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Lappalainen R, Kumar M, Duraisingh MT. Hungry for control: metabolite signaling to chromatin in Plasmodium falciparum. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 78:102430. [PMID: 38306915 PMCID: PMC11157454 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum undergoes a complex life cycle in two hosts, mammalian and mosquito, where it is constantly subjected to environmental changes in nutrients. Epigenetic mechanisms govern transcriptional switches and are essential for parasite persistence and proliferation. Parasites infecting red blood cells are auxotrophic for several nutrients, and mounting evidence suggests that various metabolites act as direct substrates for epigenetic modifications, with their abundance directly relating to changes in parasite gene expression. Here, we review the latest understanding of metabolic changes that alter the histone code resulting in changes to transcriptional programmes in malaria parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Lappalainen
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston 02115, USA
| | - Manish Kumar
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston 02115, USA
| | - Manoj T Duraisingh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston 02115, USA.
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2
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Ashby EC, Havens JL, Rollosson LM, Hardin J, Schulz D. Chemical Inhibition of Bromodomain Proteins in Insect-Stage African Trypanosomes Perturbs Silencing of the Variant Surface Glycoprotein Repertoire and Results in Widespread Changes in the Transcriptome. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0014723. [PMID: 37097159 PMCID: PMC10269879 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00147-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The eukaryotic protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei is transmitted by the tsetse fly to both humans and animals, where it causes a fatal disease called African trypanosomiasis. While the parasite lacks canonical DNA sequence-specific transcription factors, it does possess histones, histone modifications, and proteins that write, erase, and read histone marks. Chemical inhibition of chromatin-interacting bromodomain proteins has previously been shown to perturb bloodstream specific trypanosome processes, including silencing of the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) genes and immune evasion. Transcriptomic changes that occur in bromodomain-inhibited bloodstream parasites mirror many of the changes that occur as parasites developmentally progress from the bloodstream to the insect stage. We performed transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) time courses to determine the effects of chemical bromodomain inhibition in insect-stage parasites using the compound I-BET151. We found that treatment with I-BET151 causes large changes in the transcriptome of insect-stage parasites and also perturbs silencing of VSG genes. The transcriptomes of bromodomain-inhibited parasites share some features with early metacyclic-stage parasites in the fly salivary gland, implicating bromodomain proteins as important for regulating transcript levels for developmentally relevant genes. However, the downregulation of surface procyclin protein that typically accompanies developmental progression is absent in bromodomain-inhibited insect-stage parasites. We conclude that chemical modulation of bromodomain proteins causes widespread transcriptomic changes in multiple trypanosome life cycle stages. Understanding the gene-regulatory processes that facilitate transcriptome remodeling in this highly diverged eukaryote may shed light on how these mechanisms evolved. IMPORTANCE The disease African trypanosomiasis imposes a severe human and economic burden for communities in sub-Saharan Africa. The parasite that causes the disease is transmitted to the bloodstream of a human or ungulate via the tsetse fly. Because the environments of the fly and the bloodstream differ, the parasite modulates the expression of its genes to accommodate two different lifestyles in these disparate niches. Perturbation of bromodomain proteins that interact with histone proteins around which DNA is wrapped (chromatin) causes profound changes in gene expression in bloodstream-stage parasites. This paper reports that gene expression is also affected by chemical bromodomain inhibition in insect-stage parasites but that the genes affected differ depending on life cycle stage. Because trypanosomes diverged early from model eukaryotes, an understanding of how trypanosomes regulate gene expression may lend insight into how gene-regulatory mechanisms evolved. This could also be leveraged to generate new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan C. Ashby
- Department of Biology, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, California, USA
| | | | | | - Johanna Hardin
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Pomona College, Claremont, California, USA
| | - Danae Schulz
- Department of Biology, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, California, USA
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3
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Bohmer MJ, Wang J, Istvan ES, Luth MR, Collins JE, Huttlin EL, Wang L, Mittal N, Hao M, Kwiatkowski NP, Gygi SP, Chakrabarti R, Deng X, Goldberg DE, Winzeler EA, Gray NS, Chakrabarti D. Human Polo-like Kinase Inhibitors as Antiplasmodials. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:1004-1021. [PMID: 36919909 PMCID: PMC10106425 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00025] [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] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Protein kinases have proven to be a very productive class of therapeutic targets, and over 90 inhibitors are currently in clinical use primarily for the treatment of cancer. Repurposing these inhibitors as antimalarials could provide an accelerated path to drug development. In this study, we identified BI-2536, a known potent human polo-like kinase 1 inhibitor, with low nanomolar antiplasmodial activity. Screening of additional PLK1 inhibitors revealed further antiplasmodial candidates despite the lack of an obvious orthologue of PLKs in Plasmodium. A subset of these inhibitors was profiled for their in vitro killing profile, and commonalities between the killing rate and inhibition of nuclear replication were noted. A kinase panel screen identified PfNEK3 as a shared target of these PLK1 inhibitors; however, phosphoproteome analysis confirmed distinct signaling pathways were disrupted by two structurally distinct inhibitors, suggesting PfNEK3 may not be the sole target. Genomic analysis of BI-2536-resistant parasites revealed mutations in genes associated with the starvation-induced stress response, suggesting BI-2536 may also inhibit an aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica J Bohmer
- Division of Molecular Microbiology, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Jinhua Wang
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Cancer Biolo gy, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Eva S Istvan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Madeline R Luth
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Jennifer E Collins
- Division of Molecular Microbiology, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Edward L Huttlin
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Lushun Wang
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ChEM-H, Stanford Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Nimisha Mittal
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Mingfeng Hao
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Cancer Biolo gy, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Nicholas P Kwiatkowski
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department of Cancer Biolo gy, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Steven P Gygi
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Ratna Chakrabarti
- Division of Cancer Research, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
| | - Xianming Deng
- School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Elizabeth A Winzeler
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ChEM-H, Stanford Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Debopam Chakrabarti
- Division of Molecular Microbiology, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States
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4
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Singh AK, Phillips M, Alkrimi S, Tonelli M, Boyson SP, Malone KL, Nix JC, Glass KC. Structural insights into acetylated histone ligand recognition by the BDP1 bromodomain of Plasmodium falciparum. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 223:316-326. [PMID: 36328269 PMCID: PMC10093686 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.10.247] [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: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum requires a two-host system, moving between Anopheles mosquito and humans, to complete its life cycle. To overcome such dynamic growth conditions its histones undergo various post-translational modifications to regulate gene expression. The P. falciparum Bromodomain Protein 1 (PfBDP1) has been shown to interact with acetylated lysine modifications on histone H3 to regulate the expression of invasion-related genes. Here, we investigated the ability of the PfBDP1 bromodomain to interact with acetyllsyine modifications on additional core and variant histones. A crystal structure of the PfBDP1 bromodomain (PfBDP1-BRD) reveals it contains the conserved bromodomain fold, but our comparative analysis between the PfBDP1-BRD and human bromodomain families indicates it has a unique binding mechanism. Solution NMR spectroscopy and ITC binding assays carried out with acetylated histone ligands demonstrate that it preferentially recognizes tetra-acetylated histone H4, and we detected weaker interactions with multi-acetylated H2A.Z in addition to the previously reported interactions with acetylated histone H3. Our findings indicate PfBDP1 may play additional roles in the P. falciparum life cycle, and the distinctive features of its bromodomain binding pocket could be leveraged for the development of new therapeutic agents to help overcome the continuously evolving resistance of P. falciparum against currently available drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajit Kumar Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Margaret Phillips
- Department of Pharmacology, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Saleh Alkrimi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Colchester, VT 05446, USA
| | - Marco Tonelli
- NMRFAM and Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Samuel P Boyson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Colchester, VT 05446, USA
| | - Kiera L Malone
- Department of Pharmacology, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Jay C Nix
- Molecular Biology Consortium, Advanced Light Source, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Karen C Glass
- Department of Pharmacology, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Colchester, VT 05446, USA.
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5
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Quinn JE, Jeninga MD, Limm K, Pareek K, Meißgeier T, Bachmann A, Duffy MF, Petter M. The Putative Bromodomain Protein PfBDP7 of the Human Malaria Parasite Plasmodium Falciparum Cooperates With PfBDP1 in the Silencing of Variant Surface Antigen Expression. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:816558. [PMID: 35493110 PMCID: PMC9039026 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.816558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation is a critical mechanism in controlling virulence, differentiation, and survival of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium (P.) falciparum. Bromodomain proteins contribute to this process by binding to acetylated lysine residues of histones and thereby targeting the gene regulatory machinery to gene promoters. A protein complex containing the P. falciparum bromodomain proteins (PfBDP) 1 and PfBDP2 (BDP1/BDP2 core complex) was previously shown to play an essential role for the correct transcription of invasion related genes. Here, we performed a functional characterization of a third component of this complex, which we dubbed PfBDP7, because structural modelling predicted a typical bromodomain fold. We confirmed that PfBDP7 is a nuclear protein that interacts with PfBDP1 at invasion gene promoters in mature schizont stage parasites and contributes to their transcription. Although partial depletion of PfBDP7 showed no significant effect on parasite viability, conditional knock down of either PfBDP7 or PfBDP1 resulted in the de-repression of variant surface antigens (VSA), which are important pathogenicity factors. This de-repression was evident both on mRNA and protein level. To understand the underlying mechanism, we mapped the genome wide binding sites of PfBDP7 by ChIPseq and showed that in early schizonts, PfBDP7 and PfBDP1 are commonly enriched in heterochromatic regions across the gene body of all VSA families, including genes coding for PfEMP1, RIFIN, STEVOR, and PfMC-2TM. This suggests that PfBDP7 and PfBDP1 contribute to the silencing of VSAs by associating with heterochromatin. In conclusion, we identified PfBDP7 as a chromatin binding protein that is a constitutive part of the P. falciparum BDP1/BDP2 core complex and established PfBDP1 and PfBDP7 as novel players in the silencing of heterochromatin regulated virulence gene families of the malaria parasite P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E. Quinn
- Mikrobiologisches Institut—Klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Myriam D. Jeninga
- Mikrobiologisches Institut—Klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Katharina Limm
- Institute of Functional Genomics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Kapil Pareek
- Mikrobiologisches Institut—Klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tina Meißgeier
- Mikrobiologisches Institut—Klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Anna Bachmann
- Department of Cellular Parasitology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Hamburg, Germany
- Biology Department, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michael F. Duffy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Bio21 Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Michaela Petter
- Mikrobiologisches Institut—Klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- *Correspondence: Michaela Petter,
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Megiorni F, Camero S, Pontecorvi P, Camicia L, Marampon F, Ceccarelli S, Anastasiadou E, Bernabò N, Perniola G, Pizzuti A, Benedetti Panici P, Tombolini V, Marchese C. OTX015 Epi-Drug Exerts Antitumor Effects in Ovarian Cancer Cells by Blocking GNL3-Mediated Radioresistance Mechanisms: Cellular, Molecular and Computational Evidence. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13071519. [PMID: 33806232 PMCID: PMC8059141 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13071519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The outcome for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer (OC), the most aggressive gynecological tumor worldwide, remains very poor. Encouraging therapeutic impact of epigenetic drugs has been suggested in a wide range of human solid tumors, including OC. The present study assessed the in vitro cytostatic and cytotoxic effects of OTX015, a pan Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal motif inhibitor, in human OC cells, both as single treatment and in combination with radiotherapy. Cellular, molecular and computational network analyses indicated the centrality of GNL3 downregulation in mediating the OTX015-related antitumor efficacy that blocks disease progression/maintenance and radioresistance acquisition. Our preclinical results confirm that targeted and combinatorial treatments represent effective anticancer strategies to be translated in the clinical research for improving OC patient care. Abstract Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most aggressive gynecological tumor worldwide and, notwithstanding the increment in conventional treatments, many resistance mechanisms arise, this leading to cure failure and patient death. So, the use of novel adjuvant drugs able to counteract these pathways is urgently needed to improve patient overall survival. A growing interest is focused on epigenetic drugs for cancer therapy, such as Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal motif inhibitors (BETi). Here, we investigate the antitumor effects of OTX015, a novel BETi, as a single agent or in combination with ionizing radiation (IR) in OC cellular models. OTX015 treatment significantly reduced tumor cell proliferation by triggering cell cycle arrest and apoptosis that were linked to nucleolar stress and DNA damage. OTX015 impaired migration capacity and potentiated IR effects by reducing the expression of different drivers of cancer resistance mechanisms, including GNL3 gene, whose expression was found to be significantly higher in OC biopsies than in normal ovarian tissues. Gene specific knocking down and computational network analysis confirmed the centrality of GNL3 in OTX015-mediated OC antitumor effects. Altogether, our findings suggest OTX015 as an effective option to improve therapeutic strategies and overcome the development of resistant cancer cells in patients with OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Megiorni
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (P.P.); (S.C.); (E.A.); (A.P.); (C.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-06-4997-8272
| | - Simona Camero
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (L.C.); (G.P.); (P.B.P.)
| | - Paola Pontecorvi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (P.P.); (S.C.); (E.A.); (A.P.); (C.M.)
| | - Lucrezia Camicia
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (L.C.); (G.P.); (P.B.P.)
| | - Francesco Marampon
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.M.); (V.T.)
| | - Simona Ceccarelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (P.P.); (S.C.); (E.A.); (A.P.); (C.M.)
| | - Eleni Anastasiadou
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (P.P.); (S.C.); (E.A.); (A.P.); (C.M.)
| | - Nicola Bernabò
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, Italy;
| | - Giorgia Perniola
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (L.C.); (G.P.); (P.B.P.)
| | - Antonio Pizzuti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (P.P.); (S.C.); (E.A.); (A.P.); (C.M.)
| | - Pierluigi Benedetti Panici
- Department of Maternal and Child Health and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.C.); (L.C.); (G.P.); (P.B.P.)
| | - Vincenzo Tombolini
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.M.); (V.T.)
| | - Cinzia Marchese
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (P.P.); (S.C.); (E.A.); (A.P.); (C.M.)
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Inhibition of PfMYST Histone Acetyltransferase Activity Blocks Plasmodium falciparum Growth and Survival. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2020; 65:AAC.00953-20. [PMID: 33046499 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00953-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the major barriers in the prevention and control of malaria programs worldwide is the growing emergence of multidrug resistance in Plasmodium parasites, and this necessitates continued efforts to discover and develop effective drug molecules targeting novel proteins essential for parasite survival. In recent years, epigenetic regulators have evolved as an attractive drug target option owing to their crucial role in survival and development of Plasmodium at different stages of its life cycle. PfMYST, a histone acetyltransferase protein, is known to regulate key cellular processes, such as cell cycle progression, DNA damage repair, and antigenic variation, that facilitate parasite growth, adaptation, and survival inside its host. With the aim of assessing the therapeutic potential of PfMYST as a novel drug target, we examined the effect of NU9056 (an HsTIP60 inhibitor) on the rate of parasite growth and survival. In the present study, by using a yeast complementation assay, we established that PfMYST is a true homolog of TIP60 and showed that NU9056 can inhibit PfMYST catalytic activity and kill P. falciparum parasites in culture. Inhibiting the catalytic activity of PfMYST arrests the parasite in the trophozoite stage and inhibits its further transition to the schizont stage, eventually leading to its death. Overall, our study provides proof of concept that PfMYST catalytic activity is essential for parasite growth and survival and that PfMYST can be a potential target for antimalarial therapy.
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Targeting histone acetylation/deacetylation in parasites: an update (2017–2020). Curr Opin Chem Biol 2020; 57:65-74. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Wahab S, Saettone A, Nabeel-Shah S, Dannah N, Fillingham J. Exploring the Histone Acetylation Cycle in the Protozoan Model Tetrahymena thermophila. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:509. [PMID: 32695779 PMCID: PMC7339932 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The eukaryotic histone acetylation cycle is composed of three classes of proteins, histone acetyltransferases (HATs) that add acetyl groups to lysine amino acids, bromodomain (BRD) containing proteins that are one of the most characterized of several protein domains that recognize acetyl-lysine (Kac) and effect downstream function, and histone deacetylases (HDACs) that catalyze the reverse reaction. Dysfunction of selected proteins of these three classes is associated with human disease such as cancer. Additionally, the HATs, BRDs, and HDACs of fungi and parasitic protozoa present potential drug targets. Despite their importance, the function and mechanisms of HATs, BRDs, and HDACs and how they relate to chromatin remodeling (CR) remain incompletely understood. Tetrahymena thermophila (Tt) provides a highly tractable single-celled free-living protozoan model for studying histone acetylation, featuring a massively acetylated somatic genome, a property that was exploited in the identification of the first nuclear/type A HAT Gcn5 in the 1990s. Since then, Tetrahymena remains an under-explored model for the molecular analysis of HATs, BRDs, and HDACs. Studies of HATs, BRDs, and HDACs in Tetrahymena have the potential to reveal the function of HATs and BRDs relevant to both fundamental eukaryotic biology and to the study of disease mechanisms in parasitic protozoa.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jeffrey Fillingham
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada
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