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Rani V, Tyagi A, Kohli N, Singh BP, Sangeetha KG, Kumar A. Structural, Spectroscopic, and Molecular Docking Analysis of Benzophenone N(4)-methyl-N(4)-phenyl Thiosemicarbazone Using Density Functional Theory. Polycycl Aromat Compd 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/10406638.2022.2130375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Varsha Rani
- Department of Physics, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, India
| | - Akansha Tyagi
- Department of Physics, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, India
| | - Navneeta Kohli
- Department of Physics, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, India
| | - Beer Pal Singh
- Department of Physics, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, India
| | - K. G. Sangeetha
- Department of Chemistry, The Zamorin’s Guruvayurappan College, Kozhikode, India
| | - Anuj Kumar
- Department of Physics, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, India
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Mahmud F, Lai NS, How SE, Gansau JA, Mustaffa KMF, Leow CH, Osman H, Sidek HM, Embi N, Lee PC. Bioactivities and Mode of Actions of Dibutyl Phthalates and Nocardamine from Streptomyces sp. H11809. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27072292. [PMID: 35408690 PMCID: PMC9000801 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27072292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) produced by Streptomyces sp. H11809 exerted inhibitory activity against human GSK-3β (Hs GSK-3β) and Plasmodiumfalciparum 3D7 (Pf 3D7) malaria parasites. The current study aimed to determine DBP’s plausible mode of action against Hs GSK-3β and Pf 3D7. Molecular docking analysis indicated that DBP has a higher binding affinity to the substrate-binding site (pocket 2; −6.9 kcal/mol) than the ATP-binding site (pocket 1; −6.1 kcal/mol) of Hs GSK-3β. It was suggested that the esters of DBP play a pivotal role in the inhibition of Hs GSK-3β through the formation of hydrogen bonds with Arg96/Glu97 amino acid residues in pocket 2. Subsequently, an in vitro Hs GSK-3β enzymatic assay revealed that DBP inhibits the activity of Hs GSK-3β via mixed inhibition inhibitory mechanisms, with a moderate IC50 of 2.0 µM. Furthermore, the decrease in Km value with an increasing DBP concentration suggested that DBP favors binding on free Hs GSK-3β over its substrate-bound state. However, the antimalarial mode of action of DBP remains unknown since the generation of a Pf 3D7 DBP-resistant clone was not successful. Thus, the molecular target of DBP might be indispensable for Pf survival. We also identified nocardamine as another active compound from Streptomyces sp. H11809 chloroform extract. It showed potent antimalarial activity with an IC50 of 1.5 μM, which is ~10-fold more potent than DBP, but with no effect on Hs GSK-3β. The addition of ≥12.5 µM ferric ions into the Pf culture reduced nocardamine antimalarial activity by 90% under in vitro settings. Hence, the iron-chelating ability of nocardamine was shown to starve the parasites from their iron source, eventually inhibiting their growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fauze Mahmud
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Malaysia; (F.M.); (K.M.F.M.); (C.H.L.)
- Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Malaysia; (S.E.H.); (J.A.G.)
| | - Ngit Shin Lai
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Malaysia; (F.M.); (K.M.F.M.); (C.H.L.)
- Correspondence: (N.S.L.); (P.-C.L.); Tel.: +60-4653-4862 (N.S.L.); +60-8832-0000 (P.-C.L.); Fax: +60-4653-4803 (N.S.L.); +60-8843-2324 (P.-C.L.)
| | - Siew Eng How
- Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Malaysia; (S.E.H.); (J.A.G.)
| | - Jualang Azlan Gansau
- Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Malaysia; (S.E.H.); (J.A.G.)
| | - Khairul Mohd Fadzli Mustaffa
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Malaysia; (F.M.); (K.M.F.M.); (C.H.L.)
| | - Chiuan Herng Leow
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Malaysia; (F.M.); (K.M.F.M.); (C.H.L.)
| | - Hasnah Osman
- School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Malaysia;
| | - Hasidah Mohd Sidek
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia; (H.M.S.); (N.E.)
| | - Noor Embi
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia; (H.M.S.); (N.E.)
| | - Ping-Chin Lee
- Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Malaysia; (S.E.H.); (J.A.G.)
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Malaysia
- Correspondence: (N.S.L.); (P.-C.L.); Tel.: +60-4653-4862 (N.S.L.); +60-8832-0000 (P.-C.L.); Fax: +60-4653-4803 (N.S.L.); +60-8843-2324 (P.-C.L.)
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Matsa R, Makam P, Kaushik M, Hoti SL, Kannan T. Thiosemicarbazone derivatives: Design, synthesis and in vitro antimalarial activity studies. Eur J Pharm Sci 2019; 137:104986. [PMID: 31283946 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2019.104986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Different types of thiosemicarbazone derivatives were designed and tested for their Drug-Like Molecular (DLM) nature by using Lipinski and Veber rules. Subsequently, compounds with DLM properties were synthesized and characterized by spectral methods. In vitro antimalarial activity studies of the synthesized thiosemicarbazone derivatives have been carried out against Plasmodium falciparum, 3D7 strain using fluorescence assay method and found that the compounds, (E)-2-(1-(4-fluorophenyl)ethylidene)hydrazine-1-carbothioamide (6), (E)-2-(1-(3-bromophenyl) ethylidene) hydrazine-1-carbothioamide (15) and (E)-2-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzylidene) hydrazine-1-carbothioamide (29) showed notable antimalarial activity with EC50 values of 13.54 μM, 15.83 μM and 14.52 μM respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramkishore Matsa
- Department of Chemistry, Pondicherry University, Kalapet, Puducherry 605 014, India
| | - Parameshwar Makam
- Chemical Science Research Group, Division of Research and Development, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144 411, India
| | - Meenakshi Kaushik
- ICMR-National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Nehru Nagar, Belagavi 590 010, India
| | - S L Hoti
- ICMR-National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Nehru Nagar, Belagavi 590 010, India
| | - Tharanikkarasu Kannan
- Department of Chemistry, Pondicherry University, Kalapet, Puducherry 605 014, India.
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Summers KL. A Structural Chemistry Perspective on the Antimalarial Properties of Thiosemicarbazone Metal Complexes. Mini Rev Med Chem 2019; 19:569-590. [DOI: 10.2174/1389557518666181015152657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2017] [Revised: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Malaria is a potentially life-threatening disease, affecting approx. 214 million people worldwide. Malaria is caused by a protozoan, Plasmodium falciparum, which is transmitted through the Anopheles mosquito. Malaria treatment is becoming more challenging due to rising resistance against the antimalarial drug, chloroquine. Novel compounds that target aspects of parasite development are being explored in attempts to overcome this wide-spread problem. Anti-malarial drugs target specific aspects of parasite growth and development within the human host. One of the most effective targets is the inhibition of hematin formation, either through inhibition of cysteine proteases or through iron chelation. Metal-thiosemicarbazone (TSC) complexes have been tested for antimalarial efficacy against drug-sensitive and drug-resistant strains of P. falciparum. An array of TSC complexes with numerous transition metals, including ruthenium, palladium, and gold has displayed antiplasmodial activity. Au(I)- and Pd(II)-TSC complexes displayed the greatest potency; 4-amino-7-chloroquine moieties were also found to improve antiplasmodial activity of TSCs. Although promising metal-TSC drug candidates have been tested against laboratory strains of P. falciparum, problems arise when attempting to compare between studies. Future work should strive to completely characterize synthesized metal-TSC structures and assess antiplasmodial potency against several drug-sensitive and drugresistant strains. Future studies need to precisely determine IC50 values for antimalarial drugs, chloroquine and ferroquine, to establish accurate standard values. This will make future comparisons across studies more feasible and potentially help reveal structure-function relationships. Investigations that attempt to link drug structures or properties to antiplasmodial mechanism(s) of action will aid in the design of antimalarial drugs that may combat rising drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly L. Summers
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C9, Canada
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Naguib FNM, Wilson CM, El Kouni MH. Enzymes of pyrimidine salvage pathways in intraerythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2018; 105:115-122. [PMID: 30381242 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2018.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Malaria remains a significant public health problem worldwide with an estimated annual global incidence of 200 million and an estimated 450,000 annual deaths. Among the five known human malarial species, Plasmodium falciparum is the deadliest and most resistant to antimalarials. Hence, there is a need for new antimalarial targets. The rational design of a drug is usually based on biochemical and physiological differences between pathogens and their hosts. In view of their high rate of replication, parasites require very active nucleic acid synthesis which necessitates large supplies of the indispensable pyrimidine nucleotides. Consequently, delineation of P. falciparum pyrimidine metabolic pathways may reveal potential targets for the chemotherapy of malaria. Previous studies reported the existence of pyrimidine de novo pathways in this organism. The present results demonstrate the presence of enzymes of the pyrimidine salvage pathways in P. falciparum and indicate that this parasite is capable of pyrimidine salvage. Furthermore, some of the pyrimidine salvage enzymes, e.g., dTMP kinase, phosphoribosyltransferase, and uridine phosphorylase could be excellent targets for chemotherapeutic intervention against this parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fardos N M Naguib
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Department of Epidemiology, Center for AIDS Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center, General Clinical Research Center, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, United States
| | - Craig M Wilson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Department of Epidemiology, Center for AIDS Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center, General Clinical Research Center, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, United States
| | - Mahmoud H El Kouni
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Department of Epidemiology, Center for AIDS Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center, General Clinical Research Center, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, United States.
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El Kouni MH. Pyrimidine metabolism in schistosomes: A comparison with other parasites and the search for potential chemotherapeutic targets. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2017; 213:55-80. [PMID: 28735972 PMCID: PMC5593796 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2017.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Revised: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Schistosomes are responsible for the parasitic disease schistosomiasis, an acute and chronic parasitic ailment that affects >240 million people in 70 countries worldwide. It is the second most devastating parasitic disease after malaria. At least 200,000 deaths per year are associated with the disease. In the absence of the availability of vaccines, chemotherapy is the main stay for combating schistosomiasis. The antischistosomal arsenal is currently limited to a single drug, Praziquantel, which is quite effective with a single-day treatment and virtually no host-toxicity. Recently, however, the question of reduced activity of Praziquantel has been raised. Therefore, the search for alternative antischistosomal drugs merits the study of new approaches of chemotherapy. The rational design of a drug is usually based on biochemical and physiological differences between pathogens and host. Pyrimidine metabolism is an excellent target for such studies. Schistosomes, unlike most of the host tissues, require a very active pyrimidine metabolism for the synthesis of DNA and RNA. This is essential for the production of the enormous numbers of eggs deposited daily by the parasite to which the granulomas response precipitates the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis. Furthermore, there are sufficient differences between corresponding enzymes of pyrimidine metabolism from the host and the parasite that can be exploited to design specific inhibitors or "subversive substrates" for the parasitic enzymes. Specificities of pyrimidine transport also diverge significantly between parasites and their mammalian host. This review deals with studies on pyrimidine metabolism in schistosomes and highlights the unique characteristic of this metabolism that could constitute excellent potential targets for the design of safe and effective antischistosomal drugs. In addition, pyrimidine metabolism in schistosomes is compared with that in other parasites where studies on pyrimidine metabolism have been more elaborate, in the hope of providing leads on how to identify likely chemotherapeutic targets which have not been looked at in schistosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud H El Kouni
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for AIDS Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center, General Clinical Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
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Krungkrai SR, Krungkrai J. Insights into the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway of human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum as chemotherapeutic target. ASIAN PAC J TROP MED 2016; 9:525-34. [PMID: 27262062 DOI: 10.1016/j.apjtm.2016.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in humans. Artemisinins remain as the first-line treatment for Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) malaria although drug resistance has already emerged and spread in Southeast Asia. Thus, to fight this disease, there is an urgent need to develop new antimalarial drugs for malaria chemotherapy. Unlike human host cells, P. falciparum cannot salvage preformed pyrimidine bases or nucleosides from the extracellular environment and relies solely on nucleotides synthesized through the de novo biosynthetic pathway. This review presents significant progress on understanding the de novo pyrimidine pathway and the functional enzymes in the human parasite P. falciparum. Current knowledge in genomics and metabolomics are described, particularly focusing on the parasite purine and pyrimidine nucleotide metabolism. These include gene annotation, characterization and molecular mechanism of the enzymes that are different from the human host pathway. Recent elucidation of the three-dimensional crystal structures and the catalytic reactions of three enzymes: dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, orotate phosphoribosyltransferase, and orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase, as well as their inhibitors are reviewed in the context of their therapeutic potential against malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudaratana R Krungkrai
- Unit of Biochemistry, Department of Medical Science, Faculty of Science, Rangsit University, Pathumthani 12000, Thailand
| | - Jerapan Krungkrai
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
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Alonso-Morales A, González-López L, Cázares-Raga FE, Cortés-Martínez L, Torres-Monzón JA, Gallegos-Pérez JL, Rodríguez MH, James AA, Hernández-Hernández FDLC. Protein phosphorylation during Plasmodium berghei gametogenesis. Exp Parasitol 2015; 156:49-60. [PMID: 26008612 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2015.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2013] [Revised: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium gametogenesis within the mosquito midgut is a complex differentiation process involving signaling mediated by phosphorylation, which modulate metabolic routes and protein synthesis required to complete this development. However, the mechanisms leading to gametogenesis activation are poorly understood. We analyzed protein phosphorylation during Plasmodium berghei gametogenesis in vitro in serum-free medium using bidimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) combined with immunoblotting (IB) and antibodies specific to phosphorylated serine, threonine and tyrosine. Approximately 75 protein exhibited phosphorylation changes, of which 23 were identified by mass spectrometry. These included components of the cytoskeleton, heat shock proteins, and proteins involved in DNA synthesis and signaling pathways among others. Novel phosphorylation events support a role for these proteins during gametogenesis. The phosphorylation sites of six of the identified proteins, HSP70, WD40 repeat protein msi1, enolase, actin-1 and two isoforms of large subunit of ribonucleoside reductase were investigated using TiO2 phosphopeptides enrichment and tandem mass spectrometry. In addition, transient exposure to hydroxyurea, an inhibitor of ribonucleoside reductase, impaired male gametocytes exflagellation in a dose-dependent manner, and provides a resource for functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Alonso-Morales
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional # 2508, Colonia San Pedro Zacatenco, Delegación Gustavo A. Madero, C.P. 07360, México, D.F., México
| | - Lorena González-López
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional # 2508, Colonia San Pedro Zacatenco, Delegación Gustavo A. Madero, C.P. 07360, México, D.F., México
| | - Febe Elena Cázares-Raga
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional # 2508, Colonia San Pedro Zacatenco, Delegación Gustavo A. Madero, C.P. 07360, México, D.F., México
| | - Leticia Cortés-Martínez
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional # 2508, Colonia San Pedro Zacatenco, Delegación Gustavo A. Madero, C.P. 07360, México, D.F., México
| | - Jorge Aurelio Torres-Monzón
- Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Avenida 19 Poniente esquina 4a Norte s/n, Colonia Centro, C.P. 62100 Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
| | | | - Mario Henry Rodríguez
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Avenida Universidad # 655, Colonia Santa María Ahuacatitlán, C.P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Anthony A James
- Departments of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Fidel de la Cruz Hernández-Hernández
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Avenida Instituto Politécnico Nacional # 2508, Colonia San Pedro Zacatenco, Delegación Gustavo A. Madero, C.P. 07360, México, D.F., México.
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Clark MA, Goheen MM, Cerami C. Influence of host iron status on Plasmodium falciparum infection. Front Pharmacol 2014; 5:84. [PMID: 24834053 PMCID: PMC4018558 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2014.00084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron deficiency affects one quarter of the world's population and causes significant morbidity, including detrimental effects on immune function and cognitive development. Accordingly, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends routine iron supplementation in children and adults in areas with a high prevalence of iron deficiency. However, a large body of clinical and epidemiological evidence has accumulated which clearly demonstrates that host iron deficiency is protective against falciparum malaria and that host iron supplementation may increase the risk of malaria. Although many effective antimalarial treatments and preventive measures are available, malaria remains a significant public health problem, in part because the mechanisms of malaria pathogenesis remain obscured by the complexity of the relationships that exist between parasite virulence factors, host susceptibility traits, and the immune responses that modulate disease. Here we review (i) the clinical and epidemiological data that describes the relationship between host iron status and malaria infection and (ii) the current understanding of the biological basis for these clinical and epidemiological observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha A. Clark
- Microbiology and Immunology, University of North CarolinaChapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Morgan M. Goheen
- Microbiology and Immunology, University of North CarolinaChapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Carla Cerami
- Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC, USA
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Walcourt A, Kurantsin-Mills J, Kwagyan J, Adenuga BB, Kalinowski DS, Lovejoy DB, Lane DJR, Richardson DR. Anti-plasmodial activity of aroylhydrazone and thiosemicarbazone iron chelators: effect on erythrocyte membrane integrity, parasite development and the intracellular labile iron pool. J Inorg Biochem 2013; 129:43-51. [PMID: 24028863 PMCID: PMC3838870 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2013.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2013] [Revised: 08/19/2013] [Accepted: 08/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Iron chelators inhibit the growth of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, in culture and in animal and human studies. We previously reported the anti-plasmodial activity of the chelators, 2-hydroxy-1-naphthylaldehyde isonicotinoyl hydrazone (311), 2-hydroxy-1-naphthylaldehyde 4-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (N4mT), and 2-hydroxy-1-naphthylaldehyde 4-phenyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (N4pT). In fact, these ligands showed greater growth inhibition of chloroquine-sensitive (3D7) and chloroquine-resistant (7G8) strains of P. falciparum in culture compared to desferrioxamine (DFO). The present study examined the effects of 311, N4mT and N4pT on erythrocyte membrane integrity and asexual parasite development. While the characteristic biconcave disk shape of the erythrocytes was unaffected, the chelators caused very slight hemolysis at IC50 values that inhibited parasite growth. The chelators 311, N4mT and N4pT affected all stages of the intra-erythrocytic development cycle (IDC) of P. falciparum in culture. However, while these ligands primarily affected the ring-stage, DFO inhibited primarily trophozoite and schizont-stages. Ring, trophozoite and schizont-stages of the IDC were inhibited by significantly lower concentrations of 311, N4mT, and N4pT (IC50=4.45±1.70, 10.30±4.40, and 3.64±2.00μM, respectively) than DFO (IC50=23.43±3.40μM). Complexation of 311, N4mT and N4pT with iron reduced their anti-plasmodial activity. Estimation of the intracellular labile iron pool (LIP) in erythrocytes showed that the chelation efficacy of 311, N4mT and N4pT corresponded to their anti-plasmodial activities, suggesting that the LIP may be a potential source of non-heme iron for parasite metabolism within the erythrocyte. This study has implications for malaria chemotherapy that specifically disrupts parasite iron utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asikiya Walcourt
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, 20059
| | - Joseph Kurantsin-Mills
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, 20059
- Departments of Medicine, Pharmacology and Physiology, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, 20037
| | - John Kwagyan
- Design, Biostatistics & Population Studies, Center for Clinical & Translation Science and Department of Community and Family Medicine, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC,20059
| | | | - Danuta S. Kalinowski
- Molecular Pharmacology and Pathology Program, Department of Pathology and Bosch Institute, Blackburn Building (D06), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006 Australia
| | - David B. Lovejoy
- Molecular Pharmacology and Pathology Program, Department of Pathology and Bosch Institute, Blackburn Building (D06), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006 Australia
| | - Darius J. R. Lane
- Molecular Pharmacology and Pathology Program, Department of Pathology and Bosch Institute, Blackburn Building (D06), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006 Australia
| | - Des R. Richardson
- Molecular Pharmacology and Pathology Program, Department of Pathology and Bosch Institute, Blackburn Building (D06), University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006 Australia
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Munro JB, Jacob CG, Silva JC. A novel clade of unique eukaryotic ribonucleotide reductase R2 subunits is exclusive to apicomplexan parasites. J Mol Evol 2013; 77:92-106. [PMID: 24046025 PMCID: PMC3824934 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-013-9583-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Apicomplexa are protist parasites of tremendous medical and economic importance, causing millions of deaths and billions of dollars in losses each year. Apicomplexan-related diseases may be controlled via inhibition of essential enzymes. Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) provides the only de novo means of synthesizing deoxyribonucleotides, essential precursors for DNA replication and repair. RNR has long been the target of antibacterial and antiviral therapeutics. However, targeting this ubiquitous protein in eukaryotic pathogens may be problematic unless these proteins differ significantly from that of their respective host. The typical eukaryotic RNR enzymes belong to class Ia, and the holoenzyme consists minimally of two R1 and two R2 subunits (α2β2). We generated a comparative, annotated, structure-based, multiple-sequence alignment of R2 subunits, identified a clade of R2 subunits unique to Apicomplexa, and determined its phylogenetic position. Our analyses revealed that the apicomplexan-specific sequences share characteristics with both class I R2 and R2lox proteins. The putative radical-harboring residue, essential for the reduction reaction by class Ia R2-containing holoenzymes, was not conserved within this group. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that class Ia subunits are not monophyletic and consistently placed the apicomplexan-specific clade sister to the remaining class Ia eukaryote R2 subunits. Our research suggests that the novel apicomplexan R2 subunit may be a promising candidate for chemotherapeutic-induced inhibition as it differs greatly from known eukaryotic host RNRs and may be specifically targeted.
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Affiliation(s)
- James B Munro
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
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12
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Affiliation(s)
- Paloma F. Salas
- Medicinal Inorganic Chemistry
Group, Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia
V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Christoph Herrmann
- Medicinal Inorganic Chemistry
Group, Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia
V6T 1Z1, Canada
- Advanced
Applied Physics Solutions, TRIUMF, 4004
Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia
V6T 2A3, Canada
| | - Chris Orvig
- Medicinal Inorganic Chemistry
Group, Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia
V6T 1Z1, Canada
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13
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14
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15
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Abstract
Synthesis de novo, acquisition by salvage and interconversion of purines and pyrimidines represent the fundamental requirements for their eventual assembly into nucleic acids as nucleotides and the deployment of their derivatives in other biochemical pathways. A small number of drugs targeted to nucleotide metabolism, by virtue of their effect on folate biosynthesis and recycling, have been successfully used against apicomplexan parasites such as Plasmodium and Toxoplasma for many years, although resistance is now a major problem in the prevention and treatment of malaria. Many targets not involving folate metabolism have also been explored at the experimental level. However, the unravelling of the genome sequences of these eukaryotic unicellular organisms, together with increasingly sophisticated molecular analyses, opens up possibilities of introducing new drugs that could interfere with these processes. This review examines the status of established drugs of this type and the potential for further exploiting the vulnerability of apicomplexan human pathogens to inhibition of this key area of metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- John E Hyde
- Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7ND, UK.
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16
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Chen Y, Donald D, Savin K, Presidente PJA, Hartman D. Haemonchus contortus: molecular cloning, sequencing, and expression analysis of the gene coding for the small subunit of ribonucleotide reductase. Exp Parasitol 2005; 111:250-4. [PMID: 16183060 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2005.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2005] [Revised: 08/01/2005] [Accepted: 08/04/2005] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Gastro-intestinal (GI) parasites are of great agricultural importance, annually costing the livestock industry vast amounts in resources to control parasitism. One such GI parasite, Haemonchus contortus, is principally pathogenic to sheep; with the parasite's blood-feeding behaviour causing effects ranging from mild anaemia to mortality in young animals. Current means of control, which are dependent on repeated treatment with anthelmintic chemicals, have led to increasing drug resistance. Together with the growing concern over residual chemicals in the environment and food chain, this has led to attempts to better understand the biology of the parasite with the aim to develop alternate or supplementary means of control, including the development of molecular vaccines. As a first step towards the understanding of the synthesis of deoxyribonucleotides in H. contortus, and its potential application to therapeutic control of this economically important parasite, we report the cloning, sequencing, and mRNA expression analysis of the ribonucleotide reductase R2 gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Chen
- Primary Industries Research Victoria, Department of Primary Industries, 475 Mickleham Road, Attwood, Vic. 3049, Australia
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17
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Bracchi-Ricard V, Moe D, Chakrabarti D. Two Plasmodium falciparum ribonucleotide reductase small subunits, PfR2 and PfR4, interact with each other and are components of the in vivo enzyme complex. J Mol Biol 2005; 347:749-58. [PMID: 15769467 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2005.01.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2004] [Revised: 01/19/2005] [Accepted: 01/20/2005] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) is a tetrameric enzyme, composed of two large (R1) and two small (R2) subunits, which regulates the nucleotide balance in cells by controlling the rate-limiting step for deoxyribonucleotide synthesis. We have identified a second copy of the small subunit gene, termed PfR4, encoding a 324 amino acid residue polypeptide that shares only 25% identity with the previously identified PfR2 small subunit of Plasmodium falciparum. PfR4 expression is cell-cycle-regulated, and the profile of transcript and protein expression corresponds to that of PfR2. A 1.3 kb PfR4 5'-flanking fragment contained a functional promoter activity. We have detected interaction between PfR2 and PfR4 by co-immunoprecipitation experiments. Indirect immunofluorescence analysis showed distinct localization of two small RNR subunits with some colocalization. The association of PfR1 large subunit with PfR4 was detected by GST pull-down assay. This interaction is reduced significantly when using a PfR4 truncated at the COOH terminus, suggesting the involvement of COOH-terminal residues in PfR4-PfR1 interaction. All three RNR subunits co-eluted on a Superose 12 size-exclusion column corresponding to fractions with a molecular mass of around 250 kDa. This suggests the existence of all three RNR subunits in Plasmodium in a native complex of alpha2betabeta' configuration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Bracchi-Ricard
- Department of Molecular Biology & Microbiology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32826, USA
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18
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Walcourt A, Loyevsky M, Lovejoy DB, Gordeuk VR, Richardson DR. Novel aroylhydrazone and thiosemicarbazone iron chelators with anti-malarial activity against chloroquine-resistant and -sensitive parasites. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2004; 36:401-7. [PMID: 14687919 DOI: 10.1016/s1357-2725(03)00248-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Iron (Fe) is crucial for cellular proliferation, and Fe chelators have shown activity at preventing the growth of the malarial parasite in cell culture and in animal and human studies. We investigated the anti-malarial activity of novel aroylhydrazone and thiosemicarbazone Fe chelators that show high activity at inhibiting the growth of tumour cells in cell culture [Blood 100 (2002) 666]. Experiments with the chelators were performed using the chloroquine-sensitive, 3D7, and chloroquine-resistant, 7G8, strains of Plasmodium falciparum in vitro. The new ligands were significantly more active in both strains than the Fe chelator in widespread clinical use, desferrioxamine (DFO). The most effective chelators examined were 2-hydroxy-1-naphthylaldehyde isonicotinoyl hydrazone and 2-hydroxy-1-naphthylaldehyde-4-phenyl-3-thiosemicarbazone. The anti-malarial activity correlates with anti-proliferative activity against neoplastic cells demonstrated in a previous study. Our studies suggest that this class of lipophilic chelators may have potential as useful agents for the treatment of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asikiya Walcourt
- Center for Sickle Cell Disease, Howard University, 2121 Georgia Avenue, Washington, DC 20060, USA.
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19
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Awasthi A, Kumar A, Upadhyay SN, Yamada T, Matsunaga Y. Nitric oxide protects against chloroquine resistant Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis parasites in vitro. Exp Parasitol 2004; 105:184-91. [PMID: 14990311 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2003.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2003] [Revised: 10/14/2003] [Accepted: 12/11/2003] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is a life-threatening disease of global concern. The role of nitric oxide in the clearance of malarial parasites is still under debate. Several reports suggest a possible role for nitric oxide in the protection during initial stages of malarial infection. In the present study, we demonstrate that the nitric oxide in combination with low concentrations of chloroquine controls the parasitaemia in vitro. Activated peritoneal macrophages co-cultured with lipopolysaccharide+interferon-gamma or extracts from Tenospora cordifolia as an immunomodulator promoted nitric oxide production by macrophages. The high concentration of nitric oxide in combination with sub-optimal chloroquine suppressed the parasitaemia in the chloroquine resistant malarial infection. Further, the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, N(G)-mono-methyl-l-arginine, downregulated nitric oxide production by peritoneal macrophages and the resulting levels of parasitaemia were higher, similar to those of untreated controls. These findings support the proposition that nitric oxide has a crucial role in the control of parasitaemia at the initial periods of blood stage malarial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aradhana Awasthi
- Immunopharmacology Lab, National Institute of Immunology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India.
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20
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Gordeuk VR, Loyevsky M. Antimalarial effect of iron chelators. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2003; 509:251-72. [PMID: 12572998 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4615-0593-8_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Victor R Gordeuk
- George Washington University Medical Center, 2150 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA
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21
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Gardner MJ, Hall N, Fung E, White O, Berriman M, Hyman RW, Carlton JM, Pain A, Nelson KE, Bowman S, Paulsen IT, James K, Eisen JA, Rutherford K, Salzberg SL, Craig A, Kyes S, Chan MS, Nene V, Shallom SJ, Suh B, Peterson J, Angiuoli S, Pertea M, Allen J, Selengut J, Haft D, Mather MW, Vaidya AB, Martin DMA, Fairlamb AH, Fraunholz MJ, Roos DS, Ralph SA, McFadden GI, Cummings LM, Subramanian GM, Mungall C, Venter JC, Carucci DJ, Hoffman SL, Newbold C, Davis RW, Fraser CM, Barrell B. Genome sequence of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Nature 2002; 419:498-511. [PMID: 12368864 PMCID: PMC3836256 DOI: 10.1038/nature01097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3086] [Impact Index Per Article: 140.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2002] [Accepted: 09/02/2002] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The parasite Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for hundreds of millions of cases of malaria, and kills more than one million African children annually. Here we report an analysis of the genome sequence of P. falciparum clone 3D7. The 23-megabase nuclear genome consists of 14 chromosomes, encodes about 5,300 genes, and is the most (A + T)-rich genome sequenced to date. Genes involved in antigenic variation are concentrated in the subtelomeric regions of the chromosomes. Compared to the genomes of free-living eukaryotic microbes, the genome of this intracellular parasite encodes fewer enzymes and transporters, but a large proportion of genes are devoted to immune evasion and host-parasite interactions. Many nuclear-encoded proteins are targeted to the apicoplast, an organelle involved in fatty-acid and isoprenoid metabolism. The genome sequence provides the foundation for future studies of this organism, and is being exploited in the search for new drugs and vaccines to fight malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malcolm J Gardner
- The Institute for Genomic Research, 9712 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA.
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22
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Pham DQD, Blachuta BJ, Nichol H, Winzerling JJ. Ribonucleotide reductase subunits from the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti: cloning and expression. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2002; 32:1037-1044. [PMID: 12213240 DOI: 10.1016/s0965-1748(02)00041-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductase catalyses the de novo synthesis of deoxyribonucleotides. Class I reductases use an iron center to generate a tyrosyl free radical that can initiate formation of the deoxyribonucleotide. These reductases are alpha 2 beta 2 holoenzymes, and the subunits are denoted as R1 and R2. R1 contains the allosteric binding site and the active site, whereas R2 contains a binuclear iron center that initiates formation of the tyrosyl radical. We have cloned and sequenced the cDNAs encoding the R1 and R2 subunit in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. The messages for these proteins are increased in response to blood-feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Q D Pham
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Kenosha, WI 53141-2000, USA.
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23
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Emerson LR, Nau ME, Martin RK, Kyle DE, Vahey M, Wirth DF. Relationship between chloroquine toxicity and iron acquisition in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2002; 46:787-96. [PMID: 11850263 PMCID: PMC127479 DOI: 10.1128/aac.46.3.787-796.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chloroquine is one of the most effective antimalarials, but resistance to it is becoming widespread. However, we do not fully understand either the drug's mode of action or the mechanism of resistance. In an effort to expand our understanding of the mechanism of action and resistance associated with chloroquine, we used Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model eukaryotic system. To aid in the discovery of potential drug targets we applied the transcriptional profiling method to identify genes transcriptionally responsive to chloroquine treatment in S. cerevisiae. Among the genes that were differentially expressed with chloroquine treatment were a number of metal transporters involved in iron acquisition (SIT1, ARN2, ARN4, and SMF2). These genes exhibit similar expression patterns, and several are known to be regulated by AFT1, a DNA binding protein, which responds to iron levels in the cell. We investigated the role of chloroquine in iron metabolism by using a variety of approaches, including pharmacological, genetic, and biochemical techniques. For these experiments, we utilized yeast lacking the major iron uptake pathways (FET3 and FET4) and yeast deficient in SIT1, encoding the major up-regulated iron siderophore transporter. Our experiments show that yeast genetically or environmentally limited in iron availability has increased sensitivity to chloroquine in pharmacological assays and that the addition of iron rescues these cells from chloroquine killing. 55FeCl3 accumulation was inhibited in the presence of chloroquine, and kinetic analysis demonstrated that inhibition was competitive. These results are consistent with deprivation of iron as a mechanism of chloroquine killing in yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyndal R Emerson
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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24
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Nivez M, Achbarou A, Bienvenu JD, Mazier D, Doerig C, Vaquero C. A study of selected Plasmodium yoelii messenger RNAs during hepatocyte infection. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2000; 111:31-9. [PMID: 11087914 DOI: 10.1016/s0166-6851(00)00294-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the expression of several mRNAs in exoerythrocytic and erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium yoelii in infected mice, focusing our attention on genes thought to be involved in signal transduction (like pypka and pymap-1, encoding homologues of cAMP-dependent and mitogen-activated protein kinases, respectively) and cell cycle progression (those encoding the cdc2-related kinases Pycrk-1, Pycrk-3 and Pymrk). Messengers coding for enzymes involved in general processes such as DNA replication and RNA transcription (both subunits of the ribonucleotide reductase (Pyrnr1, Pyrnr2) and RNA polymerase II) as well as a messenger coding for Pys21, a sexual stage-specific protein, were also investigated. Total RNA was prepared from livers of infected mice at different times post sporozoite inoculation. In contrast to the pys21 transcript, which was observed only in infected erythrocytes, all messenger species could be detected in the liver by RT-PCR, peaking at 43 h post infection, a time when parasite burden was maximum, and decreasing markedly thereafter to become hardly visible at 168 h. Some transcripts (pypka, pymap-1, pyrnr1 and pyrnr2) could be detected 12 h after infection, while others (pymrk and pyrnapolII) did not become detectable until 24 h. In addition, we characterised all these messengers by Northern blot of total RNAs extracted from infected erythrocytes. Taken together, these data suggest that a similar set of regulatory genes is expressed during both exoerythrocytic and erythrocytic schizogony.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Nivez
- INSERM, Unité U511, Immunobiologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire des Infections Parasitaires, CHU Pitié-Salpétrière, 91 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, Paris 75013, France
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25
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Doerig C, Chakrabarti D, Kappes B, Matthews K. The cell cycle in protozoan parasites. PROGRESS IN CELL CYCLE RESEARCH 2000; 4:163-83. [PMID: 10740824 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4615-4253-7_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Research into cell cycle control in protozoan parasites, which are responsible for major public health problems in the developing world, has been hampered by the difficulties in performing classical genetic analysis with these organisms. Nevertheless, in a large part thanks to the data gathered in other eukaryotic systems and to the acquisition of the sequences of parasite genes homologous to cell cycle regulators, many molecular tools required for an in-depth study of the cell cycle in protozoan parasites have been collected over the past few years. Despite the considerable phylogenetic divergence between these organisms and other eukaryotes, and notwithstanding important specificities such as the apparent lack of checkpoints during cell cycle progression, available data indicate that the major families of cell cycle regulators appear to operate in protozoan parasites. Functional studies are now needed to define the precise role of these regulators in the life cycle of the parasites, and to possibly validate cell cycle control elements as potential targets for chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Doerig
- INSERM U313, Immunobiologie moléculaire et cellulaire des maladies parasitaires, Paris, France
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26
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Breidbach T, Krauth-Siegel RL, Steverding D. Ribonucleotide reductase is regulated via the R2 subunit during the life cycle of Trypanosoma brucei. FEBS Lett 2000; 473:212-6. [PMID: 10812077 DOI: 10.1016/s0014-5793(00)01533-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
We have examined the occurrence of the R1 and R2 subunits of ribonucleotide reductase during the life cycle of Trypanosoma brucei. Whereas the R1 protein is present throughout the life cycle, the R2 protein is not found in cell cycle-arrested short stumpy trypanosomes. RT-PCR/hybridization analysis revealed almost equal amounts of the R1 and R2 mRNAs in all life cycle stages of the parasite. The data indicate that ribonucleotide reductase of African trypanosomes is developmentally controlled by post-transcriptional regulation of the R2 subunit.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Blotting, Western
- DNA, Protozoan/genetics
- DNA, Protozoan/metabolism
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic
- Life Cycle Stages/genetics
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred Strains
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- RNA, Protozoan/genetics
- RNA, Protozoan/metabolism
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Ribonucleotide Reductases/genetics
- Ribonucleotide Reductases/metabolism
- Trypanosoma brucei brucei/enzymology
- Trypanosoma brucei brucei/genetics
- Trypanosoma brucei brucei/growth & development
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Affiliation(s)
- T Breidbach
- Abteilung Parasitologie, Hygiene-Institut der Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany
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27
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Balmer P, Phillips HM, Maestre AE, McMonagle FA, Phillips RS. The effect of nitric oxide on the growth of Plasmodium falciparum, P. chabaudi and P. berghei in vitro. Parasite Immunol 2000; 22:97-106. [PMID: 10652122 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-3024.2000.00281.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Protective immune mechanisms to the asexual erythrocytic stages of the malaria parasite Plasmodium chabaudi AS strain include antibody-independent mechanisms. Nitric oxide (NO) is produced during the infection and indirect evidence suggests that it can contribute to the antiparasitic mechanisms. We examined the effect of an NO producer, S-nitroso-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP), on the growth and survival in vitro of P. chabaudi AS, P. berghei and P. falciparum. Growth of the parasites was monitored by the uptake of tritiated hypoxanthine and, in the case of P. falciparum, by morphological examination in stained blood smears. DL-penicillamine and sodium nitrite, as controls, had no inhibitory activity at the concentrations used. The results showed that at SNAP concentrations of approximately 182 microM and above NO was cytotoxic to P. falciparum but, at lower concentrations, there was a cytostatic effect and some parasites resumed growth and division after NO production had ceased. Rings were less susceptible to NO effects than later stages in the asexual cycle. The antimalarial activity of NO from SNAP also extended to the rodent parasites but, under the experimental conditions used, they were less sensitive than the human species. In the cultures of P. chabaudi, increasing the numbers of noninfected erythrocytes present did not diminish the antimalarial activity of SNAP, suggesting that here at least haemoglobin was not scavenging NO significantly.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Balmer
- Department of Vetinary Parisitology, University of Glasgow, UK
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28
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Ingram GM, Kinnaird JH. Ribonucleotide reductase: A new target for antiparasite therapies. PARASITOLOGY TODAY (PERSONAL ED.) 1999; 15:338-42. [PMID: 10407382 DOI: 10.1016/s0169-4758(99)01478-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
New treatments are required urgently for the control of parasitic protozoan diseases of humans and animals. One approach is the development of subunit vaccines; the other focuses on identifying and exploiting specific differences in essential functions between the host and parasite. One enzyme currently attracting attention is ribonucleotide reductase, an essential component in the biosynthesis of DNA. In this article, Geoffrey Ingram and Jane Kinnaird examine differences between the host and parasite enzymes and assess possible means of therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- G M Ingram
- Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Hokkaido, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
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29
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Loyevsky M, John C, Dickens B, Hu V, Miller JH, Gordeuk VR. Chelation of iron within the erythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum parasite by iron chelators. Mol Biochem Parasitol 1999; 101:43-59. [PMID: 10413042 DOI: 10.1016/s0166-6851(99)00053-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
To examine the site of action of antimalarial iron chelators, iron ligands were added to control erythrocytes and to erythrocytes parasitized with Plasmodium falciparum, and the concentration of intracellular labile iron was monitored with the fluorescent probe, calcein. The fluorescence of calcein quenches upon binding iron and increases upon releasing iron. The chelators included desferrioxamine B, 2',2'-bipyridyl, and aminophenol II, a compound that is being newly reported as having anti-plasmodial properties. Calcein-loaded parasitized cells displayed fluorescence predominantly within the cytosol of both rings and trophozoites. The addition of chelators to both control and parasitized erythrocytes led to significant increases of fluorescence (P < 0.001). Fluorescence was observed to increase within the parasite itself after addition of iron chelators, indicating that these agents bound labile iron within the plasmodium. The relative increases of fluorescence after addition of chelators were greater in control than parasitized erythrocytes (P < 0.05) as were the estimated labile iron concentrations (P < or = 0.001). These results suggest that (i) the anti-malarial action of iron chelators might result from the ability to reach the infected cell's parasite compartment and bind iron within the parasite cytosol, and (ii) the labile iron pool of the host red cell may be either utilized or stored during plasmodial growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Loyevsky
- Department of Medicine, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, USA.
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30
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Abstract
The need for new antimalarials comes from the widespread resistance to those in current use. New antimalarial targets are required to allow the discovery of chemically diverse, effective drugs. The search for such new targets and new drug chemotypes will likely be helped by the advent of functional genomics and structure-based drug design. After validation of the putative targets as those capable of providing effective and safe drugs, targets can be used as the basis for screening compounds in order to identify new leads, which, in turn, will qualify for lead optimization work. The combined use of combinatorial chemistry--to generate large numbers of structurally diverse compounds--and of high throughput screening systems--to speed up the testing of compounds--hopefully will help to optimize the process. Potential chemotherapeutic targets in the malaria parasite can be broadly classified into three categories: those involved in processes occurring in the digestive vacuole, enzymes involved in macromolecular and metabolite synthesis, and those responsible for membrane processes and signalling. The processes occurring in the digestive vacuole include haemoglobin digestion, redox processes and free radical formation, and reactions accompanying haem release followed by its polymerization into haemozoin. Many enzymes in macromolecular and metabolite synthesis are promising potential targets, some of which have been established in other microorganisms, although not yet validated for Plasmodium, with very few exceptions (such as dihydrofolate reductase). Proteins responsible for membrane processes, including trafficking and drug transport and signalling, are potentially important also to identify compounds to be used in combination with antimalarial drugs to combat resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- P L Olliaro
- UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, Geneva, Switzerland
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31
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Moormann AM, Hossler PA, Meshnick SR. Deferoxamine effects on Plasmodium falciparum gene expression. Mol Biochem Parasitol 1999; 98:279-83. [PMID: 10080396 DOI: 10.1016/s0166-6851(98)00163-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A M Moormann
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor 48109-2029, USA
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32
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Abstract
Malaria is one of the major global health problems, and an urgent need for the development of new antimalarial agents faces the scientific community. A considerable number of iron(III) chelators, designed for purposes other than treating malaria, have antimalarial activity in vitro, apparently through the mechanism of withholding iron from vital metabolic pathways of the intra-erythrocytic parasite. Certain iron(II) chelators also have antimalarial activity, but the mechanism of action appears to be the formation of toxic complexes with iron rather than the withholding of iron. Several of the iron(III)-chelating compounds also have antimalarial activity in animal models of plasmodial infection. Iron chelation therapy with desferrioxamine, the only compound of this nature that is widely available for use in humans, has clinical activity in both uncomplicated and severe malaria in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- G F Mabeza
- Department of Medicine, University of Zimbabwe Medical School, Harare
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Thompson RJ, Bouwer HG, Portnoy DA, Frankel FR. Pathogenicity and immunogenicity of a Listeria monocytogenes strain that requires D-alanine for growth. Infect Immun 1998; 66:3552-61. [PMID: 9673233 PMCID: PMC108386 DOI: 10.1128/iai.66.8.3552-3561.1998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/1997] [Accepted: 05/13/1998] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is an intracellular bacterial pathogen that elicits a strong cellular immune response following infection and therefore has potential use as a vaccine vector. However, while infections by L. monocytogenes are fairly rare and can readily be controlled by a number of antibiotics, the organism can nevertheless cause meningitis and death, particularly in immunocompromised or pregnant patients. We therefore have endeavored to isolate a highly attenuated strain of this organism for use as a vaccine vector. D-Alanine is required for the synthesis of the mucopeptide component of the cell walls of virtually all bacteria and is found almost exclusively in the microbial world. We have found in L. monocytogenes two genes that control the synthesis of this compound, an alanine racemase gene (dal) and a D-amino acid aminotransferase gene (dat). By inactivating both genes, we produced an organism that could be grown in the laboratory when supplemented with D-alanine but was unable to grow outside the laboratory, particularly in the cytoplasm of eukaryotic host cells, the natural habitat of this organism during infection. In mice, the double-mutant strain was completely attenuated. Nevertheless, it showed the ability, particularly under conditions of transient suppression of the mutant phenotype, to induce cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses and to generate protective immunity against lethal challenge by wild-type L. monocytogenes equivalent to that induced by the wild-type organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Thompson
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
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Lye LF, Hsieh YH, Su KE, Lee ST. Cloning and functional analysis of the ribonucleotide reductase gene small subunit from hydroxyurea-resistant Leishmania mexicana amazonensis. Mol Biochem Parasitol 1997; 90:353-8. [PMID: 9497060 DOI: 10.1016/s0166-6851(97)00159-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- L F Lye
- Institute of Microbiology, School of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, ROC
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Dormeyer M, Schöneck R, Dittmar GA, Krauth-Siegel RL. Cloning, sequencing and expression of ribonucleotide reductase R2 from Trypanosoma brucei. FEBS Lett 1997; 414:449-53. [PMID: 9315738 DOI: 10.1016/s0014-5793(97)01036-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductase (RR) is an attractive drug target molecule. The gene of the R2 protein of Trypanosoma brucei RR (nrd B) has been cloned. It encodes a protein of 337 residues which shows about 60% identity with other eukaryotic R2 proteins. All residues which bind the iron center, the tyrosyl radical or are supposed to participate in the radical transfer are conserved in the trypanosomal protein sequence. Overexpression of the gene in E. coli resulted in 2-5 mg pure R2 protein from 100 ml bacterial cell culture. Northern blot analysis revealed a transcript of 1.85 kb in bloodstream and procyclic forms of the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Dormeyer
- Biochemie-Zentrum Heidelberg, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Germany
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Hofer A, Schmidt PP, Gräslund A, Thelander L. Cloning and characterization of the R1 and R2 subunits of ribonucleotide reductase from Trypanosoma brucei. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1997; 94:6959-64. [PMID: 9192674 PMCID: PMC21267 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.94.13.6959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) catalyzes the rate limiting step in the de novo synthesis of deoxyribonucleotides by directly reducing ribonucleotides to the corresponding deoxyribonucleotides. To keep balanced pools of deoxyribonucleotides, all nonviral RNRs studied so far are allosterically regulated. Most eukaryotes contain a class I RNR, which is a heterodimer of two nonidentical subunits called proteins R1 and R2. We have isolated cDNAs encoding the R1 and R2 proteins from Trypanosoma brucei. The amino acid sequence identities with the mouse R1 and R2 subunits are 58% and 63%, respectively. Recombinant active trypanosome R1 and R2 proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. The R2 protein contains an iron-tyrosyl free radical center verified by EPR spectroscopy and iron analyses. Measurement of cytidine 5'-diphosphate reduction by the trypanosome RNR in the presence of various allosteric effectors showed that the activity is highest with dTTP, dGTP, or dATP and considerably lower with ATP. The effect of dGTP is either activating (alone) or inhibitory (in the presence of ATP). Filter binding studies indicated that there are two classes of allosteric effector binding sites that bind ATP or dATP (low-affinity dATP site) and ATP, dATP, dGTP, or dTTP (high-affinity dATP site), respectively. Therefore, the structural organization of the allosteric sites is very similar to the mammalian RNRs, whereas the allosteric regulation of cytidine 5'-diphosphate reduction is unique. Hopefully, this difference can be used to target the trypanosome RNR for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Hofer
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeâ University, S-901 87 Umeâ, Sweden
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Barker RH, Metelev V, Rapaport E, Zamecnik P. Inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum malaria using antisense oligodeoxynucleotides. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1996; 93:514-8. [PMID: 8552672 PMCID: PMC40268 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.93.1.514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
We studied inhibition of growth of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum in in vitro culture using antisense (AS) oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) against different target genes. W2 and W2mef strains of drug-resistant parasites were exposed to AS ODNs over 48 hr, and growth was determined by microscopic examination and [3H]hypoxanthine incorporation. At ODN concentrations of 1 microM, phosphorothioate (PS) ODNs inhibited growth in a target-independent manner. However, between 0.5 and 0.005 microM, ODNs against dihydrofolate reductase, dihydropteroate synthetase, ribonucleotide reductase, the schizont multigene family, and erythrocyte binding antigen EBA175 significantly inhibited growth compared with a PS AS ODN against human immunodeficiency virus, two AS ODNs containing eight mismatches, or the sense strand controls (P < 0.0001). The IC50 was approximately 0.05 microM, whereas that for non-sequence-specific controls was 15-fold higher. PS AS ODNs against DNA polymerase alpha showed less activity than that for other targets, whereas a single AS ODN against triose-phosphate isomerase did not differ significantly from controls. We conclude that at concentrations below 0.5 microM, PS AS ODNs targeted against several malarial genes significantly inhibit growth of drug-resistant parasites in a nucleotide sequence-dependent manner. This technology represents an alternative method for identifying malarial genes as potential drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- R H Barker
- Hybridon, Inc., Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- I A Clark
- Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra
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Fisher A, Laub PB, Cooperman BS. NMR structure of an inhibitory R2 C-terminal peptide bound to mouse ribonucleotide reductase R1 subunit. NATURE STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 1995; 2:951-5. [PMID: 7583667 DOI: 10.1038/nsb1195-951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The structure of peptide N-AcYTLDADF when bound to the large subunit of mouse ribonucleotide reductase has been elucidated by transfer NOE. This structure suggests a general design for type 1 RR inhibitors.
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Yang F, Lu G, Rubin H. Isolation of ribonucleotide reductase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and cloning, expression, and purification of the large subunit. J Bacteriol 1994; 176:6738-43. [PMID: 7961427 PMCID: PMC197031 DOI: 10.1128/jb.176.21.6738-6743.1994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductase, an allosterically regulated, cell cycle-dependent enzyme catalyzing a unique step in the synthesis of DNA, the reduction of 2'-ribonucleotides to 2'-deoxyribonucleotides, was purified 500-fold from Mycobacterium tuberculosis Erdman strain through cell disruption, ammonium sulfate fractionation, and dATP-Sepharose affinity column chromatography. As in eucaryotes and certain bacteria and viruses, the M. tuberculosis enzyme consists of two nonidentical subunits, R1 and R2, both of which are required for activity. R1 has a molecular mass of 84 kDa, as identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and photoaffinity labeling with dATP. The amino acid sequences of the N-terminal peptide and two internal peptides were determined, and a partial R1 gene was isolated by PCR with primers designed from these amino acid sequences. Additional coding sequences were isolated by screening size-selected libraries, and a full-length form of M. tuberculosis R1 was generated by PCR amplification of high-molecular-weight M. tuberculosis DNA and expressed in Eschericnia coli. This coding sequence is 2,169 nucleotides long and contains no introns. The predicted molecular mass of R1 from the DNA sequence is 82,244 Da. Recombinant M. tuberculosis R1, purified to homogeneity, was biochemically active when assayed with extracts of M. tuberculosis enriched for R2.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Yang
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
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Lepoivre M, Flaman J, Bobé P, Lemaire G, Henry Y. Quenching of the tyrosyl free radical of ribonucleotide reductase by nitric oxide. Relationship to cytostasis induced in tumor cells by cytotoxic macrophages. J Biol Chem 1994. [DOI: 10.1016/s0021-9258(17)31886-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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