1
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Klar PB, Waterman DG, Gruene T, Mullick D, Song Y, Gilchrist JB, Owen CD, Wen W, Biran I, Houben L, Regev-Rudzki N, Dzikowski R, Marom N, Palatinus L, Zhang P, Leiserowitz L, Elbaum M. Cryo-tomography and 3D Electron Diffraction Reveal the Polar Habit and Chiral Structure of the Malaria Pigment Crystal Hemozoin. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2024; 10:1504-1514. [PMID: 39220700 PMCID: PMC11363319 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.4c00162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Detoxification of heme in Plasmodium depends on its crystallization into hemozoin. This pathway is a major target of antimalarial drugs. The crystalline structure of hemozoin was established by X-ray powder diffraction using a synthetic analog, β-hematin. Here, we apply emerging methods of in situ cryo-electron tomography and 3D electron diffraction to obtain a definitive structure of hemozoin directly from ruptured parasite cells. Biogenic hemozoin crystals take a striking polar morphology. Like β-hematin, the unit cell contains a heme dimer, which may form four distinct stereoisomers: two centrosymmetric and two chiral enantiomers. Diffraction analysis, supported by density functional theory analysis, reveals a selective mixture in the hemozoin lattice of one centrosymmetric and one chiral dimer. Absolute configuration has been determined by morphological analysis and confirmed by a novel method of exit-wave reconstruction from a focal series. Atomic disorder appears on specific facets asymmetrically, and the polar morphology can be understood in light of water binding. Structural modeling of the heme detoxification protein suggests a function as a chiral agent to bias the dimer formation in favor of rapid growth of a single crystalline phase. The refined structure of hemozoin should serve as a guide to new drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Benjamin Klar
- Faculty
of Geosciences and MAPEX Center for Materials and Processes, University of Bremen, Klagenfurter Str. 2, 28359 Bremen, Germany
- Institute
of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Slovance 2, 182
21 Prague 8, Czechia
| | - David Geoffrey Waterman
- STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0FA, U.K.
- CCP4,
Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford
Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0FA, U.K.
| | - Tim Gruene
- Department
of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Debakshi Mullick
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann
Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yun Song
- Diamond
Light
Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, U.K.
| | | | - C. David Owen
- Diamond
Light
Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, U.K.
| | - Wen Wen
- Department
of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Idan Biran
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Lothar Houben
- Department
of Chemical Research Support, Weizmann Institute
of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Neta Regev-Rudzki
- Department
of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute
of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ron Dzikowski
- Department
of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Medical Research
Israel-Canada, and The Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious and
Tropical Diseases, The Hebrew University-Hadassah
Medical School, Jerusalem 9112010, Israel
| | - Noa Marom
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie
Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Lukas Palatinus
- Institute
of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Slovance 2, 182
21 Prague 8, Czechia
| | - Peijun Zhang
- Diamond
Light
Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, U.K.
- Division
of Structural Biology, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
| | - Leslie Leiserowitz
- Department
of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Michael Elbaum
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann
Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot, Israel
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2
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Loveridge KM, Sigala PA. Identification of a divalent metal transporter required for cellular iron metabolism in malaria parasites. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.10.587216. [PMID: 38798484 PMCID: PMC11118319 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.10.587216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites invade and multiply inside red blood cells (RBCs), the most iron-rich compartment in humans. Like all cells, P. falciparum requires nutritional iron to support essential metabolic pathways, but the critical mechanisms of iron acquisition and trafficking during RBC infection have remained obscure. Parasites internalize and liberate massive amounts of heme during large-scale digestion of RBC hemoglobin within an acidic food vacuole (FV) but lack a heme oxygenase to release porphyrin-bound iron. Although most FV heme is sequestered into inert hemozoin crystals, prior studies indicate that trace heme escapes biomineralization and is susceptible to non-enzymatic degradation within the oxidizing FV environment to release labile iron. Parasites retain a homolog of divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), a known mammalian iron transporter, but its role in P. falciparum iron acquisition has not been tested. Our phylogenetic studies indicate that P. falciparum DMT1 (PfDMT1) retains conserved molecular features critical for metal transport. We localized this protein to the FV membrane and defined its orientation in an export-competent topology. Conditional knockdown of PfDMT1 expression is lethal to parasites, which display broad cellular defects in iron-dependent functions, including impaired apicoplast biogenesis and mitochondrial polarization. Parasites are selectively rescued from partial PfDMT1 knockdown by supplementation with exogenous iron, but not other metals. These results support a cellular paradigm whereby PfDMT1 is the molecular gatekeeper to essential iron acquisition by blood-stage malaria parasites and suggest that therapeutic targeting of PfDMT1 may be a potent antimalarial strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kade M. Loveridge
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Paul A. Sigala
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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3
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Omorou R, Delabie B, Lavoignat A, Chaker V, Bonnot G, Traore K, Bienvenu AL, Picot S. Nanoparticle tracking analysis of natural hemozoin from Plasmodium parasites. Acta Trop 2024; 250:107105. [PMID: 38135133 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.107105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hemozoin is a byproduct of hemoglobin digestion crucial for parasite survival. It forms crystals that can be of interest as drug targets or biomarkers of malaria infection. However, hemozoin has long been considered as an amorphous crystal of simple morphology. Studying the consequences of biomineralization of this crystal during the parasite growth may provide more comprehensive evidence of its role during malaria. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the interest of nanoparticles tracker analysis for measuring the concentration and size of hemozoin particles produced from different parasite sources and conditions. METHODS Hemozoin was extracted from several clones of Plasmodium falciparum both asexual and sexual parasites. Hemozoin was also extracted from blood samples of malaria patients and from saliva of asymptomatic malaria carriers. Nanoparticles tracking analysis (NTA) was performed to assess the size and concentration of hemozoin. RESULTS NTA data showed variation in hemozoin concentration, size, and crystal clusters between parasite clones, species, and stages. Among parasite clones, hemozoin concentration ranged from 131 to 2663 particles/infected red blood cell (iRBC) and size ranged from 149.6 ± 6.3 nm to 234.8 ± 40.1 nm. The mean size was lower for Plasmodium vivax (176 ± 79.2 nm) than for Plasmodium falciparum (254.8 ± 74.0 nm). Sexual NF54 parasites showed a 7.5-fold higher concentration of hemozoin particles (28.7 particles/iRBC) compared to asexual parasites (3.8 particles/iRBC). In addition, the mean hemozoin size also increased by approximately 60 % for sexual parasites. Compared to in vitro cultures of parasites, blood samples showed low hemozoin concentrations. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the potential of NTA as a useful method for analyzing hemozoin, demonstrating its ability to provide detailed information on hemozoin characterization. However, further research is needed to adapt the NTA for hemozoin analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roukayatou Omorou
- Malaria Research Unit, UMR 5246 CNRS-INSA-CPE, University Lyon1, University Lyon, Villeurbanne 69100, France.
| | - Blanche Delabie
- Malaria Research Unit, UMR 5246 CNRS-INSA-CPE, University Lyon1, University Lyon, Villeurbanne 69100, France
| | - Adeline Lavoignat
- Malaria Research Unit, UMR 5246 CNRS-INSA-CPE, University Lyon1, University Lyon, Villeurbanne 69100, France
| | - Victorien Chaker
- Malaria Research Unit, UMR 5246 CNRS-INSA-CPE, University Lyon1, University Lyon, Villeurbanne 69100, France
| | - Guillaume Bonnot
- Malaria Research Unit, UMR 5246 CNRS-INSA-CPE, University Lyon1, University Lyon, Villeurbanne 69100, France
| | - Karim Traore
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Anne-Lise Bienvenu
- Malaria Research Unit, UMR 5246 CNRS-INSA-CPE, University Lyon1, University Lyon, Villeurbanne 69100, France; Service Pharmacie, Groupement Hospitalier Nord, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon 69004, France
| | - Stephane Picot
- Malaria Research Unit, UMR 5246 CNRS-INSA-CPE, University Lyon1, University Lyon, Villeurbanne 69100, France; Institute of Parasitology and Medical Mycology, Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon 69004, France
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4
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Singh R, Singh R, Srihari V, Makde RD. In Vitro Investigation Unveiling New Insights into the Antimalarial Mechanism of Chloroquine: Role in Perturbing Nucleation Events during Heme to β-Hematin Transformation. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:1647-1657. [PMID: 37471056 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Malaria parasites generate toxic heme during hemoglobin digestion, which is neutralized by crystallizing into inert hemozoin (β-hematin). Chloroquine blocks this detoxification process, resulting in heme-mediated toxicity in malaria parasites. However, the exact mechanism of chloroquine's action remains unknown. This study investigates the impact of chloroquine on the transformation of heme into β-hematin. The results show that chloroquine does not completely halt the transformation process but rather slows it down. Additionally, chloroquine complexation with free heme does not affect substrate availability or inhibit β-hematin formation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) studies indicate that the size of β-hematin crystal particles and crystallites increases in the presence of chloroquine, suggesting that chloroquine does not impede crystal growth. These findings suggest that chloroquine delays hemozoin production by perturbing the nucleation events of crystals and/or the stability of crystal nuclei. Thus, contrary to prevailing beliefs, this study provides a new perspective on the working mechanism of chloroquine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Singh
- Beamline Development and Application Section, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai 400085, India
| | - Rashmi Singh
- Laser & Functional Materials Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452013, India
| | - Velaga Srihari
- High Pressure and Synchrotron Radiation Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 40008, Maharashtra, India
| | - Ravindra D Makde
- Beamline Development and Application Section, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai 400085, India
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5
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Alder A, Sanchez CP, Russell MRG, Collinson LM, Lanzer M, Blackman MJ, Gilberger TW, Matz JM. The role of Plasmodium V-ATPase in vacuolar physiology and antimalarial drug uptake. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2306420120. [PMID: 37463201 PMCID: PMC10372686 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306420120] [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: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
To ensure their survival in the human bloodstream, malaria parasites degrade up to 80% of the host erythrocyte hemoglobin in an acidified digestive vacuole. Here, we combine conditional reverse genetics and quantitative imaging approaches to demonstrate that the human malaria pathogen Plasmodium falciparum employs a heteromultimeric V-ATPase complex to acidify the digestive vacuole matrix, which is essential for intravacuolar hemoglobin release, heme detoxification, and parasite survival. We reveal an additional function of the membrane-embedded V-ATPase subunits in regulating morphogenesis of the digestive vacuole independent of proton translocation. We further show that intravacuolar accumulation of antimalarial chemotherapeutics is surprisingly resilient to severe deacidification of the vacuole and that modulation of V-ATPase activity does not affect parasite sensitivity toward these drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Alder
- Cell Biology of Human Parasites Group, Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg22607, Germany
- Cellular Parasitology Department, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg20359, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg20146, Germany
| | - Cecilia P. Sanchez
- Center of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg69120, Germany
| | - Matthew R. G. Russell
- Electron Microscopy Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, LondonNW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Centre for Ultrastructural Imaging, King’s College London, LondonSE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy M. Collinson
- Electron Microscopy Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, LondonNW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Lanzer
- Center of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg69120, Germany
| | - Michael J. Blackman
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, LondonNW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, LondonWC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Tim-Wolf Gilberger
- Cell Biology of Human Parasites Group, Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg22607, Germany
- Cellular Parasitology Department, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg20359, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg20146, Germany
| | - Joachim M. Matz
- Cell Biology of Human Parasites Group, Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg22607, Germany
- Cellular Parasitology Department, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg20359, Germany
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, LondonNW1 1AT, United Kingdom
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6
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Ghosh S, Kundu R, Chandana M, Das R, Anand A, Beura S, Bobde RC, Jain V, Prabhu SR, Behera PK, Mohanty AK, Chakrapani M, Satyamoorthy K, Suryawanshi AR, Dixit A, Padmanaban G, Nagaraj VA. Distinct evolution of type I glutamine synthetase in Plasmodium and its species-specific requirement. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4216. [PMID: 37452051 PMCID: PMC10349072 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39670-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasite lacks canonical pathways for amino acid biosynthesis and depends primarily on hemoglobin degradation and extracellular resources for amino acids. Interestingly, a putative gene for glutamine synthetase (GS) is retained despite glutamine being an abundant amino acid in human and mosquito hosts. Here we show Plasmodium GS has evolved as a unique type I enzyme with distinct structural and regulatory properties to adapt to the asexual niche. Methionine sulfoximine (MSO) and phosphinothricin (PPT) inhibit parasite GS activity. GS is localized to the parasite cytosol and abundantly expressed in all the life cycle stages. Parasite GS displays species-specific requirement in Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) having asparagine-rich proteome. Targeting PfGS affects asparagine levels and inhibits protein synthesis through eIF2α phosphorylation leading to parasite death. Exposure of artemisinin-resistant Pf parasites to MSO and PPT inhibits the emergence of viable parasites upon artemisinin treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourav Ghosh
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Rajib Kundu
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Manjunatha Chandana
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar, 751024, Odisha, India
| | - Rahul Das
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Aditya Anand
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Subhashree Beura
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
| | - Ruchir Chandrakant Bobde
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Vishal Jain
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
| | - Sowmya Ramakant Prabhu
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Akshaya Kumar Mohanty
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- Ispat General Hospital, Sector 19, Rourkela, 769005, Odisha, India
| | - Mahabala Chakrapani
- Department of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Kapaettu Satyamoorthy
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Anshuman Dixit
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
| | - Govindarajan Padmanaban
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, Karnataka, India
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7
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Jonsdottir TK, Elsworth B, Cobbold S, Gabriela M, Ploeger E, Parkyn Schneider M, Charnaud SC, Dans MG, McConville M, Bullen HE, Crabb BS, Gilson PR. PTEX helps efficiently traffic haemoglobinases to the food vacuole in Plasmodium falciparum. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011006. [PMID: 37523385 PMCID: PMC10414648 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011006] [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: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A key element of Plasmodium biology and pathogenesis is the trafficking of ~10% of the parasite proteome into the host red blood cell (RBC) it infects. To cross the parasite-encasing parasitophorous vacuole membrane, exported proteins utilise a channel-forming protein complex termed the Plasmodium translocon of exported proteins (PTEX). PTEX is obligatory for parasite survival, both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that at least some exported proteins have essential metabolic functions. However, to date only one essential PTEX-dependent process, the new permeability pathways, has been described. To identify other essential PTEX-dependant proteins/processes, we conditionally knocked down the expression of one of its core components, PTEX150, and examined which pathways were affected. Surprisingly, the food vacuole mediated process of haemoglobin (Hb) digestion was substantially perturbed by PTEX150 knockdown. Using a range of transgenic parasite lines and approaches, we show that two major Hb proteases; falcipain 2a and plasmepsin II, interact with PTEX core components, implicating the translocon in the trafficking of Hb proteases. We propose a model where these proteases are translocated into the PV via PTEX in order to reach the cytostome, located at the parasite periphery, prior to food vacuole entry. This work offers a second mechanistic explanation for why PTEX function is essential for growth of the parasite within its host RBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorey K. Jonsdottir
- Malaria Virulence and Drug Discovery Group, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Brendan Elsworth
- Malaria Virulence and Drug Discovery Group, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Simon Cobbold
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Mikha Gabriela
- Malaria Virulence and Drug Discovery Group, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Ellen Ploeger
- Malaria Virulence and Drug Discovery Group, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Sarah C. Charnaud
- Malaria Virulence and Drug Discovery Group, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Madeline G. Dans
- Malaria Virulence and Drug Discovery Group, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Malcolm McConville
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Hayley E. Bullen
- Malaria Virulence and Drug Discovery Group, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Brendan S. Crabb
- Malaria Virulence and Drug Discovery Group, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Immunology and Pathology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Paul R. Gilson
- Malaria Virulence and Drug Discovery Group, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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8
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Anand A, Chandana M, Ghosh S, Das R, Singh N, Vaishalli PM, Gantasala NP, Padmanaban G, Nagaraj VA. Significance of Plasmodium berghei Amino Acid Transporter 1 in Food Vacuole Functionality and Its Association with Cerebral Pathogenesis. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0494322. [PMID: 36976018 PMCID: PMC10101031 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04943-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The food vacuole plays a central role in the blood stage of parasite development by digesting host hemoglobin acquired from red blood cells and detoxifying the host heme released during hemoglobin digestion into hemozoin. Blood-stage parasites undergo periodic schizont bursts, releasing food vacuoles containing hemozoin. Clinical studies in malaria-infected patients and in vivo animal studies have shown the association of hemozoin with disease pathogenesis and abnormal host immune responses in malaria. Here, we perform a detailed in vivo characterization of putative Plasmodium berghei amino acid transporter 1 localized in the food vacuole to understand its significance in the malaria parasite. We show that the targeted deletion of amino acid transporter 1 in Plasmodium berghei leads to a swollen food vacuole phenotype with the accumulation of host hemoglobin-derived peptides. Plasmodium berghei amino acid transporter 1-knockout parasites produce less hemozoin, and the hemozoin crystals display a thin morphology compared with wild-type parasites. The knockout parasites show reduced sensitivity to chloroquine and amodiaquine by showing recrudescence. More importantly, mice infected with the knockout parasites are protected from cerebral malaria and display reduced neuronal inflammation and cerebral complications. Genetic complementation of the knockout parasites restores the food vacuole morphology with hemozoin levels similar to that of wild-type parasites, causing cerebral malaria in the infected mice. The knockout parasites also show a significant delay in male gametocyte exflagellation. Our findings highlight the significance of amino acid transporter 1 in food vacuole functionality and its association with malaria pathogenesis and gametocyte development. IMPORTANCE Food vacuoles of the malaria parasite are involved in the degradation of red blood cell hemoglobin. The amino acids derived from hemoglobin degradation support parasite growth, and the heme released is detoxified into hemozoin. Antimalarials such as quinolines target hemozoin formation in the food vacuole. Food vacuole transporters transport hemoglobin-derived amino acids and peptides from the food vacuole to the parasite cytosol. Such transporters are also associated with drug resistance. Here, we show that the deletion of amino acid transporter 1 in Plasmodium berghei leads to swollen food vacuoles with the accumulation of hemoglobin-derived peptides. The transporter-deleted parasites generate less hemozoin with thin crystal morphology and show reduced sensitivity to quinolines. Mice infected with transporter-deleted parasites are protected from cerebral malaria. There is also a delay in male gametocyte exflagellation, affecting transmission. Our findings uncover the functional significance of amino acid transporter 1 in the life cycle of the malaria parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Anand
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Manjunatha Chandana
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Sourav Ghosh
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Rahul Das
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Nalini Singh
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Pradeep Mini Vaishalli
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, Haryana, India
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9
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Attram HD, Korkor CM, Taylor D, Njoroge M, Chibale K. Antimalarial Imidazopyridines Incorporating an Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding Motif: Medicinal Chemistry and Mechanistic Studies. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:928-942. [PMID: 36946433 PMCID: PMC10111423 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
We previously identified a novel class of antimalarial benzimidazoles incorporating an intramolecular hydrogen bonding motif. The frontrunner of the series, analogue A, showed nanomolar activity against the chloroquine-sensitive NF54 and multi-drug-resistant K1 strains of Plasmodium falciparum (PfNF54 IC50 = 0.079 μM; PfK1 IC50 = 0.335 μM). Here, we describe a cell-based medicinal chemistry structure-activity relationship study using compound A as a basis. This effort led to the identification of novel antimalarial imidazopyridines with activities of <1 μM, favorable cytotoxicity profiles, and good physicochemical properties. Analogue 14 ( PfNF54 IC50 = 0.08 μM; PfK1 IC50 = 0.10 μM) was identified as the frontrunner of the series. Preliminary mode of action studies employing molecular docking, live-cell confocal microscopy, and a cellular heme fractionation assay revealed that 14 does not directly inhibit the conversion of heme to hemozoin, although it could be involved in other processes in the parasite's digestive vacuole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrietta D Attram
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Constance M Korkor
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Dale Taylor
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Mathew Njoroge
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Kelly Chibale
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
- Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D), University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
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10
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Muppidi P, Wright E, Wassmer SC, Gupta H. Diagnosis of cerebral malaria: Tools to reduce Plasmodium falciparum associated mortality. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1090013. [PMID: 36844403 PMCID: PMC9947298 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1090013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Cerebral malaria (CM) is a major cause of mortality in Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) infection and is associated with the sequestration of parasitised erythrocytes in the microvasculature of the host's vital organs. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are key to a positive outcome in CM. However, current diagnostic tools remain inadequate to assess the degree of brain dysfunction associated with CM before the window for effective treatment closes. Several host and parasite factor-based biomarkers have been suggested as rapid diagnostic tools with potential for early CM diagnosis, however, no specific biomarker signature has been validated. Here, we provide an updated review on promising CM biomarker candidates and evaluate their applicability as point-of-care tools in malaria-endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranavi Muppidi
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Wright
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel C. Wassmer
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Himanshu Gupta
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Applied Sciences & Humanities, GLA University, Mathura, UP, India
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11
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Abstract
An abundant metal in the human body, iron is essential for key biological pathways including oxygen transport, DNA metabolism, and mitochondrial function. Most iron is bound to heme but it can also be incorporated into iron-sulfur clusters or bind directly to proteins. Iron's capacity to cycle between Fe2+ and Fe3+ contributes to its biological utility but also renders it toxic in excess. Heme is an iron-containing tetrapyrrole essential for diverse biological functions including gas transport and sensing, oxidative metabolism, and xenobiotic detoxification. Like iron, heme is essential yet toxic in excess. As such, both iron and heme homeostasis are tightly regulated. Here we discuss molecular and physiologic aspects of iron and heme metabolism. We focus on dietary absorption; cellular import; utilization; and export, recycling, and elimination, emphasizing studies published in recent years. We end with a discussion on current challenges and needs in the field of iron and heme biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sohini Dutt
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences and Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Iqbal Hamza
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences and Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
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12
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Babesia, Theileria, Plasmodium and Hemoglobin. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10081651. [PMID: 36014069 PMCID: PMC9414693 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10081651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The Propagation of Plasmodium spp. and Babesia/Theileria spp. vertebrate blood stages relies on the mediated acquisition of nutrients available within the host’s red blood cell (RBC). The cellular processes of uptake, trafficking and metabolic processing of host RBC proteins are thus crucial for the intraerythrocytic development of these parasites. In contrast to malarial Plasmodia, the molecular mechanisms of uptake and processing of the major RBC cytoplasmic protein hemoglobin remain widely unexplored in intraerythrocytic Babesia/Theileria species. In the paper, we thus provide an updated comparison of the intraerythrocytic stage feeding mechanisms of these two distantly related groups of parasitic Apicomplexa. As the associated metabolic pathways including proteolytic degradation and networks facilitating heme homeostasis represent attractive targets for diverse antimalarials, and alterations in these pathways underpin several mechanisms of malaria drug resistance, our ambition is to highlight some fundamental differences resulting in different implications for parasite management with the potential for novel interventions against Babesia/Theileria infections.
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13
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Roth-Walter F. Iron-Deficiency in Atopic Diseases: Innate Immune Priming by Allergens and Siderophores. FRONTIERS IN ALLERGY 2022; 3:859922. [PMID: 35769558 PMCID: PMC9234869 DOI: 10.3389/falgy.2022.859922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although iron is one of the most abundant elements on earth, about a third of the world's population are affected by iron deficiency. Main drivers of iron deficiency are beside the chronic lack of dietary iron, a hampered uptake machinery as a result of immune activation. Macrophages are the principal cells distributing iron in the human body with their iron restriction skewing these cells to a more pro-inflammatory state. Consequently, iron deficiency has a pronounced impact on immune cells, favoring Th2-cell survival, immunoglobulin class switching and primes mast cells for degranulation. Iron deficiency during pregnancy increases the risk of atopic diseases in children, while both children and adults with allergy are more likely to have anemia. In contrast, an improved iron status seems to protect against allergy development. Here, the most important interconnections between iron metabolism and allergies, the effect of iron deprivation on distinct immune cell types, as well as the pathophysiology in atopic diseases are summarized. Although the main focus will be humans, we also compare them with innate defense and iron sequestration strategies of microbes, given, particularly, attention to catechol-siderophores. Similarly, the defense and nutritional strategies in plants with their inducible systemic acquired resistance by salicylic acid, which further leads to synthesis of flavonoids as well as pathogenesis-related proteins, will be elaborated as both are very important for understanding the etiology of allergic diseases. Many allergens, such as lipocalins and the pathogenesis-related proteins, are able to bind iron and either deprive or supply iron to immune cells. Thus, a locally induced iron deficiency will result in immune activation and allergic sensitization. However, the same proteins such as the whey protein beta-lactoglobulin can also transport this precious micronutrient to the host immune cells (holoBLG) and hinder their activation, promoting tolerance and protecting against allergy. Since 2019, several clinical trials have also been conducted in allergic subjects using holoBLG as a food for special medical purposes, leading to a reduction in the allergic symptom burden. Supplementation with nutrient-carrying lipocalin proteins can circumvent the mucosal block and nourish selectively immune cells, therefore representing a new dietary and causative approach to compensate for functional iron deficiency in allergy sufferers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Roth-Walter
- Comparative Medicine, The Interuniversity Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center of Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- *Correspondence: Franziska Roth-Walter ;
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14
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Matz JM. Plasmodium’s bottomless pit: properties and functions of the malaria parasite's digestive vacuole. Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:525-543. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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15
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Gruene T, Mugnaioli E. 3D Electron Diffraction for Chemical Analysis: Instrumentation Developments and Innovative Applications. Chem Rev 2021; 121:11823-11834. [PMID: 34533919 PMCID: PMC8517952 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
In the past few years, many exciting papers reported results based on crystal structure determination by electron diffraction. The aim of this review is to provide general and practical information to structural chemists interested in stepping into this emerging field. We discuss technical characteristics of electron microscopes for research units that would like to acquire their own instrumentation, as well as those practical aspects that appear different between X-ray and electron crystallography. We also include a discussion about applications where electron crystallography provides information that is different, and possibly complementary, with respect to what is available from X-ray crystallography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Gruene
- University
of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry,
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, AT-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Enrico Mugnaioli
- Center
for Nanotechnology Innovation@NEST, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza S. Silvestro 12, IT-56127 Pisa, Italy
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16
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Behrens HM, Schmidt S, Spielmann T. The newly discovered role of endocytosis in artemisinin resistance. Med Res Rev 2021; 41:2998-3022. [PMID: 34309894 DOI: 10.1002/med.21848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Artemisinin and its derivatives (ART) are the cornerstone of malaria treatment as part of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT). However, reduced susceptibility to artemisinin as well as its partner drugs threatens the usefulness of ACTs. Single point mutations in the parasite protein Kelch13 (K13) are necessary and sufficient for the reduced sensitivity of malaria parasites to ART but several alternative mechanisms for this resistance have been proposed. Recent work found that K13 is involved in the endocytosis of host cell cytosol and indicated that this is the process responsible for resistance in parasites with mutated K13. These studies also identified a series of further proteins that act together with K13 in the same pathway, including previously suspected resistance proteins such as UBP1 and AP-2μ. Here, we give a brief overview of artemisinin resistance, present the recent evidence of the role of endocytosis in ART resistance and discuss previous hypotheses in light of this new evidence. We also give an outlook on how the new insights might affect future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Michaela Behrens
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Section, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sabine Schmidt
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Section, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Spielmann
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Section, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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de Villiers KA, Egan TJ. Heme Detoxification in the Malaria Parasite: A Target for Antimalarial Drug Development. Acc Chem Res 2021; 54:2649-2659. [PMID: 33982570 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Over the last century, malaria deaths have decreased by more than 85%. Nonetheless, there were 405 000 deaths in 2018, mostly resulting from Plasmodium falciparum infection. In the 21st century, much of the advance has arisen from the deployment of insecticide-treated bed nets and artemisinin combination therapy. However, over the past few decades parasites with a delayed artemisinin clearance phenotype have appeared in Southeast Asia, threatening further gains. The effort to find new drugs is thus urgent. A prominent process in blood stage malaria parasites, which we contend remains a viable drug target, is hemozoin formation. This crystalline material consisting of heme can be readily seen when parasites are viewed microscopically. The process of its formation in the parasite, however, is still not fully understood.In early work, we recognized hemozoin formation as a biomineralization process. We have subsequently investigated the kinetics of synthetic hemozoin (β-hematin) crystallization catalyzed at lipid-aqueous interfaces under biomimetic conditions. This led us to the use of neutral detergent-based high-throughput screening (HTS) for inhibitors of β-hematin formation. A good hit rate against malaria parasites was obtained. Simultaneously, we developed a pyridine-based assay which proved successful in measuring the concentrations of hematin not converted to β-hematin.The pyridine assay was adapted to determine the effects of chloroquine and other clinical antimalarials on hemozoin formation in the cell. This permitted the determination of the dose-dependent amounts of exchangeable heme and hemozoin in P. falciparum for the first time. These studies have shown that hemozoin inhibitors cause a dose-dependent increase in exchangeable heme, correlated with decreased parasite survival. Electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI) showed a relocation of heme iron into the parasite cytoplasm, while electron microscopy provided evidence of the disruption of hemozoin crystals. This cellular assay was subsequently extended to top-ranked hits from a wide range of scaffolds found by HTS. Intriguingly, the amounts of exchangeable heme at the parasite growth IC50 values of these scaffolds showed substantial variation. The amount of exchangeable heme was found to be correlated with the amount of inhibitor accumulated in the parasitized red blood cell. This suggests that heme-inhibitor complexes, rather than free heme, lead to parasite death. This was supported by ESI using a Br-containing compound which showed the colocalization of Fe and Br as well as by confocal Raman microscopy which confirmed the presence of a complex in the parasite. Current evidence indicates that inhibitors block hemozoin formation by surface adsorption. Indeed, we have successfully introduced molecular docking with hemozoin to find new inhibitors. It follows that the resulting increase in free heme leads to the formation of the parasiticidal heme-inhibitor complex. We have reported crystal structures of heme-drug complexes for several aryl methanol antimalarials in nonaqueous media. These form coordination complexes but most other inhibitors interact noncovalently, and the determination of their structures remains a major challenge.It is our view that key future developments will include improved assays to measure cellular heme levels, better in silico approaches for predicting β-hematin inhibition, and a concerted effort to determine the structure and properties of heme-inhibitor complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A. de Villiers
- Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag, Matieland 7600, South Africa
| | - Timothy J. Egan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town 7945, South Africa
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18
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Kapishnikov S, Hempelmann E, Elbaum M, Als‐Nielsen J, Leiserowitz L. Malaria Pigment Crystals: The Achilles' Heel of the Malaria Parasite. ChemMedChem 2021; 16:1515-1532. [PMID: 33523575 PMCID: PMC8252759 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The biogenic formation of hemozoin crystals, a crucial process in heme detoxification by the malaria parasite, is reviewed as an antimalarial drug target. We first focus on the in-vivo formation of hemozoin. A model is presented, based on native-contrast 3D imaging obtained by X-ray and electron microscopy, that hemozoin nucleates at the inner membrane leaflet of the parasitic digestive vacuole, and grows in the adjacent aqueous medium. Having observed quantities of hemoglobin and hemozoin in the digestive vacuole, we present a model that heme liberation from hemoglobin and hemozoin formation is an assembly-line process. The crystallization is preceded by reaction between heme monomers yielding hematin dimers involving fewer types of isomers than in synthetic hemozoin; this is indicative of protein-induced dimerization. Models of antimalarial drugs binding onto hemozoin surfaces are reviewed. This is followed by a description of bromoquine, a chloroquine drug analogue, capping a significant fraction of hemozoin surfaces within the digestive vacuole and accumulation of the drug, presumably a bromoquine-hematin complex, at the vacuole's membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Kapishnikov
- Dept. of Chemical Research SupportWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovot7610001Israel
| | - Ernst Hempelmann
- Center of Cellular and Molecular Biology of DiseasesInstituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP)City of Knowledge0843 (Republic ofPanama
| | - Michael Elbaum
- Dept. of Chemical and Biological PhysicsWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovot7610001Israel
| | - Jens Als‐Nielsen
- Niels Bohr InstituteUniversity of Copenhagen2100CopenhagenDenmark
| | - Leslie Leiserowitz
- Dept. of Molecular Chemistry and Materials ScienceWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovot7610001Israel
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