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Bagratee T, Prawlall R, Ndlovu T, Sibisi S, Ndadane S, Shaik BB, Palkar MB, Gampa R, Karpoormath R. Exploring the Recent Pioneering Developments of Small Molecules in Antimalarial Drug Armamentarium: A Chemistry Prospective Appraisal. Chem Biodivers 2024:e202400460. [PMID: 38759144 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202400460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Malaria is a very destructive and lethal parasitic disease that causes significant mortality worldwide, resulting in the loss of millions of lives annually. It is an infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes, which is caused by different species of the parasite protozoan belonging to the genus Plasmodium. The uncontrolled intake of antimalarial drugs often employed in clinical settings has resulted in the emergence of numerous strains of plasmodium that are resistant to these drugs, including multidrug-resistant strains. This resistance significantly diminishes the effectiveness of many primary drugs used in the treatment of malaria. Hence, there is an urgent need for developing unique classes of antimalarial drugs that function with distinct mechanisms of action. In this context, the design and development of hybrid compounds that combine pharmacophoric properties from different lead molecules into a single unit gives a unique perspective towards further development of malaria drugs in the next generation. In recent years, the field of medicinal chemistry has made significant efforts resulting in the discovery and synthesis of numerous small novel compounds that exhibit potent antimalarial properties, while also demonstrating reduced toxicity and desirable efficacy. In light of this, we have reviewed the progress of hybrid antimalarial agents from 2021 up to the present. This manuscript presents a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in the medicinal chemistry pertaining to small molecules, with a specific focus on their potential as antimalarial agents. As possible antimalarial drugs that might target both the dual stage and multi-stage stages of the parasite life cycle, these small hybrid molecules have been studied. This review explores a variety of physiologically active compounds that have been described in the literature in order to lay a strong foundation for the logical design and eventual identification of antimalarial drugs based on lead frameworks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tameika Bagratee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville), Durban, 4000, South Africa
| | - Ritika Prawlall
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville), Durban, 4000, South Africa
| | - Thabani Ndlovu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville), Durban, 4000, South Africa
| | - Sinqobile Sibisi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville), Durban, 4000, South Africa
| | - Sisa Ndadane
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville), Durban, 4000, South Africa
| | - Baji Baba Shaik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville), Durban, 4000, South Africa
| | - Mahesh B Palkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville), Durban, 4000, South Africa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, SVKM's NMIMS, Shobhaben Pratapbhai Patel School of Pharmacy and Technology Management, Vile Parle (West), Mumbai, 400056, Maharashtra, India
| | - Raghavachary Gampa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville), Durban, 4000, South Africa
| | - Rajshekhar Karpoormath
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville), Durban, 4000, South Africa
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Keroack CD, Elsworth B, Tennessen JA, Paul AS, Hua R, Ramirez-Ramirez L, Ye S, Moreira CK, Meyers MJ, Zarringhalam K, Duraisingh MT. Comparative chemical genomics in Babesia species identifies the alkaline phosphatase PhoD as a determinant of antiparasitic resistance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2312987121. [PMID: 38377214 PMCID: PMC10907312 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312987121] [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: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Babesiosis is an emerging zoonosis and widely distributed veterinary infection caused by 100+ species of Babesia parasites. The diversity of Babesia parasites and the lack of specific drugs necessitate the discovery of broadly effective antibabesials. Here, we describe a comparative chemogenomics (CCG) pipeline for the identification of conserved targets. CCG relies on parallel in vitro evolution of resistance in independent populations of Babesia spp. (B. bovis and B. divergens). We identified a potent antibabesial, MMV019266, from the Malaria Box, and selected for resistance in two species of Babesia. After sequencing of multiple independently derived lines in the two species, we identified mutations in a membrane-bound metallodependent phosphatase (phoD). In both species, the mutations were found in the phoD-like phosphatase domain. Using reverse genetics, we validated that mutations in bdphoD confer resistance to MMV019266 in B. divergens. We have also demonstrated that BdPhoD localizes to the endomembrane system and partially with the apicoplast. Finally, conditional knockdown and constitutive overexpression of BdPhoD alter the sensitivity to MMV019266 in the parasite. Overexpression of BdPhoD results in increased sensitivity to the compound, while knockdown increases resistance, suggesting BdPhoD is a pro-susceptibility factor. Together, we have generated a robust pipeline for identification of resistance loci and identified BdPhoD as a resistance mechanism in Babesia species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline D. Keroack
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Brendan Elsworth
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Jacob A. Tennessen
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Aditya S. Paul
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Renee Hua
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Luz Ramirez-Ramirez
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Sida Ye
- Department of Mathematics, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA02125
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA02125
| | - Cristina K. Moreira
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Marvin J. Meyers
- Department of Chemistry, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO63103
| | - Kourosh Zarringhalam
- Department of Mathematics, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA02125
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA02125
| | - Manoj T. Duraisingh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
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Singh A, Hassen WM, St-Onge R, Dubowski JJ. Galvanic Displacement Reaction Enabled Specific and Sensitive Detection of Bacteria with a Digital Photocorrosion GaAs/AlGaAs Biosensor. THE JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY. C, NANOMATERIALS AND INTERFACES 2023; 127:21768-21776. [PMID: 37969924 PMCID: PMC10641864 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c05200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
The conjugation of ionic gold with bacterial antibodies makes it possible to induce a specific interaction between targeted bacteria and the surface of a GaAs/AlGaAs biochip. The process of immobilization is based on a galvanic displacement reaction (GDR) involving electron transfer between GaAs and Au3+ ions that leads to the formation of a Au-Ga alloy anchoring bacteria to the biochip surface. The GDR-based immobilization of Escherichia coli on biochips comprising a stack of GaAs/AlGaAs nanolayers (dGaAs = 12 nm, dAlGaAs = 10 nm) was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy-based infrared experiments. We report the successful application of this approach for highly sensitive detection of E. coli with a digital photocorrosion (DIP) biosensor. The photoluminescence (PL) monitored DIP of GaAs/AlGaAs nanolayers results in the formation of a PL intensity maximum whose temporal appearance depends on the electric charge transfer between bacteria and the biochip. The formation of a robust bacteria-biochip interface achieved with the GDR process allowed us to observe the role of bacteria on the temporal position of a PL intensity maximum related to the etching of two pairs of GaAs/AlGaAs nanolayers extending up to 24 nm below the biochip surface. We demonstrate the attractive detection of E. coli at 250 CFU/mL, and we discuss the potential of this approach for designing a family of biosensors addressing the quasi-continuous monitoring of a water environment for the presence of pathogenic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanpreet Singh
- Laboratory for Quantum Semiconductors
and Photon-Based BioNanotechnology, Interdisciplinary Institute for
Technological Innovation (3IT), CNRS IRL-3463, Department of Electrical
and Computer Engineering, Université
de Sherbrooke, 3000 boul. de l’Université, Sherbrooke, Québec J1K 0A5, Canada
| | - Walid M. Hassen
- Laboratory for Quantum Semiconductors
and Photon-Based BioNanotechnology, Interdisciplinary Institute for
Technological Innovation (3IT), CNRS IRL-3463, Department of Electrical
and Computer Engineering, Université
de Sherbrooke, 3000 boul. de l’Université, Sherbrooke, Québec J1K 0A5, Canada
| | - René St-Onge
- Laboratory for Quantum Semiconductors
and Photon-Based BioNanotechnology, Interdisciplinary Institute for
Technological Innovation (3IT), CNRS IRL-3463, Department of Electrical
and Computer Engineering, Université
de Sherbrooke, 3000 boul. de l’Université, Sherbrooke, Québec J1K 0A5, Canada
| | - Jan J. Dubowski
- Laboratory for Quantum Semiconductors
and Photon-Based BioNanotechnology, Interdisciplinary Institute for
Technological Innovation (3IT), CNRS IRL-3463, Department of Electrical
and Computer Engineering, Université
de Sherbrooke, 3000 boul. de l’Université, Sherbrooke, Québec J1K 0A5, Canada
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Tsebriy O, Khomiak A, Miguel-Blanco C, Sparkes PC, Gioli M, Santelli M, Whitley E, Gamo FJ, Delves MJ. Machine learning-based phenotypic imaging to characterise the targetable biology of Plasmodium falciparum male gametocytes for the development of transmission-blocking antimalarials. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011711. [PMID: 37801466 PMCID: PMC10584170 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Preventing parasite transmission from humans to mosquitoes is recognised to be critical for achieving elimination and eradication of malaria. Consequently developing new antimalarial drugs with transmission-blocking properties is a priority. Large screening campaigns have identified many new transmission-blocking molecules, however little is known about how they target the mosquito-transmissible Plasmodium falciparum stage V gametocytes, or how they affect their underlying cell biology. To respond to this knowledge gap, we have developed a machine learning image analysis pipeline to characterise and compare the cellular phenotypes generated by transmission-blocking molecules during male gametogenesis. Using this approach, we studied 40 molecules, categorising their activity based upon timing of action and visual effects on the organisation of tubulin and DNA within the cell. Our data both proposes new modes of action and corroborates existing modes of action of identified transmission-blocking molecules. Furthermore, the characterised molecules provide a new armoury of tool compounds to probe gametocyte cell biology and the generated imaging dataset provides a new reference for researchers to correlate molecular target or gene deletion to specific cellular phenotype. Our analysis pipeline is not optimised for a specific organism and could be applied to any fluorescence microscopy dataset containing cells delineated by bounding boxes, and so is potentially extendible to any disease model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Penny C. Sparkes
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Edgar Whitley
- Department of Management, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Michael J. Delves
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, United Kingdom
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5
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Keroack CD, Elsworth B, Tennessen JA, Paul AS, Hua R, Ramirez-Ramirez L, Ye S, Moreira CM, Meyers MJ, Zarringhalam K, Duraisingh MT. Comparative chemical genomics in Babesia species identifies the alkaline phosphatase phoD as a novel determinant of resistance. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.13.544849. [PMID: 37398106 PMCID: PMC10312741 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.13.544849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Babesiosis is an emerging zoonosis and widely distributed veterinary infection caused by 100+ species of Babesia parasites. The diversity of Babesia parasites, coupled with the lack of potent inhibitors necessitates the discovery of novel conserved druggable targets for the generation of broadly effective antibabesials. Here, we describe a comparative chemogenomics (CCG) pipeline for the identification of novel and conserved targets. CCG relies on parallel in vitro evolution of resistance in independent populations of evolutionarily-related Babesia spp. ( B. bovis and B. divergens ). We identified a potent antibabesial inhibitor from the Malaria Box, MMV019266. We were able to select for resistance to this compound in two species of Babesia, achieving 10-fold or greater resistance after ten weeks of intermittent selection. After sequencing of multiple independently derived lines in the two species, we identified mutations in a single conserved gene in both species: a membrane-bound metallodependent phosphatase (putatively named PhoD). In both species, the mutations were found in the phoD-like phosphatase domain, proximal to the predicted ligand binding site. Using reverse genetics, we validated that mutations in PhoD confer resistance to MMV019266. We have also demonstrated that PhoD localizes to the endomembrane system and partially with the apicoplast. Finally, conditional knockdown and constitutive overexpression of PhoD alter the sensitivity to MMV019266 in the parasite: overexpression of PhoD results in increased sensitivity to the compound, while knockdown increases resistance, suggesting PhoD is a resistance mechanism. Together, we have generated a robust pipeline for identification of resistance loci, and identified PhoD as a novel determinant of resistance in Babesia species. Highlights Use of two species for in vitro evolution identifies a high confidence locus associated with resistance Resistance mutation in phoD was validated using reverse genetics in B. divergens Perturbation of phoD using function genetics results in changes in the level of resistance to MMV019266Epitope tagging reveals localization to the ER/apicoplast, a conserved localization with a similar protein in diatoms Together, phoD is a novel resistance determinant in multiple Babesia spp .
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Sun P, Wang C, Zhang Y, Tang X, Hu D, Xie F, Hao Z, Suo J, Yu Y, Suo X, Liu X. Transcriptome profile of halofuginone resistant and sensitive strains of Eimeria tenella. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1141952. [PMID: 37065111 PMCID: PMC10098198 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1141952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The antiparasitic drug halofuginone is important for controlling apicomplexan parasites. However, the occurrence of halofuginone resistance is a major obstacle for it to the treatment of apicomplexan parasites. Current studies have identified the molecular marker and drug resistance mechanisms of halofuginone in Plasmodium falciparum. In this study, we tried to use transcriptomic data to explore resistance mechanisms of halofuginone in apicomplexan parasites of the genus Eimeria (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae). After halofuginone treatment of E. tenella parasites, transcriptome analysis was performed using samples derived from both resistant and sensitive strains. In the sensitive group, DEGs associated with enzymes were significantly downregulated, whereas the DNA damaging process was upregulated after halofuginone treatment, revealing the mechanism of halofuginone-induced parasite death. In addition, 1,325 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected between halofuginone resistant and sensitive strains, and the DEGs related to translation were significantly downregulated after halofuginone induction. Overall, our results provide a gene expression profile for further studies on the mechanism of halofuginone resistance in E. tenella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Sun
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health Security, Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis of Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Protozoa Laboratory and College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Chaoyue Wang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Beijing Key Laboratory of Animal Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinming Tang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dandan Hu
- School of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Fujie Xie
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health Security, Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis of Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Protozoa Laboratory and College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenkai Hao
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health Security, Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis of Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Protozoa Laboratory and College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jingxia Suo
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health Security, Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis of Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Protozoa Laboratory and College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yonglan Yu
- Department of Clinic Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xun Suo
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health Security, Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis of Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Protozoa Laboratory and College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Xun Suo,
| | - Xianyong Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health Security, Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology and Zoonosis of Ministry of Agriculture, National Animal Protozoa Laboratory and College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Xianyong Liu,
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7
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The Trisubstituted Isoxazole MMV688766 Exerts Broad-Spectrum Activity against Drug-Resistant Fungal Pathogens through Inhibition of Lipid Homeostasis. mBio 2022; 13:e0273022. [PMID: 36300931 PMCID: PMC9765174 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02730-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida species are among the most prevalent causes of systemic fungal infection, posing a growing threat to public health. While Candida albicans is the most common etiological agent of systemic candidiasis, the frequency of infections caused by non-albicans Candida species is rising. Among these is Candida auris, which has emerged as a particular concern. Since its initial discovery in 2009, it has been identified worldwide and exhibits resistance to all three principal antifungal classes. Here, we endeavored to identify compounds with novel bioactivity against C. auris from the Medicines for Malaria Venture's Pathogen Box library. Of the five hits identified, the trisubstituted isoxazole MMV688766 emerged as the only compound displaying potent fungicidal activity against C. auris, as well as other evolutionarily divergent fungal pathogens. Chemogenomic profiling, as well as subsequent metabolomic and phenotypic analyses, revealed that MMV688766 disrupts cellular lipid homeostasis, driving a decrease in levels of early sphingolipid intermediates and fatty acids and a concomitant increase in lysophospholipids. Experimental evolution to further probe MMV688766's mode of action in the model fungus Saccharomyces cerevisiae revealed that loss of function of the transcriptional regulator HAL9 confers resistance to MMV688766, in part through the upregulation of the lipid-binding chaperone HSP12, a response that appears to assist in tolerating MMV688766-induced stress. The novel mode of action we have uncovered for MMV688766 against drug-resistant fungal pathogens highlights the broad utility of targeting lipid homeostasis to disrupt fungal growth and how screening structurally-diverse chemical libraries can provide new insights into resistance-conferring stress responses of fungi. IMPORTANCE As widespread antimicrobial resistance threatens to propel the world into a postantibiotic era, there is a pressing need to identify mechanistically distinct antimicrobial agents. This is of particular concern when considering the limited arsenal of drugs available to treat fungal infections, coupled with the emergence of highly drug-resistant fungal pathogens, including Candida auris. In this work, we demonstrate that existing libraries of drug-like chemical matter can be rich resources for antifungal molecular scaffolds. We discovered that the small molecule MMV688766, from the Pathogen Box library, displays previously undescribed broad-spectrum fungicidal activity through perturbation of lipid homeostasis. Characterization of the mode of action of MMV688766 provided new insight into the protective mechanisms fungi use to cope with the disruption of lipid homeostasis. Our findings highlight that elucidating the genetic circuitry required to survive in the presence of cellular stress offers powerful insights into the biological pathways that govern this important phenotype.
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8
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Zhao S, Lin C, Cheng M, Zhang K, Wang Z, Zhao T, Yang Q. New insight into the production improvement and resource generation of chaetoglobosin A in Chaetomium globosum. Microb Biotechnol 2022; 15:2562-2577. [PMID: 35930651 PMCID: PMC9518988 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14111] [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: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Chaetoglobosin A is a complex macrocyclic alkaloid with potent antimycotic, antiparasitic and antitumor properties. However, the low output and high cost of chaetoglobosin A biosynthesis have hampered the application and commercialization of chaetoglobosin A in agriculture and biomedicine. Here, the CgMfs1 gene, which encodes the major facilitator superfamily secondary transporter, was identified based on bioinformatics analysis, and an intensive study of its effects on chaetoglobosin A biosynthesis and secretion was performed using CgMfs1‐silencing and CgMfs1‐overexpression strategies. Inactivation of CgMfs1 caused a notable decrease in chaetoglobosin A yield from 58.66 mg/L to 19.95 mg/L (MFS1–3) and 17.13 mg/L (MFS1–4). The use of an efficient expression plasmid in Chaetomium globosum W7 to generate the overexpression mutant OEX13 resulted in the highest chaetoglobosin A increase to 298.77 mg/L. Interestingly, the transcription level of the polyketide synthase gene significantly fluctuated with the change in CgMfs1, confirming that the predicted efflux gene CgMfs1 could play a crucial role in chaetoglobosin A transportation. Effective efflux of chaetoglobosin A could possibly alleviate feedback inhibition, resulting in notable increase in the expression of the polyketide synthase gene. Furthermore, we utilized cornstalk as the fermentation substrate to produce chaetoglobosin A, and scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform‐infrared spectroscopy revealed that the strain OEX13 could well degrade cornstalk, presenting significant increases in the chaetoglobosin A yield, when compared with that produced by the wild‐type strain (from 40.32 to 191.90 mg/L). Thus, this research provides a novel analogous engineering strategy for the construction of high‐yielding strain and offers new insight into large‐scale chaetoglobosin A production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Zhao
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Congyu Lin
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Ming Cheng
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Zhengran Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Tong Zhao
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Qian Yang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
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9
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Ibraheem W, Makki AA, Alzain AA. Phthalide derivatives as dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors for malaria: molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022:1-11. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2080114] [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]
Affiliation(s)
- Walaa Ibraheem
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Gezira, Medani, Gezira, Sudan
| | - Alaa A. Makki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Gezira, Medani, Gezira, Sudan
| | - Abdulrahim Altoam Alzain
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Gezira, Medani, Gezira, Sudan
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10
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PMRT1, a
Plasmodium
-Specific Parasite Plasma Membrane Transporter, Is Essential for Asexual and Sexual Blood Stage Development. mBio 2022; 13:e0062322. [PMID: 35404116 PMCID: PMC9040750 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00623-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum
-infected erythrocytes possess multiple compartments with designated membranes. Transporter proteins embedded in these membranes not only facilitate movement of nutrients, metabolites, and other molecules between these compartments, but also are common therapeutic targets and can confer antimalarial drug resistance.
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11
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Ottilie S, Luth MR, Hellemann E, Goldgof GM, Vigil E, Kumar P, Cheung AL, Song M, Godinez-Macias KP, Carolino K, Yang J, Lopez G, Abraham M, Tarsio M, LeBlanc E, Whitesell L, Schenken J, Gunawan F, Patel R, Smith J, Love MS, Williams RM, McNamara CW, Gerwick WH, Ideker T, Suzuki Y, Wirth DF, Lukens AK, Kane PM, Cowen LE, Durrant JD, Winzeler EA. Adaptive laboratory evolution in S. cerevisiae highlights role of transcription factors in fungal xenobiotic resistance. Commun Biol 2022; 5:128. [PMID: 35149760 PMCID: PMC8837787 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03076-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro evolution and whole genome analysis were used to comprehensively identify the genetic determinants of chemical resistance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Sequence analysis identified many genes contributing to the resistance phenotype as well as numerous amino acids in potential targets that may play a role in compound binding. Our work shows that compound-target pairs can be conserved across multiple species. The set of 25 most frequently mutated genes was enriched for transcription factors, and for almost 25 percent of the compounds, resistance was mediated by one of 100 independently derived, gain-of-function SNVs found in a 170 amino acid domain in the two Zn2C6 transcription factors YRR1 and YRM1 (p < 1 × 10−100). This remarkable enrichment for transcription factors as drug resistance genes highlights their important role in the evolution of antifungal xenobiotic resistance and underscores the challenge to develop antifungal treatments that maintain potency. Ottilie et al. employ an experimental evolution approach to investigate the role of transcription factors in yeast chemical resistance. Most emergent mutations in resistant strains were enriched in transcription factor coding genes, highlighting their importance in drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Ottilie
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Madeline R Luth
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Erich Hellemann
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Gregory M Goldgof
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Eddy Vigil
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Prianka Kumar
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Andrea L Cheung
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Miranda Song
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Karla P Godinez-Macias
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Krypton Carolino
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Jennifer Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Gisel Lopez
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Matthew Abraham
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Maureen Tarsio
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Emmanuelle LeBlanc
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Luke Whitesell
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Jake Schenken
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Felicia Gunawan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Reysha Patel
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Joshua Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Melissa S Love
- Calibr, a division of The Scripps Research Institutes, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Roy M Williams
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.,Aspen Neuroscience, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Case W McNamara
- Calibr, a division of The Scripps Research Institutes, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - William H Gerwick
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Trey Ideker
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yo Suzuki
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Bioenergy, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Dyann F Wirth
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.,Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Amanda K Lukens
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Patricia M Kane
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Leah E Cowen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Jacob D Durrant
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Winzeler
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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Characterization of Apicomplexan Amino Acid Transporters (ApiATs) in the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum. mSphere 2021; 6:e0074321. [PMID: 34756057 PMCID: PMC8579892 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00743-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
During the symptomatic human blood phase, malaria parasites replicate within red blood cells. Parasite proliferation relies on the uptake of nutrients, such as amino acids, from the host cell and blood plasma, requiring transport across multiple membranes. Amino acids are delivered to the parasite through the parasite-surrounding vacuolar compartment by specialized nutrient-permeable channels of the erythrocyte membrane and the parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM). However, further transport of amino acids across the parasite plasma membrane (PPM) is currently not well characterized. In this study, we focused on a family of Apicomplexan amino acid transporters (ApiATs) that comprises five members in Plasmodium falciparum. First, we localized four of the P. falciparum ApiATs (PfApiATs) at the PPM using endogenous green fluorescent protein (GFP) tagging. Next, we applied reverse genetic approaches to probe into their essentiality during asexual replication and gametocytogenesis. Upon inducible knockdown and targeted gene disruption, a reduced asexual parasite proliferation was detected for PfApiAT2 and PfApiAT4. Functional inactivation of individual PfApiATs targeted in this study had no effect on gametocyte development. Our data suggest that individual PfApiATs are partially redundant during asexual in vitro proliferation and fully redundant during gametocytogenesis of P. falciparum parasites. IMPORTANCE Malaria parasites live and multiply inside cells. To facilitate their extremely fast intracellular proliferation, they hijack and transform their host cells. This also requires the active uptake of nutrients, such as amino acids, from the host cell and the surrounding environment through various membranes that are the consequence of the parasite’s intracellular lifestyle. In this paper, we focus on a family of putative amino acid transporters termed ApiAT. We show expression and localization of four transporters in the parasite plasma membrane of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes that represent one interface of the pathogen to its host cell. We probed into the impact of functional inactivation of individual transporters on parasite growth in asexual and sexual blood stages of P. falciparum and reveal that only two of them show a modest but significant reduction in parasite proliferation but no impact on gametocytogenesis, pointing toward dispensability within this transporter family.
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