1
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Dans MG, Boulet C, Watson GM, Nguyen W, Dziekan JM, Evelyn C, Reaksudsan K, Mehra S, Razook Z, Geoghegan ND, Mlodzianoski MJ, Goodman CD, Ling DB, Jonsdottir TK, Tong J, Famodimu MT, Kristan M, Pollard H, Stewart LB, Brandner-Garrod L, Sutherland CJ, Delves MJ, McFadden GI, Barry AE, Crabb BS, de Koning-Ward TF, Rogers KL, Cowman AF, Tham WH, Sleebs BE, Gilson PR. Aryl amino acetamides prevent Plasmodium falciparum ring development via targeting the lipid-transfer protein PfSTART1. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5219. [PMID: 38890312 PMCID: PMC11189555 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49491-8] [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: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
With resistance to most antimalarials increasing, it is imperative that new drugs are developed. We previously identified an aryl acetamide compound, MMV006833 (M-833), that inhibited the ring-stage development of newly invaded merozoites. Here, we select parasites resistant to M-833 and identify mutations in the START lipid transfer protein (PF3D7_0104200, PfSTART1). Introducing PfSTART1 mutations into wildtype parasites reproduces resistance to M-833 as well as to more potent analogues. PfSTART1 binding to the analogues is validated using organic solvent-based Proteome Integral Solubility Alteration (Solvent PISA) assays. Imaging of invading merozoites shows the inhibitors prevent the development of ring-stage parasites potentially by inhibiting the expansion of the encasing parasitophorous vacuole membrane. The PfSTART1-targeting compounds also block transmission to mosquitoes and with multiple stages of the parasite's lifecycle being affected, PfSTART1 represents a drug target with a new mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline G Dans
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
- Institute of Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT) and School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia.
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - Coralie Boulet
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, 1206, Switzerland
| | - Gabrielle M Watson
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - William Nguyen
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Jerzy M Dziekan
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Cindy Evelyn
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Kitsanapong Reaksudsan
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Somya Mehra
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Institute of Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT) and School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
| | - Zahra Razook
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Institute of Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT) and School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
| | - Niall D Geoghegan
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Michael J Mlodzianoski
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | | | | | - Thorey K Jonsdottir
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, 901 87, Sweden
- The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå, Sweden
| | - Joshua Tong
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Mufuliat Toyin Famodimu
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, WC1E 7HT, London, UK
| | - Mojca Kristan
- Wellcome Trust Human Malaria Transmission Facility, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Harry Pollard
- Wellcome Trust Human Malaria Transmission Facility, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Lindsay B Stewart
- Wellcome Trust Human Malaria Transmission Facility, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Luke Brandner-Garrod
- Wellcome Trust Human Malaria Transmission Facility, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Colin J Sutherland
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, WC1E 7HT, London, UK
- Wellcome Trust Human Malaria Transmission Facility, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Michael J Delves
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, WC1E 7HT, London, UK
| | - Geoffrey I McFadden
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Alyssa E Barry
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Institute of Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT) and School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
| | - Brendan S Crabb
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Monash University, 3800, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Tania F de Koning-Ward
- Institute of Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT) and School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
| | - Kelly L Rogers
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Alan F Cowman
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Wai-Hong Tham
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Brad E Sleebs
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Paul R Gilson
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
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Farrell B, Alam N, Hart MN, Jamwal A, Ragotte RJ, Walters-Morgan H, Draper SJ, Knuepfer E, Higgins MK. The PfRCR complex bridges malaria parasite and erythrocyte during invasion. Nature 2024; 625:578-584. [PMID: 38123677 PMCID: PMC10794152 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06856-1] [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: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The symptoms of malaria occur during the blood stage of infection, when parasites invade and replicate within human erythrocytes. The PfPCRCR complex1, containing PfRH5 (refs. 2,3), PfCyRPA, PfRIPR, PfCSS and PfPTRAMP, is essential for erythrocyte invasion by the deadliest human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Invasion can be prevented by antibodies3-6 or nanobodies1 against each of these conserved proteins, making them the leading blood-stage malaria vaccine candidates. However, little is known about how PfPCRCR functions during invasion. Here we present the structure of the PfRCR complex7,8, containing PfRH5, PfCyRPA and PfRIPR, determined by cryogenic-electron microscopy. We test the hypothesis that PfRH5 opens to insert into the membrane9, instead showing that a rigid, disulfide-locked PfRH5 can mediate efficient erythrocyte invasion. We show, through modelling and an erythrocyte-binding assay, that PfCyRPA-binding antibodies5 neutralize invasion through a steric mechanism. We determine the structure of PfRIPR, showing that it consists of an ordered, multidomain core flexibly linked to an elongated tail. We also show that the elongated tail of PfRIPR, which is the target of growth-neutralizing antibodies6, binds to the PfCSS-PfPTRAMP complex on the parasite membrane. A modular PfRIPR is therefore linked to the merozoite membrane through an elongated tail, and its structured core presents PfCyRPA and PfRH5 to interact with erythrocyte receptors. This provides fresh insight into the molecular mechanism of erythrocyte invasion and opens the way to new approaches in rational vaccine design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Farrell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nawsad Alam
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Abhishek Jamwal
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Robert J Ragotte
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hannah Walters-Morgan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Simon J Draper
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Matthew K Higgins
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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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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5
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Triglia T, Scally SW, Seager BA, Pasternak M, Dagley LF, Cowman AF. Plasmepsin X activates the PCRCR complex of Plasmodium falciparum by processing PfRh5 for erythrocyte invasion. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2219. [PMID: 37072430 PMCID: PMC10113190 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37890-2] [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: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum causes the most severe form of malaria in humans. The protozoan parasite develops within erythrocytes to mature schizonts, that contain more than 16 merozoites, which egress and invade fresh erythrocytes. The aspartic protease plasmepsin X (PMX), processes proteins and proteases essential for merozoite egress from the schizont and invasion of the host erythrocyte, including the leading vaccine candidate PfRh5. PfRh5 is anchored to the merozoite surface through a 5-membered complex (PCRCR), consisting of Plasmodium thrombospondin-related apical merozoite protein, cysteine-rich small secreted protein, Rh5-interacting protein and cysteine-rich protective antigen. Here, we show that PCRCR is processed by PMX in micronemes to remove the N-terminal prodomain of PhRh5 and this activates the function of the complex unmasking a form that can bind basigin on the erythrocyte membrane and mediate merozoite invasion. The ability to activate PCRCR at a specific time in merozoite invasion most likely masks potential deleterious effects of its function until they are required. These results provide an important understanding of the essential role of PMX and the fine regulation of PCRCR function in P. falciparum biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Triglia
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Stephen W Scally
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Benjamin A Seager
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Michał Pasternak
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Laura F Dagley
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Alan F Cowman
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
- University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
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