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Lucky AB, Wang C, Li X, Liang X, Muneer A, Miao J. Transforming the CRISPR/dCas9-based gene regulation technique into a forward screening tool in Plasmodium falciparum. iScience 2024; 27:109602. [PMID: 38617559 PMCID: PMC11015506 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
It is a significant challenge to assess the functions of many uncharacterized genes in human malaria parasites. Here, we present a genetic screening tool to assess the contribution of essential genes from Plasmodium falciparum by the conditional CRISPR-/deadCas9-based interference and activation (i/a) systems. We screened both CRISPRi and CRISPRa sets, consisting of nine parasite lines per set targeting nine genes via their respective gRNAs. By conducting amplicon sequencing of gRNA loci, we identified the contribution of each targeted gene to parasite fitness upon drug (artemisinin, chloroquine) and stress (starvation, heat shock) treatment. The screening was highly reproducible, and the screening libraries were easily generated by transfection of mixed plasmids expressing different gRNAs. We demonstrated that this screening is straightforward, robust, and can provide a fast and efficient tool to study essential genes that have long presented a bottleneck in assessing their functions using existing genetic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amuza Byaruhanga Lucky
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Chengqi Wang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Xiaolian Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Xiaoying Liang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Azhar Muneer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Jun Miao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
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Kapuku B, Bohle DS. Synthesis and Photolysis Properties of a New Chloroquine Photoaffinity Probe. Molecules 2024; 29:1084. [PMID: 38474595 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29051084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
A new chloroquine-derived photoaffinity probe has been prepared by a convergent synthesis from derivative of 4,7-dichloroquinoline and N1,N1-diethyl-N4-methylpentane. The features of this probe are a unique 3-azido photolabel, the pyridine ring of the quinoline, and the presence of a secondary amine at the 4-position of the quinoline. These features, particularly the 4-amino methylation, prevent triazole formation through combination of the 3-azide and the 4-amine. This undergoes facile cleavage with exposure to a medium-pressure mercury lamp with a 254 nm excitation wavelength. Trapping of the nitrene byproduct is accomplished with its reaction with N-phenylmaleimide as its cycloazidation product. The structure of a ring-opened DBU amine has been structurally characterized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benita Kapuku
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - D Scott Bohle
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
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Lei ZN, Wu ZX, Dong S, Yang DH, Zhang L, Ke Z, Zou C, Chen ZS. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of malaria and repurposing in treating COVID-19. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 216:107672. [PMID: 32910933 PMCID: PMC7476892 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Chloroquine (CQ) and Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) have been commonly used for the treatment and prevention of malaria, and the treatment of autoimmune diseases for several decades. As their new mechanisms of actions are identified in recent years, CQ and HCQ have wider therapeutic applications, one of which is to treat viral infectious diseases. Since the pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), CQ and HCQ have been subjected to a number of in vitro and in vivo tests, and their therapeutic prospects for COVID-19 have been proposed. In this article, the applications and mechanisms of action of CQ and HCQ in their conventional fields of anti-malaria and anti-rheumatism, as well as their repurposing prospects in anti-virus are reviewed. The current trials and future potential of CQ and HCQ in combating COVID-19 are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Ning Lei
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA.
| | - Zhuo-Xun Wu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA.
| | - Shaowei Dong
- Key Laboratory of medical electrophysiology of education ministry, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, China,Shenzhen Public Service Platform on Tumor Precision Medicine and Molecular Diagnosis, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, China
| | - Dong-Hua Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA.
| | - Litu Zhang
- Department of Research, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
| | - Zunfu Ke
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong, China.
| | - Chang Zou
- Key Laboratory of medical electrophysiology of education ministry, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, China; Shenzhen Public Service Platform on Tumor Precision Medicine and Molecular Diagnosis, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, China.
| | - Zhe-Sheng Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA.
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Chloroquine Urea Derivatives: Synthesis and Antitumor Activity in Vitro. ACTA PHARMACEUTICA (ZAGREB, CROATIA) 2018; 68:471-483. [PMID: 31259711 DOI: 10.2478/acph-2018-0039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
In the current paper, we describe the design, synthesis and antiproliferative screening of novel chloroquine derivatives with a quinoline core linked to a hydroxy or halogen amine through a flexible aminobutyl chain and urea spacer. Synthetic pathway leading to chloroquine urea derivatives 4-10 includes two crucial steps: i) synthesis of chloroquine benzotriazolide 3 and ii) formation of urea derivatives through the reaction of compound 3 with the corresponding amine. Testing of antiproliferative activity against four human cancer cell lines revealed that chloroquine urea derivatives 9 and 10 with aromatic moieties show activity at micromolar concentrations. Therefore, these molecules represent interesting lead compounds that might provide an insight into the design of new anticancer agents.
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