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Azevedo LG, Sosa E, de Queiroz ATL, Barral A, Wheeler RJ, Nicolás MF, Farias LP, Do Porto DF, Ramos PIP. High-throughput prioritization of target proteins for development of new antileishmanial compounds. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2024; 25:100538. [PMID: 38669848 PMCID: PMC11068527 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2024.100538] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis, a vector-borne disease, is caused by the infection of Leishmania spp., obligate intracellular protozoan parasites. Presently, human vaccines are unavailable, and the primary treatment relies heavily on systemic drugs, often presenting with suboptimal formulations and substantial toxicity, making new drugs a high priority for LMIC countries burdened by the disease, but a low priority in the agenda of most pharmaceutical companies due to unattractive profit margins. New ways to accelerate the discovery of new, or the repositioning of existing drugs, are needed. To address this challenge, our study aimed to identify potential protein targets shared among clinically-relevant Leishmania species. We employed a subtractive proteomics and comparative genomics approach, integrating high-throughput multi-omics data to classify these targets based on different druggability metrics. This effort resulted in the ranking of 6502 ortholog groups of protein targets across 14 pathogenic Leishmania species. Among the top 20 highly ranked groups, metabolic processes known to be attractive drug targets, including the ubiquitination pathway, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and purine synthesis, were rediscovered. Additionally, we unveiled novel promising targets such as the nicotinate phosphoribosyltransferase enzyme and dihydrolipoamide succinyltransferases. These groups exhibited appealing druggability features, including less than 40% sequence identity to the human host proteome, predicted essentiality, structural classification as highly druggable or druggable, and expression levels above the 50th percentile in the amastigote form. The resources presented in this work also represent a comprehensive collection of integrated data regarding trypanosomatid biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas G Azevedo
- Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (CIDACS), Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz Bahia), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Post-graduate Program in Biotechnology and Investigative Medicine, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
| | - Ezequiel Sosa
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Artur T L de Queiroz
- Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (CIDACS), Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz Bahia), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Post-graduate Program in Biotechnology and Investigative Medicine, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
| | - Aldina Barral
- Laboratório de Medicina e Saúde Pública de Precisão (MeSP2), Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz Bahia), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
| | - Richard J Wheeler
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | - Marisa F Nicolás
- Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica, Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Leonardo P Farias
- Post-graduate Program in Biotechnology and Investigative Medicine, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Laboratório de Medicina e Saúde Pública de Precisão (MeSP2), Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz Bahia), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
| | | | - Pablo Ivan P Ramos
- Center for Data and Knowledge Integration for Health (CIDACS), Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz Bahia), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Post-graduate Program in Biotechnology and Investigative Medicine, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
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2
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Rolemberg Santana Travaglini Berti de Correia C, Torres C, Gomes E, Maffei Rodriguez G, Klaysson Pereira Regatieri W, Takamiya NT, Aparecida Rogerio L, Malavazi I, Damário Gomes M, Dener Damasceno J, Luiz da Silva V, Antonio Fernandes de Oliveira M, Santos da Silva M, Silva Nascimento A, Cappellazzo Coelho A, Regina Maruyama S, Teixeira FR. Functional characterization of Cullin-1-RING ubiquitin ligase (CRL1) complex in Leishmania infantum. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012336. [PMID: 39018347 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Cullin-1-RING ubiquitin ligases (CRL1) or SCF1 (SKP1-CUL1-RBX1) E3 ubiquitin ligases are the largest and most extensively investigated class of E3 ligases in mammals that regulate fundamental processes, such as the cell cycle and proliferation. These enzymes are multiprotein complexes comprising SKP1, CUL1, RBX1, and an F-box protein that acts as a specificity factor by interacting with SKP1 through its F-box domain and recruiting substrates via other domains. E3 ligases are important players in the ubiquitination process, recognizing and transferring ubiquitin to substrates destined for degradation by proteasomes or processing by deubiquitinating enzymes. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is the main regulator of intracellular proteolysis in eukaryotes and is required for parasites to alternate hosts in their life cycles, resulting in successful parasitism. Leishmania UPS is poorly investigated, and CRL1 in L. infantum, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis in Latin America, is yet to be described. Here, we show that the L. infantum genes LINF_110018100 (SKP1-like protein), LINF_240029100 (cullin-like protein-like protein), and LINF_210005300 (ring-box protein 1 -putative) form a LinfCRL1 complex structurally similar to the H. sapiens CRL1. Mass spectrometry analysis of the LinfSkp1 and LinfCul1 interactomes revealed proteins involved in several intracellular processes, including six F-box proteins known as F-box-like proteins (Flp) (data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD051961). The interaction of LinfFlp 1-6 with LinfSkp1 was confirmed, and using in vitro ubiquitination assays, we demonstrated the function of the LinfCRL1(Flp1) complex to transfer ubiquitin. We also found that LinfSKP1 and LinfRBX1 knockouts resulted in nonviable L. infantum lineages, whereas LinfCUL1 was involved in parasite growth and rosette formation. Finally, our results suggest that LinfCul1 regulates the S phase progression and possibly the transition between the late S to G2 phase in L. infantum. Thus, a new class of E3 ubiquitin ligases has been described in L. infantum with functions related to various parasitic processes that may serve as prospective targets for leishmaniasis treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Rolemberg Santana Travaglini Berti de Correia
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Caroline Torres
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Ellen Gomes
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | | | | | - Nayore Tamie Takamiya
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | | | - Iran Malavazi
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Damário Gomes
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Jeziel Dener Damasceno
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Vitor Luiz da Silva
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | | | - Marcelo Santos da Silva
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Sandra Regina Maruyama
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
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Murta SMF, Lemos Santana PA, Jacques Dit Lapierre TJW, Penteado AB, El Hajje M, Navarro Vinha TC, Liarte DB, de Souza ML, Goulart Trossini GH, de Oliveira Rezende Júnior C, de Oliveira RB, Ferreira RS. New drug discovery strategies for the treatment of benznidazole-resistance in Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024; 19:741-753. [PMID: 38715393 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2024.2349155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Benznidazole, the drug of choice for treating Chagas Disease (CD), has significant limitations, such as poor cure efficacy, mainly in the chronic phase of CD, association with side effects, and parasite resistance. Understanding parasite resistance to benznidazole is crucial for developing new drugs to treat CD. AREAS COVERED Here, the authors review the current understanding of the molecular basis of benznidazole resistance. Furthermore, they discuss the state-of-the-art methods and critical outcomes employed to evaluate the efficacy of potential drugs against T. cruzi, aiming to select better compounds likely to succeed in the clinic. Finally, the authors describe the different strategies employed to overcome resistance to benznidazole and find effective new treatments for CD. EXPERT OPINION Resistance to benznidazole is a complex phenomenon that occurs naturally among T. cruzi strains. The combination of compounds that inhibit different metabolic pathways of the parasite is an important strategy for developing a new chemotherapeutic protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvane Maria Fonseca Murta
- Grupo de Genômica Funcional de Parasitos - Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Pedro Augusto Lemos Santana
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - André Berndt Penteado
- Departamento de Farmacia, Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marissa El Hajje
- Departamento de Farmacia, Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Mariana Laureano de Souza
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | | | - Renata Barbosa de Oliveira
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Salgado Ferreira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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Jamabo M, Mahlalela M, Edkins AL, Boshoff A. Tackling Sleeping Sickness: Current and Promising Therapeutics and Treatment Strategies. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12529. [PMID: 37569903 PMCID: PMC10420020 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512529] [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: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Human African trypanosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the extracellular protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei, and targeted for eradication by 2030. The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the lengthening of the proposed time frame for eliminating human African trypanosomiasis as control programs were interrupted. Armed with extensive antigenic variation and the depletion of the B cell population during an infectious cycle, attempts to develop a vaccine have remained unachievable. With the absence of a vaccine, control of the disease has relied heavily on intensive screening measures and the use of drugs. The chemotherapeutics previously available for disease management were plagued by issues such as toxicity, resistance, and difficulty in administration. The approval of the latest and first oral drug, fexinidazole, is a major chemotherapeutic achievement for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis in the past few decades. Timely and accurate diagnosis is essential for effective treatment, while poor compliance and resistance remain outstanding challenges. Drug discovery is on-going, and herein we review the recent advances in anti-trypanosomal drug discovery, including novel potential drug targets. The numerous challenges associated with disease eradication will also be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miebaka Jamabo
- Biotechnology Innovation Centre, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6139, South Africa; (M.J.); (M.M.)
| | - Maduma Mahlalela
- Biotechnology Innovation Centre, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6139, South Africa; (M.J.); (M.M.)
| | - Adrienne L. Edkins
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Biomedical Biotechnology Research Centre (BioBRU), Rhodes University, Makhanda 6139, South Africa;
| | - Aileen Boshoff
- Biotechnology Innovation Centre, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6139, South Africa; (M.J.); (M.M.)
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5
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Danazumi AU, Ishmam IT, Idris S, Izert MA, Balogun EO, Górna MW. Targeted protein degradation might present a novel therapeutic approach in the fight against African trypanosomiasis. Eur J Pharm Sci 2023; 186:106451. [PMID: 37088149 PMCID: PMC11032742 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2023.106451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
African trypanosomiasis (AT) is a hemoparasitic disease caused by infection with African trypanosomes and it is prevalent in many sub-Saharan African countries, affecting both humans and domestic animals. The disease is transmitted mostly by haematophagous insects of the genus Glossina while taking blood meal, in the process spreading the parasites from an infected animal to an uninfected animal. The disease is fatal if untreated, and the available drugs are generally ineffective and resulting in toxicities. Therefore, it is still pertinent to explore novel methods and targets for drug discovery. Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) present a new strategy for development of therapeutic molecules that mimic cellular proteasomal-mediated protein degradation to target proteins involved in different disease types. PROTACs have been used to degrade proteins involved in various cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, and immune disorders with remarkable success. Here, we highlight the problems associated with the current treatments for AT, discuss the concept of PROTACs and associated targeted protein degradation (TPD) approaches, and provide some insights on the future potential for the use of these emerging technologies (PROTACs and TPD) for the development of new generation of anti-Trypanosoma drugs and the first "TrypPROTACs".
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Affiliation(s)
- Ammar Usman Danazumi
- Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland; Department of Biochemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
| | | | - Salisu Idris
- Department of Biochemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
| | - Matylda Anna Izert
- Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Emmanuel Oluwadare Balogun
- Department of Biochemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria; African Centre of Excellence for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Forensic Biotechnology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
| | - Maria Wiktoria Górna
- Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
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Laureano de Souza M, Lapierre TJWJD, Vitor de Lima Marques G, Ferraz WR, Penteado AB, Henrique Goulart Trossini G, Murta SMF, de Oliveira RB, de Oliveira Rezende C, Ferreira RS. Molecular targets for Chagas disease: validation, challenges and lead compounds for widely exploited targets. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2023; 27:911-925. [PMID: 37772733 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2023.2264512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chagas disease (CD) imposes social and economic burdens, yet the available treatments have limited efficacy in the disease's chronic phase and cause serious adverse effects. To address this challenge, target-based approaches are a possible strategy to develop new, safe, and active treatments for both phases of the disease. AREAS COVERED This review delves into target-based approaches applied to CD drug discovery, emphasizing the studies from the last five years. We highlight the proteins cruzain (CZ), trypanothione reductase (TR), sterol 14 α-demethylase (CPY51), iron superoxide dismutase (Fe-SOD), proteasome, cytochrome b (Cytb), and cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor 3 (CPSF3), chosen based on their biological and chemical validation as drug targets. For each, we discuss its biological relevance and validation as a target, currently related challenges, and the status of the most promising inhibitors. EXPERT OPINION Target-based approaches toward developing potential CD therapeutics have yielded promising leads in recent years. We expect a significant advance in this field in the next decade, fueled by the new options for Trypanosoma cruzi genetic manipulation that arose in the past decade, combined with recent advances in computational chemistry and chemical biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Laureano de Souza
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Gabriel Vitor de Lima Marques
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Witor Ribeiro Ferraz
- Departamento de Farmacia, Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - André Berndt Penteado
- Departamento de Farmacia, Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Renata Barbosa de Oliveira
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Rafaela Salgado Ferreira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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Lima DA, Gonçalves LO, Reis-Cunha JL, Guimarães PAS, Ruiz JC, Liarte DB, Murta SMF. Transcriptomic analysis of benznidazole-resistant and susceptible Trypanosoma cruzi populations. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:167. [PMID: 37217925 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05775-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chagas disease (CD), caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a serious public health concern in Latin America. Nifurtimox and benznidazole (BZ), the only two drugs currently approved for the treatment of CD, have very low efficacies in the chronic phase of the disease and several toxic side effects. Trypanosoma cruzi strains that are naturally resistant to both drugs have been reported. We performed a comparative transcriptomic analysis of wild-type and BZ-resistant T. cruzi populations using high-throughput RNA sequencing to elucidate the metabolic pathways related to clinical drug resistance and identify promising molecular targets for the development of new drugs for treating CD. METHODS All complementary DNA (cDNA) libraries were constructed from the epimastigote forms of each line, sequenced and analysed using the Prinseq and Trimmomatic tools for the quality analysis, STAR as the aligner for mapping the reads against the reference genome (T. cruzi Dm28c-2018), the Bioconductor package EdgeR for statistical analysis of differential expression and the Python-based library GOATools for the functional enrichment analysis. RESULTS The analytical pipeline with an adjusted P-value of < 0.05 and fold-change > 1.5 identified 1819 transcripts that were differentially expressed (DE) between wild-type and BZ-resistant T. cruzi populations. Of these, 1522 (83.7%) presented functional annotations and 297 (16.2%) were assigned as hypothetical proteins. In total, 1067 transcripts were upregulated and 752 were downregulated in the BZ-resistant T. cruzi population. Functional enrichment analysis of the DE transcripts identified 10 and 111 functional categories enriched for the up- and downregulated transcripts, respectively. Through functional analysis we identified several biological processes potentially associated with the BZ-resistant phenotype: cellular amino acid metabolic processes, translation, proteolysis, protein phosphorylation, RNA modification, DNA repair, generation of precursor metabolites and energy, oxidation-reduction processes, protein folding, purine nucleotide metabolic processes and lipid biosynthetic processes. CONCLUSIONS The transcriptomic profile of T. cruzi revealed a robust set of genes from different metabolic pathways associated with the BZ-resistant phenotype, proving that T. cruzi resistance mechanisms are multifactorial and complex. Biological processes associated with parasite drug resistance include antioxidant defenses and RNA processing. The identified transcripts, such as ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and iron superoxide dismutase (Fe-SOD), provide important information on the resistant phenotype. These DE transcripts can be further evaluated as molecular targets for new drugs against CD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davi Alvarenga Lima
- Genômica Funcional de Parasitos, Instituto René Rachou (IRR/Fiocruz Minas), Av. Augusto de Lima 1715, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP 30190-002, Brazil
| | - Leilane Oliveira Gonçalves
- Informática de Biossistemas, Genômica e Bioengenharia, Instituto René Rachou (IRR/Fiocruz Minas), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Paul Anderson Souza Guimarães
- Informática de Biossistemas, Genômica e Bioengenharia, Instituto René Rachou (IRR/Fiocruz Minas), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Jeronimo Conceição Ruiz
- Informática de Biossistemas, Genômica e Bioengenharia, Instituto René Rachou (IRR/Fiocruz Minas), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Silvane Maria Fonseca Murta
- Genômica Funcional de Parasitos, Instituto René Rachou (IRR/Fiocruz Minas), Av. Augusto de Lima 1715, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP 30190-002, Brazil.
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8
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Espinoza-Chávez R, Salerno A, Liuzzi A, Ilari A, Milelli A, Uliassi E, Bolognesi ML. Targeted Protein Degradation for Infectious Diseases: from Basic Biology to Drug Discovery. ACS BIO & MED CHEM AU 2023; 3:32-45. [PMID: 37101607 PMCID: PMC10125329 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomedchemau.2c00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation (TPD) is emerging as one of the most innovative strategies to tackle infectious diseases. Particularly, proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC)-mediated protein degradation may offer several benefits over classical anti-infective small-molecule drugs. Because of their peculiar and catalytic mechanism of action, anti-infective PROTACs might be advantageous in terms of efficacy, toxicity, and selectivity. Importantly, PROTACs may also overcome the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Furthermore, anti-infective PROTACs might have the potential to (i) modulate "undruggable" targets, (ii) "recycle" inhibitors from classical drug discovery approaches, and (iii) open new scenarios for combination therapies. Here, we try to address these points by discussing selected case studies of antiviral PROTACs and the first-in-class antibacterial PROTACs. Finally, we discuss how the field of PROTAC-mediated TPD might be exploited in parasitic diseases. Since no antiparasitic PROTAC has been reported yet, we also describe the parasite proteasome system. While in its infancy and with many challenges ahead, we hope that PROTAC-mediated protein degradation for infectious diseases may lead to the development of next-generation anti-infective drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío
Marisol Espinoza-Chávez
- Department
of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater
Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandra Salerno
- Department
of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater
Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Anastasia Liuzzi
- Institute
of Molecular Biology and Pathology of the Italian National Research
Council (IBPM-CNR) - Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Andrea Ilari
- Institute
of Molecular Biology and Pathology of the Italian National Research
Council (IBPM-CNR) - Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Andrea Milelli
- Department
for Life Quality Studies, Alma Mater Studiorum
- University of Bologna, Corso d’Augusto 237, 47921 Rimini, Italy
| | - Elisa Uliassi
- Department
of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater
Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Maria Laura Bolognesi
- Department
of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater
Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126 Bologna, Italy
- E-mail:
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9
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Nath SK, Pankajakshan P, Sharma T, Kumari P, Shinde S, Garg N, Mathur K, Arambam N, Harjani D, Raj M, Kwatra G, Venkatesh S, Choudhoury A, Bano S, Tayal P, Sharan M, Arora R, Strych U, Hotez PJ, Bottazzi ME, Rawal K. A Data-Driven Approach to Construct a Molecular Map of Trypanosoma cruzi to Identify Drugs and Vaccine Targets. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11020267. [PMID: 36851145 PMCID: PMC9963959 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11020267] [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: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease (CD) is endemic in large parts of Central and South America, as well as in Texas and the southern regions of the United States. Successful parasites, such as the causative agent of CD, Trypanosoma cruzi have adapted to specific hosts during their phylogenesis. In this work, we have assembled an interactive network of the complex relations that occur between molecules within T. cruzi. An expert curation strategy was combined with a text-mining approach to screen 10,234 full-length research articles and over 200,000 abstracts relevant to T. cruzi. We obtained a scale-free network consisting of 1055 nodes and 874 edges, and composed of 838 proteins, 43 genes, 20 complexes, 9 RNAs, 36 simple molecules, 81 phenotypes, and 37 known pharmaceuticals. Further, we deployed an automated docking pipeline to conduct large-scale docking studies involving several thousand drugs and potential targets to identify network-based binding propensities. These experiments have revealed that the existing FDA-approved drugs benznidazole (Bz) and nifurtimox (Nf) show comparatively high binding energies to the T. cruzi network proteins (e.g., PIF1 helicase-like protein, trans-sialidase), when compared with control datasets consisting of proteins from other pathogens. We envisage this work to be of value to those interested in finding new vaccines for CD, as well as drugs against the T. cruzi parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swarsat Kaushik Nath
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201303, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Preeti Pankajakshan
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201303, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Trapti Sharma
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201303, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Priya Kumari
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201303, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sweety Shinde
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201303, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Nikita Garg
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201303, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Kartavya Mathur
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201303, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Nevidita Arambam
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201303, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Divyank Harjani
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201303, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Manpriya Raj
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201303, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Garwit Kwatra
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201303, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sayantan Venkatesh
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201303, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Alakto Choudhoury
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201303, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Saima Bano
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201303, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Prashansa Tayal
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201303, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Mahek Sharan
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201303, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ruchika Arora
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201303, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ulrich Strych
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Peter J. Hotez
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA
| | - Maria Elena Bottazzi
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA
| | - Kamal Rawal
- Centre for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida 201303, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Correspondence:
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Comparative Proteomics and Genome-Wide Druggability Analyses Prioritized Promising Therapeutic Targets against Drug-Resistant Leishmania tropica. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11010228. [PMID: 36677520 PMCID: PMC9860978 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11010228] [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: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania tropica is a tropical parasite causing cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in humans. Leishmaniasis is a serious public health threat, affecting an estimated 350 million people in 98 countries. The global rise in antileishmanial drug resistance has triggered the need to explore novel therapeutic strategies against this parasite. In the present study, we utilized the recently available multidrug resistant L. tropica strain proteome data repository to identify alternative therapeutic drug targets based on comparative subtractive proteomic and druggability analyses. Additionally, small drug-like compounds were scanned against novel targets based on virtual screening and ADME profiling. The analysis unveiled 496 essential cellular proteins of L. tropica that were nonhomologous to the human proteome set. The druggability analyses prioritized nine parasite-specific druggable proteins essential for the parasite's basic cellular survival, growth, and virulence. These prioritized proteins were identified to have appropriate binding pockets to anchor small drug-like compounds. Among these, UDPase and PCNA were prioritized as the top-ranked druggable proteins. The pharmacophore-based virtual screening and ADME profiling predicted MolPort-000-730-162 and MolPort-020-232-354 as the top hit drug-like compounds from the Pharmit resource to inhibit L. tropica UDPase and PCNA, respectively. The alternative drug targets and drug-like molecules predicted in the current study lay the groundwork for developing novel antileishmanial therapies.
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11
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Burge RJ, Mottram JC, Wilkinson AJ. Ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like conjugation systems in trypanosomatids. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 70:102202. [PMID: 36099676 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
In eukaryotic cells, reversible attachment of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like modifiers (Ubls) to specific target proteins is conducted by multicomponent systems whose collective actions control protein fate and cell behaviour in precise but complex ways. In trypanosomatids, attachment of ubiquitin and Ubls to target proteins regulates the cell cycle, endocytosis, protein sorting and degradation, autophagy and various aspects of infection and stress responses. The extent of these systems in trypanosomatids has been surveyed in recent reports, while in Leishmania mexicana, essential roles have been defined for many ubiquitin-system genes in deletion mutagenesis and life-cycle phenotyping campaigns. The first steps to elucidate the pathways of ubiquitin transfer among the ubiquitination components and to define the acceptor substrates and the downstream deubiquitinases are now being taken.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J Burge
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Jeremy C Mottram
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK.
| | - Anthony J Wilkinson
- York Biomedical Research Institute & York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, UK
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12
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Sandes JM, de Figueiredo RCBQ. The endoplasmic reticulum of trypanosomatids: An unrevealed road for chemotherapy. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1057774. [PMID: 36439218 PMCID: PMC9684732 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1057774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of higher eukaryotic cells forms an intricate membranous network that serves as the main processing facility for folding and assembling of secreted and membrane proteins. The ER is a highly dynamic organelle that interacts with other intracellular structures, as well as endosymbiotic pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms. A strict ER quality control (ERQC) must work to ensure that proteins entering the ER are folded and processed correctly. Unfolded or misfolded proteins are usually identified, selected, and addressed to Endoplasmic Reticulum-Associated Degradation (ERAD) complex. Conversely, when there is a large demand for secreted proteins or ER imbalance, the accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins activates the Unfold Protein Response (UPR) to restore the ER homeostasis or, in the case of persistent ER stress, induces the cell death. Pathogenic trypanosomatids, such as Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania spp are the etiological agents of important neglected diseases. These protozoans have a complex life cycle alternating between vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. The ER of trypanosomatids, like those found in higher eukaryotes, is also specialized for secretion, and depends on the ERAD and non-canonical UPR to deal with the ER stress. Here, we reviewed the basic aspects of ER biology, organization, and quality control in trypanosomatids. We also focused on the unusual way by which T. cruzi, T. brucei, and Leishmania spp. respond to ER stress, emphasizing how these parasites' ER-unrevealed roads might be an attractive target for chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Messias Sandes
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular de Patógenos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães, Recife, Brazil
- Laboratório de Microscopia Eletrônica, Instituto Keizo Assami, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
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13
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Kumar P, Kumar P, Mandal D, Velayutham R. The emerging role of Deubiquitinases (DUBs) in parasites: A foresight review. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:985178. [PMID: 36237424 PMCID: PMC9552668 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.985178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Before the discovery of the proteasome complex, the lysosomes with acidic proteases and caspases in apoptotic pathways were thought to be the only pathways for the degradation of damaged, unfolded, and aged proteins. However, the discovery of 26S and 20S proteasome complexes in eukaryotes and microbes, respectively, established that the degradation of most proteins is a highly regulated ATP-dependent pathway that is significantly conserved across each domain of life. The proteasome is part of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), where the covalent tagging of a small molecule called ubiquitin (Ub) on the proteins marks its proteasomal degradation. The type and chain length of ubiquitination further determine whether a protein is designated for further roles in multi-cellular processes like DNA repair, trafficking, signal transduction, etc., or whether it will be degraded by the proteasome to recycle the peptides and amino acids. Deubiquitination, on the contrary, is the removal of ubiquitin from its substrate molecule or the conversion of polyubiquitin chains into monoubiquitin as a precursor to ubiquitin. Therefore, deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs) can maintain the dynamic state of cellular ubiquitination by releasing conjugated ubiquitin from proteins and controlling many cellular pathways that are essential for their survival. Many DUBs are well characterized in the human system with potential drug targets in different cancers. Although, proteasome complex and UPS of parasites, like plasmodium and leishmania, were recently coined as multi-stage drug targets the role of DUBs is completely unexplored even though structural domains and functions of many of these parasite DUBs are conserved having high similarity even with its eukaryotic counterpart. This review summarizes the identification & characterization of different parasite DUBs based on in silico and a few functional studies among different phylogenetic classes of parasites including Metazoan (Schistosoma, Trichinella), Apicomplexan protozoans (Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Eimeria, Cryptosporidium), Kinetoplastidie (Leishmania, Trypanosoma) and Microsporidia (Nosema). The identification of different homologs of parasite DUBs with structurally similar domains with eukaryotes, and the role of these DUBs alone or in combination with the 20S proteosome complex in regulating the parasite survival/death is further elaborated. We propose that small molecules/inhibitors of human DUBs can be potential antiparasitic agents due to their significant structural conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakash Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hajipur, India
| | - Pawan Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hajipur, India
| | - Debabrata Mandal
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hajipur, India
- *Correspondence: Ravichandiran Velayutham, ; Debabrata Mandal,
| | - Ravichandiran Velayutham
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hajipur, India
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, India
- *Correspondence: Ravichandiran Velayutham, ; Debabrata Mandal,
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14
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Accelerating PROTAC drug discovery: Establishing a relationship between ubiquitination and target protein degradation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 628:68-75. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.08.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Ambaru B, Gangadharan GM, Subramanya HS, Gupta CM. Profilin is involved in G1 to S phase progression and mitotic spindle orientation during Leishmania donovani cell division cycle. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265692. [PMID: 35316283 PMCID: PMC8939790 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Profilin is a multi-ligand binding protein, which is a key regulator of actin dynamics and involved in regulating several cellular functions. It is present in all eukaryotes, including trypanosomatids such as Leishmania. However, not much is known about its functions in these organisms. Our earlier studies have shown that Leishmania parasites express a single homologue of profilin (LdPfn) that binds actin, phosphoinositides and poly- L- proline motives, and depletion of its intracellular pool to 50%of normal levels affects the cell growth and intracellular trafficking. Here, we show, employing affinity pull-down and mass spectroscopy, that LdPfn interacted with a large number of proteins, including those involved in mRNA processing and protein translation initiation, such as eIF4A1. Further, we reveal, using mRNA Seq analysis, that depletion of LdPfn in Leishmania cells (LdPfn+/-) resulted in significantly reduced expression of genes which encode proteins involved in cell cycle regulation, mRNA translation initiation, nucleosides and amino acids transport. In addition, we show that in LdPfn+/- cells, cellular levels of eIF4A1 protein were significantly decreased, and during their cell division cycle, G1-to-S phase progression was delayed and orientation of mitotic spindle altered. These changes were, however, reversed to normal by episomal expression of GFP-LdPfn in LdPfn+/- cells. Taken together, our results indicate that profilin is involved in regulation of G1-to-S phase progression and mitotic spindle orientation in Leishmania cell cycle, perhaps through its interaction with elF4A1 protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bindu Ambaru
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | | | | | - Chhitar M. Gupta
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
- * E-mail:
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16
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Panditrao G, Ganguli P, Sarkar RR. Delineating infection strategies of Leishmania donovani secretory proteins in Human through host-pathogen protein Interactome prediction. Pathog Dis 2021; 79:6408463. [PMID: 34677584 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftab051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactions of Leishmania donovani secretory virulence factors with the host proteins and their interplay during the infection process in humans is poorly studied in Visceral Leishmaniasis. Lack of a holistic study of pathway level de-regulations caused due to these virulence factors leads to a poor understanding of the parasite strategies to subvert the host immune responses, secure its survival inside the host and further the spread of infection to the visceral organs. In this study, we propose a computational workflow to predict host-pathogen protein interactome of L.donovani secretory virulence factors with human proteins combining sequence-based Interolog mapping and structure-based Domain Interaction mapping techniques. We further employ graph theoretical approaches and shortest path methods to analyze the interactome. Our study deciphers the infection paths involving some unique and understudied disease-associated signaling pathways influencing the cellular phenotypic responses in the host. Our statistical analysis based in silico knockout study unveils for the first time UBC, 1433Z and HS90A mediator proteins as potential immunomodulatory candidates through which the virulence factors employ the infection paths. These identified pathways and novel mediator proteins can be effectively used as possible targets to control and modulate the infection process further aiding in the treatment of Visceral Leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gauri Panditrao
- Chemical Engineering and Process Development Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, Maharashtra, India
| | - Piyali Ganguli
- Chemical Engineering and Process Development Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, Maharashtra, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ram Rup Sarkar
- Chemical Engineering and Process Development Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, Maharashtra, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India
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17
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Alama-Bermejo G, Meyer E, Atkinson SD, Holzer AS, Wiśniewska MM, Kolísko M, Bartholomew JL. Transcriptome-Wide Comparisons and Virulence Gene Polymorphisms of Host-Associated Genotypes of the Cnidarian Parasite Ceratonova shasta in Salmonids. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 12:1258-1276. [PMID: 32467979 PMCID: PMC7487138 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ceratonova shasta is an important myxozoan pathogen affecting the health of salmonid fishes in the Pacific Northwest of North America. Ceratonova shasta exists as a complex of host-specific genotypes, some with low to moderate virulence, and one that causes a profound, lethal infection in susceptible hosts. High throughput sequencing methods are powerful tools for discovering the genetic basis of these host/virulence differences, but deep sequencing of myxozoans has been challenging due to extremely fast molecular evolution of this group, yielding strongly divergent sequences that are difficult to identify, and unavoidable host contamination. We designed and optimized different bioinformatic pipelines to address these challenges. We obtained a unique set of comprehensive, host-free myxozoan RNA-seq data from C. shasta genotypes of varying virulence from different salmonid hosts. Analyses of transcriptome-wide genetic distances and maximum likelihood multigene phylogenies elucidated the evolutionary relationship between lineages and demonstrated the limited resolution of the established Internal Transcribed Spacer marker for C. shasta genotype identification, as this marker fails to differentiate between biologically distinct genotype II lineages from coho salmon and rainbow trout. We further analyzed the data sets based on polymorphisms in two gene groups related to virulence: cell migration and proteolytic enzymes including their inhibitors. The developed single-nucleotide polymorphism-calling pipeline identified polymorphisms between genotypes and demonstrated that variations in both motility and protease genes were associated with different levels of virulence of C. shasta in its salmonid hosts. The prospective use of proteolytic enzymes as promising candidates for targeted interventions against myxozoans in aquaculture is discussed. We developed host-free transcriptomes of a myxozoan model organism from strains that exhibited different degrees of virulence, as a unique source of data that will foster functional gene analyses and serve as a base for the development of potential therapeutics for efficient control of these parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gema Alama-Bermejo
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University.,Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Centro de Investigación Aplicada y Transferencia Tecnológica en Recursos Marinos Almirante Storni (CIMAS), CCT CONICET - CENPAT, San Antonio Oeste, Argentina
| | - Eli Meyer
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University
| | | | - Astrid S Holzer
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Monika M Wiśniewska
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Kolísko
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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18
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Van den Kerkhof M, Leprohon P, Mabille D, Hendrickx S, Tulloch LB, Wall RJ, Wyllie S, Chatelain E, Mowbray CE, Braillard S, Ouellette M, Maes L, Caljon G. Identification of Resistance Determinants for a Promising Antileishmanial Oxaborole Series. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9071408. [PMID: 34210040 PMCID: PMC8305145 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9071408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Current treatment options for visceral leishmaniasis have several drawbacks, and clinicians are confronted with an increasing number of treatment failures. To overcome this, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) has invested in the development of novel antileishmanial leads, including a very promising class of oxaboroles. The mode of action/resistance of this series to Leishmania is still unknown and may be important for its further development and implementation. Repeated in vivo drug exposure and an in vitro selection procedure on both extracellular promastigote and intracellular amastigote stages were both unable to select for resistance. The use of specific inhibitors for ABC-transporters could not demonstrate the putative involvement of efflux pumps. Selection experiments and inhibitor studies, therefore, suggest that resistance to oxaboroles may not emerge readily in the field. The selection of a genome-wide cosmid library coupled to next-generation sequencing (Cos-seq) was used to identify resistance determinants and putative targets. This resulted in the identification of a highly enriched cosmid, harboring genes of chromosome 2 that confer a subtly increased resistance to the oxaboroles tested. Moderately enriched cosmids encompassing a region of chromosome 34 contained the cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor (cpsf) gene, encoding the molecular target of several related benzoxaboroles in other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Van den Kerkhof
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.V.d.K.); (D.M.); (S.H.); (L.M.)
| | - Philippe Leprohon
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie du Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (P.L.); (M.O.)
| | - Dorien Mabille
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.V.d.K.); (D.M.); (S.H.); (L.M.)
| | - Sarah Hendrickx
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.V.d.K.); (D.M.); (S.H.); (L.M.)
| | - Lindsay B. Tulloch
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK; (L.B.T.); (R.J.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Richard J. Wall
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK; (L.B.T.); (R.J.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Susan Wyllie
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK; (L.B.T.); (R.J.W.); (S.W.)
| | - Eric Chatelain
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; (E.C.); (C.E.M.); (S.B.)
| | - Charles E. Mowbray
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; (E.C.); (C.E.M.); (S.B.)
| | - Stéphanie Braillard
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; (E.C.); (C.E.M.); (S.B.)
| | - Marc Ouellette
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie du Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (P.L.); (M.O.)
| | - Louis Maes
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.V.d.K.); (D.M.); (S.H.); (L.M.)
| | - Guy Caljon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.V.d.K.); (D.M.); (S.H.); (L.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +32-32652610
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Bijlmakers MJ. Ubiquitination and the Proteasome as Drug Targets in Trypanosomatid Diseases. Front Chem 2021; 8:630888. [PMID: 33732684 PMCID: PMC7958763 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2020.630888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The eukaryotic pathogens Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania are responsible for debilitating diseases that affect millions of people worldwide. The numbers of drugs available to treat these diseases, Human African Trypanosomiasis, Chagas' disease and Leishmaniasis are very limited and existing treatments have substantial shortcomings in delivery method, efficacy and safety. The identification and validation of novel drug targets opens up new opportunities for the discovery of therapeutic drugs with better efficacy and safety profiles. Here, the potential of targeting the ubiquitin-proteasome system in these parasites is reviewed. Ubiquitination is the posttranslational attachment of one or more ubiquitin proteins to substrates, an essential eukaryotic mechanism that regulates a wide variety of cellular processes in many different ways. The best studied of these is the delivery of ubiquitinated substrates for degradation to the proteasome, the major cellular protease. However, ubiquitination can also regulate substrates in proteasome-independent ways, and proteasomes can degrade proteins to some extent in ubiquitin-independent ways. Because of these widespread roles, both ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation are essential for the viability of eukaryotes and the proteins that mediate these processes are therefore attractive drug targets in trypanosomatids. Here, the current understanding of these processes in trypanosomatids is reviewed. Furthermore, significant recent progress in the development of trypanosomatid-selective proteasome inhibitors that cure mouse models of trypanosomatid infections is presented. In addition, the targeting of the key enzyme in ubiquitination, the ubiquitin E1 UBA1, is discussed as an alternative strategy. Important differences between human and trypanosomatid UBA1s in susceptibility to inhibitors predicts that the selective targeting of these enzymes in trypanosomatids may also be feasible. Finally, it is proposed that activating enzymes of the ubiquitin-like proteins SUMO and NEDD8 may represent drug targets in these trypanosomatids as well.
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20
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Update on relevant trypanosome peptidases: Validated targets and future challenges. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2020; 1869:140577. [PMID: 33271348 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2020.140577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of the American Trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease, and Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, the agents of Sleeping sickness (Human African Trypanosomiasis, HAT), as well as Trypanosoma brucei brucei, the agent of the cattle disease nagana, contain cysteine, serine, threonine, aspartyl and metallo peptidases. The most abundant among these enzymes are the cysteine proteases from the Clan CA, the Cathepsin L-like cruzipain and rhodesain, and the Cathepsin B-like enzymes, which have essential roles in the parasites and thus are potential targets for chemotherapy. In addition, several other proteases, present in one or both parasites, have been characterized, and some of them are also promising candidates for the developing of new drugs. Recently, new inhibitors, with good selectivity for the parasite proteasomes, have been described and are very promising as lead compounds for the development of new therapies for these neglected diseases. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: "Play and interplay of proteases in health and disease".
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Dash M, Pande V, Sinha A. Putative circumsporozoite protein (CSP) of Plasmodium vivax is considerably distinct from the well-known CSP and plays a role in the protein ubiquitination pathway. Gene 2020; 721S:100024. [PMID: 32550551 PMCID: PMC7285988 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2019.100024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Amidst technical challenges which limit successful culture and genetic manipulation of P. vivax parasites, we used a computational approach to identify a critical target with evolutionary significance. The putative circumsporozoite protein on chromosome 13 of P. vivax (PvpuCSP)is distinct from the well-known vaccine candidate PfCSP. The aim of this study was to understand the role of PvpuCSP and its relatedness to the well-known CSP. The study revealed PvpuCSP as a membrane bound E3 ubiquitin ligase involved in ubiquitination. It has a species-specific tetra-peptide unit which is differentially repeated in various P. vivax strains. The PvpuCSP is different from CSP in terms of stage-specific expression and function. Since E3 ubiquitin ligases are known antimalarial drug targets targeting the proteasome pathway, PvpuCSP, with evolutionary connotation and a key role in orchestrating protein degradation in P. vivax, can be explored as a potential drug target. PvpuCSP is predicted as E3 ubiquitin ligase, a part of ubiquitination pathway. Tetra-peptide tandem repeat at C terminal of PvpuCSP is exclusive to P. vivax. Moderately expressed during all parasitic stages in host and vector Partially disordered protein with both structured domains and two distinct IDRs A transmembrane protein with highly conserved functional domain across Apicomplexa
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoswini Dash
- Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Research, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Veena Pande
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhimtal Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Abhinav Sinha
- Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Research, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
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22
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Duguet TB, Glebov A, Hussain A, Kulkarni S, Mochalkin I, Geary TG, Rashid M, Spangenberg T, Ribeiro P. Identification of annotated bioactive molecules that impair motility of the blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2020; 13:73-88. [PMID: 32531750 PMCID: PMC7284125 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2020.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Neglected tropical diseases are of growing worldwide concern and schistosomiasis, caused by parasitic flatworms, continues to be a major threat with more than 200 million people requiring preventive treatment. As praziquantel (PZQ) remains the treatment of choice, an urgent need for alternative treatments motivates research to identify new lead compounds that would complement PZQ by filling the therapeutic gaps associated with this treatment. Because impairing parasite neurotransmission remains a core strategy for control of parasitic helminths, we screened a library of 708 compounds with validated biological activity in humans on the blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni, measuring their effect on the motility on schistosomulae and adult worms. The primary phenotypic screen performed on schistosomulae identified 70 compounds that induced changes in viability and/or motility. Screening different concentrations and incubation times identified molecules with fast onset of activity on both life stages at low concentration (1 μM). To complement this study, similar assays were performed with chemical analogs of the cholinomimetic drug arecoline and the calcilytic molecule NPS-2143, two compounds that rapidly inhibited schistosome motility; 17 arecoline and 302 NPS-2143 analogs were tested to enlarge the pool of schistosomicidal molecules. Finally, validated hit compounds were tested on three functionally-validated neuroregulatory S. mansoni G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs): Sm5HTR (serotonin-sensitive), SmGPR2 (histamine) and SmD2 (dopamine), revealing NPS-2143 and analogs as potent inhibitors of dopamine/epinine responses on both human and S. mansoni GPCRs. This study highlights the potential for repurposing known human therapeutic agents for potential schistosomicidal effects and expands the list of hits for further progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas B Duguet
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Anastasia Glebov
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Asimah Hussain
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Igor Mochalkin
- EMD Serono Research and Development Institute, Billerica, MA, USA
| | - Timothy G Geary
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mohammed Rashid
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Thomas Spangenberg
- Global Health Institute of Merck, Ares Trading S.A., a subsidiary of Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany), Eysins, Switzerland.
| | - Paula Ribeiro
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
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23
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Ruiz-Márvez E, Ramírez CA, Rodríguez ER, Flórez MM, Delgado G, Guzmán F, Gómez-Puertas P, Requena JM, Puerta CJ. Molecular Characterization of Tc964, A Novel Antigenic Protein from Trypanosoma cruzi. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E2432. [PMID: 32244527 PMCID: PMC7177413 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21072432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Tc964 protein was initially identified by its presence in the interactome associated with the LYT1 mRNAs, which code for a virulence factor of Trypanosoma cruzi. Tc964 is annotated in the T. cruzi genome as a hypothetical protein. According to phylogenetic analysis, the protein is conserved in the different genera of the Trypanosomatidae family; however, recognizable orthologues were not identified in other groups of organisms. Therefore, as a first step, an in-depth molecular characterization of the Tc946 protein was carried out. Based on structural predictions and molecular dynamics studies, the Tc964 protein would belong to a particular class of GTPases. Subcellular fractionation analysis indicated that Tc964 is a nucleocytoplasmic protein. Additionally, the protein was expressed as a recombinant protein in order to analyze its antigenicity with sera from Chagas disease (CD) patients. Tc964 was found to be antigenic, and B-cell epitopes were mapped by the use of synthetic peptides. In parallel, the Leishmania major homologue (Lm964) was also expressed as recombinant protein and used for a preliminary evaluation of antigen cross-reactivity in CD patients. Interestingly, Tc964 was recognized by sera from Chronic CD (CCD) patients at different stages of disease severity, but no reactivity against this protein was observed when sera from Colombian patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis were analyzed. Therefore, Tc964 would be adequate for CD diagnosis in areas where both infections (CD and leishmaniasis) coexist, even though additional assays using larger collections of sera are needed in order to confirm its usefulness for differential serodiagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Ruiz-Márvez
- Grupo de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Carrera 7 # 40- 62, Bogotá, Colombia; (E.R.-M.); (C.A.R.); (E.R.R.)
| | - César Augusto Ramírez
- Grupo de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Carrera 7 # 40- 62, Bogotá, Colombia; (E.R.-M.); (C.A.R.); (E.R.R.)
| | - Eliana Rocío Rodríguez
- Grupo de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Carrera 7 # 40- 62, Bogotá, Colombia; (E.R.-M.); (C.A.R.); (E.R.R.)
| | - Magda Mellisa Flórez
- Grupo de Investigación en Inmunotoxicología, Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 30 # 45-01, Bogota; Colombia; (M.M.F.); (G.D.)
| | - Gabriela Delgado
- Grupo de Investigación en Inmunotoxicología, Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 30 # 45-01, Bogota; Colombia; (M.M.F.); (G.D.)
| | - Fanny Guzmán
- Núcleo de Biotecnología Curauma (NBC), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaiso, Avenida Universidad 2373223, Curauma, Valparaiso-Chile;
| | - Paulino Gómez-Puertas
- Grupo de Modelado Molecular del Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Microbes in Health and Welfare Department, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (CBMSO, CSIC-UAM), 28049 Madrid, Spain;
| | - José María Requena
- Grupo Regulación de la Expresión Génica en Leishmania del Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Molecular Biology Department, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (CBMSO, CSIC-UAM), 28049 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Concepción J. Puerta
- Grupo de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Carrera 7 # 40- 62, Bogotá, Colombia; (E.R.-M.); (C.A.R.); (E.R.R.)
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Mesías AC, Garg NJ, Zago MP. Redox Balance Keepers and Possible Cell Functions Managed by Redox Homeostasis in Trypanosoma cruzi. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:435. [PMID: 31921709 PMCID: PMC6932984 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The toxicity of oxygen and nitrogen reactive species appears to be merely the tip of the iceberg in the world of redox homeostasis. Now, oxidative stress can be seen as a two-sided process; at high concentrations, it causes damage to biomolecules, and thus, trypanosomes have evolved a strong antioxidant defense system to cope with these stressors. At low concentrations, oxidants are essential for cell signaling, and in fact, the oxidants/antioxidants balance may be able to trigger different cell fates. In this comprehensive review, we discuss the current knowledge of the oxidant environment experienced by T. cruzi along the different phases of its life cycle, and the molecular tools exploited by this pathogen to deal with oxidative stress, for better or worse. Further, we discuss the possible redox-regulated processes that could be governed by this oxidative context. Most of the current research has addressed the importance of the trypanosomes' antioxidant network based on its detox activity of harmful species; however, new efforts are necessary to highlight other functions of this network and the mechanisms underlying the fine regulation of the defense machinery, as this represents a master key to hinder crucial pathogen functions. Understanding the relevance of this balance keeper program in parasite biology will give us new perspectives to delineate improved treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C Mesías
- Instituto de Patología Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina
| | - Nisha J Garg
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - M Paola Zago
- Instituto de Patología Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina
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25
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Herreros-Cabello A, Callejas-Hernández F, Fresno M, Gironès N. Comparative proteomic analysis of trypomastigotes from Trypanosoma cruzi strains with different pathogenicity. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2019; 76:104041. [PMID: 31536808 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2019.104041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Revised: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is one of the most neglected diseases in Latin America, being currently a global health problem. Its immunopathogenesis is still quite unknown. Moreover, there are important differences in pathogenicity between some different T. cruzi strains. For example, in mice, Y strain produces a high acute lethality while VFRA remains in the host mostly in a chronic manner. Comparative proteomic studies between T. cruzi strains represent a complement for transcriptomics and may allow the detection of relevant factors or distinctive functions. Here for the first time, we compared the proteome of trypomastigotes from 2 strains, Y and VFRA, analyzed by mass spectrometry. Gene ontology analysis were used to display similarities or differences in cellular components, biological processes and molecular functions. Also, we performed metabolic pathways enrichment analysis to detect the most relevant pathways in each strain. Although in general they have similar profiles in the different ontology groups, there were some particular interesting differences. Moreover, there were around 10% of different proteins between Y and VFRA strains, that were shared by other T. cruzi strains or protozoan species. They displayed many common enriched metabolic pathways but some others were uniquely enriched in one strain. Thus, we detected enriched antioxidant defenses in VFRA that could correlate with its ability to induce a chronic infection in mice controlling ROS production, while the Y strain revealed a great enrichment of pathways related with nucleotides and protein production, that could fit with its high parasite replication and lethality. In summary, Y and VFRA strains displayed comparable proteomes with some particular distinctions that could contribute to understand their different biological behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Herreros-Cabello
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Callejas-Hernández
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Fresno
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain; Instituto Sanitario de Investigación la Princesa, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Núria Gironès
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain; Instituto Sanitario de Investigación la Princesa, Madrid, Spain.
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26
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Obregón A, Flores MS, Rangel R, Arévalo K, Maldonado G, Quintero I, Galán L. Characterization of N-glycosylations in Entamoeba histolytica ubiquitin. Exp Parasitol 2019; 196:38-47. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2018.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2018] [Revised: 11/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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