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Embo-Ibouanga AW, Nguyen M, Joly JP, Coustets M, Augereau JM, Paloque L, Vanthuyne N, Bikanga R, Robert A, Benoit-Vical F, Audran G, Mellet P, Boissier J, Marque SRA. Peptide-Alkoxyamine Drugs: An Innovative Approach to Fight Schistosomiasis: "Digging Their Graves with Their Forks". Pathogens 2024; 13:482. [PMID: 38921780 PMCID: PMC11206678 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13060482] [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: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The expansion of drug resistant parasites sheds a serious concern on several neglected parasitic diseases. Our recent results on cancer led us to envision the use of peptide-alkoxyamines as a highly selective and efficient new drug against schistosome adult worms, the etiological agents of schistosomiasis. Indeed, the peptide tag of the hybrid compounds can be hydrolyzed by worm's digestive enzymes to afford a highly labile alkoxyamine which homolyzes spontaneously and instantaneously into radicals-which are then used as a drug against Schistosome adult parasites. This approach is nicely summarized as digging their graves with their forks. Several hybrid peptide-alkoxyamines were prepared and clearly showed an activity: two of the tested compounds kill 50% of the parasites in two hours at a concentration of 100 µg/mL. Importantly, the peptide and alkoxyamine fragments that are unable to generate alkyl radicals display no activity. This strong evidence validates the proposed mechanism: a specific activation of the prodrugs by the parasite proteases leading to parasite death through in situ alkyl radical generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ange W. Embo-Ibouanga
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, UMR 7273, Case 551, Avenue Escadrille Normandie-Niemen, CEDEX 20, 13397 Marseille, France; (A.W.E.-I.); (J.-P.J.)
| | - Michel Nguyen
- Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination (LCC-CNRS) and, New Antimalarial Molecules and Pharmacological Approaches (MAAP), Inserm ERL 1289, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31077 Toulouse, France; (M.N.); (M.C.); (J.-M.A.); (L.P.); (A.R.); (F.B.-V.)
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III—Paul Sabatier (UPS), 31077 Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Patrick Joly
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, UMR 7273, Case 551, Avenue Escadrille Normandie-Niemen, CEDEX 20, 13397 Marseille, France; (A.W.E.-I.); (J.-P.J.)
| | - Mathilde Coustets
- Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination (LCC-CNRS) and, New Antimalarial Molecules and Pharmacological Approaches (MAAP), Inserm ERL 1289, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31077 Toulouse, France; (M.N.); (M.C.); (J.-M.A.); (L.P.); (A.R.); (F.B.-V.)
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III—Paul Sabatier (UPS), 31077 Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Michel Augereau
- Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination (LCC-CNRS) and, New Antimalarial Molecules and Pharmacological Approaches (MAAP), Inserm ERL 1289, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31077 Toulouse, France; (M.N.); (M.C.); (J.-M.A.); (L.P.); (A.R.); (F.B.-V.)
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III—Paul Sabatier (UPS), 31077 Toulouse, France
| | - Lucie Paloque
- Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination (LCC-CNRS) and, New Antimalarial Molecules and Pharmacological Approaches (MAAP), Inserm ERL 1289, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31077 Toulouse, France; (M.N.); (M.C.); (J.-M.A.); (L.P.); (A.R.); (F.B.-V.)
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III—Paul Sabatier (UPS), 31077 Toulouse, France
| | - Nicolas Vanthuyne
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, Centrale Marseille ISM2, Case 531, Avenue Escadrille Normandie-Niemen, CEDEX 20, 13397 Marseille, France
| | - Raphaël Bikanga
- Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku, LASNSOM, Franceville BP 901, Gabon;
| | - Anne Robert
- Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination (LCC-CNRS) and, New Antimalarial Molecules and Pharmacological Approaches (MAAP), Inserm ERL 1289, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31077 Toulouse, France; (M.N.); (M.C.); (J.-M.A.); (L.P.); (A.R.); (F.B.-V.)
| | - Françoise Benoit-Vical
- Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination (LCC-CNRS) and, New Antimalarial Molecules and Pharmacological Approaches (MAAP), Inserm ERL 1289, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31077 Toulouse, France; (M.N.); (M.C.); (J.-M.A.); (L.P.); (A.R.); (F.B.-V.)
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III—Paul Sabatier (UPS), 31077 Toulouse, France
| | - Gérard Audran
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, UMR 7273, Case 551, Avenue Escadrille Normandie-Niemen, CEDEX 20, 13397 Marseille, France; (A.W.E.-I.); (J.-P.J.)
| | - Philippe Mellet
- Magnetic Resonance of Biological Systems, UMR 5536 CNRS-University of Bordeaux, 146 rue Leo Saignat, CEDEX, 33076 Bordeaux, France
- INSERM, 146 rue Leo Saignat, CEDEX, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Jérôme Boissier
- IHPE, CNRS, Ifremer, University Perpignan Via Domitia, 66860 Perpignan, France
| | - Sylvain R. A. Marque
- Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, UMR 7273, Case 551, Avenue Escadrille Normandie-Niemen, CEDEX 20, 13397 Marseille, France; (A.W.E.-I.); (J.-P.J.)
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Schwarzer E, Skorokhod O. Post-Translational Modifications of Proteins of Malaria Parasites during the Life Cycle. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6145. [PMID: 38892332 PMCID: PMC11173270 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116145] [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: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are essential for regulating protein functions, influencing various fundamental processes in eukaryotes. These include, but are not limited to, cell signaling, protein trafficking, the epigenetic control of gene expression, and control of the cell cycle, as well as cell proliferation, differentiation, and interactions between cells. In this review, we discuss protein PTMs that play a key role in the malaria parasite biology and its pathogenesis. Phosphorylation, acetylation, methylation, lipidation and lipoxidation, glycosylation, ubiquitination and sumoylation, nitrosylation and glutathionylation, all of which occur in malarial parasites, are reviewed. We provide information regarding the biological significance of these modifications along all phases of the complex life cycle of Plasmodium spp. Importantly, not only the parasite, but also the host and vector protein PTMs are often crucial for parasite growth and development. In addition to metabolic regulations, protein PTMs can result in epitopes that are able to elicit both innate and adaptive immune responses of the host or vector. We discuss some existing and prospective results from antimalarial drug discovery trials that target various PTM-related processes in the parasite or host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelin Schwarzer
- Department of Oncology, University of Turin, Via Santena 5 bis, 10126 Turin, Italy;
| | - Oleksii Skorokhod
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina, 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
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3
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Das A, Rajkhowa S, Sinha S, Zaki MEA. Unveiling potential repurposed drug candidates for Plasmodium falciparum through in silico evaluation: A synergy of structure-based approaches, structure prediction, and molecular dynamics simulations. Comput Biol Chem 2024; 110:108048. [PMID: 38471353 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2024.108048] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
The rise of drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum, rendering current treatments ineffective, has hindered efforts to eliminate malaria. To address this issue, the study employed a combination of Systems Biology approach and a structure-based pharmacophore method to identify a target against P. falciparum. Through text mining, 448 genes were extracted, and it was discovered that plasmepsins, found in the Plasmodium genus, play a crucial role in the parasite's survival. The metabolic pathways of these proteins were determined using the PlasmoDB genomic database and recreated using CellDesigner 4.4.2. To identify a potent target, Plasmepsin V (PF13_0133) was selected and examined for protein-protein interactions (PPIs) using the STRING Database. Topological analysis and global-based methods identified PF13_0133 as having the highest centrality. Moreover, the static protein knockout PPIs demonstrated the essentiality of PF13_0133 in the modeled network. Due to the unavailability of the protein's crystal structure, it was modeled and subjected to a molecular dynamics simulation study. The structure-based pharmacophore modeling utilized the modeled PF13_0133 (PfPMV), generating 10 pharmacophore hypotheses with a library of active and inactive compounds against PfPMV. Through virtual screening, two potential candidates, hesperidin and rutin, were identified as potential drugs which may be repurposed as potential anti-malarial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhichandan Das
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, Assam 786004, India
| | - Sanchaita Rajkhowa
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, Assam 786004, India.
| | - Subrata Sinha
- Department of Computational Sciences, Brainware University, Barasat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700125, India
| | - Magdi E A Zaki
- Department of Chemistry, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Pasupureddy R, Verma S, Goyal B, Pant A, Sharma R, Bhatt S, Vashisht K, Singh S, Saxena AK, Dixit R, Chakraborti S, Pandey KC. Understanding the complex formation of falstatin; an endogenous macromolecular inhibitor of falcipains. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 265:130420. [PMID: 38460641 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130420] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
Proteolytic activity constitutes a fundamental process essential for the survival of the malaria parasite and is thus highly regulated. Falstatin, a protease inhibitor of Plasmodium falciparum, tightly regulates the activity of cysteine hemoglobinases, falcipain-2 and 3 (FP2, FP3), by inhibiting FP2 through a single surface exposed loop. However, the multimeric nature of falstatin and its interaction with FP2 remained unexplored. Here we report that the N-terminal falstatin region is highly disordered, and needs chaperone activity (heat-shock protein 70, HSP70) for its folding. Protein-protein interaction assays showed a significant interaction between falstatin and HSP70. Further, characterization of the falstatin multimer through a series of biophysical techniques identified the formation of a falstatin decamer, which was extremely thermostable. Computational analysis of the falstatin decamer showed the presence of five falstatin dimers, with each dimer aligned in a head-to-tail orientation. Further, the falstatin C-terminal region was revealed to be primarily involved in the oligomerization process. Stoichiometric analysis of the FP2-falstatin multimer showed the formation of a heterooligomeric complex in a 1:1 ratio, with the participation of ten subunits of each protein. Taken together, our results report a novel protease-inhibitor complex and strengthens our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of major plasmodium hemoglobinases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Pasupureddy
- Parasite-Host Biology Group, ICMR National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India.
| | - Sonia Verma
- Parasite-Host Biology Group, ICMR National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India; Department of Biotechnology, Noida Institute of Engineering & Technology, UP, India
| | - Bharti Goyal
- Parasite-Host Biology Group, ICMR National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, UP, India
| | - Akansha Pant
- Parasite-Host Biology Group, ICMR National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Ruby Sharma
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Shruti Bhatt
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India.
| | - Kapil Vashisht
- Parasite-Host Biology Group, ICMR National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Shailja Singh
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
| | - Ajay K Saxena
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
| | - Rajnikant Dixit
- Parasite-Host Biology Group, ICMR National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, UP, India.
| | - Soumyananda Chakraborti
- Parasite-Host Biology Group, ICMR National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, UP, India.
| | - Kailash C Pandey
- Parasite-Host Biology Group, ICMR National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, UP, India.
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Sassmannshausen J, Bennink S, Distler U, Küchenhoff J, Minns AM, Lindner SE, Burda PC, Tenzer S, Gilberger TW, Pradel G. Comparative proteomics of vesicles essential for the egress of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes from red blood cells. Mol Microbiol 2024; 121:431-452. [PMID: 37492994 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Transmission of malaria parasites to the mosquito is mediated by sexual precursor cells, the gametocytes. Upon entering the mosquito midgut, the gametocytes egress from the enveloping erythrocyte while passing through gametogenesis. Egress follows an inside-out mode during which the membrane of the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) ruptures prior to the erythrocyte membrane. Membrane rupture requires exocytosis of specialized egress vesicles of the parasites; that is, osmiophilic bodies (OBs) involved in rupturing the PV membrane, and vesicles that harbor the perforin-like protein PPLP2 (here termed P-EVs) required for erythrocyte lysis. While some OB proteins have been identified, like G377 and MDV1/Peg3, the majority of egress vesicle-resident proteins is yet unknown. Here, we used high-resolution imaging and BioID methods to study the two egress vesicle types in Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes. We show that OB exocytosis precedes discharge of the P-EVs and that exocytosis of the P-EVs, but not of the OBs, is calcium sensitive. Both vesicle types exhibit distinct proteomes with the majority of proteins located in the OBs. In addition to known egress-related proteins, we identified novel components of OBs and P-EVs, including vesicle-trafficking proteins. Our data provide insight into the immense molecular machinery required for the inside-out egress of P. falciparum gametocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Sassmannshausen
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, Institute of Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Sandra Bennink
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, Institute of Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ute Distler
- Core Facility for Mass Spectrometry, Institute of Immunology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes-Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Juliane Küchenhoff
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, Institute of Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Allen M Minns
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Scott E Lindner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Paul-Christian Burda
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- Biology Department, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Tenzer
- Core Facility for Mass Spectrometry, Institute of Immunology, University Medical Centre of the Johannes-Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tim W Gilberger
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- Biology Department, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gabriele Pradel
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, Institute of Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Chakraborty S, Deshmukh A, Kesari P, Bhaumik P. Toxoplasma gondii aspartic protease 5: structural basis of substrate binding and inhibition mechanism. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-16. [PMID: 38424737 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2322625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii, a worldwide prevalent parasite is responsible for causing toxoplasmosis in almost all warm-blooded animals, including humans. Golgi-resident T. gondii aspartic protease 5 (TgASP5) plays an essential role in the maturation and export of the effector proteins those modulate the host immune system to establish a successful infection. Hence, inhibiting this enzyme can be a possible therapeutic strategy against toxoplasmosis. This is the first report of the detailed structural investigations of the TgASP5 mature enzyme using molecular modeling and an all-atom simulation approach which provide in-depth knowledge of the active site architecture of TgASP5. The analysis of the binding mode of the TEXEL (Toxoplasma EXport Element) substrate to TgASP5 highlighted the importance of the active site residues. Ser505, Ala776 and Tyr689 in the S2 binding pocket are responsible for the specificity towards Arg at the P2 position of TEXEL substrate. The molecular basis of inhibition by the only known inhibitor RRLStatine has been identified, and our results show that it blocks the active site by forming a hydrogen bond with a catalytic aspartate. Besides that, known aspartic protease inhibitors were screened against TgASP5 using docking, MD simulations and MM-PBSA binding energy calculations. The top-ranked inhibitors (SC6, ZY1, QBH) showed higher binding energy than RRLStatine. Understanding the structural basis of substrate recognition and the binding mode of these inhibitors will help to develop potent mechanistic inhibitors against TgASP5. This study will also provide insights into the structural features of pepsin-like aspartic proteases from other apicomplexan parasites for developing antiparasitic agents.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satadru Chakraborty
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Anuradha Deshmukh
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Pooja Kesari
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Prasenjit Bhaumik
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
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7
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Fréville A, Ressurreição M, van Ooij C. Identification of a non-exported Plasmepsin V substrate that functions in the parasitophorous vacuole of malaria parasites. mBio 2024; 15:e0122323. [PMID: 38078758 PMCID: PMC10790765 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01223-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE In the manuscript, the authors investigate the role of the protease Plasmepsin V in the parasite-host interaction. Whereas processing by Plasmepsin V was previously thought to target a protein for export into the host cell, the authors now show that there are proteins cleaved by this protease that are not exported but instead function at the host-parasite interface. This changes the view of this protease, which turns out to have a much broader role than anticipated. The result shows that the protease may have a function much more similar to that of related organisms. The authors also investigate the requirements for protein export by analyzing exported and non-exported proteins and find commonalities between the proteins of each set that further our understanding of the requirements for protein export.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Fréville
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Margarida Ressurreição
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christiaan van Ooij
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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Lisauskaitė M, Nixon GL, Woodley CM, Berry NG, Coninckx A, Qie LC, Leung SC, Taramelli D, Basilico N, Parapini S, Ward SA, Vadas O, Soldati-Favre D, Hong WD, O'Neill PM. Design, synthesis and modelling of photoreactive chemical probes for investigating target engagement of plasmepsin IX and X in Plasmodium falciparum. RSC Chem Biol 2024; 5:19-29. [PMID: 38179191 PMCID: PMC10763550 DOI: 10.1039/d3cb00109a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The emergence of Plasmodium parasite resistance to current front-line antimalarial treatments poses a serious threat to global malaria control and highlights the necessity for the development of therapeutics with novel targets and mechanisms of action. Plasmepsins IX and X (PMIX/PMX) have been recognised as highly promising targets in Plasmodium due to their contribution to parasite's pathogenicity. Recent research has demonstrated that dual PMIX/PMX inhibition results in the impairment of multiple parasite's life cycle stages, which is an important feature in drug resistance prevention. Herein we report novel hydroxyethylamine photoaffinity labelling (PAL) probes, designed for PMIX/PMX target engagement and proteomics experiments in Plasmodium parasites. The prepared probes have both a photoreactive group (diazirine or benzophenone) for covalent attachment to target proteins, and a terminal alkyne handle allowing their use in bioorthogonal ligation. One of the synthesised benzophenone probes was shown to be highly promising as demonstrated by its outstanding antimalarial potency (IC50 = 15 nM versus D10 P. falciparum) and its inhibitory effect against PfPMX in an enzymatic assay. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies show that the inclusion of the benzophenone and alkyne handle does not alter the binding mode compared to the parent compound. The photoaffinity probe can be used in future chemical proteomics studies to allow hydroxyethylamine drug scaffold target identification and validation in Plasmodium. We expect our findings to act as a tool for future investigations on PMIX/PMX inhibition in antimalarial drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gemma L Nixon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | | | - Neil G Berry
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Andy Coninckx
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - L Charlie Qie
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Suet C Leung
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Donatella Taramelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DISFEB), Università degli Studi di Milano 20133 Milano Italy
- Affiliated to Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerche sulla Malaria/Italian Malaria Network (CIRM-IMN), Università degli Studi di Camerino Italy
| | - Nicoletta Basilico
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Università degli Studi di Milano 20133 Milano Italy
- Affiliated to Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerche sulla Malaria/Italian Malaria Network (CIRM-IMN), Università degli Studi di Camerino Italy
| | - Silvia Parapini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano 20133 Milano Italy
- Affiliated to Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerche sulla Malaria/Italian Malaria Network (CIRM-IMN), Università degli Studi di Camerino Italy
| | - Stephen A Ward
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine Liverpool L3 5QA UK
| | - Oscar Vadas
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, CMU, 1 rue Michel-Servet CH-1211 Genève 4 Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, CMU, 1 rue Michel-Servet CH-1211 Genève 4 Switzerland
| | - W David Hong
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Paul M O'Neill
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
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Sakata K, Lowe MA, Xuan M, Bruffaerts J, Stasi LP, Lallemand B, Cardenas A, Taylor RD, Vidler LR, King L, Valentin JP, Laleu B, de Haro T. Design of Novel Series of Antimalarial PMX Inhibitors with Increased Half-Life via Molecular Property Optimization. ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:1582-1588. [PMID: 37974949 PMCID: PMC10641918 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.3c00404] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmepsin X (PMX) has been identified as a multistage antimalarial target. PMX is a malarial aspartyl protease essential for merozoite egress from infected red blood cells and invasion of the host erythrocytes. Previously, we reported the identification of PMX inhibitors by structure-based optimization of a cyclic guanidine core. Preclinical assessment of UCB7362, which displayed both in vitro and in vivo antimalarial activity, revealed a suboptimal dose paradigm (once daily dosing of 50 mg for 7 days for treatment of uncomplicated malaria) relative to current standard of care (three-dose regime). We report here the efforts toward extending the half-life (t1/2) by reducing metabolic clearance and increasing volume of distribution (Vss). Our efforts culminated in the identification of a biaryl series, with an expected longer t1/2 in human than UCB7362 while maintaining a similar in vitro off-target hit rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Komei Sakata
- UCB, 216 Bath Road, Slough SL1 3WE, United
Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lloyd King
- UCB, 216 Bath Road, Slough SL1 3WE, United
Kingdom
| | | | - Benoît Laleu
- Medicines
for Malaria Venture, ICC, Route de Pré-Bois 20, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
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10
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Abdul Rahman SM, Bhatti JS, Thareja S, Monga V. Current development of 1,2,3-triazole derived potential antimalarial scaffolds: Structure- activity relationship (SAR) and bioactive compounds. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 259:115699. [PMID: 37542987 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Malaria is among one of the most devastating and deadliest parasitic disease in the world claiming millions of lives every year around the globe. It is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by various species of the parasitic protozoan of the genus Plasmodium. The indiscriminate exploitation of the clinically used antimalarial drugs led to the development of various drug-resistant and multidrug-resistant strains of plasmodium which severely reduces the therapeutic effectiveness of most frontline medicines. Therefore, there is urgent need to develop novel structural classes of antimalarial agents acting with unique mechanism of action(s). In this context, design and development of hybrid molecules containing pharmacophoric features of different lead molecules in a single entity represents a unique strategy for the development of next-generation antimalarial drugs. Research efforts by the scientific community over the past few years has led to the identification and development of several heterocyclic small molecules as antimalarial agents with high potency, less toxicity and desired efficacy. Triazole derivatives have become indispensable units in the medicinal chemistry due to their diverse spectrum of biological profiles and many triazole based hybrids and conjugates have demonstrated potential in vitro and in vivo antimalarial activities. The manuscript compiled recent developments in the medicinal chemistry of triazole based small heterocyclic molecules as antimalarial agents and discusses various reported biologically active compounds to lay the groundwork for the rationale design and discovery of triazole based antimalarial compounds. The article emphasised on biological activities, structure activity relationships, and molecular docking studies of various triazole based hybrids with heterocycles such as quinoline, artemisinins, naphthyl, naphthoquinone, etc. as potential antimalarial agents which could act on the dual stage and multi stage of the parasitic life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Maheen Abdul Rahman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, Punjab, India
| | - Jasvinder Singh Bhatti
- Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, Punjab, India
| | - Suresh Thareja
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, Punjab, India
| | - Vikramdeep Monga
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, Punjab, India.
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11
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Dabburu GR, Jain A, Subbarao N, Kumar M. Designing dual inhibitors against potential drug targets of Plasmodium falciparum -M17 Leucyl Aminopeptidase and Plasmepsins. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:8026-8041. [PMID: 36214679 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2129452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is one of the major diseases of concern worldwide, especially in the African regions. According to a recent WHO report, 95% of deaths that occur due to malaria are in the African regions. Resistance to present antimalarial drugs is increasing rapidly and becoming a problem of concern. M17 Leucyl Aminopeptidase (PfM17LAP) and vacuolar Plasmepsins (PfPM) are two important enzymes involved in the haemoglobin degradation pathway of Plasmodium falciparum. PfM17LAP regulates the release of amino acids and PfPM mediates the conversion of haemoglobin proteins to oligopeptides. These enzymes thus play an essential role in the survival of malaria parasites inside the human body. In the present study, we used in-silico molecular docking, simulation and Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MMPBSA) studies to find potential dual inhibitors of PfPM and PfM17LAP using the ChEMBL antimalarial library. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) profiling of the top ten ranked molecules was done using the BIOVIA Discovery Studio. The present investigation revealed that the compound CHEMBL426945 is stable in the binding site of both PfPM and PfM17LAP. In this study, we have reported novel dual-inhibitors that may act better than the present antimalarial drugs.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Govinda Rao Dabburu
- Department of Biophysics, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
- School of Computational and Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Aakriti Jain
- Department of Biophysics, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Naidu Subbarao
- School of Computational and Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Manish Kumar
- Department of Biophysics, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
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12
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Florin-Christensen M, Sojka D, Ganzinelli S, Šnebergerová P, Suarez CE, Schnittger L. Degrade to survive: the intricate world of piroplasmid proteases. Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:532-546. [PMID: 37271664 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.04.010] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Piroplasmids of the genera Babesia, Theileria, and Cytauxzoon are tick-transmitted parasites with a high impact on animals and humans. They have complex life cycles in their definitive arthropod and intermediate vertebrate hosts involving numerous processes, including invasion of, and egress from, host cells, parasite growth, transformation, and migration. Like other parasitic protozoa, piroplasmids are equipped with different types of protease to fulfill many of such essential processes. Blockade of some key proteases, using inhibitors or antibodies, hinders piroplasmid growth, highlighting their potential usefulness in drug therapies and vaccine development. A better understanding of the functional significance of these enzymes will contribute to the development of improved control measures for the devastating animal and human diseases caused by these pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Florin-Christensen
- Instituto de Patobiología Veterinaria, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas (CICVyA), INTA-Castelar, Los Reseros y Nicolas Repetto s/n, Hurlingham 1686, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1033AAJ, Argentina.
| | - Daniel Sojka
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 1160/31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Sabrina Ganzinelli
- Instituto de Patobiología Veterinaria, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas (CICVyA), INTA-Castelar, Los Reseros y Nicolas Repetto s/n, Hurlingham 1686, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1033AAJ, Argentina
| | - Pavla Šnebergerová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 1160/31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Carlos E Suarez
- Washington State University/Animal Disease Research Unit USDA, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Leonhard Schnittger
- Instituto de Patobiología Veterinaria, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas (CICVyA), INTA-Castelar, Los Reseros y Nicolas Repetto s/n, Hurlingham 1686, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1033AAJ, Argentina
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13
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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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14
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Meller A, Bhakat S, Solieva S, Bowman GR. Accelerating Cryptic Pocket Discovery Using AlphaFold. J Chem Theory Comput 2023. [PMID: 36948209 PMCID: PMC10373493 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c01189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Cryptic pockets, or pockets absent in ligand-free, experimentally determined structures, hold great potential as drug targets. However, cryptic pocket openings are often beyond the reach of conventional biomolecular simulations because certain cryptic pocket openings involve slow motions. Here, we investigate whether AlphaFold can be used to accelerate cryptic pocket discovery either by generating structures with open pockets directly or generating structures with partially open pockets that can be used as starting points for simulations. We use AlphaFold to generate ensembles for 10 known cryptic pocket examples, including five that were deposited after AlphaFold's training data were extracted from the PDB. We find that in 6 out of 10 cases AlphaFold samples the open state. For plasmepsin II, an aspartic protease from the causative agent of malaria, AlphaFold only captures a partial pocket opening. As a result, we ran simulations from an ensemble of AlphaFold-generated structures and show that this strategy samples cryptic pocket opening, even though an equivalent amount of simulations launched from a ligand-free experimental structure fails to do so. Markov state models (MSMs) constructed from the AlphaFold-seeded simulations quickly yield a free energy landscape of cryptic pocket opening that is in good agreement with the same landscape generated with well-tempered metadynamics. Taken together, our results demonstrate that AlphaFold has a useful role to play in cryptic pocket discovery but that many cryptic pockets may remain difficult to sample using AlphaFold alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artur Meller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Soumendranath Bhakat
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Shahlo Solieva
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Gregory R Bowman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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15
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Tewari SG, Elahi R, Kwan B, Rajaram K, Bhatnagar S, Reifman J, Prigge ST, Vaidya AB, Wallqvist A. Metabolic responses in blood-stage malaria parasites associated with increased and decreased sensitivity to PfATP4 inhibitors. Malar J 2023; 22:56. [PMID: 36788578 PMCID: PMC9930341 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04481-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spiroindolone and pyrazoleamide antimalarial compounds target Plasmodium falciparum P-type ATPase (PfATP4) and induce disruption of intracellular Na+ homeostasis. Recently, a PfATP4 mutation was discovered that confers resistance to a pyrazoleamide while increasing sensitivity to a spiroindolone. Transcriptomic and metabolic adaptations that underlie this seemingly contradictory response of P. falciparum to sublethal concentrations of each compound were examined to understand the different cellular accommodation to PfATP4 disruptions. METHODS A genetically engineered P. falciparum Dd2 strain (Dd2A211V) carrying an Ala211Val (A211V) mutation in PfATP4 was used to identify metabolic adaptations associated with the mutation that results in decreased sensitivity to PA21A092 (a pyrazoleamide) and increased sensitivity to KAE609 (a spiroindolone). First, sublethal doses of PA21A092 and KAE609 causing substantial reduction (30-70%) in Dd2A211V parasite replication were identified. Then, at this sublethal dose of PA21A092 (or KAE609), metabolomic and transcriptomic data were collected during the first intraerythrocytic developmental cycle. Finally, the time-resolved data were integrated with a whole-genome metabolic network model of P. falciparum to characterize antimalarial-induced physiological adaptations. RESULTS Sublethal treatment with PA21A092 caused significant (p < 0.001) alterations in the abundances of 91 Plasmodium gene transcripts, whereas only 21 transcripts were significantly altered due to sublethal treatment with KAE609. In the metabolomic data, a substantial alteration (≥ fourfold) in the abundances of carbohydrate metabolites in the presence of either compound was found. The estimated rates of macromolecule syntheses between the two antimalarial-treated conditions were also comparable, except for the rate of lipid synthesis. A closer examination of parasite metabolism in the presence of either compound indicated statistically significant differences in enzymatic activities associated with synthesis of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidylinositol. CONCLUSION The results of this study suggest that malaria parasites activate protein kinases via phospholipid-dependent signalling in response to the ionic perturbation induced by the Na+ homeostasis disruptor PA21A092. Therefore, targeted disruption of phospholipid signalling in PA21A092-resistant parasites could be a means to block the emergence of resistance to PA21A092.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivendra G Tewari
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Fort Detrick, MD, USA. .,The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Rubayet Elahi
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bobby Kwan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Krithika Rajaram
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Suyash Bhatnagar
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Jaques Reifman
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Fort Detrick, MD, USA
| | - Sean T Prigge
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Akhil B Vaidya
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Anders Wallqvist
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Fort Detrick, MD, USA.
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16
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Tebben K, Yirampo S, Coulibaly D, Koné AK, Laurens MB, Stucke EM, Dembélé A, Tolo Y, Traoré K, Niangaly A, Berry AA, Kouriba B, Plowe CV, Doumbo OK, Lyke KE, Takala-Harrison S, Thera MA, Travassos MA, Serre D. Malian children infected with Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium falciparum display very similar gene expression profiles. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0010802. [PMID: 36696438 PMCID: PMC9901758 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites caused 241 million cases of malaria and over 600,000 deaths in 2020. Both P. falciparum and P. ovale are endemic to Mali and cause clinical malaria, with P. falciparum infections typically being more severe. Here, we sequenced RNA from nine pediatric blood samples collected during infections with either P. falciparum or P. ovale, and characterized the host and parasite gene expression profiles. We found that human gene expression varies more between individuals than according to the parasite species causing the infection, while parasite gene expression profiles cluster by species. Additionally, we characterized DNA polymorphisms of the parasites directly from the RNA-seq reads and found comparable levels of genetic diversity in both species, despite dramatic differences in prevalence. Our results provide unique insights into host-pathogen interactions during malaria infections and their variations according to the infecting Plasmodium species, which will be critical to develop better elimination strategies against all human Plasmodium parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kieran Tebben
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore Maryland, United States of America
| | - Salif Yirampo
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Drissa Coulibaly
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Abdoulaye K. Koné
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Matthew B. Laurens
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Emily M. Stucke
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ahmadou Dembélé
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Youssouf Tolo
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Karim Traoré
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Amadou Niangaly
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Andrea A. Berry
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Bourema Kouriba
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Christopher V. Plowe
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ogobara K. Doumbo
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Kirsten E. Lyke
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Shannon Takala-Harrison
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Mahamadou A. Thera
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Mark A. Travassos
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - David Serre
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore Maryland, United States of America
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17
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Bridging the Gap in Malaria Parasite Resistance, Current Interventions, and the Way Forward from in Silico Perspective: A Review. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27227915. [PMID: 36432016 PMCID: PMC9692793 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27227915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The past decade has seen most antimalarial drugs lose their clinical potency stemming from parasite resistance. Despite immense efforts by researchers to mitigate this global scourge, a breakthrough is yet to be achieved, as most current malaria chemotherapies suffer the same fate. Though the etiology of parasite resistance is not well understood, the parasite's complex life has been implicated. A drug-combination therapy with artemisinin as the central drug, artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), is currently the preferred malaria chemotherapy in most endemic zones. The emerging concern of parasite resistance to artemisinin, however, has compromised this treatment paradigm. Membrane-bound Ca2+-transporting ATPase and endocytosis pathway protein, Kelch13, among others, are identified as drivers in plasmodium parasite resistance to artemisinin. To mitigate parasite resistance to current chemotherapy, computer-aided drug design (CADD) techniques have been employed in the discovery of novel drug targets and the development of small molecule inhibitors to provide an intriguing alternative for malaria treatment. The evolution of plasmepsins, a class of aspartyl acid proteases, has gained tremendous attention in drug discovery, especially the non-food vacuole. They are expressed at multi-stage of the parasite's life cycle and involve in hepatocytes' egress, invasion, and dissemination of the parasite within the human host, further highlighting their essentiality. In silico exploration of non-food vacuole plasmepsin, PMIX and PMX unearthed the dual enzymatic inhibitory mechanism of the WM382 and 49c, novel plasmepsin inhibitors presently spearheading the search for potent antimalarial. These inhibitors impose structural compactness on the protease, distorting the characteristic twist motion. Pharmacophore modeling and structure activity of these compounds led to the generation of hits with better affinity and inhibitory prowess towards PMIX and PMX. Despite these headways, the major obstacle in targeting PM is the structural homogeneity among its members and to human Cathepsin D. The incorporation of CADD techniques described in the study at early stages of drug discovery could help in selective inhibition to augment malaria chemotherapy.
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18
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de Lera Ruiz M, Favuzza P, Guo Z, Zhao L, Hu B, Lei Z, Zhan D, Murgolo N, Boyce CW, Vavrek M, Thompson J, Ngo A, Jarman KE, Robbins J, Boddey J, Sleebs BE, Lowes KN, Cowman AF, Olsen DB, McCauley JA. The Invention of WM382, a Highly Potent PMIX/X Dual Inhibitor toward the Treatment of Malaria. ACS Med Chem Lett 2022; 13:1745-1754. [PMID: 36385924 PMCID: PMC9661708 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00355] [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: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance to first-line antimalarials-including artemisinin-is increasing, resulting in a critical need for the discovery of new agents with novel mechanisms of action. In collaboration with the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and with funding from the Wellcome Trust, a phenotypic screen of Merck's aspartyl protease inhibitor library identified a series of plasmepsin X (PMX) hits that were more potent than chloroquine. Inspired by a PMX homology model, efforts to optimize the potency resulted in the discovery of leads that, in addition to potently inhibiting PMX, also inhibit another essential aspartic protease, plasmepsin IX (PMIX). Further potency and pharmacokinetic profile optimization efforts culminated in the discovery of WM382, a very potent dual PMIX/X inhibitor with robust in vivo efficacy at multiple stages of the malaria parasite life cycle and an excellent resistance profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel de Lera Ruiz
- Merck
& Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Paola Favuzza
- The
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC3052, Australia
- University
of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC3010, Australia
| | - Zhuyan Guo
- Merck
& Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Lianyun Zhao
- Merck
& Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Bin Hu
- WuXi
AppTec, 288 Fute Zhong Lu, Shanghai200131, China
| | - Zhiyu Lei
- WuXi
AppTec, 288 Fute Zhong Lu, Shanghai200131, China
| | - Dongmei Zhan
- WuXi
AppTec, 288 Fute Zhong Lu, Shanghai200131, China
| | - Nicholas Murgolo
- Merck
& Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Christopher W. Boyce
- Merck
& Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Marissa Vavrek
- Merck
& Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Jennifer Thompson
- The
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC3052, Australia
| | - Anna Ngo
- The
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC3052, Australia
| | - Kate E. Jarman
- The
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC3052, Australia
| | - Johnathan Robbins
- Merck
& Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - Justin Boddey
- The
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC3052, Australia
- University
of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC3010, Australia
| | - Brad E. Sleebs
- The
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC3052, Australia
- University
of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC3010, Australia
| | - Kym N. Lowes
- The
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC3052, Australia
- University
of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC3010, Australia
| | - Alan F. Cowman
- The
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC3052, Australia
- University
of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC3010, Australia
| | - David B. Olsen
- Merck
& Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
| | - John A. McCauley
- Merck
& Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, Pennsylvania 19486, United States
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19
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Decreased susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to both dihydroartemisinin and lumefantrine in northern Uganda. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6353. [PMID: 36289202 PMCID: PMC9605985 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33873-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Artemisinin partial resistance may facilitate selection of Plasmodium falciparum resistant to combination therapy partner drugs. We evaluated 99 P. falciparum isolates collected in 2021 from northern Uganda, where resistance-associated PfK13 C469Y and A675V mutations have emerged, and eastern Uganda, where these mutations are uncommon. With the ex vivo ring survival assay, isolates with the 469Y mutation (median survival 7.3% for mutant, 2.5% mixed, and 1.4% wild type) and/or mutations in Pfcoronin or falcipain-2a, had significantly greater survival; all isolates with survival >5% had mutations in at least one of these proteins. With ex vivo growth inhibition assays, susceptibility to lumefantrine (median IC50 14.6 vs. 6.9 nM, p < 0.0001) and dihydroartemisinin (2.3 vs. 1.5 nM, p = 0.003) was decreased in northern vs. eastern Uganda; 14/49 northern vs. 0/38 eastern isolates had lumefantrine IC50 > 20 nM (p = 0.0002). Targeted sequencing of 819 isolates from 2015-21 identified multiple polymorphisms associated with altered drug susceptibility, notably PfK13 469Y with decreased susceptibility to lumefantrine (p = 6 × 10-8) and PfCRT mutations with chloroquine resistance (p = 1 × 10-20). Our results raise concern regarding activity of artemether-lumefantrine, the first-line antimalarial in Uganda.
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20
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Lowe MA, Cardenas A, Valentin JP, Zhu Z, Abendroth J, Castro JL, Class R, Delaunois A, Fleurance R, Gerets H, Gryshkova V, King L, Lorimer DD, MacCoss M, Rowley JH, Rosseels ML, Royer L, Taylor RD, Wong M, Zaccheo O, Chavan VP, Ghule GA, Tapkir BK, Burrows JN, Duffey M, Rottmann M, Wittlin S, Angulo-Barturen I, Jiménez-Díaz MB, Striepen J, Fairhurst KJ, Yeo T, Fidock DA, Cowman AF, Favuzza P, Crespo-Fernandez B, Gamo FJ, Goldberg DE, Soldati-Favre D, Laleu B, de Haro T. Discovery and Characterization of Potent, Efficacious, Orally Available Antimalarial Plasmepsin X Inhibitors and Preclinical Safety Assessment of UCB7362. J Med Chem 2022; 65:14121-14143. [PMID: 36216349 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Plasmepsin X (PMX) is an essential aspartyl protease controlling malaria parasite egress and invasion of erythrocytes, development of functional liver merozoites (prophylactic activity), and blocking transmission to mosquitoes, making it a potential multistage drug target. We report the optimization of an aspartyl protease binding scaffold and the discovery of potent, orally active PMX inhibitors with in vivo antimalarial efficacy. Incorporation of safety evaluation early in the characterization of PMX inhibitors precluded compounds with a long human half-life (t1/2) to be developed. Optimization focused on improving the off-target safety profile led to the identification of UCB7362 that had an improved in vitro and in vivo safety profile but a shorter predicted human t1/2. UCB7362 is estimated to achieve 9 log 10 unit reduction in asexual blood-stage parasites with once-daily dosing of 50 mg for 7 days. This work demonstrates the potential to deliver PMX inhibitors with in vivo efficacy to treat malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Zhaoning Zhu
- UCB, 216 Bath Road, Slough SL1 3WE, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Abendroth
- UCB, 7869 NE Day Road West, Bainbridge Island, Washington 98110, United States
| | | | - Reiner Class
- UCB, Chem. du Foriest 1, 1420 Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium
| | | | | | - Helga Gerets
- UCB, Chem. du Foriest 1, 1420 Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium
| | | | - Lloyd King
- UCB, 216 Bath Road, Slough SL1 3WE, United Kingdom
| | - Donald D Lorimer
- UCB, 7869 NE Day Road West, Bainbridge Island, Washington 98110, United States
| | - Malcolm MacCoss
- Bohicket Pharma Consulting LLC, 2556 Seabrook Island Road, Seabrook Island, South Carolina 29455, United States
| | | | | | - Leandro Royer
- UCB, Chem. du Foriest 1, 1420 Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium
| | | | - Melanie Wong
- UCB, 216 Bath Road, Slough SL1 3WE, United Kingdom
| | | | - Vishal P Chavan
- Sai Life Sciences Limited, Plot DS-7, IKP Knowledge Park, Genome Valley, Turkapally, Hyderabad 500078, Telangana, India
| | - Gokul A Ghule
- Sai Life Sciences Limited, Plot DS-7, IKP Knowledge Park, Genome Valley, Turkapally, Hyderabad 500078, Telangana, India
| | - Bapusaheb K Tapkir
- Sai Life Sciences Limited, Plot DS-7, IKP Knowledge Park, Genome Valley, Turkapally, Hyderabad 500078, Telangana, India
| | - Jeremy N Burrows
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, ICC, Route de Pré-Bois 20, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maëlle Duffey
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, ICC, Route de Pré-Bois 20, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Rottmann
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, CH-4123 Allschwil, Switzerland.,University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sergio Wittlin
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, CH-4123 Allschwil, Switzerland.,University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Iñigo Angulo-Barturen
- The Art of Discovery, SL Biscay Science and Technology Park, Astondo Bidea, BIC Bizkaia Building, no. 612, Derio 48160, Bizkaia, Basque Country, Spain
| | - María Belén Jiménez-Díaz
- The Art of Discovery, SL Biscay Science and Technology Park, Astondo Bidea, BIC Bizkaia Building, no. 612, Derio 48160, Bizkaia, Basque Country, Spain
| | - Josefine Striepen
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Kate J Fairhurst
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States.,Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Alan F Cowman
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Paola Favuzza
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | | | | | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8051, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, CMU, 1 rue Michel-Servet, CH-1211 Genève 4, Switzerland
| | - Benoît Laleu
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, ICC, Route de Pré-Bois 20, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
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21
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Richardson LW, Ashton TD, Dans MG, Nguyen N, Favuzza P, Triglia T, Hodder AN, Ngo A, Jarman KE, Cowman AF, Sleebs BE. Substrate Peptidomimetic Inhibitors of P. falciparum Plasmepsin X with Potent Antimalarial Activity. ChemMedChem 2022; 17:e202200306. [PMID: 35906744 PMCID: PMC9804387 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202200306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Plasmepsin X (PMX) is an aspartyl protease that processes proteins essential for Plasmodium parasites to invade and egress from host erythrocytes during the symptomatic asexual stage of malaria. PMX substrates possess a conserved cleavage region denoted by the consensus motif, SFhE (h=hydrophobic amino acid). Peptidomimetics reflecting the P3 -P1 positions of the consensus motif were designed and showed potent and selective inhibition of PMX. It was established that PMX prefers Phe in the P1 position, di-substitution at the β-carbon of the P2 moiety and a hydrophobic P3 group which was supported by modelling of the peptidomimetics in complex with PMX. The peptidomimetics were shown to arrest asexual P. falciparum parasites at the schizont stage by impairing PMX substrate processing. Overall, the peptidomimetics described will assist in further understanding PMX substrate specificity and have the potential to act as a template for future antimalarial design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan W. Richardson
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchParkville3052VictoriaAustralia,Department of Medical BiologyUniversity of MelbourneParkville3010VictoriaAustralia
| | - Trent D. Ashton
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchParkville3052VictoriaAustralia,Department of Medical BiologyUniversity of MelbourneParkville3010VictoriaAustralia
| | - Madeline G. Dans
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchParkville3052VictoriaAustralia,Department of Medical BiologyUniversity of MelbourneParkville3010VictoriaAustralia
| | - Nghi Nguyen
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchParkville3052VictoriaAustralia,Department of Medical BiologyUniversity of MelbourneParkville3010VictoriaAustralia
| | - Paola Favuzza
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchParkville3052VictoriaAustralia,Department of Medical BiologyUniversity of MelbourneParkville3010VictoriaAustralia
| | - Tony Triglia
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchParkville3052VictoriaAustralia
| | - Anthony N. Hodder
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchParkville3052VictoriaAustralia,Department of Medical BiologyUniversity of MelbourneParkville3010VictoriaAustralia
| | - Anna Ngo
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchParkville3052VictoriaAustralia
| | - Kate E. Jarman
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchParkville3052VictoriaAustralia,Department of Medical BiologyUniversity of MelbourneParkville3010VictoriaAustralia
| | - Alan F. Cowman
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchParkville3052VictoriaAustralia,Department of Medical BiologyUniversity of MelbourneParkville3010VictoriaAustralia
| | - Brad E. Sleebs
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchParkville3052VictoriaAustralia,Department of Medical BiologyUniversity of MelbourneParkville3010VictoriaAustralia
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22
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Abstract
Human malaria, caused by infection with Plasmodium parasites, remains one of the most important global public health problems, with the World Health Organization reporting more than 240 million cases and 600,000 deaths annually as of 2020 (World malaria report 2021). Our understanding of the biology of these parasites is critical for development of effective therapeutics and prophylactics, including both antimalarials and vaccines. Plasmodium is a protozoan organism that is intracellular for most of its life cycle. However, to complete its complex life cycle and to allow for both amplification and transmission, the parasite must egress out of the host cell in a highly regulated manner. This review discusses the major pathways and proteins involved in the egress events during the Plasmodium life cycle-merozoite and gametocyte egress out of red blood cells, sporozoite egress out of the oocyst, and merozoite egress out of the hepatocyte. The similarities, as well as the differences, between the various egress pathways of the parasite highlight both novel cell biology and potential therapeutic targets to arrest its life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D Dvorin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine; and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA;
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23
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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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24
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Abugri J, Ayariga J, Sunwiale SS, Wezena CA, Gyamfi JA, Adu-Frimpong M, Agongo G, Dongdem JT, Abugri D, Dinko B. Targeting the Plasmodium falciparum proteome and organelles for potential antimalarial drug candidates. Heliyon 2022; 8:e10390. [PMID: 36033316 PMCID: PMC9398786 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an unmet need to unearth alternative treatment options for malaria, wherein this quest is more pressing in recent times due to high morbidity and mortality data arising mostly from the endemic countries coupled with partial diversion of attention from the disease in view of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic. Available therapeutic options for malaria have been severely threatened with the emergence of resistance to almost all the antimalarial drugs by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite in humans, which is a worrying situation. Artemisinin combination therapies (ACT) that have so far been the mainstay of malaria have encountered resistance by malaria parasite in South East Asia, which is regarded as a notorious ground zero for the emergence of resistance to antimalarial drugs. This review analyzes a few key druggable targets for the parasite and the potential of specific inhibitors to mitigate the emerging antimalarial drug resistance problem by providing a concise assessment of the essential proteins of the malaria parasite that could serve as targets. Moreover, this work provides a summary of the advances made in malaria parasite biology and the potential to leverage these findings for antimalarial drug production.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Abugri
- Department of Biochemistry and Forensic Sciences, School of Chemical and Biochemical Sciences, C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS), Navrongo, Ghana
| | - Joseph Ayariga
- The Biomedical Engineering Programme, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL, 36104, USA
| | - Samuel Sunyazi Sunwiale
- Department of Biochemistry and Forensic Sciences, School of Chemical and Biochemical Sciences, C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS), Navrongo, Ghana
| | - Cletus Adiyaga Wezena
- Department of Microbiology, School of Biosciences, University for Development Studies (UDS), Nyankpala Campus, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Julien Agyemang Gyamfi
- Department of Biochemistry and Forensic Sciences, School of Chemical and Biochemical Sciences, C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS), Navrongo, Ghana
| | - Michael Adu-Frimpong
- Department of Biochemistry and Forensic Sciences, School of Chemical and Biochemical Sciences, C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS), Navrongo, Ghana
| | - Godfred Agongo
- Department of Biochemistry and Forensic Sciences, School of Chemical and Biochemical Sciences, C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS), Navrongo, Ghana
| | - Julius Tieroyaare Dongdem
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. School of Medicine. University for Development Studies (UDS), Tamale-Campus, Ghana
| | - Daniel Abugri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Microbiology PhD Programme, Laboratory of Ethnomedicine, Parasitology, and Drug Discovery, College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Alabama State University, Montgomery, USA
| | - Bismarck Dinko
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho. Ghana
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25
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Narwal SK, Nayak B, Mehra P, Mishra S. Protein kinase 9 is not required for completion of the Plasmodium berghei life cycle. Microbiol Res 2022; 260:127051. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2022.127051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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26
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Moss S, Mańko E, Krishna S, Campino S, Clark TG, Last A. How has mass drug administration with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine impacted molecular markers of drug resistance? A systematic review. Malar J 2022; 21:186. [PMID: 35690758 PMCID: PMC9188255 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04181-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends surveillance of molecular markers of resistance to anti-malarial drugs. This is particularly important in the case of mass drug administration (MDA), which is endorsed by the WHO in some settings to combat malaria. Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA-PPQ) is an artemisinin-based combination therapy which has been used in MDA. This review analyses the impact of MDA with DHA-PPQ on the evolution of molecular markers of drug resistance. The review is split into two parts. Section I reviews the current evidence for different molecular markers of resistance to DHA-PPQ. This includes an overview of the prevalence of these molecular markers in Plasmodium falciparum Whole Genome Sequence data from the MalariaGEN Pf3k project. Section II is a systematic literature review of the impact that MDA with DHA-PPQ has had on the evolution of molecular markers of resistance. This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines. This review found that despite being a recognised surveillance tool by the WHO, the surveillance of molecular markers of resistance following MDA with DHA-PPQ was not commonly performed. Of the total 96 papers screened for eligibility in this review, only 20 analysed molecular markers of drug resistance. The molecular markers published were also not standardized. Overall, this warrants greater reporting of molecular marker prevalence following MDA implementation. This should include putative pfcrt mutations which have been found to convey resistance to DHA-PPQ in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Moss
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Emilia Mańko
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Sanjeev Krishna
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, St George's University of London, London, UK
| | - Susana Campino
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Taane G Clark
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Anna Last
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
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27
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The Role of the Iron Protoporphyrins Heme and Hematin in the Antimalarial Activity of Endoperoxide Drugs. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15010060. [PMID: 35056117 PMCID: PMC8779033 DOI: 10.3390/ph15010060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium has evolved to regulate the levels and oxidative states of iron protoporphyrin IX (Fe-PPIX). Antimalarial endoperoxides such as 1,2,4-trioxane artemisinin and 1,2,4-trioxolane arterolane undergo a bioreductive activation step mediated by heme (FeII-PPIX) but not by hematin (FeIII-PPIX), leading to the generation of a radical species. This can alkylate proteins vital for parasite survival and alkylate heme into hematin–drug adducts. Heme alkylation is abundant and accompanied by interconversion from the ferrous to the ferric state, which may induce an imbalance in the iron redox homeostasis. In addition to this, hematin–artemisinin adducts antagonize the spontaneous biomineralization of hematin into hemozoin crystals, differing strikingly from artemisinins, which do not directly suppress hematin biomineralization. These hematin–drug adducts, despite being devoid of the peroxide bond required for radical-induced alkylation, are powerful antiplasmodial agents. This review addresses our current understanding of Fe-PPIX as a bioreductive activator and molecular target. A compelling pharmacological model is that by alkylating heme, endoperoxide drugs can cause an imbalance in the iron homeostasis and that the hematin–drug adducts formed have strong cytocidal effects by possibly reproducing some of the toxifying effects of free Fe-PPIX. The antiplasmodial phenotype and the mode of action of hematin–drug adducts open new possibilities for reconciliating the mechanism of endoperoxide drugs and for malaria intervention.
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28
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Kumi RO, Yakubu ES, Agoni C, Bidemi AO, Soliman ME. Disrupting the characteristic twist motion; tailored in silico approach towards the design of plasmepsin inhibitors. INFORMATICS IN MEDICINE UNLOCKED 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imu.2022.101093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
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29
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Patent highlights June-July 2021. Pharm Pat Anal 2021; 10:237-244. [PMID: 34753317 DOI: 10.4155/ppa-2021-0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A snapshot of noteworthy recent developments in the patent literature of relevance to pharmaceutical and medical research and development.
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30
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Florin-Christensen M, Wieser SN, Suarez CE, Schnittger L. In Silico Survey and Characterization of Babesia microti Functional and Non-Functional Proteases. Pathogens 2021; 10:1457. [PMID: 34832610 PMCID: PMC8621943 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10111457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Human babesiosis caused by the intraerythrocytic apicomplexan Babesia microti is an expanding tick-borne zoonotic disease that may cause severe symptoms and death in elderly or immunocompromised individuals. In light of an increasing resistance of B. microti to drugs, there is a lack of therapeutic alternatives. Species-specific proteases are essential for parasite survival and possible chemotherapeutic targets. However, the repertoire of proteases in B. microti remains poorly investigated. Herein, we employed several combined bioinformatics tools and strategies to organize and identify genes encoding for the full repertoire of proteases in the B. microti genome. We identified 64 active proteases and 25 nonactive protease homologs. These proteases can be classified into cysteine (n = 28), serine (n = 21), threonine (n = 14), asparagine (n = 7), and metallopeptidases (n = 19), which, in turn, are assigned to a total of 38 peptidase families. Comparative studies between the repertoire of B. bovis and B. microti proteases revealed differences among sensu stricto and sensu lato Babesia parasites that reflect their distinct evolutionary history. Overall, this data may help direct future research towards our understanding of the biology and pathogenicity of Babesia parasites and to explore proteases as targets for developing novel therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Florin-Christensen
- Instituto de Patobiologia Veterinaria (IPVET), Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronomicas, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Hurlingham C1033AAE, Argentina; (S.N.W.); (L.S.)
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1033AAJ, Argentina
| | - Sarah N. Wieser
- Instituto de Patobiologia Veterinaria (IPVET), Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronomicas, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Hurlingham C1033AAE, Argentina; (S.N.W.); (L.S.)
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1033AAJ, Argentina
| | - Carlos E. Suarez
- Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Pullman, WA 99163, USA;
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99163, USA
| | - Leonhard Schnittger
- Instituto de Patobiologia Veterinaria (IPVET), Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronomicas, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Hurlingham C1033AAE, Argentina; (S.N.W.); (L.S.)
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1033AAJ, Argentina
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31
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Plasmepsin-like Aspartyl Proteases in Babesia. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10101241. [PMID: 34684190 PMCID: PMC8540915 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10101241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan genomes encode multiple pepsin-family aspartyl proteases (APs) that phylogenetically cluster to six independent clades (A to F). Such diversification has been powered by the function-driven evolution of the ancestral apicomplexan AP gene and is associated with the adaptation of various apicomplexan species to different strategies of host infection and transmission through various invertebrate vectors. To estimate the potential roles of Babesia APs, we performed qRT-PCR-based expressional profiling of Babesia microti APs (BmASP2, 3, 5, 6), which revealed the dynamically changing mRNA levels and indicated the specific roles of individual BmASP isoenzymes throughout the life cycle of this parasite. To expand on the current knowledge on piroplasmid APs, we searched the EuPathDB and NCBI GenBank databases to identify and phylogenetically analyse the complete sets of APs encoded by the genomes of selected Babesia and Theileria species. Our results clearly determine the potential roles of identified APs by their phylogenetic relation to their homologues of known function—Plasmodium falciparum plasmepsins (PfPM I–X) and Toxoplasma gondii aspartyl proteases (TgASP1–7). Due to the analogies with plasmodial plasmepsins, piroplasmid APs represent valuable enzymatic targets that are druggable by small molecule inhibitors—candidate molecules for the yet-missing specific therapy for babesiosis.
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Sojka D, Šnebergerová P, Robbertse L. Protease Inhibition-An Established Strategy to Combat Infectious Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5762. [PMID: 34071206 PMCID: PMC8197795 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic agents with novel mechanisms of action are urgently needed to counter the emergence of drug-resistant infections. Several decades of research into proteases of disease agents have revealed enzymes well suited for target-based drug development. Among them are the three recently validated proteolytic targets: proteasomes of the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum, aspartyl proteases of P. falciparum (plasmepsins) and the Sars-CoV-2 viral proteases. Despite some unfulfilled expectations over previous decades, the three reviewed targets clearly demonstrate that selective protease inhibitors provide effective therapeutic solutions for the two most impacting infectious diseases nowadays-malaria and COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Sojka
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 1160/31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (P.Š.); (L.R.)
| | - Pavla Šnebergerová
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 1160/31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (P.Š.); (L.R.)
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1760c, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Luïse Robbertse
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 1160/31, CZ-37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; (P.Š.); (L.R.)
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Artemisinin-Based Drugs Target the Plasmodium falciparum Heme Detoxification Pathway. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2021; 65:AAC.02137-20. [PMID: 33495226 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02137-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Artemisinin (ART)-based antimalarial drugs are believed to exert lethal effects on malarial parasites by alkylating a variety of intracellular molecular targets. Recent work with live parasites has shown that one of the alkylated targets is free heme within the parasite digestive vacuole, which is liberated upon hemoglobin catabolism by the intraerythrocytic parasite, and that reduced levels of heme alkylation occur in artemisinin-resistant parasites. One implication of heme alkylation is that these drugs may inhibit parasite detoxification of free heme via inhibition of heme-to-hemozoin crystallization; however, previous reports that have investigated this hypothesis present conflicting data. By controlling reducing conditions and, hence, the availability of ferrous versus ferric forms of free heme, we modify a previously reported hemozoin inhibition assay to quantify the ability of ART-based drugs to target the heme detoxification pathway under reduced versus oxidizing conditions. Contrary to some previous reports, we find that artemisinins are potent inhibitors of hemozoin crystallization, with effective half-maximal concentrations approximately an order of magnitude lower than those for most quinoline-based antimalarial drugs. We also examine hemozoin and in vitro parasite growth inhibition for drug pairs found in the most commonly used ART-based combination therapies (ACTs). All ACTs examined inhibit hemozoin crystallization in an additive fashion, and all but one inhibit parasite growth in an additive fashion.
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Barber J, Sikakana P, Sadler C, Baud D, Valentin JP, Roberts R. A target safety assessment of the potential toxicological risks of targeting plasmepsin IX/X for the treatment of malaria. Toxicol Res (Camb) 2021; 10:203-213. [PMID: 33884171 DOI: 10.1093/toxres/tfaa106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The aspartic proteases plasmepsin IX/X are important antimalarial drug targets due to their specificity to the malaria parasite and their vital role as mediators of disease progression. Focusing on parasite-specific targets where no human homologue exists reduces the possibility of on-target drug toxicity. However, there is a risk of toxicity driven by inadequate selectivity for plasmepsins IX/X in Plasmodium over related mammalian aspartic proteases. Of these, CatD/E may be of most toxicological relevance as CatD is a ubiquitous lysosomal enzyme present in most cell types and CatE is found in the gut and in erythrocytes, the clinically significant site of malarial infection. Based on mammalian aspartic protease physiology and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to FDA-approved human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) aspartic protease inhibitors, we predicted several potential toxicities including β-cell and congenital abnormalities, hypotension, hypopigmentation, hyperlipidaemia, increased infection risk and respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal, dermatological, and other epithelial tissue toxicities. These ADRs to the HIV treatments are likely to be a result of host aspartic protease inhibition due a lack of specificity for the HIV protease; plasmepsins are much more closely related to human CatD than to HIV proteinase. Plasmepsin IX/X inhibition presents an opportunity to specifically target Plasmodium as an effective antimalarial treatment, providing adequate selectivity can be obtained. Potential plasmepsin IX/X inhibitors should be assayed for inhibitory activity against the main human aspartic proteases and particularly CatD/E. An investigative rodent study conducted early in drug discovery would serve as an initial risk assessment of the potential hazards identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Barber
- ApconiX, Alderley Park, Alderley Edge, SK10 4TG, UK
| | | | | | - Delphine Baud
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, 20 Route de Pré-Bois, Geneva 1215, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Pierre Valentin
- UCB Biopharma SRL, Building R9, Chemin du Foriest, 1420 Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium
| | - Ruth Roberts
- ApconiX, Alderley Park, Alderley Edge, SK10 4TG, UK
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Diallo BN, Swart T, Hoppe HC, Tastan Bishop Ö, Lobb K. Potential repurposing of four FDA approved compounds with antiplasmodial activity identified through proteome scale computational drug discovery and in vitro assay. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1413. [PMID: 33446838 PMCID: PMC7809352 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80722-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria elimination can benefit from time and cost-efficient approaches for antimalarials such as drug repurposing. In this work, 796 DrugBank compounds were screened against 36 Plasmodium falciparum targets using QuickVina-W. Hits were selected after rescoring using GRaph Interaction Matching (GRIM) and ligand efficiency metrics: surface efficiency index (SEI), binding efficiency index (BEI) and lipophilic efficiency (LipE). They were further evaluated in Molecular dynamics (MD). Twenty-five protein-ligand complexes were finally retained from the 28,656 (36 × 796) dockings. Hit GRIM scores (0.58 to 0.78) showed their molecular interaction similarity to co-crystallized ligands. Minimum LipE (3), SEI (23) and BEI (7) were in at least acceptable thresholds for hits. Binding energies ranged from -6 to -11 kcal/mol. Ligands showed stability in MD simulation with good hydrogen bonding and favorable protein-ligand interactions energy (the poorest being -140.12 kcal/mol). In vitro testing showed 4 active compounds with two having IC50 values in the single-digit μM range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bakary N'tji Diallo
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - Tarryn Swart
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - Heinrich C Hoppe
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - Özlem Tastan Bishop
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa
| | - Kevin Lobb
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa.
- Department of Chemistry, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140, South Africa.
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Coban C. The host targeting effect of chloroquine in malaria. Curr Opin Immunol 2020; 66:98-107. [PMID: 32823144 PMCID: PMC7431399 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2020.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Due to the rapid onset and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the treatment of COVID-19 patients by hydroxychloroquine alone or in combination with other drugs has captured a great deal of attention and triggered considerable debate. Historically, the worldwide use of quinoline based-drugs has led to a spectacular reduction in death from malaria. Unfortunately, scientists have been forced to seek alternative drugs to treat malaria due to the emergence of chloroquine-resistant parasites in the 1960s. The repurposing of hydroxychloroquine against viral infections, various types of cancer and autoimmune diseases has been ongoing for more than 70 years, with no clear understanding of its mechanism of action (MOA). Here, we closely examine the MOA of this old but influential drug in and beyond malaria. Better insights into how chloroquine targets the host's cellular and immune responses may help to develop applications against to new pathogens and diseases, and perhaps even restore the clinical utility of chloroquine against malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cevayir Coban
- Division of Malaria Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science (IMSUT), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Laboratory of Malaria Immunology, Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
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Crossing the Vacuolar Rubicon: Structural Insights into Effector Protein Trafficking in Apicomplexan Parasites. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8060865. [PMID: 32521667 PMCID: PMC7355975 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8060865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexans form a large phylum of parasitic protozoa, including the genera Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, and Cryptosporidium, the causative agents of malaria, toxoplasmosis, and cryptosporidiosis, respectively. They cause diseases not only in humans but also in animals, with dramatic consequences in agriculture. Most apicomplexans are vacuole-dwelling and obligate intracellular parasites; as they invade the host cell, they become encased in a parasitophorous vacuole (PV) derived from the host cellular membrane. This creates a parasite-host interface that acts as a protective barrier but also constitutes an obstacle through which the pathogen must import nutrients, eliminate wastes, and eventually break free upon egress. Completion of the parasitic life cycle requires intense remodeling of the infected host cell. Host cell subversion is mediated by a subset of essential effector parasitic proteins and virulence factors actively trafficked across the PV membrane. In the malaria parasite Plasmodium, a unique and highly specialized ATP-driven vacuolar secretion system, the Plasmodium translocon of exported proteins (PTEX), transports effector proteins across the vacuolar membrane. Its core is composed of the three essential proteins EXP2, PTEX150, and HSP101, and is supplemented by the two auxiliary proteins TRX2 and PTEX88. Many but not all secreted malarial effector proteins contain a vacuolar trafficking signal or Plasmodium export element (PEXEL) that requires processing by an endoplasmic reticulum protease, plasmepsin V, for proper export. Because vacuolar parasitic protein export is essential to parasite survival and virulence, this pathway is a promising target for the development of novel antimalarial therapeutics. This review summarizes the current state of structural and mechanistic knowledge on the Plasmodium parasitic vacuolar secretion and effector trafficking pathway, describing its most salient features and discussing the existing differences and commonalities with the vacuolar effector translocation MYR machinery recently described in Toxoplasma and other apicomplexans of significance to medical and veterinary sciences.
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