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Martins GL, Ferreira DS, Carneiro CM, Nogueira-Paiva NC, Bianchi AGC. Trajectory-driven computational analysis for element characterization in Trypanosoma cruzi video microscopy. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0304716. [PMID: 38829872 PMCID: PMC11146708 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304716] [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: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Optical microscopy videos enable experts to analyze the motion of several biological elements. Particularly in blood samples infected with Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), microscopy videos reveal a dynamic scenario where the parasites' motions are conspicuous. While parasites have self-motion, cells are inert and may assume some displacement under dynamic events, such as fluids and microscope focus adjustments. This paper analyzes the trajectory of T. cruzi and blood cells to discriminate between these elements by identifying the following motion patterns: collateral, fluctuating, and pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ). We consider two approaches: i) classification experiments for discrimination between parasites and cells; and ii) clustering experiments to identify the cell motion. We propose the trajectory step dispersion (TSD) descriptor based on standard deviation to characterize these elements, outperforming state-of-the-art descriptors. Our results confirm motion is valuable in discriminating T. cruzi of the cells. Since the parasites perform the collateral motion, their trajectory steps tend to randomness. The cells may assume fluctuating motion following a homogeneous and directional path or PTZ motion with trajectory steps in a restricted area. Thus, our findings may contribute to developing new computational tools focused on trajectory analysis, which can advance the study and medical diagnosis of Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geovani L. Martins
- Postgraduate Program in Computer Science, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
- Department of Computing, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
| | - Daniel S. Ferreira
- Department of Computing, Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Ceará, Maracanaú, CE, Brazil
| | - Claudia M. Carneiro
- Nucleus of Biological Sciences Research, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
- Department of Clinical Analysis, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
| | - Nivia C. Nogueira-Paiva
- Nucleus of Biological Sciences Research, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
| | - Andrea G. C. Bianchi
- Postgraduate Program in Computer Science, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
- Department of Computing, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
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Rojas-Pirela M, Kemmerling U, Quiñones W, Michels PAM, Rojas V. Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs): Potential Therapeutic Strategy against Trypanosomiases? Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13040599. [PMID: 37189347 DOI: 10.3390/biom13040599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosomiases are a group of tropical diseases that have devastating health and socio-economic effects worldwide. In humans, these diseases are caused by the pathogenic kinetoplastids Trypanosoma brucei, causing African trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness, and Trypanosoma cruzi, causing American trypanosomiasis or Chagas disease. Currently, these diseases lack effective treatment. This is attributed to the high toxicity and limited trypanocidal activity of registered drugs, as well as resistance development and difficulties in their administration. All this has prompted the search for new compounds that can serve as the basis for the development of treatment of these diseases. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small peptides synthesized by both prokaryotes and (unicellular and multicellular) eukaryotes, where they fulfill functions related to competition strategy with other organisms and immune defense. These AMPs can bind and induce perturbation in cell membranes, leading to permeation of molecules, alteration of morphology, disruption of cellular homeostasis, and activation of cell death. These peptides have activity against various pathogenic microorganisms, including parasitic protists. Therefore, they are being considered for new therapeutic strategies to treat some parasitic diseases. In this review, we analyze AMPs as therapeutic alternatives for the treatment of trypanosomiases, emphasizing their possible application as possible candidates for the development of future natural anti-trypanosome drugs.
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Motility patterns of Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes correlate with the efficiency of parasite invasion in vitro. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15894. [PMID: 32985548 PMCID: PMC7522242 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72604-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous works have demonstrated that trypanosomatid motility is relevant for parasite replication and sensitivity. Nonetheless, although some findings indirectly suggest that motility also plays an important role during infection, this has not been extensively investigated. This work is aimed at partially filling this void for the case of Trypanosoma cruzi. After recording swimming T. cruzi trypomastigotes (CL Brener strain) and recovering their individual trajectories, we statistically analyzed parasite motility patterns. We did this with parasites that swim alone or above monolayer cultures of different cell lines. Our results indicate that T. cruzi trypomastigotes change their motility patterns when they are in the presence of mammalian cells, in a cell-line dependent manner. We further performed infection experiments in which each of the mammalian cell cultures were incubated for 2 h together with trypomastigotes, and measured the corresponding invasion efficiency. Not only this parameter varied from cell line to cell line, but it resulted to be positively correlated with the corresponding intensity of the motility pattern changes. Together, these results suggest that T. cruzi trypomastigotes are capable of sensing the presence of mammalian cells and of changing their motility patterns accordingly, and that this might increase their invasion efficiency.
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Friggeri L, Hargrove TY, Rachakonda G, Blobaum AL, Fisher P, de Oliveira GM, da Silva CF, Soeiro MDNC, Nes WD, Lindsley CW, Villalta F, Guengerich FP, Lepesheva GI. Sterol 14α-Demethylase Structure-Based Optimization of Drug Candidates for Human Infections with the Protozoan Trypanosomatidae. J Med Chem 2018; 61:10910-10921. [PMID: 30451500 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Sterol 14α-demethylases (CYP51) are cytochrome P450 enzymes essential for sterol biosynthesis in eukaryotes and therapeutic targets for antifungal azoles. Multiple attempts to repurpose antifungals for treatment of human infections with protozoa (Trypanosomatidae) have been undertaken, yet so far none of them have revealed sufficient efficacy. VNI and its derivative VFV are two potent experimental inhibitors of Trypanosomatidae CYP51, effective in vivo against Chagas disease, visceral leishmaniasis, and sleeping sickness and currently under consideration as antiprotozoal drug candidates. However, VNI is less potent against Leishmania and drug-resistant strains of Trypanosoma cruzi and VFV, while displaying a broader spectrum of antiprotozoal activity, and is metabolically less stable. In this work we have designed, synthesized, and characterized a set of close analogues and identified two new compounds (7 and 9) that exceed VNI/VFV in their spectra of antiprotozoal activity, microsomal stability, and pharmacokinetics (tissue distribution in particular) and, like VNI/VFV, reveal no acute toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Friggeri
- Department of Biochemistry , Vanderbilt University School of Medicine , Nashville , Tennessee 37232 , United States
| | - Tatiana Y Hargrove
- Department of Biochemistry , Vanderbilt University School of Medicine , Nashville , Tennessee 37232 , United States
| | - Girish Rachakonda
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Physiology , Meharry Medical College , Nashville , Tennessee 37208 , United States
| | - Anna L Blobaum
- Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery , Franklin , Tennessee 37067 , United States
| | - Paxtyn Fisher
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , Texas Tech University , Lubbock , Texas 79409 , United States
| | - Gabriel Melo de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular , Instituto Oswaldo Cruz , Fundação Oswaldo Cruz , Rio de Janeiro , RJ 21040-360 , Brazil
| | - Cristiane França da Silva
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular , Instituto Oswaldo Cruz , Fundação Oswaldo Cruz , Rio de Janeiro , RJ 21040-360 , Brazil
| | - Maria de Nazaré C Soeiro
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular , Instituto Oswaldo Cruz , Fundação Oswaldo Cruz , Rio de Janeiro , RJ 21040-360 , Brazil
| | - W David Nes
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , Texas Tech University , Lubbock , Texas 79409 , United States
| | - Craig W Lindsley
- Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery , Franklin , Tennessee 37067 , United States
| | - Fernando Villalta
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Physiology , Meharry Medical College , Nashville , Tennessee 37208 , United States
| | - F Peter Guengerich
- Department of Biochemistry , Vanderbilt University School of Medicine , Nashville , Tennessee 37232 , United States
| | - Galina I Lepesheva
- Department of Biochemistry , Vanderbilt University School of Medicine , Nashville , Tennessee 37232 , United States.,Center for Structural Biology , Vanderbilt University , Nashville , Tennessee 37232 , United States
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Tsiaoussis GI, Papaioannou EC, Kourea EP, Assimakopoulos SF, Theocharis GI, Petropoulos M, Theopistos VI, Diamantopoulou GG, Lygerou Z, Spiliopoulou I, Thomopoulos KC. Expression of α-Defensins, CD20+ B-lymphocytes, and Intraepithelial CD3+ T-lymphocytes in the Intestinal Mucosa of Patients with Liver Cirrhosis: Emerging Mediators of Intestinal Barrier Function. Dig Dis Sci 2018; 63:2582-2592. [PMID: 29876779 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-018-5146-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
AIM The present study investigates the role of innate and adaptive immune system of intestinal mucosal barrier function in cirrhosis. METHODS Forty patients with decompensated (n = 40, group A), 27 with compensated cirrhosis (n = 27, group B), and 27 controls (n = 27, group C) were subjected to duodenal biopsy. Expression of α-defensins 5 and 6 at the intestinal crypts was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Serum endotoxin, intestinal T-intraepithelial, and lamina propria B-lymphocytes were quantified. RESULTS Cirrhotic patients presented higher endotoxin concentrations (p < 0.0001) and diminished HD5 and HD6 expression compared to healthy controls (p = 0.000287, p = 0.000314, respectively). The diminished HD5 and HD6 expressions were also apparent among the decompensated patients compared to compensated group (p = 0.025, p = 0.041, respectively). HD5 and HD6 expressions were correlated with endotoxin levels (r = -0.790, p < 0.0001, r = - 0.777, p < 0.0001, respectively). Although intraepithelial T-lymphocytes were decreased in group A compared to group C (p = 0.002), no notable alterations between groups B and C were observed. The B-lymphocytic infiltrate did not differ among the investigated groups. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that decreased expression of antimicrobial peptides may be considered as a potential pathophysiological mechanism of intestinal barrier dysfunction in liver cirrhosis, while remodeling of gut-associated lymphoid tissue as an acquired immune response to bio-pathogens remains an open field to illuminate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios I Tsiaoussis
- Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital of Patras, CP 26504, Patras, Greece.
| | - Eleni C Papaioannou
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, CP 26504, Patras, Greece
| | - Eleni P Kourea
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, CP 26504, Patras, Greece
| | | | - Georgios I Theocharis
- Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital of Patras, CP 26504, Patras, Greece
| | - Michalis Petropoulos
- Department of General Biology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, CP 26504, Patras, Greece
| | | | | | - Zoi Lygerou
- Department of General Biology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, CP 26504, Patras, Greece
| | - Iris Spiliopoulou
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Patras, CP 26504, Patras, Greece
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Entamoeba histolytica Alters Ileal Paneth Cell Functions in Intact and Muc2 Mucin Deficiency. Infect Immun 2018; 86:IAI.00208-18. [PMID: 29685982 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00208-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteric α-defensins, termed cryptdins (Crps) in mice, and lysozymes secreted by Paneth cells contribute to innate host defense in the ileum. Antimicrobial factors, including lysozymes and β-defensins, are often embedded in luminal glycosylated colonic Muc2 mucin secreted by goblet cells that form the protective mucus layer critical for gut homeostasis and pathogen invasion. In this study, we investigated ileal innate immunity against Entamoeba histolytica, the causative agent of intestinal amebiasis, by inoculating parasites in closed ileal loops in Muc2+/+ and Muc2-/- littermates and quantifying Paneth cell localization (lysozyme expression) and function (Crp secretion). Relative to Muc2+/+ littermates, Muc2-/- littermates showed a disorganized mislocalization of Paneth cells that was diffusely distributed, with elevated lysozyme secretion in the crypts and on villi in response to E. histolytica Inhibition of E. histolytica Gal/GalNAc lectin (Gal-lectin) binding with exogenous galactose and Entamoeba histolytica cysteine proteinase 5 (EhCP5)-negative E. histolytica had no effect on parasite-induced erratic Paneth cell lysozyme synthesis. Although the basal ileal expression of Crp genes was unaffected in Muc2-/- mice in response to E. histolytica, there was a robust release of proinflammatory cytokines and Crp peptide secretions in luminal exudates that was also present in the colon. Interestingly, E. histolytica-secreted cysteine proteinases cleaved the proregion of Crp4 but not the active form. These findings define Muc2 mucin as an essential component of ileal barrier function that regulates the localization and function of Paneth cells critical for host defense against microbes.
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7
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Mohammed I, Said DG, Dua HS. Human antimicrobial peptides in ocular surface defense. Prog Retin Eye Res 2017; 61:1-22. [DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2017.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2016] [Revised: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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8
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Akle V, Agudelo-Dueñas N, Molina-Rodriguez MA, Kartchner LB, Ruth AM, González JM, Forero-Shelton M. Establishment of Larval Zebrafish as an Animal Model to Investigate Trypanosoma cruzi Motility In Vivo. J Vis Exp 2017. [PMID: 28994774 PMCID: PMC5752350 DOI: 10.3791/56238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease is a parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, whose motility is not only important for localization, but also for cellular binding and invasion. Current animal models for the study of T. cruzi allow limited observation of parasites in vivo, representing a challenge for understanding parasite behavior during the initial stages of infection in humans. This protozoan has a flagellar stage in both vector and mammalian hosts, but there are no studies describing its motility in vivo.The objective of this project was to establish a live vertebrate zebrafish model to evaluate T. cruzi motility in the vascular system. Transparent zebrafish larvae were injected with fluorescently labeled trypomastigotes and observed using light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM), a noninvasive method to visualize live organisms with high optical resolution. The parasites could be visualized for extended periods of time due to this technique's relatively low risk of photodamage compared to confocal or epifluorescence microscopy. T. cruzi parasites were observed traveling in the circulatory system of live zebrafish in different-sized blood vessels and the yolk. They could also be seen attached to the yolk sac wall and to the atrioventricular valve despite the strong forces associated with heart contractions. LSFM of T. cruzi-inoculated zebrafish larvae is a valuable method that can be used to visualize circulating parasites and evaluate their tropism, migration patterns, and motility in the dynamic environment of the cardiovascular system of a live animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Akle
- Laboratory of Neurosciences and Circadian Rhythms, School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes;
| | - Nathalie Agudelo-Dueñas
- Laboratory of Neurosciences and Circadian Rhythms, School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes; Biophysics Group, Department of Physics, Universidad de los Andes
| | | | - Laurel Brianne Kartchner
- Laboratory of Neurosciences and Circadian Rhythms, School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes; Laboratory of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina; USAID Research and Innovation Fellowship program
| | - Annette Marie Ruth
- Laboratory of Neurosciences and Circadian Rhythms, School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes; Laboratory of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes; Notre Dame Initiative for Global Development, University of Notre Dame; USAID Research and Innovation Fellowship program
| | - John M González
- Laboratory of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes
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Matthews QL, Farrow AL, Rachakonda G, Gu L, Nde P, Krendelchtchikov A, Pratap S, Sakhare SS, Sabbaj S, Lima MF, Villalta F. Epitope Capsid-Incorporation: New Effective Approach for Vaccine Development for Chagas Disease. Pathog Immun 2016; 1:214-233. [PMID: 27709126 PMCID: PMC5046838 DOI: 10.20411/pai.v1i2.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Previously we reported that a hexon-modified adenovirus (Ad) vector containing the invasive neutralizing epitope of Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) trypomastigote gp83 (Ad5-gp83) provided immunoprotection against T. cruzi infection. The purpose of this work was to design an improved vaccine for T. cruzi using a novel epitope capsid incorporation strategy. Thus, we evaluated the immunoprotection raised by co-immunization with Ad5-gp83 and an Ad vector containing an epitope (ASP-M) of the T. cruzi amastigote surface protein 2. Methods: Protein IX (pIX)-modified Ad vector (Ad5-pIX-ASP-M) was generated, characterized, and validated. C3H/He mice were immunized with Ad5-pIX-ASP-M and Ad5-gp83 and the cell-mediated responses were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay and intracellular staining. Immunized mice were challenged with T. cruzi to evaluate the vaccine efficacy. Results: Our findings indicate that Ad5-pIX-ASP-M was viable. Specific CD8+ T-cell mediated responses prior to the challenge show an increase in IFNγ and TNFα production. A single immunization with Ad5-pIX-ASP-M provided protection from T. cruzi infection, but co-immunizations with Ad5-pIX-ASP-M and Ad5-gp83 provided a higher immunoprotection and increased survival rate of mice. Conclusions: Overall, these results suggest that the combination of gp83 and ASP-M specific epitopes onto the capsid-incorporated adenoviruses would provide superior protection against Chagas disease as compared with Ad5-gp83 alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiana L Matthews
- Department of Biological Sciences, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL
| | - Anitra L Farrow
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL
| | - Girish Rachakonda
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN
| | - Linlin Gu
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Pius Nde
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN
| | | | - Siddharth Pratap
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN
| | - Shruti S Sakhare
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN
| | - Steffanie Sabbaj
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, AL
| | - Maria F Lima
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN
| | - Fernando Villalta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN
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Clinical Candidate VT-1161's Antiparasitic Effect In Vitro, Activity in a Murine Model of Chagas Disease, and Structural Characterization in Complex with the Target Enzyme CYP51 from Trypanosoma cruzi. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2015; 60:1058-66. [PMID: 26643331 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02287-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A novel antifungal drug candidate, the 1-tetrazole-based agent VT-1161 [(R)-2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-1,1-difluoro-3-(1H-tetrazol-1-yl)-1-{5-[4-(2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy)phenyl]pyridin-2-yl}propan-2-ol], which is currently in two phase 2b antifungal clinical trials, was found to be a tight-binding ligand (apparent dissociation constant [Kd], 24 nM) and a potent inhibitor of cytochrome P450 sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51) from the protozoan pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi. Moreover, VT-1161 revealed a high level of antiparasitic activity against amastigotes of the Tulahuen strain of T. cruzi in cellular experiments (50% effective concentration, 2.5 nM) and was active in vivo, causing >99.8% suppression of peak parasitemia in a mouse model of infection with the naturally drug-resistant Y strain of the parasite. The data strongly support the potential utility of VT-1161 in the treatment of Chagas disease. The structural characterization of T. cruzi CYP51 in complex with VT-1161 provides insights into the molecular basis for the compound's inhibitory potency and paves the way for the further rational development of this novel, tetrazole-based inhibitory chemotype both for antiprotozoan chemotherapy and for antifungal chemotherapy.
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11
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Sosa-Hernández E, Ballesteros-Rodea G, Arias-del-Angel JA, Dévora-Canales D, Manning-Cela RG, Santana-Solano J, Santillán M. Experimental and Mathematical-Modeling Characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi Epimastigote Motility. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0142478. [PMID: 26544863 PMCID: PMC4636178 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The present work is aimed at characterizing the motility of parasite T. cruzi in its epimastigote form. To that end, we recorded the trajectories of two strains of this parasite (a wild-type strain and a stable transfected strain, which contains an ectopic copy of LYT1 gene and whose motility is known to be affected). We further extracted parasite trajectories from the recorded videos, and statistically analysed the following trajectory-step features: step length, angular change of direction, longitudinal and transverse displacements with respect to the previous step, and mean square displacement. Based on the resulting observations, we developed a mathematical model to simulate parasite trajectories. The fact that the model predictions closely match most of the experimentally observed parasite-trajectory characteristics, allows us to conclude that the model is an accurate description of T. cruzi motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Sosa-Hernández
- Unidad Monterrey, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Apodaca NL, México
| | | | | | - Diego Dévora-Canales
- Unidad Monterrey, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Apodaca NL, México
| | - Rebeca G. Manning-Cela
- Depto. de Biomedicina Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, México DF, México
| | - Jesús Santana-Solano
- Unidad Monterrey, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Apodaca NL, México
| | - Moisés Santillán
- Unidad Monterrey, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Apodaca NL, México
- * E-mail:
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12
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Krüger T, Engstler M. Flagellar motility in eukaryotic human parasites. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2015; 46:113-27. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2015.10.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Revised: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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13
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Finkelsztein EJ, Diaz-Soto JC, Vargas-Zambrano JC, Suesca E, Guzmán F, López MC, Thomas MC, Forero-Shelton M, Cuellar A, Puerta CJ, González JM. Altering the motility of Trypanosoma cruzi with rabbit polyclonal anti-peptide antibodies reduces infection to susceptible mammalian cells. Exp Parasitol 2015; 150:36-43. [PMID: 25633439 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2015.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2014] [Revised: 11/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/11/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi's trypomastigotes are highly active and their incessant motility seems to be important for mammalian host cell infection. The kinetoplastid membrane protein-11 (KMP-11) is a protein expressed in all parasite stages, which induces a cellular and humoral immune response in the infected host, and is hypothesized to participate in the parasite's motility. An N-terminal peptide from KMP-11, termed K1 or TcTLE, induced polyclonal antibodies that inhibit parasitic invasion of Vero cells. The goal of this study was to evaluate the motility and infectivity of T. cruzi when exposed to polyclonal anti-TcTLE antibodies. Rabbits were immunized with TcTLE peptide along with FIS peptide as an immunomodulator. ELISA assay results showed that post-immunization sera contained high titers of polyclonal anti-TcTLE antibodies, which were also reactive against the native KMP-11 protein and live parasites as detected by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry assays. Trypomastigotes of T. cruzi were incubated with pre- or post-immunization sera, and infectivity to human astrocytes was assessed by Giemsa staining/light microscope and flow cytometry using carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) labeled parasites. T. cruzi infection in astrocytes decreased approximately by 30% upon incubation with post-immunization sera compared with pre-immunization sera. Furthermore, trypomastigotes were recorded by video microscopy and the parasite's flagellar speed was calculated by tracking the flagella. Trypomastigotes exposed to post-immunization sera had qualitative alterations in motility and significantly slower flagella (45.5 µm/s), compared with those exposed to pre-immunization sera (69.2 µm/s). In summary, polyclonal anti-TcTLE serum significantly reduced the parasite's flagellar speed and cell infectivity. These findings support that KMP-11 could be important for parasite motility, and that by targeting its N-terminal peptide infectivity can be reduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli J Finkelsztein
- Grupo de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
| | - Juan C Diaz-Soto
- Grupo de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
| | - Juan C Vargas-Zambrano
- Grupo de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
| | - Elizabeth Suesca
- Grupo de Biofísica, Departamento de Física, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
| | - Fanny Guzmán
- Núcleo de Biotecnología Curauma, Pontificia Universidad Católica Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Manuel C López
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPBLN-CSIC) P.T. de Ciencias de la Salud, Granada, Spain
| | - M Carmen Thomas
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López Neyra, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPBLN-CSIC) P.T. de Ciencias de la Salud, Granada, Spain
| | - Manu Forero-Shelton
- Grupo de Biofísica, Departamento de Física, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
| | - Adriana Cuellar
- Grupo de Inmunobiología y Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
| | - Concepción J Puerta
- Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular, Departamento de microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
| | - John M González
- Grupo de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, DC, Colombia.
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14
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Basso B, Marini V. Experimental Chagas disease in Balb/c mice previously vaccinated with T. rangeli. II. The innate immune response shows immunological memory: reality or fiction? Immunobiology 2014; 220:428-36. [PMID: 25454810 DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2014.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2014] [Revised: 10/01/2014] [Accepted: 10/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi is a real challenge to the host's immune system, because it requires strong humoral and cellular immune response to remove circulating trypomastigote forms, and to prevent the replication of amastigote forms in tissues, involving many regulator and effector components. This protozoan is responsible for Chagas disease, a major public health problem in Latinamerica. We have developed a model of vaccination with Trypanosoma rangeli, a parasite closely related to T. cruzi, but nonpathogenic to humans, which reduces the infectiousness in three different species of animals, mice, dogs and guinea pigs, against challenge with T. cruzi. In a previous work, we demonstrated that mice vaccinated with T. rangeli showed important soluble mediators that stimulate phagocytic activity versus only infected groups. The aim of this work was to study the innate immune response in mice vaccinated or not with T. rangeli. Different population cells and some soluble mediators (cytokines) in peritoneal fluid and plasma in mice vaccinated-infected and only infected with T. cruzi were studied. In the first hours of challenge vaccinated mice showed an increase of macrophages, NK, granulocytes, and regulation of IL6, IFNγ, TNFα and IL10, with an increase of IL12, with respect to only infected mice. Furthermore an increase was observed of Li T, Li B responsible for adaptative response. Finally the findings showed that the innate immune response plays an important role in vaccinated mice for the early elimination of the parasites, complementary with the adaptative immune response, suggesting that vaccination with T. rangeli modulates the innate response, which develops some kind of immunological memory, recognizing shared antigens with T. cruzi. These results could contribute to the knowledge of new mechanisms which would have an important role in the immune response to Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Basso
- Department of Paediatrics, Neonatology Service, Medicine School, National Cordoba University, Argentina; National Co-ordination of Vector Control, Argentina.
| | - V Marini
- Department of Immunology Medicine School, Catholic University of Cordoba, Argentina
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15
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Farrow AL, Rachakonda G, Gu L, Krendelchtchikova V, Nde PN, Pratap S, Lima MF, Villalta F, Matthews QL. Immunization with Hexon modified adenoviral vectors integrated with gp83 epitope provides protection against Trypanosoma cruzi infection. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e3089. [PMID: 25144771 PMCID: PMC4140675 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease. Chagas disease is an endemic infection that affects over 8 million people throughout Latin America and now has become a global challenge. The current pharmacological treatment of patients is unsuccessful in most cases, highly toxic, and no vaccines are available. The results of inadequate treatment could lead to heart failure resulting in death. Therefore, a vaccine that elicits neutralizing antibodies mediated by cell-mediated immune responses and protection against Chagas disease is necessary. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The "antigen capsid-incorporation" strategy is based upon the display of the T. cruzi epitope as an integral component of the adenovirus' capsid rather than an encoded transgene. This strategy is predicted to induce a robust humoral immune response to the presented antigen, similar to the response provoked by native Ad capsid proteins. The antigen chosen was T. cruzi gp83, a ligand that is used by T. cruzi to attach to host cells to initiate infection. The gp83 epitope, recognized by the neutralizing MAb 4A4, along with His6 were incorporated into the Ad serotype 5 (Ad5) vector to generate the vector Ad5-HVR1-gp83-18 (Ad5-gp83). This vector was evaluated by molecular and immunological analyses. Vectors were injected to elicit immune responses against gp83 in mouse models. Our findings indicate that mice immunized with the vector Ad5-gp83 and challenged with a lethal dose of T. cruzi trypomastigotes confer strong immunoprotection with significant reduction in parasitemia levels, increased survival rate and induction of neutralizing antibodies. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE This data demonstrates that immunization with adenovirus containing capsid-incorporated T. cruzi antigen elicits a significant anti-gp83-specific response in two different mouse models, and protection against T. cruzi infection by eliciting neutralizing antibodies mediated by cell-mediated immune responses, as evidenced by the production of several Ig isotypes. Taken together, these novel results show that the recombinant Ad5 presenting T. cruzi gp83 antigen is a useful candidate for the development of a vaccine against Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anitra L. Farrow
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Girish Rachakonda
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Linlin Gu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Valentina Krendelchtchikova
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Pius N. Nde
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Siddharth Pratap
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Maria F. Lima
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Fernando Villalta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Qiana L. Matthews
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
- Center for AIDS Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
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16
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Friggeri L, Hargrove TY, Rachakonda G, Williams AD, Wawrzak Z, Di Santo R, De Vita D, Waterman MR, Tortorella S, Villalta F, Lepesheva GI. Structural basis for rational design of inhibitors targeting Trypanosoma cruzi sterol 14α-demethylase: two regions of the enzyme molecule potentiate its inhibition. J Med Chem 2014; 57:6704-17. [PMID: 25033013 PMCID: PMC4136671 DOI: 10.1021/jm500739f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
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Chagas
disease, which was once thought to be confined to endemic
regions of Latin America, has now gone global, becoming a new worldwide
challenge with no cure available. The disease is caused by the protozoan
parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which depends on the
production of endogenous sterols, and therefore can be blocked by
sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51) inhibitors. Here we explore the
spectral binding parameters, inhibitory effects on T. cruzi CYP51 activity, and antiparasitic potencies of a new set of β-phenyl
imidazoles. Comparative structural characterization of the T. cruzi CYP51 complexes with the three most potent inhibitors
reveals two opposite binding modes of the compounds ((R)-6, EC50 = 1.2 nM, vs (S)-2/(S)-3, EC50 = 1.0/5.5 nM) and suggests the entrance into the CYP51 substrate
access channel and the heme propionate-supporting ceiling of the binding
cavity as two distinct areas of the protein that enhance molecular
recognition and therefore could be used for the development of more
effective antiparasitic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Friggeri
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University , Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
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17
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Meade KG, Cormican P, Narciandi F, Lloyd A, O'Farrelly C. Bovine β-defensin gene family: opportunities to improve animal health? Physiol Genomics 2014; 46:17-28. [DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00085.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent analysis of the bovine genome revealed an expanded suite of β-defensin genes that encode what are referred to as antimicrobial or host defense peptides (HDPs). Whereas primate genomes also encode α- and θ-defensins, the bovine genome contains only the β-defensin subfamily of HDPs. β-Defensins perform diverse functions that are critical to protection against pathogens but also in regulation of the immune response and reproduction. As the most comprehensively studied subclass of HDPs, β-defensins possess the widest taxonomic distribution, found in invertebrates as well as plants, indicating an ancient point of origin. Cross-species comparison of the genomic arrangement of β-defensin gene repertoire revealed them to vary in number among species presumably due to differences in pathogenic selective pressures but also genetic drift. β-Defensin genes exist in a single cluster in birds, but four gene clusters exist in dog, rat, mouse, and cow. In humans and chimpanzees, one of these clusters is split in two as a result of a primate-specific pericentric inversion producing five gene clusters. A cluster of β-defensin genes on bovine chromosome 13 has been recently characterized, and full genome sequencing has identified extensive gene copy number variation on chromosome 27. As a result, cattle have the most diverse repertoire of β-defensin genes so far identified, where four clusters contain at least 57 genes. This expansion of β-defensin HDPs may hold significant potential for combating infectious diseases and provides opportunities to harness their immunological and reproductive functions in commercial cattle populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. G. Meade
- Animal & Bioscience Research Department, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Grange, Co. Meath, Ireland
| | - P. Cormican
- Animal & Bioscience Research Department, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Grange, Co. Meath, Ireland
| | - F. Narciandi
- Comparative Immunology Group, School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland; and
| | - A. Lloyd
- Department of Science & Health, Carlow Institute of Technology, Co. Carlow, Ireland
| | - C. O'Farrelly
- Comparative Immunology Group, School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland; and
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