A dual-targeting approach to inhibit Brucella abortus replication in human cells

Neurotransmitter System-Targeting Drugs Antagonize Growth of the Q Fever Agent, Coxiella burnetii, in Human Cells

Coxiella burnetii is a highly infectious, intracellular, Gram-negative bacterial pathogen that causes human Q fever, an acute flu-like illness that can progress to chronic endocarditis. C. burnetii is transmitted to humans via aerosols and has long been considered a potential biological warfare agent. Although antibiotics, such as doxycycline, effectively treat acute Q fever, a recently identified antibiotic-resistant strain demonstrates the ability of C. burnetii to resist traditional antimicrobials, and chronic disease is extremely difficult to treat with current options. These findings highlight the need for new Q fever therapeutics, and repurposed drugs that target eukaryotic functions to prevent bacterial replication are of increasing interest in infectious disease. To identify this class of anti-C. burnetii therapeutics, we screened a library of 727 FDA-approved or late-stage clinical trial compounds using a human macrophage-like cell model of infection. Eighty-eight compounds inhibited bacterial replication, including known antibiotics, antipsychotic or antidepressant treatments, antihistamines, and several additional compounds used to treat a variety of conditions. The majority of identified anti-C. burnetii compounds target host neurotransmitter system components. Serotoninergic, dopaminergic, and adrenergic components are among the most highly represented targets and potentially regulate macrophage activation, cytokine production, and autophagy. Overall, our screen identified multiple host-directed compounds that can be pursued for potential use as anti-C. burnetii drugs.

IMPORTANCECoxiella burnetii causes the debilitating disease Q fever in humans. This infection is difficult to treat with current antibiotics and can progress to long-term, potentially fatal infection in immunocompromised individuals or when treatment is delayed. Here, we identified many new potential treatment options in the form of drugs that are either FDA approved or have been used in late-stage clinical trials and target human neurotransmitter systems. These compounds are poised for future characterization as nontraditional anti-C. burnetii therapies.

Lubeluzole: from anti-ischemic drug to preclinical antidiarrheal studies

BACKGROUND

Lubeluzole, a neuroprotective anti-ischemic drug, was tested for its ability to act as both antibiotic chemosensitizing and antipropulsive agent for the treatment of infectious diarrhea.

METHODS

In the present report, the effect of lubeluzole against antidiarrheal target was tested. The antimicrobial activity towards Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria was investigated together with its ability to affect ileum and colon contractility.

RESULTS

Concerning the antimicrobial activity, lubeluzole showed synergistic effects when used in combination with minocycline against four common Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922), although relatively high doses of lubeluzole were required. In ex vivo experiments on sections of gut smooth muscles, lubeluzole reduced the intestinal contractility in a dose-dependent manner, with greater effects observed on colon than on ileum, and being more potent than reference compounds otilonium bromide and loperamide.

CONCLUSION

All above results identify lubeluzole as a possible starting compound for the development of a novel class of antibacterial adjuvants endowed with spasmolytic activity.

The Aminoalkylindole BML-190 Negatively Regulates Chitosan Synthesis via the Cyclic AMP/Protein Kinase A1 Pathway in Cryptococcus neoformans

Cryptococcus neoformans can cause fatal meningoencephalitis in patients with AIDS or other immunocompromising conditions. Current antifungals are suboptimal to treat this disease; therefore, novel targets and new therapies are needed. Previously, we have shown that chitosan is a critical component of the cryptococcal cell wall and is required for survival in the mammalian host and that chitosan deficiency results in rapid clearance from the mammalian host. We had also identified several specific proteins that were required for chitosan biosynthesis, and we hypothesize that screening for compounds that inhibit chitosan biosynthesis would identify additional genes/proteins that influence chitosan biosynthesis. To identify these compounds, we developed a robust and novel cell-based flow cytometry screening method to identify small-molecule inhibitors of chitosan production. We screened the ICCB Known Bioactives library and identified 8 compounds that reduced chitosan in C. neoformans We used flow cytometry-based counterscreens and confirmatory screens, followed by a biochemical secondary screen to refine our primary screening hits to 2 confirmed hits. One of the confirmed hits that reduced chitosan content was the aminoalkylindole BML-190, a known inverse agonist of mammalian cannabinoid receptors. We demonstrated that BML-190 likely targets the C. neoformans G-protein-coupled receptor Gpr4 and, via the cyclic AMP (cAMP)/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway, contributes to an intracellular accumulation of cAMP that results in decreased chitosan. Our discovery suggests that this approach could be used to identify additional compounds and pathways that reduce chitosan biosynthesis and could lead to potential novel therapeutics against C. neoformansIMPORTANCECryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen that kills ∼200,000 people every year. The cell wall is an essential organelle that protects fungi from the environment. Chitosan, the deacetylated form of chitin, has been shown to be an essential component of the cryptococcal cell wall during infection of a mammalian host. In this study, we screened a set of 480 compounds, which are known to have defined biological activities, for activity that reduced chitosan production in C. neoformans Two of these compounds were confirmed using an alternative method of measuring chitosan, and one of these was demonstrated to impact the cAMP signal transduction pathway. This work demonstrates that the cAMP pathway regulates chitosan biosynthesis in C. neoformans and validates that this screening approach could be used to find potential antifungal agents.

Brucella abortus Induces a Warburg Shift in Host Metabolism That Is Linked to Enhanced Intracellular Survival of the Pathogen

Intracellular bacterial pathogens exploit host cell resources to replicate and survive inside the host. Targeting these host systems is one promising approach to developing novel antimicrobials to treat intracellular infections. We show that human macrophage-like cells infected with Brucella abortus undergo a metabolic shift characterized by attenuated tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolism, reduced amino acid consumption, altered mitochondrial localization, and increased lactate production. This shift to an aerobic glycolytic state resembles the Warburg effect, a change in energy production that is well described in cancer cells and also occurs in activated inflammatory cells. B. abortus efficiently uses lactic acid as its sole carbon and energy source and requires the ability to metabolize lactate for normal survival in human macrophage-like cells. We demonstrate that chemical inhibitors of host glycolysis and lactate production do not affect in vitro growth of B. abortus in axenic culture but decrease its survival in the intracellular niche. Our data support a model in which infection shifts host metabolism to a Warburg-like state, and B. abortus uses this change in metabolism to promote intracellular survival. Pharmacological perturbation of these features of host cell metabolism may be a useful strategy to inhibit infection by intracellular pathogens.IMPORTANCEBrucella spp. are intracellular bacterial pathogens that cause disease in a range of mammals, including livestock. Transmission from livestock to humans is common and can lead to chronic human disease. Human macrophage-like cells infected with Brucella abortus undergo a Warburg-like metabolic shift to an aerobic glycolytic state where the host cells produce lactic acid and have reduced amino acid catabolism. We provide evidence that the pathogen can exploit this change in host metabolism to support growth and survival in the intracellular niche. Drugs that inhibit this shift in host cell metabolism inhibit intracellular replication and decrease the survival of B. abortus in an in vitro infection model; these drugs may be broadly useful therapeutics for intracellular infections.