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Freitas e Silva KS, C. Silva L, Gonçales RA, Neves BJ, Soares CM, Pereira M. Setting New Routes for Antifungal Drug Discovery Against Pathogenic Fungi. Curr Pharm Des 2020; 26:1509-1520. [DOI: 10.2174/1381612826666200317125956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
:Fungal diseases are life-threatening to human health and responsible for millions of deaths around the world. Fungal pathogens lead to a high number of morbidity and mortality. Current antifungal treatment comprises drugs, such as azoles, echinocandins, and polyenes and the cure is not guaranteed. In addition, such drugs are related to severe side effects and the treatment lasts for an extended period. Thus, setting new routes for the discovery of effective and safe antifungal drugs should be a priority within the health care system. The discovery of alternative and efficient antifungal drugs showing fewer side effects is time-consuming and remains a challenge. Natural products can be a source of antifungals and used in combinatorial therapy. The most important natural products are antifungal peptides, antifungal lectins, antifungal plants, and fungi secondary metabolites. Several proteins, enzymes, and metabolic pathways could be targets for the discovery of efficient inhibitor compounds and recently, heat shock proteins, calcineurin, salinomycin, the trehalose biosynthetic pathway, and the glyoxylate cycle have been investigated in several fungal species. HSP protein inhibitors and echinocandins have been shown to have a fungicidal effect against azole-resistant fungi strains. Transcriptomic and proteomic approaches have advanced antifungal drug discovery and pointed to new important specific-pathogen targets. Certain enzymes, such as those from the glyoxylate cycle, have been a target of antifungal compounds in several fungi species. Natural and synthetic compounds inhibited the activity of such enzymes and reduced the ability of fungal cells to transit from mycelium to yeast, proving to be promisor antifungal agents. Finally, computational biology has developed effective approaches, setting new routes for early antifungal drug discovery since normal approaches take several years from discovery to clinical use. Thus, the development of new antifungal strategies might reduce the therapeutic time and increase the quality of life of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kleber S. Freitas e Silva
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Lívia C. Silva
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Relber A. Gonçales
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Bruno J. Neves
- LabMol - Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, 74605-510, Brazil
| | - Célia M.A. Soares
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Maristela Pereira
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
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Kathiravan MK, Salake AB, Chothe AS, Dudhe PB, Watode RP, Mukta MS, Gadhwe S. The biology and chemistry of antifungal agents: A review. Bioorg Med Chem 2012; 20:5678-98. [PMID: 22902032 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2012.04.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 427] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2012] [Revised: 04/21/2012] [Accepted: 04/21/2012] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Muthu K Kathiravan
- Sinhgad College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vadgaon(Bk), Pune 410041, India.
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Pettit GR, Hogan F, Toms S. Antineoplastic agents. 592. Highly effective cancer cell growth inhibitory structural modifications of dolastatin 10. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2011; 74:962-8. [PMID: 21534541 PMCID: PMC3116808 DOI: 10.1021/np1007334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The dolastatin series of unique peptides, originally discovered as constituents of the sea hare Dolabella auricularia, is of increasing importance in providing biological leads, especially to new and useful anticancer drugs. Dolastatin 10 and three analogues, minor structural modifications designated auristatins, are currently in human cancer clinical trials. The present study was undertaken to explore delivery to the cancer sites by way of phosphate or quinoline modifications. The initial objectives, auristatin TP as sodium phosphate 3b (GI50 10(-2)-10(-4) μg/mL), auristatin 2-AQ (4, GI50 10(-2)-10(-3) μg/mL), and auristatin 6-AQ (5, GI50 10(-4) μg/mL), exhibited superior cancer cell growth inhibitory properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- George R Pettit
- Cancer Research Institute and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 871604, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1604, United States
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Pettit GR, Smith TH, Xu JP, Herald DL, Flahive EJ, Anderson CR, Belcher PE, Knight JC. Antineoplastic agents. 590. X-ray crystal structure of dolastatin 16 and syntheses of the dolamethylleuine and dolaphenvaline units. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2011; 74:1003-8. [PMID: 21539315 PMCID: PMC3111978 DOI: 10.1021/np100877h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Three advances necessary to bring dolastatin 16 (1) into full-scale preclinical development as an anticancer drug have been accomplished. The X-ray crystal structure of dolastatin 16 has been solved, which allowed stereoselective syntheses of its two new amino acid units, dolamethylleuine (Dml) and dolaphenvaline (Dpv), to be completed. The X-ray crystal structures of synthetic Z-Dml and TFA-Dpv have also been completed.
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Affiliation(s)
- George R Pettit
- Cancer Research Institute and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, PO Box 871604, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1604, United States.
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Santos GD, Ferri PH, Santos SC, Bao SN, Soares CMA, Pereira M. Oenothein B inhibits the expression of PbFKS1 transcript and induces morphological changes in Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Med Mycol 2008; 45:609-18. [PMID: 18033615 DOI: 10.1080/13693780701502108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the causative agent of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), the most prevalent human systemic mycosis in Latin America. Drug toxicity and the appearance of resistant strains have created the need to search for new therapeutic approaches. Plants with reputed antimicrobial properties represent a rich screening source of potential antifungal compounds. In this work, the growth of P. brasiliensis yeast cells was evaluated in the presence of oenothein B extracted from Eugenia uniflora. The oenothein B dosage that most effectively inhibited the development (74%) of P. brasiliensis yeast cells in vitro was 500 microg/ml. To verify if oenothein B interferes with cell morphology, we observed oenothein B-treated yeast cells by electron microscopy. The micrographs showed characteristic cell changes noted with glucan synthesis inhibition, including squashing, rough surface, cell wall rupture and cell membrane recess. The expression of P. brasiliensis genes was evaluated in order to investigate the action of oenothein B. Here we report that oenothein B inhibits 1,3-beta-glucan synthase (PbFKS1) transcript accumulation. The results indicate that oenothein B interferes with the cell morphology of P. brasiliensis, probably by inhibiting the transcription of 1,3-beta-glucan synthase gene, which is involved in the cell wall synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glaciane D Santos
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
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Repp K, Hogan F, Pettit G, Pettit R. In VitroInteractions of Approved and Experimental Drugs against Candida albicansand Aspergillusspp. J Chemother 2008; 20:137-9. [DOI: 10.1179/joc.2008.20.1.137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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Extracellular vesicles produced by Cryptococcus neoformans contain protein components associated with virulence. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2007; 7:58-67. [PMID: 18039940 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00370-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 393] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans produces vesicles containing its major virulence factor, the capsular polysaccharide glucuronoxylomannan (GXM). These vesicles cross the cell wall to reach the extracellular space, where the polysaccharide is supposedly used for capsule growth or delivered into host tissues. In the present study, we characterized vesicle morphology and protein composition by a combination of techniques including electron microscopy, proteomics, enzymatic activity, and serological reactivity. Secretory vesicles in C. neoformans appear to be correlated with exosome-like compartments derived from multivesicular bodies. Extracellular vesicles manifested various sizes and morphologies, including electron-lucid membrane bodies and electron-dense vesicles. Seventy-six proteins were identified by proteomic analysis, including several related to virulence and protection against oxidative stress. Biochemical tests indicated laccase and urease activities in vesicles. In addition, different vesicle proteins were recognized by sera from patients with cryptococcosis. These results reveal an efficient and general mechanism of secretion of pathogenesis-related molecules in C. neoformans, suggesting that extracellular vesicles function as "virulence bags" that deliver a concentrated payload of fungal products to host effector cells and tissues.
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