Antitrypanosomal effects of polyamine biosynthesis inhibitors correlate with increases in Trypanosoma brucei brucei S-adenosyl-L-methionine

Identification of Novel Chemical Scaffolds Inhibiting Trypanothione Synthetase from Pathogenic Trypanosomatids

Background

The search for novel chemical entities targeting essential and parasite-specific pathways is considered a priority for neglected diseases such as trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis. The thiol-dependent redox metabolism of trypanosomatids relies on bis-glutathionylspermidine [trypanothione, T(SH)₂], a low molecular mass cosubstrate absent in the host. In pathogenic trypanosomatids, a single enzyme, trypanothione synthetase (TryS), catalyzes trypanothione biosynthesis, which is indispensable for parasite survival. Thus, TryS qualifies as an attractive drug target candidate.

Methodology/Principal Finding

A library composed of 144 compounds from 7 different families and several singletons was screened against TryS from three major pathogen species (Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania infantum). The screening conditions were adjusted to the TryS´ kinetic parameters and intracellular concentration of substrates corresponding to each trypanosomatid species, and/or to avoid assay interference. The screening assay yielded suitable Z’ and signal to noise values (≥0.85 and ~3.5, respectively), and high intra-assay reproducibility. Several novel chemical scaffolds were identified as low μM and selective tri-tryp TryS inhibitors. Compounds displaying multi-TryS inhibition (N,N'-bis(3,4-substituted-benzyl) diamine derivatives) and an N⁵-substituted paullone (MOL2008) halted the proliferation of infective Trypanosoma brucei (EC₅₀ in the nM range) and Leishmania infantum promastigotes (EC₅₀ = 12 μM), respectively. A bis-benzyl diamine derivative and MOL2008 depleted intracellular trypanothione in treated parasites, which confirmed the on-target activity of these compounds.

Conclusions/Significance

Novel molecular scaffolds with on-target mode of action were identified as hit candidates for TryS inhibition. Due to the remarkable species-specificity exhibited by tri-tryp TryS towards the compounds, future optimization and screening campaigns should aim at designing and detecting, respectively, more potent and broad-range TryS inhibitors.

Parasites from the genus Trypanosoma and Leishmania are etiologic agents for a group of neglected diseases with high morbidity and mortality rates in the developing world. Inasmuch as vaccine development is hampered by the successful mechanisms employed by the pathogens to evade the host immune response, chemotherapy remains as a safe option to fight these diseases. However, new drugs with better pharmacological performance (i.e. safety, efficacy and ease of administration) than those in current use are urgently needed. The thiol-redox metabolism of trypanosomatids offers an excellent opportunity for the development of more selective and efficacious medicines because it depends on a molecule, trypanothione (a bis-glutathionyl derivative of spermidine), unique and indispensable to the pathogens. Here we report the identification of novel inhibitors of trypanothione synthetase from three major trypanosomatid species of medical and veterinary relevance. Although highly conserved in sequence, trypanothione synthetases display significant species-specifity towards compounds, pointing to structural differences as determinants of ligand selectivity. Most of the active compounds presented two-digit μM inhibitory activity and serve as primary scaffolds to develop more potent inhibitors. Among them, N,N'-bis(benzyl)-substituted diamine and paullone derivatives are interesting candidates because of their potent and/or selective anti-trypanosomal and anti-trypanothione synthetase activity.

The Trypanosoma cruzi Diamine Transporter Is Essential for Robust Infection of Mammalian Cells

Trypanosoma cruzi is incapable of synthesizing putrescine or cadaverine de novo, and, therefore, salvage of polyamines from the host milieu is an obligatory nutritional function for the parasite. A high-affinity diamine transporter (TcPOT1) from T. cruzi has been identified previously that recognizes both putrescine and cadaverine as ligands. In order to assess the functional role of TcPOT1 in intact parasites, a Δtcpot1 null mutant was constructed by targeted gene replacement and characterized. The Δtcpot1 mutant lacked high-affinity putrescine-cadaverine transport capability but retained the capacity to transport diamines via a non-saturable, low-affinity mechanism. Transport of spermidine and arginine was not impacted by the Δtcpot1 lesion. The Δtcpot1 cell line exhibited a significant but not total defect in its ability to subsist in Vero cells, although initial infection rates were not affected by the lesion. These findings reveal that TcPOT1 is the sole high-affinity diamine permease in T. cruzi, that genetic obliteration of TcPOT1 impairs the ability of the parasite to maintain a robust infection in mammalian cells, and that a secondary low-affinity uptake mechanism for this key parasite nutrient is operative but insufficient for optimal infection.

Novel S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase inhibitors as potent antiproliferative agents against intraerythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum parasites

S-adenosyl-l-methionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) in the polyamine biosynthesis pathway has been identified as a suitable drug target in Plasmodium falciparum parasites, which causes the most lethal form of malaria. Derivatives of an irreversible inhibitor of this enzyme, 5'-{[(Z)-4-amino-2-butenyl]methylamino}-5'-deoxyadenosine (MDL73811), have been developed with improved pharmacokinetic profiles and activity against related parasites, Trypanosoma brucei. Here, these derivatives were assayed for inhibition of AdoMetDC from P. falciparum parasites and the methylated derivative, 8-methyl-5'-{[(Z)-4-aminobut-2-enyl]methylamino}-5'-deoxyadenosine (Genz-644131) was shown to be the most active. The in vitro efficacy of Genz-644131 was markedly increased by nanoencapsulation in immunoliposomes, which specifically targeted intraerythrocytic P. falciparum parasites.

Docking-based virtual screening of covalently binding ligands: an orthogonal lead discovery approach

In pharmaceutical industry, lead discovery strategies and screening collections have been predominantly tailored to discover compounds that modulate target proteins through noncovalent interactions. Conversely, covalent linkage formation is an important mechanism for a quantity of successful drugs in the market, which are discovered in most cases by hindsight instead of systematical design. In this article, the implementation of a docking-based virtual screening workflow for the retrieval of covalent binders is presented considering human cathepsin K as a test case. By use of the docking conditions that led to the best enrichment of known actives, 44 candidate compounds with unknown activity on cathepsin K were finally selected for experimental evaluation. The most potent inhibitor, 4-(N-phenylanilino)-6-pyrrolidin-1-yl-1,3,5-triazine-2-carbonitrile (CP243522), showed a K(i) of 21 nM and was confirmed to have a covalent reversible mechanism of inhibition. The presented approach will have great potential in cases where covalent inhibition is the desired drug discovery strategy.

Polyamine homoeostasis as a drug target in pathogenic protozoa: peculiarities and possibilities

New drugs are urgently needed for the treatment of tropical and subtropical parasitic diseases, such as African sleeping sickness, Chagas' disease, leishmaniasis and malaria. Enzymes in polyamine biosynthesis and thiol metabolism, as well as polyamine transporters, are potential drug targets within these organisms. In the present review, the current knowledge of unique properties of polyamine metabolism in these parasites is outlined. These properties include prozyme regulation of AdoMetDC (S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase) activity in trypanosomatids, co-expression of ODC (ornithine decarboxylase) and AdoMetDC activities in a single protein in plasmodia, and formation of trypanothione, a unique compound linking polyamine and thiol metabolism in trypanosomatids. Particularly interesting features within polyamine metabolism in these parasites are highlighted for their potential in selective therapeutic strategies.

Modulation of the arginase pathway in the context of microbial pathogenesis: a metabolic enzyme moonlighting as an immune modulator

Arginine is a crucial amino acid that serves to modulate the cellular immune response during infection. Arginine is also a common substrate for both inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and arginase. The generation of nitric oxide from arginine is responsible for efficient immune response and cytotoxicity of host cells to kill the invading pathogens. On the other hand, the conversion of arginine to ornithine and urea via the arginase pathway can support the growth of bacterial and parasitic pathogens. The competition between iNOS and arginase for arginine can thus contribute to the outcome of several parasitic and bacterial infections. There are two isoforms of vertebrate arginase, both of which catalyze the conversion of arginine to ornithine and urea, but they differ with regard to tissue distribution and subcellular localization. In the case of infection with Mycobacterium, Leishmania, Trypanosoma, Helicobacter, Schistosoma, and Salmonella spp., arginase isoforms have been shown to modulate the pathology of infection by various means. Despite the existence of a considerable body of evidence about mammalian arginine metabolism and its role in immunology, the critical choice to divert the host arginine pool by pathogenic organisms as a survival strategy is still a mystery in infection biology.

Trypanocidal drugs: mechanisms, resistance and new targets

The protozoan parasitesTrypanosoma bruceiandTrypanosoma cruziare the causative agents of African trypanosomiasis and Chagas disease, respectively. These are debilitating infections that exert a considerable health burden on some of the poorest people on the planet. Treatment of trypanosome infections is dependent on a small number of drugs that have limited efficacy and can cause severe side effects. Here, we review the properties of these drugs and describe new findings on their modes of action and the mechanisms by which resistance can arise. We further outline how a greater understanding of parasite biology is being exploited in the search for novel chemotherapeutic agents. This effort is being facilitated by new research networks that involve academic and biotechnology/pharmaceutical organisations, supported by public–private partnerships, and are bringing a new dynamism and purpose to the search for trypanocidal agents.

Trypanocidal activity of 8-methyl-5'-{[(Z)-4-aminobut-2-enyl]-(methylamino)}adenosine (Genz-644131), an adenosylmethionine decarboxylase inhibitor

Genzyme 644131, 8-methyl-5'-{[(Z)-4-aminobut-2-enyl](methylamino)}adenosine, is an analog of the enzyme activated S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) inhibitor and the trypanocidal agent MDL-7381, 5-{[(Z)-4-aminobut-2-enyl](methylamino)}adenosine. The analog differs from the parent in having an 8-methyl group on the purine ring that bestows favorable pharmacokinetic, biochemical, and trypanocidal activities. The compound was curative in acute Trypanosoma brucei brucei and drug-resistant Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense model infections, with single-dose activity in the 1- to 5-mg/kg/day daily dose range for 4 days against T. brucei brucei and 25- to 50-mg/kg twice-daily dosing against T. brucei rhodesiense infections. The compound was not curative in the TREU 667 central nervous system model infection but cleared blood parasitemia and extended time to recrudescence in several groups. This study shows that AdoMetDC remains an attractive chemotherapeutic target in African trypanosomes and that chemical changes in AdoMetDC inhibitors can produce more favorable drug characteristics than the lead compound.

Novel S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase inhibitors for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis

Trypanosomiasis remains a significant disease across the sub-Saharan African continent, with 50,000 to 70,000 individuals infected. The utility of current therapies is limited by issues of toxicity and the need to administer compounds intravenously. We have begun a program to pursue lead optimization around MDL 73811, an irreversible inhibitor of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC). This compound is potent but in previous studies cleared rapidly from the blood of rats (T. L. Byers, T. L. Bush, P. P. McCann, and A. J. Bitonti, Biochem. J. 274:527-533). One of the analogs synthesized (Genz-644131) was shown to be highly active against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense in vitro (50% inhibitory concentration, 400 pg/ml). Enzyme kinetic studies showed Genz-644131 to be approximately fivefold more potent than MDL 73811 against the T. brucei brucei AdoMetDC-prozyme complex. This compound was stable in vitro in rat and human liver microsomal and hepatocyte assays, was stable in rat whole-blood assays, did not significantly inhibit human cytochrome P450 enzymes, had no measurable efflux in CaCo-2 cells, and was only 41% bound by serum proteins. Pharmacokinetic studies of mice following intraperitoneal dosing showed that the half-life of Genz-644131 was threefold greater than that of MDL 73811 (7.4 h versus 2.5 h). Furthermore, brain penetration of Genz-644131 was 4.3-fold higher than that of MDL 73811. Finally, in vivo efficacy studies of T. b. brucei strain STIB 795-infected mice showed that Genz-644131 significantly extended survival (from 6.75 days for controls to >30 days for treated animals) and cured animals infected with T. b. brucei strain LAB 110 EATRO. Taken together, the data strengthen validation of AdoMetDC as an important parasite target, and these studies have shown that analogs of MDL 73811 can be synthesized with improved potency and brain penetration.

Co-inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase/ornithine decarboxylase reveals perturbation-specific compensatory mechanisms by transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome analyses

Polyamines are ubiquitous components of all living cells, and their depletion usually causes cytostasis, a strategy employed for treatment of West African trypanosomiasis. To evaluate polyamine depletion as an anti-malarial strategy, cytostasis caused by the co-inhibition of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase/ornithine decarboxylase in Plasmodium falciparum was studied with a comprehensive transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome investigation. Highly synchronized cultures were sampled just before and during cytostasis, and a novel zero time point definition was used to enable interpretation of results in lieu of the developmentally regulated control of gene expression in P. falciparum. Transcriptome analysis revealed the occurrence of a generalized transcriptional arrest just prior to the growth arrest due to polyamine depletion. However, the abundance of 538 transcripts was differentially affected and included three perturbation-specific compensatory transcriptional responses as follows: the increased abundance of the transcripts for lysine decarboxylase and ornithine aminotransferase and the decreased abundance of that for S-adenosylmethionine synthetase. Moreover, the latter two compensatory mechanisms were confirmed on both protein and metabolite levels confirming their biological relevance. In contrast with previous reports, the results provide evidence that P. falciparum responds to alleviate the detrimental effects of polyamine depletion via regulation of its transcriptome and subsequently the proteome and metabolome.

Targeting the polyamine biosynthetic enzymes: a promising approach to therapy of African sleeping sickness, Chagas' disease, and leishmaniasis

Trypanosomatids depend on spermidine for growth and survival. Consequently, enzymes involved in spermidine synthesis and utilization, i.e. arginase, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC), spermidine synthase, trypanothione synthetase (TryS), and trypanothione reductase (TryR), are promising targets for drug development. The ODC inhibitor alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) is about to become a first-line drug against human late-stage gambiense sleeping sickness. Another ODC inhibitor, 3-aminooxy-1-aminopropane (APA), is considerably more effective than DFMO against Leishmania promastigotes and amastigotes multiplying in macrophages. AdoMetDC inhibitors can cure animals infected with isolates from patients with rhodesiense sleeping sickness and leishmaniasis, but have not been tested on humans. The antiparasitic effects of inhibitors of polyamine and trypanothione formation, reviewed here, emphasize the relevance of these enzymes as drug targets. By taking advantage of the differences in enzyme structure between parasite and host, it should be possible to design new drugs that can selectively kill the parasites.

3-Aminooxy-1-aminopropane and derivatives have an antiproliferative effect on cultured Plasmodium falciparum by decreasing intracellular polyamine concentrations

The intraerythrocytic development of Plasmodium falciparum correlates with increasing levels of the polyamines putrescine, spermidine, and spermine in the infected red blood cells; and compartmental analyses revealed that the majority is associated with the parasite. Since depletion of cellular polyamines is a promising strategy for inhibition of parasite proliferation, new inhibitors of polyamine biosynthesis were tested for their antimalarial activities. The ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) inhibitor 3-aminooxy-1-aminopropane (APA) and its derivatives CGP 52622A and CGP 54169A as well as the S-adenosylmethionine decarboxlyase (AdoMetDC) inhibitors CGP 40215A and CGP 48664A potently affected the bifunctional P. falciparum ODC-AdoMetDC, with K(i) values in the low nanomolar and low micromolar ranges, respectively. Furthermore, the agents were examined for their in vitro plasmodicidal activities in 48-h incubation assays. APA, CGP 52622A, CGP 54169A, and CGP 40215A were the most effective, with 50% inhibitory concentrations below 3 microM. While the effects of the ODC inhibitors were completely abolished by the addition of putrescine, growth inhibition by the AdoMetDC inhibitor CGP 40215A could not be antagonized by putrescine or spermidine. Moreover, CGP 40215A did not affect the cellular polyamine levels, indicating a mechanism of action against P. falciparum independent of polyamine synthesis. In contrast, the ODC inhibitors led to decreased cellular putrescine and spermidine levels in P. falciparum, supporting the fact that they exert their antimalarial activities by inhibition of the bifunctional ODC-AdoMetDC.

Resistance to clinical drugs in African trypanosomes

Drug resistance in African trypanosomes continues to confound clinicians and to stymy development o f equatorial Africa, taking its toll in lives and economic development. Drugs in current, widespread use have been employed continuously for over 60 years in some instances. The recent studies of Fairlamb and colleagues have outlined a defective purine-transport system in drug-resistant trypanosomes, which appears to explain resistance to several established tryponocides and suggests a guide for the development of new drugs. The recently developed agent dl-alpha-di fluoromethylornithine (DFMO) is effective against West African, but not East African, disease and its activity may be the result of the unregulated synthesis of S-odenosylmethionine in tryponosomes. In this report, Cyrus Bacchi outlines recent developments in the elucidation of mechanisms of resistance to established drugs and naturally occurring resistance to DFMO.

Polyamine transport in parasites: a potential target for new antiparasitic drug development

The metabolism of the naturally occurring polyamines-putrescine, spermidine and spermine-is a highly integrated system involving biosynthesis, uptake, degradation and interconversion. Metabolic differences in polyamine metabolism have long been considered to be a potential target to arrest proliferative processes ranging from cancer to microbial and parasitic diseases. Despite the early success of polyamine inhibitors such as alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) in treating the latter stages of African sleeping sickness, in which the central nervous system is affected, they proved to be ineffective in checking other major diseases caused by parasitic protozoa, such as Chagas' disease, leishmaniasis or malaria. In the use and design of new polyamine-based inhibitors, account must be taken of the presence of up-regulated polyamine transporters in the plasma membrane of the infectious agent that are able to circumvent the effect of the drug by providing the parasite with polyamines from the host. This review contains information on the polyamine requirements and molecular, biochemical and genetic characterization of different transport mechanisms in the parasitic agents responsible for a number of the deadly diseases that afflict underdeveloped and developing countries.

Dithiol Proteins as Guardians of the Intracellular Redox Milieu in Parasites: Old and New Drug Targets in Trypanosomes and Malaria-Causing Plasmodia

Parasitic diseases such as sleeping sickness, Chagas' heart disease, and malaria are major health problems in poverty-stricken areas. Antiparasitic drugs that are not only active but also affordable and readily available are urgently required. One approach to finding new drugs and rediscovering old ones is based on enzyme inhibitors that paralyze antioxidant systems in the pathogens. These antioxidant ensembles are essential to the parasites as they are attacked in the human host by strong oxidants such as peroxynitrite, hypochlorite, and H2O2. The pathogen-protecting system consists of some 20 thiol and dithiol proteins, which buffer the intraparasitic redox milieu at a potential of -250 mV. In trypanosomes and leishmania the network is centered around the unique dithiol trypanothione (N1,N8-bis(glutathionyl)spermidine). In contrast, malaria parasites have a more conservative dual antioxidative system based on glutathione and thioredoxin. Inhibitors of antioxidant enzymes such as trypanothione reductase are, indeed, parasiticidal but they can also delay or prevent resistance against a number of other antiparasitic drugs.

Sulfur-Containing Amino Acid Metabolism in Parasitic Protozoa

Sulfur-containing amino acids play indispensable roles in a wide variety of biological activities including protein synthesis, methylation, and biosynthesis of polyamines and glutathione. Biosynthesis and catabolism of these amino acids need to be carefully regulated to achieve the requirement of the above-mentioned activities and also to eliminate toxicity attributable to the amino acids. Genome-wide analyses of enzymes involved in the metabolic pathways of sulfur-containing amino acids, including transsulfuration, sulfur assimilatory de novo cysteine biosynthesis, methionine cycle, and degradation, using genome databases available from a variety of parasitic protozoa, reveal remarkable diversity between protozoan parasites and their mammalian hosts. Thus, the sulfur-containing amino acid metabolic pathways are a rational target for the development of novel chemotherapeutic and prophylactic agents against diseases caused by protozoan parasites. These pathways also demonstrate notable heterogeneity among parasites, suggesting that the metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids reflects the diversity of parasitism among parasite species, and probably influences their biology and pathophysiology such as virulence competence and stress defense.

The parasite-specific trypanothione metabolism of trypanosoma and leishmania

The bis(glutathionyl)spermidine trypanothione exclusively occurs in parasitic protozoa of the order Kinetoplastida, such as trypanosomes and leishmania, some of which are the causative agents of several tropical diseases. The dithiol is kept reduced by the flavoenzyme trypanothione reductase and the trypanothione system replaces in these parasites the nearly ubiquitous glutathione/glutathione reductase couple. Trypanothione is a reductant of thioredoxin and tryparedoxin, small dithiol proteins, which in turn deliver reducing equivalents for the synthesis of deoxyribonucleotides as well as for the detoxification of hydroperoxides by different peroxidases. Depending on the individual organism and the developmental state, the parasites also contain significant amounts of glutathione, mono-glutathionylspermidine and ovothiol, whereby all four low molecular mass thiols are directly (trypanothione and mono-glutathionylspermidine) or indirectly (glutathione and ovothiol) maintained in the reduced state by trypanothione reductase. Thus the trypanothione system is central for any thiol regeneration and trypanothione reductase has been shown to be an essential enzyme in these parasites. The absence of this pathway from the mammalian host and the sensitivity of trypanosomatids toward oxidative stress render the enzymes of the trypanothione metabolism attractive target molecules for the rational development of new drugs against African sleeping sickness, Chagas' disease and the different forms of leishmaniasis.

S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase from Leishmania donovani. Molecular, genetic, and biochemical characterization of null mutants and overproducers

The polyamine biosynthetic enzyme, S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (ADOMETDC) has been advanced as a potential target for antiparasitic chemotherapy. To investigate the importance of this protein in a model parasite, the gene encoding ADOMETDC has been cloned and sequenced from Leishmania donovani. The Delta adometdc null mutants were created in the insect vector form of the parasite by double targeted gene replacement. The Delta adometdc strains were incapable of growth in medium without polyamines; however, auxotrophy could be rescued by spermidine but not by putrescine, spermine, or methylthioadenosine. Incubation of Delta adometdc parasites in medium lacking polyamines resulted in a drastic increase of putrescine and glutathione levels with a concomitant decrease in the amounts of spermidine and the spermidine-containing thiol trypanothione. Parasites transfected with an episomal ADOMETDC construct were created in both wild type and Delta adometdc parasites. ADOMETDC overexpression abrogated polyamine auxotrophy in the Delta adometdc L. donovani. In addition, ADOMETDC overproduction in wild type parasites alleviated the toxic effects of 5'-(((Z)-4-amino-2-butenyl)methylamino)-5'-deoxyadenosine (MDL 73811), but not pentamidine, berenil, or methylglyoxyl bis(guanylhydrazone), all inhibitors of ADOMETDC activities in vitro. The molecular, biochemical, and genetic characterization of ADOMETDC establishes that it is essential in L. donovani promastigotes and a potential target for therapeutic validation.

Polyamine and thiol metabolism in Trypanosoma granulosum: similarities with Trypanosoma cruzi

Concentrations of free polyamines were investigated in Trypanosoma granulosum cultured in a semidefined medium containing traces of polyamines. Spermidine content peaked in early logarithmic growth while putrescine was not detectable. Unlike African trypanosomes and Leishmania, spermine was measured at equivalent amounts to spermidine in mid to late logarithmic stage cells. Addition of d,l-alpha-difluoromethylornithine to cultures did not decrease polyamine content nor was ornithine decarboxylase activity detected. In contrast, incubation of parasites with tritiated putrescine showed rapid uptake and subsequent conversion to spermidine and spermine. At late logarithmic growth, parasites contained glutathione (77% of total sulphydryl groups) and ovothiol A as major low molecular mass thiols with glutathionylpolyamine conjugates undetectable. However, the addition of exogenous putrescine elevated trypanothione and glutathionylspermidine content to 48% of total sulphydryl groups. Correspondingly, the addition of exogenous cadaverine increased homotrypanothione content. This first report of polyamines and low molecular mass thiols in Trypanosoma granulosum indicates intriguing similarities with the metabolism of the human pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi.

Effects of dietary polyamine deficiency on Trypanosoma gambiense infection in rats

Nishimura, K., Araki, N., Ohnishi, Y., and Kozaki, S. 2001. Effects of dietary polyamine deficiency on Trypanosoma gambiense infection in rats. Experimental Parasitology 97, 95-101. A diet deficient in polyamines decreases the availability of dietary polyamines. We used rats infected with the Wellcome strain of Trypanosoma gambiense to examine the effects of polyamine-deficient chow (PDC) on trypanosome proliferation and symptoms of infection. Rats fed PDC showed limited increase of trypanosome and symptoms of infection and limited loss of body weight and anemia. Survival in these rats was prolonged. Before infection, the heparinized plasma concentration of spermidine in the PDC-fed rats was lower than that in control rats fed with standard chow. After infection, the content of spermidine in red blood cells increased in the control rats, but was only slightly increased in PDC-fed rats. The content of spermidine in the trypanosomes after infection was low in the PDC-fed rats. Decreases in the polyamine content of trypanosomes limited their increase. These observations suggest that a reduction in dietary polyamines may help in the regulation of trypanosome infection.

Sensitivity of trypanosomatid protozoa to DFMO and metabolic turnover of ornithine decarboxylase

alpha-Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), the specific and irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), was able to induce the arrest of proliferation in Leishmania mexicana and ODC-transformed Trypanosoma cruzi cultures grown in a semi-defined medium essentially free of polyamines. Conversely, Crithidia fasciculata and Phytomonas 274 were not affected by the inhibitor. The drug-resistance of Crithidia and Phytomonas was neither caused by an impairment of DFMO uptake nor by a decrease of the enzyme affinity for the inhibitor. We were also able to rule out the possibility of ODC overexpression in the drug-tolerant parasites. The measurements of ODC metabolic turnover indicated that the enzymes from Crithidia and Phytomonas have a short half-life of 20-40 min, while ODC from Leishmania and transgenic Trypanosoma cruzi are rather stable with a half-life longer than 6 hours. Analyses of polyamine internal pools under different growth conditions have shown that DFMO was able to markedly decrease the levels of putrescine and spermidine in all parasites, but the depletion of spermidine was higher in trypanosomatids containing an ODC with slow turnover. Our results suggest that in these parasites cultivated in the presence of the drug, spermidine might decrease below critical levels needed to maintain trypanothione concentrations or other conditions essential for normal proliferation.

Cloning and kinetic characterization of the Trypanosoma cruzi S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase

The gene for S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC), a rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of polyamines, has been cloned from a Trypanosoma cruz cDNA library. The cDNA clone contains a 1.1 kb open reading frame predicted to encode a 42 kDa protein that shares 31% sequence identity to the human proenzyme. T. cruzi AdoMetDC expressed and purified from E. coli is auto-catalytically processed into two subunits of 32 kDa (alpha) and 10 kDa (beta). The catalytic activity of the purified recombinant enzyme is activated by the addition of putrescine to the reaction. To determine the effect of putrescine on the kinetics of the reaction, the velocity data collected at various substrate and putrescine concentrations were fit to the rate equation describing a non-essential activator. In the presence of fully saturating putrescine, k(cat) increases by 9-fold over the unactivated rate to 0.06 s(-1). The model derived Km for AdoMet is 0.05 mM in the absence of putrescine and the model-derived Kd for putrescine binding to free enzyme is 2.5 mM. The Km for AdoMet increases by alpha 2-fold when the enzyme is fully saturated with putrescine. Unlike human AdoMetDC, cadaverine activates the T. cruzi enzyme to a similar extent as putrescine.

Kinetics of S-adenosylmethionine cellular transport and protein methylation in Trypanosoma brucei brucei and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense

African trypanosomes of the Trypanosoma brucei group are agents of disease in man and animals. They present unique biochemical characteristics such as the need for preformed purines and have extensive salvage mechanisms for nucleoside recovery. In this regard we have shown that trypanosomes have a dedicated transporter for S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet), a key metabolite in transmethylation reactions and polyamine synthesis. In this study we compared the apparent kinetics of AdoMet transport, cytosolic AdoMet pool formation, and utilization of AdoMet in protein methylation reactions using two isolates: Trypanosoma brucei brucei, a veterinary parasite, and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, a human pathogen that is highly refractory and has greatly reduced susceptibility to standard trypanocidal agents active against T. b. brucei. The apparent Km values for [methyl-3H]AdoMet transport, derived by Hanes-Woolf analysis, for T. b. brucei was 4.2 and 10 mM for T. b. rhodesiense, and the Vmax values were 124 and 400 micromol/liter/min, respectively. Both strains formed substantial cytosolic pools of AdoMet, 1600 nmol/10(9) T. b. brucei and 3500 nmol/10(9) T. b. rhodesiense after 10 min incubation with 25 mM exogenous AdoMet. Data obtained from washed trichloroacetic acid precipitates of cells incubated with [methyl-3H]AdoMet indicated that the rate of protein methylation in T. b. brucei was fourfold greater than in T. b. rhodesiense. These results demonstrate that the unique rapid uptake and utilization of AdoMet by African trypanosomes is an important consideration in the design and development of new agents of potential use in chemotherapy.

MGBG analogues as potent inhibitors of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase of Onchocerca volvulus

Polyamines are essential for cell growth and differentiation and therefore, S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC), a key regulatory enzyme of the polyamine biosynthesis, is considered as a potentially important target for chemotherapy of filarial infections. Recombinant Onchocerca volvulus SAMDC was expressed in Escherichia coli and characterised. The enzyme activity was found to be stimulated 15-fold by addition of 1 mM putrescine. The Km-value for S-adenosylmethionine was determined to be 36 microM. Furthermore, the efficiencies of SAMDC inhibitors were analysed: Berenil inhibits the enzyme activity competitively with a Ki-value of 0.1 microM. MDL 73811 acts as an irreversible inhibitor with a Ki-value of 1.4 microM. Recently synthesised aromatic methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) analogues demonstrated high efficacy as inhibitors of the SAMDCs. Some of these analogues exhibited Ki-values of 5 and 14 nM for the Onchocerca enzyme, a result which shows an up to 100-fold increase in specificity compared to the value of 0.47 microM for methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone). These inhibitors might have potential as drug candidates against filarial worms.

Trypanosoma cruzi has not lost its S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase: characterization of the gene and the encoded enzyme

All attempts to identify ornithine decarboxylase in the human pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi have failed. The parasites have instead been assumed to depend on putrescine uptake and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) for their synthesis of the polyamines spermidine and spermine. We have now identified the gene encoding AdoMetDC in T. cruzi by PCR cloning, with degenerate primers corresponding to conserved amino acid sequences in AdoMetDC proteins of other trypanosomatids. The amplified DNA fragment was used as a probe to isolate the complete AdoMetDC gene from a T. cruzi genomic library. The AdoMetDC gene was located on chromosomes with a size of approx. 1.4 Mbp, and contained a coding region of 1110 bp, specifying a sequence of 370 amino acid residues. The protein showed a sequence identity of only 25% with human AdoMetDC, the major differences being additional amino acids present in the terminal regions of the T. cruzi enzyme. As expected, a higher sequence identity (68-72%) was found in comparison with trypanosomatid AdoMetDCs. When the coding region was expressed in Escherichia coli, the recombinant protein underwent autocatalytic cleavage, generating a 33-34 kDa alpha subunit and a 9 kDa beta subunit. The encoded protein catalysed the decarboxylation of AdoMet (Km 0.21 mM) and was stimulated by putrescine but inhibited by the polyamines, weakly by spermidine and strongly by spermine. Methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG), a potent inhibitor of human AdoMetDC, was a poor inhibitor of the T. cruzi enzyme. This differential sensitivity to MGBG suggests that the two enzymes are sufficiently different to warrant the search for compounds that might interfere with the progression of Chagas' disease by selectively inhibiting T. cruzi AdoMetDC.

Effects of intermediates of methionine metabolism and nucleoside analogs on S-adenosylmethionine transport by Trypanosoma brucei brucei and a drug-resistant Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense

The effects of purine nucleoside analogs, polyamines, and established trypanocidal agents on the uptake of [8-14C]adenosine and S-[methyl-3H]adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) by bloodform trypanosomes of drug-susceptible Trypanosoma brucei brucei and a drug-resistant Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense clinical isolate were compared. AdoMet uptake was not antagonized by omithine or methionine (500 microM), adenosine (100 microM), or other purine nucleosides, including methylthioadenosine (MTA) at 500 microM. Hydroxyethylthioadenosine (HETA), a trypanocidal analog of methylthioadenosine, and sinefungin, an analog of AdoMet, were competitive with AdoMet transport in both isolates. Dipyridamole, an antagonist of the adenosine P2 transporter, also competed with AdoMet transport in both isolates. The trypanocidal diamidines pentamidine, Berenil, CGP 40215, and the decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine (dAdoMet) analog MDL 73811 (5'-¿[(Z)-4-amino-2-butenyl]¿methyl-amino¿-5'-deoxyadenosine) competed with P2 adenosine transport but did not inhibit AdoMet transport at 100 microM. Methylglyoxalbis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG), an analog of dAdoMet, was a strong competitive inhibitor of adenosine transport at 100 microM, but did not inhibit AdoMet transport. The polyamines putrescine, spermine, and spermidine (1 mM) were examined for competition with adenosine and AdoMet transport. Putrescine significantly inhibited P2 adenosine transport in both strains (in the presence of saturating inosine), but AdoMet transport was not affected by these polyamines. P2 adenosine transport in both strains was highly inhibited by melarsen oxide and melamine, its key organic component, whereas AdoMet uptake was not affected by these agents. These findings further characterize distinguishing features of the unique AdoMet transporter in African trypanosomes, and indicate that the P2 adenosine transporter remains functional in melarsen- and diamidine-resistant clinical isolates.

In vivo efficacies of 5'-methylthioadenosine analogs as trypanocides

5'-Deoxy-5'-(methylthio)adenosine (MTA), a key by-product of polyamine biosynthesis, is cleaved by MTA phosphorylase and is salvaged as adenine and, through conversion of the ribose moiety, methionine. An analog of MTA, 5'-deoxy-5'-(hydroxyethylthio)adenosine (HETA), is a substrate for trypanosome MTA phosphorylase and is active in vitro and in vivo against Trypanosoma brucei brucei, an agent of bovine trypanosomiasis. In this study, HETA and three O-acylated HETA derivatives were examined for their activities against model infections of T. b. brucei and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, the agent of East African sleeping sickness. HETA was curative (>60%) for infections caused by 5 of 11 clinical isolates of T. b. rhodesiense when it was given to mice at 200 mg/kg of body weight for 7 days as a continuous infusion in osmotic pumps. HETA at 150 to 200 mg/kg also extended the life spans of the mice infected with four additional isolates two- to fivefold. Di- and tri-O-acetylated derivatives of HETA also proved curative for the infections, while a tri-O-propionyl derivative, although also curative, was not as effective. This study indicates that substrate analogs of MTA should be given important consideration for development as novel chemotherapies against African trypanosomiasis.

Effects of carboxylmethylation and polyamine synthesis inhibitors on methylation of Trypanosoma brucei cellular proteins and lipids

The fate of methionine in eukaryotic cells is divided between protein synthesis and the branched pathway encompassing polyamine synthesis, methylation of proteins and lipids, and transsulphuration reactions. Aside from protein synthesis, the first step to all other uses of methionine is conversion to S-adenosylmethionine. Blockade of polyamine synthesis in African trypanosomes by the ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine (Ornidyl, DFMO) the AdoMet decarboxylase inhibitor 5'-[[(Z)-4-amino-2-butenyl]-methylamino]-5'-deoxyadenosine or the protein methylase inhibitor sinefungin induces dramatic increases in intracellular AdoMet. In a previous study, distribution and pool sizes of [35S] or [U-14C]methionine were followed in bloodform trypanosomes as incorporation into the total TCA precipitable fractions. In the present study, the effects of pretreatment with DFMO (1 mM), MDL 73811 (1 microM) and sinefugin (2 nM) on [35S] and [U-14C]methionine incorporation were studied in blood forms. DFMO or MDL 73811 pretreatment increased protein methylation 1.5-fold through incorporation of [U14C]methionine, while sinefungin caused a 40% reduction of incorporation. The increases in incorporation of [U-14C]methionine due to DFMO and MDL 73811 were reduced 40% to 70% by including cold AdoMet (1 mM) in the incubation medium, an indication of AdoMet transport by bloodform trypanosomes and the utilization of [U-14C]methionine as AdoMet. Exogenous AdoMet had no effect on [35S]methionine incorporation. The agents studied are curative for African trypanosomiasis infections, either clinically (DFMO) or in model infections (MDL 73811, sinefungin) and thus highlight interference with AdoMet metabolism and methylation reactions as biochemical consequences of these agents.

Effects of cationic diamidines on polyamine content and uptake on Leishmania infantum in in vitro cultures

The effect of a series of cationic diamidines recently synthesized by Ciba Geigy, bearing diarylic (CGP040215A and CGP039937A) or monoarylic moieties (CGP033829A, CGP035537A and CGP036958A), was analyzed on some metabolic targets and cell proliferation of in vitro cultures of Leishmania infantum promastigotes (insect form). The action of these compounds on intracellular polyamine pools and putrescine transport suggests that diarylic structures were more effective than their monoarylic counterparts in depleting polyamine levels and inhibiting putrescine transport, although these processes correlate poorly with the antiproliferative rate of these compounds. Finally, the displacement of cationic diamidines to kDNA observed in the presence of several concentrations of spermidine suggests a possible combined mode of action of these molecules, first depleting intracellular polyamine pools and, then, displacing spermidine from its site of interaction to kDNA.

Antihuman Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) Activities of Inhibitors of Polyamine Pathways

Four inhibitors of polyamine biosynthetic pathways were tested for their effect on HIV-1 replication in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Methyl acetylenic putrescine (MAP) and alpha-monofluoromethyldehydroornithine methyl ester, irreversible inhibitors of ornithine decarboxylase, inhibited the production of p24 antigen in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells by clinical HIV-1 strains isolated from HIV-infected patients with IC(50) values of about 1-2 &mgr;M. 5'--5'-deoxyadenosine (MDL 73811), an enzyme-activated irreversible inhibitor of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) decarboxylase, also inhibited the production of p24 antigen by HIV-1 strains in peripheral blood mononuclear cells with IC(50) values of 1-2 &mgr;M. The least potent was 1-aminoxyethylamine which is another inhibitor of AdoMet decarboxylase. MAP showed the best therapeutic index of 500-1,000. Copyright 1996 S. Karger AG, Basel

The accumulation and compartmentalization of isometamidium chloride in Trypanosoma congolense, monitored by its intrinsic fluorescence

Interaction of the trypanocide isometamidium chloride with components of Trypanosoma congolense results in characteristic shifts in the intrinsic fluorescence of the drug. The specificity of this interaction was investigated by analysing the effects of various physicochemical manipulations on its fluorescence properties. The characteristic shifts involved a preferential increase in the intensity of one emission peak over the other, resulting in a systematic increase in the ratio of fluorescence intensities. These effects were apparently due to constraints on fluorophore free rotation in the solution (that is, viscosity). Purified DNA produced similar effects in a saturable manner displaying high affinity for the drug, indicating that the constraint involves binding of the drug to high-affinity binding sites within the DNA. Such binding sites were demonstrated in lysates derived from trypanosomal cells. The binding sites were associated with macromolecular species (M(r) > 12000), and were partly disrupted by thermal denaturation and proteolysis. Treatment with DNase 1 produced high levels of disruption of the binding sites (> 85%), indicating an involvement of DNA in the binding. BSA demonstrated weak non-specific binding of the drug. Entry of drug into live trypanosomal cells (monitored by 14C-labelled drug uptake) was paralleled by fluorescence shifts observed under comparable conditions of drug concentration and buffer conditions. Both systems (fluorescence shifts and accumulation of labelled drug) indicated the presence of a saturable membrane transporter with high affinity for the drug. We conclude that monitoring the fluorescence shifts of isometamidium constitutes a sensitive and highly specific probe for entry of the drug into trypanosomal cells, thereby enabling resolution of the transport events involved.

Methionine recycling pathways and antimalarial drug design

5'-Deoxy-5'-(methylthio)adenosine (MTA) is an S-adenosylmethionine metabolite that is generated as a by-product of polyamine biosynthesis. In mammalian cells, MTA undergoes a phosphorolytic cleavage catalyzed by MTA phosphorylase to produce adenine and 5-deoxy-5-(methylthio)ribose-1-phosphate (MTRP). Adenine is utilized in purine salvage pathways, and MTRP is subsequently recycled to methionine. Whereas some microorganisms metabolize MTA to MTRP via MTA phosphorylase, others metabolize MTA to MTRP in two steps via initial cleavage by MTA nucleosidase to adenine and 5-deoxy-5-(methylthio)ribose (MTR) followed by conversion of MTR to MTRP by MTR kinase. In order to assess the extent to which these pathways may be operative in Plasmodium falciparum, we have examined a series of 5'-alkyl-substituted analogs of MTA and the related MTR analogs and compared their abilities to inhibit in vitro growth of this malarial parasite. The MTR analogs 5-deoxy-5-(ethylthio)ribose and 5-deoxy-5-(hydroxyethylthio)ribose were inactive at concentrations up to 1 mM, and 5-deoxy-5-(monofluoroethylthio)ribose was weakly active (50% inhibitory concentration = 700 microM). In comparison, the MTA analogs, 5'-deoxy-5'-(ethylthio)adenosine,5'-deoxy-5'-(hydroxyethylthio)ade nosine (HETA), and 5'-deoxy-5'-(monofluoroethylthio)adenosine, had 50% inhibitory concentrations of 80, 46, and 61 microM, respectively. Extracts of P. falciparum were found to have substantial MTA phosphorylase activity. Coadministration of MTA with HETA partially protected the parasites against the growth-inhibitory effects of HETA. Results of this study indicate that P. falciparum has an active MTA phosphorylase that can be targeted by analogs of MTA.

Fate of soluble methionine in African trypanosomes: effects of metabolic inhibitors

The metabolism of [35S]methionine in cultured bloodstream forms of African trypanosomes was followed using flow-through radiodetection linked to liquid chromatography separation. The effects of a transmethylase inhibitor, sinefungin, and of the ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor, DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine (Ornidyl; DFMO), on methionine metabolism were also observed. Trypanosomes rapidly incorporated [35S]methionine into S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) and the metabolites methylthioadenosine, S-adenosylhomocysteine, homocysteine, cystathionine cysteine and glutathione. Untreated trypanosomes excreted large quantities of cystathionine and cysteine into the growth medium. DFMO-treated cells formed larger quantities of AdoMet more rapidly than did control cells, as was evident from initial time points (30 min and 1 h). Decarboxylated AdoMet, present in trace quantities in control cells, accumulated in DFMO-treated cells. Sinefungin increased the AdoMet concentrations approximately 20-fold over that of controls after a 6 h incubation with [35S]methionine, while cystathionine and cysteine levels decreased. The half-life (t1/2) and rate of turnover of AdoMet were measured in cells treated with DFMO or sinefungin. DFMO treatment caused a substantial increase in the rate of AdoMet utilization, while sinefungin extended the t1/2 and lowered AdoMet turnover. These studies show that trypanosomes rapidly metabolize methionine through AdoMet to intermediates of the polyamine and transmethylation pathways. Agents inhibiting these pathways rapidly affect the concentration and rate of utilization of AdoMet, significantly changing the concentrations of metabolites.

Identification and biosynthesis of N1,N9-bis(glutathionyl)aminopropylcadaverine (homotrypanothione) in Trypanosoma cruzi

Radiolabelling studies using tritiated ornithine, arginine and lysine, together with the relevant amino acid decarboxylase enzyme assays, indicate that the epimastigote stage of Trypanosoma cruzi is unable to synthesise significant amounts of putrescine and cadaverine de novo, compared to the amounts of these diamines scavenged from the growth medium. Radiolabelled putrescine is readily incorporated into spermidine, spermine and the trypanosomatid-specific polyamine-glutathione conjugate trypanothione (N1,N8-bis(glutathionyl)spermidine). Likewise, radiolabelled cadaverine is incorporated into the analogous polyamines aminopropylcadaverine, bis(aminopropyl)cadaverine and another major unidentified component. Subsequent studies showed this major component to be a novel polyamine-thiol conjugate whose structure was confirmed by chemical synthesis to be N1,N9-bis(glutathionyl)aminopropylcadaverine (homotrypanothione). Kinetic analyses using recombinant T. cruzi trypanothione reductase demonstrated that homotrypanothione disulphide is readily reduced by this enzyme with kinetic parameters similar to trypanothione disulphide, suggesting that it is a physiological substrate in vivo. Thus the epimastigote form of T. cruzi differs significantly from the African trypanosomes and Leishmania in (a) being unable to synthesise significant amounts of diamines de novo, (b) converting significant amounts of putrescine and cadaverine to spermine and bis(aminopropyl)cadaverine, respectively and (c) the ability to synthesise homotrypanothione as well as trypanothione. The implications of these findings with respect to the prospective chemotherapy of Chagas' disease are discussed.

The role of hypusine depletion in cytostasis induced by S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase inhibition: new evidence provided by 1-methylspermidine and 1,12-dimethylspermine

The abilities of the natural polyamines, spermidine and spermine, and of the synthetic analogues, 1-methylspermidine and 1,12-dimethylspermine, to reverse the effects of the S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase inhibitor 5'-([(Z)-4-aminobut-2-enyl]methylamino)-5'-deoxyadenosine (AbeAdo) on L1210-cell growth were studied. L1210 cells were exposed to AbeAdo for 12 days to induce cytostasis and then exposed to spermidine, spermine, 1-methylspermidine or 1,12-dimethylspermine in the continued presence of AbeAdo. AbeAdo-induced cytostasis was overcome by the natural polyamines, spermidine and spermine. The cytostasis was also reversed by 1-methylspermidine. 1,12-Dimethylspermine had no effect on the AbeAdo-induced cytostasis of chronically treated cells, although it was active in permitting growth of cells treated with the ornithine decarboxylase inhibitor, alpha-difluoromethylornithine. The initial 12-day exposure to AbeAdo elevated intracellular putrescine levels, depleted intracellular spermidine and spermine, and resulted in the accumulation of unmodified eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF-5A). Exposure of these cells to exogenous spermidine, which is the natural substrate for deoxyhypusine synthase, resulted in a decrease in the unmodified eIF-5A content. 1-Methylspermidine, which was found to be a substrate of deoxyhypusine synthase in vitro, also decreased the levels of unmodified eIF-5A in the AbeAdo-treated cells. Although spermine is not a substrate of deoxyhypusine synthase, spermine was converted into spermidine in the L1210 cells, and spermine addition to AbeAdo-treated cells resulted in the appearance of both intracellular spermine and spermidine and in the decrease in unmodified eIF-5A. Exogenous 1,12-dimethylspermine, which was not metabolized to spermine or to 1-methylspermidine and was not a substrate of deoxyhypusine synthase in vitro, did not decrease levels of unmodified eIF-5A. The finding that AbeAdo-induced cytostasis was only reversed by polyamines and polyamine analogues that result in the formation of hypusine or an analogue in eIF-5A is consistent with the hypothesis [Byers, Wiest, Wechter and Pegg (1993) Biochem. J. 290, 115-121] that AbeAdo-induced cytostasis is due to the depletion of the hypusine-containing form of eIF-5A, which is secondary to the depletion of spermidine by inhibition of S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase.

Polyamines, DNA methylation, and fungal differentiation

Mucorales constitute a group of fungi that, because of their growth characteristics, have been used extensively in the study of cell differentiation, cell morphogenesis, and stimuli perception. We have studied the role of polyamine metabolism in the development of different Mucorales, with emphasis on Mucor and Phycomyces species. It has been observed that previous to each differentiative step, the cellular levels of the most regulated enzyme of the pathway, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), and polyamines suffer a noticeable increase. Addition of diaminobutanone (DAB), a competitive inhibitor of ODC, blocks all the corresponding differentiative phenomena. In its presence, germinating spores fail to produce germ tubes and keep growing isodiametrically; mycelia do not sporulate but continue their vegetative growth, and yeast cells are unable to engage in a dimorphic transition without alterations in their growth rate. This differential effect of the ODC inhibitor in growth and development is apparently due to the location of ODC in at least two different cell compartments, one of which is impermeable to the drug. Inhibition of development is counteracted by putrescine and more noticeably by 5-azacytidine (5AC), a strong inhibitor of DNA methylation. Methylation levels of DNA are high in spores, and they become reduced after germination. Demethylation is inhibited by hydroxyurea, which blocks DNA replication, and by DAB. The effect of the latter is reversed by 5AC. These results suggest a relationship between polyamines and DNA methylation. Analysis of metallothioneine gene (CUP) behavior and expression during spore germination has confirmed this hypothesis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase of Acanthamoeba castellanii (Neff): purification and properties

S-Adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) has been purified to near homogeneity from the Neff strain of Acanthamoeba castellanii. The holoenzyme molecular mass is 88.8 kDa, including two copies each of a 32.8 kDa alpha-subunit and a 10-15 kDa beta-subunit. The alpha-subunit contains the active site. It has an N-terminal pyruvoyl group, and the first 19 amino acids are 63 and 74% identical with comparable sequences from yeast and mammals, respectively. The apparent Km for S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) in the presence of 2 mM putrescine was 30.0 microM. The enzyme was stimulated 2-fold by putrescine, but was unaffected by spermidine. It was inhibited by the following anti-metabolites, listed with their Ki values: Berenil (0.17 microM), pentamidine (19.4 microM), propamidine (334 microM), hydroxystilbamidine (357 microM), methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) (604 microM) and ethidium bromide (1.3 mM). Activity of the enzyme fell to undetectable levels during cell differentiation (encystment).

Effects of antagonists of polyamine metabolism on African trypanosomes

This review outlines the metabolism of polyamines in African trypanosomes and summarizes evidence to indicate that trypanosome polyamine metabolism differs in several important aspects from that of the mammalian host. These differences relate to the halflife, turnover, substrate specificity and regulation of enzymes within the mainstream of polyamine synthesis and the related pathway of transmethylation. The common denominator for the uniqueness of parasite polyamine metabolism concerns S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) whose synthesis is unregulated and, upon accumulating in the cell, appears to result in abnormally high transmethylation activity. Similarly, the catabolism of the AdoMet product of polyamine synthesis, methylthioadenosine, is governed by a phosphorylase having broad substrate specificity, and which, if presented with substrate analogs, can generate cytotoxic metabolites.

Polyamine and pentamidine metabolism in African trypanosomes

A pentamidine-resistant line of bloodstream Trypanosoma brucei brucei (S427/118) has been developed by stepwise selection in axenic culture in vitro. After 57 days of selection, the resistant line (S427/118/PR32) was able to grow normally in 32 ng/ml (54 pM) pentamidine with an IC50 value of 105 ng/ml (177 pM), which is 26-times higher than that of the parental strain. Post-mitochondrial supernatant extracts of both strains were unable to metabolize [3H]pentamidine, whereas under identical conditions rat liver microsomes were able to convert > 5% of the drug to hydroxylation products. Thus metabolic conversion of pentamidine does not appear to be involved in either the mode of action of or resistance to pentamidine. Pentamidine-sensitive trypanosomes exposed for 4 h in vivo to therapeutic doses of pentamidine (4 mg/kg) did not show any significant changes in either polyamine-, thiol- or S-adenosylmethionine metabolites, indicating that inhibition of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase is not involved in the trypanocidal action of the drug. However, a marked increase in basic amino acid content was noted. In particular, lysine content was increased 13-fold following exposure to pentamidine.

Resistance to DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine by clinical isolates of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. Role of S-adenosylmethionine

The ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) inhibitor DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) has emerged as a new treatment for West African sleeping sickness but is less effective against East African sleeping sickness. We examined uncloned clinical isolates of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, agent of the disease in East Africa, which were refractory to DFMO in laboratory infections, for characteristics that would explain their resistance. None of the isolates were from patients treated with DFMO. Two isolates took up [3H]DFMO at 50-70% lower rates than drug-sensitive strains but ODC activities, Ki values for DFMO, spermidine and spermine uptake rates, polyamine content and inhibition of polyamine metabolism by DFMO were statistically (P < 0.05) similar between sensitive and refractory isolates. One cloned strain, continuously passaged in vivo under DFMO pressure and included for comparison, had > 85% lower ODC activity and up to 14-fold higher putrescine uptake rates than sensitive controls. A statistically important trend was the metabolism of S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet): activities of AdoMet synthetase and AdoMet decarboxylase were 2- to 5-fold and 3- to 40-fold lower in resistant strains, respectively, while intracellular AdoMet pools (AdoMet + decarboxylated AdoMet) that were > 60-fold elevated in sensitive strains during DFMO treatment, increased only 9-fold in refractory isolates. The extreme elevation of the AdoMet pool in sensitive isolates from 0.7 to 44 nmol/mg protein and an intracellular pool concentration of approximately 5 mM may lead to an imbalance in methylation of proteins or other cell constituents as a consequence of DFMO action. These studies indicate that the metabolism of AdoMet is altered significantly in DFMO refractory isolates and suggest that differences in AdoMet metabolism may be responsible for increased tolerance to DFMO.

Methionine adenosyltransferase: structure and function

Methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT), a key enzyme in metabolism, catalyzes the synthesis of one of the most important and pivotal biological molecules, S-adenosyl-methionine. In every organism studied thus far, MAT exists in multiple forms; most are encoded by related, but distinct genes. Molecular and immunological studies revealed the presence of considerable conservation in the structure of MAT from different species; however, the various MAT isozymes differ in their physical and kinetic properties in ways that allow them to be regulated differently. Recent studies suggest that human MAT is composed of nonidentical subunits that can assume multiple states of aggregation, each with different kinetic characteristics. The tissue distribution of MAT isozymes and the ability of cells within the same tissue to switch between the different forms of MAT suggest that this mode of regulation is important for cellular function and differentiation. Therefore, understanding the regulation and structure-function relationship of this fascinating enzyme should help us clarify its role in biology and may provide us with tools to effectively manipulate its activity in clinical situations such as cancer, autoimmunity and organ transplantation.

S-adenosylmethionine synthetase in bloodstream Trypanosoma brucei

S-adenosylmethionine synthetase was studied from bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei brucei, the agent of African sleeping sickness. Two isoforms of the enzyme were evident from Eadie Hofstee and Hanes-Woolf plots of varying ATP or methionine concentrations. In the range 10-250 microM the Km for methionine was 20 microM, and this changed to 200 microM for the range 0.5-5.0 mM. In the range 10-250 microM the Km for ATP was 53 microM, and this changed to 1.75 mM for the range 0.5-5.0 mM. The trypanosome enzyme had a molecular weight of 145 kDa determined by agarose gel filtration. Methionine analogs including selenomethionine, L-2-amino-4-methoxy-cis but-3-enoic acid and ethionine acted as competitive inhibitors of methionine and as weak substrates when tested in the absence of methionine with [14C]ATP. The enzyme was not inducible in procyclic trypomastigotes in vitro, and the enzyme half-life was > 6 h. T. b. brucei AdoMet synthetase was inhibited by AdoMet (Ki 240 microM). The relative insensitivity of the trypanosome enzyme to control by product inhibition indicates it is markedly different from mammalian isoforms of the enzyme which are highly sensitive to AdoMet. Since trypanosomes treated with the ornithine decarboxylase antagonist DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine accumulate AdoMet and dcAdoMet (final concentration approximately 5 mM), this enzyme may be the critical drug target linking inhibition of polyamine synthesis to disruption of AdoMet metabolism.

Effects of chronic 5'-([(Z)-4-amino-2-butenyl]methylamino)-5'-deoxy- adenosine (AbeAdo) treatment on polyamine and eIF-5A metabolism in AbeAdo-sensitive and -resistant L1210 murine leukaemia cells

We have previously reported that prolonged chronic exposure to the S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC) inhibitor, 5'-([(Z)-4-amino-2-butenyl]methylamino)-5'-deoxy-adenosine (MDL 73811, AbeAdo), leads to cytostasis of L1210 cells [Byers, Ganem and Pegg (1992) Biochem. J. 287, 717-724]. Further studies to investigate the mechanism by which these effects are brought about were carried out by comparing an L1210-derived cell line (R20) that is resistant to AbeAdo with the parent cells. The R20 cells were derived by two rounds of AbeAdo-induced cytostasis followed by rescue with exogenous polyamines. Cytostasis was induced in L1210 cells treated for 12 days with 10 microM AbeAdo; however, exposure to up to 40 microM AbeAdo did not induce cytostasis in R20 cells. Putrescine levels were elevated and spermine levels were depleted in both treated L1210 and treated R20 cells. Spermidine was depleted in treated L1210 cells but was only partly reduced in treated R20 cells. AdoMetDC activity was below the limit of detection in treated L1210 cells but, although greatly reduced, could be measured in the treated R20 cells. The resistance of the R20 cells to the effects of AbeAdo on cell growth and spermidine depletion correlated with reduced AbeAdo accumulation by R20 cells. In the absence of spermidine synthesis, unhypusinated eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF-5A) accumulated in AbeAdo-treated L1210 cells. There was no detectable accumulation of unhypusinated eIF-5A in R20 cells. Unhypusinated eIF-5A accumulated during AbeAdo treatment was depleted in L1210 cells rescued by exogenous spermidine. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that AbeAdo-induced cytostasis is due to the loss of hypusinated eIF-5A. However, spermine was able to rescue AbeAdo-treated L1210 cells without significantly reducing the unhypusinated eIF-5A accumulated during AbeAdo treatment, suggesting that only a small amount of the unmodified protein must be hypusinated to restore cell growth.

S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase as an enzyme target for therapy

The polyamine biosynthetic pathway has attracted much interest as a therapeutic target. Many studies have shown the potential value of inhibitors of the first enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway, ornithine decarboxylase, which forms putrescine. In order to convert putrescine into the polyamines, spermidine and spermine, the aminopropyl donor, decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine, is needed. Therefore, S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC, EC 4.1.1.50) is essential for polyamine synthesis. Early studies of the inhibition of this enzyme were carried out with compounds such as methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) that lack specificity and also lack potency since they are competitive inhibitors whose effects are overcome by a compensatory increase in the amount of the target enzyme. Recently, powerful irreversible inhibitors of AdoMetDC have become available including 5'-([(Z)-4-amino-2-butenyl]methylamino)-5'-deoxyadenosine, an enzyme activated inhibitor and 5'-deoxy-5'-[(3-hydrazinopropyl)methylamino]adenosine which binds to the active site and forms a covalent bond with the pyruvate prosthetic group. This review describes the current state of knowledge of the structure and properties of AdoMetDC, the available inhibitors of this enzyme, their mechanism of action and their effects on polyamines and on the growth of tumors and protozoan parasites. These effects indicate that AdoMetDC inhibitors may be of therapeutic value either alone or in combination with ornithine decarboxylase inhibitors and that further trials of these compounds should be considered.