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Mungo C, Sorgi K, Ogollah C, Misiko B, Cheserem C, Githongo G, Omoto J. Phase I study on the pharmacokinetics of intravaginal, self-administered artesunate vaginal pessaries among women in Kenya. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.07.08.24309596. [PMID: 39148845 PMCID: PMC11326355 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.08.24309596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Cervical cancer remains a significant global health issue, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where access to prevention and treatment is limited and women are at a higher risk of cervical cancer. Artesunate, a widely available drug used to treat malaria, has shown promise in treating human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated anogenital lesions including high-grade cervical precancer, in a recent Phase I studies in the United States. Data on the pharmacokinetics of artesunate following intravaginal use, and its implications on malaria resistance, are lacking. Objectives The primary objective of this study is to investigate the pharmacokinetics of Artesunate (AS) and its active metabolite, dihydroartemisinin (DHA) following intravaginal use at the dosing and frequency intended for cervical precancer treatment. A secondary objective is to assess safety among study participants. Methods We are conducting a single-arm, phase I trial with a sample size of 12 female volunteers. Participants will self-administer artesunate vaginal pessaries in the study clinic daily for 5 consecutive days. Participants will have their blood drawn prior to receiving the first dose of artesunate on day one of the study and then will receive 8 blood draws on study day five, prior to artesunate administration and at 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, and 8 hours after pessary administration. Pharmacokinetic parameters of artesunate and DHA will be calculated by way of quantitative analysis of with determination of maximum concentration (Cmax), time to Cmax (Tmax), area under the plasma concentration versus time curve (AUC), apparent clearance, and elimination half-life (t1/2).
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Affiliation(s)
- Chemtai Mungo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, 321 S Columbia St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 450 West Dr, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, USA
| | - Katherine Sorgi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, 321 S Columbia St, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, USA
| | | | - Brenda Misiko
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Busia Rd, Kisumu, Kenya
| | | | | | - Jackton Omoto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maseno University School of Medicine, P.O, Kisumu, Kenya
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2
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Quadros HC, Herrmann L, Manaranche J, Paloque L, Borges-Silva MC, Dziwornu GA, D'Alessandro S, Chibale K, Basilico N, Benoit-Vical F, Tsogoeva SB, Moreira DRM. Characterization of antimalarial activity of artemisinin-based hybrid drugs. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2024; 68:e0014324. [PMID: 38899927 PMCID: PMC11232401 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00143-24] [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: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
In response to the spread of artemisinin (ART) resistance, ART-based hybrid drugs were developed, and their activity profile was characterized against drug-sensitive and drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Two hybrids were found to display parasite growth reduction, stage-specificity, speed of activity, additivity of activity in drug combinations, and stability in hepatic microsomes of similar levels to those displayed by dihydroartemisinin (DHA). Conversely, the rate of chemical homolysis of the peroxide bonds is slower in hybrids than in DHA. From a mechanistic perspective, heme plays a central role in the chemical homolysis of peroxide, inhibiting heme detoxification and disrupting parasite heme redox homeostasis. The hybrid exhibiting slow homolysis of peroxide bonds was more potent in reducing the viability of ART-resistant parasites in a ring-stage survival assay than the hybrid exhibiting fast homolysis. However, both hybrids showed limited activity against ART-induced quiescent parasites in the quiescent-stage survival assay. Our findings are consistent with previous results showing that slow homolysis of peroxide-containing drugs may retain activity against proliferating ART-resistant parasites. However, our data suggest that this property does not overcome the limited activity of peroxides in killing non-proliferating parasites in a quiescent state.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lars Herrmann
- Organic Chemistry Chair I and Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials (ICMM), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jeanne Manaranche
- LCC-CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
- MAAP, New Antimalarial Molecules and Pharmacological Approaches, Inserm ERL 1289, Toulouse, France
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France
| | - Lucie Paloque
- LCC-CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
- MAAP, New Antimalarial Molecules and Pharmacological Approaches, Inserm ERL 1289, Toulouse, France
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France
| | | | - Godwin Akpeko Dziwornu
- Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D), Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Sarah D'Alessandro
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Kelly Chibale
- Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D), Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, Department of Chemistry and Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Nicoletta Basilico
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Universitá degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Françoise Benoit-Vical
- LCC-CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
- MAAP, New Antimalarial Molecules and Pharmacological Approaches, Inserm ERL 1289, Toulouse, France
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UPS), Toulouse, France
| | - Svetlana B. Tsogoeva
- Organic Chemistry Chair I and Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials (ICMM), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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3
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Hughes KR, Waters AP. Plasmodium falciparum artemisinin resistance: something gained in translation. Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:541-543. [PMID: 38910099 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2024.06.004] [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: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Small-Saunders et al. uncovered a new facet of artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium in which parasites use a previously underexplored arm of stress response mechanisms. Through altered epitranscriptomic modifications on tRNA, changed translation patterns adapt resistant cells to facilitate entry into a quiescent-like state which provides the parasite an escape from many drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie R Hughes
- Centre for Parasitology, School of Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, G12 8TA Glasgow, UK
| | - Andrew P Waters
- Centre for Parasitology, School of Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, G12 8TA Glasgow, UK.
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4
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Dans MG, Boulet C, Watson GM, Nguyen W, Dziekan JM, Evelyn C, Reaksudsan K, Mehra S, Razook Z, Geoghegan ND, Mlodzianoski MJ, Goodman CD, Ling DB, Jonsdottir TK, Tong J, Famodimu MT, Kristan M, Pollard H, Stewart LB, Brandner-Garrod L, Sutherland CJ, Delves MJ, McFadden GI, Barry AE, Crabb BS, de Koning-Ward TF, Rogers KL, Cowman AF, Tham WH, Sleebs BE, Gilson PR. Aryl amino acetamides prevent Plasmodium falciparum ring development via targeting the lipid-transfer protein PfSTART1. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5219. [PMID: 38890312 PMCID: PMC11189555 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49491-8] [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: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
With resistance to most antimalarials increasing, it is imperative that new drugs are developed. We previously identified an aryl acetamide compound, MMV006833 (M-833), that inhibited the ring-stage development of newly invaded merozoites. Here, we select parasites resistant to M-833 and identify mutations in the START lipid transfer protein (PF3D7_0104200, PfSTART1). Introducing PfSTART1 mutations into wildtype parasites reproduces resistance to M-833 as well as to more potent analogues. PfSTART1 binding to the analogues is validated using organic solvent-based Proteome Integral Solubility Alteration (Solvent PISA) assays. Imaging of invading merozoites shows the inhibitors prevent the development of ring-stage parasites potentially by inhibiting the expansion of the encasing parasitophorous vacuole membrane. The PfSTART1-targeting compounds also block transmission to mosquitoes and with multiple stages of the parasite's lifecycle being affected, PfSTART1 represents a drug target with a new mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline G Dans
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
- Institute of Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT) and School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia.
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - Coralie Boulet
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, 1206, Switzerland
| | - Gabrielle M Watson
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - William Nguyen
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Jerzy M Dziekan
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Cindy Evelyn
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Kitsanapong Reaksudsan
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Somya Mehra
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Institute of Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT) and School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
| | - Zahra Razook
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Institute of Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT) and School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
| | - Niall D Geoghegan
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Michael J Mlodzianoski
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | | | | | - Thorey K Jonsdottir
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, 901 87, Sweden
- The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå, Sweden
| | - Joshua Tong
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Mufuliat Toyin Famodimu
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, WC1E 7HT, London, UK
| | - Mojca Kristan
- Wellcome Trust Human Malaria Transmission Facility, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Harry Pollard
- Wellcome Trust Human Malaria Transmission Facility, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Lindsay B Stewart
- Wellcome Trust Human Malaria Transmission Facility, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Luke Brandner-Garrod
- Wellcome Trust Human Malaria Transmission Facility, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Colin J Sutherland
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, WC1E 7HT, London, UK
- Wellcome Trust Human Malaria Transmission Facility, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Michael J Delves
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, WC1E 7HT, London, UK
| | - Geoffrey I McFadden
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Alyssa E Barry
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Institute of Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT) and School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
| | - Brendan S Crabb
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Monash University, 3800, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Tania F de Koning-Ward
- Institute of Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT) and School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
| | - Kelly L Rogers
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Alan F Cowman
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Wai-Hong Tham
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Brad E Sleebs
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Paul R Gilson
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
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5
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Behrens HM, Schmidt S, Henshall IG, López-Barona P, Peigney D, Sabitzki R, May J, Maïga-Ascofaré O, Spielmann T. Impact of different mutations on Kelch13 protein levels, ART resistance, and fitness cost in Plasmodium falciparum parasites. mBio 2024; 15:e0198123. [PMID: 38700363 PMCID: PMC11237660 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01981-23] [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: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Reduced susceptibility to ART, the first-line treatment against malaria, is common in South East Asia (SEA). It is associated with point mutations, mostly in kelch13 (k13) but also in other genes, like ubp1. K13 and its compartment neighbors (KICs), including UBP1, are involved in endocytosis of host cell cytosol. We tested 135 mutations in KICs but none conferred ART resistance. Double mutations of k13C580Y with k13R539T or k13C580Y with ubp1R3138H, did also not increase resistance. In contrast, k13C580Y parasites subjected to consecutive RSAs did, but the k13 sequence was not altered. Using isogenic parasites with different k13 mutations, we found correlations between K13 protein amount, resistance, and fitness cost. Titration of K13 and KIC7 indicated that the cellular levels of these proteins determined resistance through the rate of endocytosis. While fitness cost of k13 mutations correlated with ART resistance, ubp1R3138H caused a disproportionately higher fitness cost. IMPORTANCE Parasites with lowered sensitivity to artemisinin-based drugs are becoming widespread. However, even in these "resistant" parasites not all parasites survive treatment. We found that the proportion of surviving parasites correlates with the fitness cost of resistance-inducing mutations which might indicate that the growth disadvantages prevents resistance levels where all parasites survive treatment. We also found that combining two common resistance mutations did not increase resistance levels. However, selection through repeated ART-exposure did, even-though the known resistance genes, including k13, were not further altered, suggesting other causes of increased resistance. We also observed a disproportionally high fitness cost of a resistance mutation in resistance gene ubp1. Such high fitness costs may explain why mutations in ubp1 and other genes functioning in the same pathway as k13 are rare. This highlights that k13 mutations are unique in their ability to cause resistance at a comparably low fitness cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M. Behrens
- Malaria Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sabine Schmidt
- Malaria Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Isabelle G. Henshall
- Malaria Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Patricia López-Barona
- Malaria Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Domitille Peigney
- Malaria Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ricarda Sabitzki
- Malaria Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen May
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology Department, Epidemiology and Diagnostics, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Luebeck-Borstel-Riems, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Oumou Maïga-Ascofaré
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology Department, Epidemiology and Diagnostics, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Luebeck-Borstel-Riems, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Spielmann
- Malaria Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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6
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Kanyal A, Deshmukh B, Davies H, Mamatharani DV, Farheen D, Treeck M, Karmodiya K. PfHDAC1 is an essential regulator of P. falciparum asexual proliferation and host cell invasion genes with a dynamic genomic occupancy responsive to artemisinin stress. mBio 2024; 15:e0237723. [PMID: 38709067 PMCID: PMC11237754 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02377-23] [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: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum, the deadly protozoan parasite responsible for malaria, has a tightly regulated gene expression profile closely linked to its intraerythrocytic development cycle. Epigenetic modifiers of the histone acetylation code have been identified as key regulators of the parasite's transcriptome but require further investigation. In this study, we map the genomic distribution of Plasmodium falciparum histone deacetylase 1 (PfHDAC1) across the erythrocytic asexual development cycle and find it has a dynamic occupancy over a wide array of developmentally relevant genes. Overexpression of PfHDAC1 results in a progressive increment in parasite load over consecutive rounds of the asexual infection cycle and is associated with enhanced gene expression of multiple families of host cell invasion factors (merozoite surface proteins, rhoptry proteins, etc.) and with increased merozoite invasion efficiency. With the use of class-specific inhibitors, we demonstrate that PfHDAC1 activity in parasites is crucial for timely intraerythrocytic development. Interestingly, overexpression of PfHDAC1 results in decreased sensitivity to frontline-drug dihydroartemisinin in parasites. Furthermore, we identify that artemisinin exposure can interfere with PfHDAC1 abundance and chromatin occupancy, resulting in enrichment over genes implicated in response/resistance to artemisinin. Finally, we identify that dihydroartemisinin exposure can interrupt the in vitro catalytic deacetylase activity and post-translational phosphorylation of PfHDAC1, aspects that are crucial for its genomic function. Collectively, our results demonstrate PfHDAC1 to be a regulator of critical functions in asexual parasite development and host invasion, which is responsive to artemisinin exposure stress and deterministic of resistance to it. IMPORTANCE Malaria is a major public health problem, with the parasite Plasmodium falciparum causing most of the malaria-associated mortality. It is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes and results in symptoms such as cyclic fever, chills, and headache. However, if left untreated, it can quickly progress to a more severe and life-threatening form. The World Health Organization currently recommends the use of artemisinin combination therapy, and it has worked as a gold standard for many years. Unfortunately, certain countries in southeast Asia and Africa, burdened with a high prevalence of malaria, have reported cases of drug-resistant infections. One of the major problems in controlling malaria is the emergence of artemisinin resistance. Population genomic studies have identified mutations in the Kelch13 gene as a molecular marker for artemisinin resistance. However, several reports thereafter indicated that Kelch13 is not the main mediator but rather hinted at transcriptional deregulation as a major determinant of drug resistance. Earlier, we identified PfGCN5 as a global regulator of stress-responsive genes, which are known to play a central role in artemisinin resistance generation. In this study, we have identified PfHDAC1, a histone deacetylase as a cell cycle regulator, playing an important role in artemisinin resistance generation. Taken together, our study identified key transcriptional regulators that play an important role in artemisinin resistance generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Kanyal
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Bhagyashree Deshmukh
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Heledd Davies
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - D. V. Mamatharani
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Dilsha Farheen
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Moritz Treeck
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Krishanpal Karmodiya
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune, Maharashtra, India
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7
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Small-Saunders JL, Sinha A, Bloxham TS, Hagenah LM, Sun G, Preiser PR, Dedon PC, Fidock DA. tRNA modification reprogramming contributes to artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:1483-1498. [PMID: 38632343 PMCID: PMC11153160 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01664-3] [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: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum artemisinin (ART) resistance is driven by mutations in kelch-like protein 13 (PfK13). Quiescence, a key aspect of resistance, may also be regulated by a yet unidentified epigenetic pathway. Transfer RNA modification reprogramming and codon bias translation is a conserved epitranscriptomic translational control mechanism that allows cells to rapidly respond to stress. We report a role for this mechanism in ART-resistant parasites by combining tRNA modification, proteomic and codon usage analyses in ring-stage ART-sensitive and ART-resistant parasites in response to drug. Post-drug, ART-resistant parasites differentially hypomodify mcm5s2U on tRNA and possess a subset of proteins, including PfK13, that are regulated by Lys codon-biased translation. Conditional knockdown of the terminal s2U thiouridylase, PfMnmA, in an ART-sensitive parasite background led to increased ART survival, suggesting that hypomodification can alter the parasite ART response. This study describes an epitranscriptomic pathway via tRNA s2U reprogramming that ART-resistant parasites may employ to survive ART-induced stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Small-Saunders
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Ameya Sinha
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Antimicrobial Resistance IRG, Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Talia S Bloxham
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Laura M Hagenah
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Guangxin Sun
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Peter R Preiser
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Antimicrobial Resistance IRG, Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Peter C Dedon
- Antimicrobial Resistance IRG, Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David A Fidock
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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8
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Rosenthal PJ, Asua V, Conrad MD. Emergence, transmission dynamics and mechanisms of artemisinin partial resistance in malaria parasites in Africa. Nat Rev Microbiol 2024; 22:373-384. [PMID: 38321292 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-024-01008-2] [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] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Malaria, mostly due to Plasmodium falciparum infection in Africa, remains one of the most important infectious diseases in the world. Standard treatment for uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria is artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), which includes a rapid-acting artemisinin derivative plus a longer-acting partner drug, and standard therapy for severe P. falciparum malaria is intravenous artesunate. The efficacy of artemisinins and ACT has been threatened by the emergence of artemisinin partial resistance in Southeast Asia, mediated principally by mutations in the P. falciparum Kelch 13 (K13) protein. High ACT treatment failure rates have occurred when resistance to partner drugs is also seen. Recently, artemisinin partial resistance has emerged in Rwanda, Uganda and the Horn of Africa, with independent emergences of different K13 mutants in each region. In this Review, we summarize our current knowledge of artemisinin partial resistance and focus on the emergence of resistance in Africa, including its epidemiology, transmission dynamics and mechanisms. At present, the clinical impact of emerging resistance in Africa is unclear and most available evidence suggests that the efficacies of leading ACTs remain excellent, but there is an urgent need to better appreciate the extent of the problem and its consequences for the treatment and control of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Victor Asua
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
- University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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9
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Hung DT, Tran L, Tam DNH, Elshafei G, Cuong NTK, Ha NX, Khader SAE, Le Quang L, Shaikhkhalil HW, Abdallfatah A, Aziz JMA, Hirayama K, Huy NT. The prevalence of Pfk13 polymorphism in malaria patients treated with artemisinin-based therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Parasitol Res 2024; 123:209. [PMID: 38740597 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08203-3] [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: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Artemisinin (ART) combination therapy is the main treatment for malaria. Pfk13 mutations (or K13 mutations, Kelch 13) are associated with ART resistance. This study aims to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of K13 mutations with ART resistance in malaria-endemic countries. An electronic search of studies in 2018 and a manual search in 2020 were performed to identify relevant studies. The risk of bias was assessed using the National Institutes of Health (NIH) quality assessment tool for observational cohort and cross-sectional studies. Data analysis was performed using R 4.1.0. Heterogeneity was estimated using the statistic I2 and Cochran Q test. A total of 170 studies were included in our review. Of these, 55 studies investigated the prevalence of K13 mutations in Southeast Asia. The meta-analysis showed that Southeast Asia had the highest prevalence of K13 mutations, whereas Africa, South America, Oceania, and other Asian countries outside Southeast Asia had a low prevalence of K13 mutations. The C580Y mutation was the most common in Southeast Asia with 35.5% (95%CI: 25.4-46.4%), whereas the dominant mutation in Africa was K189T (22.8%, 95%CI: 7.6-43.2%). This study revealed the emergence of ART resistance associated with K13 mutations in Southeast Asia. The diversity of each type of K13 mutation in other regions was also reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dang The Hung
- School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, Faculty of life Sciences & Medicine, Kings College London, London, WC2R 2LS, UK
- Online Research Club, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
| | - Linh Tran
- Institute of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Duy Tan University, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Duy Tan University, Da Nang City, 550000, Vietnam
| | - Dao Ngoc Hien Tam
- Online Research Club, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
- Asia Shine Trading & Service Co., Ltd, Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam
| | - Ghada Elshafei
- Online Research Club, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
- Faculty of Medicine, Modern University for Technology and Information, Cairo, 4236044, Egypt
| | - Nguyen The Ky Cuong
- Online Research Club, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
- International Cancer Specialists, Ho Chi Minh City, 70000, Vietnam
| | - Nam Xuan Ha
- Online Research Club, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
- Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, Hue City, 49000, Vietnam
| | - Sarah Abd Elaziz Khader
- Online Research Club, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
- Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, 11591, Egypt
| | - Loc Le Quang
- Online Research Club, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, 7000, Vietnam
| | - Hosam Waleed Shaikhkhalil
- Online Research Club, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
- Faculty of Medicine, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza Strip P840, Palestine
| | - Abdallfatah Abdallfatah
- Online Research Club, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
- Faculty of Medicine, October 6 University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Jeza M Abdul Aziz
- Biomedical Sciences, Komar University of Science and Technology, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
- Baxshin Research Center, Baxshin Hospital, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
| | - Kenji Hirayama
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
| | - Nguyen Tien Huy
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan.
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10
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Lucky AB, Wang C, Li X, Liang X, Muneer A, Miao J. Transforming the CRISPR/dCas9-based gene regulation technique into a forward screening tool in Plasmodium falciparum. iScience 2024; 27:109602. [PMID: 38617559 PMCID: PMC11015506 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
It is a significant challenge to assess the functions of many uncharacterized genes in human malaria parasites. Here, we present a genetic screening tool to assess the contribution of essential genes from Plasmodium falciparum by the conditional CRISPR-/deadCas9-based interference and activation (i/a) systems. We screened both CRISPRi and CRISPRa sets, consisting of nine parasite lines per set targeting nine genes via their respective gRNAs. By conducting amplicon sequencing of gRNA loci, we identified the contribution of each targeted gene to parasite fitness upon drug (artemisinin, chloroquine) and stress (starvation, heat shock) treatment. The screening was highly reproducible, and the screening libraries were easily generated by transfection of mixed plasmids expressing different gRNAs. We demonstrated that this screening is straightforward, robust, and can provide a fast and efficient tool to study essential genes that have long presented a bottleneck in assessing their functions using existing genetic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amuza Byaruhanga Lucky
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Chengqi Wang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Xiaolian Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Xiaoying Liang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Azhar Muneer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Jun Miao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
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11
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Mamede L, Fall F, Schoumacher M, Ledoux A, Bugli C, De Tullio P, Quetin-Leclercq J, Govaerts B, Frédérich M. Comparison of extraction methods in vitro Plasmodium falciparum: A 1H NMR and LC-MS joined approach. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 703:149684. [PMID: 38367514 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Malaria is a parasitic disease that remains a global concern and the subject of many studies. Metabolomics has emerged as an approach to better comprehend complex pathogens and discover possible drug targets, thus giving new insights that can aid in the development of antimalarial therapies. However, there is no standardized method to extract metabolites from in vitro Plasmodium falciparum intraerythrocytic parasites, the stage that causes malaria. Additionally, most methods are developed with either LC-MS or NMR analysis in mind, and have rarely been evaluated with both tools. In this work, three extraction methods frequently found in the literature were reproduced and samples were analyzed through both LC-MS and 1H NMR, and evaluated in order to reveal which is the most repeatable and consistent through an array of different tools, including chemometrics, peak detection and annotation. The most reliable method in this study proved to be a double extraction with methanol and methanol/water (80:20, v/v). Metabolomic studies in the field should move towards standardization of methodologies and the use of both LC-MS and 1H NMR in order to make data more comparable between studies and facilitate the achievement of biologically interpretable information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lúcia Mamede
- Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Center of Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines (CIRM), University of Liège, Belgium
| | - Fanta Fall
- Pharmacognosy Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Matthieu Schoumacher
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Center of Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines (CIRM), University of Liège, Belgium
| | - Allison Ledoux
- Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Center of Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines (CIRM), University of Liège, Belgium
| | - Céline Bugli
- Statistical Methodology and Computing Service (SMCS/LIDAM), UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Pascal De Tullio
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Center of Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines (CIRM), University of Liège, Belgium
| | - Joëlle Quetin-Leclercq
- Pharmacognosy Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bernadette Govaerts
- Statistical Methodology and Computing Service (SMCS/LIDAM), UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Michel Frédérich
- Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Center of Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines (CIRM), University of Liège, Belgium.
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12
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Platon L, Leroy D, Fidock DA, Ménard D. Drug-induced stress mediates Plasmodium falciparum ring-stage growth arrest and reduces in vitro parasite susceptibility to artemisinin. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0350023. [PMID: 38363132 PMCID: PMC10986542 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03500-23] [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: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
During blood-stage infection, Plasmodium falciparum parasites are constantly exposed to a range of extracellular stimuli, including host molecules and drugs such as artemisinin derivatives, the mainstay of artemisinin-based combination therapies currently used as first-line treatment worldwide. Partial resistance of P. falciparum to artemisinin has been associated with mutations in the propeller domain of the Pfkelch13 gene, resulting in a fraction of ring stages that are able to survive exposure to artemisinin through a temporary growth arrest. Here, we investigated whether the growth arrest in ring-stage parasites reflects a general response to stress. We mimicked a stressful environment in vitro by exposing parasites to chloroquine or dihydroartemisinin (DHA). We observed that early ring-stage parasites pre-exposed to a stressed culture supernatant exhibited a temporary growth arrest and a reduced susceptibility to DHA, as assessed by the ring-stage survival assay, irrespective of their Pfkelch13 genotype. These data suggest that temporary growth arrest of early ring stages may be a constitutive, Pfkelch13-independent survival mechanism in P. falciparum.IMPORTANCEPlasmodium falciparum ring stages have the ability to sense the extracellular environment, regulate their growth, and enter a temporary growth arrest state in response to adverse conditions such as drug exposure. This temporary growth arrest results in reduced susceptibility to artemisinin in vitro. The signal responsible for this process is thought to be small molecules (less than 3 kDa) released by stressed mature-stage parasites. These data suggest that Pfkelch13-dependent artemisinin resistance and the growth arrest phenotype are two complementary but unrelated mechanisms of ring-stage survival in P. falciparum. This finding provides new insights into the field of P. falciparum antimalarial drug resistance by highlighting the extracellular compartment and cellular communication as an understudied mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucien Platon
- Malaria Genetics and Resistance Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, Collège Doctoral ED 515 Complexité du Vivant, Paris, France
- Malaria Parasite Biology and Vaccines Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, UR7292 Dynamics of Host–Pathogen Interactions, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Didier Leroy
- Department of Drug Discovery, Medicines for Malaria Venture, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - David A. Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Didier Ménard
- Malaria Genetics and Resistance Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Malaria Parasite Biology and Vaccines Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, UR7292 Dynamics of Host–Pathogen Interactions, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Medical Mycology, CHU Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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13
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Ahmad T, Alhammadi BA, Almaazmi SY, Arafa S, Blatch GL, Dutta T, Gestwicki JE, Keyzers RA, Shonhai A, Singh H. Plasmodium falciparum heat shock proteins as antimalarial drug targets: An update. Cell Stress Chaperones 2024; 29:326-337. [PMID: 38518861 PMCID: PMC10990865 DOI: 10.1016/j.cstres.2024.03.007] [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: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Global efforts to eradicate malaria are threatened by multiple factors, particularly the emergence of antimalarial drug resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum. Heat shock proteins (HSPs), particularly P. falciparum HSPs (PfHSPs), represent promising drug targets due to their essential roles in parasite survival and virulence across the various life cycle stages. Despite structural similarities between human and malarial HSPs posing challenges, there is substantial evidence for subtle differences that could be exploited for selective drug targeting. This review provides an update on the potential of targeting various PfHSP families (particularly PfHSP40, PfHSP70, and PfHSP90) and their interactions within PfHSP complexes as a strategy to develop new antimalarial drugs. In addition, the need for a deeper understanding of the role of HSP complexes at the host-parasite interface is highlighted, especially heterologous partnerships between human and malarial HSPs, as this opens novel opportunities for targeting protein-protein interactions crucial for malaria parasite survival and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanveer Ahmad
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Higher Colleges of Technology, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bushra A Alhammadi
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Higher Colleges of Technology, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Shaikha Y Almaazmi
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Higher Colleges of Technology, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sahar Arafa
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Higher Colleges of Technology, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Gregory L Blatch
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Higher Colleges of Technology, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Biomedical Biotechnology Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.
| | - Tanima Dutta
- Department of Diagnostic Genomics, Pathwest, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Jason E Gestwicki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Robert A Keyzers
- Centre for Biodiscovery & School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Addmore Shonhai
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
| | - Harpreet Singh
- Department of Bioinformatics, Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
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14
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Govindaraju G, Rajavelu A. Reading the epitranscriptome of the human malaria parasite. Biomed J 2024:100703. [PMID: 38316392 DOI: 10.1016/j.bj.2024.100703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic machinery has emerged as a central player in gene regulation and chromatin organization in Plasmodium spp. Epigenetic modifications on histones and their role in antigenic variation in P. falciparum are widely studied. Recent discoveries on nucleic acid methylome are exciting and provide a new dimension to the apicomplexan protozoan parasite's gene regulatory process. Reports have confirmed that N6-methyl adenosine (m6A) methylation plays a crucial role in the translational plasticity of the human malaria parasite during its development in RBC. The YTH domain (YT521-B Homology) protein in P. falciparum binds to m6A epitranscriptome modifications on the mRNA and regulates protein translation. The binding of the PfYTH domain protein to the m6A-modified mRNA is mediated through a binding pocket formed by aromatic amino acids. The P. falciparum genome encodes two members of YTH domain proteins, i.e., YTH1 and YTH2, and both have distinct roles in dictating the epitranscriptome in human malaria parasites. This review highlights recent advancements in the functions and mechanisms of YTH domain protein's role in translational plasticity in the various developmental stages of the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gayathri Govindaraju
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, India
| | - Arumugam Rajavelu
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, India.
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15
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Platon L, Ménard D. Plasmodium falciparum ring-stage plasticity and drug resistance. Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:118-130. [PMID: 38104024 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.11.007] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Malaria is a life-threatening tropical disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, of which Plasmodium falciparum is the most lethal. Malaria parasites have a complex life cycle, with stages occurring in both the Anopheles mosquito vector and human host. Ring stages are the youngest form of the parasite in the intraerythrocytic developmental cycle and are associated with evasion of spleen clearance, temporary growth arrest (TGA), and drug resistance. This formidable ability to survive and develop into mature, sexual, or growth-arrested forms demonstrates the inherent population heterogeneity. Here we highlight the role of the ring stage as a crossroads in parasite development and as a reservoir of surviving cells in the human host via TGA survival mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucien Platon
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Malaria Genetics and Resistance Unit, INSERM U1201, F-75015 Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Collège Doctoral ED 515 Complexité du Vivant, F-75015 Paris, France; Université de Strasbourg, Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, UR7292 Dynamics of Host-Pathogen Interactions, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.
| | - Didier Ménard
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Malaria Genetics and Resistance Unit, INSERM U1201, F-75015 Paris, France; Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Malaria Parasite Biology and Vaccines Unit, F-75015 Paris, France; Université de Strasbourg, Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, UR7292 Dynamics of Host-Pathogen Interactions, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; CHU Strasbourg, Laboratory of Parasitology and Medical Mycology, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.
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16
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Watson DJ, Laing L, Petzer JP, Wong HN, Parkinson CJ, Wiesner L, Haynes RK. Efficacies and ADME properties of redox active methylene blue and phenoxazine analogues for use in new antimalarial triple drug combinations with amino-artemisinins. Front Pharmacol 2024; 14:1308400. [PMID: 38259296 PMCID: PMC10800708 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1308400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Efforts to develop new artemisinin triple combination therapies effective against artemisinin-tolerant strains of Plasmodium falciparum based on rational combinations comprising artemisone or other amino-artemisinins, a redox active drug and a third drug with a different mode of action have now been extended to evaluation of three potential redox partners. These are the diethyl analogue AD01 of methylene blue (MB), the benzo [α]phenoxazine PhX6, and the thiosemicarbazone DpNEt. IC50 values in vitro against CQ-sensitive and resistant P. falciparum strains ranged from 11.9 nM for AD01-41.8 nM for PhX6. PhX6 possessed the most favourable pharmacokinetic (PK) profile: intrinsic clearance rate CLint was 21.47 ± 1.76 mL/min/kg, bioavailability was 60% and half-life was 7.96 h. AD01 presented weaker, but manageable pharmacokinetic properties with a rapid CLint of 74.41 ± 6.68 mL/min/kg leading to a half-life of 2.51 ± 0.07 h and bioavailability of 15%. DpNEt exhibited a half-life of 1.12 h and bioavailability of 8%, data which discourage its further examination, despite a low CLint of 10.20 mL/min/kg and a high Cmax of 6.32 µM. Efficacies of AD01 and PhX6 were enhanced synergistically when each was paired with artemisone against asexual blood stages of P. falciparum NF54 in vitro. The favourable pharmacokinetics of PhX6 indicate this is the best partner among the compounds examined thus far for artemisone. Future work will focus on extending the drug combination studies to artemiside in vitro, and conducting efficacy studies in vivo for artemisone with each of PhX6 and the related benzo[α]phenoxazine SSJ-183.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Watson
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Lizahn Laing
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jacobus P. Petzer
- Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Ho Ning Wong
- Rural Health Research Institute, Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Lubbe Wiesner
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Richard K. Haynes
- Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
- Rural Health Research Institute, Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW, Australia
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17
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Pandit K, Surolia N, Bhattacharjee S, Karmodiya K. The many paths to artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum. Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:1060-1073. [PMID: 37833166 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.09.011] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Emerging resistance against artemisinin (ART) poses a major challenge in controlling malaria. Parasites with mutations in PfKelch13, the major marker for ART resistance, are known to reduce hemoglobin endocytosis, induce unfolded protein response (UPR), elevate phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate (PI3P) levels, and stimulate autophagy. Nonetheless, PfKelch13-independent resistance is also reported, indicating extensive complementation by reconfiguration in the parasite metabolome and transcriptome. These findings implicate that there may not be a single 'universal identifier' of ART resistance. This review sheds light on the molecular, transcriptional, and metabolic pathways associated with ART resistance, while also highlighting the interplay between cellular heterogeneity, environmental stress, and ART sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kushankur Pandit
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Namita Surolia
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
| | - Souvik Bhattacharjee
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Krishanpal Karmodiya
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India.
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18
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Atul, Chaudhary P, Gupta S, Shoaib R, Pasupureddy R, Goyal B, Kumar B, Singh OP, Dixit R, Singh S, Akhter M, Kapoor N, Pande V, Chakraborti S, Vashisht K, Pandey KC. Artemisinin resistance in P. falciparum: probing the interacting partners of Kelch13 protein in parasite. J Glob Antimicrob Resist 2023; 35:67-75. [PMID: 37633420 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2023.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Artemisinin (ART) resistance in Plasmodium is threatening the artemisinin combination therapies-the first line of defence against malaria. ART resistance has been established to be mediated by the Plasmodium Kelch13 (PfK13) protein. For the crucial role of PfK13 in multiple pathways of the Plasmodium life cycle and ART resistance, it is imperative that we investigate its interacting partners. METHODS We recombinantly expressed PfK13-p (Bric a brac/Poxvirus and zinc finger and propeller domains), generating anti-PfK13-p antibodies to perform co-immunoprecipitation assays and probed PfK13 interacting partners. Surface plasmon resonance and pull-down assays were performed to establish physical interactions of representative proteins with PfK13-p. RESULTS The co-immunoprecipitation assays identified 17 proteins with distinct functions in the parasite life cycle- protein folding, cellular metabolism, and protein binding and invasion. In addition to the overlap with previously identified proteins, our study identified 10 unique proteins. Fructose-biphosphate aldolase and heat shock protein 70 demonstrated strong biophysical interaction with PfK13-p, with KD values of 6.6 µM and 7.6 µM, respectively. Additionally, Plasmodium merozoite surface protein 1 formed a complex with PfK13-p, which is evident from the pull-down assay. CONCLUSION This study adds to our knowledge of the PfK13 protein in mediating ART resistance by identifying new PfK13 interacting partners. Three representative proteins-fructose-biphosphate aldolase, heat shock protein 70, and merozoite surface protein 1-demonstrated clear evidence of biophysical interactions with PfK13-p. However, elucidation of the functional relevance of these physical interactions are crucial in context of PfK13 role in ART resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atul
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India; Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Preeti Chaudhary
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India; Department of Life Sciences, IGNOU, Delhi, India
| | - Swati Gupta
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Delhi, India
| | - Rumaisha Shoaib
- School of Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India
| | | | - Bharti Goyal
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovation Research, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Bhumika Kumar
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Rajnikant Dixit
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Shailja Singh
- School of Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India
| | | | - Neera Kapoor
- Department of Life Sciences, IGNOU, Delhi, India
| | - Veena Pande
- Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Soumyananda Chakraborti
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovation Research, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Kapil Vashisht
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Kailash C Pandey
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovation Research, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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19
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Dieng CC, Morrison V, Donu D, Cui L, Amoah L, Afrane Y, Lo E. Distribution of Plasmodium falciparum K13 gene polymorphisms across transmission settings in Ghana. BMC Infect Dis 2023; 23:801. [PMID: 37974079 PMCID: PMC10652499 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08812-w] [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: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a significant global health concern, with a majority of cases in Sub-Saharan African nations. Numerous antimalarial drugs have been developed to counter the rampant prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) has served as the primary treatment of uncomplicated malaria in Ghana since 2005. However, a growing concern has emerged due to the escalating reports of ACT resistance, particularly in Southeast Asia, and its encroachment into Africa. Specifically, mutations in the Kelch propeller domain on chromosome 13 (Pfk13) have been linked to ACT resistance. Yet, our understanding of mutation prevalence in Africa remains largely uncharted. In this study, we compared Pfk13 sequences obtained from 172 P. falciparum samples across three ecological and transmission zones in Ghana. We identified 27 non-synonymous mutations among these sequences, of which two of the mutations, C580Y (found in two samples from the central region) and Y493H (found in one sample from the north), had previously been validated for their association with artemisinin resistance, a phenomenon widespread in Southeast Asia. The Pfk13 gene diversity was most pronounced in the northern savannah than the central forest and south coastal regions, where transmission rates are lower. The observed mutations were not significantly associated with geographical regions, suggesting a frequent spread of mutations across the country. The ongoing global surveillance of artemisinin resistance remains pivotal, and our findings provides insights into the potential spread of resistant parasites in West Africa. Furthermore, the identification of novel codon mutations in this study raises their potential association to ACT resistance, warranting further investigation through in vitro assays to ascertain their functional significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheikh Cambel Dieng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Victoria Morrison
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Dickson Donu
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Liwang Cui
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Linda Amoah
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- West Africa Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Yaw Afrane
- Department of Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Eugenia Lo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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20
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Si W, Zhao Y, Qin X, Huang Y, Yu J, Liu X, Li Y, Yan X, Zhang Q, Sun J. What exactly does the PfK13 C580Y mutation in Plasmodium falciparum influence? Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:421. [PMID: 37974285 PMCID: PMC10652512 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-06024-4] [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: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The emergence and spread of artemisinin resistance threaten global malaria control and elimination goals, and encourage research on the mechanisms of drug resistance in malaria parasites. Mutations in Plasmodium falciparum Kelch 13 (PfK13) protein are associated with artemisinin resistance, but the unique or common mechanism which results in this resistance is unclear. METHODS We analyzed the effects of the PfK13 mutation on the transcriptome and proteome of P. falciparum at different developmental stages. Additionally, the number of merozoites, hemozoin amount, and growth of P. falciparum 3D7C580Y and P. falciparum 3D7WT were compared. The impact of iron supplementation on the number of merozoites of P. falciparum 3D7C580Y was also examined. RESULTS We found that the PfK13 mutation did not significantly change glycolysis, TCA, pentose phosphate pathway, or oxidative phosphorylation, but did reduce the expression of reproduction- and DNA synthesis-related genes. The reduced number of merozoites, decreased level of hemozoin, and slowed growth of P. falciparum 3D7C580Y were consistent with these changes. Furthermore, adding iron supply could increase the number of the merozoites of P. falciparum 3D7C580Y. CONCLUSIONS These results revealed that the PfK13 mutation reduced hemoglobin ingestion, leading to artemisinin resistance, likely by decreasing the parasites' requirement for haem and iron. This study helps elucidate the mechanism of artemisinin resistance due to PfK13 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwen Si
- School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuemeng Zhao
- School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Xixi Qin
- School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yixuan Huang
- School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Yu
- School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao Liu
- School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanna Li
- School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoli Yan
- School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingfeng Zhang
- School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jun Sun
- School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
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21
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Mok S, Yeo T, Hong D, Shears MJ, Ross LS, Ward KE, Dhingra SK, Kanai M, Bridgford JL, Tripathi AK, Mlambo G, Burkhard AY, Ansbro MR, Fairhurst KJ, Gil-Iturbe E, Park H, Rozenberg FD, Kim J, Mancia F, Fairhurst RM, Quick M, Uhlemann AC, Sinnis P, Fidock DA. Mapping the genomic landscape of multidrug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum and its impact on parasite fitness. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadi2364. [PMID: 37939186 PMCID: PMC10631731 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi2364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites have swept across Southeast Asia and now threaten Africa. By implementing a P. falciparum genetic cross using humanized mice, we report the identification of key determinants of resistance to artemisinin (ART) and piperaquine (PPQ) in the dominant Asian KEL1/PLA1 lineage. We mapped k13 as the central mediator of ART resistance in vitro and identified secondary markers. Applying bulk segregant analysis, quantitative trait loci mapping using 34 recombinant haplotypes, and gene editing, our data reveal an epistatic interaction between mutant PfCRT and multicopy plasmepsins 2/3 in mediating high-grade PPQ resistance. Susceptibility and parasite fitness assays implicate PPQ as a driver of selection for KEL1/PLA1 parasites. Mutant PfCRT enhanced susceptibility to lumefantrine, the first-line partner drug in Africa, highlighting a potential benefit of opposing selective pressures with this drug and PPQ. We also identified that the ABCI3 transporter can operate in concert with PfCRT and plasmepsins 2/3 in mediating multigenic resistance to antimalarial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Davin Hong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Melanie J. Shears
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Leila S. Ross
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kurt E. Ward
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Satish K. Dhingra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mariko Kanai
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jessica L. Bridgford
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Abhai K. Tripathi
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Godfree Mlambo
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Anna Y. Burkhard
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Megan R. Ansbro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Kate J. Fairhurst
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eva Gil-Iturbe
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Heekuk Park
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Felix D. Rozenberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan Kim
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Filippo Mancia
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rick M. Fairhurst
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Matthias Quick
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anne-Catrin Uhlemann
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Photini Sinnis
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David A. Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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22
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Lucky AB, Wang C, Shakri AR, Kalamuddin M, Chim-Ong A, Li X, Miao J. Plasmodium falciparum GCN5 plays a key role in regulating artemisinin resistance-related stress responses. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0057723. [PMID: 37702516 PMCID: PMC10583690 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00577-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum causes the most severe malaria and is exposed to various environmental and physiological stresses in the human host. Given that GCN5 plays a critical role in regulating stress responses in model organisms, we aimed to elucidate PfGCN5's function in stress responses in P. falciparum. The protein level of PfGCN5 was substantially induced under three stress conditions [heat shock, low glucose starvation, and dihydroartemisinin, the active metabolite of artemisinin (ART)]. With a TetR-DOZI conditional knockdown (KD) system, we successfully down-regulated PfGCN5 to ~50% and found that KD parasites became more sensitive to all three stress conditions. Transcriptomic analysis via RNA-seq identified ~1,000 up- and down-regulated genes in the wild-type (WT) and KD parasites under these stress conditions. Importantly, DHA induced transcriptional alteration of many genes involved in many aspects of stress responses, which were heavily shared among the altered genes under heat shock and low glucose conditions, including ART-resistance-related genes such as K13 and coronin. Based on the expression pattern between WT and KD parasites under three stress conditions, ~300-400 genes were identified to be involved in PfGCN5-dependent, general, and stress-condition-specific responses with high levels of overlaps among three stress conditions. Notably, using ring-stage survival assay, we found that KD or inhibition of PfGCN5 could sensitize the ART-resistant parasites to the DHA treatment. All these indicate that PfGCN5 is pivotal in regulating general and ART-resistance-related stress responses in malaria parasites, implicating PfGCN5 as a potential target for malaria intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amuza Byaruhanga Lucky
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Chengqi Wang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Ahmad Rushdi Shakri
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Mohammad Kalamuddin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Anongruk Chim-Ong
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Xiaolian Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Jun Miao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
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23
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Wang C, Dong Y, Li C, Oberstaller J, Zhang M, Gibbons J, Pires CV, Xiao M, Zhu L, Jiang RHY, Kim K, Miao J, Otto TD, Cui L, Adams JH, Liu X. MalariaSED: a deep learning framework to decipher the regulatory contributions of noncoding variants in malaria parasites. Genome Biol 2023; 24:231. [PMID: 37845769 PMCID: PMC10577899 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-03063-z] [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: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases. Transcriptional regulation effects of noncoding variants in this unusual genome of malaria parasites remain elusive. We developed a sequence-based, ab initio deep learning framework, MalariaSED, for predicting chromatin profiles in malaria parasites. The MalariaSED performance was validated by published ChIP-qPCR and TF motifs results. Applying MalariaSED to ~ 1.3 million variants shows that geographically differentiated noncoding variants are associated with parasite invasion and drug resistance. Further analysis reveals chromatin accessibility changes at Plasmodium falciparum rings are partly associated with artemisinin resistance. MalariaSED illuminates the potential functional roles of noncoding variants in malaria parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengqi Wang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
| | - Yibo Dong
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
- Present address: Florida Department of Health, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Chang Li
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Jenna Oberstaller
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Min Zhang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Justin Gibbons
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Camilla Valente Pires
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Mianli Xiao
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Lei Zhu
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rays H Y Jiang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Kami Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Jun Miao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Thomas D Otto
- School of Infection & Immunity, MVLS, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - John H Adams
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Xiaoming Liu
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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24
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Reyser T, Paloque L, Nguyen M, Augereau JM, Fuchter MJ, Lopez M, Arimondo PB, Hassell-Hart S, Spencer J, Di Stefano L, Benoit-Vical F. Epidrugs as Promising Tools to Eliminate Plasmodium falciparum Artemisinin-Resistant and Quiescent Parasites. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2440. [PMID: 37896200 PMCID: PMC10610379 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15102440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of artemisinin and its derivatives has helped reduce the burden of malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum. However, artemisinin-resistant parasites are able, in the presence of artemisinins, to stop their cell cycles. This quiescent state can alter the activity of artemisinin partner drugs leading to a secondary drug resistance and thus threatens malaria eradication strategies. Drugs targeting epigenetic mechanisms (namely epidrugs) are emerging as potential antimalarial drugs. Here, we set out to evaluate a selection of various epidrugs for their activity against quiescent parasites, to explore the possibility of using these compounds to counter artemisinin resistance. The 32 chosen epidrugs were first screened for their antiplasmodial activity and selectivity. We then demonstrated, thanks to the specific Quiescent-stage Survival Assay, that four epidrugs targeting both histone methylation or deacetylation as well as DNA methylation decrease the ability of artemisinin-resistant parasites to recover after artemisinin exposure. In the quest for novel antiplasmodial drugs with new modes of action, these results reinforce the therapeutic potential of epidrugs as antiplasmodial drugs especially in the context of artemisinin resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibaud Reyser
- LCC-CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31077 Toulouse, France
- MAAP, New Antimalarial Molecules and Pharmacological Approaches, Inserm ERL 1289, 31077 Toulouse, France
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier (UPS), 31077 Toulouse, France
| | - Lucie Paloque
- LCC-CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31077 Toulouse, France
- MAAP, New Antimalarial Molecules and Pharmacological Approaches, Inserm ERL 1289, 31077 Toulouse, France
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier (UPS), 31077 Toulouse, France
| | - Michel Nguyen
- LCC-CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31077 Toulouse, France
- MAAP, New Antimalarial Molecules and Pharmacological Approaches, Inserm ERL 1289, 31077 Toulouse, France
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier (UPS), 31077 Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Michel Augereau
- LCC-CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31077 Toulouse, France
- MAAP, New Antimalarial Molecules and Pharmacological Approaches, Inserm ERL 1289, 31077 Toulouse, France
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier (UPS), 31077 Toulouse, France
| | - Matthew John Fuchter
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, White City Campus, London W12 0BZ, UK
| | - Marie Lopez
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), CNRS, Université de Montpellier, ENSCM UMR 5247, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Paola B Arimondo
- Epigenetic Chemical Biology, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris-Cité, UMR 3523 CNRS, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Storm Hassell-Hart
- Department of Chemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer BN1 9QJ, UK
| | - John Spencer
- Department of Chemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer BN1 9QJ, UK
| | - Luisa Di Stefano
- MCD, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Françoise Benoit-Vical
- LCC-CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31077 Toulouse, France
- MAAP, New Antimalarial Molecules and Pharmacological Approaches, Inserm ERL 1289, 31077 Toulouse, France
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier (UPS), 31077 Toulouse, France
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25
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Siqueira-Neto JL, Wicht KJ, Chibale K, Burrows JN, Fidock DA, Winzeler EA. Antimalarial drug discovery: progress and approaches. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:807-826. [PMID: 37652975 PMCID: PMC10543600 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00772-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Recent antimalarial drug discovery has been a race to produce new medicines that overcome emerging drug resistance, whilst considering safety and improving dosing convenience. Discovery efforts have yielded a variety of new molecules, many with novel modes of action, and the most advanced are in late-stage clinical development. These discoveries have led to a deeper understanding of how antimalarial drugs act, the identification of a new generation of drug targets, and multiple structure-based chemistry initiatives. The limited pool of funding means it is vital to prioritize new drug candidates. They should exhibit high potency, a low propensity for resistance, a pharmacokinetic profile that favours infrequent dosing, low cost, preclinical results that demonstrate safety and tolerability in women and infants, and preferably the ability to block Plasmodium transmission to Anopheles mosquito vectors. In this Review, we describe the approaches that have been successful, progress in preclinical and clinical development, and existing challenges. We illustrate how antimalarial drug discovery can serve as a model for drug discovery in diseases of poverty.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kathryn J Wicht
- Holistic Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Centre, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, Department of Chemistry and Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Kelly Chibale
- Holistic Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Centre, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, Department of Chemistry and Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | | | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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26
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Chen J, Gao P, Xiao W, Cheng G, Krishna S, Wang J, Wong YK, Wang C, Gu L, Yang DH, Wang J. Multi-omics dissection of stage-specific artemisinin tolerance mechanisms in Kelch13-mutant Plasmodium falciparum. Drug Resist Updat 2023; 70:100978. [PMID: 37385107 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2023.100978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
AIMS We investigated the stage-specific mechanisms of partial resistance to artemisinin (ART, an antimalarial drug) in Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) carrying the Kelch13 C580Y mutation. METHODS Using fluorescence labeling and activity-based protein profiling, we systematically profile the ART activation levels in P. falciparum during the entire intra-erythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC), and determined the ART-targets profile of the ART-sensitive and -resistant strains at different stages. We retrieved and integrated datasets of single-cell transcriptomics and label-free proteomics across three IDC stages of wild-type P. falciparum. We also employed lipidomics to validate lipid metabolic reprogramming in the resistant strain. RESULTS The activation and expression patterns of genes and proteins of ART-targets in both ART-sensitive and resistant strains varied at different stages and periods of P. falciparum development, with the late trophozoite stage harboring the largest number of ART targets. We identified and validated 36 overlapping targets, such as GAPDH, EGF-1a, and SpdSyn, during the IDC stages in both strains. We revealed the ART-insensitivity of fatty acid-associated activities in the partially resistant strain at both the early ring and early trophozoite stages. CONCLUSIONS Our multi-omics strategies provide novel insights into the mechanisms of ART partial resistance in Kelch13 mutant P. falciparum, demonstrating the stage-specific interaction between ART and malaria parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayun Chen
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; Department of Critical Medicine, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, China
| | - Peng Gao
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Wei Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Glucolipid Metabolic Disorder, Ministry of Education, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China
| | - Guangqing Cheng
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Sanjeev Krishna
- Clinical Academic Group in Institute for Infection & Immunity, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom; St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom; Institut für Tropenmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jianyou Wang
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Yin Kwan Wong
- Department of Critical Medicine, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Liwei Gu
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Dong Hua Yang
- New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Mineola, United States.
| | - Jigang Wang
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; Department of Critical Medicine, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, China.
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Simmons C, Gibbons J, Wang C, Pires CV, Zhang M, Siddiqui F, Oberstaller J, Casandra D, Seyfang A, Cui L, Otto TD, Adams JH. A novel Modulator of Ring Stage Translation (MRST) gene alters artemisinin sensitivity in Plasmodium falciparum. mSphere 2023; 8:e0015223. [PMID: 37219373 PMCID: PMC10449512 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00152-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The implementation of artemisinin (ART) combination therapies (ACTs) has greatly decreased deaths caused by Plasmodium falciparum malaria, but increasing ACT resistance in Southeast Asia and Africa could reverse this progress. Parasite population genetic studies have identified numerous genes, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and transcriptional signatures associated with altered artemisinin activity with SNPs in the Kelch13 (K13) gene being the most well-characterized artemisinin resistance marker. However, there is an increasing evidence that resistance to artemisinin in P. falciparum is not related only to K13 SNPs, prompting the need to characterize other novel genes that can alter ART responses in P. falciparum. In our previous analyses of P. falciparum piggyBac mutants, several genes of unknown function exhibited increased sensitivity to artemisinin that was similar to a mutant of K13. Further analysis of these genes and their gene co-expression networks indicated that the ART sensitivity cluster was functionally linked to DNA replication and repair, stress responses, and maintenance of homeostatic nuclear activity. In this study, we have characterized PF3D7_1136600, another member of the ART sensitivity cluster. Previously annotated as a conserved Plasmodium gene of unknown function, we now provide putative annotation of this gene as a Modulator of Ring Stage Translation (MRST). Our findings reveal that the mutagenesis of MRST affects gene expression of multiple translation-associated pathways during the early ring stage of asexual development via putative ribosome assembly and maturation activity, suggesting an essential role of MRST in protein biosynthesis and another novel mechanism of altering the parasite's ART drug response.IMPORTANCEPlasmodium falciparum malaria killed more than 600,000 people in 2021, though ACTs have been critical in reducing malaria mortality as a first-line treatment for infection. However, ACT resistance in Southeast Asia and emerging resistance in Africa are detrimental to this progress. Mutations to Kelch13 (K13) have been identified to confer increased artemisinin tolerance in field isolates, however, genes other than K13 are implicated in altering how the parasite responds to artemisinin prompts additional analysis. Therefore, in this study we have characterized a P. falciparum mutant clone with altered sensitivity to artemisinin and identified a novel gene (PF3D7_1136600) that is associated with alterations to parasite translational metabolism during critical timepoints for artemisinin drug response. Many genes of the P. falciparum genome remain unannotated, posing a challenge for drug-gene characterizations in the parasite. Therefore, through this study, we have putatively annotated PF3D7_1136600 as a novel MRST gene and have identified a potential link between MRST and parasite stress response mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Simmons
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Justin Gibbons
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Chengqi Wang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Camilla Valente Pires
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Min Zhang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Faiza Siddiqui
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Jenna Oberstaller
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Debora Casandra
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Andreas Seyfang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Liwang Cui
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Thomas D. Otto
- Institute of Infection, Immunity, and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - John H. Adams
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
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Pang H, Hu Z. Metabolomics in drug research and development: The recent advances in technologies and applications. Acta Pharm Sin B 2023; 13:3238-3251. [PMID: 37655318 PMCID: PMC10465962 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence has demonstrated the vital role of metabolism in various diseases or disorders. Metabolomics provides a comprehensive understanding of metabolism in biological systems. With advanced analytical techniques, metabolomics exhibits unprecedented significant value in basic drug research, including understanding disease mechanisms, identifying drug targets, and elucidating the mode of action of drugs. More importantly, metabolomics greatly accelerates the drug development process by predicting pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and drug response. In addition, metabolomics facilitates the exploration of drug repurposing and drug-drug interactions, as well as the development of personalized treatment strategies. Here, we briefly review the recent advances in technologies in metabolomics and update our knowledge of the applications of metabolomics in drug research and development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zeping Hu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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29
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Ghosh S, Kundu R, Chandana M, Das R, Anand A, Beura S, Bobde RC, Jain V, Prabhu SR, Behera PK, Mohanty AK, Chakrapani M, Satyamoorthy K, Suryawanshi AR, Dixit A, Padmanaban G, Nagaraj VA. Distinct evolution of type I glutamine synthetase in Plasmodium and its species-specific requirement. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4216. [PMID: 37452051 PMCID: PMC10349072 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39670-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasite lacks canonical pathways for amino acid biosynthesis and depends primarily on hemoglobin degradation and extracellular resources for amino acids. Interestingly, a putative gene for glutamine synthetase (GS) is retained despite glutamine being an abundant amino acid in human and mosquito hosts. Here we show Plasmodium GS has evolved as a unique type I enzyme with distinct structural and regulatory properties to adapt to the asexual niche. Methionine sulfoximine (MSO) and phosphinothricin (PPT) inhibit parasite GS activity. GS is localized to the parasite cytosol and abundantly expressed in all the life cycle stages. Parasite GS displays species-specific requirement in Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) having asparagine-rich proteome. Targeting PfGS affects asparagine levels and inhibits protein synthesis through eIF2α phosphorylation leading to parasite death. Exposure of artemisinin-resistant Pf parasites to MSO and PPT inhibits the emergence of viable parasites upon artemisinin treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourav Ghosh
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Rajib Kundu
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Manjunatha Chandana
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar, 751024, Odisha, India
| | - Rahul Das
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Aditya Anand
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Subhashree Beura
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
| | - Ruchir Chandrakant Bobde
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Vishal Jain
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
| | - Sowmya Ramakant Prabhu
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Akshaya Kumar Mohanty
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- Ispat General Hospital, Sector 19, Rourkela, 769005, Odisha, India
| | - Mahabala Chakrapani
- Department of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Kapaettu Satyamoorthy
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Anshuman Dixit
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
| | - Govindarajan Padmanaban
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, Karnataka, India
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Pires CV, Oberstaller J, Wang C, Casandra D, Zhang M, Chawla J, Adapa SR, Otto TD, Ferdig MT, Rayner JC, Jiang RHY, Adams JH. Chemogenomic Profiling of a Plasmodium falciparum Transposon Mutant Library Reveals Shared Effects of Dihydroartemisinin and Bortezomib on Lipid Metabolism and Exported Proteins. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0501422. [PMID: 37067430 PMCID: PMC10269874 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.05014-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The antimalarial activity of the frontline drug artemisinin involves generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leading to oxidative damage of parasite proteins. To achieve homeostasis and maintain protein quality control in the overwhelmed parasite, the ubiquitin-proteasome system kicks in. Even though molecular markers for artemisinin resistance like pfkelch13 have been identified, the intricate network of mechanisms driving resistance remains to be elucidated. Here, we report a forward genetic screening strategy that enables a broader identification of genetic factors responsible for altering sensitivity to dihydroartemisinin (DHA) and a proteasome inhibitor, bortezomib (BTZ). Using a library of isogenic piggyBac mutants in P. falciparum, we defined phenotype-genotype associations influencing drug responses and highlighted shared mechanisms between the two processes, which mainly included proteasome-mediated degradation and the lipid metabolism genes. Additional transcriptomic analysis of a DHA/BTZ-sensitive piggyBac mutant showed it is possible to find differences between the two response mechanisms on the specific components for regulation of the exportome. Our results provide further insight into the molecular mechanisms of antimalarial drug resistance. IMPORTANCE Malaria control is seriously threatened by the emergence and spread of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to the leading antimalarial, artemisinin. The potent killing activity of artemisinin results from oxidative damage unleashed by free heme activation released by hemoglobin digestion. Although the ubiquitin-proteasome system is considered critical for parasite survival of this toxicity, the diverse genetic changes linked to artemisinin resistance are complex and, so far, have not included the ubiquitin-proteasome system. In this study, we use a systematic forward genetic approach by screening a library of P. falciparum random piggyBac mutants to decipher the genetic factors driving malaria parasite responses to the oxidative stress caused by antimalarial drugs. This study compares phenotype-genotype associations influencing dihydroartemisinin responses with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib to delineate the role of ubiquitin-proteasome system. Our study highlights shared and unique pathways from the complex array of molecular processes critical for P. falciparum survival resulting from the oxidative damage of artemisinin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Valente Pires
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Jenna Oberstaller
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Chengqi Wang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Debora Casandra
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Min Zhang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Jyotsna Chawla
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States
| | - Swamy Rakesh Adapa
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Thomas D. Otto
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, MVLS, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Michael T. Ferdig
- Eck Institute for Global Health, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Julian C. Rayner
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Rays H. Y. Jiang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - John H. Adams
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
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31
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Mok S, Yeo T, Hong D, Shears MJ, Ross LS, Ward KE, Dhingra SK, Kanai M, Bridgford JL, Tripathi AK, Mlambo G, Burkhard AY, Fairhurst KJ, Gil-Iturbe E, Park H, Rozenberg FD, Kim J, Mancia F, Quick M, Uhlemann AC, Sinnis P, Fidock DA. Mapping the genomic landscape of multidrug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum and its impact on parasite fitness. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.02.543338. [PMID: 37398288 PMCID: PMC10312498 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.02.543338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites have swept across Southeast Asia and now threaten Africa. By implementing a P. falciparum genetic cross using humanized mice, we report the identification of key determinants of resistance to artemisinin (ART) and piperaquine (PPQ) in the dominant Asian KEL1/PLA1 lineage. We mapped k13 as the central mediator of ART resistance and identified secondary markers. Applying bulk segregant analysis, quantitative trait loci mapping and gene editing, our data reveal an epistatic interaction between mutant PfCRT and multicopy plasmepsins 2/3 in mediating high-grade PPQ resistance. Susceptibility and parasite fitness assays implicate PPQ as a driver of selection for KEL1/PLA1 parasites. Mutant PfCRT enhanced susceptibility to lumefantrine, the first-line partner drug in Africa, highlighting a potential benefit of opposing selective pressures with this drug and PPQ. We also identified that the ABCI3 transporter can operate in concert with PfCRT and plasmepsins 2/3 in mediating multigenic resistance to antimalarial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Davin Hong
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Melanie J. Shears
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Leila S. Ross
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Kurt E. Ward
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Satish K. Dhingra
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Mariko Kanai
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Jessica L. Bridgford
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Abhai K. Tripathi
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Godfree Mlambo
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Anna Y. Burkhard
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Kate J. Fairhurst
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Eva Gil-Iturbe
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Heekuk Park
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Felix D. Rozenberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Jonathan Kim
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Filippo Mancia
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthias Quick
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anne-Catrin Uhlemann
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Photini Sinnis
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - David A. Fidock
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
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32
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Azmi WA, Rizki AFM, Djuardi Y, Artika IM, Siregar JE. Molecular insights into artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum: An updated review. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2023:105460. [PMID: 37269964 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Malaria still poses a major burden on human health around the world, especially in endemic areas. Plasmodium resistance to several antimalarial drugs has been one of the major hindrances in control of malaria. Thus, the World Health Organization recommended artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) as a front-line treatment for malaria. The emergence of parasites resistant to artemisinin, along with resistant to ACT partner drugs, has led to ACT treatment failure. The artemisinin resistance is mostly related to the mutations in the propeller domain of the kelch13 (k13) gene that encodes protein Kelch13 (K13). The K13 protein has an important role in parasite reaction to oxidative stress. The most widely spread mutation in K13, with the highest degree of resistance, is a C580Y mutation. Other mutations, which are already identified as markers of artemisinin resistance, are R539T, I543T, and Y493H. The objective of this review is to provide current molecular insights into artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum. The trending use of artemisinin beyond its antimalarial effect is described. Immediate challenges and future research directions are discussed. Better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying artemisinin resistance will accelerate implementation of scientific findings to solve problems with malarial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wihda Aisarul Azmi
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong, Bogor 16911, Indonesia; Master's Programme in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta 10430, Indonesia
| | - Andita Fitri Mutiara Rizki
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong, Bogor 16911, Indonesia; Master's Programme in Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta 10430, Indonesia
| | - Yenny Djuardi
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta 10430, Indonesia
| | - I Made Artika
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong, Bogor 16911, Indonesia; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Bogor Agricultural University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
| | - Josephine Elizabeth Siregar
- Eijkman Research Center for Molecular Biology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong, Bogor 16911, Indonesia.
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Pires CV, Chawla J, Simmons C, Gibbons J, Adams JH. Heat-shock responses: systemic and essential ways of malaria parasite survival. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 73:102322. [PMID: 37130502 PMCID: PMC10247345 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Fever is a part of the human innate immune response that contributes to limiting microbial growth and development in many infectious diseases. For the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, survival of febrile temperatures is crucial for its successful propagation in human populations as well as a fundamental aspect of malaria pathogenesis. This review discusses recent insights into the biological complexity of the malaria parasite's heat-shock response, which involves many cellular compartments and essential metabolic processes to alleviate oxidative stress and accumulation of damaged and unfolded proteins. We highlight the overlap between heat-shock and artemisinin resistance responses, while also explaining how the malaria parasite adapts its fever response to fight artemisinin treatment. Additionally, we discuss how this systemic and essential fight for survival can also contribute to parasite transmission to mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla V Pires
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Jyotsna Chawla
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States; Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Caroline Simmons
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States; Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Justin Gibbons
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - John H Adams
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States; Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States.
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Kannan D, Joshi N, Gupta S, Pati S, Bhattacharjee S, Langsley G, Singh S. Cytoprotective autophagy as a pro-survival strategy in ART-resistant malaria parasites. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:160. [PMID: 37173329 PMCID: PMC10182036 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01401-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite several initiatives to subside the global malaria burden, the spread of artemisinin-resistant parasites poses a big threat to malaria elimination. Mutations in PfKelch13 are predictive of ART resistance, whose underpinning molecular mechanism remains obscure. Recently, endocytosis and stress response pathways such as the ubiquitin-proteasome machinery have been linked to artemisinin resistance. With Plasmodium, however, ambiguity persists regarding a role in ART resistance for another cellular stress defence mechanism called autophagy. Therefore, we investigated whether, in the absence of ART treatment, basal autophagy is augmented in PfK13-R539T mutant ART-resistant parasites and analyzed whether PfK13-R539T endowed mutant parasites with an ability to utilize autophagy as a pro-survival strategy. We report that in the absence of any ART treatment, PfK13-R539T mutant parasites exhibit increased basal autophagy compared to PfK13-WT parasites and respond aggressively through changes in autophagic flux. A clear cytoprotective role of autophagy in parasite resistance mechanism is evident by the observation that a suppression of PI3-Kinase (PI3K) activity (a master autophagy regulator) rendered difficulty in the survival of PfK13-R539T ART-resistant parasites. In conclusion, we now show that higher PI3P levels reported for mutant PfKelch13 backgrounds led to increased basal autophagy that acts as a pro-survival response to ART treatment. Our results highlight PfPI3K as a druggable target with the potential to re-sensitize ART-resistant parasites and identify autophagy as a pro-survival function that modulates ART-resistant parasite growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepika Kannan
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Nishant Joshi
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sonal Gupta
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Soumya Pati
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Souvik Bhattacharjee
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Gordon Langsley
- Inserm U1016-CNRS UMR8104, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
- Laboratoire de Biologie Comparative des Apicomplexes, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Shailja Singh
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
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Lucky AB, Wang C, Shakri AR, Kalamuddin M, Chim-Ong A, Li X, Miao J. Plasmodium falciparum GCN5 plays a key role in regulating artemisinin resistance-related stress responses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.11.523703. [PMID: 36711954 PMCID: PMC9882135 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.11.523703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum causes the most severe malaria and is exposed to various environmental and physiological stresses in the human host. Given that GCN5 plays a critical role in regulating stress responses in model organisms, we aimed to elucidate PfGCN5's function in stress responses in P. falciparum . The protein level of PfGCN5 was substantially induced under three stress conditions (heat shock, low glucose starvation, and dihydroartemisinin, the active metabolite of artemisinin (ART)). With a TetR-DOZI conditional knockdown (KD) system, we successfully down-regulated PfGCN5 to ∼50% and found that KD parasites became more sensitive to all three stress conditions. Transcriptomic analysis via RNA-seq identified ∼1,000 up-and down-regulated genes in the wildtype (WT) and KD parasites under these stress conditions. Importantly, DHA induced transcriptional alteration of many genes involved in many aspects of stress responses, which were heavily shared among the altered genes under heat shock and low glucose conditions, including ART-resistance-related genes such as K13 and coronin . Based on the expression pattern between WT and KD parasites under three stress conditions, ∼300-400 genes were identified to be involved in PfGCN5-dependent, general and stress-condition-specific responses with high levels of overlaps among three stress conditions. Notably, using ring-stage survival assay (RSA), we found that KD or inhibition of PfGCN5 could sensitize the ART-resistant parasites to the DHA treatment. All these indicate that PfGCN5 is pivotal in regulating general and ART-resistance-related stress responses in malaria parasites, implicating PfGCN5 as a potential target for malaria intervention. IMPORTANCE Malaria leads to about half a million deaths annually and these casualties were majorly caused by the infection of Plasmodium falciparum . This parasite strives to survive by defending against a variety of stress conditions, such as malaria cyclical fever (heat shock), starvation due to low blood sugar (glucose) levels (hypoglycemia), and drug treatment. Previous studies have revealed that P. falciparum has developed unique stress responses to different stresses including ART treatment, and ART-resistant parasites harbor elevated stress responses. In this study, we provide critical evidence on the role of PfGCN5, a histone modifier, and a chromatin coactivator, in regulating general and stress-specific responses in malaria parasites, indicating that PfGCN5 can be used as a potential target for anti-malaria intervention.
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Brown AC, Warthan MD, Aryal A, Liu S, Guler JL. Nutrient Limitation Mimics Artemisinin Tolerance in Malaria. mBio 2023:e0070523. [PMID: 37097173 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00705-23] [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: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Mounting evidence demonstrates that nutritional environment can alter pathogen drug sensitivity. While the rich media used for in vitro culture contains supraphysiological nutrient concentrations, pathogens encounter a relatively restrictive environment in vivo. We assessed the effect of nutrient limitation on the protozoan parasite that causes malaria and demonstrated that short-term growth under physiologically relevant mild nutrient stress (or "metabolic priming") triggers increased tolerance of a potent antimalarial drug. We observed beneficial effects using both short-term survival assays and longer-term proliferation studies, where metabolic priming increases parasite survival to a level previously defined as resistant (>1% survival). We performed these assessments by either decreasing single nutrients that have distinct roles in metabolism or using a media formulation that simulates the human plasma environment. We determined that priming-induced tolerance was restricted to parasites that had newly invaded the host red blood cell, but the effect was not dependent on genetic background. The molecular mechanisms of this intrinsic effect mimic aspects of genetic tolerance, including translational repression and protein export. This finding suggests that regardless of the impact on survival rates, environmental stress could stimulate changes that ultimately directly contribute to drug tolerance. Because metabolic stress is likely to occur more frequently in vivo compared to the stable in vitro environment, priming-induced drug tolerance has ramifications for how in vitro results translate to in vivo studies. Improving our understanding of how pathogens adjust their metabolism to impact survival of current and future drugs is an important avenue of research to slow the evolution of resistance. IMPORTANCE There is a dire need for effective treatments against microbial pathogens. Yet, the continuing emergence of drug resistance necessitates a deeper knowledge of how pathogens respond to treatments. We have long appreciated the contribution of genetic evolution to drug resistance, but transient metabolic changes that arise in response to environmental factors are less recognized. Here, we demonstrate that short-term growth of malaria parasites in a nutrient-limiting environment triggers cellular changes that lead to better survival of drug treatment. We found that these strategies are similar to those employed by drug-tolerant parasites, which suggests that starvation "primes" parasites to survive and potentially evolve resistance. Since the environment of the human host is relatively nutrient restrictive compared to growth conditions in standard laboratory culture, this discovery highlights the important connections among nutrient levels, protective cellular pathways, and resistance evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey C Brown
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Michelle D Warthan
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Anush Aryal
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Shiwei Liu
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Jennifer L Guler
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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Cripowellins Pause Plasmodium falciparum Intraerythrocytic Development at the Ring Stage. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28062600. [PMID: 36985570 PMCID: PMC10056369 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28062600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cripowellins from Crinum erubescens are known pesticidal and have potent antiplasmodial activity. To gain mechanistic insights to this class of natural products, studies to determine the timing of action of cripowellins within the asexual intraerythrocytic cycle of Plasmodium falciparum were performed and led to the observation that this class of natural products induced reversible cytostasis in the ring stage within the first 24 h of treatment. The transcriptional program necessary for P. falciparum to progress through the asexual intraerythrocytic life cycle is well characterized. Whole transcriptome abundance analysis showed that cripowellin B “pauses” the transcriptional program necessary to progress through the intraerythrocytic life cycle coinciding with the lack of morphological progression of drug treated parasites. In addition, cripowellin B-treated parasites re-enter transcriptional progression after treatment was removed. This study highlights the use of cripowellins as chemical probes to reveal new aspects of cell cycle progression of the asexual ring stage of P. falciparum which could be leveraged for the generation of future antimalarial therapeutics.
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Wan W, Dong H, Lai DH, Yang J, He K, Tang X, Liu Q, Hide G, Zhu XQ, Sibley LD, Lun ZR, Long S. The Toxoplasma micropore mediates endocytosis for selective nutrient salvage from host cell compartments. Nat Commun 2023; 14:977. [PMID: 36813769 PMCID: PMC9947163 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36571-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasite growth and replication relies on nutrient acquisition from host cells, in which intracellular multiplication occurs, yet the mechanisms that underlie the nutrient salvage remain elusive. Numerous ultrastructural studies have documented a plasma membrane invagination with a dense neck, termed the micropore, on the surface of intracellular parasites. However, the function of this structure remains unknown. Here we validate the micropore as an essential organelle for endocytosis of nutrients from the host cell cytosol and Golgi in the model apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii. Detailed analyses demonstrated that Kelch13 is localized at the dense neck of the organelle and functions as a protein hub at the micropore for endocytic uptake. Intriguingly, maximal activity of the micropore requires the ceramide de novo synthesis pathway in the parasite. Thus, this study provides insights into the machinery underlying acquisition of host cell-derived nutrients by apicomplexan parasites that are otherwise sequestered from host cell compartments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyan Wan
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health Security and School of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Dong
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health Security and School of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - De-Hua Lai
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Jiong Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Kai He
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health Security and School of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyan Tang
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health Security and School of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Qun Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health Security and School of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Geoff Hide
- Biomedical Research and Innovation Centre and Environmental Research and Innovation Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, M5 4WT, UK
| | - Xing-Quan Zhu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, Shanxi, China
| | - L David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO, 63110-1093, USA
| | - Zhao-Rong Lun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Shaojun Long
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health Security and School of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China.
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Ring stage dormancy of Plasmodium falciparum tolerant to artemisinin and its analogues - A genetically regulated "Sleeping Beauty". Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2023; 21:61-64. [PMID: 36708651 PMCID: PMC9883618 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2023.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The appearance in 2008 in western Cambodia of Plasmodium falciparum tolerant to artemisinin, defined by longer parasite clearance time following drug administration and in vitro by a slightly higher survival rate of the ring stage after a 3-h treatment with 700 nM artemisinin (or analogues, collectively termed ART), has raised concerns of the possible loss of this frontline antimalarial [used in the form of an artemisinin combination therapy (ACT)], with its low IC50 value against the ring stage and pleiotropic pro-drug/poison property. The key genetic marker of ART tolerance phenotype is a number of non-synonymous mutations in Pfkelch13 propeller domain. This results in defective assembly at the ring stage of a cytostome structure located at cytoplasmic side of the parasite membrane required for invagination of a double-membrane endosome carrying host cytosol haemoglobin to the digestive vacuole. The consequential deprivation of amino acids initiates ring stage parasites bearing the causal mutations in PfK13 (or other key cytostome components) entry into a dormant state ("Sleeping Beauty"), which, after a duration longer than that the short-lived ART, "Sleeping Beauty" ring parasite resumes its normal, but accelerated, development to maintain the 48-h intra-erythrocytic life-cycle. We posit that when ART-tolerant P. falciparum has acquired under ART stress the causative PfK13 mutation (not obligatory if mutations occur in other critical cytostome components), together with other necessary mutations to adjust to the new normalcy and to provide survival competitiveness, ART-tolerant parasite has now evolved into a genetically programmed "Sleeping Beauty". The onus of preventing the spread of ART-tolerant P. falciparum lies with the efficacy of ACT partner drug, hence the recommendation of a triple ACT (TACT). Nevertheless, attention should also be focussed on understanding the mechanisms of dormancy, such as induction, maintenance and recovery, to enable discovery and development of novel antimalarials targeting this unique parasite stage.
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A Plasmodium falciparum ubiquitin-specific protease (PfUSP) is essential for parasite survival and its disruption enhances artemisinin efficacy. Biochem J 2023; 480:25-39. [PMID: 36511651 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Proteins associated with ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) are potential drug targets in the malaria parasite. The ubiquitination and deubiquitination are key regulatory processes for the functioning of UPS. In this study, we have characterized the biochemical and functional role of a novel ubiquitin-specific protease (USP) domain-containing protein of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (PfUSP). We have shown that the PfUSP is an active deubiquitinase associated with parasite endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Selection linked integration (SLI) method for C-terminal tagging and GlmS-ribozyme mediated inducible knock-down (iKD) of PfUSP was utilized to assess its functional role. Inducible knockdown of PfUSP resulted in a remarkable reduction in parasite growth and multiplication; specifically, PfUSP-iKD disrupted ER morphology and development, blocked the development of healthy schizonts, and hindered proper merozoite development. PfUSP-iKD caused increased ubiquitylation of specific proteins, disrupted organelle homeostasis and reduced parasite survival. Since the mode of action of artemisinin and the artemisinin-resistance are shown to be associated with the proteasome machinery, we analyzed the effect of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) on PfUSP-iKD parasites. Importantly, the PfUSP-knocked-down parasite showed increased sensitivity to dihydroartemisinin (DHA), whereas no change in chloroquine sensitivity was observed, suggesting a role of PfUSP in combating artemisinin-induced cellular stress. Together, the results show that Plasmodium PfUSP is an essential protease for parasite survival, and its inhibition increases the efficacy of artemisinin-based drugs. Therefore, PfUSP can be targeted to develop novel scaffolds for developing new antimalarials to combat artemisinin resistance.
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Simmons CF, Gibbons J, Zhang M, Oberstaller J, Pires CV, Casandra D, Wang C, Seyfang A, Otto TD, Rayner JC, Adams JH. Protein KIC5 is a novel regulator of artemisinin stress response in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Sci Rep 2023; 13:399. [PMID: 36624300 PMCID: PMC9829687 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27417-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) have led to a significant decrease in Plasmodium falciparum malaria mortality. This progress is now threatened by emerging artemisinin resistance (ART-R) linked originally in SE Asia to polymorphisms in the Kelch propeller protein (K13) and more recently to several other seemingly unrelated genetic mutations. To better understand the parasite response to ART, we are characterizing a P. falciparum mutant with altered sensitivity to ART that was created via piggyBac transposon mutagenesis. The transposon inserted near the putative transcription start site of a gene defined as a "Plasmodium-conserved gene of unknown function," now functionally linked to K13 as the Kelch13 Interacting Candidate 5 protein (KIC5). Phenotype analysis of the KIC5 mutant during intraerythrocytic asexual development identified transcriptional changes associated with DNA stress response and altered mitochondrial metabolism, linking dysregulation of the KIC5 gene to the parasite's ability to respond to ART exposure. Through characterization of the KIC5 transcriptome, we hypothesize that this gene may be essential under ART exposure to manage gene expression of the wild-type stress response at early ring stage, thereby providing a better understanding of the parasite's processes that can alter ART sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline F Simmons
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Justin Gibbons
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Min Zhang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Jenna Oberstaller
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Camilla Valente Pires
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Debora Casandra
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Chengqi Wang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Andreas Seyfang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Thomas D Otto
- Institute for Infection, Immunity, and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Julian C Rayner
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - John H Adams
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
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Kampoun T, Koonyosying P, Ruangsuriya J, Prommana P, Shaw PJ, Kamchonwongpaisan S, Suwito H, Puspaningsih NNT, Uthaipibull C, Srichairatanakool S. Antagonistic antimalarial properties of a methoxyamino chalcone derivative and 3-hydroxypyridinones in combination with dihydroartemisinin against Plasmodium falciparum. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15187. [PMID: 37131988 PMCID: PMC10149052 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The spread of artemisinin (ART)-resistant Plasmodium falciparum threatens the control of malaria. Mutations in the propeller domains of P. falciparum Kelch13 (k13) are strongly associated with ART resistance. Ferredoxin (Fd), a component of the ferredoxin/NADP+ reductase (Fd/FNR) redox system, is essential for isoprenoid precursor synthesis in the plasmodial apicoplast, which is important for K13-dependent hemoglobin trafficking and ART activation. Therefore, Fd is an antimalarial drug target and fd mutations may modulate ART sensitivity. We hypothesized that loss of Fd/FNR function enhances the effect of k13 mutation on ART resistance. Methods In this study, methoxyamino chalcone (C3), an antimalarial compound that has been reported to inhibit the interaction of recombinant Fd and FNR proteins, was used as a chemical inhibitor of the Fd/FNR redox system. We investigated the inhibitory effects of dihydroartemisinin (DHA), C3, and iron chelators including deferiprone (DFP), 1-(N-acetyl-6-aminohexyl)-3-hydroxy-2-methylpyridin-4-one (CM1) and deferiprone-resveratrol hybrid (DFP-RVT) against wild-type (WT), k13 mutant, fd mutant, and k13 fd double mutant P. falciparum parasites. Furthermore, we investigated the pharmacological interaction of C3 with DHA, in which the iron chelators were used as reference ART antagonists. Results C3 showed antimalarial potency similar to that of the iron chelators. As expected, combining DHA with C3 or iron chelators exhibited a moderately antagonistic effect. No differences were observed among the mutant parasites with respect to their sensitivity to C3, iron chelators, or the interactions of these compounds with DHA. Discussion The data suggest that inhibitors of the Fd/FNR redox system should be avoided as ART partner drugs in ART combination therapy for treating malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanyaluck Kampoun
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Pimpisid Koonyosying
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Jetsada Ruangsuriya
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Parichat Prommana
- Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Philip J. Shaw
- Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Sumalee Kamchonwongpaisan
- Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Hery Suwito
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Airlangga University, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Ni Nyoman Tri Puspaningsih
- Laboratory of Proteomics, University-CoE Research Center for Bio-Molecule Engineering, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Chairat Uthaipibull
- Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand
- Thailand Center of Excellence for Life Sciences (TCELS), Bangkok, Thailand
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Ring-stage growth arrest: Metabolic basis of artemisinin tolerance in Plasmodium falciparum. iScience 2022; 26:105725. [PMID: 36579133 PMCID: PMC9791339 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence and spread of artemisinin-tolerant malaria parasites threatens malaria control programmes worldwide. Mutations in the propeller domain of the Kelch13 protein confer Plasmodium falciparum artemisinin resistance (ART-R). ART-R is linked to the reduced susceptibility of temporary growth-arrested ring-stage parasites, but the metabolic mechanisms remain elusive. We generated two PfKelch13 mutant lines via CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing which displayed a reduced susceptibility accompanied by an extended ring stage. The metabolome of ART-induced ring-stage growth arrest parasites carrying PfKelch13 mutations showed significant alterations in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, glycolysis, and amino acids metabolism, pointing to altered energy and porphyrin metabolism with metabolic plasticity. The critical role of these pathways was further confirmed by altering metabolic flow or through chemical inhibition. Our findings uncover that the growth arrestment associated with ART-R is potentially attributed to the adaptative metabolic plasticity, indicating that the defined metabolic remodeling turns out to be the trigger for ART-R.
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PvMSP-3α and PvMSP-3β genotyping reveals higher genetic diversity in Plasmodium vivax parasites from migrant workers than residents at the China-Myanmar border. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2022; 106:105387. [PMID: 36403920 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The genetic diversity of malaria parasites traces the origin and spread of new variants and can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of malaria control measures. Therefore, this study aims to improve the understanding of the molecular epidemiology of Plasmodium vivax malaria at the China-Myanmar border by genotyping the PvMSP-3α and PvMSP-3β genes. METHODS Blood samples were collected from P. vivax malaria patients along the China-Myanmar border. The PvMSP-3α and PvMSP-3β genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the genetic polymorphism and haplotype of the two genes were analyzed. RESULTS A total of 422 blood samples were used for this study, of which 224 were analyzed at PvMSP-3α and 126 at PvMSP-3β. Samples mainly were from young adults aged 18-45 years, although local patients were significantly younger than migrant laborers crossing the border at Tengchong (P < 0.0001). Molecular evolutionary analysis revealed that PvMSP-3α and PvMSP-3β underwent diversifying natural selection, and intragenic recombination contributed to the diversity of the isolates. Based on the length of the genes, we identified three types of PvMSP-3α [1.9-2.0 kb (Type-A), 1.4-1.5 kb (Type-B), and 1.1-1.3 kb (Type-C)] and two types of PvMSP-3β [1.7-2.2 kb (Type-A) and 1.4-1.5 kb (Type-B)]. Migrant laborers returning to China through Tengchong bore P. vivax infections displaying significantly higher genetic diversity than local residents. CONCLUSIONS Both PvMSP-3 paralogs were subjected to diversifying selection in each sample population. Clustering of alleles supports ephemeral endemic differentiation of alleles, but the broader phylogeny suggests that alleles transit the globe, perhaps accelerated by movements of migrants such as those transiting Tengchong.
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Kim M, Mahmood M, Reznik E, Gammage PA. Mitochondrial DNA is a major source of driver mutations in cancer. Trends Cancer 2022; 8:1046-1059. [PMID: 36041967 PMCID: PMC9671861 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2022.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations are among the most common genetic events in all tumors and directly impact metabolic homeostasis. Despite the central role mitochondria play in energy metabolism and cellular physiology, the role of mutations in the mitochondrial genomes of tumors has been contentious. Until recently, genomic and functional studies of mtDNA variants were impeded by a lack of adequate tumor mtDNA sequencing data and available methods for mitochondrial genome engineering. These barriers and a conceptual fog surrounding the functional impact of mtDNA mutations in tumors have begun to lift, revealing a path to understanding the role of this essential metabolic genome in cancer initiation and progression. Here we discuss the history, recent developments, and challenges that remain for mitochondrial oncogenetics as the impact of a major new class of cancer-associated mutations is unveiled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minsoo Kim
- Computational Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Ed Reznik
- Computational Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Urology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Payam A Gammage
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK; Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
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Kampoun T, Srichairatanakool S, Prommana P, Shaw PJ, Green JL, Knuepfer E, Holder AA, Uthaipibull C. Apicoplast ribosomal protein S10-V127M enhances artemisinin resistance of a Kelch13 transgenic Plasmodium falciparum. Malar J 2022; 21:302. [PMID: 36303209 PMCID: PMC9615251 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04330-3] [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: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to artemisinin-based (ART) drugs, the front-line drug family used in artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) for treatment of malaria, is of great concern. Mutations in the kelch13 (k13) gene (for example, those resulting in the Cys580Tyr [C580Y] variant) were identified as genetic markers for ART-resistant parasites, which suggests they are associated with resistance mechanisms. However, not all resistant parasites contain a k13 mutation, and clearly greater understanding of resistance mechanisms is required. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) found single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with ART-resistance in fd (ferredoxin), arps10 (apicoplast ribosomal protein S10), mdr2 (multidrug resistance protein 2), and crt (chloroquine resistance transporter), in addition to k13 gene mutations, suggesting that these alleles contribute to the resistance phenotype. The importance of the FD and ARPS10 variants in ART resistance was then studied since both proteins likely function in the apicoplast, which is a location distinct from that of K13. Methods The reported mutations were introduced, together with a mutation to produce the k13-C580Y variant into the ART-sensitive 3D7 parasite line and the effect on ART-susceptibility using the 0−3 h ring survival assay (RSA0−3 h) was investigated. Results and conclusion Introducing both fd-D193Y and arps10-V127M into a k13-C580Y-containing parasite, but not a wild-type k13 parasite, increased survival of the parasite in the RSA0−3 h. The results suggest epistasis of arps10 and k13, with arps10-V127M a modifier of ART susceptibility in different k13 allele backgrounds. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12936-022-04330-3.
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Duffy S, Avery VM. Naturally Acquired Kelch13 Mutations in Plasmodium falciparum Strains Modulate In Vitro Ring-Stage Artemisinin-Based Drug Tolerance and Parasite Survival in Response to Hyperoxia. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0128221. [PMID: 36094220 PMCID: PMC9602862 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01282-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The ring-stage survival assay was utilized to assess the impact of physiological hyperoxic stress on dihydroartemisinin (DHA) tolerance for a panel of Plasmodium falciparum strains with and without Kelch13 mutations. Strains without naturally acquired Kelch13 mutations or the postulated genetic background associated with delayed parasite clearance time demonstrated reduced proliferation under hyperoxic conditions in the subsequent proliferation cycle. Dihydroartemisinin tolerance in three isolates with naturally acquired Kelch13 mutations but not two genetically manipulated laboratory strains was modulated by in vitro hyperoxic stress exposure of early-ring-stage parasites in the cycle before drug exposure. Reduced parasite tolerance to additional derivatives, including artemisinin, artesunate, and OZ277, was observed within the second proliferation cycle. OZ439 and epoxomicin completely prevented parasite survival under both hyperoxia and normoxic in vitro culture conditions, highlighting the unique relationship between DHA tolerance and Kelch13 mutation-associated genetic background. IMPORTANCE Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) for treating malaria is under intense scrutiny following treatment failures in the Greater Mekong subregion of Asia. This is further compounded by the potential for extensive loss of life if treatment failures extend to the African continent. Although Plasmodium falciparum has become resistant to all antimalarial drugs, artemisinin "resistance" does not present in the same way as resistance to other antimalarial drugs. Instead, a partial resistance or tolerance is demonstrated, associated with the parasite's genetic profile and linked to a molecular marker referred to as K13. It is suggested that parasites may have adapted to drug treatment, as well as the presence of underlying population health issues such as hemoglobinopathies, and/or environmental pressures, resulting in parasite tolerance to ACT. Understanding parasite evolution and control of artemisinin tolerance will provide innovative approaches to mitigate the development of artemisinin tolerance and thereby artemisinin-based drug treatment failure and loss of life globally to malaria infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Duffy
- Discovery Biology, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Vicky M. Avery
- Discovery Biology, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
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Okombo J, Mok S, Qahash T, Yeo T, Bath J, Orchard LM, Owens E, Koo I, Albert I, Llinás M, Fidock DA. Piperaquine-resistant PfCRT mutations differentially impact drug transport, hemoglobin catabolism and parasite physiology in Plasmodium falciparum asexual blood stages. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010926. [PMID: 36306287 PMCID: PMC9645663 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of Plasmodium falciparum parasite resistance to dihydroartemisinin + piperaquine (PPQ) in Southeast Asia threatens plans to increase the global use of this first-line antimalarial combination. High-level PPQ resistance appears to be mediated primarily by novel mutations in the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT), which enhance parasite survival at high PPQ concentrations in vitro and increase the risk of dihydroartemisinin + PPQ treatment failure in patients. Using isogenic Dd2 parasites expressing contemporary pfcrt alleles with differential in vitro PPQ susceptibilities, we herein characterize the molecular and physiological adaptations that define PPQ resistance in vitro. Using drug uptake and cellular heme fractionation assays we report that the F145I, M343L, and G353V PfCRT mutations differentially impact PPQ and chloroquine efflux. These mutations also modulate proteolytic degradation of host hemoglobin and the chemical inactivation of reactive heme species. Peptidomic analyses reveal significantly higher accumulation of putative hemoglobin-derived peptides in the PPQ-resistant mutant PfCRT isoforms compared to parental PPQ-sensitive Dd2. Joint transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling of late trophozoites from PPQ-resistant or -sensitive isogenic lines reveals differential expression of genes involved in protein translation and cellular metabolism. PPQ-resistant parasites also show increased susceptibility to an inhibitor of the P. falciparum M17 aminopeptidase that operates on short globin-derived peptides. These results reveal unique physiological changes caused by the gain of PPQ resistance and highlight the potential therapeutic value of targeting peptide metabolism in P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Okombo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Tarrick Qahash
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Jade Bath
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Lindsey M. Orchard
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Edward Owens
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Imhoi Koo
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Istvan Albert
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - David A. Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
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Ward KE, Fidock DA, Bridgford JL. Plasmodium falciparum resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 69:102193. [PMID: 36007459 PMCID: PMC9847095 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites are a major threat to public health in intertropical regions. Understanding the mechanistic basis, origins, and spread of resistance can inform strategies to mitigate its impact and reduce the global burden of malaria. The recent emergence in Africa of partial resistance to artemisinins, the core component of first-line combination therapies, is particularly concerning. Here, we review recent advances in elucidating the mechanistic basis of artemisinin resistance, driven primarily by point mutations in P. falciparum Kelch13, a key regulator of hemoglobin endocytosis and parasite response to artemisinin-induced stress. We also review resistance to partner drugs, including piperaquine and mefloquine, highlighting a key role for plasmepsins 2/3 and the drug and solute transporters P. falciparum chloroquine-resistance transporter and P. falciparum multidrug-resistance protein-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt E Ward
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Jessica L Bridgford
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
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Botnar A, Lawrence G, Maher SP, Vantaux A, Witkowski B, Shiau JC, Merino EF, De Vore D, Yang C, Murray C, Cassera MB, Leahy JW, Kyle DE. Alkyne modified purines for assessment of activation of Plasmodium vivax hypnozoites and growth of pre-erythrocytic and erythrocytic stages in Plasmodium spp. Int J Parasitol 2022; 52:733-744. [PMID: 35447149 PMCID: PMC9576819 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2022.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is a major global health problem which predominantly afflicts developing countries. Although many antimalarial therapies are currently available, the protozoan parasite causing this disease, Plasmodium spp., continues to evade eradication efforts. One biological phenomenon hampering eradication efforts is the parasite's ability to arrest development, transform into a drug-insensitive form, and then resume growth post-therapy. Currently, the mechanisms by which the parasite enters arrested development, or dormancy, and later recrudesces or reactivates to continue development, are unknown and the malaria field lacks techniques to study these elusive mechanisms. Since Plasmodium spp. salvage purines for DNA synthesis, we hypothesised that alkyne-containing purine nucleosides could be used to develop a DNA synthesis marker which could be used to investigate mechanisms behind dormancy. Using copper-catalysed click chemistry methods, we observe incorporation of alkyne modified adenosine, inosine, and hypoxanthine in actively replicating asexual blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum and incorporation of modified adenosine in actively replicating liver stage schizonts of Plasmodium vivax. Notably, these modified purines were not incorporated in dormant liver stage hypnozoites, suggesting this marker could be used as a tool to differentiate replicating and non-replicating liver forms and, more broadly, as a tool for advancing our understanding of Plasmodium dormancy mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alona Botnar
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Grant Lawrence
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Steven P Maher
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Amélie Vantaux
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Pasteur Institute of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Benoît Witkowski
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Pasteur Institute of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Justine C Shiau
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Emilio F Merino
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - David De Vore
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Christian Yang
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Cameron Murray
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Maria B Cassera
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - James W Leahy
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States; The Florida Center for Excellence for Drug Discovery and Innovation, University of South Florida, Tampa, GA, United States; Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, GA, United States
| | - Dennis E Kyle
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States.
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