1
|
Springer E, Heimsch KC, Rahlfs S, Becker K, Przyborski JM. Real-time measurements of ATP dynamics via ATeams in Plasmodium falciparum reveal drug-class-specific response patterns. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2024; 68:e0169023. [PMID: 38501806 PMCID: PMC11064498 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01690-23] [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: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Malaria tropica, caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum), remains one of the greatest public health burdens for humankind. Due to its pivotal role in parasite survival, the energy metabolism of P. falciparum is an interesting target for drug design. To this end, analysis of the central metabolite adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is of great interest. So far, only cell-disruptive or intensiometric ATP assays have been available in this system, with various drawbacks for mechanistic interpretation and partly inconsistent results. To address this, we have established fluorescent probes, based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and known as ATeam, for use in blood-stage parasites. ATeams are capable of measuring MgATP2- levels in a ratiometric manner, thereby facilitating in cellulo measurements of ATP dynamics in real-time using fluorescence microscopy and plate reader detection and overcoming many of the obstacles of established ATP analysis methods. Additionally, we established a superfolder variant of the ratiometric pH sensor pHluorin (sfpHluorin) in P. falciparum to monitor pH homeostasis and control for pH fluctuations, which may affect ATeam measurements. We characterized recombinant ATeam and sfpHluorin protein in vitro and stably integrated the sensors into the genome of the P. falciparum NF54attB cell line. Using these new tools, we found distinct sensor response patterns caused by several different drug classes. Arylamino alcohols increased and redox cyclers decreased ATP; doxycycline caused first-cycle cytosol alkalization; and 4-aminoquinolines caused aberrant proteolysis. Our results open up a completely new perspective on drugs' mode of action, with possible implications for target identification and drug development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric Springer
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Kim C. Heimsch
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Stefan Rahlfs
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Katja Becker
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jude M. Przyborski
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Calabretta MM, Michelini E. Current advances in the use of bioluminescence assays for drug discovery: an update of the last ten years. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024; 19:85-95. [PMID: 37814480 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2266989] [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: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Bioluminescence is a well-established optical detection technique widely used in several bioanalytical applications, including high-throughput and high-content screenings. Thanks to advances in synthetic biology techniques and deep learning, a wide portfolio of luciferases is now available with tuned emission wavelengths, kinetics, and high stability. These luciferases can be implemented in the drug discovery and development pipeline, allowing high sensitivity and multiplexing capability. AREAS COVERED This review summarizes the latest advancements of bioluminescent systems as toolsets in drug discovery programs for in vitro applications. Particular attention is paid to the most advanced bioluminescence-based technologies for drug screening over the past 10 years (from 2013 to 2023) such as cell-free assays, cell-based assays based on genetically modified cells, bioluminescence resonance energy transfer, and protein complementation assays in 2D and 3D cell models. EXPERT OPINION The availability of tuned bioluminescent proteins with improved emission and stability properties is vital for the development of bioluminescence assays for drug discovery, spanning from reporter gene technology to protein-protein techniques. Further studies, combining machine learning with synthetic biology, will be necessary to obtain new tools for sustainable and highly predictive bioluminescent drug discovery platforms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Maddalena Calabretta
- Department of Chemistry "Giacomo Ciamician", Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research (CRBA), IRCCS St. Orsola Hospital, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elisa Michelini
- Department of Chemistry "Giacomo Ciamician", Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Center for Applied Biomedical Research (CRBA), IRCCS St. Orsola Hospital, Bologna, Italy
- Health Sciences and Technologies Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research (HSTICIR), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Colina-Vegas L, da Cruz B Silva M, de Souza Pereira C, Isis Barros A, Araújo Nobrega J, Navarro M, Rottmann M, D'Alessandro S, Basilico N, Azevedo Batista A, Moreira DRM. Antimalarial Agents Derived from Metal-Amodiaquine Complexes with Activity in Multiple Stages of the Plasmodium Life Cycle. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202301642. [PMID: 37427863 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202301642] [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: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Malaria is the one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide. Chemically, quinolines are excellent ligands for metal coordination and are deployed as drugs for malaria treatment. There is a growing body of evidence indicating that metal complexes can be conjugated with antimalarial quinolines to be used as chemical tools to overcome the disadvantages of quinolines, improving their bioactive speciation, cellular distribution, and subsequently broadening the spectrum of activity to multiple stages of the complex Plasmodium life cycle. In this study, four novel complexes of ruthenium(II)- and gold(I)-containing amodiaquine (AQ) were synthesized, and a careful chemical characterization revealed the precise coordination site of AQ to the metals. Their speciation in solution was investigated, demonstrating the stability of the quinoline-metal bond. RuII - and AuI -AQ complexes were demonstrated to be potent and efficacious in inhibiting parasite growth in multiple stages of the Plasmodium life cycle as assayed in vitro and in vivo. These properties could be attributed to the ability of the metal-AQ complexes to reproduce the suppression of heme detoxification induced by AQ, while also inhibiting other processes in the parasite life cycle; this can be attributed to the action of the metallic species. Altogether, these findings indicate that metal coordination with antimalarial quinolines is a potential chemical tool for drug design and discovery in malaria and other infectious diseases susceptible to quinoline treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Legna Colina-Vegas
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, CP 91501-970, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Caroline de Souza Pereira
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, CP 36036-900, MG, Brazil
| | - Ariane Isis Barros
- Departamento de Solos e Engenharia Rural, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, CEP 78060-900, MT, Brazil
| | - Joaquim Araújo Nobrega
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, CP 13565-90, SP, Brazil
| | - Maribel Navarro
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, CP 36036-900, MG, Brazil
| | - Matthias Rottmann
- Swiss Tropical & Public Health Institute, 4123, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, 4001, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sarah D'Alessandro
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Basilico
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Universitá degli Studi di Milano, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Alzir Azevedo Batista
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, CP 13565-90, SP, Brazil
| | - Diogo R M Moreira
- Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, FIOCRUZ, Salvador, CEP 40296-710, BA, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hitting drug-resistant malaria infection with triazole-linked flavonoid-chloroquine hybrid compounds. Future Med Chem 2022; 14:1865-1880. [PMID: 36622669 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2022-0173] [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: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Malaria represents the major parasitic disease in tropical regions, and the development of new potent drugs is of pivotal importance. In this study, a series of hybrid molecules were designed by linking the 7-chloroquinoline core of chloroquine to different fluorinated flavonoid-related scaffolds. Materials & methods: Compounds were prepared by exploiting the click chemistry approach, allowing the introduction of a 1,2,3-triazole, a privileged structural motif in antiparasitic dug discovery. Results: Compounds 1b and 1c were the most interesting and were endowed with the highest in vitro activity, mainly against a resistant Plasmodium falciparum strain. They also inhibited hemozoin formation, and 1c was more effective than chloroquine against stage V gametocytes. Conclusion: The homoisoflavone core is a new, promising antimalarial scaffold that deserves further investigation.
Collapse
|
5
|
Liu YJ. Understanding the complete bioluminescence cycle from a multiscale computational perspective: A review. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY C: PHOTOCHEMISTRY REVIEWS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2022.100537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
|
6
|
Gametocyte-specific and all-blood-stage transmission-blocking chemotypes discovered from high throughput screening on Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes. Commun Biol 2022; 5:547. [PMID: 35668202 PMCID: PMC9170688 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03510-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Blocking Plasmodium falciparum human-to-mosquito transmission is essential for malaria elimination, nonetheless drugs killing the pathogenic asexual stages are generally inactive on the parasite transmissible stages, the gametocytes. Due to technical and biological limitations in high throughput screening of non-proliferative stages, the search for gametocyte-killing molecules so far tested one tenth the number of compounds screened on asexual stages. Here we overcome these limitations and rapidly screened around 120,000 compounds, using not purified, bioluminescent mature gametocytes. Orthogonal gametocyte assays, selectivity assays on human cells and asexual parasites, followed by compound clustering, brought to the identification of 84 hits, half of which are gametocyte selective and half with comparable activity against sexual and asexual parasites. We validated seven chemotypes, three of which are, to the best of our knowledge, novel. These molecules are able to inhibit male gametocyte exflagellation and block parasite transmission through the Anopheles mosquito vector in a standard membrane feeding assay. This work shows that interrogating a wide and diverse chemical space, with a streamlined gametocyte HTS and hit validation funnel, holds promise for the identification of dual stage and gametocyte-selective compounds to be developed into new generation of transmission blocking drugs for malaria elimination. High-throughput screening of 120,000 compounds followed by counter-screening and validation assays reveals candidate antimalarial drugs that kill Plasmodium falciparum sexual and asexual blood stages blocking parasite transmission through mosquito.
Collapse
|
7
|
Kent RS, Briggs EM, Colon BL, Alvarez C, Silva Pereira S, De Niz M. Paving the Way: Contributions of Big Data to Apicomplexan and Kinetoplastid Research. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:900878. [PMID: 35734575 PMCID: PMC9207352 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.900878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the age of big data an important question is how to ensure we make the most out of the resources we generate. In this review, we discuss the major methods used in Apicomplexan and Kinetoplastid research to produce big datasets and advance our understanding of Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, Trypanosoma and Leishmania biology. We debate the benefits and limitations of the current technologies, and propose future advancements that may be key to improving our use of these techniques. Finally, we consider the difficulties the field faces when trying to make the most of the abundance of data that has already been, and will continue to be, generated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robyn S. Kent
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Emma M. Briggs
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Beatrice L. Colon
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Catalina Alvarez
- de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sara Silva Pereira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mariana De Niz
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- *Correspondence: Mariana De Niz,
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Barbieri D, Gomez L, Royer L, Dupuy F, Franetich JF, Tefit M, N’Dri ME, Mazier D, Silvie O, Moreno-Sabater A, Lavazec C. The Phosphodiesterase Inhibitor Tadalafil Promotes Splenic Retention of Plasmodium falciparum Gametocytes in Humanized Mice. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:883759. [PMID: 35694548 PMCID: PMC9174641 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.883759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The persistence of erythrocytes infected with Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes in the bloodstream is closely related to the modulation of their mechanical properties. New drugs that increase the stiffness of infected erythrocytes may thus represent a novel approach to block malaria parasite transmission. The phosphodiesterase inhibitor tadalafil has been shown to impair the ability of infected erythrocytes to circulate in an in vitro model for splenic retention. Here, we used a humanized mouse model to address in vivo the effect of tadalafil on the circulation kinetics of mature gametocyte-infected erythrocytes. We show that stiff immature gametocyte-infected erythrocytes are retained in the spleen of humanized mice at rates comparable to that of the in vitro model. Accordingly, tadalafil-induced stiffening of mature gametocyte-infected erythrocytes impairs their circulation in the bloodstream and triggers their retention by the spleen. These in vivo results validate that tadalafil is a novel drug lead potentially capable of blocking malaria parasite transmission by targeting GIE mechanical properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Barbieri
- INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Lina Gomez
- INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Ludivine Royer
- INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Florian Dupuy
- INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Jean-François Franetich
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, Paris, France
| | - Maurel Tefit
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Esther N’Dri
- INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Dominique Mazier
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Silvie
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, Paris, France
| | - Alicia Moreno-Sabater
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, Paris, France
- Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France
| | - Catherine Lavazec
- INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
- *Correspondence: Catherine Lavazec,
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Chulpanova DS, Tazetdinova LG, Arkhipova SS, Mavlikeev MO, Mullagulova AI, Rizvanov AA, Solovyeva VV. In Vivo Visualization of Stable Neuroblastoma Cell Lines with Overexpression of Firefly Luciferase or Far-Red Fluorescent Protein. BIONANOSCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12668-022-00967-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
10
|
Potent Antiplasmodial Derivatives of Dextromethorphan Reveal the Ent-Morphinan Pharmacophore of Tazopsine-Type Alkaloids. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14020372. [PMID: 35214104 PMCID: PMC8876632 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14020372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The alkaloid tazopsine 1 was introduced in the late 2000s as a novel antiplasmodial hit compound active against Plasmodium falciparum hepatic stages, with the potential to develop prophylactic drugs based on this novel chemical scaffold. However, the structural determinants of tazopsine 1 bioactivity, together with the exact definition of the pharmacophore, remained elusive, impeding further development. We found that the antitussive drug dextromethorphan (DXM) 3, although lacking the complex pattern of stereospecific functionalization of the natural hit, was harboring significant antiplasmodial activity in vitro despite suboptimal prophylactic activity in a murine model of malaria, precluding its direct repurposing against the disease. The targeted N-alkylation of nor-DXM 15 produced a small library of analogues with greatly improved activity over DXM 3 against P. falciparum asexual stages. Amongst these, N-2′-pyrrolylmethyl-nor-DXM 16i showed a 2- to 36-fold superior inhibitory potency compared to tazopsine 1 and DXM 3 against P. falciparum liver and blood stages, with respectively 760 ± 130 nM and 2.1 ± 0.4 µM IC50 values, as well as liver/blood phase selectivity of 2.8. Furthermore, cpd. 16i showed a 5- to 8-fold increase in activity relative to DXM 3 against P. falciparum stages I–II and V gametocytes, with 18.5 µM and 13.2 µM IC50 values, respectively. Cpd. 16i can thus be considered a promising novel hit compound against malaria in the ent-morphinan series with putative pan cycle activity, paving the way for further therapeutic development (e.g., investigation of its prophylactic activity in vivo).
Collapse
|
11
|
Birkholtz LM, Alano P, Leroy D. Transmission-blocking drugs for malaria elimination. Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:390-403. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
|
12
|
Calabretta MM, Lopreside A, Montali L, Zangheri M, Evangelisti L, D'Elia M, Michelini E. Portable light detectors for bioluminescence biosensing applications: A comprehensive review from the analytical chemist's perspective. Anal Chim Acta 2022; 1200:339583. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2022.339583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
|
13
|
Siciliano G, Di Paolo V, Rotili D, Migale R, Pedini F, Casella M, Camerini S, Dalzoppo D, Henderson R, Huijs T, Dechering KJ, Mai A, Caccuri AM, Lalle M, Quintieri L, Alano P. The Nitrobenzoxadiazole Derivative NBDHEX Behaves as Plasmodium falciparum Gametocyte Selective Inhibitor with Malaria Parasite Transmission Blocking Activity. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15020168. [PMID: 35215282 PMCID: PMC8875241 DOI: 10.3390/ph15020168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
This work describes the activity of 6-((7-nitrobenzo[c][1,2,5]oxadiazol-4-yl)thio)hexan-1-ol (NBDHEX) and of its newly identified carboxylic acid metabolite on the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. NBDHEX has been previously identified as a potent cytotoxic agent against murine and human cancer cells as well as towards the protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis. We show here that NBDHEX is active in vitro against all blood stages of P. falciparum, with the rare feature of killing the parasite stages transmissible to mosquitoes, the gametocytes, with a 4-fold higher potency than that on the pathogenic asexual stages. This activity importantly translates into blocking parasite transmission through the Anopheles vector in mosquito experimental infections. A mass spectrometry analysis identified covalent NBDHEX modifications in specific cysteine residues of five gametocyte proteins, possibly associated with its antiparasitic effect. The carboxylic acid metabolite of NBDHEX retains the gametocyte preferential inhibitory activity of the parent compound, making this novel P. falciparum transmission-blocking chemotype at least as a new tool to uncover biological processes targetable by gametocyte selective drugs. Both NBDHEX and its carboxylic acid metabolite show very limited in vitro cytotoxicity on VERO cells. This result and previous evidence that NBDHEX shows an excellent in vivo safety profile in mice and is orally active against human cancer xenografts make these molecules potential starting points to develop new P. falciparum transmission-blocking agents, enriching the repertoire of drugs needed to eliminate malaria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Siciliano
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (R.M.)
| | - Veronica Di Paolo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy; (V.D.P.); (D.D.)
| | - Dante Rotili
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (D.R.); (A.M.)
| | - Rossella Migale
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (R.M.)
| | - Francesca Pedini
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Marialuisa Casella
- Core Facilities, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.C.)
| | - Serena Camerini
- Core Facilities, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.C.)
| | - Daniele Dalzoppo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy; (V.D.P.); (D.D.)
| | - Rob Henderson
- TropIQ Health Sciences, 6534 AT Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (R.H.); (T.H.); (K.J.D.)
| | - Tonnie Huijs
- TropIQ Health Sciences, 6534 AT Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (R.H.); (T.H.); (K.J.D.)
| | - Koen J. Dechering
- TropIQ Health Sciences, 6534 AT Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (R.H.); (T.H.); (K.J.D.)
| | - Antonello Mai
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (D.R.); (A.M.)
| | - Anna Maria Caccuri
- Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Marco Lalle
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (R.M.)
- Correspondence: (M.L.); (L.Q.); (P.A.)
| | - Luigi Quintieri
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy; (V.D.P.); (D.D.)
- Correspondence: (M.L.); (L.Q.); (P.A.)
| | - Pietro Alano
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (R.M.)
- Correspondence: (M.L.); (L.Q.); (P.A.)
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Corbett Y, Parapini S, Perego F, Messina V, Delbue S, Misiano P, Falchi M, Silvestrini F, Taramelli D, Basilico N, D'Alessandro S. Phagocytosis and activation of bone marrow-derived macrophages by Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes. Malar J 2021; 20:81. [PMID: 33568138 PMCID: PMC7874634 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03589-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The innate immune response against various life cycle stages of the malaria parasite plays an important role in protection against the disease and regulation of its severity. Phagocytosis of asexual erythrocytic stages is well documented, but little and contrasting results are available about phagocytic clearance of sexual stages, the gametocytes, which are responsible for the transmission of the parasites from humans to mosquitoes. Similarly, activation of host macrophages by gametocytes has not yet been carefully addressed. Methods Phagocytosis of early or late Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes was evaluated through methanol fixed cytospin preparations of immortalized mouse C57Bl/6 bone marrow-derived macrophages treated for 2 h with P. falciparum and stained with Giemsa, and it was confirmed through a standardized bioluminescent method using the transgenic P. falciparum 3D7elo1-pfs16-CBG99 strain. Activation was evaluated by measuring nitric oxide or cytokine levels in the supernatants of immortalized mouse C57Bl/6 bone marrow-derived macrophages treated with early or late gametocytes. Results The results showed that murine bone marrow-derived macrophages can phagocytose both early and late gametocytes, but only the latter were able to induce the production of inflammatory mediators, specifically nitric oxide and the cytokines tumour necrosis factor and macrophage inflammatory protein 2. Conclusions These results support the hypothesis that developing gametocytes interact in different ways with innate immune cells of the host. Moreover, the present study proposes that early and late gametocytes act differently as targets for innate immune responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yolanda Corbett
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Pascal 36, 20133, Milan, Italy. .,Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sulla Malaria-Italian Malaria Network, Milan, Italy.
| | - Silvia Parapini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sulla Malaria-Italian Malaria Network, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Perego
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Pascal 36, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Messina
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Serena Delbue
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Pascal 36, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Misiano
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Pascal 36, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Mario Falchi
- AIDS-Ricerca e sviluppo, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Silvestrini
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.,Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sulla Malaria-Italian Malaria Network, Milan, Italy
| | - Donatella Taramelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Pascal 36, 20133, Milan, Italy.,Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sulla Malaria-Italian Malaria Network, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Basilico
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Pascal 36, 20133, Milan, Italy.,Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sulla Malaria-Italian Malaria Network, Milan, Italy
| | - Sarah D'Alessandro
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Pascal 36, 20133, Milan, Italy. .,Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sulla Malaria-Italian Malaria Network, Milan, Italy. .,Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Pascal 36, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Bouyer G, Barbieri D, Dupuy F, Marteau A, Sissoko A, N'Dri ME, Neveu G, Bedault L, Khodabux N, Roman D, Houzé S, Siciliano G, Alano P, Martins RM, Lopez-Rubio JJ, Clain J, Duval R, Egée S, Lavazec C. Plasmodium falciparum sexual parasites regulate infected erythrocyte permeability. Commun Biol 2020; 3:726. [PMID: 33262483 PMCID: PMC7708629 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01454-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
To ensure the transport of nutrients necessary for their survival, Plasmodium falciparum parasites increase erythrocyte permeability to diverse solutes. These new permeation pathways (NPPs) have been extensively characterized in the pathogenic asexual parasite stages, however the existence of NPPs has never been investigated in gametocytes, the sexual stages responsible for transmission to mosquitoes. Here, we show that NPPs are still active in erythrocytes infected with immature gametocytes and that this activity declines along gametocyte maturation. Our results indicate that NPPs are regulated by cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling cascade, and that the decrease in cAMP levels in mature stages results in a slowdown of NPP activity. We also show that NPPs facilitate the uptake of artemisinin derivatives and that phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors can reactivate NPPs and increase drug uptake in mature gametocytes. These processes are predicted to play a key role in P. falciparum gametocyte biology and susceptibility to antimalarials. Bouyer et al. report that the new permeation pathways (NPP), responsible of modulating erythrocyte permeability to diverse solutes and considered only to be in pathogenic asexual stages of P. falciparum, are also active in erythrocytes infected with immature gametocytes and this activity declines with gametocyte maturation. NPPs are regulated by the cAMP signalling cascade, and the decrease in cAMP levels in mature stages slows NPP activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Bouyer
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 8227, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France.,Laboratoire d'excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France
| | - Daniela Barbieri
- Laboratoire d'excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Florian Dupuy
- Laboratoire d'excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Anthony Marteau
- Laboratoire d'excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Abdoulaye Sissoko
- Laboratoire d'excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, IRD 261, MERIT, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Esther N'Dri
- Laboratoire d'excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Gaelle Neveu
- Laboratoire d'excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Laurianne Bedault
- Laboratoire d'excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Nabiha Khodabux
- Laboratoire d'excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Diana Roman
- Laboratoire d'excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, IRD 261, MERIT, Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Houzé
- Laboratoire d'excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, IRD 261, MERIT, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Rafael M Martins
- Université de Montpellier 1 & 2, CNRS 5290, IRD 224, MIVEGEC, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Jérome Clain
- Laboratoire d'excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, IRD 261, MERIT, Paris, France
| | - Romain Duval
- Laboratoire d'excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, IRD 261, MERIT, Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Egée
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR 8227, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France.,Laboratoire d'excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France
| | - Catherine Lavazec
- Laboratoire d'excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France. .,Université de Paris, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Institut Cochin, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Vanaerschot M, Murithi JM, Pasaje CFA, Ghidelli-Disse S, Dwomoh L, Bird M, Spottiswoode N, Mittal N, Arendse LB, Owen ES, Wicht KJ, Siciliano G, Bösche M, Yeo T, Kumar TRS, Mok S, Carpenter EF, Giddins MJ, Sanz O, Ottilie S, Alano P, Chibale K, Llinás M, Uhlemann AC, Delves M, Tobin AB, Doerig C, Winzeler EA, Lee MCS, Niles JC, Fidock DA. Inhibition of Resistance-Refractory P. falciparum Kinase PKG Delivers Prophylactic, Blood Stage, and Transmission-Blocking Antiplasmodial Activity. Cell Chem Biol 2020; 27:806-816.e8. [PMID: 32359426 PMCID: PMC7369637 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The search for antimalarial chemotypes with modes of action unrelated to existing drugs has intensified with the recent failure of first-line therapies across Southeast Asia. Here, we show that the trisubstituted imidazole MMV030084 potently inhibits hepatocyte invasion by Plasmodium sporozoites, merozoite egress from asexual blood stage schizonts, and male gamete exflagellation. Metabolomic, phosphoproteomic, and chemoproteomic studies, validated with conditional knockdown parasites, molecular docking, and recombinant kinase assays, identified cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) as the primary target of MMV030084. PKG is known to play essential roles in Plasmodium invasion of and egress from host cells, matching MMV030084's activity profile. Resistance selections and gene editing identified tyrosine kinase-like protein 3 as a low-level resistance mediator for PKG inhibitors, while PKG itself never mutated under pressure. These studies highlight PKG as a resistance-refractory antimalarial target throughout the Plasmodium life cycle and promote MMV030084 as a promising Plasmodium PKG-targeting chemotype.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manu Vanaerschot
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - James M Murithi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Charisse Flerida A Pasaje
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Louis Dwomoh
- Centre for Translational Pharmacology, Institute of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK, Scotland
| | - Megan Bird
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Natasha Spottiswoode
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Nimisha Mittal
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Lauren B Arendse
- Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D), South African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, Department of Chemistry & Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Edward S Owen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16801, USA; Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Kathryn J Wicht
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Giulia Siciliano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Markus Bösche
- Cellzome GmbH, GlaxoSmithKline, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - T R Santha Kumar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Emma F Carpenter
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Marla J Giddins
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Olalla Sanz
- Diseases of the Developing World Global Health Pharma Unit, GlaxoSmithKline, 28760 Tres Cantos, Spain
| | - Sabine Ottilie
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Pietro Alano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Kelly Chibale
- Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D), South African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, Department of Chemistry & Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16801, USA; Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Anne-Catrin Uhlemann
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Michael Delves
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Andrew B Tobin
- Centre for Translational Pharmacology, Institute of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK, Scotland
| | - Christian Doerig
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia; School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora VIC 3083, Australia
| | | | - Marcus C S Lee
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Jacquin C Niles
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Yu M, Liu YJ. Same Luciferin in Different Luciferases Emitting Different-Color Light. A Theoretical Study on Beetle Bioluminescence. J Chem Theory Comput 2020; 16:3904-3909. [PMID: 32396347 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.0c00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Bioluminescent beetles, firefly, click beetle, and railroad worm, naturally emit different-color light via the identical luciferin and bioluminescence (BL) mechanisms. Railroad worm especially emits two colors of light in its dorsal-lateral and cephalic lanterns. Four computational models of bioluminophore (oLu) in luciferases of red-emitting, yellow-green-emitting, red-emitting with additional loop, and red-emitting without C-terminal were built in this paper. To unveil the details of this luciferase effect at the molecular and electronic-state levels, second-order multiconfigurational perturbation calculations were performed following molecular dynamic simulations and time-dependent density functional calculations for the above four oLu-luciferase systems. Via a systematic analysis on properties of oLu at the first singlet state (S1-oLu) in different luciferases, one clearly see the details of the microenvironment and secondary structure of luciferase affecting the excited-state property of S1-oLu, which ultimately result in the variant color of light emission. Typically, the increase in charge transfer of S1-oLu leads to the longer wavelength BL.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohan Yu
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ya-Jun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Jex AR, Svärd S, Hagen KD, Starcevich H, Emery-Corbin SJ, Balan B, Nosala C, Dawson SC. Recent advances in functional research in Giardia intestinalis. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2020; 107:97-137. [PMID: 32122532 PMCID: PMC7878119 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2019.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
This review considers current advances in tools to investigate the functional biology of Giardia, it's coding and non-coding genes, features and cellular and molecular biology. We consider major gaps in current knowledge of the parasite and discuss the present state-of-the-art in its in vivo and in vitro cultivation. Advances in in silico tools, including for the modelling non-coding RNAs and genomic elements, as well as detailed exploration of coding genes through inferred homology to model organisms, have provided significant, primary level insight. Improved methods to model the three-dimensional structure of proteins offer new insights into their function, and binding interactions with ligands, other proteins or precursor drugs, and offer substantial opportunities to prioritise proteins for further study and experimentation. These approaches can be supplemented by the growing and highly accessible arsenal of systems-based methods now being applied to Giardia, led by genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic methods, but rapidly incorporating advanced tools for detection of real-time transcription, evaluation of chromatin states and direct measurement of macromolecular complexes. Methods to directly interrogate and perturb gene function have made major leaps in recent years, with CRISPr-interference now available. These approaches, coupled with protein over-expression, fluorescent labelling and in vitro and in vivo imaging, are set to revolutionize the field and herald an exciting time during which the field may finally realise Giardia's long proposed potential as a model parasite and eukaryote.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron R Jex
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Staffan Svärd
- Centre for Biomedicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kari D Hagen
- College of Biological Sciences, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Hannah Starcevich
- College of Biological Sciences, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Samantha J Emery-Corbin
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Balu Balan
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Chris Nosala
- College of Biological Sciences, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Scott C Dawson
- College of Biological Sciences, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Bassanini I, Parapini S, Basilico N, Sparatore A. Novel Hydrophilic Riminophenazines as Potent Antiprotozoal Agents. ChemMedChem 2019; 14:1940-1949. [PMID: 31658408 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201900522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
SAR studies on a set of novel hydrophilic C-2 aminopyridinyl riminophenazines bearing variously functionalized basic side chains at C-3 were conducted. The novel compounds were evaluated for in vitro activity against two different species of Leishmania promastigotes, intramacrophage Leishmania amastigotes, chloroquine-sensitive and chloroquine-resistant strains of P. falciparum, and also against mature-stage P. falciparum gametocytes. Their cytotoxicity was evaluated as well on BMDM cell lines. Most of the new compounds potently inhibited the growth of both genera of protozoa with IC50 values in the high nanomolar range and good selectivities versus mammalian cells. Besides their potent activity against asexual intraerythrocytic stages of P. falciparum, three compounds showed potential as transmission-blocking agents. The key role of the hydrophilic C-2 aminopyridinyl substituent to improve the leishmanicidal activity and the influence of the length and the nature of the basic side chain on the antiprotozoal activity and cytotoxicity were underlined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Bassanini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 25, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Parapini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Pascal, 36, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Basilico
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Pascal, 36, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Sparatore
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 25, 20133, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Camarda G, Jirawatcharadech P, Priestley RS, Saif A, March S, Wong MHL, Leung S, Miller AB, Baker DA, Alano P, Paine MJI, Bhatia SN, O'Neill PM, Ward SA, Biagini GA. Antimalarial activity of primaquine operates via a two-step biochemical relay. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3226. [PMID: 31324806 PMCID: PMC6642103 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11239-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Primaquine (PQ) is an essential antimalarial drug but despite being developed over 70 years ago, its mode of action is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that hydroxylated-PQ metabolites (OH-PQm) are responsible for efficacy against liver and sexual transmission stages of Plasmodium falciparum. The antimalarial activity of PQ against liver stages depends on host CYP2D6 status, whilst OH-PQm display direct, CYP2D6-independent, activity. PQ requires hepatic metabolism to exert activity against gametocyte stages. OH-PQm exert modest antimalarial efficacy against parasite gametocytes; however, potency is enhanced ca.1000 fold in the presence of cytochrome P450 NADPH:oxidoreductase (CPR) from the liver and bone marrow. Enhancement of OH-PQm efficacy is due to the direct reduction of quinoneimine metabolites by CPR with the concomitant and excessive generation of H2O2, leading to parasite killing. This detailed understanding of the mechanism paves the way to rationally re-designed 8-aminoquinolines with improved pharmacological profiles. Primaquine (PQ) is a widely used anti-malaria drug, but its mechanism of action is unclear. Here, Camarda et al. show that PQ’s activity against liver and sexual Plasmodium stages depends on generation of hydroxylated-PQ metabolites (OH-PQm), which, undergoing further reactions, results in production of H2O2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Grazia Camarda
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics Research, Tropical Disease Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Piyaporn Jirawatcharadech
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics Research, Tropical Disease Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Richard S Priestley
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics Research, Tropical Disease Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.,ARUK Oxford Drug Discovery Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Ahmed Saif
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics Research, Tropical Disease Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.,Clinical Laboratory sciences Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Najran University, Najran, 61441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sandra March
- Health Sciences and Technology/Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Michael H L Wong
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Suet Leung
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Alex B Miller
- Health Sciences and Technology/Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - David A Baker
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Pietro Alano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, 00161, Italy
| | - Mark J I Paine
- Vector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Sangeeta N Bhatia
- Health Sciences and Technology/Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Paul M O'Neill
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Stephen A Ward
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics Research, Tropical Disease Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Giancarlo A Biagini
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics Research, Tropical Disease Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Yan Y, Shi P, Song W, Bi S. Chemiluminescence and Bioluminescence Imaging for Biosensing and Therapy: In Vitro and In Vivo Perspectives. Theranostics 2019; 9:4047-4065. [PMID: 31281531 PMCID: PMC6592176 DOI: 10.7150/thno.33228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemiluminescence (CL) and bioluminescence (BL) imaging technologies, which require no external light source so as to avoid the photobleaching, background interference and autoluminescence, have become powerful tools in biochemical analysis and biomedical science with the development of advanced imaging equipment. CL imaging technology has been widely applied to high-throughput detection of a variety of analytes because of its high sensitivity, high efficiency and high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Using luciferase and fluorescent proteins as reporters, various BL imaging systems have been developed innovatively for real-time monitoring of diverse molecules in vivo based on the reaction between luciferin and the substrate. Meanwhile, the kinetics of protein interactions even in deep tissues has been studied by BL imaging. In this review, we summarize in vitro and in vivo applications of CL and BL imaging for biosensing and therapy. We first focus on in vitro CL imaging from the view of improving the sensitivity. Then, in vivo CL applications in cells and tissues based on different CL systems are demonstrated. Subsequently, the recent in vitro and in vivo applications of BL imaging are summarized. Finally, we provide the insight into the development trends and future perspectives of CL and BL imaging technologies.
Collapse
|
22
|
Toolbox for In Vivo Imaging of Host-Parasite Interactions at Multiple Scales. Trends Parasitol 2019; 35:193-212. [PMID: 30745251 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2019.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Animal models have for long been pivotal for parasitology research. Over the last few years, techniques such as intravital, optoacoustic and magnetic resonance imaging, optical projection tomography, and selective plane illumination microscopy developed promising potential for gaining insights into host-pathogen interactions by allowing different visualization forms in vivo and ex vivo. Advances including increased resolution, penetration depth, and acquisition speed, together with more complex image analysis methods, facilitate tackling biological problems previously impossible to study and/or quantify. Here we discuss advances and challenges in the in vivo imaging toolbox, which hold promising potential for the field of parasitology.
Collapse
|
23
|
Michelini E, Calabretta MM, Cevenini L, Lopreside A, Southworth T, Fontaine DM, Simoni P, Branchini BR, Roda A. Smartphone-based multicolor bioluminescent 3D spheroid biosensors for monitoring inflammatory activity. Biosens Bioelectron 2019; 123:269-277. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2018.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Revised: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
|
24
|
Pomerantz AK, Sari-Sarraf F, Grove KJ, Pedro L, Rudewicz PJ, Fathman JW, Krucker T. Enabling drug discovery and development through single-cell imaging. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2018; 14:115-125. [DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2019.1559147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea K. Pomerantz
- Analytical Sciences & Imaging, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Farid Sari-Sarraf
- Analytical Sciences & Imaging, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kerri J. Grove
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Inc., Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Liliana Pedro
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Inc., Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Patrick J. Rudewicz
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Inc., Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - John W. Fathman
- Cancer Therapeutics, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Thomas Krucker
- Alliance Management and Partnering, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research Inc., Emeryville, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Osipova ZM, Shcheglov AS, Yampolsky IV. Bioluminescent imaging: new opportunities. BULLETIN OF RUSSIAN STATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY 2018. [DOI: 10.24075/brsmu.2018.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Modern biomedical research technologies actively use bioimaging for studying cells, tissues and whole organisms. Multicolor bioimaging is applied when simultaneous observation of different events at the molecular and cellular level is needed. Bioluminescent imaging methods are the most sensitive, however, their use for multicolor labeling is complicated due to the insufficient number of available uciferin-luciferase pairs. Having a number of advantages compared to previously studied bioluminescent systems, the new bioluminescence systems of higher fungi and marine polychaete Odontosyllis could become a useful expansion of the bioimaging toolbox.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- ZM Osipova
- Biomolecular Chemistry Department, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow; Laboratory of Natural Compounds Chemistry, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow
| | - AS Shcheglov
- Biomolecular Chemistry Department, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow; Laboratory of Natural Compounds Chemistry, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow
| | - IV Yampolsky
- Biomolecular Chemistry Department, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow; Laboratory of Natural Compounds Chemistry, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Cevenini L, Calabretta MM, Calabria D, Roda A, Michelini E. Luciferase Genes as Reporter Reactions: How to Use Them in Molecular Biology? ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2018; 154:3-17. [PMID: 25898810 DOI: 10.1007/10_2015_325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
: The latest advances in molecular biology have made available several biotechnological tools that take advantage of the high detectability and quantum efficiency of bioluminescence (BL), with an ever-increasing number of novel applications in environmental, pharmaceutical, food, and forensic fields. Indeed, BL proteins are being used to develop ultrasensitive binding assays and cell-based assays, thanks to their high detectability and to the availability of highly sensitive BL instruments. The appealing aspect of molecular biology tools relying on BL reactions is their general applicability in both in vitro assays, such as cell cultures or purified proteins, and in vivo settings, such as in whole-animal BL imaging. The aim of this chapter is to provide the reader with an overview of state-of-the-art bioluminescent tools based on luciferase genes, highlighting molecular biology strategies that have been applied so far, together with some selected examples.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L Cevenini
- Dept. of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - M M Calabretta
- Dept. of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - D Calabria
- Dept. of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - A Roda
- Dept. of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - E Michelini
- Dept. of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Cheng YY, Liu YJ. Theoretical Development of Near-Infrared Bioluminescent Systems. Chemistry 2018; 24:9340-9352. [PMID: 29710377 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201800416] [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: 01/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The luciferin/luciferase system of the firefly has been used in bioluminescent imaging to monitor biological processes. In order to enhance the efficiency and expand the application range, some efforts have been made to tune the light emission, especially the effort to obtain NIR light. However, those case-by-case studies have not together revealed the nature and mechanism of the color tuning. In this paper, we theoretically investigated the fluorescence of all kinds of typical oxyluciferin analogues. The present systematical modifications of both oxyluciferin and luciferase indicate that the essential factor affecting the emission color is the charge distribution (or the electric dipole moment) on the oxyluciferin, which impacts on the charge transfer to form the light emitter and, subsequently, influence the strength and wavelength of the emission light. More negative charge distributed on the "thiazolone moiety" of the oxyluciferin or its analogues leads to a redshift. Based on this conclusion, we theoretically designed optimal pairs of luciferin analogue and luciferase for emitting NIR light, which could inspire new synthetic procedures and practical applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Yuan Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, P. R. China
| | - Ya-Jun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Vanaerschot M, Lucantoni L, Li T, Combrinck JM, Ruecker A, Kumar TRS, Rubiano K, Ferreira PE, Siciliano G, Gulati S, Henrich PP, Ng CL, Murithi JM, Corey VC, Duffy S, Lieberman OJ, Veiga MI, Sinden RE, Alano P, Delves MJ, Lee Sim K, Winzeler EA, Egan TJ, Hoffman SL, Avery VM, Fidock DA. Hexahydroquinolines are antimalarial candidates with potent blood-stage and transmission-blocking activity. Nat Microbiol 2017. [PMID: 28808258 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-017-0007–4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Antimalarial compounds with dual therapeutic and transmission-blocking activity are desired as high-value partners for combination therapies. Here, we report the identification and characterization of hexahydroquinolines (HHQs) that show low nanomolar potency against both pathogenic and transmissible intra-erythrocytic forms of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. This activity translates into potent transmission-blocking potential, as shown by in vitro male gamete formation assays and reduced oocyst infection and prevalence in Anopheles mosquitoes. In vivo studies illustrated the ability of lead HHQs to suppress Plasmodium berghei blood-stage parasite proliferation. Resistance selection studies, confirmed by CRISPR-Cas9-based gene editing, identified the digestive vacuole membrane-spanning transporter PfMDR1 (P. falciparum multidrug resistance gene-1) as a determinant of parasite resistance to HHQs. Haemoglobin and haem fractionation assays suggest a mode of action that results in reduced haemozoin levels and might involve inhibition of host haemoglobin uptake into intra-erythrocytic parasites. Furthermore, parasites resistant to HHQs displayed increased susceptibility to several first-line antimalarial drugs, including lumefantrine, confirming that HHQs have a different mode of action to other antimalarials drugs for which PfMDR1 is known to confer resistance. This work evokes therapeutic strategies that combine opposing selective pressures on this parasite transporter as an approach to countering the emergence and transmission of multidrug-resistant P. falciparum malaria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manu Vanaerschot
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Leonardo Lucantoni
- Discovery Biology, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, 4111, Queensland, Australia
| | - Tao Li
- Sanaria Inc., Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Jill M Combrinck
- Division of Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa
| | - Andrea Ruecker
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - T R Santha Kumar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Kelly Rubiano
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Pedro E Ferreira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Giulia Siciliano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Sonia Gulati
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Philipp P Henrich
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Caroline L Ng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - James M Murithi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Victoria C Corey
- University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Sandra Duffy
- Discovery Biology, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, 4111, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ori J Lieberman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - M Isabel Veiga
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Robert E Sinden
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Pietro Alano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Michael J Delves
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | | | - Elizabeth A Winzeler
- University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Timothy J Egan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
| | | | - Vicky M Avery
- Discovery Biology, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, 4111, Queensland, Australia
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA. .,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Vanaerschot M, Lucantoni L, Li T, Combrinck JM, Ruecker A, Kumar TRS, Rubiano K, Ferreira PE, Siciliano G, Gulati S, Henrich PP, Ng CL, Murithi JM, Corey VC, Duffy S, Lieberman OJ, Veiga MI, Sinden RE, Alano P, Delves MJ, Lee Sim K, Winzeler EA, Egan TJ, Hoffman SL, Avery VM, Fidock DA. Hexahydroquinolines are antimalarial candidates with potent blood-stage and transmission-blocking activity. Nat Microbiol 2017; 2:1403-1414. [PMID: 28808258 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-017-0007-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Antimalarial compounds with dual therapeutic and transmission-blocking activity are desired as high-value partners for combination therapies. Here, we report the identification and characterization of hexahydroquinolines (HHQs) that show low nanomolar potency against both pathogenic and transmissible intra-erythrocytic forms of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. This activity translates into potent transmission-blocking potential, as shown by in vitro male gamete formation assays and reduced oocyst infection and prevalence in Anopheles mosquitoes. In vivo studies illustrated the ability of lead HHQs to suppress Plasmodium berghei blood-stage parasite proliferation. Resistance selection studies, confirmed by CRISPR-Cas9-based gene editing, identified the digestive vacuole membrane-spanning transporter PfMDR1 (P. falciparum multidrug resistance gene-1) as a determinant of parasite resistance to HHQs. Haemoglobin and haem fractionation assays suggest a mode of action that results in reduced haemozoin levels and might involve inhibition of host haemoglobin uptake into intra-erythrocytic parasites. Furthermore, parasites resistant to HHQs displayed increased susceptibility to several first-line antimalarial drugs, including lumefantrine, confirming that HHQs have a different mode of action to other antimalarials drugs for which PfMDR1 is known to confer resistance. This work evokes therapeutic strategies that combine opposing selective pressures on this parasite transporter as an approach to countering the emergence and transmission of multidrug-resistant P. falciparum malaria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manu Vanaerschot
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Leonardo Lucantoni
- Discovery Biology, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, 4111, Queensland, Australia
| | - Tao Li
- Sanaria Inc., Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Jill M Combrinck
- Division of Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa
| | - Andrea Ruecker
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - T R Santha Kumar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Kelly Rubiano
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Pedro E Ferreira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Giulia Siciliano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Sonia Gulati
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Philipp P Henrich
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Caroline L Ng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - James M Murithi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Victoria C Corey
- University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Sandra Duffy
- Discovery Biology, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, 4111, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ori J Lieberman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - M Isabel Veiga
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Robert E Sinden
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Pietro Alano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Michael J Delves
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | | | - Elizabeth A Winzeler
- University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Timothy J Egan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
| | | | - Vicky M Avery
- Discovery Biology, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, 4111, Queensland, Australia
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA. .,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Branchini BR, Southworth TL, Fontaine DM, Kohrt D, Welcome FS, Florentine CM, Henricks ER, DeBartolo DB, Michelini E, Cevenini L, Roda A, Grossel MJ. Red-emitting chimeric firefly luciferase for in vivo imaging in low ATP cellular environments. Anal Biochem 2017; 534:36-39. [PMID: 28687486 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2017.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Beetle luciferases have been adapted for live cell imaging where bioluminescence is dependent on the cellular availability of ATP, O2, and added luciferin. Previous Photinus pyralis red-emitting variants with high Km values for ATP have performed disappointingly in live cells despite having much higher relative specific activities than enzymes like Click Beetle Red (CBR). We engineered a luciferase variant PLR3 having a Km value for ATP similar to CBR and ∼2.6-fold higher specific activity. The red-emitting PLR3 was ∼2.5-fold brighter than CBR in living HEK293T and HeLa cells, an improvement consistent with the importance of the Km value in low ATP environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce R Branchini
- Department of Chemistry, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA.
| | - Tara L Southworth
- Department of Chemistry, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA
| | | | - Dawn Kohrt
- Department of Biology, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA
| | | | | | - Emma R Henricks
- Department of Chemistry, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA
| | | | - Elisa Michelini
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Luca Cevenini
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Aldo Roda
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Martha J Grossel
- Department of Biology, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Giardia Colonizes and Encysts in High-Density Foci in the Murine Small Intestine. mSphere 2017; 2:mSphere00343-16. [PMID: 28656177 PMCID: PMC5480036 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00343-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Giardia is a single-celled parasite causing significant diarrheal disease in several hundred million people worldwide. Due to limited access to the site of infection in the gastrointestinal tract, our understanding of the dynamics of Giardia infections in the host has remained limited and largely inferred from laboratory culture. To better understand Giardia physiology and colonization in the host, we developed imaging methods to quantify Giardia expressing bioluminescent physiological reporters in two relevant animal models. We discovered that parasites primarily colonize and encyst in the proximal small intestine in discrete, high-density foci. We also show that high parasite density contributes to encystation initiation. Giardia lamblia is a highly prevalent yet understudied protistan parasite causing significant diarrheal disease worldwide. Hosts ingest Giardia cysts from contaminated sources. In the gastrointestinal tract, cysts excyst to become motile trophozoites, colonizing and attaching to the gut epithelium. Trophozoites later differentiate into infectious cysts that are excreted and contaminate the environment. Due to the limited accessibility of the gut, the temporospatial dynamics of giardiasis in the host are largely inferred from laboratory culture and thus may not mirror Giardia physiology in the host. Here, we have developed bioluminescent imaging (BLI) to directly interrogate and quantify the in vivo temporospatial dynamics of Giardia infection, thereby providing an improved murine model to evaluate anti-Giardia drugs. Using BLI, we determined that parasites primarily colonize the proximal small intestine nonuniformly in high-density foci. By imaging encystation-specific bioreporters, we show that encystation initiates shortly after inoculation and continues throughout the duration of infection. Encystation also initiates in high-density foci in the proximal small intestine, and high density contributes to the initiation of encystation in laboratory culture. We suggest that these high-density in vivo foci of colonizing and encysting Giardia likely result in localized disruption to the epithelium. This more accurate visualization of giardiasis redefines the dynamics of the in vivo Giardia life cycle, paving the way for future mechanistic studies of density-dependent parasitic processes in the host. IMPORTANCEGiardia is a single-celled parasite causing significant diarrheal disease in several hundred million people worldwide. Due to limited access to the site of infection in the gastrointestinal tract, our understanding of the dynamics of Giardia infections in the host has remained limited and largely inferred from laboratory culture. To better understand Giardia physiology and colonization in the host, we developed imaging methods to quantify Giardia expressing bioluminescent physiological reporters in two relevant animal models. We discovered that parasites primarily colonize and encyst in the proximal small intestine in discrete, high-density foci. We also show that high parasite density contributes to encystation initiation.
Collapse
|
32
|
Hundreds of dual-stage antimalarial molecules discovered by a functional gametocyte screen. Nat Commun 2017; 8:15160. [PMID: 28513586 PMCID: PMC5442318 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum stage V gametocytes are responsible for parasite transmission, and drugs targeting this stage are needed to support malaria elimination. We here screen the Tres Cantos Antimalarial Set (TCAMS) using the previously developed P. falciparum female gametocyte activation assay (Pf FGAA), which assesses stage V female gametocyte viability and functionality using Pfs25 expression. We identify over 400 compounds with activities <2 μM, chemically classified into 57 clusters and 33 singletons. Up to 68% of the hits are chemotypes described for the first time as late-stage gametocyte-targeting molecules. In addition, the biological profile of 90 compounds representing the chemical diversity is assessed. We confirm in vitro transmission-blocking activity of four of the six selected molecules belonging to three distinct scaffold clusters. Overall, this TCAMS gametocyte screen provides 276 promising antimalarial molecules with dual asexual/sexual activity, representing starting points for target identification and candidate selection. There is a need for Plasmodium transmission blocking drugs for malaria elimination. Here, Miguel-Blanco et al. screen >10,000 compounds against stage V female gametocytes, identify active compounds belonging to 57 chemotypes and confirm transmission blocking activity of four selected compounds in vitro.
Collapse
|
33
|
Cevenini L, Calabretta MM, Lopreside A, Branchini BR, Southworth TL, Michelini E, Roda A. Bioluminescence Imaging of Spheroids for High‐throughput Longitudinal Studies on 3D Cell Culture Models. Photochem Photobiol 2017; 93:531-535. [DOI: 10.1111/php.12718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 12/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Cevenini
- Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician” University of Bologna Bologna Italy
| | | | - Antonia Lopreside
- Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician” University of Bologna Bologna Italy
| | | | | | - Elisa Michelini
- Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician” University of Bologna Bologna Italy
- Health Sciences and Technologies‐Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research (HST‐ICIR) University of Bologna Bologna Italy
- INBB, Istituto Nazionale di Biostrutture e Biosistemi Roma Italy
| | - Aldo Roda
- Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician” University of Bologna Bologna Italy
- INBB, Istituto Nazionale di Biostrutture e Biosistemi Roma Italy
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Siciliano G, Santha Kumar TR, Bona R, Camarda G, Calabretta MM, Cevenini L, Davioud-Charvet E, Becker K, Cara A, Fidock DA, Alano P. A high susceptibility to redox imbalance of the transmissible stages of Plasmodium falciparum revealed with a luciferase-based mature gametocyte assay. Mol Microbiol 2017; 104:306-318. [PMID: 28118506 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The goal to prevent Plasmodium falciparum transmission from humans to mosquitoes requires the identification of targetable metabolic processes in the mature (stage V) gametocytes, the sexual stages circulating in the bloodstream. This task is complicated by the apparently low metabolism of these cells, which renders them refractory to most antimalarial inhibitors and constrains the development of specific and sensitive cell-based assays. Here, we identify and functionally characterize the regulatory regions of the P. falciparum gene PF3D7_1234700, encoding a CPW-WPC protein and named here Upregulated in Late Gametocytes (ULG8), which we have leveraged to express reporter genes in mature male and female gametocytes. Using transgenic parasites containing a pfULG8-luciferase cassette, we investigated the susceptibility of stage V gametocytes to compounds specifically affecting redox metabolism. Our results reveal a high sensitivity of mature gametocytes to the glutathione reductase inhibitor and redox cycler drug methylene blue (MB). Using isobologram analysis, we find that a concomitant inhibition of the parasite enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase-6-phosphogluconolactonase, a key component of NADPH synthesis, potently synergizes MB activity. These data suggest that redox metabolism and detoxification activity play an unsuspected yet vital role in stage V gametocytes, rendering these cells exquisitely sensitive to decreases in NADPH concentration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Siciliano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - T R Santha Kumar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roberta Bona
- Dipartimento Farmaco, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Grazia Camarda
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Luca Cevenini
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elisabeth Davioud-Charvet
- European School of Chemistry, Polymers and Materials (ECPM), UMR 7509 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Katja Becker
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Andrea Cara
- Dipartimento Farmaco, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pietro Alano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Branchini BR, Southworth TL. A Highly Sensitive Biosensor for ATP Using a Chimeric Firefly Luciferase. Methods Enzymol 2017; 589:351-364. [PMID: 28336069 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2017.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Firefly luciferases, which emit visible light in a highly specific ATP-dependent process, have been adapted for a variety of applications based on the detection of the enzymes or using the proteins to measure ATP levels. Based on studies of chimeric luciferases, we engineered a novel luciferase called PLG2 that has enhanced specific activity, and thermal and pH stability compared to the commonly used Photinus pyralis luciferase. We present here protocols for preparing a single assay mixture containing PLG2 that can be used to readily detect femtomole levels of ATP. Our methodology can be used with a variety of samples, including human and bacterial cells, where measurements of ATP can be used as a biosensor for the detection of viable cells.
Collapse
|
36
|
Tsarkova AS, Kaskova ZM, Yampolsky IV. A Tale Of Two Luciferins: Fungal and Earthworm New Bioluminescent Systems. Acc Chem Res 2016; 49:2372-2380. [PMID: 27696815 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.6b00322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Bioluminescence, the ability of a living organism to produce light through a chemical reaction, is one of Nature's most amazing phenomena widely spread among marine and terrestrial species. There are various different mechanisms underlying the emission of "cold light", but all involve a small molecule, luciferin, that provides energy for light-generation upon oxidation, and a protein, luciferase, that catalyzes the reaction. Different species often use different proteins and substrates in the process, which suggests that the ability to produce light evolved independently several times throughout evolution. Currently, it is estimated that there are more than 30 different mechanisms of bioluminescence. Even though the chemical foundation underlying the bioluminescence phenomenon is by now generally understood, only a handful of luciferins have been isolated and characterized. Today, the known bioluminescence reactions are used as indispensable analytical tools in various fields of science and technology. A pressing need for new bioluminescent analytical techniques with a wider range of practical applications stimulates the search and chemical studies of new bioluminescent systems. In the past few years two such systems were unraveled: those of the earthworms Fridericia heliota and the higher fungi. The luciferins of these two systems do not share structural similarity with the previously known ones. This Account will survey structure elucidation of the novel luciferins and identification of their mechanisms of action. Fridericia luciferin is a key component of a novel ATP-dependent bioluminescence system. Structural studies were performed on 0.005 mg of natural substance and revealed its unusual extensively modified peptidic nature. Elucidation of Fridericia oxyluciferin revealed that oxidative decarboxylation of a lysine fragment of luciferin supplies energy for light generation, while a fluorescent CompX moiety remains intact and serves as a light emitter. Along with luciferin, a number of its natural analogs were found in the extracts of worm biomass. They occurred to be highly unusual modified peptides comprising a set of amino acids, including threonine, aminobutyric acid, homoarginine, unsymmetrical N,N-dimethylarginine and extensively modified tyrosine. These natural compounds represent a unique peptide chemistry found in terrestrial animals and raise novel questions concerning their biosynthetic origin. Also in this Account we discuss identification of the luciferin of higher fungi 3-hydroxyhispidin which is biosynthesized by oxidation of the precursor hispidin, a known fungal and plant secondary metabolite. Furthermore, it was shown that 3-hydroxyhispidin leads to bioluminescence in extracts from four diverse genera of luminous fungi, thus suggesting a common biochemical mechanism for fungal bioluminescence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra S. Tsarkova
- Institute
of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya
16/10, Moscow 117997, Russia
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ostrovitianova 1, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Zinaida M. Kaskova
- Institute
of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya
16/10, Moscow 117997, Russia
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ostrovitianova 1, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Ilia V. Yampolsky
- Institute
of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya
16/10, Moscow 117997, Russia
- Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ostrovitianova 1, Moscow 117997, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Bioluminescence Microscopy as a Method to Measure Single Cell Androgen Receptor Activity Heterogeneous Responses to Antiandrogens. Sci Rep 2016; 6:33968. [PMID: 27678181 PMCID: PMC5039635 DOI: 10.1038/srep33968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cell heterogeneity is well-documented. Therefore, techniques to monitor single cell heterogeneous responses to treatment are needed. We developed a highly translational and quantitative bioluminescence microscopy method to measure single cell androgen receptor (AR) activity modulation by antiandrogens from fluid biopsies. We showed that this assay can detect heterogeneous cellular response to drug treatment and that the sum of single cell AR activity can mirror the response in the whole cell population. This method may thus be used to monitor heterogeneous dynamic treatment responses in cancer cells.
Collapse
|
38
|
Chloroquine-containing organoruthenium complexes are fast-acting multistage antimalarial agents. Parasitology 2016; 143:1543-56. [PMID: 27439976 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182016001153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
We report the pharmacological activity of organoruthenium complexes containing chloroquine (CQ) as a chelating ligand. The complexes displayed intraerythrocytic activity against CQ-sensitive 3D7 and CQ-resistant W2 strains of Plasmodium falciparum, with potency and selectivity indexes similar to those of CQ. Complexes displayed activity against all intraerythrocytic stages, but moderate activity against Plasmodium berghei liver stages. However, unlike CQ, organoruthenium complexes impaired gametocyte viability and exhibited fast parasiticidal activity against trophozoites for P. falciparum. This functional property results from the ability of complexes to quickly induce oxidative stress. The parasitaemia of P. berghei-infected mice was reduced by treatment with the complex. Our findings demonstrated that using chloroquine for the synthesis of organoruthenium complexes retains potency and selectivity while leading to an increase in the spectrum of action and parasite killing rate relative to CQ.
Collapse
|
39
|
Cheng YY, Liu YJ. Vibrationally Resolved Absorption and Fluorescence Spectra of Firefly Luciferin: A Theoretical Simulation in the Gas Phase and in Solution. Photochem Photobiol 2016; 92:552-60. [PMID: 27165852 DOI: 10.1111/php.12601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Firefly bioluminescence has been applied in several fields. However, the absorption and fluorescence spectra of the substrate, luciferin, have not been observed at the vibrational level. In this study, the vibrationally resolved absorption and fluorescence spectra of firefly luciferin (neutral form LH2 , phenolate ion form LH(-) and dianion form L(2-) ) are simulated using the density functional method and convoluted by a Gaussian function, with displacement, distortion and Duschinsky effects in the framework of the Franck-Condon approximation. Both neutral and anionic forms of the luciferin are considered in the gas phase and in solution. The simulated spectra have desired band maxima with the experimental ones. The vibronic structure analysis reveals that the features of the most contributive vibrational modes coincide with the key geometry-changing region during transition between the ground state and the first singlet excited state.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Yuan Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Ya-Jun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Duffy S, Loganathan S, Holleran JP, Avery VM. Large-scale production of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes for malaria drug discovery. Nat Protoc 2016; 11:976-92. [PMID: 27123949 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2016.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The tightly controlled induction of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes in large-scale culture is a fundamental requirement for malaria drug discovery applications including, but not limited to, high-throughput screening. This protocol uses magnetic separation for isolation of hemozoin-containing parasites in order to (i) increase parasitemia, (ii) decrease hematocrit and (iii) introduce higher levels of young red blood cells in a culture simultaneously within 2-4 h. These parameters, along with red blood cell lysis products that are generated through schizont rupture, are highly relevant for enabling optimum induction of gametocytogenesis in vitro. No other previously published protocols have applied this particular approach for parasite isolation and maximization of fresh red blood cells before inducing gametocytogenesis, which is essential for obtaining highly synchronous gametocyte classical stages on a large scale. In summary, 500-1,000 million stage IV gametocytes can be obtained within 16 d from an initial 10 ml of asexual blood-stage culture.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Duffy
- Discovery Biology, Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sasdekumar Loganathan
- Discovery Biology, Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - John P Holleran
- Discovery Biology, Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Vicky M Avery
- Discovery Biology, Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
De Niz M, Stanway RR, Wacker R, Keller D, Heussler VT. An ultrasensitive NanoLuc-based luminescence system for monitoring Plasmodium berghei throughout its life cycle. Malar J 2016; 15:232. [PMID: 27102897 PMCID: PMC4840902 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-016-1291-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Bioluminescence imaging is widely used for cell-based assays and animal imaging studies, both in biomedical research and drug development. Its main advantages include its high-throughput applicability, affordability, high sensitivity, operational simplicity, and quantitative outputs. In malaria research, bioluminescence has been used for drug discovery in vivo and in vitro, exploring host-pathogen interactions, and studying multiple aspects of Plasmodium biology. While the number of fluorescent proteins available for imaging has undergone a great expansion over the last two decades, enabling simultaneous visualization of multiple molecular and cellular events, expansion of available luciferases has lagged behind. The most widely used bioluminescent probe in malaria research is the Photinus pyralis firefly luciferase, followed by the more recently introduced Click-beetle and Renilla luciferases. Ultra-sensitive imaging of Plasmodium at low parasite densities has not been previously achieved. With the purpose of overcoming these challenges, a Plasmodium berghei line expressing the novel ultra-bright luciferase enzyme NanoLuc, called PbNLuc has been generated, and is presented in this work. Results NanoLuc shows at least 150 times brighter signal than firefly luciferase in vitro, allowing single parasite detection in mosquito, liver, and sexual and asexual blood stages. As a proof-of-concept, the PbNLuc parasites were used to image parasite development in the mosquito, liver and blood stages of infection, and to specifically explore parasite liver stage egress, and pre-patency period in vivo. Conclusions PbNLuc is a suitable parasite line for sensitive imaging of the entire Plasmodium life cycle. Its sensitivity makes it a promising line to be used as a reference for drug candidate testing, as well as the characterization of mutant parasites to explore the function of parasite proteins, host-parasite interactions, and the better understanding of Plasmodium biology. Since the substrate requirements of NanoLuc are different from those of firefly luciferase, dual bioluminescence imaging for the simultaneous characterization of two lines, or two separate biological processes, is possible, as demonstrated in this work.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana De Niz
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Rebecca R Stanway
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Rahel Wacker
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Derya Keller
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Volker T Heussler
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Luciferase-Based, High-Throughput Assay for Screening and Profiling Transmission-Blocking Compounds against Plasmodium falciparum Gametocytes. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2016; 60:2097-107. [PMID: 26787698 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01949-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The discovery of new antimalarial drugs able to target both the asexual and gametocyte stages ofPlasmodium falciparumis critical to the success of the malaria eradication campaign. We have developed and validated a robust, rapid, and cost-effective high-throughput reporter gene assay to identify compounds active against late-stage (stage IV and V) gametocytes. The assay, which is suitable for testing compound activity at incubation times up to 72 h, demonstrates excellent quality and reproducibility, with averageZ' values of 0.85 ± 0.01. We used the assay to screen more than 10,000 compounds from three chemically diverse libraries. The screening outcomes highlighted the opportunity to use collections of compounds with known activity against the asexual stages of the parasites as a starting point for gametocytocidal activity detection in order to maximize the chances of identifying gametocytocidal compounds. This assay extends the capabilities of our previously reported luciferase assay, which tested compounds against early-stage gametocytes, and opens possibilities to profile the activities of gametocytocidal compounds over the entire course of gametocytogenesis.
Collapse
|
43
|
D'Alessandro S, Camarda G, Corbett Y, Siciliano G, Parapini S, Cevenini L, Michelini E, Roda A, Leroy D, Taramelli D, Alano P. A chemical susceptibility profile of the Plasmodium falciparum transmission stages by complementary cell-based gametocyte assays. J Antimicrob Chemother 2016; 71:1148-58. [PMID: 26888912 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkv493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES As most available antimalarial drugs are ineffective against the Plasmodium falciparum transmission stages, new drugs against the parasite's gametocytes are urgently needed to combat malaria globally. The unique biology of gametocytes requires assays that need to be specific, to faithfully monitor anti-gametocyte activity, and to be easy to perform, cheap and scalable to high-throughput screening (HTS). METHODS We developed an HTS cell-based assay with P. falciparum gametocytes specifically expressing a potent luciferase. To confirm HTS hit activity for several parasite genotypes, the luciferase assay and the gametocyte lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, usable on any parasite isolate, were compared by screening antimalarial drugs and determining IC50 values of anti-gametocyte hits from the 'Malaria Box' against early- and late-stage gametocytes. RESULTS Comparison of the two assays, conducted on the early and on late gametocyte stages, revealed an excellent correlation (R(2) > 0.9) for the IC50 values obtained by the respective readouts. Differences in susceptibility to drugs and compounds between the two parasite developmental stages were consistently measured in both assays. CONCLUSIONS This work indicates that the luciferase and gametocyte LDH assays are interchangeable and that their specific advantages can be exploited to design an HTS pipeline leading to new transmission-blocking compounds. Results from these assays consistently defined a gametocyte chemical susceptibility profile, relevant to the planning of future drug discovery strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah D'Alessandro
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Grazia Camarda
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie, Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Yolanda Corbett
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Giulia Siciliano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie, Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Parapini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Luca Cevenini
- Dipartimento di Chimica 'G. Ciamician', Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elisa Michelini
- Dipartimento di Chimica 'G. Ciamician', Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi (INBB), Roma, Italy
| | - Aldo Roda
- Dipartimento di Chimica 'G. Ciamician', Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi (INBB), Roma, Italy
| | - Didier Leroy
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Donatella Taramelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Pietro Alano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie, Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Mokgethi-Morule T, N'Da DD. Cell based assays for anti-Plasmodium activity evaluation. Eur J Pharm Sci 2016; 84:26-36. [PMID: 26776968 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2016.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Revised: 12/28/2015] [Accepted: 01/02/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Malaria remains one of the most common and deadly infectious diseases worldwide. The severity of this global public health challenge is reflected by the approximately 198 million people, who were reportedly infected in 2013 and by the more than 584,000 related deaths in that same year. The rising emergence of drug resistance towards the once effective artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) has become a serious concern and warrants more robust drug development strategies, with the objective of eradicating malaria infections. The intricate biology and life cycle of Plasmodium parasites complicate the understanding of the disease in such a way that would enhance the development of more effective chemotherapies that would achieve radical clinical cure and that would prevent disease relapse. Phenotypic cell based assays have for long been a valuable approach and involve the screening and analysis of diverse compounds with regards to their activities towards whole Plasmodium parasites in vitro. To achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of malaria eradication by 2020, new generation drugs that are active against all parasite stages (erythrocytic (blood), exo-erythrocytic (liver stages and gametocytes)) are needed. Significant advances are being made in assay development to overcome some of the practical challenges of assessing drug efficacy, particularly in the liver and transmission stage Plasmodium models. This review discusses primary screening models and the fundamental progress being made in whole cell based efficacy screens of anti-malarial activity. Ongoing challenges and some opportunities for improvements in assay development that would assist in the discovery of effective, safe and affordable drugs for malaria treatments are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thabang Mokgethi-Morule
- Drug Design, Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences (PHARMACEN), North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - David D N'Da
- Drug Design, Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences (PHARMACEN), North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Terzić N, Konstantinović J, Tot M, Burojević J, Djurković-Djaković O, Srbljanović J, Štajner T, Verbić T, Zlatović M, Machado M, Albuquerque IS, Prudêncio M, Sciotti RJ, Pecic S, D'Alessandro S, Taramelli D, Šolaja BA. Reinvestigating Old Pharmacophores: Are 4-Aminoquinolines and Tetraoxanes Potential Two-Stage Antimalarials? J Med Chem 2015; 59:264-81. [PMID: 26640981 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b01374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The syntheses and antiplasmodial activities of various substituted aminoquinolines coupled to an adamantane carrier are described. The compounds exhibited pronounced in vitro and in vivo activity against Plasmodium berghei in the Thompson test. Tethering a fluorine atom to the aminoquinoline C(3) position afforded fluoroaminoquinolines that act as intrahepatocytic parasite inhibitors, with compound 25 having an IC50 = 0.31 μM and reducing the liver load in mice by up to 92% at 80 mg/kg dose. Screening our peroxides as inhibitors of liver stage infection revealed that the tetraoxane pharmacophore itself is also an excellent liver stage P. berghei inhibitor (78: IC50 = 0.33 μM). Up to 91% reduction of the parasite liver load in mice was achieved at 100 mg/kg. Examination of tetraoxane 78 against the transgenic 3D7 strain expressing luciferase under a gametocyte-specific promoter revealed its activity against stage IV-V Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes (IC50 = 1.16 ± 0.37 μM). To the best of our knowledge, compounds 25 and 78 are the first examples of either an 4-aminoquinoline or a tetraoxane liver stage inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natasa Terzić
- Institute of Chemistry, Technology, and Metallurgy , 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jelena Konstantinović
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade , Studentski trg 16, P.O. Box 51, 11158, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Mikloš Tot
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade , Studentski trg 16, P.O. Box 51, 11158, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jovana Burojević
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade , Studentski trg 16, P.O. Box 51, 11158, Belgrade, Serbia
| | | | - Jelena Srbljanović
- Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade , Dr. Subotića 4, 11129 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Tijana Štajner
- Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade , Dr. Subotića 4, 11129 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Tatjana Verbić
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade , Studentski trg 16, P.O. Box 51, 11158, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Mario Zlatović
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade , Studentski trg 16, P.O. Box 51, 11158, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marta Machado
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa , 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Inês S Albuquerque
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa , 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Miguel Prudêncio
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa , 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Richard J Sciotti
- Experimental Therapeutics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research , Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, United States
| | - Stevan Pecic
- Division of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Medicine, Columbia University , New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Sarah D'Alessandro
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano , 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Donatella Taramelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano , 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Bogdan A Šolaja
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade , Studentski trg 16, P.O. Box 51, 11158, Belgrade, Serbia
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Lucantoni L, Silvestrini F, Signore M, Siciliano G, Eldering M, Dechering KJ, Avery VM, Alano P. A simple and predictive phenotypic High Content Imaging assay for Plasmodium falciparum mature gametocytes to identify malaria transmission blocking compounds. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16414. [PMID: 26553647 PMCID: PMC4639769 DOI: 10.1038/srep16414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes, specifically the mature stages, are the only malaria parasite stage in humans transmissible to the mosquito vector. Anti-malarial drugs capable of killing these forms are considered essential for the eradication of malaria and tools allowing the screening of large compound libraries with high predictive power are needed to identify new candidates. As gametocytes are not a replicative stage it is difficult to apply the same drug screening methods used for asexual stages. Here we propose an assay, based on high content imaging, combining “classic” gametocyte viability readout based on gametocyte counts with a functional viability readout, based on gametocyte activation and the discrimination of the typical gamete spherical morphology. This simple and rapid assay has been miniaturized to a 384-well format using acridine orange staining of wild type P. falciparum 3D7A sexual forms, and was validated by screening reference antimalarial drugs and the MMV Malaria Box. The assay demonstrated excellent robustness and ability to identify quality hits with high likelihood of confirmation of transmission reducing activity in subsequent mosquito membrane feeding assays.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Lucantoni
- Discovery Biology, Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, 4111 Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Francesco Silvestrini
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena n. 299, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Michele Signore
- Dipartimento di Ematologia, Oncologia e Medicina Molecolare, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena n. 299, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Giulia Siciliano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena n. 299, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Maarten Eldering
- TropIQ Health Sciences, Geert Grooteplein 28, huispost 268, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Koen J Dechering
- TropIQ Health Sciences, Geert Grooteplein 28, huispost 268, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Vicky M Avery
- Discovery Biology, Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, 4111 Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Pietro Alano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena n. 299, 00161 Roma, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Branchini BR, Southworth TL, Fontaine DM, Kohrt D, Talukder M, Michelini E, Cevenini L, Roda A, Grossel MJ. An enhanced chimeric firefly luciferase-inspired enzyme for ATP detection and bioluminescence reporter and imaging applications. Anal Biochem 2015; 484:148-53. [PMID: 26049097 PMCID: PMC4496250 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2015.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Firefly luciferases, which emit visible light in a highly specific ATP-dependent process, have been adapted for a variety of applications, including gene reporter assays, whole-cell biosensor measurements, and in vivo imaging. We previously reported the approximately 2-fold enhanced activity and 1.4-fold greater bioluminescence quantum yield properties of a chimeric enzyme that contains the N-domain of Photinus pyralis luciferase joined to the C-domain of Luciola italica luciferase. Subsequently, we identified 5 amino acid changes based on L. italica that are the main determinants of the improved bioluminescence properties. Further engineering to enhance thermal and pH stability produced a novel luciferase called PLG2. We present here a systematic comparison of the spectral and physical properties of the new protein with P. pyralis luciferase and demonstrate the potential of PLG2 for use in assays based on the detection of femtomole levels of ATP. In addition, we compared the performance of a mammalian codon-optimized version of the cDNA for PLG2 with the luc2 gene in HEK293T cells. Using an optimized low-cost assay system, PLG2 activity can be monitored in mammalian cell lysates and living cells with 4.4-fold and approximately 3.0-fold greater sensitivity, respectively. PLG2 could be an improved alternative to Promega's luc2 for reporter and imaging applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruce R Branchini
- Department of Chemistry, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA.
| | - Tara L Southworth
- Department of Chemistry, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA
| | | | - Dawn Kohrt
- Department of Biology, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA
| | - Munya Talukder
- Department of Chemistry, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA
| | - Elisa Michelini
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Luca Cevenini
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Aldo Roda
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Martha J Grossel
- Department of Biology, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, USA
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Reader J, Botha M, Theron A, Lauterbach SB, Rossouw C, Engelbrecht D, Wepener M, Smit A, Leroy D, Mancama D, Coetzer TL, Birkholtz LM. Nowhere to hide: interrogating different metabolic parameters of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes in a transmission blocking drug discovery pipeline towards malaria elimination. Malar J 2015; 14:213. [PMID: 25994518 PMCID: PMC4449569 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-015-0718-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The discovery of malaria transmission-blocking compounds is seen as key to malaria elimination strategies and gametocyte-screening platforms are critical filters to identify active molecules. However, unlike asexual parasite assays measuring parasite proliferation, greater variability in end-point readout exists between different gametocytocidal assays. This is compounded by difficulties in routinely producing viable, functional and stage-specific gametocyte populations. Here, a parallel evaluation of four assay platforms on the same gametocyte populations was performed for the first time. This allowed the direct comparison of the ability of different assay platforms to detect compounds with gametocytocidal activity and revealed caveats in some assay readouts that interrogate different parasite biological functions. Methods Gametocytogenesis from Plasmodium falciparum (NF54) was optimized with a robust and standardized protocol. ATP, pLDH, luciferase reporter and PrestoBlue® assays were compared in context of a set of 10 reference compounds. The assays were performed in parallel on the same gametocyte preparation (except for luciferase reporter lines) using the same drug preparations (48 h). The remaining parameters for each assay were all comparable. Results A highly robust method for generating viable and functional gametocytes was developed and comprehensively validated resulting in an average gametocytaemia of 4 %. Subsequent parallel assays for gametocytocidal activity indicated that different assay platforms were not able to screen compounds with variant chemical scaffolds similarly. Luciferase reporter assays revealed that synchronized stage-specific gametocyte production is essential for drug discovery, as differential susceptibility in various gametocyte developmental populations is evident. Conclusions With this study, the key parameters for assays aiming at testing the gametocytocidal activity of potential transmission blocking molecules against Plasmodium gametocytes were accurately dissected. This first and uniquely comparative study emphasizes differential effects seen with the use of different assay platforms interrogating variant biological systems. Whilst this data is informative from a biological perspective and may provide indications of the drug mode of action, it does highlight the care that must be taken when screening broad-diversity chemotypes with a single assay platform against gametocytes for which the biology is not clearly understood. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-015-0718-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janette Reader
- Malaria Parasite Molecular Laboratory, Centre for Sustainable Malaria Control, Department of Biochemistry, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa.
| | - Mariëtte Botha
- Malaria Parasite Molecular Laboratory, Centre for Sustainable Malaria Control, Department of Biochemistry, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa.
| | - Anjo Theron
- Biosciences, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, PO Box 395, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
| | - Sonja B Lauterbach
- Plasmodium Molecular Research Unit, Wits Research Institute for Malaria, Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand and National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa.
| | - Claire Rossouw
- Biosciences, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, PO Box 395, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
| | - Dewaldt Engelbrecht
- Plasmodium Molecular Research Unit, Wits Research Institute for Malaria, Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand and National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa.
| | - Melanie Wepener
- Plasmodium Molecular Research Unit, Wits Research Institute for Malaria, Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand and National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa.
| | - Annél Smit
- Malaria Parasite Molecular Laboratory, Centre for Sustainable Malaria Control, Department of Biochemistry, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa.
| | - Didier Leroy
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Dalu Mancama
- Biosciences, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, PO Box 395, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
| | - Theresa L Coetzer
- Plasmodium Molecular Research Unit, Wits Research Institute for Malaria, Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand and National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa.
| | - Lyn-Marie Birkholtz
- Malaria Parasite Molecular Laboratory, Centre for Sustainable Malaria Control, Department of Biochemistry, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Siciliano G, Alano P. Enlightening the malaria parasite life cycle: bioluminescent Plasmodium in fundamental and applied research. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:391. [PMID: 26029172 PMCID: PMC4426725 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The unicellular protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium impose on human health worldwide the enormous burden of malaria. The possibility to genetically modify several species of malaria parasites represented a major advance in the possibility to elucidate their biology and is now turning laboratory lines of transgenic Plasmodium into precious weapons to fight malaria. Amongst the various genetically modified plasmodia, transgenic parasite lines expressing bioluminescent reporters have been essential to unveil mechanisms of parasite gene expression and to develop in vivo imaging approaches in mouse malaria models. Mainly the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and the rodent parasite P. berghei have been engineered to express bioluminescent reporters in almost all the developmental stages of the parasite along its complex life cycle between the insect and the vertebrate hosts. Plasmodium lines expressing conventional and improved luciferase reporters are now gaining a central role to develop cell based assays in the much needed search of new antimalarial drugs and to open innovative approaches for both fundamental and applied research in malaria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Pietro Alano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di SanitàRome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Dantzler KW, Ravel DB, Brancucci NM, Marti M. Ensuring transmission through dynamic host environments: host-pathogen interactions in Plasmodium sexual development. Curr Opin Microbiol 2015; 26:17-23. [PMID: 25867628 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2015.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
A renewed global commitment to malaria elimination lends urgency to understanding the biology of Plasmodium transmission stages. Recent progress toward uncovering the mechanisms underlying Plasmodium falciparum sexual differentiation and maturation reveals potential targets for transmission-blocking drugs and vaccines. The identification of parasite factors that alter sexual differentiation, including extracellular vesicles and a master transcriptional regulator, suggest that parasites make epigenetically controlled developmental decisions based on environmental cues. New insights into sexual development, especially host cell remodeling and sequestration in the bone marrow, highlight open questions regarding parasite homing to the tissue, transmigration across the vascular endothelium, and maturation in the parenchyma. Novel molecular and translational tools will provide further opportunities to define host-parasite interactions and design effective transmission-blocking therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen W Dantzler
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Deepali B Ravel
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nicolas Mb Brancucci
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Matthias Marti
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| |
Collapse
|