1
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Kanai M, Mok S, Yeo T, Shears MJ, Ross LS, Jeon JH, Narwal S, Haile MT, Tripathi AK, Mlambo G, Kim J, Gil-Iturbe E, Okombo J, Fairhurst KJ, Bloxham T, Bridgford JL, Sheth T, Ward KE, Park H, Rozenberg FD, Quick M, Mancia F, Lee MCS, Small-Saunders JL, Uhlemann AC, Sinnis P, Fidock DA. Identification of the drug/metabolite transporter 1 as a marker of quinine resistance in a NF54×Cam3.II P. falciparum genetic cross. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.27.615529. [PMID: 39386571 PMCID: PMC11463348 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.27.615529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/12/2024]
Abstract
The genetic basis of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to quinine (QN), a drug used to treat severe malaria, has long been enigmatic. To gain further insight, we used FRG-NOD human liver-chimeric mice to conduct a P. falciparum genetic cross between QN-sensitive and QN-resistant parasites, which also differ in their susceptibility to chloroquine (CQ). By applying different selective conditions to progeny pools prior to cloning, we recovered 120 unique recombinant progeny. These progeny were subjected to drug profiling and QTL analyses with QN, CQ, and monodesethyl-CQ (md-CQ, the active metabolite of CQ), which revealed predominant peaks on chromosomes 7 and 12, consistent with a multifactorial mechanism of resistance. A shared chromosome 12 region mapped to resistance to all three antimalarials and was preferentially co-inherited with pfcrt . We identified an ATP-dependent zinc metalloprotease (FtsH1) as one of the top candidates and observed using CRISPR/Cas9 SNP-edited lines that ftsh1 is a potential mediator of QN resistance and a modulator of md-CQ resistance. As expected, CQ and md-CQ resistance mapped to a chromosome 7 region harboring pfcrt . However, for QN, high-grade resistance mapped to a chromosome 7 peak centered 295kb downstream of pfcrt . We identified the drug/metabolite transporter 1 (DMT1) as the top candidate due to its structural similarity to PfCRT and proximity to the peak. Deleting DMT1 in QN-resistant Cam3.II parasites significantly sensitized the parasite to QN but not to the other drugs tested, suggesting that DMT1 mediates QN response specifically. We localized DMT1 to structures associated with vesicular trafficking, as well as the parasitophorous vacuolar membrane, lipid bodies, and the digestive vacuole. We also observed that mutant DMT1 transports more QN than the wild-type isoform in vitro . Our study demonstrates that DMT1 is a novel marker of QN resistance and a new chromosome 12 locus associates with CQ and QN response, with ftsh1 is a potential candidate, suggesting these genes should be genotyped in surveillance and clinical settings.
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2
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Chahine Z, Abel S, Hollin T, Barnes GL, Chung JH, Daub ME, Renard I, Choi JY, Vydyam P, Pal A, Alba-Argomaniz M, Banks CAS, Kirkwood J, Saraf A, Camino I, Castaneda P, Cuevas MC, De Mercado-Arnanz J, Fernandez-Alvaro E, Garcia-Perez A, Ibarz N, Viera-Morilla S, Prudhomme J, Joyner CJ, Bei AK, Florens L, Ben Mamoun C, Vanderwal CD, Le Roch KG. A kalihinol analog disrupts apicoplast function and vesicular trafficking in P. falciparum malaria. Science 2024; 385:eadm7966. [PMID: 39325875 DOI: 10.1126/science.adm7966] [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: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024]
Abstract
We report the discovery of MED6-189, an analog of the kalihinol family of isocyanoterpene natural products that is effective against drug-sensitive and drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains, blocking both asexual replication and sexual differentiation. In vivo studies using a humanized mouse model of malaria confirm strong efficacy of the compound in animals with no apparent hemolytic activity or toxicity. Complementary chemical, molecular, and genomics analyses revealed that MED6-189 targets the parasite apicoplast and acts by inhibiting lipid biogenesis and cellular trafficking. Genetic analyses revealed that a mutation in PfSec13, which encodes a component of the parasite secretory machinery, reduced susceptibility to the drug. Its high potency, excellent therapeutic profile, and distinctive mode of action make MED6-189 an excellent addition to the antimalarial drug pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Chahine
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - S Abel
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - T Hollin
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - G L Barnes
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - J H Chung
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - M E Daub
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - I Renard
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - J Y Choi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - P Vydyam
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - A Pal
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - M Alba-Argomaniz
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - C A S Banks
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - J Kirkwood
- Metabolomics Core Facility, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - A Saraf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
- Present address: Shankel Structural Biology Center, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - I Camino
- GSK, Tres Cantos (Madrid), Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | - N Ibarz
- GSK, Tres Cantos (Madrid), Spain
| | | | - J Prudhomme
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - C J Joyner
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - A K Bei
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - L Florens
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - C Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - C D Vanderwal
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - K G Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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3
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Chahine Z, Gupta M, Lenz T, Hollin T, Abel S, Banks CAS, Saraf A, Prudhomme J, Bhanvadia S, Florens L, Le Roch KG. PfMORC protein regulates chromatin accessibility and transcriptional repression in the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.11.557253. [PMID: 37745554 PMCID: PMC10515874 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.11.557253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
The environmental challenges the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, faces during its progression into its various lifecycle stages warrant the use of effective and highly regulated access to chromatin for transcriptional regulation. Microrchidia (MORC) proteins have been implicated in DNA compaction and gene silencing across plant and animal kingdoms. Accumulating evidence has shed light into the role MORC protein plays as a transcriptional switch in apicomplexan parasites. In this study, using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tool along with complementary molecular and genomics approaches, we demonstrate that PfMORC not only modulates chromatin structure and heterochromatin formation throughout the parasite erythrocytic cycle, but is also essential to the parasite survival. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-seq) experiments suggest that PfMORC binds to not only sub-telomeric regions and genes involved in antigenic variation but may also play a role in modulating stage transition. Protein knockdown experiments followed by chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C) studies indicate that downregulation of PfMORC impairs key histone marks and induces the collapse of the parasite heterochromatin structure leading to its death. All together these findings confirm that PfMORC plays a crucial role in chromatin structure and gene regulation, validating this factor as a strong candidate for novel antimalarial strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Chahine
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - M Gupta
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - T Lenz
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - T Hollin
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - S Abel
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - CAS Banks
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - A Saraf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - J Prudhomme
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - S Bhanvadia
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - L Florens
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - KG Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
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4
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Small-Saunders JL, Sinha A, Bloxham TS, Hagenah LM, Sun G, Preiser PR, Dedon PC, Fidock DA. tRNA modification reprogramming contributes to artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:1483-1498. [PMID: 38632343 PMCID: PMC11153160 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01664-3] [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: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum artemisinin (ART) resistance is driven by mutations in kelch-like protein 13 (PfK13). Quiescence, a key aspect of resistance, may also be regulated by a yet unidentified epigenetic pathway. Transfer RNA modification reprogramming and codon bias translation is a conserved epitranscriptomic translational control mechanism that allows cells to rapidly respond to stress. We report a role for this mechanism in ART-resistant parasites by combining tRNA modification, proteomic and codon usage analyses in ring-stage ART-sensitive and ART-resistant parasites in response to drug. Post-drug, ART-resistant parasites differentially hypomodify mcm5s2U on tRNA and possess a subset of proteins, including PfK13, that are regulated by Lys codon-biased translation. Conditional knockdown of the terminal s2U thiouridylase, PfMnmA, in an ART-sensitive parasite background led to increased ART survival, suggesting that hypomodification can alter the parasite ART response. This study describes an epitranscriptomic pathway via tRNA s2U reprogramming that ART-resistant parasites may employ to survive ART-induced stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Small-Saunders
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Ameya Sinha
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Antimicrobial Resistance IRG, Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Talia S Bloxham
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Laura M Hagenah
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Guangxin Sun
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Peter R Preiser
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Antimicrobial Resistance IRG, Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Peter C Dedon
- Antimicrobial Resistance IRG, Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David A Fidock
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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5
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Gupta N, Curcic M, Srivastava SK. Proguanil Suppresses Breast Tumor Growth In Vitro and In Vivo by Inducing Apoptosis via Mitochondrial Dysfunction. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:872. [PMID: 38473234 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16050872] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer, ranking as the second leading cause of female cancer-related deaths in the U.S., demands the exploration of innovative treatments. Repurposing FDA-approved drugs emerges as an expedited and cost-effective strategy. Our study centered on proguanil, an antimalarial drug, reveals notable anti-proliferative effects on diverse breast cancer cell lines, including those derived from patients. Proguanil-induced apoptosis was associated with a substantial increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, leading to reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, respiration, and ATP production. Proguanil treatment upregulated apoptotic markers (Bax, p-H2AX, cleaved-caspase 3, 9, cleaved PARP) and downregulated anti-apoptotic proteins (bcl-2, survivin) in breast cancer cell lines. In female Balb/c mice implanted with 4T1 breast tumors, daily oral administration of 20 mg/kg proguanil suppressed tumor enlargement by 55%. Western blot analyses of proguanil-treated tumors supported the in vitro findings, demonstrating increased levels of p-H2AX, Bax, c-PARP, and c-caspase3 as compared to controls. Our results collectively highlight proguanil's anticancer efficacy in vitro and in vivo in breast cancer, prompting further consideration for clinical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nehal Gupta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA
| | - Marina Curcic
- Department of Immunotherapeutics and Biotechnology, Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 1718 Pine Street, Abilene, TX 79601, USA
| | - Sanjay K Srivastava
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA
- Department of Immunotherapeutics and Biotechnology, Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 1718 Pine Street, Abilene, TX 79601, USA
- Center for Tumor Immunology and Targeted Cancer Therapy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 1718 Pine Street, Abilene, TX 79601, USA
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6
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Hagenah LM, Dhingra SK, Small-Saunders JL, Qahash T, Willems A, Schindler KA, Rangel GW, Gil-Iturbe E, Kim J, Akhundova E, Yeo T, Okombo J, Mancia F, Quick M, Roepe PD, Llinás M, Fidock DA. Additional PfCRT mutations driven by selective pressure for improved fitness can result in the loss of piperaquine resistance and altered Plasmodium falciparum physiology. mBio 2024; 15:e0183223. [PMID: 38059639 PMCID: PMC10790694 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01832-23] [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: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Our study leverages gene editing techniques in Plasmodium falciparum asexual blood stage parasites to profile novel mutations in mutant PfCRT, an important mediator of piperaquine resistance, which developed in Southeast Asian field isolates or in parasites cultured for long periods of time. We provide evidence that increased parasite fitness of these lines is the primary driver for the emergence of these PfCRT variants. These mutations differentially impact parasite susceptibility to piperaquine and chloroquine, highlighting the multifaceted effects of single point mutations in this transporter. Molecular features of drug resistance and parasite physiology were examined in depth using proteoliposome-based drug uptake studies and peptidomics, respectively. Energy minimization calculations, showing how these novel mutations might impact the PfCRT structure, suggested a small but significant effect on drug interactions. This study reveals the subtle interplay between antimalarial resistance, parasite fitness, PfCRT structure, and intracellular peptide availability in PfCRT-mediated parasite responses to changing drug selective pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M. Hagenah
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Satish K. Dhingra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jennifer L. Small-Saunders
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Tarrick Qahash
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Andreas Willems
- Department of Chemistry, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Kyra A. Schindler
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Gabriel W. Rangel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Eva Gil-Iturbe
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jonathan Kim
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Emiliya Akhundova
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - John Okombo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Filippo Mancia
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Matthias Quick
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Area Neuroscience - Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Paul D. Roepe
- Department of Chemistry, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David A. Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
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7
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Chahine Z, Abel S, Hollin T, Chung JH, Barnes GL, Daub ME, Renard I, Choi JY, Pratap V, Pal A, Alba-Argomaniz M, Banks CAS, Kirkwood J, Saraf A, Camino I, Castaneda P, Cuevas MC, De Mercado-Arnanz J, Fernandez-Alvaro E, Garcia-Perez A, Ibarz N, Viera-Morilla S, Prudhomme J, Joyner CJ, Bei AK, Florens L, Ben Mamoun C, Vanderwal CD, Le Roch KG. A Potent Kalihinol Analogue Disrupts Apicoplast Function and Vesicular Trafficking in P. falciparum Malaria. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.21.568162. [PMID: 38045341 PMCID: PMC10690269 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.21.568162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Here we report the discovery of MED6-189, a new analogue of the kalihinol family of isocyanoterpene (ICT) natural products. MED6-189 is effective against drug-sensitive and -resistant P. falciparum strains blocking both intraerythrocytic asexual replication and sexual differentiation. This compound was also effective against P. knowlesi and P. cynomolgi. In vivo efficacy studies using a humanized mouse model of malaria confirms strong efficacy of the compound in animals with no apparent hemolytic activity or apparent toxicity. Complementary chemical biology, molecular biology, genomics and cell biological analyses revealed that MED6-189 primarily targets the parasite apicoplast and acts by inhibiting lipid biogenesis and cellular trafficking. Genetic analyses in P. falciparum revealed that a mutation in PfSec13, which encodes a component of the parasite secretory machinery, reduced susceptibility to the drug. The high potency of MED6-189 in vitro and in vivo, its broad range of efficacy, excellent therapeutic profile, and unique mode of action make it an excellent addition to the antimalarial drug pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Chahine
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - S Abel
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - T Hollin
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - JH Chung
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, 92617, USA
| | - GL Barnes
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, 92617, USA
| | - ME Daub
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, 92617, USA
| | - I Renard
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - JY Choi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - V Pratap
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - A Pal
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - M Alba-Argomaniz
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - CAS Banks
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - J Kirkwood
- Metabolomics Core Facility, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - A Saraf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - I Camino
- GSK, C/ Severo Ochoa, 2 PTM, 28760 Tres Cantos (Madrid), Spain
| | - P Castaneda
- GSK, C/ Severo Ochoa, 2 PTM, 28760 Tres Cantos (Madrid), Spain
| | - MC Cuevas
- GSK, C/ Severo Ochoa, 2 PTM, 28760 Tres Cantos (Madrid), Spain
| | | | | | - A Garcia-Perez
- GSK, C/ Severo Ochoa, 2 PTM, 28760 Tres Cantos (Madrid), Spain
| | - N Ibarz
- GSK, C/ Severo Ochoa, 2 PTM, 28760 Tres Cantos (Madrid), Spain
| | - S Viera-Morilla
- GSK, C/ Severo Ochoa, 2 PTM, 28760 Tres Cantos (Madrid), Spain
| | - J Prudhomme
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - CJ Joyner
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - AK Bei
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - L Florens
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - C Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - CD Vanderwal
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California, 92617, USA
| | - KG Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
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8
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Deni I, Stokes BH, Ward KE, Fairhurst KJ, Pasaje CFA, Yeo T, Akbar S, Park H, Muir R, Bick DS, Zhan W, Zhang H, Liu YJ, Ng CL, Kirkman LA, Almaliti J, Gould AE, Duffey M, O'Donoghue AJ, Uhlemann AC, Niles JC, da Fonseca PCA, Gerwick WH, Lin G, Bogyo M, Fidock DA. Mitigating the risk of antimalarial resistance via covalent dual-subunit inhibition of the Plasmodium proteasome. Cell Chem Biol 2023; 30:470-485.e6. [PMID: 36963402 PMCID: PMC10198959 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023]
Abstract
The Plasmodium falciparum proteasome constitutes a promising antimalarial target, with multiple chemotypes potently and selectively inhibiting parasite proliferation and synergizing with the first-line artemisinin drugs, including against artemisinin-resistant parasites. We compared resistance profiles of vinyl sulfone, epoxyketone, macrocyclic peptide, and asparagine ethylenediamine inhibitors and report that the vinyl sulfones were potent even against mutant parasites resistant to other proteasome inhibitors and did not readily select for resistance, particularly WLL that displays covalent and irreversible binding to the catalytic β2 and β5 proteasome subunits. We also observed instances of collateral hypersensitivity, whereby resistance to one inhibitor could sensitize parasites to distinct chemotypes. Proteasome selectivity was confirmed using CRISPR/Cas9-edited mutant and conditional knockdown parasites. Molecular modeling of proteasome mutations suggested spatial contraction of the β5 P1 binding pocket, compromising compound binding. Dual targeting of P. falciparum proteasome subunits using covalent inhibitors provides a potential strategy for restoring artemisinin activity and combating the spread of drug-resistant malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Deni
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Barbara H Stokes
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kurt E Ward
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kate J Fairhurst
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Tomas Yeo
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shirin Akbar
- School of Molecular Biosciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Heekuk Park
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ryan Muir
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Daniella S Bick
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Wenhu Zhan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yi Jing Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Caroline L Ng
- Global Center for Health Security, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department of Biology, University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA; Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Laura A Kirkman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Jehad Almaliti
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | | | | | - Anthony J O'Donoghue
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anne-Catrin Uhlemann
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jacquin C Niles
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - William H Gerwick
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gang Lin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew Bogyo
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - David A Fidock
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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9
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Okombo J, Mok S, Qahash T, Yeo T, Bath J, Orchard LM, Owens E, Koo I, Albert I, Llinás M, Fidock DA. Piperaquine-resistant PfCRT mutations differentially impact drug transport, hemoglobin catabolism and parasite physiology in Plasmodium falciparum asexual blood stages. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010926. [PMID: 36306287 PMCID: PMC9645663 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of Plasmodium falciparum parasite resistance to dihydroartemisinin + piperaquine (PPQ) in Southeast Asia threatens plans to increase the global use of this first-line antimalarial combination. High-level PPQ resistance appears to be mediated primarily by novel mutations in the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT), which enhance parasite survival at high PPQ concentrations in vitro and increase the risk of dihydroartemisinin + PPQ treatment failure in patients. Using isogenic Dd2 parasites expressing contemporary pfcrt alleles with differential in vitro PPQ susceptibilities, we herein characterize the molecular and physiological adaptations that define PPQ resistance in vitro. Using drug uptake and cellular heme fractionation assays we report that the F145I, M343L, and G353V PfCRT mutations differentially impact PPQ and chloroquine efflux. These mutations also modulate proteolytic degradation of host hemoglobin and the chemical inactivation of reactive heme species. Peptidomic analyses reveal significantly higher accumulation of putative hemoglobin-derived peptides in the PPQ-resistant mutant PfCRT isoforms compared to parental PPQ-sensitive Dd2. Joint transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling of late trophozoites from PPQ-resistant or -sensitive isogenic lines reveals differential expression of genes involved in protein translation and cellular metabolism. PPQ-resistant parasites also show increased susceptibility to an inhibitor of the P. falciparum M17 aminopeptidase that operates on short globin-derived peptides. These results reveal unique physiological changes caused by the gain of PPQ resistance and highlight the potential therapeutic value of targeting peptide metabolism in P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Okombo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Tarrick Qahash
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Jade Bath
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Lindsey M. Orchard
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Edward Owens
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Imhoi Koo
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Istvan Albert
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - David A. Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
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10
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Qiu D, Pei JV, Rosling JEO, Thathy V, Li D, Xue Y, Tanner JD, Penington JS, Aw YTV, Aw JYH, Xu G, Tripathi AK, Gnadig NF, Yeo T, Fairhurst KJ, Stokes BH, Murithi JM, Kümpornsin K, Hasemer H, Dennis ASM, Ridgway MC, Schmitt EK, Straimer J, Papenfuss AT, Lee MCS, Corry B, Sinnis P, Fidock DA, van Dooren GG, Kirk K, Lehane AM. A G358S mutation in the Plasmodium falciparum Na + pump PfATP4 confers clinically-relevant resistance to cipargamin. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5746. [PMID: 36180431 PMCID: PMC9525273 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33403-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Diverse compounds target the Plasmodium falciparum Na+ pump PfATP4, with cipargamin and (+)-SJ733 the most clinically-advanced. In a recent clinical trial for cipargamin, recrudescent parasites emerged, with most having a G358S mutation in PfATP4. Here, we show that PfATP4G358S parasites can withstand micromolar concentrations of cipargamin and (+)-SJ733, while remaining susceptible to antimalarials that do not target PfATP4. The G358S mutation in PfATP4, and the equivalent mutation in Toxoplasma gondii ATP4, decrease the sensitivity of ATP4 to inhibition by cipargamin and (+)-SJ733, thereby protecting parasites from disruption of Na+ regulation. The G358S mutation reduces the affinity of PfATP4 for Na+ and is associated with an increase in the parasite's resting cytosolic [Na+]. However, no defect in parasite growth or transmissibility is observed. Our findings suggest that PfATP4 inhibitors in clinical development should be tested against PfATP4G358S parasites, and that their combination with unrelated antimalarials may mitigate against resistance development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deyun Qiu
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Jinxin V Pei
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - James E O Rosling
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Vandana Thathy
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Dongdi Li
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Yi Xue
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - John D Tanner
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Jocelyn Sietsma Penington
- Bioinformatic Division, The Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Yi Tong Vincent Aw
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Jessica Yi Han Aw
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Guoyue Xu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology and Johns Hopkins Malaria Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Abhai K Tripathi
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology and Johns Hopkins Malaria Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Nina F Gnadig
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Kate J Fairhurst
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Barbara H Stokes
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - James M Murithi
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | | | - Heath Hasemer
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Adelaide S M Dennis
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Melanie C Ridgway
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | | | - Judith Straimer
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
| | - Anthony T Papenfuss
- Bioinformatic Division, The Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Marcus C S Lee
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Ben Corry
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Photini Sinnis
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology and Johns Hopkins Malaria Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Giel G van Dooren
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Kiaran Kirk
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Adele M Lehane
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia.
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11
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Murithi JM, Deni I, Pasaje CFA, Okombo J, Bridgford JL, Gnädig NF, Edwards RL, Yeo T, Mok S, Burkhard AY, Coburn-Flynn O, Istvan ES, Sakata-Kato T, Gomez-Lorenzo MG, Cowell AN, Wicht KJ, Le Manach C, Kalantarov GF, Dey S, Duffey M, Laleu B, Lukens AK, Ottilie S, Vanaerschot M, Trakht IN, Gamo FJ, Wirth DF, Goldberg DE, Odom John AR, Chibale K, Winzeler EA, Niles JC, Fidock DA. The Plasmodium falciparum ABC transporter ABCI3 confers parasite strain-dependent pleiotropic antimalarial drug resistance. Cell Chem Biol 2022; 29:824-839.e6. [PMID: 34233174 PMCID: PMC8727639 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2021.06.006] [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: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Widespread Plasmodium falciparum resistance to first-line antimalarials underscores the vital need to develop compounds with novel modes of action and identify new druggable targets. Here, we profile five compounds that potently inhibit P. falciparum asexual blood stages. Resistance selection studies with three carboxamide-containing compounds, confirmed by gene editing and conditional knockdowns, identify point mutations in the parasite transporter ABCI3 as the primary mediator of resistance. Selection studies with imidazopyridine or quinoline-carboxamide compounds also yield changes in ABCI3, this time through gene amplification. Imidazopyridine mode of action is attributed to inhibition of heme detoxification, as evidenced by cellular accumulation and heme fractionation assays. For the copy-number variation-selecting imidazopyridine and quinoline-carboxamide compounds, we find that resistance, manifesting as a biphasic concentration-response curve, can independently be mediated by mutations in the chloroquine resistance transporter PfCRT. These studies reveal the interconnectedness of P. falciparum transporters in overcoming drug pressure in different parasite strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M. Murithi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ioanna Deni
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | | | - John Okombo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Jessica L. Bridgford
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Nina F. Gnädig
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Rachel L. Edwards
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Allergy and Immunology, Center for Vaccine Development, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Anna Y. Burkhard
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Olivia Coburn-Flynn
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Eva S. Istvan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Tomoyo Sakata-Kato
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Annie N. Cowell
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kathryn J. Wicht
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA,Drug Discovery and Development Center (H3D) and South African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, Department of Chemistry and Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Claire Le Manach
- Drug Discovery and Development Center (H3D) and South African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, Department of Chemistry and Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Gavreel F. Kalantarov
- Division of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Sumanta Dey
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Maëlle Duffey
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Benoît Laleu
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Amanda K. Lukens
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Sabine Ottilie
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Manu Vanaerschot
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ilya N. Trakht
- Division of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Francisco-Javier Gamo
- Global Health Pharma Research Unit, GlaxoSmithKline, 28760 Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Dyann F. Wirth
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Daniel E. Goldberg
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | | | - Kelly Chibale
- Drug Discovery and Development Center (H3D) and South African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, Department of Chemistry and Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Elizabeth A. Winzeler
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jacquin C. Niles
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - David A. Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA,Corresponding author
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12
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Proteomic analysis of Plasmodium berghei in the ring phase during in vivo antiparasitic treatment with kramecyne. Exp Parasitol 2022; 238:108262. [PMID: 35561785 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2022.108262] [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: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is a parasitic disease of global importance due to its high annual death toll. The treatment for this infection is difficult for the increase in the populations of parasites resistant to the existing medicines, the development of new antimalarials is urgent needed. Several products developed for the control of malaria from herbalist have had a profound impact, for example, quinine obtained from the bark of the cinchona tree and recently those derived from artemisinin, whose discovery was the reason for the awarding of the 2015 Nobel Prize. The aim of the present study was to evaluate a compound named kramecyne extracted of "chayotillo" (Krameria cystisoides) plant used by the antiparasitic effect against some blood and intestinal protozoa (Giardia duodenalis y Trypanosoma cruzi). In addition is using for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Measuring parasitaemia at different times, it was observed that in mice treated with kramecyne, it reached only 14% of parasitaemia at 7 days with a dose of 15 mg/kg, using chloroquine as a control drug, because it has not been demonstrated that parasites that infect rodents have developed resistance against this drug. Our results showed that kramecyne decreases the expression of parasite proteins that participate in biological processes, such as invasion, cytoadherence, pathogenicity and energy metabolism. With these results, it is proposed that this compound has repercussions on the metabolism of the parasite and could be useful for use as an antimalarial.
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13
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Small-Saunders JL, Hagenah LM, Wicht KJ, Dhingra SK, Deni I, Kim J, Vendome J, Gil-Iturbe E, Roepe PD, Mehta M, Mancia F, Quick M, Eppstein MJ, Fidock DA. Evidence for the early emergence of piperaquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria and modeling strategies to mitigate resistance. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010278. [PMID: 35130315 PMCID: PMC8853508 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites have emerged in Cambodia and neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, compromising the efficacy of first-line antimalarial combinations. Dihydroartemisinin + piperaquine (PPQ) treatment failure rates have risen to as high as 50% in some areas in this region. For PPQ, resistance is driven primarily by a series of mutant alleles of the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT). PPQ resistance was reported in China three decades earlier, but the molecular driver remained unknown. Herein, we identify a PPQ-resistant pfcrt allele (China C) from Yunnan Province, China, whose genotypic lineage is distinct from the PPQ-resistant pfcrt alleles currently observed in Cambodia. Combining gene editing and competitive growth assays, we report that PfCRT China C confers moderate PPQ resistance while re-sensitizing parasites to chloroquine (CQ) and incurring a fitness cost that manifests as a reduced rate of parasite growth. PPQ transport assays using purified PfCRT isoforms, combined with molecular dynamics simulations, highlight differences in drug transport kinetics and in this transporter’s central cavity conformation between China C and the current Southeast Asian PPQ-resistant isoforms. We also report a novel computational model that incorporates empirically determined fitness landscapes at varying drug concentrations, combined with antimalarial susceptibility profiles, mutation rates, and drug pharmacokinetics. Our simulations with PPQ-resistant or -sensitive parasite lines predict that a three-day regimen of PPQ combined with CQ can effectively clear infections and prevent the evolution of PfCRT variants. This work suggests that including CQ in combination therapies could be effective in suppressing the evolution of PfCRT-mediated multidrug resistance in regions where PPQ has lost efficacy. The recent emergence of Plasmodium falciparum parasite resistance to the antimalarial drug piperaquine (PPQ) has contributed to frequent treatment failures across Southeast Asia, originating in Cambodia. Here, we show that earlier reports of PPQ resistance in Yunnan Province, China could be explained by the unique China C variant of the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter PfCRT. Gene-edited parasites show a loss of fitness and parasite resensitization to the chemically related former first-line antimalarial chloroquine, while acquiring PPQ resistance via drug efflux. Molecular features of drug resistance were examined using biochemical assays to measure mutant PfCRT-mediated drug transport and molecular dynamics simulations with the recently solved PfCRT structure to assess changes in the central drug-binding cavity. We also describe a new computational model that incorporates parasite mutation rates, fitness costs, antimalarial susceptibilities, and drug pharmacological profiles to predict how infections with parasite strains expressing distinct PfCRT variants can evolve and be selected in response to different drug pressures and regimens. Simulations predict that a three-day regimen of PPQ plus chloroquine would be fully effective at preventing recrudescence of drug-resistant infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Small-Saunders
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Laura M Hagenah
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Kathryn J Wicht
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Satish K Dhingra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Ioanna Deni
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Jonathan Kim
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York United States of America
| | - Jeremie Vendome
- Schrödinger, Inc., New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Eva Gil-Iturbe
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Paul D Roepe
- Department of Chemistry, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Monica Mehta
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Filippo Mancia
- Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York United States of America
| | - Matthias Quick
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Molecular Recognition, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Margaret J Eppstein
- Vermont Complex Systems Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
- Department of Computer Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
- Translational Global Infectious Diseases Research Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - David A Fidock
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
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14
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Alder A, Struck NS, Xu M, Johnson JW, Wang W, Pallant D, Cook MA, Rambow J, Lemcke S, Gilberger TW, Wright GD. A non-reactive natural product precursor of the duocarmycin family has potent and selective antimalarial activity. Cell Chem Biol 2021; 29:840-853.e6. [PMID: 34710358 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2021.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
We identify a selective nanomolar inhibitor of blood-stage malarial proliferation from a screen of microbial natural product extracts. The responsible compound, PDE-I2, is a precursor of the anticancer duocarmycin family that preserves the class's sequence-specific DNA binding but lacks its signature DNA alkylating cyclopropyl warhead. While less active than duocarmycin, PDE-I2 retains comparable antimalarial potency to chloroquine. Importantly, PDE-I2 is >1,000-fold less toxic to human cell lines than duocarmycin, with mitigated impacts on eukaryotic chromosome stability. PDE-I2 treatment induces severe defects in parasite nuclear segregation leading to impaired daughter cell formation during schizogony. Time-of-addition studies implicate parasite DNA metabolism as the target of PDE-I2, with defects observed in DNA replication and chromosome integrity. We find the effect of duocarmycin and PDE-I2 on parasites is phenotypically indistinguishable, indicating that the DNA binding specificity of duocarmycins is sufficient and the genotoxic cyclopropyl warhead is dispensable for the parasite-specific selectivity of this compound class.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Alder
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, 22607 Hamburg, Germany; Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Department of Cellular Parasitology, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; University of Hamburg, Department of Biology, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nicole S Struck
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Department of Cellular Parasitology, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada; German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Min Xu
- M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Jarrod W Johnson
- M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Wenliang Wang
- M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Daniel Pallant
- M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Michael A Cook
- M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Janis Rambow
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, 22607 Hamburg, Germany; Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Department of Cellular Parasitology, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; University of Hamburg, Department of Biology, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Lemcke
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, 22607 Hamburg, Germany; Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Department of Cellular Parasitology, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; University of Hamburg, Department of Biology, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tim W Gilberger
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, 22607 Hamburg, Germany; Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Department of Cellular Parasitology, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; University of Hamburg, Department of Biology, 20146 Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Gerard D Wright
- M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada.
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15
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Mutation in Plasmodium falciparum BTB/POZ domain of K13 protein confers artemisinin resistance. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2021; 66:e0132021. [PMID: 34606334 PMCID: PMC8765297 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01320-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Partial artemisinin resistance, defined in patients as a delayed parasite clearance following artemisinin-based treatment, is conferred by non-synonymous mutations in the Kelch beta-propeller domain of the Plasmodium falciparum k13 (pfk13) gene. Here, we carried out in vitro selection over a one-year period on a West African P. falciparum strain isolated from Kolle (Mali) under a dose-escalating artemisinin regimen. After 18 cycles of sequential drug pressure, the selected parasites exhibited enhanced survival to dihydroartemisinin in the ring-stage survival assay (RSA0-3h = 9.2%). Sanger and whole-genome sequence analyses identified the PfK13 P413A mutation, localized in the BTB/POZ domain, upstream of the propeller domain. This mutation was sufficient to confer in vitro artemisinin resistance when introduced into the PfK13 coding sequence of the parasite strain Dd2 by CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. These results together with structural studies of the protein demonstrate that the propeller domain is not the sole in vitro mediator of PfK13-mediated artemisinin resistance, and highlight the importance of monitoring for mutations throughout PfK13.
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16
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Abstract
Malaria parasites have three genomes: a nuclear genome, a mitochondrial genome, and an apicoplast genome. Since the apicoplast is a plastid organelle of prokaryotic origin and has no counterpart in the human host, it can be a source of novel targets for antimalarials. Plasmodium falciparum DNA gyrase (PfGyr) A and B subunits both have apicoplast-targeting signals. First, to test the predicted localization of this enzyme in the apicoplast and the breadth of its function at the subcellular level, nuclear-encoded PfGyrA was disrupted using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. Isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) is known to rescue parasites from apicoplast inhibitors. Indeed, successful growth and characterization of PfΔGyrA was possible in the presence of IPP. PfGyrA disruption was accompanied by loss of plastid acyl-carrier protein (ACP) immunofluorescence and the plastid genome. Second, ciprofloxacin, an antibacterial gyrase inhibitor, has been used for malaria prophylaxis, but there is a need for a more detailed description of the mode of action of ciprofloxacin in malaria parasites. As predicted, PfΔGyrA clone supplemented with IPP was less sensitive to ciprofloxacin but not to the nuclear topoisomerase inhibitor etoposide. At high concentrations, however, ciprofloxacin continued to inhibit IPP-rescued PfΔGyrA, possibly suggesting that ciprofloxacin may have an additional nonapicoplast target in P. falciparum. Overall, we confirm that PfGyrA is an apicoplast enzyme in the malaria parasite, essential for blood-stage parasites, and a possible target of ciprofloxacin but perhaps not the only target.
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17
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Murithi JM, Pascal C, Bath J, Boulenc X, Gnädig NF, Pasaje CFA, Rubiano K, Yeo T, Mok S, Klieber S, Desert P, Jiménez-Díaz MB, Marfurt J, Rouillier M, Cherkaoui-Rbati MH, Gobeau N, Wittlin S, Uhlemann AC, Price RN, Wirjanata G, Noviyanti R, Tumwebaze P, Cooper RA, Rosenthal PJ, Sanz LM, Gamo FJ, Joseph J, Singh S, Bashyam S, Augereau JM, Giraud E, Bozec T, Vermat T, Tuffal G, Guillon JM, Menegotto J, Sallé L, Louit G, Cabanis MJ, Nicolas MF, Doubovetzky M, Merino R, Bessila N, Angulo-Barturen I, Baud D, Bebrevska L, Escudié F, Niles JC, Blasco B, Campbell S, Courtemanche G, Fraisse L, Pellet A, Fidock DA, Leroy D. The antimalarial MMV688533 provides potential for single-dose cures with a high barrier to Plasmodium falciparum parasite resistance. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:13/603/eabg6013. [PMID: 34290058 PMCID: PMC8530196 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abg6013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The emergence and spread of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to first-line antimalarials creates an imperative to identify and develop potent preclinical candidates with distinct modes of action. Here, we report the identification of MMV688533, an acylguanidine that was developed following a whole-cell screen with compounds known to hit high-value targets in human cells. MMV688533 displays fast parasite clearance in vitro and is not cross-resistant with known antimalarials. In a P. falciparum NSG mouse model, MMV688533 displays a long-lasting pharmacokinetic profile and excellent safety. Selection studies reveal a low propensity for resistance, with modest loss of potency mediated by point mutations in PfACG1 and PfEHD. These proteins are implicated in intracellular trafficking, lipid utilization, and endocytosis, suggesting interference with these pathways as a potential mode of action. This preclinical candidate may offer the potential for a single low-dose cure for malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M. Murithi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cécile Pascal
- Sanofi, Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Area, Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - Jade Bath
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Nina F. Gnädig
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Kelly Rubiano
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sylvie Klieber
- Sanofi R&D, Translational Medicine & Early Development, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | - Jutta Marfurt
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Sergio Wittlin
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,Universität Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anne-Catrin Uhlemann
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ric N. Price
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Grennady Wirjanata
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
| | | | | | - Roland A. Cooper
- Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Dominican University of California, San Rafael, CA, USA
| | | | - Laura M. Sanz
- Global Health Pharma Research Unit, GSK, Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Elie Giraud
- Sanofi, Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Area, Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - Tanguy Bozec
- Sanofi, Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Area, Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - Thierry Vermat
- Sanofi, Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Area, Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - Gilles Tuffal
- Sanofi R&D, Translational Medicine & Early Development, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Jérôme Menegotto
- Sanofi, Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Area, Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - Laurent Sallé
- Sanofi R&D, Translational Medicine & Early Development, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Marie-José Cabanis
- Sanofi R&D, Translational Medicine & Early Development, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | - Rita Merino
- Sanofi, Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Area, Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - Nadir Bessila
- Sanofi, Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Area, Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Jacquin C. Niles
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Laurent Fraisse
- Sanofi, Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Area, Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - Alain Pellet
- Sanofi, Infectious Diseases Therapeutic Area, Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - David A. Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.,Corresponding author. (D.A.F.); (D.L.)
| | - Didier Leroy
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, Geneva, Switzerland.,Corresponding author. (D.A.F.); (D.L.)
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18
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Zhao Y, Wang F, Wang C, Zhang X, Jiang C, Ding F, Shen L, Zhang Q. Optimization of CRISPR/Cas System for Improving Genome Editing Efficiency in Plasmodium falciparum. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:625862. [PMID: 33488567 PMCID: PMC7819880 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.625862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of molecular mechanisms and related gene functions have long been restricted by limited genome editing technologies in malaria parasites. Recently, a simple and effective genome editing technology, the CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated) system, has greatly facilitated these studies in many organisms, including malaria parasites. However, due to the special genome feature of malaria parasites, the manipulation and gene editing efficacy of the CRISPR/Cas system in this pathogen need to be improved, particularly in the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Herein, based on the CRISPR/Cas9 system, we developed an integrating strategy to generate a Cas9i system, which significantly shortened the time for generation of transgenic strains in P. falciparum. Moreover, with this Cas9i system, we have successfully achieved multiplexed genome editing (mutating or tagging) by a single-round transfection in P. falciparum. In addition, we for the first time adapted AsCpf1 (Acidaminococcus sp. Cpf1), an alternative to Cas9, into P. falciparum parasites and examined it for gene editing. These optimizations of the CRISPR/Cas system will further facilitate the mechanistic research of malaria parasites and contribute to eliminating malaria in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuemeng Zhao
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Changhong Wang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaobai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Orthopaedic Department of Tongji Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, The School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cizhong Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Orthopaedic Department of Tongji Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, The School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Ding
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Li Shen
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingfeng Zhang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Arrhythmias of the Ministry of Education of China, East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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19
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Mok S, Stokes BH, Gnädig NF, Ross LS, Yeo T, Amaratunga C, Allman E, Solyakov L, Bottrill AR, Tripathi J, Fairhurst RM, Llinás M, Bozdech Z, Tobin AB, Fidock DA. Artemisinin-resistant K13 mutations rewire Plasmodium falciparum's intra-erythrocytic metabolic program to enhance survival. Nat Commun 2021; 12:530. [PMID: 33483501 PMCID: PMC7822823 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20805-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence and spread of artemisinin resistance, driven by mutations in Plasmodium falciparum K13, has compromised antimalarial efficacy and threatens the global malaria elimination campaign. By applying systems-based quantitative transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics to a panel of isogenic K13 mutant or wild-type P. falciparum lines, we provide evidence that K13 mutations alter multiple aspects of the parasite's intra-erythrocytic developmental program. These changes impact cell-cycle periodicity, the unfolded protein response, protein degradation, vesicular trafficking, and mitochondrial metabolism. K13-mediated artemisinin resistance in the Cambodian Cam3.II line was reversed by atovaquone, a mitochondrial electron transport chain inhibitor. These results suggest that mitochondrial processes including damage sensing and anti-oxidant properties might augment the ability of mutant K13 to protect P. falciparum against artemisinin action by helping these parasites undergo temporary quiescence and accelerated growth recovery post drug elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Barbara H Stokes
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nina F Gnädig
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Leila S Ross
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chanaki Amaratunga
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Erik Allman
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Lev Solyakov
- Protein Nucleic Acid Laboratory, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Andrew R Bottrill
- Protein Nucleic Acid Laboratory, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Jaishree Tripathi
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rick M Fairhurst
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Astra Zeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Zbynek Bozdech
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Andrew B Tobin
- The Centre for Translational Pharmacology, Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. .,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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20
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Harding CR, Sidik SM, Petrova B, Gnädig NF, Okombo J, Herneisen AL, Ward KE, Markus BM, Boydston EA, Fidock DA, Lourido S. Genetic screens reveal a central role for heme metabolism in artemisinin susceptibility. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4813. [PMID: 32968076 PMCID: PMC7511413 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18624-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Artemisinins have revolutionized the treatment of Plasmodium falciparum malaria; however, resistance threatens to undermine global control efforts. To broadly explore artemisinin susceptibility in apicomplexan parasites, we employ genome-scale CRISPR screens recently developed for Toxoplasma gondii to discover sensitizing and desensitizing mutations. Using a sublethal concentration of dihydroartemisinin (DHA), we uncover the putative transporter Tmem14c whose disruption increases DHA susceptibility. Screens performed under high doses of DHA provide evidence that mitochondrial metabolism can modulate resistance. We show that disrupting a top candidate from the screens, the mitochondrial protease DegP2, lowers porphyrin levels and decreases DHA susceptibility, without significantly altering parasite fitness in culture. Deleting the homologous gene in P. falciparum, PfDegP, similarly lowers heme levels and DHA susceptibility. These results expose the vulnerability of heme metabolism to genetic perturbations that can lead to increased survival in the presence of DHA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare R Harding
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Saima M Sidik
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Boryana Petrova
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nina F Gnädig
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - John Okombo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Kurt E Ward
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Benedikt M Markus
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sebastian Lourido
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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21
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Gnädig NF, Stokes BH, Edwards RL, Kalantarov GF, Heimsch KC, Kuderjavy M, Crane A, Lee MCS, Straimer J, Becker K, Trakht IN, Odom John AR, Mok S, Fidock DA. Insights into the intracellular localization, protein associations and artemisinin resistance properties of Plasmodium falciparum K13. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008482. [PMID: 32310999 PMCID: PMC7192513 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of artemisinin (ART) resistance in Plasmodium falciparum intra-erythrocytic parasites has led to increasing treatment failure rates with first-line ART-based combination therapies in Southeast Asia. Decreased parasite susceptibility is caused by K13 mutations, which are associated clinically with delayed parasite clearance in patients and in vitro with an enhanced ability of ring-stage parasites to survive brief exposure to the active ART metabolite dihydroartemisinin. Herein, we describe a panel of K13-specific monoclonal antibodies and gene-edited parasite lines co-expressing epitope-tagged versions of K13 in trans. By applying an analytical quantitative imaging pipeline, we localize K13 to the parasite endoplasmic reticulum, Rab-positive vesicles, and sites adjacent to cytostomes. These latter structures form at the parasite plasma membrane and traffic hemoglobin to the digestive vacuole wherein artemisinin-activating heme moieties are released. We also provide evidence of K13 partially localizing near the parasite mitochondria upon treatment with dihydroartemisinin. Immunoprecipitation data generated with K13-specific monoclonal antibodies identify multiple putative K13-associated proteins, including endoplasmic reticulum-resident molecules, mitochondrial proteins, and Rab GTPases, in both K13 mutant and wild-type isogenic lines. We also find that mutant K13-mediated resistance is reversed upon co-expression of wild-type or mutant K13. These data help define the biological properties of K13 and its role in mediating P. falciparum resistance to ART treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina F. Gnädig
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Barbara H. Stokes
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Rachel L. Edwards
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
| | - Gavreel F. Kalantarov
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Kim C. Heimsch
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Audrey Crane
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Marcus C. S. Lee
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Judith Straimer
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Katja Becker
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Ilya N. Trakht
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Audrey R. Odom John
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States of America
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - David A. Fidock
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States of America
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22
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McLean KJ, Straimer J, Hopp CS, Vega-Rodriguez J, Small-Saunders JL, Kanatani S, Tripathi A, Mlambo G, Dumoulin PC, Harris CT, Tong X, Shears MJ, Ankarklev J, Kafsack BFC, Fidock DA, Sinnis P. Generation of Transmission-Competent Human Malaria Parasites with Chromosomally-Integrated Fluorescent Reporters. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13131. [PMID: 31511546 PMCID: PMC6739413 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49348-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites have a complex life cycle that includes specialized stages for transmission between their mosquito and human hosts. These stages are an understudied part of the lifecycle yet targeting them is an essential component of the effort to shrink the malaria map. The human parasite Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for the majority of deaths due to malaria. Our goal was to generate transgenic P. falciparum lines that could complete the lifecycle and produce fluorescent transmission stages for more in-depth and high-throughput studies. Using zinc-finger nuclease technology to engineer an integration site, we generated three transgenic P. falciparum lines in which tdtomato or gfp were stably integrated into the genome. Expression was driven by either stage-specific peg4 and csp promoters or the constitutive ef1a promoter. Phenotypic characterization of these lines demonstrates that they complete the life cycle with high infection rates and give rise to fluorescent mosquito stages. The transmission stages are sufficiently bright for intra-vital imaging, flow cytometry and scalable screening of chemical inhibitors and inhibitory antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Jarrod McLean
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, and Johns Hopkins Malaria Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Judith Straimer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
| | - Christine S Hopp
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, and Johns Hopkins Malaria Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Joel Vega-Rodriguez
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, and Johns Hopkins Malaria Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jennifer L Small-Saunders
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Sachie Kanatani
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, and Johns Hopkins Malaria Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Abhai Tripathi
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, and Johns Hopkins Malaria Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Godfree Mlambo
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, and Johns Hopkins Malaria Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Peter C Dumoulin
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, and Johns Hopkins Malaria Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
| | - Chantal T Harris
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Xinran Tong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Melanie J Shears
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, and Johns Hopkins Malaria Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Johan Ankarklev
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner Gren Institute, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Björn F C Kafsack
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | - Photini Sinnis
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, and Johns Hopkins Malaria Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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23
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Skinner-Adams TS, Fisher GM, Riches AG, Hutt OE, Jarvis KE, Wilson T, von Itzstein M, Chopra P, Antonova-Koch Y, Meister S, Winzeler EA, Clarke M, Fidock DA, Burrows JN, Ryan JH, Andrews KT. Cyclization-blocked proguanil as a strategy to improve the antimalarial activity of atovaquone. Commun Biol 2019; 2:166. [PMID: 31069275 PMCID: PMC6499835 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0397-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Atovaquone-proguanil (Malarone®) is used for malaria prophylaxis and treatment. While the cytochrome bc1-inhibitor atovaquone has potent activity, proguanil's action is attributed to its cyclization-metabolite, cycloguanil. Evidence suggests that proguanil has limited intrinsic activity, associated with mitochondrial-function. Here we demonstrate that proguanil, and cyclization-blocked analogue tBuPG, have potent, but slow-acting, in vitro anti-plasmodial activity. Activity is folate-metabolism and isoprenoid biosynthesis-independent. In yeast dihydroorotate dehydrogenase-expressing parasites, proguanil and tBuPG slow-action remains, while bc1-inhibitor activity switches from comparatively fast to slow-acting. Like proguanil, tBuPG has activity against P. berghei liver-stage parasites. Both analogues act synergistically with bc1-inhibitors against blood-stages in vitro, however cycloguanil antagonizes activity. Together, these data suggest that proguanil is a potent slow-acting anti-plasmodial agent, that bc1 is essential to parasite survival independent of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase-activity, that Malarone® is a triple-drug combination that includes antagonistic partners and that a cyclization-blocked proguanil may be a superior combination partner for bc1-inhibitors in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina S. Skinner-Adams
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111 Australia
| | - Gillian M. Fisher
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111 Australia
| | - Andrew G. Riches
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Biomedical Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC 3168 Australia
| | - Oliver E. Hutt
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Biomedical Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC 3168 Australia
| | - Karen E. Jarvis
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Biomedical Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC 3168 Australia
| | - Tony Wilson
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Biomedical Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC 3168 Australia
| | - Mark von Itzstein
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, QLD 4222 Australia
| | - Pradeep Chopra
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, QLD 4222 Australia
| | - Yevgeniya Antonova-Koch
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA
- Present Address: California Institute for Biomedical Research (Calibr), La Jolla, CA 92037 USA
| | - Stephan Meister
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA
- Present Address: Beckman Coulter Life Sciences in Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46268 USA
| | | | - Mary Clarke
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111 Australia
| | - David A. Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032 USA
| | - Jeremy N. Burrows
- Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), Route de Pré Bois 20, Geneva, 1215 Switzerland
| | - John H. Ryan
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Biomedical Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC 3168 Australia
| | - Katherine T. Andrews
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111 Australia
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24
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Dhingra SK, Gabryszewski SJ, Small-Saunders JL, Yeo T, Henrich PP, Mok S, Fidock DA. Global Spread of Mutant PfCRT and Its Pleiotropic Impact on Plasmodium falciparum Multidrug Resistance and Fitness. mBio 2019; 10:e02731-18. [PMID: 31040246 PMCID: PMC6495381 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02731-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The global spread of Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) variant haplotypes earlier caused the widespread loss of chloroquine (CQ) efficacy. In Asia, novel PfCRT mutations that emerged on the Dd2 allelic background have recently been implicated in high-level resistance to piperaquine, and N326S and I356T have been associated with genetic backgrounds in which resistance emerged to artemisinin derivatives. By analyzing large-scale genome sequencing data, we report that the predominant Asian CQ-resistant Dd2 haplotype is undetectable in Africa. Instead, the GB4 and previously unexplored Cam783 haplotypes predominate, along with wild-type, drug-sensitive PfCRT that has reemerged as the major haplotype. To interrogate how these alleles impact drug susceptibility, we generated pfcrt-modified isogenic parasite lines spanning the mutational interval between GB4 and Dd2, which includes Cam783 and involves amino acid substitutions at residues 326 and 356. Relative to Dd2, the GB4 and Cam783 alleles were observed to mediate lower degrees of resistance to CQ and the first-line drug amodiaquine, while resulting in higher growth rates. These findings suggest that differences in growth rates, a surrogate of parasite fitness, influence selection in the context of African infections that are frequently characterized by high transmission rates, mixed infections, increased immunity, and less recourse to treatment. We also observe that the Asian Dd2 allele affords partial protection against piperaquine yet does not directly impact artemisinin efficacy. Our results can help inform the regional recommendations of antimalarials, whose activity is influenced by and, in certain cases, enhanced against select PfCRT variant haplotypes.IMPORTANCE Our study defines the allelic distribution of pfcrt, an important mediator of multidrug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum, in Africa and Asia. We leveraged whole-genome sequence analysis and gene editing to demonstrate how current drug combinations can select different allelic variants of this gene and shape region-specific parasite population structures. We document the ability of PfCRT mutations to modulate parasite susceptibility to current antimalarials in dissimilar, pfcrt allele-specific ways. This study underscores the importance of actively monitoring pfcrt genotypes to identify emerging patterns of multidrug resistance and help guide region-specific treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satish K Dhingra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Stanislaw J Gabryszewski
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jennifer L Small-Saunders
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Philipp P Henrich
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
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25
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Ng CL, Fidock DA. Plasmodium falciparum In Vitro Drug Resistance Selections and Gene Editing. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 2013:123-140. [PMID: 31267498 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9550-9_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Malaria continues to be a global health burden, threatening over 40% of the world's population. Drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum, the etiological agent of the majority of human malaria cases, is compromising elimination efforts. New approaches to treating drug-resistant malaria benefit from defining resistance liabilities of known antimalarial agents and compounds in development and defining genetic changes that mediate loss of parasite susceptibility. Here, we present protocols for in vitro selection of drug-resistant parasites and for site-directed gene editing of candidate resistance mediators to test for causality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline L Ng
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. .,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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26
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Miyakoda M, Bayarsaikhan G, Kimura D, Akbari M, Udono H, Yui K. Metformin Promotes the Protection of Mice Infected With Plasmodium yoelii Independently of γδ T Cell Expansion. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2942. [PMID: 30619302 PMCID: PMC6300485 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Adaptive immune responses are critical for protection against infection with Plasmodium parasites. The metabolic state dramatically changes in T cells during activation and the memory phase. Recent findings suggest that metformin, a medication for treating type-II diabetes, enhances T-cell immune responses by modulating lymphocyte metabolism. In this study, we investigated whether metformin could enhance anti-malaria immunity. Mice were infected with Plasmodium yoelii and administered metformin. Levels of parasitemia were reduced in treated mice compared with those in untreated mice, starting at ~2 weeks post-infection. The number of γδ T cells dramatically increased in the spleens of treated mice compared with that in untreated mice during the later phase of infection, while that of αβ T cells did not. The proportions of Vγ1+ and Vγ2+ γδ T cells increased, suggesting that activated cells were selectively expanded. However, these γδ T cells expressed inhibitory receptors and had severe defects in cytokine production, suggesting that they were in a state of exhaustion. Metformin was unable to rescue the cells from exhaustion at this stage. Depletion of γδ T cells with antibody treatment did not affect the reduction of parasitemia in metformin-treated mice, suggesting that the effect of metformin on the reduction of parasitemia was independent of γδ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mana Miyakoda
- Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.,Research and Education Center for Drug Fostering and Evolution, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Ganchimeg Bayarsaikhan
- Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kimura
- Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.,Department of Health, Sports, and Nutrition, Faculty of Health and Welfare, Kobe Women's University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Masoud Akbari
- Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Heiichiro Udono
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Katsuyuki Yui
- Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.,Graduate School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
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27
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Evidence for Regulation of Hemoglobin Metabolism and Intracellular Ionic Flux by the Plasmodium falciparum Chloroquine Resistance Transporter. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13578. [PMID: 30206341 PMCID: PMC6134138 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31715-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum multidrug resistance constitutes a major obstacle to the global malaria elimination campaign. Specific mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) mediate resistance to the 4-aminoquinoline drug chloroquine and impact parasite susceptibility to several partner agents used in current artemisinin-based combination therapies, including amodiaquine. By examining gene-edited parasites, we report that the ability of the wide-spread Dd2 PfCRT isoform to mediate chloroquine and amodiaquine resistance is substantially reduced by the addition of the PfCRT L272F mutation, which arose under blasticidin selection. We also provide evidence that L272F confers a significant fitness cost to asexual blood stage parasites. Studies with amino acid-restricted media identify this mutant as a methionine auxotroph. Metabolomic analysis also reveals an accumulation of short, hemoglobin-derived peptides in the Dd2 + L272F and Dd2 isoforms, compared with parasites expressing wild-type PfCRT. Physiologic studies with the ionophores monensin and nigericin support an impact of PfCRT isoforms on Ca2+ release, with substantially reduced Ca2+ levels observed in Dd2 + L272F parasites. Our data reveal a central role for PfCRT in regulating hemoglobin catabolism, amino acid availability, and ionic balance in P. falciparum, in addition to its role in determining parasite susceptibility to heme-binding 4-aminoquinoline drugs.
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28
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Srinivasan B, Tonddast-Navaei S, Roy A, Zhou H, Skolnick J. Chemical space of Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors: New approaches for discovering novel drugs for old bugs. Med Res Rev 2018; 39:684-705. [PMID: 30192413 DOI: 10.1002/med.21538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Escherichia coli Dihydrofolate reductase is an important enzyme that is essential for the survival of the Gram-negative microorganism. Inhibitors designed against this enzyme have demonstrated application as antibiotics. However, either because of poor bioavailability of the small-molecules resulting from their inability to cross the double membrane in Gram-negative bacteria or because the microorganism develops resistance to the antibiotics by mutating the DHFR target, discovery of new antibiotics against the enzyme is mandatory to overcome drug-resistance. This review summarizes the field of DHFR inhibition with special focus on recent efforts to effectively interface computational and experimental efforts to discover novel classes of inhibitors that target allosteric and active-sites in drug-resistant variants of EcDHFR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bharath Srinivasan
- Center for the Study of Systems Biology, School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Sam Tonddast-Navaei
- Center for the Study of Systems Biology, School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Ambrish Roy
- Center for the Study of Systems Biology, School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Hongyi Zhou
- Center for the Study of Systems Biology, School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jeffrey Skolnick
- Center for the Study of Systems Biology, School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
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29
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Emerging Southeast Asian PfCRT mutations confer Plasmodium falciparum resistance to the first-line antimalarial piperaquine. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3314. [PMID: 30115924 PMCID: PMC6095916 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05652-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The widely used antimalarial combination therapy dihydroartemisinin + piperaquine (DHA + PPQ) has failed in Cambodia. Here, we perform a genomic analysis that reveals a rapid increase in the prevalence of novel mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter PfCRT following DHA + PPQ implementation. These mutations occur in parasites harboring the K13 C580Y artemisinin resistance marker. By introducing PfCRT mutations into sensitive Dd2 parasites or removing them from resistant Cambodian isolates, we show that the H97Y, F145I, M343L, or G353V mutations each confer resistance to PPQ, albeit with fitness costs for all but M343L. These mutations sensitize Dd2 parasites to chloroquine, amodiaquine, and quinine. In Dd2 parasites, multicopy plasmepsin 2, a candidate molecular marker, is not necessary for PPQ resistance. Distended digestive vacuoles were observed in pfcrt-edited Dd2 parasites but not in Cambodian isolates. Our findings provide compelling evidence that emerging mutations in PfCRT can serve as a molecular marker and mediator of PPQ resistance. Increasing resistance of Plasmodium falciparum strains to piperaquine (PPQ) in Southeast Asia is of concern and resistance mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here, Ross et al. show that mutations in the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter are rapidly increasing in prevalence in Cambodia and confer resistance to PPQ.
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30
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Araujo RBD, Silva TM, Kaiser CS, Leite GF, Alonso D, Ribolla PEM, Wunderlich G. Independent regulation of Plasmodium falciparum rif gene promoters. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9332. [PMID: 29921926 PMCID: PMC6008437 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27646-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
All Plasmodium species express variant antigens which may mediate immune escape in the vertebrate host. In Plasmodium falciparum, the rif gene family encodes variant antigens which are partly exposed on the infected red blood cell surface and may function as virulence factors. Not all rif genes are expressed at the same time and it is unclear what controls rif gene expression. In this work, we addressed global rif transcription using plasmid vectors with two drug resistance markers, one controlled by a rif 5′ upstream region and the second by a constitutively active promoter. After spontaneous integration into the genome of one construct, we observed that the resistance marker controlled by the rif 5′ upstream region was expressed dependent on the applied drug pressure. Then, the global transcription of rif genes in these transfectants was compared in the presence or absence of drugs. The relative transcript quantities of all rif loci did not change profoundly between strains grown with or without drug. We conclude that either there is no crosstalk between rif loci or that the elusive system of allelic exclusion of rif gene transcription is not controlled by their 5′ upstream region alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosana Beatriz Duque Araujo
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, São Paulo - SP, 05508000, Brazil
| | - Tatiane Macedo Silva
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, São Paulo - SP, 05508000, Brazil
| | - Charlotte Sophie Kaiser
- Institute of Animal Physiology, Schloßplatz 8, Westfälische Wilhelms Universität, Münster, Germany
| | - Gabriela Fernandes Leite
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, São Paulo - SP, 05508000, Brazil
| | - Diego Alonso
- Department of Parasitology, IBB/IBTEC, State University of São Paulo, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Gerhard Wunderlich
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, São Paulo - SP, 05508000, Brazil.
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31
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Enhanced Ex Vivo Plasmodium vivax Intraerythrocytic Enrichment and Maturation for Rapid and Sensitive Parasite Growth Assays. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018; 62:AAC.02519-17. [PMID: 29378713 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02519-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax chloroquine resistance has been documented in nearly every region where this malaria-causing parasite is endemic. Unfortunately, P. vivax resistance surveillance and drug discovery are challenging due to the low parasitemias of patient isolates and poor parasite survival through ex vivo maturation that reduce the sensitivity and scalability of current P. vivax antimalarial assays. Using cryopreserved patient isolates from Brazil and fresh patient isolates from India, we established a robust enrichment method for P. vivax parasites. We next performed a medium screen for formulations that enhance ex vivo survival. Finally, we optimized an isotopic metabolic labeling assay for measuring P. vivax maturation and its sensitivity to antimalarials. A KCl Percoll density gradient enrichment method increased parasitemias from small-volume ex vivo isolates by an average of >40-fold. The use of Iscove's modified Dulbecco's medium for P. vivax ex vivo culture approximately doubled the parasite survival through maturation. Coupling these with [3H]hypoxanthine metabolic labeling permitted sensitive and robust measurements of parasite maturation, which was used to measure the sensitivities of Brazilian P. vivax isolates to chloroquine and several novel antimalarials. These techniques can be applied to rapidly and robustly assess the P. vivax isolate sensitivities to antimalarials for resistance surveillance and drug discovery.
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32
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Pecenin MF, Borges-Pereira L, Levano-Garcia J, Budu A, Alves E, Mikoshiba K, Thomas A, Garcia CRS. Blocking IP 3 signal transduction pathways inhibits melatonin-induced Ca 2+ signals and impairs P. falciparum development and proliferation in erythrocytes. Cell Calcium 2018; 72:81-90. [PMID: 29748136 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Inositol 1,4,5 trisphosphate (IP3) signaling plays a crucial role in a wide range of eukaryotic processes. In Plasmodium falciparum, IP3 elicits Ca2+ release from intracellular Ca2+ stores, even though no IP3 receptor homolog has been identified to date. The human host hormone melatonin plays a key role in entraining the P. falciparum life cycle in the intraerythrocytic stages, apparently through an IP3-dependent Ca2+ signal. The melatonin-induced cytosolic Ca2+ ([Ca2+]cyt) increase and malaria cell cycle can be blocked by the IP3 receptor blocker 2-aminoethyl diphenylborinate (2-APB). However, 2-APB also inhibits store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE). Therefore, we have used two novel 2-APB derivatives, DPB162-AE and DPB163-AE, which are 100-fold more potent than 2-APB in blocking SOCE in mammalian cells, and appear to act by interfering with clustering of STIM proteins. In the present work we report that DPB162-AE and DPB163-AE block the [Ca2+]cyt rise in response to melatonin in P. falciparum, but only at high concentrations. These compounds also block SOCE in the parasite at similarly high concentrations suggesting that P. falciparum SOCE is not activated in the same way as in mammalian cells. We further find that DPB162-AE and DPB163-AE affect the development of the intraerythrocytic parasites and invasion of new red blood cells. Our efforts to episomally express proteins that compete with native IP3 receptor like IP3-sponge and an IP3 sensor such as IRIS proved to be lethal to P. falciparum during intraerythrocytic cycle. The present findings point to an important role of IP3-induced Ca2+ release in intraerythrocytic stage of P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateus Fila Pecenin
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Núcleo de Pesquisa em Sinalização Celular Patógeno-Hospedeiro (NUSCEP) Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucas Borges-Pereira
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; New Jersey Medical School Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, NJ, USA; Núcleo de Pesquisa em Sinalização Celular Patógeno-Hospedeiro (NUSCEP) Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Julio Levano-Garcia
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Sinalização Celular Patógeno-Hospedeiro (NUSCEP) Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Budu
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Alves
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Katsuhiko Mikoshiba
- Lab. for Developmental Neurobiology, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Saitama, Japan
| | - Andrew Thomas
- New Jersey Medical School Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, NJ, USA
| | - Celia R S Garcia
- New Jersey Medical School Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, NJ, USA; Núcleo de Pesquisa em Sinalização Celular Patógeno-Hospedeiro (NUSCEP) Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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33
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Rocamora F, Zhu L, Liong KY, Dondorp A, Miotto O, Mok S, Bozdech Z. Oxidative stress and protein damage responses mediate artemisinin resistance in malaria parasites. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1006930. [PMID: 29538461 PMCID: PMC5868857 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Revised: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to their remarkable parasitocidal activity, artemisinins represent the key components of first-line therapies against Plasmodium falciparum malaria. However, the decline in efficacy of artemisinin-based drugs jeopardizes global efforts to control and ultimately eradicate the disease. To better understand the resistance phenotype, artemisinin-resistant parasite lines were derived from two clones of the 3D7 strain of P. falciparum using a selection regimen that mimics how parasites interact with the drug within patients. This long term in vitro selection induced profound stage-specific resistance to artemisinin and its relative compounds. Chemosensitivity and transcriptional profiling of artemisinin-resistant parasites indicate that enhanced adaptive responses against oxidative stress and protein damage are associated with decreased artemisinin susceptibility. This corroborates our previous findings implicating these cellular functions in artemisinin resistance in natural infections. Genomic characterization of the two derived parasite lines revealed a spectrum of sequence and copy number polymorphisms that could play a role in regulating artemisinin response, but did not include mutations in pfk13, the main marker of artemisinin resistance in Southeast Asia. Taken together, here we present a functional in vitro model of artemisinin resistance that is underlined by a new set of genetic polymorphisms as potential genetic markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Rocamora
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Lei Zhu
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Kek Yee Liong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Arjen Dondorp
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Olivo Miotto
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Genomics and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sachel Mok
- Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Zbynek Bozdech
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
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Plasmodium dihydrofolate reductase is a second enzyme target for the antimalarial action of triclosan. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1038. [PMID: 29348637 PMCID: PMC5773535 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-19549-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria, caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, leads to over half a million deaths per year, 90% of which are caused by Plasmodium falciparum. P. vivax usually causes milder forms of malaria; however, P. vivax can remain dormant in the livers of infected patients for weeks or years before re-emerging in a new bout of the disease. The only drugs available that target all stages of the parasite can lead to severe side effects in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency; hence, there is an urgent need to develop new drugs active against blood and liver stages of the parasite. Different groups have demonstrated that triclosan, a common antibacterial agent, targets the Plasmodium liver enzyme enoyl reductase. Here, we provide 4 independent lines of evidence demonstrating that triclosan specifically targets both wild-type and pyrimethamine-resistant P. falciparum and P. vivax dihydrofolate reductases, classic targets for the blood stage of the parasite. This makes triclosan an exciting candidate for further development as a dual specificity antimalarial, which could target both liver and blood stages of the parasite.
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Evolution of Fitness Cost-Neutral Mutant PfCRT Conferring P. falciparum 4-Aminoquinoline Drug Resistance Is Accompanied by Altered Parasite Metabolism and Digestive Vacuole Physiology. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005976. [PMID: 27832198 PMCID: PMC5104409 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Southeast Asia is an epicenter of multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains. Selective pressures on the subcontinent have recurrently produced several allelic variants of parasite drug resistance genes, including the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (pfcrt). Despite significant reductions in the deployment of the 4-aminoquinoline drug chloroquine (CQ), which selected for the mutant pfcrt alleles that halted CQ efficacy decades ago, the parasite pfcrt locus is continuously evolving. This is highlighted by the presence of a highly mutated allele, Cam734 pfcrt, which has acquired the singular ability to confer parasite CQ resistance without an associated fitness cost. Here, we used pfcrt-specific zinc-finger nucleases to genetically dissect this allele in the pathogenic setting of asexual blood-stage infection. Comparative analysis of drug resistance and growth profiles of recombinant parasites that express Cam734 or variants thereof, Dd2 (the most common Southeast Asian variant), or wild-type pfcrt, revealed previously unknown roles for PfCRT mutations in modulating parasite susceptibility to multiple antimalarial agents. These results were generated in the GC03 strain, used in multiple earlier pfcrt studies, and might differ in natural isolates harboring this allele. Results presented herein show that Cam734-mediated CQ resistance is dependent on the rare A144F mutation that has not been observed beyond Southeast Asia, and reveal distinct impacts of this and other Cam734-specific mutations on CQ resistance and parasite growth rates. Biochemical assays revealed a broad impact of mutant PfCRT isoforms on parasite metabolism, including nucleoside triphosphate levels, hemoglobin catabolism and disposition of heme, as well as digestive vacuole volume and pH. Results from our study provide new insights into the complex molecular basis and physiological impact of PfCRT-mediated antimalarial drug resistance, and inform ongoing efforts to characterize novel pfcrt alleles that can undermine the efficacy of first-line antimalarial drug regimens. Point mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT) earlier thwarted the clinical efficacy of chloroquine, the former gold standard, and constitute a major determinant of parasite susceptibility to antimalarial drugs. Recently, we reported that the highly mutated Cambodian PfCRT isoform Cam734 is fitness-neutral in terms of parasite growth, unlike other less fit isoforms such as Dd2 that are outcompeted by wild-type parasites in the absence of CQ pressure. Using pfcrt-specific zinc-finger nucleases to genetically dissect the Cam734 allele, we report that its unique constituent mutations directly contribute to CQ resistance and collectively offset fitness costs associated with intermediate mutational steps. We also report that these mutations can contribute to resistance or increased sensitivity to multiple first-line partner drugs. Using isogenic parasite lines, we provide evidence of changes in parasite metabolism associated with the Cam734 allele compared to Dd2. We also observe a close correlation between CQ inhibition of hemozoin formation and parasite growth, and provide evidence that Cam734 PfCRT can modulate drug potency depending on its membrane electrochemical gradient. Our data highlight the capacity of PfCRT to evolve new states of antimalarial drug resistance and to offset associated fitness costs through its impact on parasite physiology and hemoglobin catabolism.
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Adejumo OE, Kotila TR, Falusi AG, Silva BO, Nwogu JN, Fasinu PS, Babalola CP. Phenotyping and genotyping of CYP2C19 using comparative metabolism of proguanil in sickle-cell disease patients and healthy controls in Nigeria. Pharmacol Res Perspect 2016; 4:e00252. [PMID: 27713823 PMCID: PMC5045938 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Revised: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Polymorphic expression of metabolic enzymes have been identified as one of the key factors responsible for the interindividual/ethnic/racial variability in drug metabolism and effect. In Nigeria, there is a disproportionately high incidence of sickle-cell disease (SCD), a condition characterized by painful crisis frequently triggered by malaria. Proguanil, a substrate of the polymorphic CYP2C19, is a chemoprophylactic antimalarial drug widely used among SCD patients in Nigeria. This study aimed to conduct a comparative CYP2C19 phenotyping among SCD patients and healthy controls and to compare the results with those previously reported. One hundred seventy-seven unrelated subjects comprising 131 SCD patients and 46 non-SCD volunteers were phenotyped. This was carried out by collecting pooled urine samples over 8 h following PG administration. Proguanil and its major CYP2C19-dependent metabolites were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Metabolic ratios (MRs) were computed and employed in classifying subjects into poor or extensive metabolizers. Among SCD group, 130 (99.2%) were extensive metabolizers (EMs) and 1 (0.8%) was poor metabolizer (PM) of PG, while 95.7 and 4.3% non-SCDs were EMs and PMs, respectively. MRs ranged from 0.02 to 8.70 for SCD EMs and from 0.22 to 8.33 for non-SCD EMs . Two non-SCDs with MRs of 18.18 and 25.76 and the SCD with MR of 16.77 regarded as PMs had earlier been genotyped as CYP2C19*2/*2. Poor metabolizers of proguanil in SCD patients are reported for the first time. Regardless of clinical significance, a difference in metabolic disposition of proguanil and CYP2C19 by SCDs and non-SCDs was established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olufunmilayo E Adejumo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Faculty of Pharmacy Olabisi Onabanjo University Sagamu Nigeria; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Faculty of Pharmacy University of Ibadan Ibadan Nigeria
| | - Taiwo R Kotila
- Department of Haematology College of Medicine University of Ibadan Ibadan Nigeria
| | - Adeyinka G Falusi
- Genetic and Bioethics Unit Institute of Advanced Medical Research and Training (IMRAT) College of Medicine University of Ibadan Ibadan Nigeria
| | - Boladale O Silva
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology Faculty of Pharmacy University of Lagos Lagos Nigeria
| | - Jacinta N Nwogu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Faculty of Pharmacy University of Ibadan Ibadan Nigeria
| | - Pius S Fasinu
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Faculty of Pharmacy Olabisi Onabanjo University Sagamu Nigeria; National Center for Natural Product Research School of Pharmacy University of Mississippi Oxford Mississippi United States
| | - Chinedum P Babalola
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Faculty of Pharmacy University of Ibadan Ibadan Nigeria; Genetic and Bioethics Unit Institute of Advanced Medical Research and Training (IMRAT) College of Medicine University of Ibadan Ibadan Nigeria
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Extensive Shared Chemosensitivity between Malaria and Babesiosis Blood-Stage Parasites. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2016; 60:5059-63. [PMID: 27246780 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00928-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The apicomplexan parasites that cause malaria and babesiosis invade and proliferate within erythrocytes. To assess the potential for common antiparasitic treatments, we measured the sensitivities of multiple species of Plasmodium and Babesia parasites to the chemically diverse collection of antimalarial compounds in the Malaria Box library. We observed that these parasites share sensitivities to a large fraction of the same inhibitors and we identified compounds with strong babesiacidal activity.
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Chakraborty A. Emerging drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum: A review of well-characterized drug targets for novel antimalarial chemotherapy. ASIAN PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TROPICAL DISEASE 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/s2222-1808(16)61090-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Chemical and Antimicrobial Profiling of Propolis from Different Regions within Libya. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155355. [PMID: 27195790 PMCID: PMC4873177 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracts from twelve samples of propolis collected from different regions of Libya were tested for their activity against Trypanosoma brucei, Leishmania donovani, Plasmodium falciparum, Crithidia fasciculata and Mycobacterium marinum and the cytotoxicity of the extracts was tested against mammalian cells. All the extracts were active to some degree against all of the protozoa and the mycobacterium, exhibiting a range of EC50 values between 1.65 and 53.6 μg/ml. The toxicity against mammalian cell lines was only moderate; the most active extract against the protozoan species, P2, displayed an IC50 value of 53.2 μg/ml. The extracts were profiled by using liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry. The data sets were extracted using m/z Mine and the accurate masses of the features extracted were searched against the Dictionary of Natural Products (DNP). A principal component analysis (PCA) model was constructed which, in combination with hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), divided the samples into five groups. The outlying groups had different sets of dominant compounds in the extracts, which could be characterised by their elemental composition. Orthogonal partial least squares (OPLS) analysis was used to link the activity of each extract against the different micro-organisms to particular components in the extracts.
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Ng CL, Siciliano G, Lee MCS, de Almeida MJ, Corey VC, Bopp SE, Bertuccini L, Wittlin S, Kasdin RG, Le Bihan A, Clozel M, Winzeler EA, Alano P, Fidock DA. CRISPR-Cas9-modified pfmdr1 protects Plasmodium falciparum asexual blood stages and gametocytes against a class of piperazine-containing compounds but potentiates artemisinin-based combination therapy partner drugs. Mol Microbiol 2016; 101:381-93. [PMID: 27073104 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Emerging resistance to first-line antimalarial combination therapies threatens malaria treatment and the global elimination campaign. Improved therapeutic strategies are required to protect existing drugs and enhance treatment efficacy. We report that the piperazine-containing compound ACT-451840 exhibits single-digit nanomolar inhibition of the Plasmodium falciparum asexual blood stages and transmissible gametocyte forms. Genome sequence analyses of in vitro-derived ACT-451840-resistant parasites revealed single nucleotide polymorphisms in pfmdr1, which encodes a digestive vacuole membrane-bound ATP-binding cassette transporter known to alter P. falciparum susceptibility to multiple first-line antimalarials. CRISPR-Cas9 based gene editing confirmed that PfMDR1 point mutations mediated ACT-451840 resistance. Resistant parasites demonstrated increased susceptibility to the clinical drugs lumefantrine, mefloquine, quinine and amodiaquine. Stage V gametocytes harboring Cas9-introduced pfmdr1 mutations also acquired ACT-451840 resistance. These findings reveal that PfMDR1 mutations can impart resistance to compounds active against asexual blood stages and mature gametocytes. Exploiting PfMDR1 resistance mechanisms provides new opportunities for developing disease-relieving and transmission-blocking antimalarials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline L Ng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Giulia Siciliano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Marcus C S Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Mariana J de Almeida
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Victoria C Corey
- Division of Host-Microbe Systems & Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Selina E Bopp
- Division of Host-Microbe Systems & Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Lucia Bertuccini
- Dipartimento Tecnologie e Salute, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Sergio Wittlin
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rachel G Kasdin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Amélie Le Bihan
- Department of Drug Discovery, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd., CH-4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Martine Clozel
- Department of Drug Discovery, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd., CH-4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Elizabeth A Winzeler
- Division of Host-Microbe Systems & Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Pietro Alano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
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Aroonsri A, Akinola O, Posayapisit N, Songsungthong W, Uthaipibull C, Kamchonwongpaisan S, Gbotosho GO, Yuthavong Y, Shaw PJ. Identifying antimalarial compounds targeting dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS) by chemogenomic profiling. Int J Parasitol 2016; 46:527-35. [PMID: 27150044 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 04/07/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The mode of action of many antimalarial drugs is unknown. Chemogenomic profiling is a powerful method to address this issue. This experimental approach entails disruption of gene function and phenotypic screening for changes in sensitivity to bioactive compounds. Here, we describe the application of reverse genetics for chemogenomic profiling in Plasmodium. Plasmodium falciparum parasites harbouring a transgenic insertion of the glmS ribozyme downstream of the dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS) gene were used for chemogenomic profiling of antimalarial compounds to identify those which target DHFR-TS. DHFR-TS expression can be attenuated by exposing parasites to glucosamine. Parasites with attenuated DHFR-TS expression were significantly more sensitive to antifolate drugs known to target DHFR-TS. In contrast, no change in sensitivity to other antimalarial drugs with different modes of action was observed. Chemogenomic profiling was performed using the Medicines for Malaria Venture (Switzerland) Malaria Box compound library, and two compounds were identified as novel DHFR-TS inhibitors. We also tested the glmS ribozyme in Plasmodium berghei, a rodent malaria parasite. The expression of reporter genes with downstream glmS ribozyme could be attenuated in transgenic parasites comparable with that obtained in P. falciparum. The chemogenomic profiling method was applied in a P. berghei line expressing a pyrimethamine-resistant Toxoplasma gondii DHFR-TS reporter gene under glmS ribozyme control. Parasites with attenuated expression of this gene were significantly sensitised to antifolates targeting DHFR-TS, but not other drugs with different modes of action. In conclusion, these data show that the glmS ribozyme reverse genetic tool can be applied for identifying primary targets of antimalarial compounds in human and rodent malaria parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiyada Aroonsri
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 113 Thailand Science Park, Thanon Phahonyothin, Tambon Khlong Neung, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Olugbenga Akinola
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 113 Thailand Science Park, Thanon Phahonyothin, Tambon Khlong Neung, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Navaporn Posayapisit
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 113 Thailand Science Park, Thanon Phahonyothin, Tambon Khlong Neung, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Warangkhana Songsungthong
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 113 Thailand Science Park, Thanon Phahonyothin, Tambon Khlong Neung, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Chairat Uthaipibull
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 113 Thailand Science Park, Thanon Phahonyothin, Tambon Khlong Neung, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Sumalee Kamchonwongpaisan
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 113 Thailand Science Park, Thanon Phahonyothin, Tambon Khlong Neung, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Grace O Gbotosho
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Yongyuth Yuthavong
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 113 Thailand Science Park, Thanon Phahonyothin, Tambon Khlong Neung, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Philip J Shaw
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 113 Thailand Science Park, Thanon Phahonyothin, Tambon Khlong Neung, Amphoe Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand.
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Lee AH, Fidock DA. Evidence of a Mild Mutator Phenotype in Cambodian Plasmodium falciparum Malaria Parasites. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0154166. [PMID: 27100094 PMCID: PMC4839739 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Accepted: 04/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria control efforts have been continuously stymied by drug-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum, which typically originate in Southeast Asia prior to spreading into high-transmission settings in Africa. One earlier proposed explanation for Southeast Asia being a hotbed of resistance has been the hypermutability or "Accelerated Resistance to Multiple Drugs" (ARMD) phenotype, whereby multidrug-resistant Southeast Asian parasites were reported to exhibit 1,000-fold higher rates of resistance to unrelated antimalarial agents when compared to drug-sensitive parasites. However, three recent studies do not recapitulate this hypermutability phenotype. Intriguingly, genome sequencing of recently derived multidrug-resistant Cambodian isolates has identified a high proportion of DNA repair gene mutations in multidrug-resistant parasites, suggesting their potential role in shaping local parasite evolution. By adapting fluctuation assays for use in P. falciparum, we have examined the in vitro mutation rates of five recent Cambodian isolates and three reference laboratory strains. For these studies we also generated a knockout parasite line lacking the DNA repair factor Exonuclease I. In these assays, parasites were typed for their ability to acquire resistance to KAE609, currently in advanced clinical trials, yielding 13 novel mutations in the Na+/H+-ATPase PfATP4, the primary resistance determinant. We observed no evidence of hypermutability. Instead, we found evidence of a mild mutator (up to a 3.4-fold increase in mutation rate) phenotype in two artemisinin-resistant Cambodian isolates, which carry DNA repair gene mutations. We observed that one such mutation in the Mismatch Repair protein Mlh1 contributes to the mild mutator phenotype when modeled in yeast (scmlh1-P157S). Compared to basal rates of mutation, a mild mutator phenotype may provide a greater overall benefit for parasites in Southeast Asia in terms of generating drug resistance without incurring detrimental fitness costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew H. Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - David A. Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
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Sakamoto H, Kita K, Matsuzaki M. Drug selection using bleomycin for transfection of the oyster-infecting parasite Perkinsus marinus. Parasitol Int 2016; 65:563-566. [PMID: 27094226 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2016.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2015] [Revised: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Perkinsus species are notorious unicellular marine parasites that infect commercially important mollusk species including clams and oysters. Recent accumulation of molecular information will greatly facilitate the understanding of Perkinsus biology and development of strategies to control infection. However, the limited availability of methods for genetic manipulation has hindered molecular-based studies of the parasites. In particular, the lack of a drug selection system requires manual isolation of fluorescent cells under a microscope to establish transfected cell lines. Here, we introduce a drug selection system using a glycopeptide antibiotic, bleomycin, and a vector containing the resistance gene Sh-ble. Perkinsus marinus is sensitive to bleomycin, and 100μg/ml of this drug completely blocks its proliferation. Concomitant expression of Sh-ble enables us to specifically select transfected cells in the presence of the drug. We believe that this system provides new opportunities for functional analyses of this parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirokazu Sakamoto
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Kita
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Motomichi Matsuzaki
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
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Rijpma SR, van der Velden M, Bilos A, Jansen RS, Mahakena S, Russel FGM, Sauerwein RW, van de Wetering K, Koenderink JB. MRP1 mediates folate transport and antifolate sensitivity in Plasmodium falciparum. FEBS Lett 2016; 590:482-92. [PMID: 26900081 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.12079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Revised: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Multidrug resistance-associated proteins (MRP) of Plasmodium falciparum have been associated with altered drug sensitivity. Knowledge on MRP substrate specificity is indispensible for the characterization of resistance mechanisms and identifying its physiological roles. An untargeted metabolomics approach detected decreased folate concentrations in red blood cells infected with schizont stage parasites lacking expression of MRP1. Furthermore, a tenfold decrease in sensitivity toward the folate analog methotrexate was detected for parasites lacking MRP1. PfMRP1 is involved in the export of folate from parasites into red blood cells and is therefore a relevant factor for efficient malaria treatment through the folate pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanna R Rijpma
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten van der Velden
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Albert Bilos
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Robert S Jansen
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sunny Mahakena
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frans G M Russel
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Robert W Sauerwein
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Koen van de Wetering
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan B Koenderink
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria is an infection caused by mosquitoes in human beings which can be dangerous if untreated. A well known plant product, quassinoids are known to have antimalarial activity. These bioactive phytochemicals belong to the triterpene family. Quassinoids are used in the present study to act against malarial dihydrofolate reductase (Pf-DHFR), a potential antimalarial target. Nevertheless, viṣama jvara (~malaria) has been treated with the bark of Cinchona since a long time. AIM The aim of the present experiment is to perform the protein-ligand docking for Pf- DHFR and Quassinoids and study their binding affinities. SETTING AND DESIGN The software used for the present study is the discovery studio (Accelrys 2.1), Protein Data Bank (PDB), and Chemsketch. MATERIALS AND METHODS The protein for the present study was imported from protein data bank with the PDB Id, 4dpd and was prepared for docking. The ligands used for the study are the quassinoids. They were drawn using chemsketch and the 3D structures were generated. The docking was done subsequently. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED Molecular modeling technique was used for the protein-ligand docking analysis. RESULTS The docking results showed that the Quassinoids Model_1 showed the highest dock score of 40.728. CONCLUSION The present study proves the promising potential of quassinoids as novel drugs against malaria. The dock results conclude that the quassinoids can be adopted as an alternative drug against malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailima Rampogu
- Department of Biochemistry, Cachet Labs, Yousufguda, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
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47
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Ogbunugafor CB, Wylie CS, Diakite I, Weinreich DM, Hartl DL. Adaptive Landscape by Environment Interactions Dictate Evolutionary Dynamics in Models of Drug Resistance. PLoS Comput Biol 2016; 12:e1004710. [PMID: 26808374 PMCID: PMC4726534 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The adaptive landscape analogy has found practical use in recent years, as many have explored how their understanding can inform therapeutic strategies that subvert the evolution of drug resistance. A major barrier to applications of these concepts is a lack of detail concerning how the environment affects adaptive landscape topography, and consequently, the outcome of drug treatment. Here we combine empirical data, evolutionary theory, and computer simulations towards dissecting adaptive landscape by environment interactions for the evolution of drug resistance in two dimensions-drug concentration and drug type. We do so by studying the resistance mediated by Plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) to two related inhibitors-pyrimethamine and cycloguanil-across a breadth of drug concentrations. We first examine whether the adaptive landscapes for the two drugs are consistent with common definitions of cross-resistance. We then reconstruct all accessible pathways across the landscape, observing how their structure changes with drug environment. We offer a mechanism for non-linearity in the topography of accessible pathways by calculating of the interaction between mutation effects and drug environment, which reveals rampant patterns of epistasis. We then simulate evolution in several different drug environments to observe how these individual mutation effects (and patterns of epistasis) influence paths taken at evolutionary "forks in the road" that dictate adaptive dynamics in silico. In doing so, we reveal how classic metrics like the IC50 and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) are dubious proxies for understanding how evolution will occur across drug environments. We also consider how the findings reveal ambiguities in the cross-resistance concept, as subtle differences in adaptive landscape topography between otherwise equivalent drugs can drive drastically different evolutionary outcomes. Summarizing, we discuss the results with regards to their basic contribution to the study of empirical adaptive landscapes, and in terms of how they inform new models for the evolution of drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Brandon Ogbunugafor
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - C. Scott Wylie
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Ibrahim Diakite
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Daniel M. Weinreich
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Daniel L. Hartl
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
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48
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Dinter D, Gajski G, Domijan AM, Garaj-Vrhovac V. Cytogenetic and oxidative status of human lymphocytes after exposure to clinically relevant concentrations of antimalarial drugs atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride in vitro. Fundam Clin Pharmacol 2015; 29:575-85. [PMID: 26434663 DOI: 10.1111/fcp.12153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Atovaquone (ATO) and proguanil hydrochloride (PROG) is the fixed combination for the prevention and treatment of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. As safe and effective antimalarial drugs are needed in both the treatment and the prophylaxis of malaria, this study was performed to investigate their possible cyto/genotoxic potential towards human lymphocytes and the possible mechanism responsible for it. Two different concentrations of ATO and PROG were used with and without S9 metabolic activation. The concentrations used were those found in human plasma when a fixed-dose combination of ATO and PROG was used: 2950/130 ng/mL after prophylactic treatment and 11 800/520 ng/mL after treatment of malaria, respectively. Possible cellular and DNA-damaging effects were evaluated by cell viability and alkaline comet assays, while oxidative stress potential was evaluated by formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg)-modified comet assay, in addition to measuring malondialdehyde and glutathione levels. According to our results, the ATO/PROG combination displayed only weak cyto/genotoxic potential towards human lymphocytes with no impact on oxidative stress parameters, suggesting that oxidative stress is not implicated in their mechanism of action towards human lymphocytes. Given that the key portion of the damaging effects was induced after S9 metabolic activation, it is to presume that the principal metabolite of PROG, cycloguanil, had the greatest impact. The obtained results indicate that the ATO/PROG combination is relatively safe for the consumption from the aspect of cyto/genotoxicity, especially if used for prophylactic treatment. Nevertheless, further cytogenetic research and regular patient monitoring are needed to minimize the risk of adverse events especially among frequent travellers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domagoj Dinter
- Oral Solid Forms, Pliva Croatia Ltd., Prilaz baruna Filipovića 25, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Goran Gajski
- Mutagenesis Unit, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana-Marija Domijan
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, A. Kovačića 1, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Vera Garaj-Vrhovac
- Mutagenesis Unit, Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
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49
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Pulcini S, Staines HM, Lee AH, Shafik SH, Bouyer G, Moore CM, Daley DA, Hoke MJ, Altenhofen LM, Painter HJ, Mu J, Ferguson DJP, Llinás M, Martin RE, Fidock DA, Cooper RA, Krishna S. Mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter, PfCRT, enlarge the parasite's food vacuole and alter drug sensitivities. Sci Rep 2015; 5:14552. [PMID: 26420308 PMCID: PMC4588581 DOI: 10.1038/srep14552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter, PfCRT, are the major determinant of chloroquine resistance in this lethal human malaria parasite. Here, we describe P. falciparum lines subjected to selection by amantadine or blasticidin that carry PfCRT mutations (C101F or L272F), causing the development of enlarged food vacuoles. These parasites also have increased sensitivity to chloroquine and some other quinoline antimalarials, but exhibit no or minimal change in sensitivity to artemisinins, when compared with parental strains. A transgenic parasite line expressing the L272F variant of PfCRT confirmed this increased chloroquine sensitivity and enlarged food vacuole phenotype. Furthermore, the introduction of the C101F or L272F mutation into a chloroquine-resistant variant of PfCRT reduced the ability of this protein to transport chloroquine by approximately 93 and 82%, respectively, when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. These data provide, at least in part, a mechanistic explanation for the increased sensitivity of the mutant parasite lines to chloroquine. Taken together, these findings provide new insights into PfCRT function and PfCRT-mediated drug resistance, as well as the food vacuole, which is an important target of many antimalarial drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Pulcini
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's, University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Henry M Staines
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's, University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Andrew H Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Sarah H Shafik
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Guillaume Bouyer
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's, University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Comparative Physiology of Erythrocytes, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France.,CNRS, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Comparative Physiology of Erythrocytes, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France
| | - Catherine M Moore
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's, University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Daniel A Daley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA
| | - Matthew J Hoke
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA
| | - Lindsey M Altenhofen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Heather J Painter
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Jianbing Mu
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville MD 20852, USA
| | - David J P Ferguson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Rowena E Martin
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Roland A Cooper
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA.,Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Dominican University of California, San Rafael, CA 94901, USA
| | - Sanjeev Krishna
- Institute for Infection and Immunity, St. George's, University of London, London SW17 0RE, UK
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50
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Srinivasan B, Tonddast-Navaei S, Skolnick J. Ligand binding studies, preliminary structure-activity relationship and detailed mechanistic characterization of 1-phenyl-6,6-dimethyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine derivatives as inhibitors of Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase. Eur J Med Chem 2015; 103:600-14. [PMID: 26414808 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2015.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria are implicated in the causation of life-threatening hospital-acquired infections. They acquire rapid resistance to multiple drugs and available antibiotics. Hence, there is the need to discover new antibacterial agents with novel scaffolds. For the first time, this study explores the 1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine and 1,2,4-triazine-2,4-diamine group of compounds as potential inhibitors of Escherichia coli DHFR, a pivotal enzyme in the thymidine and purine synthesis pathway. Using differential scanning fluorimetry, DSF, fifteen compounds with various substitutions on either the 3rd or 4th positions on the benzene group of 6,6-dimethyl-1-(benzene)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine were shown to bind to the enzyme with varying affinities. Then, the dose dependence of inhibition by these compounds was determined. Preliminary quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis and docking studies implicate the alkyl linker group and the sulfonyl fluoride group in increasing the potency of inhibition. 4-[4-[3-(4,6-diamino-2,2-dimethyl-1,3,5-triazin-1-yl)phenyl]butyl]benzenesulfonyl fluoride (NSC120927), the best hit from the study and a molecule with no reported inhibition of E. coli DHFR, potently inhibits the enzyme with a Ki value of 42.50 ± 5.34 nM, followed by 4-[6-[4-(4,6-diamino-2,2-dimethyl-1,3,5-triazin-1-yl)phenyl]hexyl]benzenesulfonyl fluoride (NSC132279), with a Ki value of 100.9 ± 12.7 nM. Detailed kinetic characterization of the inhibition brought about by five small-molecule hits shows that these inhibitors bind to the dihydrofolate binding site with preferential binding to the NADPH-bound binary form of the enzyme. Furthermore, in search of novel diaminotriazine scaffolds, it is shown that lamotrigine, a 1,2,4-triazine-3,5-diamine and a sodium-ion channel blocker class of antiepileptic drug, also inhibits E. coli DHFR. This is the first comprehensive study on the binding and inhibition brought about by diaminotriazines of a gram-negative prokaryotic enzyme and provides valuable insights into the SAR as an aid to the discovery of novel antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bharath Srinivasan
- Center for the Study of Systems Biology, School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950, Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States.
| | - Sam Tonddast-Navaei
- Center for the Study of Systems Biology, School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950, Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States.
| | - Jeffrey Skolnick
- Center for the Study of Systems Biology, School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950, Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States.
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