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Ashrafmansouri M, Amiri-Dashatan N, Ahmadi N. Identification of protein profile in metacyclic and amastigote-like stages of Leishmania tropica: a proteomic approach. AMB Express 2022; 12:142. [DOI: 10.1186/s13568-022-01481-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractLeishmaniasis is a tropical disease that leads to various clinical phenotypes. This study aimed to investigate protein expression changes in metacyclic and amastigote-like stages of L. tropica isolated from Iranian cutaneous leishmaniasis patients. Isolated samples were cultured and species type identified using PCR–RFLP technique. The promastigotes were grown in RPMI1640 media and differentiated to metacyclic and amastigote-like forms, followed by the extracted proteins of both successive stages carried out for proteomics and bioinformatics analysis. Using SWATH-MS quantitative proteomics technique, a total 176 and 155 distinct proteins were identified in metacyclic and axenic amastigote stages, respectively. Of these, 65 proteins were altered significantly (p-value < 0.05 and fold change ≥ 2) between studied stages. Several gene ontology (GO) categories were enriched for biological process during conversion of metacyclic promastigotes into amastigote-like, which “metabolic process” (GO: 0044281, P-Value: 6.52e-5), and “translation” (GO: 0006412, p-value: 5.01e–14) were disclosed as the top category in up and down-regulated proteins, respectively. Also, the KEGG pathway analysis indicated “metabolic pathways” and “ribosome” term as the most important pathways in up and down-regulated proteins, respectively. According to protein interaction network analysis, enolase (ENOL) has been detected as main hub proteins during differentiation, followed by Putative NADH-dependent fumarate reductase (LmjF.35.1180) and 40S ribosomal protein S2 (LmjF.32.0450). Overall, protein changes possibly play important roles in L. tropica biology. Anabolic pathways were down-regulated, whereas catabolic pathways were up-regulated during L. tropica differentiation. These protein expression changes could provide parasite survival in host macrophages, and could use as novel potential drug and vaccine targets for leishmaniasis.
Graphical Abstract
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Almeida FS, Sousa GLS, Rocha JC, Ribeiro FF, de Oliveira MR, de Lima Grisi TCS, Araújo DAM, de C Nobre MS, Castro RN, Amaral IPG, Keesen TSL, de Moura RO. In vitro anti-Leishmania activity and molecular docking of spiro-acridine compounds as potential multitarget agents against Leishmania infantum. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2021; 49:128289. [PMID: 34311084 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2021.128289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease with several limitations regarding treatment schemes. This work reports the anti-Leishmania activity of spiroacridine compounds against the promastigote (IC50 = 1.1 to 6.0 µg / mL) and amastigote forms of the best compounds (EC50 = 4.9 and 0.9 µg / mL) inLeishmania (L.) infantumand proposes an in-silico study with possible selective therapeutic targets for L. infantum. The substituted dimethyl-amine compound (AMTAC 11) showed the best leishmanicidal activity in vitro, and was found to interact with TryRandLdTopoI. comparisons with standard inhibitors were performed, and its main interactions were elucidated. Based on the biological assessment and the structure-activity relationship study, the spiroacridine compounds appear to be promisinganti-leishmaniachemotherapeutic agents to be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda S Almeida
- Programa de Doutorado em Biotecnologia, Rede Nordeste de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB 58051-900, Brazil; Laboratório de Imunologia das Doenças Infeciosas, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Gleyton L S Sousa
- Programa de Doutorado em Química, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ 23897-000, Brazil
| | - Juliana C Rocha
- Laboratório de Imunologia das Doenças Infeciosas, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Frederico F Ribeiro
- Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB 58059-900, Brazil
| | - Márcia Rosa de Oliveira
- Departamento de Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Joao Pessoa, Paraíba CEP 58059-900, Brazil
| | | | - Demetrius A M Araújo
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB 58059-900, Brazil
| | - Michelangela S de C Nobre
- Programa de Doutorado em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE 50670-901, Brazil
| | - Rosane N Castro
- Programa de Doutorado em Química, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ 23897-000, Brazil
| | - Ian P G Amaral
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB 58059-900, Brazil
| | - Tatjana S L Keesen
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB 58059-900, Brazil; Laboratório de Imunologia das Doenças Infeciosas, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Olímpio de Moura
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB 58429-500, Brazil.
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dos Santos Vasconcelos CR, Rezende AM. Systematic in silico Evaluation of Leishmania spp. Proteomes for Drug Discovery. Front Chem 2021; 9:607139. [PMID: 33987166 PMCID: PMC8111926 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.607139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a group of neglected infectious diseases, with approximately 1. 3 million new cases each year, for which the available therapies have serious limitations. Therefore, it is extremely important to apply efficient and low-cost methods capable of selecting the best therapeutic targets to speed up the development of new therapies against those diseases. Thus, we propose the use of integrated computational methods capable of evaluating the druggability of the predicted proteomes of Leishmania braziliensis and Leishmania infantum, species responsible for the different clinical manifestations of leishmaniasis in Brazil. The protein members of those proteomes were assessed based on their structural, chemical, and functional contexts applying methods that integrate data on molecular function, biological processes, subcellular localization, drug binding sites, druggability, and gene expression. These data were compared to those extracted from already known drug targets (BindingDB targets), which made it possible to evaluate Leishmania proteomes for their biological relevance and treatability. Through this methodology, we identified more than 100 proteins of each Leishmania species with druggability characteristics, and potential interaction with available drugs. Among those, 31 and 37 proteins of L. braziliensis and L. infantum, respectively, have never been tested as drug targets, and they have shown evidence of gene expression in the evolutionary stage of pharmacological interest. Also, some of those Leishmania targets showed an alignment similarity of <50% when compared to the human proteome, making these proteins pharmacologically attractive, as they present a reduced risk of side effects. The methodology used in this study also allowed the evaluation of opportunities for the repurposing of compounds as anti-leishmaniasis drugs, inferring potential interaction between Leishmania proteins and ~1,000 compounds, of which only 15 have already been tested as a treatment for leishmaniasis. Besides, a list of potential Leishmania targets to be tested using drugs described at BindingDB, such as the potential interaction of the DEAD box RNA helicase, TRYR, and PEPCK proteins with the Staurosporine compound, was made available to the public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crhisllane Rafaele dos Santos Vasconcelos
- Bioinformatics Plataform, Microbiology Department, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães, Recife, Brazil
- Posgraduate Program in Genetics, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Antonio Mauro Rezende
- Bioinformatics Plataform, Microbiology Department, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães, Recife, Brazil
- Posgraduate Program in Genetics, Genetics Department, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
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de Aquino TM, França PHB, Rodrigues ÉEES, Nascimento IJS, Santos-Júnior PFS, Aquino PGV, Santos MS, Queiroz AC, Araújo MV, Alexandre-Moreira MS, Rodrigues RRL, Rodrigues KAF, Freitas JD, Bricard J, Meneghetti MR, Bourguignon JJ, Schmitt M, da Silva-Júnior EF, de Araújo-Júnior JX. Synthesis, Antileishmanial Activity and in silico Studies of Aminoguanidine Hydrazones (AGH) and Thiosemicarbazones (TSC) Against Leishmania chagasi Amastigotes. Med Chem 2021; 18:151-169. [PMID: 33593264 DOI: 10.2174/1573406417666210216154428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leishmaniasis is a worldwide health problem, highly endemic in developing countries. Among the four main clinical forms of the disease, visceral leishmaniasis is the most severe, fatal in 95% of cases. The undesired side-effects from first-line chemotherapy and the reported drug resistance search for effective drugs that can replace or supplement those currently used an urgent need. Aminoguanidine hydrazones (AGH's) have been explored for exhibiting a diverse spectrum of biological activities, in particular the antileishmanial activity of MGBG. The bioisosteres thiosemicarbazones (TSC's) offer a similar biological activity diversity, including antiprotozoal effects against Leishmania species and Trypanosoma cruzi. OBJECTIVE Considering the impact of leishmaniasis worldwide, this work aimed to design, synthesize, and perform a screening upon L. chagasi amastigotes and for the cytotoxicity of the small "in-house" library of both AGH and TSC derivatives and their structurally-related compounds. METHOD A set of AGH's (3-7), TSC's (9, 10), and semicarbazones (11) were initially synthesized. Subsequently, different semi-constrained analogs were designed and also prepared, including thiazolidines (12), dihydrothiazines (13), imidazolines (15), pyrimidines (16, 18) azines (19, 20), and benzotriazepinones (23-25). All intermediates and target compounds were obtained with satisfactory yields and exhibited spectral data consistent with their structures. All final compounds were evaluated against L. chagasi amastigotes and J774.A1 cell line. Molecular docking was performed towards trypanothione reductase using GOLD® software. RESULT The AGH's 3i, 4a, and 5d, and the TSC's 9i, 9k, and 9o were selected as valuable hits. These compounds presented antileishmanial activity compared with pentamidine, showing IC50 values ranged from 0.6 to 7.27 μM, maximal effects up to 55.3%, and satisfactory SI values (ranged from 11 to 87). On the other hand, most of the resulting semi-constrained analogs were found cytotoxic or presented reduced antileishmanial activity. In general, TSC class is more promising than its isosteric AGH analogs, and the beneficial aromatic substituent effects are not similar in both series. In silico studies have suggested that these hits are capable of inhibiting the trypanothione reductase from the amastigote forms. CONCLUSION The promising antileishmanial activity of three AGH's and three TSC's was characterized. These compounds presented antileishmanial activity compared with PTD, showing IC50 values ranged from 0.6 to 7.27 μM, and satisfactory SI values. Further pharmacological assays involving other Leishmania strains are under progress, which will help to choose the best hits for in vivo experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago M de Aquino
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, 57072-900, Maceió-AL. Brazil
| | - Paulo H B França
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, 57072-900, Maceió-AL. Brazil
| | - Érica E E S Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, 57072-900, Maceió-AL. Brazil
| | - Igor J S Nascimento
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, 57072-900, Maceió-AL. Brazil
| | - Paulo F S Santos-Júnior
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, 57072-900, Maceió-AL. Brazil
| | - Pedro G V Aquino
- Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Garanhuns-PE, 55292-270. Brazil
| | - Mariana S Santos
- Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Garanhuns-PE, 55292-270. Brazil
| | - Aline C Queiroz
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Immunology, Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, 57072-900, Maceió-AL. Brazil
| | - Morgana V Araújo
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Immunology, Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, 57072-900, Maceió-AL. Brazil
| | - Magna S Alexandre-Moreira
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Immunology, Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, 57072-900, Maceió-AL. Brazil
| | - Raiza R L Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Federal University of Parnaíba Delta, 64202-020, Parnaíba-PI. Brazil
| | - Klinger A F Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Federal University of Parnaíba Delta, 64202-020, Parnaíba-PI. Brazil
| | - Johnnatan D Freitas
- Instrumental Analysis Laboratory, Federal Institute of Alagoas, Campus Maceió, Ferroviário Avenue, 57020-600, Maceió-AL. Brazil
| | - Jacques Bricard
- Laboratoire d'Innovation thérapeutique, UMR 7200, Labex Medalis, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74 route du Rhin, BP 60024, 67401 Illkirch. France
| | - Mario R Meneghetti
- Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Federal University of Alagoas, 57072-90 0, Maceió-AL. Brazil
| | - Jean-Jacques Bourguignon
- Laboratoire d'Innovation thérapeutique, UMR 7200, Labex Medalis, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74 route du Rhin, BP 60024, 67401 Illkirch. France
| | - Martine Schmitt
- Laboratoire d'Innovation thérapeutique, UMR 7200, Labex Medalis, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 74 route du Rhin, BP 60024, 67401 Illkirch. France
| | - Edeildo F da Silva-Júnior
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, 57072-900, Maceió-AL. Brazil
| | - João X de Araújo-Júnior
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, 57072-900, Maceió-AL. Brazil
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Bora N, Jha AN. In silico Metabolic Pathway Analysis Identifying Target Against Leishmaniasis - A Kinetic Modeling Approach. Front Genet 2020; 11:179. [PMID: 32211028 PMCID: PMC7068213 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The protozoan Leishmania donovani, from trypanosomatids family is a deadly human pathogen responsible for causing Visceral Leishmaniasis. Unavailability of proper treatment in the developing countries has served as a major threat to the people. The absence of vaccines has made treatment possibilities to rely solely over chemotherapy. Also, reduced drug efficacy due to emerging resistant strains magnifies the threat. Despite years of formulations for an effective drug therapy, complexity of the disease is also unfortunately increasing. Absence of potential drug targets has worsened the scenario. Therefore exploring new therapeutic approach is a priority for the scientific community to combat the disease. One of the most reliable ways to alter the adversities of the infection is finding new biological targets for designing potential drugs. An era of computational biology allows identifying targets, assisting experimental studies. It includes sorting the parasite’s metabolic pathways that pins out proteins essential for its survival. We have directed our study towards a computational methodology for determining targets against L. donovani from the “purine salvage” pathway. This is a mainstay pathway towards the maintenance of purine amounts in the parasitic pool of nutrients proving to be mandatory for its survival. This study represents an integration of metabolic pathway and Protein-Protein Interactions analysis. It consists of incorporating the available experimental data to the theoretical methods with a prospective to develop a kinetic model of Purine salvage pathway. Simulation data revealed the time course mechanism of the enzymes involved in the synthesis of the metabolites. Modeling of the metabolic pathway helped in marking of crucial enzymes. Additionally, the PPI analysis of the pathway assisted in building a static interaction network for the proteins. Topological analysis of the PPI network through centrality measures (MCC and Closeness) detected targets found common with Dynamic Modeling. Therefore our analysis reveals the enzymes ADSL (Adenylosuccinate lyase) and IMPDH (Inosine-5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase) to be important having a central role in the modeled network based on PPI and kinetic modeling techniques. Further the available three dimensional structure of the enzyme “ADSL” aided towards the search for potential inhibitors against the protein. Hence, the study presented the significance of integrating methods to identify key proteins which might be putative targets against the treatment of Visceral Leishmaniasis and their potential inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita Bora
- Computational Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur, India
| | - Anupam Nath Jha
- Computational Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur, India
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