japan
| | - Seiya Matsumoto
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 Japan
| | - Mika Nishiwaki
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 Japan
| | - Ery O. Fukushima
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 Japan
- Center for Open Innovation Research and Education, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1,Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 Japan
| | - Toshiya Muranaka
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 Japan
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