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Cheng J, Zhou J, Kong L, Wang H, Zhang Y, Wang X, Liu G, Chu Q. Stabilized cyclic peptides as modulators of protein-protein interactions: promising strategies and biological evaluation. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:2496-2508. [PMID: 38107173 PMCID: PMC10718590 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00487b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) control many essential biological pathways which are often misregulated in disease. As such, selective PPI modulators are desirable to unravel complex functions of PPIs and thus expand the repertoire of therapeutic targets. However, the large size and relative flatness of PPI interfaces make them challenging molecular targets for conventional drug modalities, rendering most PPIs "undruggable". Therefore, there is a growing need to discover innovative molecules that are able to modulate crucial PPIs. Peptides are ideal candidates to deliver such therapeutics attributed to their ability to closely mimic structural features of protein interfaces. However, their inherently poor proteolysis resistance and cell permeability inevitably hamper their biomedical applications. The introduction of a constraint (i.e., peptide cyclization) to stabilize peptides' secondary structure is a promising strategy to address this problem as witnessed by the rapid development of cyclic peptide drugs in the past two decades. Here, we comprehensively review the recent progress on stabilized cyclic peptides in targeting challenging PPIs. Technological advancements and emerging chemical approaches for stabilizing active peptide conformations are categorized in terms of α-helix stapling, β-hairpin mimetics and macrocyclization. To discover potent and selective ligands, cyclic peptide library technologies were updated based on genetic, biochemical or synthetic methodologies. Moreover, several advances to improve the permeability and oral bioavailability of biologically active cyclic peptides enable the de novo development of cyclic peptide ligands with pharmacological properties. In summary, the development of cyclic peptide-based PPI modulators carries tremendous promise for the next generation of therapeutic agents to target historically "intractable" PPI systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiongjia Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials of Nanjing, School of Environmental Science, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University 3601 Hongjing Avenue Nanjing 211171 China
| | - Junlong Zhou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University 639 Longmian Avenue Nanjing 211198 China
| | - Lingyan Kong
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics Nanjing 210023 China
| | - Haiying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials of Nanjing, School of Environmental Science, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University 3601 Hongjing Avenue Nanjing 211171 China
| | - Yuchi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials of Nanjing, School of Environmental Science, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University 3601 Hongjing Avenue Nanjing 211171 China
| | - Xiaofeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials of Nanjing, School of Environmental Science, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University 3601 Hongjing Avenue Nanjing 211171 China
| | - Guangxiang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials of Nanjing, School of Environmental Science, Nanjing Xiaozhuang University 3601 Hongjing Avenue Nanjing 211171 China
| | - Qian Chu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University 639 Longmian Avenue Nanjing 211198 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
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2
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He L, Qiu Y, Pang G, Li S, Wang J, Feng Y, Chen L, Zhu L, Liu Y, Cui L, Cao Y, Zhu X. Plasmodium falciparum GAP40 Plays an Essential Role in Merozoite Invasion and Gametocytogenesis. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0143423. [PMID: 37249423 PMCID: PMC10269477 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01434-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclic invasion of red blood cells (RBCs) by Plasmodium merozoites is associated with the symptoms and pathology of malaria. Merozoite invasion is powered actively and rapidly by a parasite actomyosin motor called the glideosome. The ability of the glideosome to generate force to support merozoite entry into the host RBCs is thought to rely on its stable anchoring within the inner membrane complex (IMC) through membrane-resident proteins, such as GAP50 and GAP40. Using a conditional knockdown (KD) approach, we determined that PfGAP40 was required for asexual blood-stage replication. PfGAP40 is not needed for merozoite egress from host RBCs or for the attachment of merozoites to new RBCs. PfGAP40 coprecipitates with PfGAP45 and PfGAP50. During merozoite invasion, PfGAP40 is associated strongly with stabilizing the expression levels of PfGAP45 and PfGAP50 in the schizont stage. Although PfGAP40 KD did not influence IMC integrity, it impaired the maturation of gametocytes. In addition, PfGAP40 is phosphorylated, and mutations that block phosphorylation of PfGAP40 at the C-terminal serine residues S370, S372, S376, S405, S409, S420, and S445 reduced merozoite invasion efficiency. Overall, our findings implicate PfGAP40 as an important regulator for the gliding activity of merozoites and suggest that phosphorylation is required for PfGAP40 function. IMPORTANCE Red blood cell invasion is central to the pathogenesis of the malaria parasite, and the parasite proteins involved in this process are potential therapeutic targets. Gliding motility powers merozoite invasion and is driven by a unique molecular motor termed the glideosome. The glideosome is stably anchored to the parasite inner membrane complex (IMC) through membrane-resident proteins. In the present study, we demonstrate the importance of an IMC-resident glideosome component, PfGAP40, that plays a critical role in stabilizing the expression levels of glideosome components in the schizont stage. We determined that phosphorylation of PfGAP40 at C-terminal residues is required for efficient merozoite invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu He
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Yue Qiu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
- Department of Cardiovascular Ultrasound, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Geping Pang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Siqi Li
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Yonghui Feng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Lumeng Chen
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Liying Zhu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Yinjie Liu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Liwang Cui
- College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Yaming Cao
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Xiaotong Zhu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
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3
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Kelsen A, Kent RS, Snyder AK, Wehri E, Bishop SJ, Stadler RV, Powell C, Martorelli di Genova B, Rompikuntal PK, Boulanger MJ, Warshaw DM, Westwood NJ, Schaletzky J, Ward GE. MyosinA is a druggable target in the widespread protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002110. [PMID: 37155705 PMCID: PMC10185354 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread apicomplexan parasite that can cause severe disease in its human hosts. The ability of T. gondii and other apicomplexan parasites to invade into, egress from, and move between cells of the hosts they infect is critical to parasite virulence and disease progression. An unusual and highly conserved parasite myosin motor (TgMyoA) plays a central role in T. gondii motility. The goal of this work was to determine whether the parasite's motility and lytic cycle can be disrupted through pharmacological inhibition of TgMyoA, as an approach to altering disease progression in vivo. To this end, we first sought to identify inhibitors of TgMyoA by screening a collection of 50,000 structurally diverse small molecules for inhibitors of the recombinant motor's actin-activated ATPase activity. The top hit to emerge from the screen, KNX-002, inhibited TgMyoA with little to no effect on any of the vertebrate myosins tested. KNX-002 was also active against parasites, inhibiting parasite motility and growth in culture in a dose-dependent manner. We used chemical mutagenesis, selection in KNX-002, and targeted sequencing to identify a mutation in TgMyoA (T130A) that renders the recombinant motor less sensitive to compound. Compared to wild-type parasites, parasites expressing the T130A mutation showed reduced sensitivity to KNX-002 in motility and growth assays, confirming TgMyoA as a biologically relevant target of KNX-002. Finally, we present evidence that KNX-002 can slow disease progression in mice infected with wild-type parasites, but not parasites expressing the resistance-conferring TgMyoA T130A mutation. Taken together, these data demonstrate the specificity of KNX-002 for TgMyoA, both in vitro and in vivo, and validate TgMyoA as a druggable target in infections with T. gondii. Since TgMyoA is essential for virulence, conserved in apicomplexan parasites, and distinctly different from the myosins found in humans, pharmacological inhibition of MyoA offers a promising new approach to treating the devastating diseases caused by T. gondii and other apicomplexan parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Kelsen
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Robyn S. Kent
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Anne K. Snyder
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Eddie Wehri
- Center for Emerging and Neglected Diseases, University of California Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Stephen J. Bishop
- School of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St. Andrews and EaStCHEM, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel V. Stadler
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Cameron Powell
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Bruno Martorelli di Genova
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Pramod K. Rompikuntal
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Martin J. Boulanger
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - David M. Warshaw
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Nicholas J. Westwood
- School of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St. Andrews and EaStCHEM, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Schaletzky
- Center for Emerging and Neglected Diseases, University of California Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Gary E. Ward
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
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4
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Singh D, Patri S, Narahari V, Segireddy RR, Dey S, Saurabh A, Macha V, Prabhu NP, Srivastava A, Kolli SK, Kota AK. A Conserved Plasmodium Structural Integrity Maintenance Protein (SIMP) is associated with sporozoite membrane and is essential for maintaining shape and infectivity. Mol Microbiol 2022; 117:1324-1339. [PMID: 35301756 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium sporozoites are extracellular forms introduced during mosquito bite that selectively invade mammalian hepatocytes. Sporozoites are delimited by a cell membrane that is linked to the underlying acto-myosin molecular motor. While membrane proteins with roles in motility and invasion have been well studied, very little is known about proteins that maintain the sporozoite shape. We demonstrate that in Plasmodium berghei (Pb) a conserved hypothetical gene, PBANKA_1422900 specifies sporozoite structural integrity maintenance protein (SIMP) required for maintaining the sporozoite shape and motility. Sporozoites lacking SIMP exhibited loss of regular shape, extensive membrane blebbing at multiple foci and membrane detachment. The mutant sporozoites failed to infect hepatocytes, though the altered shape did not affect the organisation of cytoskeleton or inner membrane complex (IMC). Interestingly, the components of IMC failed to extend under the membrane blebs likely suggesting that SIMP may assist in anchoring the membrane to IMC. Endogenous C-terminal HA tagging localized SIMP to membrane and revealed the C-terminus of the protein to be extracellular. Since SIMP is highly conserved amongst Plasmodium species, these findings have important implications for utilising it as a novel sporozoite specific vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipti Singh
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Smita Patri
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Veeda Narahari
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Rameswara R Segireddy
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Sandeep Dey
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Archi Saurabh
- Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Vijay Macha
- National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, 500032, India
| | - N Prakash Prabhu
- Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Anand Srivastava
- National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, 500032, India
| | - Surendra Kumar Kolli
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Arun Kumar Kota
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
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5
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Ferreira JL, Heincke D, Wichers JS, Liffner B, Wilson DW, Gilberger TW. The Dynamic Roles of the Inner Membrane Complex in the Multiple Stages of the Malaria Parasite. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 10:611801. [PMID: 33489940 PMCID: PMC7820811 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.611801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites, such as human malaria parasites, have complex lifecycles encompassing multiple and diverse environmental niches. Invading, replicating, and escaping from different cell types, along with exploiting each intracellular niche, necessitate large and dynamic changes in parasite morphology and cellular architecture. The inner membrane complex (IMC) is a unique structural element that is intricately involved with these distinct morphological changes. The IMC is a double membrane organelle that forms de novo and is located beneath the plasma membrane of these single-celled organisms. In Plasmodium spp. parasites it has three major purposes: it confers stability and shape to the cell, functions as an important scaffolding compartment during the formation of daughter cells, and plays a major role in motility and invasion. Recent years have revealed greater insights into the architecture, protein composition and function of the IMC. Here, we discuss the multiple roles of the IMC in each parasite lifecycle stage as well as insights into its sub-compartmentalization, biogenesis, disassembly and regulation during stage conversion of P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josie Liane Ferreira
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Heinrich Pette Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Experimentelle Virologie, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Dorothee Heincke
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan Stephan Wichers
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Liffner
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Danny W. Wilson
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Tim-Wolf Gilberger
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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6
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Moussaoui D, Robblee JP, Auguin D, Krementsova EB, Haase S, Blake TCA, Baum J, Robert-Paganin J, Trybus KM, Houdusse A. Full-length Plasmodium falciparum myosin A and essential light chain PfELC structures provide new anti-malarial targets. eLife 2020; 9:e60581. [PMID: 33046215 PMCID: PMC7553781 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites from the genus Plasmodium are the causative agents of malaria. The mobility, infectivity, and ultimately pathogenesis of Plasmodium falciparum rely on a macromolecular complex, called the glideosome. At the core of the glideosome is an essential and divergent Myosin A motor (PfMyoA), a first order drug target against malaria. Here, we present the full-length structure of PfMyoA in two states of its motor cycle. We report novel interactions that are essential for motor priming and the mode of recognition of its two light chains (PfELC and MTIP) by two degenerate IQ motifs. Kinetic and motility assays using PfMyoA variants, along with molecular dynamics, demonstrate how specific priming and atypical sequence adaptations tune the motor's mechano-chemical properties. Supported by evidence for an essential role of the PfELC in malaria pathogenesis, these structures provide a blueprint for the design of future anti-malarials targeting both the glideosome motor and its regulatory elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dihia Moussaoui
- Structural Motility, Institut Curie, Paris Université Sciences et Lettres, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR144ParisFrance
| | - James P Robblee
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of VermontBurlingtonUnited States
| | - Daniel Auguin
- Laboratoire de Biologie des Ligneux et des Grandes Cultures (LBLGC), Université d’Orléans, INRAE, USC1328OrléansFrance
| | - Elena B Krementsova
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of VermontBurlingtonUnited States
| | - Silvia Haase
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South KensingtonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Thomas CA Blake
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South KensingtonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Jake Baum
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South KensingtonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Julien Robert-Paganin
- Structural Motility, Institut Curie, Paris Université Sciences et Lettres, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR144ParisFrance
| | - Kathleen M Trybus
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of VermontBurlingtonUnited States
| | - Anne Houdusse
- Structural Motility, Institut Curie, Paris Université Sciences et Lettres, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR144ParisFrance
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7
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Anam ZE, Joshi N, Gupta S, Yadav P, Chaurasiya A, Kahlon AK, Kaushik S, Munde M, Ranganathan A, Singh S. A De novo Peptide from a High Throughput Peptide Library Blocks Myosin A -MTIP Complex Formation in Plasmodium falciparum. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21176158. [PMID: 32859024 PMCID: PMC7503848 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites, through their motor machinery, produce the required propulsive force critical for host cell-entry. The conserved components of this so-called glideosome machinery are myosin A and myosin A Tail Interacting Protein (MTIP). MTIP tethers myosin A to the inner membrane complex of the parasite through 20 amino acid-long C-terminal end of myosin A that makes direct contacts with MTIP, allowing the invasion of Plasmodium falciparum in erythrocytes. Here, we discovered through screening a peptide library, a de-novo peptide ZA1 that binds the myosin A tail domain. We demonstrated that ZA1 bound strongly to myosin A tail and was able to disrupt the native myosin A tail MTIP complex both in vitro and in vivo. We then showed that a shortened peptide derived from ZA1, named ZA1S, was able to bind myosin A and block parasite invasion. Overall, our study identified a novel anti-malarial peptide that could be used in combination with other antimalarials for blocking the invasion of Plasmodium falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zill e Anam
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; (Z.e.A.); (P.Y.); (A.C.); (A.K.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Nishant Joshi
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201304, India;
| | - Sakshi Gupta
- School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; (S.G.); (M.M.)
| | - Preeti Yadav
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; (Z.e.A.); (P.Y.); (A.C.); (A.K.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Ayushi Chaurasiya
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; (Z.e.A.); (P.Y.); (A.C.); (A.K.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Amandeep Kaur Kahlon
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; (Z.e.A.); (P.Y.); (A.C.); (A.K.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Shikha Kaushik
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; (Z.e.A.); (P.Y.); (A.C.); (A.K.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Manoj Munde
- School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; (S.G.); (M.M.)
| | - Anand Ranganathan
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; (Z.e.A.); (P.Y.); (A.C.); (A.K.K.); (S.K.)
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (S.S.)
| | - Shailja Singh
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; (Z.e.A.); (P.Y.); (A.C.); (A.K.K.); (S.K.)
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (S.S.)
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8
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Saunders CN, Cota E, Baum J, Tate EW. Peptide Probes for Plasmodium falciparum MyoA Tail Interacting Protein (MTIP): Exploring the Druggability of the Malaria Parasite Motor Complex. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:1313-1320. [PMID: 32383851 PMCID: PMC7309260 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Malaria
remains an endemic tropical disease, and the emergence
of Plasmodium falciparum parasites resistant to current
front-line medicines means that new therapeutic targets are required.
The Plasmodium glideosome is a multiprotein complex
thought to be essential for efficient host red blood cell invasion.
At its core is a myosin motor, Myosin A (MyoA), which provides most
of the force required for parasite invasion. Here, we report the design
and development of improved peptide-based probes for the anchor point
of MyoA, the P. falciparum MyoA tail interacting
protein (PfMTIP). These probes combine low nanomolar
binding affinity with significantly enhanced cell penetration and
demonstrable competitive target engagement with native PfMTIP through a combination of Western blot and chemical proteomics.
These results provide new insights into the potential druggability
of the MTIP/MyoA interaction and a basis for the future design of
inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ernesto Cota
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Jake Baum
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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9
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Siden-Kiamos I, Goosmann C, Buscaglia CA, Brinkmann V, Matuschewski K, Montagna GN. Polarization of MTIP is a signature of gliding locomotion in Plasmodium ookinetes and sporozoites. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2019; 235:111247. [PMID: 31874192 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2019.111247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Gliding motility and cell invasion are essential for the successful transmission of Plasmodium parasites. These processes rely on an acto-myosin motor located underneath the parasite plasma membrane. The Myosin A-tail interacting protein (MTIP) connects the class XIV myosin A (MyoA) to the gliding-associated proteins and is essential for assembly of the motor at the inner membrane complex. Here, we assessed the subcellular localization of MTIP in Plasmodium berghei motile stages from wild-type parasites and mutants that lack MyoA or the small heat shock protein 20 (HSP20). We demonstrate that MTIP is recruited to the apical end of motile ookinetes independently of the presence of MyoA. We also show that infective sporozoites displayed a polarized MTIP distribution during gliding, and that this distribution was abrogated in mutant parasites with an aberrant locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Siden-Kiamos
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Hellas, 700 13 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | | | - Carlos A Buscaglia
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas 'Dr Rodolfo Ugalde' (IIBio), UNSAM-CONICET, 1650 San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Volker Brinkmann
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Matuschewski
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Georgina N Montagna
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas 'Dr Rodolfo Ugalde' (IIBio), UNSAM-CONICET, 1650 San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, 049032, SP, Brazil..
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10
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Das D, Krishnan SR, Roy A, Bulusu G. A network-based approach reveals novel invasion and Maurer's clefts-related proteins in Plasmodium falciparum. Mol Omics 2019; 15:431-441. [PMID: 31631203 DOI: 10.1039/c9mo00124g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Malaria continues to be a major concern in developing countries despite continuous efforts to find a cure for the disease. Understanding the pathogenesis mechanism is necessary to identify more effective drug targets against malaria. Many years of experimental research have generated a large amount of data for the malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. These data are useful to understand the importance of certain parasite proteins, but it often remains unclear how these proteins come together, interact with other proteins and carry out their function. Identification of all proteins involved in pathogenesis is an important step towards understanding the molecular mechanism of pathogenesis. In this study, dynamic stage-specific protein-protein interaction networks were created based on gene expression data during the parasite's intra-erythrocytic stages and static protein-protein interaction data. Using previously known proteins of a biological event as seed proteins, the random walk with restart (RWR) method was used on the dynamic protein-protein interaction networks to identify novel proteins related to that event. Two screening procedures namely, permutation test and GO enrichment test were performed to increase the reliability of the RWR predictions. The proposed method was first validated on Plasmodium falciparum proteins related to invasion, where it could reproduce the existing knowledge from a small set of seed proteins. It was then used to identify novel Maurer's clefts resident proteins, where it could identify 152 parasite proteins. We show that the current approach can annotate conserved proteins with unknown function. The predicted proteins can help build a mechanistic model for disease pathogenesis, which will be useful in identifying new drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dibyajyoti Das
- TCS Innovation Labs - Hyderabad (Life Sciences Division), Tata Consultancy Services Limited, Hyderabad, India.
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11
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Wall RJ, Zeeshan M, Katris NJ, Limenitakis R, Rea E, Stock J, Brady D, Waller RF, Holder AA, Tewari R. Systematic analysis of Plasmodium myosins reveals differential expression, localisation, and function in invasive and proliferative parasite stages. Cell Microbiol 2019; 21:e13082. [PMID: 31283102 PMCID: PMC6851706 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The myosin superfamily comprises of actin-dependent eukaryotic molecular motors important in a variety of cellular functions. Although well studied in many systems, knowledge of their functions in Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, is restricted. Previously, six myosins were identified in this genus, including three Class XIV myosins found only in Apicomplexa and some Ciliates. The well characterized MyoA is a Class XIV myosin essential for gliding motility and invasion. Here, we characterize all other Plasmodium myosins throughout the parasite life cycle and show that they have very diverse patterns of expression and cellular location. MyoB and MyoE, the other two Class XIV myosins, are expressed in all invasive stages, with apical and basal locations, respectively. Gene deletion revealed that MyoE is involved in sporozoite traversal, MyoF and MyoK are likely essential in the asexual blood stages, and MyoJ and MyoB are not essential. Both MyoB and its essential light chain (MCL-B) are localised at the apical end of ookinetes but expressed at completely different time points. This work provides a better understanding of the role of actomyosin motors in Apicomplexan parasites, particularly in the motile and invasive stages of Plasmodium during sexual and asexual development within the mosquito.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J. Wall
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical CentreUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | - Mohammad Zeeshan
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical CentreUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | | | | | - Edward Rea
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical CentreUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | - Jessica Stock
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical CentreUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | - Declan Brady
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical CentreUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | - Ross F. Waller
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | | | - Rita Tewari
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical CentreUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
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12
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Burns AL, Dans MG, Balbin JM, de Koning-Ward TF, Gilson PR, Beeson JG, Boyle MJ, Wilson DW. Targeting malaria parasite invasion of red blood cells as an antimalarial strategy. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2019; 43:223-238. [PMID: 30753425 PMCID: PMC6524681 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuz005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium spp. parasites that cause malaria disease remain a significant global-health burden. With the spread of parasites resistant to artemisinin combination therapies in Southeast Asia, there is a growing need to develop new antimalarials with novel targets. Invasion of the red blood cell by Plasmodium merozoites is essential for parasite survival and proliferation, thus representing an attractive target for therapeutic development. Red blood cell invasion requires a co-ordinated series of protein/protein interactions, protease cleavage events, intracellular signals, organelle release and engagement of an actin-myosin motor, which provide many potential targets for drug development. As these steps occur in the bloodstream, they are directly susceptible and exposed to drugs. A number of invasion inhibitors against a diverse range of parasite proteins involved in these different processes of invasion have been identified, with several showing potential to be optimised for improved drug-like properties. In this review, we discuss red blood cell invasion as a drug target and highlight a number of approaches for developing antimalarials with invasion inhibitory activity to use in future combination therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Burns
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia 5005
| | - Madeline G Dans
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3004.,Deakin University, School of Medicine, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia 3216
| | - Juan M Balbin
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia 5005
| | | | - Paul R Gilson
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3004
| | - James G Beeson
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3004.,Central Clinical School and Department of Microbiology, Monash University 3004.,Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Australia 3052
| | - Michelle J Boyle
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3004.,QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia 4006
| | - Danny W Wilson
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia 5005.,Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3004
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13
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Morales L, Hernández P, Chaparro-Olaya J. Systematic Comparison of Strategies to Achieve Soluble Expression of Plasmodium falciparum Recombinant Proteins in E. coli. Mol Biotechnol 2018; 60:887-900. [PMID: 30259259 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-018-0125-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Constructs containing partial coding sequences of myosin A, myosin B, and glideosome-associated protein (50 kDa) of Plasmodium falciparum were used to challenge several strategies designed in order to improve the production and solubility of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli. Assays were carried out inducing expression in a late log phase culture, optimizing the inductor concentration, reducing the growth temperature for induced cultures, and supplementing additives in the lysis buffer. In addition, recombinant proteins were expressed as fusion proteins with three different tags (6His, GST, and MBP) in four different E. coli strains. We found that the only condition that consistently produced soluble proteins was the use of MBP as a fusion tag, which became a valuable tool for detecting the proteins used in this study and did not caused any interference in protein-protein interaction assays (Far Western Blot). Besides, we found that BL21-pG-KJE8 strain did not improve the solubility of any of the recombinant protein produced, while the BL21-CodonPlus(DE3)-RIL strain improved the expression of some of them independent of the rare codon content. Proteins with rare codons occurring at high frequencies (» 10%) were expressed efficiently in strains that do not supplement tRNAs for these triplets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Morales
- Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular, Instituto de Biología Molecular, Universidad El Bosque, Edificio O. Segundo piso, Avenida Cra. 9 No. 131 A - 02, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Paula Hernández
- Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular, Instituto de Biología Molecular, Universidad El Bosque, Edificio O. Segundo piso, Avenida Cra. 9 No. 131 A - 02, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Jacqueline Chaparro-Olaya
- Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular, Instituto de Biología Molecular, Universidad El Bosque, Edificio O. Segundo piso, Avenida Cra. 9 No. 131 A - 02, Bogotá, Colombia.
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14
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In vitro interaction between Plasmodium falciparum myosin B (PfMyoB) and myosin A tail interacting protein (MTIP). Parasitol Res 2018; 117:3437-3446. [PMID: 30094538 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-6039-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites, including Plasmodium falciparum, are obligate intracellular organisms that utilize a strategy termed "gliding" to move and invade host cells, causing disease. Gliding is carried out by a protein complex known as the glideosome, which includes an actin-myosin motor. To date, six myosins have been identified in P. falciparum (PfMyoA, B, C, D, E, and F), but only the role of PfMyoA, the myosin of the glideosome that is involved in the process of red blood cell and mosquito cell invasion, has been established. Based on previous observations, we speculated that PfMyoA and PfMyoB may have similar or redundant functions. To test this hypothesis, we searched for in vitro interactions between PfMyoB and MTIP (myosin A tail interacting protein), the myosin light chain of PfMyoA. A set of differentially tagged PfMyoA, PfMyoB, and MTIP recombinant proteins was employed to specifically and simultaneously detect each myosin in competition assays and inhibition assays using specific peptides. MTIP potentially acts as the light chain of PfMyoB.
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15
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Haidar M, Latré de Laté P, Kennedy EJ, Langsley G. Cell penetrating peptides to dissect host-pathogen protein-protein interactions in Theileria-transformed leukocytes. Bioorg Med Chem 2018; 26:1127-1134. [PMID: 28917447 PMCID: PMC5842112 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2017.08.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
One powerful application of cell penetrating peptides is the delivery into cells of molecules that function as specific competitors or inhibitors of protein-protein interactions. Ablating defined protein-protein interactions is a refined way to explore their contribution to a particular cellular phenotype in a given disease context. Cell-penetrating peptides can be synthetically constrained through various chemical modifications that stabilize a given structural fold with the potential to improve competitive binding to specific targets. Theileria-transformed leukocytes display high PKA activity, but PKA is an enzyme that plays key roles in multiple cellular processes; consequently genetic ablation of kinase activity gives rise to a myriad of confounding phenotypes. By contrast, ablation of a specific kinase-substrate interaction has the potential to give more refined information and we illustrate this here by describing how surgically ablating PKA interactions with BAD gives precise information on the type of glycolysis performed by Theileria-transformed leukocytes. In addition, we provide two other examples of how ablating specific protein-protein interactions in Theileria-infected leukocytes leads to precise phenotypes and argue that constrained penetrating peptides have great therapeutic potential to combat infectious diseases in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malak Haidar
- Inserm U1016, Cnrs UMR8104, Cochin Institute, Paris 75014, France; Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire Comparative des Apicomplexes, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75014, France; Pathogen Genomics Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Perle Latré de Laté
- Inserm U1016, Cnrs UMR8104, Cochin Institute, Paris 75014, France; Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire Comparative des Apicomplexes, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75014, France
| | - Eileen J Kennedy
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, United States
| | - Gordon Langsley
- Inserm U1016, Cnrs UMR8104, Cochin Institute, Paris 75014, France; Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire Comparative des Apicomplexes, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75014, France.
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16
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Bookwalter CS, Tay CL, McCrorie R, Previs MJ, Lu H, Krementsova EB, Fagnant PM, Baum J, Trybus KM. Reconstitution of the core of the malaria parasite glideosome with recombinant Plasmodium class XIV myosin A and Plasmodium actin. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:19290-19303. [PMID: 28978649 PMCID: PMC5702669 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.813972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Motility of the apicomplexan malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is enabled by a multiprotein glideosome complex, whose core is the class XIV myosin motor, PfMyoA, and a divergent Plasmodium actin (PfAct1). Parasite motility is necessary for host-cell invasion and virulence, but studying its molecular basis has been hampered by unavailability of sufficient amounts of PfMyoA. Here, we expressed milligram quantities of functional full-length PfMyoA with the baculovirus/Sf9 cell expression system, which required a UCS (UNC-45/CRO1/She4p) family myosin chaperone from Plasmodium spp. In addition to the known light chain myosin tail interacting protein (MTIP), we identified an essential light chain (PfELC) that co-purified with PfMyoA isolated from parasite lysates. The speed at which PfMyoA moved actin was fastest with both light chains bound, consistent with the light chain–binding domain acting as a lever arm to amplify nucleotide-dependent motions in the motor domain. Surprisingly, PfELC binding to the heavy chain required that MTIP also be bound to the heavy chain, unlike MTIP that bound the heavy chain independently of PfELC. Neither the presence of calcium nor deletion of the MTIP N-terminal extension changed the speed of actin movement. Of note, PfMyoA moved filaments formed from Sf9 cell–expressed PfAct1 at the same speed as skeletal muscle actin. Duty ratio estimates suggested that as few as nine motors can power actin movement at maximal speed, a feature that may be necessitated by the dynamic nature of Plasmodium actin filaments in the parasite. In summary, we have reconstituted the essential core of the glideosome, enabling drug targeting of both of its core components to inhibit parasite invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol S Bookwalter
- From the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405 and
| | - Chwen L Tay
- the Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Rama McCrorie
- the Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J Previs
- From the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405 and
| | - Hailong Lu
- From the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405 and
| | - Elena B Krementsova
- From the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405 and
| | - Patricia M Fagnant
- From the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405 and
| | - Jake Baum
- the Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Kathleen M Trybus
- From the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405 and
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17
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Powell CJ, Jenkins ML, Parker ML, Ramaswamy R, Kelsen A, Warshaw DM, Ward GE, Burke JE, Boulanger MJ. Dissecting the molecular assembly of the Toxoplasma gondii MyoA motility complex. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:19469-19477. [PMID: 28972141 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.809632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Revised: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii rely on a unique form of locomotion known as gliding motility. Generating the mechanical forces to support motility are divergent class XIV myosins (MyoA) coordinated by accessory proteins known as light chains. Although the importance of the MyoA-light chain complex is well-established, the detailed mechanisms governing its assembly and regulation are relatively unknown. To establish a molecular blueprint of this dynamic complex, we first mapped the adjacent binding sites of light chains MLC1 and ELC1 on the MyoA neck (residues 775-818) using a combination of hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry and isothermal titration calorimetry. We then determined the 1.85 Å resolution crystal structure of MLC1 in complex with its cognate MyoA peptide. Structural analysis revealed a bilobed architecture with MLC1 clamping tightly around the helical MyoA peptide, consistent with the stable 10 nm Kd measured by isothermal titration calorimetry. We next showed that coordination of calcium by an EF-hand in ELC1 and prebinding of MLC1 to the MyoA neck enhanced the affinity of ELC1 for the MyoA neck 7- and 8-fold, respectively. When combined, these factors enhanced ELC1 binding 49-fold (to a Kd of 12 nm). Using the full-length MyoA motor (residues 1-831), we then showed that, in addition to coordinating the neck region, ELC1 appears to engage the MyoA converter subdomain, which couples the motor domain to the neck. These data support an assembly model where staged binding events cooperate to yield high-affinity complexes that are able to maximize force transduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron J Powell
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2, Canada and
| | - Meredith L Jenkins
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2, Canada and
| | - Michelle L Parker
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2, Canada and
| | - Raghavendran Ramaswamy
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2, Canada and
| | - Anne Kelsen
- the Departments of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and
| | - David M Warshaw
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405
| | - Gary E Ward
- the Departments of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and
| | - John E Burke
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2, Canada and
| | - Martin J Boulanger
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2, Canada and
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18
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Myosin B of Plasmodium falciparum (PfMyoB): in silico prediction of its three-dimensional structure and its possible interaction with MTIP. Parasitol Res 2017; 116:1373-1382. [PMID: 28265752 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-017-5417-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The mobility and invasion strategy of Plasmodium falciparum is governed by a protein complex known as the glideosome, which contains an actin-myosin motor. It has been shown that myosin A of the parasite (PfMyoA) is the myosin of the glideosome, and the interaction of PfMyoA with myosin tail domain interacting protein (MTIP) determines its correct location and its ability to function in the complex. Because PfMyoA and myosin B of P. falciparum (PfMyoB) share high sequence identity, are both small proteins without a tail domain, belong to the class XIV myosins, and are expressed in late schizonts and merozoites, we suspect that these myosins may have similar or redundant functions. Therefore, this work examined the structural similarity between PfMyoA and PfMyoB and performed a molecular docking between PfMyoB and MTIP. Three-dimensional (3D) models obtained for PfMyoA and PfMyoB achieved high scores in the structural validation programs used, and their superimposition revealed high structural similarity, supporting the hypothesis of possible similar functions for these two proteins. The 3D interaction models obtained and energy values found suggested that interaction between PfMyoB and MTIP is possible. Given the apparent abundance of PfMyoA relative to PfMyoB in the parasite, we believe that the interaction between PfMyoB and MTIP would only be detectable in specific cellular environments because under normal circumstances, it would be masked by the interaction between PfMyoA and MTIP.
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19
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Abstract
The myosin holoenzyme is a multimeric protein complex consisting of heavy chains and light chains. Myosin light chains are calmodulin family members which are crucially involved in the mechanoenzymatic function of the myosin holoenzyme. This review examines the diversity of light chains within the myosin superfamily, discusses interactions between the light chain and the myosin heavy chain as well as regulatory and structural functions of the light chain as a subunit of the myosin holoenzyme. It covers aspects of the myosin light chain in the localization of the myosin holoenzyme, protein-protein interactions and light chain binding to non-myosin binding partners. Finally, this review challenges the dogma that myosin regulatory and essential light chain exclusively associate with conventional myosin heavy chains while unconventional myosin heavy chains usually associate with calmodulin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Heissler
- a Laboratory of Molecular Physiology; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Institutes of Health ; Bethesda , MD USA
| | - James R Sellers
- a Laboratory of Molecular Physiology; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Institutes of Health ; Bethesda , MD USA
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20
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Peptide-based inhibitors of protein–protein interactions. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2016; 26:707-713. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.12.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2015] [Revised: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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21
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Spillman NJ, Kirk K. The malaria parasite cation ATPase PfATP4 and its role in the mechanism of action of a new arsenal of antimalarial drugs. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2015; 5:149-62. [PMID: 26401486 PMCID: PMC4559606 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2015.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2015] [Revised: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The intraerythrocytic malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, maintains a low cytosolic Na(+) concentration and the plasma membrane P-type cation translocating ATPase 'PfATP4' has been implicated as playing a key role in this process. PfATP4 has been the subject of significant attention in recent years as mutations in this protein confer resistance to a growing number of new antimalarial compounds, including the spiroindolones, the pyrazoles, the dihydroisoquinolones, and a number of the antimalarial agents in the Medicines for Malaria Venture's 'Malaria Box'. On exposure of parasites to these compounds there is a rapid disruption of cytosolic Na(+). Whether, and if so how, such chemically distinct compounds interact with PfATP4, and how such interactions lead to parasite death, is not yet clear. The fact that multiple different chemical classes have converged upon PfATP4 highlights its significance as a potential target for new generation antimalarial agents. A spiroindolone (KAE609, now known as cipargamin) has progressed through Phase I and IIa clinical trials with favourable results. In this review we consider the physiological role of PfATP4, summarise the current repertoire of antimalarial compounds for which PfATP4 is implicated in their mechanism of action, and provide an outlook on translation from target identification in the laboratory to patient treatment in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Jane Spillman
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia ; Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kiaran Kirk
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
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22
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Nemetski SM, Cardozo TJ, Bosch G, Weltzer R, O'Malley K, Ejigiri I, Kumar KA, Buscaglia CA, Nussenzweig V, Sinnis P, Levitskaya J, Bosch J. Inhibition by stabilization: targeting the Plasmodium falciparum aldolase-TRAP complex. Malar J 2015; 14:324. [PMID: 26289816 PMCID: PMC4545932 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-015-0834-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emerging resistance of the malaria parasite Plasmodium to current therapies underscores the critical importance of exploring novel strategies for disease eradication. Plasmodium species are obligate intracellular protozoan parasites. They rely on an unusual form of substrate-dependent motility for their migration on and across host-cell membranes and for host cell invasion. This peculiar motility mechanism is driven by the 'glideosome', an actin-myosin associated, macromolecular complex anchored to the inner membrane complex of the parasite. Myosin A, actin, aldolase, and thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (TRAP) constitute the molecular core of the glideosome in the sporozoite, the mosquito stage that brings the infection into mammals. METHODS Virtual library screening of a large compound library against the PfAldolase-TRAP complex was used to identify candidate compounds that stabilize and prevent the disassembly of the glideosome. The mechanism of these compounds was confirmed by biochemical, biophysical and parasitological methods. RESULTS A novel inhibitory effect on the parasite was achieved by stabilizing a protein-protein interaction within the glideosome components. Compound 24 disrupts the gliding and invasive capabilities of Plasmodium parasites in in vitro parasite assays. A high-resolution, ternary X-ray crystal structure of PfAldolase-TRAP in complex with compound 24 confirms the mode of interaction and serves as a platform for future ligand optimization. CONCLUSION This proof-of-concept study presents a novel approach to anti-malarial drug discovery and design. By strengthening a protein-protein interaction within the parasite, an avenue towards inhibiting a previously "undruggable" target is revealed and the motility motor responsible for successful invasion of host cells is rendered inactive. This study provides new insights into the malaria parasite cell invasion machinery and convincingly demonstrates that liver cell invasion is dramatically reduced by 95 % in the presence of the small molecule stabilizer compound 24.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sondra Maureen Nemetski
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, Phyllis and David Komansky Center for Children's Health, New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, USA.
| | - Timothy J Cardozo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA. .,Institute for Systems Genetics, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA.
| | - Gundula Bosch
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA. .,Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI), Baltimore, USA.
| | - Ryan Weltzer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA. .,Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI), Baltimore, USA.
| | - Kevin O'Malley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA. .,Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI), Baltimore, USA.
| | - Ijeoma Ejigiri
- Department of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA.
| | - Kota Arun Kumar
- Michael Heidelberg Division of Pathology of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA. .,Department of Animal Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India.
| | - Carlos A Buscaglia
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (IIB-INTECH), Universidad Nacional de General San Martín-CONICET, 1650, San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Victor Nussenzweig
- Michael Heidelberg Division of Pathology of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA.
| | - Photini Sinnis
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA. .,Department of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA. .,Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI), Baltimore, USA.
| | - Jelena Levitskaya
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA. .,Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI), Baltimore, USA.
| | - Jürgen Bosch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA. .,Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI), Baltimore, USA.
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23
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Kumpula EP, Kursula I. Towards a molecular understanding of the apicomplexan actin motor: on a road to novel targets for malaria remedies? Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2015; 71:500-13. [PMID: 25945702 PMCID: PMC4427158 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x1500391x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites are the causative agents of notorious human and animal diseases that give rise to considerable human suffering and economic losses worldwide. The most prominent parasites of this phylum are the malaria-causing Plasmodium species, which are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, and Toxoplasma gondii, which infects one third of the world's population. These parasites share a common form of gliding motility which relies on an actin-myosin motor. The components of this motor and the actin-regulatory proteins in Apicomplexa have unique features compared with all other eukaryotes. This, together with the crucial roles of these proteins, makes them attractive targets for structure-based drug design. In recent years, several structures of glideosome components, in particular of actins and actin regulators from apicomplexan parasites, have been determined, which will hopefully soon allow the creation of a complete molecular picture of the parasite actin-myosin motor and its regulatory machinery. Here, current knowledge of the function of this motor is reviewed from a structural perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esa-Pekka Kumpula
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- German Electron Synchrotron, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Inari Kursula
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- German Electron Synchrotron, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009 Bergen, Norway
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24
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Boucher LE, Bosch J. The apicomplexan glideosome and adhesins - Structures and function. J Struct Biol 2015; 190:93-114. [PMID: 25764948 PMCID: PMC4417069 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2015.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2014] [Revised: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 02/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The apicomplexan family of pathogens, which includes Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii, are primarily obligate intracellular parasites and invade multiple cell types. These parasites express extracellular membrane protein receptors, adhesins, to form specific pathogen-host cell interaction complexes. Various adhesins are used to invade a variety of cell types. The receptors are linked to an actomyosin motor, which is part of a complex comprised of many proteins known as the invasion machinery or glideosome. To date, reviews on invasion have focused primarily on the molecular pathways and signals of invasion, with little or no structural information presented. Over 75 structures of parasite receptors and glideosome proteins have been deposited with the Protein Data Bank. These structures include adhesins, motor proteins, bridging proteins, inner membrane complex and cytoskeletal proteins, as well as co-crystal structures with peptides and antibodies. These structures provide information regarding key interactions necessary for target receptor engagement, machinery complex formation, how force is transmitted, and the basis of inhibitory antibodies. Additionally, these structures can provide starting points for the development of antibodies and inhibitory molecules targeting protein-protein interactions, with the aim to inhibit invasion. This review provides an overview of the parasite adhesin protein families, the glideosome components, glideosome architecture, and discuss recent work regarding alternative models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Boucher
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Jürgen Bosch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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25
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Zuckerman DM, Boucher LE, Xie K, Engelhardt H, Bosch J, Hoiczyk E. The bactofilin cytoskeleton protein BacM of Myxococcus xanthus forms an extended β-sheet structure likely mediated by hydrophobic interactions. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121074. [PMID: 25803609 PMCID: PMC4372379 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 01/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bactofilins are novel cytoskeleton proteins that are widespread in Gram-negative bacteria. Myxococcus xanthus, an important predatory soil bacterium, possesses four bactofilins of which one, BacM (Mxan_7475) plays an important role in cell shape maintenance. Electron and fluorescence light microscopy, as well as studies using over-expressed, purified BacM, indicate that this protein polymerizes in vivo and in vitro into ~3 nm wide filaments that further associate into higher ordered fibers of about 10 nm. Here we use a multipronged approach combining secondary structure determination, molecular modeling, biochemistry, and genetics to identify and characterize critical molecular elements that enable BacM to polymerize. Our results indicate that the bactofilin-determining domain DUF583 folds into an extended β-sheet structure, and we hypothesize a left-handed β-helix with polymerization into 3 nm filaments primarily via patches of hydrophobic amino acid residues. These patches form the interface allowing head-to-tail polymerization during filament formation. Biochemical analyses of these processes show that folding and polymerization occur across a wide variety of conditions and even in the presence of chaotropic agents such as one molar urea. Together, these data suggest that bactofilins are comprised of a structure unique to cytoskeleton proteins, which enables robust polymerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M. Zuckerman
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Lauren E. Boucher
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Kefang Xie
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Harald Engelhardt
- Department of Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Jürgen Bosch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Egbert Hoiczyk
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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26
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Yusuf NA, Green JL, Wall RJ, Knuepfer E, Moon RW, Schulte-Huxel C, Stanway RR, Martin SR, Howell SA, Douse CH, Cota E, Tate EW, Tewari R, Holder AA. The Plasmodium Class XIV Myosin, MyoB, Has a Distinct Subcellular Location in Invasive and Motile Stages of the Malaria Parasite and an Unusual Light Chain. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:12147-64. [PMID: 25802338 PMCID: PMC4424349 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.637694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Myosin B (MyoB) is one of the two short class XIV myosins encoded in the Plasmodium genome. Class XIV myosins are characterized by a catalytic "head," a modified "neck," and the absence of a "tail" region. Myosin A (MyoA), the other class XIV myosin in Plasmodium, has been established as a component of the glideosome complex important in motility and cell invasion, but MyoB is not well characterized. We analyzed the properties of MyoB using three parasite species as follows: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium berghei, and Plasmodium knowlesi. MyoB is expressed in all invasive stages (merozoites, ookinetes, and sporozoites) of the life cycle, and the protein is found in a discrete apical location in these polarized cells. In P. falciparum, MyoB is synthesized very late in schizogony/merogony, and its location in merozoites is distinct from, and anterior to, that of a range of known proteins present in the rhoptries, rhoptry neck or micronemes. Unlike MyoA, MyoB is not associated with glideosome complex proteins, including the MyoA light chain, myosin A tail domain-interacting protein (MTIP). A unique MyoB light chain (MLC-B) was identified that contains a calmodulin-like domain at the C terminus and an extended N-terminal region. MLC-B localizes to the same extreme apical pole in the cell as MyoB, and the two proteins form a complex. We propose that MLC-B is a MyoB-specific light chain, and for the short class XIV myosins that lack a tail region, the atypical myosin light chains may fulfill that role.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Richard J Wall
- the School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG2 7UH, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Rebecca R Stanway
- the Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland, and
| | | | - Steven A Howell
- Molecular Structure, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher H Douse
- the Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Ernesto Cota
- the Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Edward W Tate
- the Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Rita Tewari
- the School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG2 7UH, United Kingdom
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27
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Douse CH, Vrielink N, Wenlin Z, Cota E, Tate EW. Targeting a dynamic protein-protein interaction: fragment screening against the malaria myosin A motor complex. ChemMedChem 2015; 10:134-43. [PMID: 25367834 PMCID: PMC4506568 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201402357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Motility is a vital feature of the complex life cycle of Plasmodium falciparum, the apicomplexan parasite that causes human malaria. Processes such as host cell invasion are thought to be powered by a conserved actomyosin motor (containing myosin A or myoA), correct localization of which is dependent on a tight interaction with myosin A tail domain interacting protein (MTIP) at the inner membrane of the parasite. Although disruption of this protein-protein interaction represents an attractive means to investigate the putative roles of myoA-based motility and to inhibit the parasitic life cycle, no small molecules have been identified that bind to MTIP. Furthermore, it has not been possible to obtain a crystal structure of the free protein, which is highly dynamic and unstable in the absence of its natural myoA tail partner. Herein we report the de novo identification of the first molecules that bind to and stabilize MTIP via a fragment-based, integrated biophysical approach and structural investigations to examine the binding modes of hit compounds. The challenges of targeting such a dynamic system with traditional fragment screening workflows are addressed throughout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H Douse
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, South KensingtonLondon SW7 2AZ (UK) E-mail:
- Centre for Structural Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonSouth Kensington, London SW7 2AZ (UK)
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College LondonSouth Kensington, London SW7 2AZ (UK)
| | - Nina Vrielink
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, South KensingtonLondon SW7 2AZ (UK) E-mail:
| | - Zhang Wenlin
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, South KensingtonLondon SW7 2AZ (UK) E-mail:
| | - Ernesto Cota
- Centre for Structural Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonSouth Kensington, London SW7 2AZ (UK)
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College LondonSouth Kensington, London SW7 2AZ (UK)
| | - Edward W Tate
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, South KensingtonLondon SW7 2AZ (UK) E-mail:
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College LondonSouth Kensington, London SW7 2AZ (UK)
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28
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Douse CH, Maas SJ, Thomas JC, Garnett JA, Sun Y, Cota E, Tate EW. Crystal structures of stapled and hydrogen bond surrogate peptides targeting a fully buried protein-helix interaction. ACS Chem Biol 2014; 9:2204-9. [PMID: 25084543 DOI: 10.1021/cb500271c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Constrained α-helical peptides are an exciting class of molecule designed to disrupt protein-protein interactions (PPIs) at a surface-exposed helix binding site. Complexes that engage more than one helical face account for over a third of structurally characterized helix PPIs, including several examples where the helix is fully buried. However, no constrained peptides have been reported that have targeted this class of interaction. We report the design of stapled and hydrogen bond surrogate (HBS) peptides mimicking the helical tail of the malaria parasite invasion motor myosin (myoA), which presents polar and hydrophobic functionality on all three faces in binding its partner, myoA tail interacting protein (MTIP), with high affinity. The first structures of these different constrained peptides bound to the same target are reported, enabling a direct comparison between these constraints and between staples based on monosubstituted pentenyl glycine (pGly) and disubstituted pentenyl alanine (pAla). Importantly, installation of these constraints does not disrupt native interactions in the buried site, so the affinity of the wild-type peptide is maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H. Douse
- Department of Chemistry, ‡Centre for Structural Biology, Department
of Life
Sciences, and §Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Sabrina J. Maas
- Department of Chemistry, ‡Centre for Structural Biology, Department
of Life
Sciences, and §Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Jemima C. Thomas
- Department of Chemistry, ‡Centre for Structural Biology, Department
of Life
Sciences, and §Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - James A. Garnett
- Department of Chemistry, ‡Centre for Structural Biology, Department
of Life
Sciences, and §Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Yunyun Sun
- Department of Chemistry, ‡Centre for Structural Biology, Department
of Life
Sciences, and §Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Ernesto Cota
- Department of Chemistry, ‡Centre for Structural Biology, Department
of Life
Sciences, and §Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Edward W. Tate
- Department of Chemistry, ‡Centre for Structural Biology, Department
of Life
Sciences, and §Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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29
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Abstract
Despite a century of control and eradication campaigns, malaria remains one of the world's most devastating diseases. Our once-powerful therapeutic weapons are losing the war against the Plasmodium parasite, whose ability to rapidly develop and spread drug resistance hamper past and present malaria-control efforts. Finding new and effective treatments for malaria is now a top global health priority, fuelling an increase in funding and promoting open-source collaborations between researchers and pharmaceutical consortia around the world. The result of this is rapid advances in drug discovery approaches and technologies, with three major methods for antimalarial drug development emerging: (i) chemistry-based, (ii) target-based, and (iii) cell-based. Common to all three of these approaches is the unique ability of structural biology to inform and accelerate drug development. Where possible, SBDD (structure-based drug discovery) is a foundation for antimalarial drug development programmes, and has been invaluable to the development of a number of current pre-clinical and clinical candidates. However, as we expand our understanding of the malarial life cycle and mechanisms of resistance development, SBDD as a field must continue to evolve in order to develop compounds that adhere to the ideal characteristics for novel antimalarial therapeutics and to avoid high attrition rates pre- and post-clinic. In the present review, we aim to examine the contribution that SBDD has made to current antimalarial drug development efforts, covering hit discovery to lead optimization and prevention of parasite resistance. Finally, the potential for structural biology, particularly high-throughput structural genomics programmes, to identify future targets for drug discovery are discussed.
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30
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Liburd J, Chitayat S, Crawley SW, Munro K, Miller E, Denis CM, Spencer HL, Côté GP, Smith SP. Structure of the small Dictyostelium discoideum myosin light chain MlcB provides insights into MyoB IQ motif recognition. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:17030-42. [PMID: 24790102 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.536532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Dictyostelium discoideum MyoB is a class I myosin involved in the formation and retraction of membrane projections, cortical tension generation, membrane recycling, and phagosome maturation. The MyoB-specific, single-lobe EF-hand light chain MlcB binds the sole IQ motif of MyoB with submicromolar affinity in the absence and presence of Ca(2+). However, the structural features of this novel myosin light chain and its interaction with its cognate IQ motif remain uncharacterized. Here, we describe the NMR-derived solution structure of apoMlcB, which displays a globular four-helix bundle. Helix 1 adopts a unique orientation when compared with the apo states of the EF-hand calcium-binding proteins calmodulin, S100B, and calbindin D9k. NMR-based chemical shift perturbation mapping identified a hydrophobic MyoB IQ binding surface that involves amino acid residues in helices I and IV and the functional N-terminal Ca(2+) binding loop, a site that appears to be maintained when MlcB adopts the holo state. Complementary mutagenesis and binding studies indicated that residues Ile-701, Phe-705, and Trp-708 of the MyoB IQ motif are critical for recognition of MlcB, which together allowed the generation of a structural model of the apoMlcB-MyoB IQ complex. We conclude that the mode of IQ motif recognition by the novel single-lobe MlcB differs considerably from that of stereotypical bilobal light chains such as calmodulin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Liburd
- From the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences and
| | - Seth Chitayat
- From the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences and
| | - Scott W Crawley
- From the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences and
| | - Kim Munro
- the Protein Function Discovery Group, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Emily Miller
- From the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences and
| | - Chris M Denis
- From the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences and
| | - Holly L Spencer
- From the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences and
| | - Graham P Côté
- From the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences and the Protein Function Discovery Group, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Steven P Smith
- From the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences and the Protein Function Discovery Group, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
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31
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Boucher LE, Bosch J. Development of a multifunctional tool for drug screening against plasmodial protein-protein interactions via surface plasmon resonance. J Mol Recognit 2014; 26:496-500. [PMID: 23996492 DOI: 10.1002/jmr.2292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2013] [Revised: 06/12/2013] [Accepted: 06/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
We have developed an expression system capable of producing large quantities of low cost, specific peptides that are either His12 -tagged, biotinylated, or unlabeled. The flexibility of this peptide system is suitable for interaction studies via surface plasmon resonance (SPR), co-crystallization, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Gene blocks containing peptide sequences of interest in addition to a 15 amino acid AviTag™, were cloned into a vector expressing an N-terminal maltose binding protein. The constructs were expressed and purified, and the molecular weights of the recombinant proteins were estimated by analytical size exclusion chromatography. Successful in situ biotinylation of the AviTag was confirmed by anti-biotin western blot and was used for coupling to the surface plasmon resonance chip. We were able to validate, as a proof of concept study, the specific protein-protein interaction of Plasmodium falciparum aldolase (PfAldolase) with three different cytoplasmic adhesin tail peptides from the family of thrombospondin-related anonymous proteins (TRAPs), and to determine their affinities. This method of peptide production enables high yield production of peptides in a two-day, cost effective manner. This tool will allow us to screen for protein-protein interaction inhibitors directed toward the liver stage and blood stage complexes of the glideosome in Plasmodium species. Adaptation of this tool will allow researchers to pursue their own studies of protein-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Boucher
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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32
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Bhargav SP, Vahokoski J, Kumpula EP, Kursula I. Crystallization and preliminary structural characterization of the two actin isoforms of the malaria parasite. Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun 2013; 69:1171-6. [PMID: 24100575 PMCID: PMC3792683 DOI: 10.1107/s174430911302441x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2013] [Accepted: 09/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is a devastating disease caused by apicomplexan parasites of the genus Plasmodium that use a divergent actin-powered molecular motor for motility and invasion. Plasmodium actin differs from canonical actins in sequence, structure and function. Here, the purification, crystallization and secondary-structure analysis of the two Plasmodium actin isoforms are presented. The recombinant parasite actins were folded and could be purified to homogeneity. Plasmodium actins I and II were crystallized in complex with the gelsolin G1 domain; the crystals diffracted to resolutions of 1.19 and 2.2 Å and belonged to space groups P2₁2₁2₁ and P2₁, respectively, each with one complex in the asymmetric unit.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juha Vahokoski
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Esa-Pekka Kumpula
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and German Electron Synchrotron (DESY), Building 25b, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Inari Kursula
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and German Electron Synchrotron (DESY), Building 25b, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
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33
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Turley S, Khamrui S, Bergman LW, Hol WG. The compact conformation of the Plasmodium knowlesi myosin tail interacting protein MTIP in complex with the C-terminal helix of myosin A. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2013; 190:56-9. [PMID: 23831369 PMCID: PMC3910325 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2013.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2013] [Revised: 06/18/2013] [Accepted: 06/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The myosin motor of the malaria parasite's invasion machinery moves over actin fibers while it is making critical contacts with the myosin-tail interacting protein (MTIP). Previously, in a "compact" Plasmodium falciparum MTIP•MyoA complex, MTIP domains 2 (D2) and 3 (D3) make contacts with the MyoA helix, and the central helix is kinked, but in an "extended" Plasmodium knowlesi MTIP•MyoA complex only D3 interacts with the MyoA helix, and the central helix is fully extended. Here we report the crystal structure of the compact P. knowlesi MTIP•MyoA complex. It appears that, depending on the pH, P. knowlesi MTIP can adopt either the compact or the extended conformation to interact with MyoA. Only at pH values above ~7.0, can key hydrogen bonds can be formed by the imidazole group of MyoA His810 with an aspartate carboxylate from the hinge of MTIP and a lysine amino group of MyoA simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stewart Turley
- Department of Biochemistry, Biomolecular Structure Center, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Susmita Khamrui
- Department of Biochemistry, Biomolecular Structure Center, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Lawrence W. Bergman
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Wim G.J. Hol
- Department of Biochemistry, Biomolecular Structure Center, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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34
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Khamrui S, Turley S, Pardon E, Steyaert J, Fan E, Verlinde CLMJ, Bergman LW, Hol WGJ. The structure of the D3 domain of Plasmodium falciparum myosin tail interacting protein MTIP in complex with a nanobody. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2013; 190:87-91. [PMID: 23831371 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2013.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2013] [Revised: 06/18/2013] [Accepted: 06/24/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites enter host cells by many sophisticated steps including use of an ATP-powered invasion machinery. The machinery consists of multiple proteins, including a special myosin (MyoA) which moves along an actin fiber and which is connected to the myosin tail interaction protein (MTIP). Here we report a crystal structure of the major MyoA-binding domain (D3) of Plasmodium falciparum MTIP in complex with an anti-MTIP nanobody. In this complex, the MyoA-binding groove in MTIP-D3 is considerably less accessible than when occupied by the MyoA helix, due to a shift of two helices. The nanobody binds to an area slightly overlapping with the MyoA binding groove, covering a hydrophobic region next to the groove entrance. This provides a new avenue for arriving at compounds interfering with the invasion machinery since small molecules binding simultaneously to the nanobody binding site and the adjacent MyoA binding groove would prevent MyoA binding by MTIP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susmita Khamrui
- Department of Biochemistry, Biomolecular Structure Center, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
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Lasonder E, Green JL, Camarda G, Talabani H, Holder AA, Langsley G, Alano P. The Plasmodium falciparum schizont phosphoproteome reveals extensive phosphatidylinositol and cAMP-protein kinase A signaling. J Proteome Res 2012; 11:5323-37. [PMID: 23025827 DOI: 10.1021/pr300557m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The asexual blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum cause the most lethal form of human malaria. During growth within an infected red blood cell, parasite multiplication and formation of invasive merozoites is called schizogony. Here, we present a detailed analysis of the phosphoproteome of P. falciparum schizonts revealing 2541 unique phosphorylation sites, including 871 novel sites. Prominent roles for cAMP-dependent protein kinase A- and phosphatidylinositol-signaling were identified following analysis by functional enrichment, phosphoprotein interaction network clustering and phospho-motif identification tools. We observed that most key enzymes in the inositol pathway are phosphorylated, which strongly suggests additional levels of regulation and crosstalk with other protein kinases that coregulate different biological processes. A distinct pattern of phosphorylation of proteins involved in merozoite egress and red blood cell invasion was noted. The analyses also revealed that cAMP-PKA signaling is implicated in a wide variety of processes including motility. We verified this finding experimentally using an in vitro kinase assay and identified three novel PKA substrates associated with the glideosome motor complex: myosin A, GAP45 and CDPK1. Therefore, in addition to an established role for CDPK1 in the motor complex, this study reveals the coinvolvement of PKA, further implicating cAMP as an important regulator of host cell invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin Lasonder
- Centre for Molecular and Biomolecular Informatics, Nijmegen Centre for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Toxoplasma gondii, the agent that causes toxoplasmosis, is an opportunistic parasite that infects many mammalian species. It is an obligate intracellular parasite that causes severe congenital neurological and ocular disease mostly in immunocompromised humans. The current regimen of therapy includes only a few medications that often lead to hypersensitivity and toxicity. In addition, there are no vaccines available to prevent the transmission of this agent. Therefore, safer and more effective medicines to treat toxoplasmosis are urgently needed. AREAS COVERED The author presents in silico and in vitro strategies that are currently used to screen for novel targets and unique chemotypes against T. gondii. Furthermore, this review highlights the screening technologies and characterization of some novel targets and new chemical entities that could be developed into highly efficacious treatments for toxoplasmosis. EXPERT OPINION A number of diverse methods are being used to design inhibitors against T. gondii. These include ligand-based methods, in which drugs that have been shown to be efficacious against other Apicomplexa parasites can be repurposed to identify lead molecules against T. gondii. In addition, structure-based methods use currently available repertoire of structural information in various databases to rationally design small-molecule inhibitors of T. gondii. Whereas the screening methods have their advantages and limitations, a combination of methods is ideally suited to design small-molecule inhibitors of complex parasites such as T. gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandhya Kortagere
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Institute for Molecular Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, 2900, Queen Lane, PA 19129, USA.
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Hain AUP, Weltzer RR, Hammond H, Jayabalasingham B, Dinglasan RR, Graham DRM, Colquhoun DR, Coppens I, Bosch J. Structural characterization and inhibition of the Plasmodium Atg8-Atg3 interaction. J Struct Biol 2012; 180:551-62. [PMID: 22982544 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2012.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2012] [Revised: 08/26/2012] [Accepted: 09/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The autophagy-related proteins are thought to serve multiple functions in Plasmodium and are considered essential to parasite survival and development. We have studied two key interacting proteins, Atg8 and Atg3, of the autophagy pathway in Plasmodium falciparum. These proteins are vital for the formation and elongation of the autophagosome and essential to the process of macroautophagy. Autophagy may be required for conversion of the sporozoite into erythrocytic-infective merozoites and may be crucial for other functions during asexual blood stages. Here we describe the identification of an Atg8 family interacting motif (AIM) in Plasmodium Atg3, which binds Plasmodium Atg8. We determined the co-crystal structure of PfAtg8 with a short Atg3¹⁰³⁻¹¹⁰ peptide, corresponding to this motif, to 2.2 Å resolution. Our in vitro interaction studies are in agreement with our X-ray crystal structure. Furthermore they suggest an important role for a unique Apicomplexan loop absent from human Atg8 homologues. Prevention of the protein-protein interaction of full length PfAtg8 with PfAtg3 was achieved at low micromolar concentrations with a small molecule, 1,2,3-trihydroxybenzene. Together our structural and interaction studies represent a starting point for future antimalarial drug discovery and design for this novel protein-protein interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adelaide U P Hain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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38
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Douse CH, Green JL, Salgado PS, Simpson PJ, Thomas JC, Langsley G, Holder AA, Tate EW, Cota E. Regulation of the Plasmodium motor complex: phosphorylation of myosin A tail-interacting protein (MTIP) loosens its grip on MyoA. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:36968-77. [PMID: 22932904 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.379842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction between the C-terminal tail of myosin A (MyoA) and its light chain, myosin A tail domain interacting protein (MTIP), is an essential feature of the conserved molecular machinery required for gliding motility and cell invasion by apicomplexan parasites. Recent data indicate that MTIP Ser-107 and/or Ser-108 are targeted for intracellular phosphorylation. Using an optimized MyoA tail peptide to reconstitute the complex, we show that this region of MTIP is an interaction hotspot using x-ray crystallography and NMR, and S107E and S108E mutants were generated to mimic the effect of phosphorylation. NMR relaxation experiments and other biophysical measurements indicate that the S108E mutation serves to break the tight clamp around the MyoA tail, whereas S107E has a smaller but measurable impact. These data are consistent with physical interactions observed between recombinant MTIP and native MyoA from Plasmodium falciparum lysates. Taken together these data support the notion that the conserved interactions between MTIP and MyoA may be specifically modulated by this post-translational modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H Douse
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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39
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Bosch J, Paige MH, Vaidya AB, Bergman LW, Hol WGJ. Crystal structure of GAP50, the anchor of the invasion machinery in the inner membrane complex of Plasmodium falciparum. J Struct Biol 2012; 178:61-73. [PMID: 22387043 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2012.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2011] [Revised: 02/08/2012] [Accepted: 02/10/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The glideosome associated protein GAP50 is an essential protein in apicomplexan parasites such as Plasmodium, Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium, several species of which are important human pathogens. The 44.6kDa protein is part of a multi-protein complex known as the invasion machinery or glideosome, which is required for cell invasion and substrate gliding motility empowered by an actin-myosin motor. GAP50 is anchored through its C-terminal transmembrane helix into the inner membrane complex and interacts via a short six residue C-terminal tail with other proteins of the invasion machinery in the pellicle of the parasite. In this paper we describe the 1.7Å resolution crystal structure of the soluble GAP50 domain from the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The structure shows an αßßα fold with overall similarity to purple acid phosphatases with, however, little homology regarding the nature of the residues in the active site region of the latter enzyme. While purple acid phosphatases contain a phosphate bridged binuclear Fe-site coordinated by seven side chains with the Fe-ions 3.2Å apart, GAP50 in our crystals contains two cobalt ions each with one protein ligand and a distance between the Co(2+) ions of 18Å.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Bosch
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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40
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Nebl T, Prieto JH, Kapp E, Smith BJ, Williams MJ, Yates JR, Cowman AF, Tonkin CJ. Quantitative in vivo analyses reveal calcium-dependent phosphorylation sites and identifies a novel component of the Toxoplasma invasion motor complex. PLoS Pathog 2011; 7:e1002222. [PMID: 21980283 PMCID: PMC3182922 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2010] [Accepted: 07/05/2011] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites depend on the invasion of host cells for survival and proliferation. Calcium-dependent signaling pathways appear to be essential for micronemal release and gliding motility, yet the target of activated kinases remains largely unknown. We have characterized calcium-dependent phosphorylation events during Toxoplasma host cell invasion. Stimulation of live tachyzoites with Ca2+-mobilizing drugs leads to phosphorylation of numerous parasite proteins, as shown by differential 2-DE display of 32[P]-labeled protein extracts. Multi-dimensional Protein Identification Technology (MudPIT) identified ∼546 phosphorylation sites on over 300 Toxoplasma proteins, including 10 sites on the actomyosin invasion motor. Using a Stable Isotope of Amino Acids in Culture (SILAC)-based quantitative LC-MS/MS analyses we monitored changes in the abundance and phosphorylation of the invasion motor complex and defined Ca2+-dependent phosphorylation patterns on three of its components - GAP45, MLC1 and MyoA. Furthermore, calcium-dependent phosphorylation of six residues across GAP45, MLC1 and MyoA is correlated with invasion motor activity. By analyzing proteins that appear to associate more strongly with the invasion motor upon calcium stimulation we have also identified a novel 15-kDa Calmodulin-like protein that likely represents the MyoA Essential Light Chain of the Toxoplasma invasion motor. This suggests that invasion motor activity could be regulated not only by phosphorylation but also by the direct binding of calcium ions to this new component. Apicomplexan parasites are a group of obligate intracellular pathogens of wide medical and agricultural significance. Included within this phylum is Plasmodium spp, the causative agents to malaria and the ubiquitous parasite Toxoplasma, which inflicts disease burden on AIDS patients, transplant recipients and the unborn fetus. No matter the host cell that they target, all apicomplexan parasites must activate invasion upon host cell contact. Calcium-mediated signal transduction pathways modulate this process, yet the molecular processes are largely unknown. Using a range of proteomics approaches we reveal proteins in Toxoplasma that are phosphorylated upon calcium signaling, and furthermore, identify phosphorylation sites on a range of proteins that may play crucial roles in regulating parasite motility and microneme secretion. By quantitatively monitoring phosphorylation deposition upon calcium signaling we define putative regulatory domains of GAP45 and MLC1 and further show evidence that the invasion motor potentially more strongly associates upon calcium signaling. We also identified that a new Calmodulin-like protein is part of the invasion motor and this suggests that direct Ca2+ binding may also modulate motor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Nebl
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia
- The Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Judith Helena Prieto
- Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Eugene Kapp
- Joint Proteomics Facility, The Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Victoria, Australia
| | - Brian J. Smith
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia
- The Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Melanie J. Williams
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia
- The Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - John R. Yates
- Department of Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Alan F. Cowman
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia
- The Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Christopher J. Tonkin
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia
- The Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- * E-mail:
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41
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Delmotte A, Tate EW, Yaliraki SN, Barahona M. Protein multi-scale organization through graph partitioning and robustness analysis: application to the myosin–myosin light chain interaction. Phys Biol 2011; 8:055010. [PMID: 21832797 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/8/5/055010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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42
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Rapid discovery of inhibitors of Toxoplasma gondii using hybrid structure-based computational approach. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2011; 25:403-11. [DOI: 10.1007/s10822-011-9420-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2010] [Accepted: 02/16/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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43
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Veigel C, Schmidt CF. Moving into the cell: single-molecule studies of molecular motors in complex environments. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2011; 12:163-76. [PMID: 21326200 DOI: 10.1038/nrm3062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Much has been learned in the past decades about molecular force generation. Single-molecule techniques, such as atomic force microscopy, single-molecule fluorescence microscopy and optical tweezers, have been key in resolving the mechanisms behind the power strokes, 'processive' steps and forces of cytoskeletal motors. However, it remains unclear how single force generators are integrated into composite mechanical machines in cells to generate complex functions such as mitosis, locomotion, intracellular transport or mechanical sensory transduction. Using dynamic single-molecule techniques to track, manipulate and probe cytoskeletal motor proteins will be crucial in providing new insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Veigel
- Department of Cellular Physiology, Institute of Physiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Schillerstrasse 44, 80336 München, Germany.
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44
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Polonais V, Javier Foth B, Chinthalapudi K, Marq JB, Manstein DJ, Soldati-Favre D, Frénal K. Unusual anchor of a motor complex (MyoD-MLC2) to the plasma membrane of Toxoplasma gondii. Traffic 2011; 12:287-300. [PMID: 21143563 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0854.2010.01148.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii possesses 11 rather atypical myosin heavy chains. The only myosin light chain described to date is MLC1, associated with myosin A, and contributing to gliding motility. In this study, we examined the repertoire of calmodulin-like proteins in Apicomplexans, identified six putative myosin light chains and determined their subcellular localization in T. gondii and Plasmodium falciparum. MLC2, only found in coccidians, is associated with myosin D via its calmodulin (CaM)-like domain and anchored to the plasma membrane of T. gondii via its N-terminal extension. Molecular modeling suggests that the MyoD-MLC2 complex is more compact than the reported structure of Plasmodium MyoA-myosin A tail-interacting protein (MTIP) complex. Anchorage of this MLC2 to the plasma membrane is likely governed by palmitoylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Polonais
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel-Servet, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
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45
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Kim JE, You DJ, Lee C, Ahn C, Seong JY, Hwang JI. Suppression of NF-κB signaling by KEAP1 regulation of IKKβ activity through autophagic degradation and inhibition of phosphorylation. Cell Signal 2010; 22:1645-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2010.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2010] [Accepted: 06/16/2010] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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46
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Kortagere S, Welsh WJ, Morrisey JM, Daly T, Ejigiri I, Sinnis P, Vaidya AB, Bergman LW. Structure-based design of novel small-molecule inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum. J Chem Inf Model 2010; 50:840-9. [PMID: 20426475 DOI: 10.1021/ci100039k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is endemic in most developing countries, with nearly 500 million cases estimated to occur each year. The need to design a new generation of antimalarial drugs that can combat the most drug-resistant forms of the malarial parasite is well recognized. In this study, we wanted to develop inhibitors of key proteins that form the invasion machinery of the malarial parasite. A critical feature of host-cell invasion by apicomplexan parasites is the interaction between the carboxy terminal tail of myosin A (MyoA) and the myosin tail interacting protein (MTIP). Using the cocrystal structure of the Plasmodium knowlesi MTIP and the MyoA tail peptide as input to the hybrid structure-based virtual screening approach, we identified a series of small molecules as having the potential to inhibit MTIP-MyoA interactions. Of the initial 15 compounds tested, a pyrazole-urea compound inhibited P. falciparum growth with an EC(50) value of 145 nM. We screened an additional 51 compounds belonging to the same chemical class and identified 8 compounds with EC(50) values less than 400 nM. Interestingly, the compounds appeared to act at several stages of the parasite's life cycle to block growth and development. The pyrazole-urea compounds identified in this study could be effective antimalarial agents because they competitively inhibit a key protein-protein interaction between MTIP and MyoA responsible for the gliding motility and the invasive features of the malarial parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandhya Kortagere
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
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47
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Thomas JC, Green JL, Howson RI, Simpson P, Moss DK, Martin SR, Holder AA, Cota E, Tate EW. Interaction and dynamics of the Plasmodium falciparum MTIP–MyoA complex, a key component of the invasion motor in the malaria parasite. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2010; 6:494-8. [DOI: 10.1039/b922093c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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48
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Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites move and actively enter host cells by substrate-dependent gliding motility, an unusual form of eukaryotic locomotion that differs fundamentally from the motility of prokaryotic and viral pathogens. Recent research has uncovered some of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying parasite motility, transmigration, and cell invasion during life cycle progression. The gliding motor machinery is embedded between the plasma membrane and the inner membrane complex, a unique double membrane layer. It consists ofimmobilized unconventional myosins, short actin stubs, and TRAP-family invasins. Assembly of this motor machinery enables force generation between parasite cytoskeletal components and an extracellular substratum. Unique properties of the individual components suggest that the rational design of motility inhibitors may lead to new intervention strategies to combat some of the most devastating human and livestock diseases.
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49
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Santos JM, Lebrun M, Daher W, Soldati D, Dubremetz JF. Apicomplexan cytoskeleton and motors: key regulators in morphogenesis, cell division, transport and motility. Int J Parasitol 2008; 39:153-62. [PMID: 19028497 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2008.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2008] [Revised: 10/13/2008] [Accepted: 10/16/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Protozoan parasites of the phylum Apicomplexa undergo a lytic cycle whereby a single zoite produced by the previous cycle has to encounter a host cell, invade it, multiply to differentiate into a new zoite generation and escape to resume a new cycle. At every step of this lytic cycle, the cytoskeleton and/or the gliding motility apparatus play a crucial role and recent results have elucidated aspects of these processes, especially in terms of the molecular characterization and interaction of the increasing number of partners involved, and the signalling mechanisms implicated. The present review aims to summarize the most recent findings in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana M Santos
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine-University of Geneva CMU, 1 rue Michel-Servet, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
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50
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Vaid A, Thomas DC, Sharma P. Role of Ca2+/calmodulin-PfPKB signaling pathway in erythrocyte invasion by Plasmodium falciparum. J Biol Chem 2007; 283:5589-97. [PMID: 18165240 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m708465200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular mechanisms by which signaling pathways operate in the malaria parasite and control its development are promiscuous. Recently, we reported the identification of a signaling pathway in Plasmodium falciparum, which involves activation of protein kinase B-like enzyme (PfPKB) by calcium/calmodulin (Vaid, A., and Sharma, P. (2006) J. Biol. Chem. 281, 27126-27133). Studies carried out to elucidate the function of this pathway suggested that it may be important for erythrocyte invasion. Blocking the function of the upstream activators of this pathway, calmodulin and phospholipase C, resulted in impaired invasion. To evaluate if this signaling cascade controls invasion by regulating PfPKB, inhibitors against this kinase were developed. PfPKB inhibitors dramatically reduced the ability of the parasite to invade erythrocytes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that PfPKB associates with actin-myosin motor and phosphorylates PfGAP45 (glideosome-associated protein 45), one of the important components of the motor complex, which may help explain its role in erythrocyte invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankush Vaid
- Eukaryotic Gene Expression Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi-110067, India
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