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Registre C, Silva LM, Registre F, Soares RDDOA, Rubio KTS, Carneiro SP, Dos Santos ODH. Targeting Leishmania Promastigotes and Amastigotes Forms through Amino Acids and Peptides: A Promising Therapeutic Strategy. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:2467-2484. [PMID: 38950147 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00089] [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] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Millions of people worldwide are affected by leishmaniasis, caused by the Leishmania parasite. Effective treatment is challenging due to the biological complexity of the parasite, drug toxicity, and increasing resistance to conventional drugs. To combat this disease, the development of specific strategies to target and selectively eliminate the parasite is crucial. This Review highlights the importance of amino acids in the developmental stages of Leishmania as a factor determining whether the infection progresses or is suppressed. It also explores the use of peptides as alternatives in parasite control and the development of novel targeted treatments. While these strategies show promise for more effective and targeted treatment, further studies to address the remaining challenges are imperative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charmante Registre
- Phytotechnology Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 35400000, Brazil
| | - Luciana Miranda Silva
- Phytotechnology Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 35400000, Brazil
| | - Farah Registre
- School of Medicine, Goiás Federal University, Goiânia, Goiás 74605-050, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Dian de Oliveira Aguiar Soares
- Immunopathology Laboratory, Center for Research in Biological Sciences/NUPEB, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 35400000, Brazil
| | - Karina Taciana Santos Rubio
- Toxicology Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 35400000, Brazil
| | - Simone Pinto Carneiro
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
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Zhou Q, Zheng Z, Yin S, Duan D, Liao X, Xiao Y, He J, Zhong J, Zeng Z, Su L, Luo L, Dong C, Chen J, Li J. Nicotinamide mitigates visceral leishmaniasis by regulating inflammatory response and enhancing lipid metabolism. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:288. [PMID: 38971783 PMCID: PMC11227177 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06370-x] [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: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Currently, treatment regimens for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are limited because of the presence of numerous adverse effects. Nicotinamide, a readily available and cost-effective vitamin, has been widely acknowledged for its safety profile. Several studies have demonstrated the anti-leishmanial effects of nicotinamide in vitro. However, the potential role of nicotinamide in Leishmania infection in vivo remains elusive. METHODS In this study, we assessed the efficacy of nicotinamide as a therapeutic intervention for VL caused by Leishmania infantum in an experimental mouse model and investigated its underlying molecular mechanisms. The potential molecular mechanism was explored through cytokine analysis, examination of spleen lymphocyte subsets, liver RNA-seq analysis, and pathway validation. RESULTS Compared to the infection group, the group treated with nicotinamide demonstrated significant amelioration of hepatosplenomegaly and recovery from liver pathological damage. The NAM group exhibited parasite reduction rates of 79.7% in the liver and 86.7% in the spleen, respectively. Nicotinamide treatment significantly reduced the activation of excessive immune response in infected mice, thereby mitigating hepatosplenomegaly and injury. Furthermore, nicotinamide treatment enhanced fatty acid β-oxidation by upregulating key enzymes to maintain lipid homeostasis. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide initial evidence supporting the safety and therapeutic efficacy of nicotinamide in the treatment of Leishmania infection in BALB/c mice, suggesting its potential as a viable drug for VL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhou
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhiwan Zheng
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Sichuan-Chongqing jointly-established Research Platform of Zoonosis, Chengdu, China
| | - Shuangshuang Yin
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Dengbinpei Duan
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xuechun Liao
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuying Xiao
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jinlei He
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Sichuan-Chongqing jointly-established Research Platform of Zoonosis, Chengdu, China
| | - Junchao Zhong
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Zheng Zeng
- Sichuan-Chongqing jointly-established Research Platform of Zoonosis, Chengdu, China
- Chong Qing Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center, Chongqing, China
| | - Liang Su
- Sichuan-Chongqing jointly-established Research Platform of Zoonosis, Chengdu, China
- Chong Qing Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center, Chongqing, China
| | - Lu Luo
- Sichuan-Chongqing jointly-established Research Platform of Zoonosis, Chengdu, China
- Chong Qing Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center, Chongqing, China
| | - Chunxia Dong
- Sichuan-Chongqing jointly-established Research Platform of Zoonosis, Chengdu, China
- Chong Qing Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianping Chen
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
- Sichuan-Chongqing jointly-established Research Platform of Zoonosis, Chengdu, China.
| | - Jiao Li
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
- Sichuan-Chongqing jointly-established Research Platform of Zoonosis, Chengdu, China.
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Nawaz A, Priya B, Singh K, Ali V. Unveiling the role of serine o-acetyltransferase in drug resistance and oxidative stress tolerance in Leishmania donovani through the regulation of thiol-based redox metabolism. Free Radic Biol Med 2024; 213:371-393. [PMID: 38272324 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2024.01.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the unique metabolic pathway of L. donovani is crucial for comprehending its biology under oxidative stress conditions. The de novo cysteine biosynthetic pathway of L. donovani is absent in humans and its product, cysteine regulates the downstream components of trypanothione-based thiol metabolism, important for maintaining cellular redox homeostasis. The role of serine o-acetyl transferase (SAT), the first enzyme of this pathway remains unexplored. In order to investigate the role of SAT protein, we cloned SAT gene into pXG-GFP+ vector for episomal expression of SAT in Amphotericin B sensitive L. donovani promastigotes. The SAT overexpression was confirmed by SAT enzymatic assay, GFP fluorescence, immunoblotting and PCR. Our study unveiled an upregulated expression of both LdSAT and LdCS of cysteine biosynthetic pathway and other downstream thiol pathway proteins in LdSAT-OE promastigotes. Additionally, there was an increase in enzymatic activities of LdSAT and LdCS proteins in LdSAT-OE, which was found similar to the Amp B resistant parasites, indicating a potential role of SAT protein in modulating drug resistance. We observed that the overexpression of SAT in Amp B sensitive parasites increases tolerance to drug pressure and oxidative stress via trypanothione-dependent antioxidant mechanism. Moreover, the in vitro J774A.1 macrophage infectivity assessment showed that SAT overexpression augments parasite infectivity. In LdSAT-OE promastigotes, antioxidant enzyme activities like APx and SOD were upregulated, intracellular reactive oxygen species were reduced with a corresponding increase in thiol level, emphasizing SAT's role in stress tolerance and enhanced infectivity. Additionally, the ROS mediated upregulation in the expression of LdSAT, LdCS, LdTryS and LdcTXNPx proteins reveals an essential cross talk between SAT and proteins of thiol metabolism in combating oxidative stress and maintaining redox homeostasis. Taken together, our results provide the first insight into the role of SAT protein in parasite infectivity and survival under drug pressure and oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afreen Nawaz
- ICMR - Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (RMRIMS), Patna, Bihar, 800007, India
| | - Bhawna Priya
- ICMR - Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (RMRIMS), Patna, Bihar, 800007, India
| | - Kuljit Singh
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR - Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, 180001, India
| | - Vahab Ali
- ICMR - Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (RMRIMS), Patna, Bihar, 800007, India.
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Araújo M, Moreira D, Mesquita I, Ferreira C, Mendes-Frias A, Barros-Carvalho S, Dinis-Oliveira RJ, Duarte-Oliveira C, Cunha C, Carvalho A, Saha B, Cordeiro-da-Silva A, Estaquier J, Silvestre R. Intramacrophage lipid accumulation compromises T cell responses and is associated with impaired drug therapy against visceral leishmaniasis. Immunology 2023; 170:510-526. [PMID: 37635289 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13686] [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: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Under perturbing conditions such as infection with Leishmania, a protozoan parasite living within the phagosomes in mammalian macrophages, cellular and organellar structures, and metabolism are dynamically regulated for neutralizing the pressure of parasitism. However, how modulations of the host cell metabolic pathways support Leishmania infection remains unknown. Herein, we report that lipid accumulation heightens the susceptibility of mice to L. donovani infection and promotes resistance to first-line anti-leishmanial drugs. Despite being pro-inflammatory, the in vitro generated uninfected lipid-laden macrophages (LLMs) or adipose-tissue macrophages (ATMs) display lower levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Upon infection, LLMs secrete higher IL-10 and lower IL-12p70 cytokines, inhibiting CD4+ T cell activation and Th1 response suggesting a key modulatory role for intramacrophage lipid accumulation in anti-leishmanial host defence. We, therefore, examined this causal relationship between lipids and immunomodulation using an in vivo high-fat diet (HFD) mouse model. HFD increased the susceptibility to L. donovani infection accompanied by a defective CD4+ Th1 and CD8+ T cell response. The white adipose tissue of HFD mice displays increased susceptibility to L. donovani infection with the preferential infection of F4/80+ CD11b+ CD11c+ macrophages with higher levels of neutral lipids reserve. The HFD increased resistance to a first-line anti-leishmanial drug associated with a defective adaptive immune response. These data demonstrate that the accumulation of neutral lipids contributes to susceptibility to visceral leishmaniasis hindering host-protective immune response and reducing the efficacy of antiparasitic drug therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Araújo
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Diana Moreira
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Parasite Disease Group, IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade do Porto (FFUP), Porto, Portugal
| | - Inês Mesquita
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Carolina Ferreira
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ana Mendes-Frias
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Sónia Barros-Carvalho
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira
- TOXRUN - Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences (IUCS), CESPU, CRL, Gandra, Portugal
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Public Health and Forensic Sciences, and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- MTG Research and Development Lab, Porto, Portugal
| | - Cláudio Duarte-Oliveira
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Cristina Cunha
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Agostinho Carvalho
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | | | - Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Parasite Disease Group, IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade do Porto (FFUP), Porto, Portugal
| | - Jérôme Estaquier
- INSERM U1124, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Pathophysiology of Cell Death in Host-Pathogen Interactions, CHU de Québec - Université Laval Research Center, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Ricardo Silvestre
- Immunobiology of Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases (i3D), Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
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Fernández-García M, Mesquita I, Ferreira C, Araújo M, Saha B, Rey-Stolle MF, García A, Silvestre R, Barbas C. Leishmania donovani Induces Multiple Dynamic Responses in the Metabolome Associated with Amastigote Differentiation and Maturation Inside the Human Macrophage. J Proteome Res 2023. [PMID: 37339249 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.2c00845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Leishmania donovani infection of macrophages drives profound changes in the metabolism of both the host macrophage and the parasite, which undergoes different phases of development culminating in replication and propagation. However, the dynamics of this parasite-macrophage cometabolome are poorly understood. In this study, a multiplatform metabolomics pipeline combining untargeted, high-resolution CE-TOF/MS and LC-QTOF/MS with targeted LC-QqQ/MS was followed to characterize the metabolome alterations induced in L. donovani-infected human monocyte-derived macrophages from different donors at 12, 36, and 72 h post-infection. The set of alterations known to occur during Leishmania infection of macrophages, substantially expanded in this investigation, characterized the dynamics of the glycerophospholipid, sphingolipid, purine, pentose phosphate, glycolytic, TCA, and amino acid metabolism. Our results showed that only citrulline, arginine, and glutamine exhibited constant trends across all studied infection time points, while most metabolite alterations underwent a partial recovery during amastigote maturation. We determined a major metabolite response pointing to an early induction of sphingomyelinase and phospholipase activities and correlated with amino acid depletion. These data represent a comprehensive overview of the metabolome alterations occurring during promastigote-to-amastigote differentiation and maturation of L. donovani inside macrophages that contributes to our understanding of the relationship between L. donovani pathogenesis and metabolic dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Fernández-García
- Centro de Metabolómica y Bioanálisis (CEMBIO), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, España
- Departamento de Ciencias Médicas Básicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, España
| | - Inês Mesquita
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Carolina Ferreira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Marta Araújo
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Bhaskar Saha
- National Centre for Cell Science, 411007 Pune, India
| | - Ma Fernanda Rey-Stolle
- Centro de Metabolómica y Bioanálisis (CEMBIO), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, España
| | - Antonia García
- Centro de Metabolómica y Bioanálisis (CEMBIO), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, España
| | - Ricardo Silvestre
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4806-909 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Coral Barbas
- Centro de Metabolómica y Bioanálisis (CEMBIO), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, CEU Universities, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, España
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Almeida FS, Vanderley SER, Comberlang FC, Andrade AGD, Cavalcante-Silva LHA, Silva EDS, Palmeira PHDS, Amaral IPGD, Keesen TSL. Leishmaniasis: Immune Cells Crosstalk in Macrophage Polarization. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:tropicalmed8050276. [PMID: 37235324 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8050276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a complex infectious parasitic disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, belonging to a group of neglected tropical diseases. It establishes significant global health challenges, particularly in socio-economically disadvantaged regions. Macrophages, as innate immune cells, play a crucial role in initiating the inflammatory response against the pathogens responsible for this disease. Macrophage polarization, the process of differentiating macrophages into pro-inflammatory (M1) or anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes, is essential for the immune response in leishmaniasis. The M1 phenotype is associated with resistance to Leishmania infection, while the M2 phenotype is predominant in susceptible environments. Notably, various immune cells, including T cells, play a significant role in modulating macrophage polarization by releasing cytokines that influence macrophage maturation and function. Furthermore, other immune cells can also impact macrophage polarization in a T-cell-independent manner. Therefore, this review comprehensively examines macrophage polarization's role in leishmaniasis and other immune cells' potential involvement in this intricate process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Silva Almeida
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Shayenne Eduarda Ramos Vanderley
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Fernando Cézar Comberlang
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Arthur Gomes de Andrade
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Luiz Henrique Agra Cavalcante-Silva
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Edson Dos Santos Silva
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Pedro Henrique de Sousa Palmeira
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Ian P G do Amaral
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
| | - Tatjana S L Keesen
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraiba, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
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Palacios G, Vega-García E, Valladares B, Pérez JA, Dorta-Guerra R, Carmelo E. Gene Expression Profiling of Classically Activated Macrophages in Leishmania infantum Infection: Response to Metabolic Pre-Stimulus with Itaconic Acid. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:tropicalmed8050264. [PMID: 37235312 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8050264] [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: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania infection of phagocytic cells, such as macrophages, induces the differentiation of infected cells into different phenotypes according to their surrounding microenvironments. The classical activation of macrophages involves metabolic reprogramming, in which several metabolites such as succinate, fumarate and itaconate are accumulated. The immunoregulatory functions of itaconate in the context of Leishmania infection were investigated in this paper. Ex vivo bone marrow-derived macrophages were differentiated into classically activated macrophages through IFNG activation and infection with Leishmania infantum. A high-throughput real-time qPCR experiment was designed for the analyses of 223 genes involved in immune response and metabolism. The transcriptional profile of classically activated macrophages revealed the enrichment of the IFNG response pathways and the upregulation of genes such as Cxcl9, Irf1, Acod1, Il12b, Il12rb1, Nos2 or Stat1. In vitro pre-stimulation with itaconate induced a loss of the parasite control and the upregulation of genes related to local acute inflammatory response. Our results reveal that itaconate accumulation dampened classically activated macrophage antiparasitic activity, and this is reflected by the differential expression of the Il12b, Icosl and Mki67 genes. The possibility of inducing parasite-killing responses in the host through metabolic reprograming is an interesting approach for the treatment of Leishmania infections that will undoubtedly attract increasing attention in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Génesis Palacios
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUESTPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Elva Vega-García
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUESTPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Basilio Valladares
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUESTPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud PÚblica, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - José Antonio Pérez
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUESTPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Microbiología, Biología Celular y Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Roberto Dorta-Guerra
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUESTPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Matemáticas, Estadística e Investigación Operativa, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Emma Carmelo
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUESTPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud PÚblica, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
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8
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Fernandes JCR, Gonçalves ANA, Floeter-Winter LM, Nakaya HI, Muxel SM. Comparative transcriptomic analysis of long noncoding RNAs in Leishmania-infected human macrophages. Front Genet 2023; 13:1051568. [PMID: 36685903 PMCID: PMC9845402 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1051568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
It is well established that infection with Leishmania alters the host cell's transcriptome. Since mammalian cells have multiple mechanisms to control gene expression, different molecules, such as noncoding RNAs, can be involved in this process. MicroRNAs have been extensively studied upon Leishmania infection, but whether long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are also altered in macrophages is still unexplored. We performed RNA-seq from THP-1-derived macrophages infected with Leishmania amazonensis (La), L. braziliensis (Lb), and L. infantum (Li), investigating a previously unappreciated fraction of macrophage transcriptome. We found that more than 24% of the total annotated transcripts and 30% of differentially expressed (DE) RNAs in Leishmania-infected macrophage correspond to lncRNAs. LncRNAs and protein coding RNAs with altered expression are similar among macrophages infected with the Leishmania species. Still, some species-specific alterations could occur due to distinct pathophysiology in which Li infection led to a more significant number of exclusively DE RNAs. The most represented classes among DE lncRNAs were intergenic and antisense lncRNAs. We also found enrichment for immune response-related pathways in the DE protein coding RNAs, as well as putative targets of the lncRNAs. We performed a coexpression analysis to explore potential cis regulation of coding and antisense noncoding transcripts. We identified that antisense lncRNAs are similarly regulated as its neighbor protein coding genes, such as the BAALC/BAALC-AS1, BAALC/BAALC-AS2, HIF1A/HIF1A-AS1, HIF1A/HIF1A-AS3 and IRF1/IRF1-AS1 pairs, which can occur as a species-specific modulation. These findings are a novelty in the field because, to date, no study has focused on analyzing lncRNAs in Leishmania-infected macrophage. Our results suggest that lncRNAs may account for a novel mechanism by which Leishmania can control macrophage function. Further research must validate putative lncRNA targets and provide additional prospects in lncRNA function during Leishmania infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane C. R. Fernandes
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil,Instituto de Medicina Tropical da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Lucile M. Floeter-Winter
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Sandra M. Muxel
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil,*Correspondence: Sandra M. Muxel,
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Macrophage Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Metabolic Reprogramming Induced by Leishmania donovani Require Lipophosphoglycan and Type I Interferon Signaling. mBio 2022; 13:e0257822. [PMID: 36222510 PMCID: PMC9764995 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02578-22] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogen-specific rewiring of host cell metabolism creates the metabolically adapted microenvironment required for pathogen replication. Here, we investigated the mechanisms governing the modulation of macrophage mitochondrial properties by the vacuolar pathogen Leishmania. We report that induction of oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial biogenesis by Leishmania donovani requires the virulence glycolipid lipophosphoglycan, which stimulates the expression of key transcriptional regulators and structural genes associated with the electron transport chain. Leishmania-induced mitochondriogenesis also requires a lipophosphoglycan-independent pathway involving type I interferon (IFN) receptor signaling. The observation that pharmacological induction of mitochondrial biogenesis enables an avirulent lipophosphoglycan-defective L. donovani mutant to survive in macrophages supports the notion that mitochondrial biogenesis contributes to the creation of a metabolically adapted environment propitious to the colonization of host cells by the parasite. This study provides novel insight into the complex mechanism by which Leishmania metacyclic promastigotes alter host cell mitochondrial biogenesis and metabolism during the colonization process. IMPORTANCE To colonize host phagocytes, Leishmania metacyclic promastigotes subvert host defense mechanisms and create a specialized intracellular niche adapted to their replication. This is accomplished through the action of virulence factors, including the surface coat glycoconjugate lipophosphoglycan. In addition, Leishmania induces proliferation of host cell mitochondria as well as metabolic reprogramming of macrophages. These metabolic alterations are crucial to the colonization process of macrophages, as they may provide metabolites required for parasite growth. In this study, we describe a new key role for lipophosphoglycan in the stimulation of oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial biogenesis. We also demonstrate that host cell pattern recognition receptors Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and endosomal TLRs mediate these Leishmania-induced alterations of host cell mitochondrial biology, which also require type I IFN signaling. These findings provide new insight into how Leishmania creates a metabolically adapted environment favorable to their replication.
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Zhang X, Li L, Liu P, Tian Y, Gong P. Development of a Transcription Factor-Based Prognostic Model for Predicting the Immune Status and Outcome in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. J Immunol Res 2022; 2022:4946020. [PMID: 35571561 PMCID: PMC9098328 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4946020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is the most common primary malignancy of the pancreas. Growing studies indicate that transcription factors (TFs) are abnormally expressed in PAAD. We, therefore, aimed to evaluate the effect of TFs in PAAD and develop a TF-based prognostic signature for the patients. The expression of the TFs and the clinical characteristics were obtained from TCGA datasets. The levels of the TFs were evaluated in PAAD tissues or nontumor tissues. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) was used to determine the potential function of the dysregulated TFs. To create a prognostic signature, we used univariate and multivariate Cox regression. In addition, the relationship between risk score and tumor microenvironment was analyzed. In this study, we observed 19 increased and 10 decreased TFs in PAAD tissues. KEGG assays indicated that dysregulated TFs were involved in transcriptional misregulation in cancer. Multivariate Cox analysis identified two prognostic factors, Zinc finger protein 488 and BCL11A; and we developed a risk score model by these two factors. The Kaplan-Meier estimator suggested that patients with high risk exhibited a shorter overall survival than those with low risk. The receiver operating characteristic curve proved that the accuracy of this prognostic signature was 0.686 in predicting the 5-year survival. In addition, we observed that the high score was distinctly related to advanced tumor stage and immune infiltrates. Taken together, we developed a novel TF-related model which could be applied as a potential prognostic tool for PAAD and may guide the choice of immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianbin Zhang
- Department of General Surgery & Institute of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors, Shenzhen University General Hospital & Shenzhen University Clinical Medical Academy, Xueyuan Road 1098, 518055 Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Xueyuan Road 1066, 518060 Shenzhen, China
- Carson International Cancer Center & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Xueyuan Road 1066, 518060 Shenzhen, China
| | - Li Li
- Department of General Surgery & Institute of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors, Shenzhen University General Hospital & Shenzhen University Clinical Medical Academy, Xueyuan Road 1098, 518055 Shenzhen, China
| | - Peng Liu
- Department of General Surgery & Institute of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors, Shenzhen University General Hospital & Shenzhen University Clinical Medical Academy, Xueyuan Road 1098, 518055 Shenzhen, China
| | - Yu Tian
- Department of General Surgery & Institute of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors, Shenzhen University General Hospital & Shenzhen University Clinical Medical Academy, Xueyuan Road 1098, 518055 Shenzhen, China
- Department of Epidemiology, Dalian Medical University, Lvshun Road 9, 116044 Dalian, China
| | - Peng Gong
- Department of General Surgery & Institute of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors, Shenzhen University General Hospital & Shenzhen University Clinical Medical Academy, Xueyuan Road 1098, 518055 Shenzhen, China
- Carson International Cancer Center & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Xueyuan Road 1066, 518060 Shenzhen, China
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Carter NS, Kawasaki Y, Nahata SS, Elikaee S, Rajab S, Salam L, Alabdulal MY, Broessel KK, Foroghi F, Abbas A, Poormohamadian R, Roberts SC. Polyamine Metabolism in Leishmania Parasites: A Promising Therapeutic Target. Med Sci (Basel) 2022; 10:24. [PMID: 35645240 PMCID: PMC9149861 DOI: 10.3390/medsci10020024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites of the genus Leishmania cause a variety of devastating and often fatal diseases in humans and domestic animals worldwide. The need for new therapeutic strategies is urgent because no vaccine is available, and treatment options are limited due to a lack of specificity and the emergence of drug resistance. Polyamines are metabolites that play a central role in rapidly proliferating cells, and recent studies have highlighted their critical nature in Leishmania. Numerous studies using a variety of inhibitors as well as gene deletion mutants have elucidated the pathway and routes of transport, revealing unique aspects of polyamine metabolism in Leishmania parasites. These studies have also shed light on the significance of polyamines for parasite proliferation, infectivity, and host-parasite interactions. This comprehensive review article focuses on the main polyamine biosynthetic enzymes: ornithine decarboxylase, S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, and spermidine synthase, and it emphasizes recent discoveries that advance these enzymes as potential therapeutic targets against Leishmania parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Sigrid C. Roberts
- School of Pharmacy, Pacific University Oregon, Hillsboro, OR 97123, USA; (N.S.C.); (Y.K.); (S.S.N.); (S.E.); (S.R.); (L.S.); (M.Y.A.); (K.K.B.); (F.F.); (A.A.); (R.P.)
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Longoni SS, Tiberti N, Bisoffi Z, Piubelli C. Monoclonal Antibodies for Protozoan Infections: A Future Reality or a Utopic Idea? Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:745665. [PMID: 34712683 PMCID: PMC8545981 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.745665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Following the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, several clinical trials have been approved for the investigation of the possible use of mAbs, supporting the potential of this technology as a therapeutic approach for infectious diseases. The first monoclonal antibody (mAb), Muromonab CD3, was introduced for the prevention of kidney transplant rejection more than 30 years ago; since then more than 100 mAbs have been approved for therapeutic purposes. Nonetheless, only four mAbs are currently employed for infectious diseases: Palivizumab, for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections, Raxibacumab and Obiltoxaximab, for the prophylaxis and treatment against anthrax toxin and Bezlotoxumab, for the prevention of Clostridium difficile recurrence. Protozoan infections are often neglected diseases for which effective and safe chemotherapies are generally missing. In this context, drug resistance and drug toxicity are two crucial problems. The recent advances in bioinformatics, parasite genomics, and biochemistry methodologies are contributing to better understand parasite biology, which is essential to guide the development of new therapies. In this review, we present the efforts that are being made in the evaluation of mAbs for the prevention or treatment of leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, malaria, and toxoplasmosis. Particular emphasis will be placed on the potential strengths and weaknesses of biological treatments in the control of these protozoan diseases that are still affecting hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Stefania Longoni
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Verona, Italy
| | - Natalia Tiberti
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Verona, Italy
| | - Zeno Bisoffi
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Verona, Italy.,Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Chiara Piubelli
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Verona, Italy
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