Genetic diversity and kinetic properties of Trypanosoma cruzi dihydroorotate dehydrogenase isoforms

Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase inhibitors in anti-infective drug research

Pyrimidines are essential for the cell survival and proliferation of living parasitic organisms, such as Helicobacter pylori, Plasmodium falciparum and Schistosoma mansoni, that are able to impact upon human health. Pyrimidine building blocks, in human cells, are synthesised via both de novo biosynthesis and salvage pathways, the latter of which is an effective way of recycling pre-existing nucleotides. As many parasitic organisms lack pyrimidine salvage pathways for pyrimidine nucleotides, blocking de novo biosynthesis is seen as an effective therapeutic means to selectively target the parasite without effecting the human host. Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), which is involved in the de novo biosynthesis of pyrimidines, is a validated target for anti-infective drug research. Recent advances in the DHODH microorganism field are discussed herein, as is the potential for the development of DHODH-targeted therapeutics.

Fresh insights into the pyrimidine metabolism in the trypanosomatids

The trypanosomatid parasites continue their killing spree resulting in significant annual mortality due to the lack of effective treatments and the prominence of these diseases in poorer countries. These dimorphic parasites thrive unchecked in the host system, outsmarting the immune mechanisms. An understanding of biology of these parasitic forms will help in the management and elimination of these fatal diseases. Investigation of various metabolic pathways in these parasites has shed light in the understanding of the unique biology of the trypansomatids. An understanding of these pathways have helped in tracing the soft targets in the metabolic pathways, which could be used as effective drug targets which would further impact the therupeutic implications. Pyrimidine pathway is a vital metabolic pathway which yields in the formation of pyrimidines, which are then integrated in nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) in sugars (UDP sugars) and lipids (CDP lipids). A wealth of data and information has been generated in the past decades by in-depth analyses of pyrimidine pathway in the trypanosomatid parasites, which can aid in the identification of anomalies between the parasitic and host counterpart which could be further harnessed to develop therapeutic interventions for the treatment of parasitic diseases. This review presents an updated and comprehensive detailing of the pyrimidine metabolism in the trypansomatids, their uniqueness and their distinctions, and its possible outcomes that would aid in the eradication of these parasitic diseases.

Biochemical studies of membrane bound Plasmodium falciparum mitochondrial L-malate:quinone oxidoreductase, a potential drug target

Plasmodium falciparum is an apicomplexan parasite that causes the most severe malaria in humans. Due to a lack of effective vaccines and emerging of drug resistance parasites, development of drugs with novel mechanisms of action and few side effects are imperative. To this end, ideal drug targets are those essential to parasite viability as well as absent in their mammalian hosts. The mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) of P. falciparum is one source of such potential targets because enzymes, such as L-malate:quinone oxidoreductase (PfMQO), in this pathway are absent humans. PfMQO catalyzes the oxidation of L-malate to oxaloacetate and the simultaneous reduction of ubiquinone to ubiquinol. It is a membrane protein, involved in three pathways (ETC, the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the fumarate cycle) and has been shown to be essential for parasite survival, at least, in the intra-erythrocytic asexual stage. These findings indicate that PfMQO would be a valuable drug target for development of antimalarial with novel mechanism of action. Up to this point in time, difficulty in producing active recombinant mitochondrial MQO has hampered biochemical characterization and targeted drug discovery with MQO. Here we report for the first time recombinant PfMQO overexpressed in bacterial membrane and the first biochemical study. Furthermore, about 113 compounds, consisting of ubiquinone binding site inhibitors and antiparasitic agents, were screened resulting in the discovery of ferulenol as a potent PfMQO inhibitor. Finally, ferulenol was shown to inhibit parasite growth and showed strong synergism in combination with atovaquone, a well-described anti-malarial and bc₁ complex inhibitor.

Crystal structure of Trypanosoma cruzi dihydroorotate dehydrogenase from Y strain

Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas' disease, a pathogenesis that affects millions of people in Latin America. Here, we report the crystal structure of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) from T. cruzi strain Y solved at 2.2A resolution. DHODH is a flavin mononucleotide containing enzyme, which catalyses the oxidation of l-dihydroorotate to orotate, the fourth step and only redox reaction in the de novo biosynthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides. Genetic studies have shown that DHODH is essential for T. cruzi survival, validating the idea that this enzyme can be considered an attractive target for the development of antichagasic drugs. In our work, a detailed analysis of T. cruzi DHODH crystal structure has allowed us to suggest potential sites to be further exploited for the design of highly specific inhibitors through the technology of structure-based drug design.

Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase arises from novel fused gene product with aspartate carbamoyltransferase in Bodo saliens

The ACT-DHOD gene in the kinetoplastid Bodo saliens encodes aspartate carbamoyltransferase and dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, the second and fourth enzymes of pyrimidine biosynthesis. Although the single mRNA species yielded a 70-kDa ACT-DHOD protein, Western blotting with anti-DHOD-peptide antibody showed a major band of 35-kDa and minor bands. In-gel digestion and liquid chromatography-tandem mass (MS/MS) spectrometry showed that the 35-kDa band contained DHOD-specific polypeptides and an ACT-specific polypeptide, suggesting the occurrence of independent DHOD and ACT. Immunoprecipitation and MS/MS analysis identified a 70-kDa ACT-DHOD and a 35-kDa DHOD independently, and the N-terminal amino acid of 35-kDa DHOD was blocked. In vitro processing assay showed that recombinant ACT-DHOD was decreased by the B. saliens lysate, accompanying the appearance of 35-kDa DHOD and 35-kDa ACT. These results indicate that fused ACT-DHOD is the precursor to mature DHOD. Large amount of 35-kDa DHOD in B. saliens is discussed from a viewpoint of its physiological roles.

Advances in drug discovery and biochemical studies

Japanese researchers continue to discover new means to combat parasites and make important contributions toward developing tools for global control of parasitic diseases. Streptomyces avermectinius, the source of ivermectin, was discovered in Japan in the early 1970s and renewed and vigorous screening of microbial metabolites in recent years has led to the discovery of new antiprotozoals and anthelminthics, including antimalarial drugs. Intensive studies of parasite energy metabolism, such as NADH-fumarate reductase systems and the synthetic pathways of nucleic acids and amino acids, also contribute to the identification of novel and unique drug targets.

Interaction of Benzoate Pyrimidine Analogues with Class 1A Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase from Lactococcus lactis,

Dihydroorotate dehydrogenases (DHODs) catalyze the oxidation of dihydroorotate to orotate in the only redox reaction in pyrimidine biosynthesis. The pyrimidine binding sites are very similar in all structurally characterized DHODs, suggesting that the prospects for identifying a class-specific inhibitor directed against this site are poor. Nonetheless, two compounds that bind specifically to the Class 1A DHOD from Lactococcus lactis, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (3,4-diOHB) and 3,5-dihydroxybenzoate (3,5-diOHB), have been identified [Palfey et al. (2001) J. Med. Chem. 44, 2861-2864]. The mechanism of inhibitor binding to the Class 1A DHOD from L. lactis has now been studied in detail and is reported here. Titrations showed that 3,4-diOHB binds more tightly at higher pH, whereas the opposite is true for 3,5-diOHB. Isothermal titration calorimetry and absorbance spectroscopy showed that 3,4-diOHB ionizes to the phenolate upon binding to the enzyme, but 3,5-diOHB does not. The charge-transfer band that forms in the 3,4-diOHB complex allowed the kinetics of binding to be observed in stopped-flow experiments. Binding was slow enough to observe from pH 6 to pH 8 and was (minimally) a two-step process consisting of the rapid formation of a complex that isomerized to the final charge-transfer complex. Orotate and 3,5-diOHB bind too quickly to follow directly, but their dissociation kinetics were studied by competition and described adequately with a single step. Crystal structures of both inhibitor complexes were determined, showing that 3,5-diOHB binds in the same orientation as orotate. In contrast, 3,4-diOHB binds in a twisted orientation, enabling one of its phenolic oxygens to form a very strong hydrogen bond to an asparagine, thus stabilizing the phenolate and causing charge-transfer interactions with the pi-system of the flavin, resulting in a green color.

Synthesis and trypanocidal activity of 1,4-bis-(3,4,5-trimethoxy-phenyl)-1,4-butanediol and 1,4-bis-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-1,4-butanediol

Chagas' disease is endemic in Central and South American countries. Specific chemotherapy with nifurtimox or benznidazole has been recommended for treatment of recent infection but they have limited efficacy. The natural products veraguensin (1) and grandisin (2) have shown potent in vitro activity against trypomastigote parasite (Y strain) with IC(50) 2.3 microM (1) and 3.7 microM (2). We report herein the synthesis and in vitro trypanocidal evaluation of symmetrical and unsymmetrical 1,4-diaryl-1,4-diol derivatives as potential trypanocidal analogs of natural compounds 1 and 2. Among the synthesized products, compounds 1,4-bis-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-1,4-butanediol (6a) and 1,4-bis-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-1,4-butanediol (6b) showed better activity against Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes with IC(50) 100 and 105 microM (Y strain), respectively, and 110 microM (Bolivia strain) for both compounds. However, the most active compound of this series was 1,4-bis-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)butane-1,4-dione (7b) with IC(50) 10 and 200 microM against Y and Bolivia strains, respectively.