1
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Xie SC, Wang Y, Morton CJ, Metcalfe RD, Dogovski C, Pasaje CFA, Dunn E, Luth MR, Kumpornsin K, Istvan ES, Park JS, Fairhurst KJ, Ketprasit N, Yeo T, Yildirim O, Bhebhe MN, Klug DM, Rutledge PJ, Godoy LC, Dey S, De Souza ML, Siqueira-Neto JL, Du Y, Puhalovich T, Amini M, Shami G, Loesbanluechai D, Nie S, Williamson N, Jana GP, Maity BC, Thomson P, Foley T, Tan DS, Niles JC, Han BW, Goldberg DE, Burrows J, Fidock DA, Lee MCS, Winzeler EA, Griffin MDW, Todd MH, Tilley L. Reaction hijacking inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum asparagine tRNA synthetase. Nat Commun 2024; 15:937. [PMID: 38297033 PMCID: PMC10831071 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45224-z] [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: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Malaria poses an enormous threat to human health. With ever increasing resistance to currently deployed drugs, breakthrough compounds with novel mechanisms of action are urgently needed. Here, we explore pyrimidine-based sulfonamides as a new low molecular weight inhibitor class with drug-like physical parameters and a synthetically accessible scaffold. We show that the exemplar, OSM-S-106, has potent activity against parasite cultures, low mammalian cell toxicity and low propensity for resistance development. In vitro evolution of resistance using a slow ramp-up approach pointed to the Plasmodium falciparum cytoplasmic asparaginyl-tRNA synthetase (PfAsnRS) as the target, consistent with our finding that OSM-S-106 inhibits protein translation and activates the amino acid starvation response. Targeted mass spectrometry confirms that OSM-S-106 is a pro-inhibitor and that inhibition of PfAsnRS occurs via enzyme-mediated production of an Asn-OSM-S-106 adduct. Human AsnRS is much less susceptible to this reaction hijacking mechanism. X-ray crystallographic studies of human AsnRS in complex with inhibitor adducts and docking of pro-inhibitors into a model of Asn-tRNA-bound PfAsnRS provide insights into the structure-activity relationship and the selectivity mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley C Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Yinuo Wang
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Craig J Morton
- Biomedical Manufacturing Program, CSIRO, Clayton South, VIC, Australia
| | - Riley D Metcalfe
- Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Con Dogovski
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Charisse Flerida A Pasaje
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Elyse Dunn
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Madeline R Luth
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Krittikorn Kumpornsin
- Parasites and Microbes Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
- Calibr, Division of the Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Eva S Istvan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Joon Sung Park
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Kate J Fairhurst
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Nutpakal Ketprasit
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Okan Yildirim
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | | | - Dana M Klug
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Peter J Rutledge
- School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Luiz C Godoy
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Sumanta Dey
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Mariana Laureano De Souza
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Jair L Siqueira-Neto
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Yawei Du
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Tanya Puhalovich
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Mona Amini
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Gerry Shami
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | | | - Shuai Nie
- Melbourne Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Nicholas Williamson
- Melbourne Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Gouranga P Jana
- TCG Lifesciences Private Limited, Salt-Lake Electronics Complex, Kolkata, India
| | - Bikash C Maity
- TCG Lifesciences Private Limited, Salt-Lake Electronics Complex, Kolkata, India
| | - Patrick Thomson
- School of Chemistry, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JJ, UK
| | - Thomas Foley
- School of Chemistry, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JJ, UK
| | - Derek S Tan
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Jacquin C Niles
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Byung Woo Han
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Natural Products Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jeremy Burrows
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, 20, Route de Pré-Bois, 1215, Geneva 15, Switzerland
| | - David A Fidock
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- 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
| | - Marcus C S Lee
- Parasites and Microbes Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 4HN, UK
| | - Elizabeth A Winzeler
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
| | - Michael D W Griffin
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - Matthew H Todd
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, WC1N 1AX, UK.
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University College London, London, WC1N 1AX, UK.
| | - Leann Tilley
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
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Morales-Luna L, Vázquez-Bautista M, Martínez-Rosas V, Rojas-Alarcón MA, Ortega-Cuellar D, González-Valdez A, Pérez de la Cruz V, Arreguin-Espinosa R, Rodríguez-Bustamante E, Rodríguez-Flores E, Hernández-Ochoa B, Gómez-Manzo S. Fused Enzyme Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase::6-Phosphogluconolactonase (G6PD::6PGL) as a Potential Drug Target in Giardia lamblia, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Plasmodium falciparum. Microorganisms 2024; 12:112. [PMID: 38257939 PMCID: PMC10819308 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010112] [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: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Several microaerophilic parasites such as Giardia lamblia, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Plasmodium falciparum are major disease-causing organisms and are responsible for spreading infections worldwide. Despite significant progress made in understanding the metabolism and molecular biology of microaerophilic parasites, chemotherapeutic treatment to control it has seen limited progress. A current proposed strategy for drug discovery against parasitic diseases is the identification of essential key enzymes of metabolic pathways associated with the parasite's survival. In these organisms, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase::6-phosphogluconolactonase (G6PD:: 6PGL), the first enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), is essential for its metabolism. Since G6PD:: 6PGL provides substrates for nucleotides synthesis and NADPH as a source of reducing equivalents, it could be considered an anti-parasite drug target. This review analyzes the anaerobic energy metabolism of G. lamblia, T. vaginalis, and P. falciparum, with a focus on glucose metabolism through the pentose phosphate pathway and the significance of the fused G6PD:: 6PGL enzyme as a therapeutic target in the search for new drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Morales-Luna
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica Genética, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City 04530, Mexico; (L.M.-L.); (M.V.-B.); (V.M.-R.); (M.A.R.-A.)
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Montserrat Vázquez-Bautista
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica Genética, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City 04530, Mexico; (L.M.-L.); (M.V.-B.); (V.M.-R.); (M.A.R.-A.)
- Programa de Posgrado en Biomedicina y Biotecnología Molecular, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico
| | - Víctor Martínez-Rosas
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica Genética, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City 04530, Mexico; (L.M.-L.); (M.V.-B.); (V.M.-R.); (M.A.R.-A.)
- Programa de Posgrado en Biomedicina y Biotecnología Molecular, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico
| | - Miriam Abigail Rojas-Alarcón
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica Genética, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City 04530, Mexico; (L.M.-L.); (M.V.-B.); (V.M.-R.); (M.A.R.-A.)
- Programa de Posgrado en Biomedicina y Biotecnología Molecular, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico
| | - Daniel Ortega-Cuellar
- Laboratorio de Nutrición Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City 04530, Mexico;
| | - Abigail González-Valdez
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico;
| | - Verónica Pérez de la Cruz
- Neurobiochemistry and Behavior Laboratory, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico;
| | - Roberto Arreguin-Espinosa
- Departamento de Química de Biomacromoléculas, Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico; (R.A.-E.); (E.R.-B.); (E.R.-F.)
| | - Eduardo Rodríguez-Bustamante
- Departamento de Química de Biomacromoléculas, Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico; (R.A.-E.); (E.R.-B.); (E.R.-F.)
- Departamento de Bioingeniería, Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
| | - Eden Rodríguez-Flores
- Departamento de Química de Biomacromoléculas, Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico; (R.A.-E.); (E.R.-B.); (E.R.-F.)
| | - Beatriz Hernández-Ochoa
- Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
| | - Saúl Gómez-Manzo
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica Genética, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City 04530, Mexico; (L.M.-L.); (M.V.-B.); (V.M.-R.); (M.A.R.-A.)
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3
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Xie SC, Wang Y, Morton CJ, Metcalfe RD, Dogovski C, Pasaje CFA, Dunn E, Luth MR, Kumpornsin K, Istvan ES, Park JS, Fairhurst KJ, Ketprasit N, Yeo T, Yildirim O, Bhebhe MN, Klug DM, Rutledge PJ, Godoy LC, Dey S, De Souza ML, Siqueira-Neto JL, Du Y, Puhalovich T, Amini M, Shami G, Loesbanluechai D, Nie S, Williamson N, Jana GP, Maity BC, Thomson P, Foley T, Tan DS, Niles JC, Han BW, Goldberg DE, Burrows J, Fidock DA, Lee MC, Winzeler EA, Griffin MDW, Todd MH, Tilley L. Reaction hijacking inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum asparagine tRNA synthetase. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3198291. [PMID: 37546892 PMCID: PMC10402266 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3198291/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Malaria poses an enormous threat to human health. With ever increasing resistance to currently deployed drugs, breakthrough compounds with novel mechanisms of action are urgently needed. Here, we explore pyrimidine-based sulfonamides as a new low molecular weight inhibitor class with drug-like physical parameters and a synthetically accessible scaffold. We show that the exemplar, OSM-S-106, has potent activity against parasite cultures, low mammalian cell toxicity and low propensity for resistance development. In vitro evolution of resistance using a slow ramp-up approach pointed to the Plasmodium falciparum cytoplasmic asparaginyl tRNA synthetase (PfAsnRS) as the target, consistent with our finding that OSM-S-106 inhibits protein translation and activates the amino acid starvation response. Targeted mass spectrometry confirms that OSM-S-106 is a pro-inhibitor and that inhibition of PfAsnRS occurs via enzyme-mediated production of an Asn-OSM-S-106 adduct. Human AsnRS is much less susceptible to this reaction hijacking mechanism. X-ray crystallographic studies of human AsnRS in complex with inhibitor adducts and docking of pro-inhibitors into a model of Asn-tRNA-bound PfAsnRS provide insights into the structure activity relationship and the selectivity mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley C. Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Yinuo Wang
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom
| | - Craig J. Morton
- Biomedical Manufacturing Program, CSIRO, Clayton South, Australia
| | - Riley D. Metcalfe
- Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Con Dogovski
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | | | - Elyse Dunn
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Madeline R Luth
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Krittikorn Kumpornsin
- Parasites and Microbes Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
- Calibr, Division of the Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Eva S Istvan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
| | - Joon Sung Park
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Natural Products Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Kate J. Fairhurst
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Nutpakal Ketprasit
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Okan Yildirim
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | - Dana M. Klug
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom
| | - Peter J. Rutledge
- School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Luiz C. Godoy
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sumanta Dey
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Mariana Laureano De Souza
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Jair L. Siqueira-Neto
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Yawei Du
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Tanya Puhalovich
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Mona Amini
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Gerry Shami
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | | | - Shuai Nie
- Melbourne Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Nicholas Williamson
- Melbourne Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Gouranga P. Jana
- TCG Lifesciences Private Limited, Salt-lake Electronics Complex, Kolkata, India
| | - Bikash C. Maity
- TCG Lifesciences Private Limited, Salt-lake Electronics Complex, Kolkata, India
| | - Patrick Thomson
- School of Chemistry, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JJ, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Foley
- School of Chemistry, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JJ, United Kingdom
| | - Derek S. Tan
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jacquin C Niles
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Byung Woo Han
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Natural Products Research Institute, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
| | - Jeremy Burrows
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, 20, Route de Pré-Bois 1215, Geneva 15, Switzerland
| | - David A. Fidock
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
- 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
| | - Marcus C.S. Lee
- Parasites and Microbes Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth A. Winzeler
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Michael D. W. Griffin
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Matthew H. Todd
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom
- Structural Genomics Consortium, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom
| | - Leann Tilley
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
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Nate Z, Gill AA, Chauhan R, Karpoormath R. Recent progress in electrochemical sensors for detection and quantification of malaria. Anal Biochem 2022; 643:114592. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2022.114592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Borvinskaya E, Kochneva A, Bedulina D, Sukhovskaya I, Smirnov L, Babkina I. Comparative Analysis of Proteins of Functionally Different Body Parts of the Fish Parasites Triaenophorus nodulosus and Triaenophorus crassus. Acta Parasitol 2021; 66:1137-1150. [PMID: 33818717 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-021-00384-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Studies of proteins expressed in the morphological structures of the parasite are necessary for elucidating the biological functions of unknown proteins and understanding the molecular basis of parasitism. The research aim was to investigate the spatial distribution of major proteins in scolex, immature and gravid proglottids of Triaenophorus nodulosus and Triaenophorus crassus. METHODS Protein extracts of worm body parts were analyzed using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) and mass spectrometry. RESULTS Comparison of the protein repertoire of the adult worm and the encysted plerocercoid revealed differences between the worm body parts, life stages and parasite species. The content of proteins associated with the cytoskeleton and musculature (actin, myosin regulatory light chain, and tropomyosin 2) decreased with distance from the scolex. Mature proglottids were rich in transforming growth factor-beta-induced protein, propionyl-CoA carboxylase, glutamate dehydrogenase and beta-tubulin. Interspecific variation in T. nodulosus and T. crassus was found in the content of the myosin, paramyosin, the major vault protein and an uncharacterized secreted protein TRINITY_DN24645. Differential expression of TRINITY_DN24645, paramyosin and tropomyosin 2 was found between plerocercoids and adult worms. CONCLUSION The present study provides the first characteristics of the spatial distribution of the major proteins of T. crassus and T. nodulosus. Comparison of the protein composition of plerocercoids and adult parasites indicates a significant similarity in the proteomic organization of Triaenophorus sp. in the second intermediate and final hosts. The gradual change in the morphological organization of tapeworms in the longitudinal direction coincided with the expression of some structural and metabolic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Borvinskaya
- Institute of Biology At Irkutsk State University, 3 Lenin St, 664025, Irkutsk, Russia.
| | - Albina Kochneva
- Institute of Biology of the Karelian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 11 Pushkinskaya St, 185910, Petrozavodsk, Russia
| | - Daria Bedulina
- Institute of Biology At Irkutsk State University, 3 Lenin St, 664025, Irkutsk, Russia
| | - Irina Sukhovskaya
- Institute of Biology of the Karelian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 11 Pushkinskaya St, 185910, Petrozavodsk, Russia
| | - Lev Smirnov
- Institute of Biology of the Karelian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 11 Pushkinskaya St, 185910, Petrozavodsk, Russia
| | - Irina Babkina
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, St Petersburg State University, 7/9A Universitetskaya St, 199034, St Petersburg, Russia
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Broichhagen J, Kilian N. Chemical Biology Tools To Investigate Malaria Parasites. Chembiochem 2021; 22:2219-2236. [PMID: 33570245 PMCID: PMC8360121 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Parasitic diseases like malaria tropica have been shaping human evolution and history since the beginning of mankind. After infection, the response of the human host ranges from asymptomatic to severe and may culminate in death. Therefore, proper examination of the parasite's biology is pivotal to deciphering unique molecular, biochemical and cell biological processes, which in turn ensure the identification of treatment strategies, such as potent drug targets and vaccine candidates. However, implementing molecular biology methods for genetic manipulation proves to be difficult for many parasite model organisms. The development of fast and straightforward applicable alternatives, for instance small-molecule probes from the field of chemical biology, is essential. In this review, we will recapitulate the highlights of previous molecular and chemical biology approaches that have already created insight and understanding of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. We discuss current developments from the field of chemical biology and explore how their application could advance research into this parasite in the future. We anticipate that the described approaches will help to close knowledge gaps in the biology of P. falciparum and we hope that researchers will be inspired to use these methods to gain knowledge - with the aim of ending this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Broichhagen
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP)Robert-Roessle-Strasse 1013125BerlinGermany
| | - Nicole Kilian
- Centre for Infectious DiseasesParasitologyHeidelberg University HospitalIm Neuenheimer Feld 32469120HeidelbergGermany
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7
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Tiwari S, Sharma N, Sharma GP, Mishra N. Redox interactome in malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:423-434. [PMID: 33459846 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07051-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum is a severe threat to human health across the globe. This parasite alone causes the highest morbidity and mortality than any other species of Plasmodium. The parasites dynamically multiply in the erythrocytes of the vertebrate hosts, a large number of reactive oxygen species that damage biological macromolecules are produced in the cell during parasite growth. To relieve this intense oxidative stress, the parasite employs an NADPH-dependent thioredoxin and glutathione system that acts as an antioxidant and maintains redox status in the parasite. The mutual interaction of both redox proteins is involved in various biological functions and the survival of the erythrocytic stage of the parasite. Since the Plasmodium species is deficient in catalase and classical glutathione peroxidase, so their redox balance relies on a complex set of five peroxiredoxins, differentially positioned in the cytosol, mitochondria, apicoplast, and nucleus with partly overlapping substrate preferences. Moreover, Plasmodium falciparum possesses a set of members belonging to the thioredoxin superfamily, such as three thioredoxins, two thioredoxin-like proteins, one dithiol, three monocysteine glutaredoxins, and one redox-active plasmoredoxin with largely redundant functions. This review paper aims to discuss and encapsulate the biological function and current knowledge of the functional redox network of Plasmodium falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savitri Tiwari
- Parasite-Host Biology Group, National Institute of Malaria Research, Indian Council of Medical Research, Sector-8, Dwarka, New Delhi, 110077, India
| | - Nivedita Sharma
- Parasite-Host Biology Group, National Institute of Malaria Research, Indian Council of Medical Research, Sector-8, Dwarka, New Delhi, 110077, India
| | | | - Neelima Mishra
- Parasite-Host Biology Group, National Institute of Malaria Research, Indian Council of Medical Research, Sector-8, Dwarka, New Delhi, 110077, India.
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Glutamate dehydrogenase: a novel candidate to diagnose Plasmodium falciparum through rapid diagnostic test in blood specimen from fever patients. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6307. [PMID: 32286365 PMCID: PMC7156408 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62850-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 gene deletion has been reported in India. Such isolates are prone to selective transmission and thus form a challenge to case management. As most of the rapid malaria diagnostic tests are based on the detection of HRP2 protein in the blood, we attempted to use Glutamate Dehydrogenase (GDH) as a biomarker for the diagnosis of P. falciparum. Recombinant PfGDH was successfully cloned, expressed and purified using the Ni-NTA approach. Polyclonal antibodies were raised against full-length rPfGDH and its peptides. Antibodies for rPfGDH showed a strong immune response against the recombinant protein. However, antibody showed no affinity towards the peptides, which suggests they failed as antigen. Antibodies for rPfGDH significantly detected the GDH in human blood specimens. This is the first report where P. falciparum GDH was detected in malaria cases from various parts of India. The raised polyclonal antibodies had shown an affinity for PfGDH in quantitative ELISA and are capable to be exploited for RDTs. This research needs further statistical validation on a large number and different sample types from candidates infected with P. falciparum and other species.
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Ahmad A, Verma AK, Krishna S, Sharma A, Singh N, Bharti PK. Plasmodium falciparum glutamate dehydrogenase is genetically conserved across eight malaria endemic states of India: Exploring new avenues of malaria elimination. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218210. [PMID: 31199842 PMCID: PMC6568416 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurate and timely diagnosis is very critical for management, control and elimination of the malaria. Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have improved the diagnosis and management of malaria in remote areas, community and places where microscopy is not available for diagnosis. According to WHO report 2018, Plasmodium falciparum malaria constitutes more than 50% of malaria cases in India. Most of the RDTs used for diagnosis of falciparum malaria today employ HRP2 as a target antigen. However, low density parasitemia and deletion of hrp-2 gene in P. falciparum leads to false negative results and necessitates the development of alternative/ new or improved RDT for malaria diagnosis. We have analysed the genetic diversity and homology modelling of Pfgdh (glutamate dehydrogenase), ldh (lactate dehydrogenase) and aldolase genes in P. falciparum isolates from the eight endemic states of India to assess their potential as antigen for RDT development. We observed negligible sequence diversity in Pfgdh in comparison to the low level of diversity in ldh and aldolase gene. No structural or functional changes were observed in modelling studies and all three genes were under negative purifying selection pressure. The highly conserved nature of pfgdh gene suggests that GDH could be a potential target molecule for Pan/Pf diagnostic test for malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amreen Ahmad
- ICMR-National Institute of Research in Tribal Health (NIRTH), Garha, Jabalpur, India
| | - Anil Kumar Verma
- ICMR-National Institute of Research in Tribal Health (NIRTH), Garha, Jabalpur, India
| | - Sri Krishna
- ICMR-National Institute of Research in Tribal Health (NIRTH), Garha, Jabalpur, India
| | - Anjana Sharma
- Department of P. G. Studies and Research in Biological Science, Rani Durgavati University, Pachpedi, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Neeru Singh
- ICMR-National Institute of Research in Tribal Health (NIRTH), Garha, Jabalpur, India
| | - Praveen Kumar Bharti
- ICMR-National Institute of Research in Tribal Health (NIRTH), Garha, Jabalpur, India
- * E-mail:
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Haeussler K, Fritz-Wolf K, Reichmann M, Rahlfs S, Becker K. Characterization of Plasmodium falciparum 6-Phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase as an Antimalarial Drug Target. J Mol Biol 2018; 430:4049-4067. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2018.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Singh NK, Chakma B, Jain P, Goswami P. Protein-Induced Fluorescence Enhancement Based Detection of Plasmodium falciparum Glutamate Dehydrogenase Using Carbon Dot Coupled Specific Aptamer. ACS COMBINATORIAL SCIENCE 2018; 20:350-357. [PMID: 29722521 DOI: 10.1021/acscombsci.8b00021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
A novel 90-mer long ssDNA aptamer (NG3) covering a 40-mer random region targeting Plasmodium falciparum glutamate dehydrogenase ( PfGDH) developed through systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) technique. The binding affinity of the aptamer to PfGDH discerned by circular dichroism (CD) was 0.5 ± 0.04 μM. The specificity of the aptamer toward the target was confirmed by gel electrophoresis and CD studies. The presence of two quadruplex forming regions, two big and four small stem loop structures with a δG of -7.99 kcal mol-1 for NG3 were deduced by computational studies. The spherical carbon dots (Cdots) of size 2-4 nm, synthesized by pyrolysis method using l-glutamate as a substrate were covalently linked to the amine modified aptamer. The Cdot with a band gap of 2.8 eV and a quantum yield of 34% produced fluorescence at ∼ λ410 nm when excited at λ320nm. The quantum yield of Cdot-aptamer assembly was increased up to 40% in the presence of the PfGDH in solution. A linear relationship with a dynamic range of 0.5 nM to 25 nM (R2 = 0.98) and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.48 nM was observed between the fluorescence intensity of the Cdots-aptamer conjugate and the concentration of PfGDH. The method could detect PfGDH with an LOD of 2.85 nM in diluted serum sample. This novel simple, sensitive and specific protein induced fluorescence enhancement based detection of PfGDH has a great potential to develop as a method for malaria detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveen Kumar Singh
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
| | - Babina Chakma
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
| | - Priyamvada Jain
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
| | - Pranab Goswami
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
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Alencar N, Sola I, Linares M, Juárez-Jiménez J, Pont C, Viayna A, Vílchez D, Sampedro C, Abad P, Pérez-Benavente S, Lameira J, Bautista JM, Muñoz-Torrero D, Luque FJ. First homology model of Plasmodium falciparum glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase: Discovery of selective substrate analog-based inhibitors as novel antimalarial agents. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 146:108-122. [PMID: 29407943 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.01.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2017] [Revised: 12/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In Plasmodium falciparum the bifunctional enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase‒6-phosphogluconolactonase (PfG6PD‒6PGL) is involved in the catalysis of the first reaction of the pentose phosphate pathway. Since this enzyme has a key role in parasite development, its unique structure represents a potential target for the discovery of antimalarial drugs. Here we describe the first 3D structural model of the G6PD domain of PfG6PD‒6PGL. Compared to the human enzyme (hG6PD), the 3D model has enabled the identification of a key difference in the substrate-binding site, which involves the replacement of Arg365 in hG6PD by Asp750 in PfG6PD. In a prospective validation of the model, this critical change has been exploited to rationally design a novel family of substrate analog-based inhibitors that can display the necessary selectivity towards PfG6PD. A series of glucose derivatives featuring an α-methoxy group at the anomeric position and different side chains at position 6 bearing distinct basic functionalities has been synthesized, and their PfG6PD and hG6PD inhibitory activities and their toxicity against parasite and mammalian cells have been assessed. Several compounds displayed micromolar affinity (Ki up to 23 μM), favorable selectivity (up to > 26-fold), and low cytotoxicity. Phenotypic assays with P. falciparum cultures revealed high micromolar IC50 values, likely as a result of poor internalization of the compounds in the parasite cell. Overall, these results endorse confidence to the 3D model of PfG6PD, paving the way for the use of target-based drug design approaches in antimalarial drug discovery studies around this promising target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson Alencar
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Gastronomy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Av. Prat de la Riba 171, E-08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain
| | - Irene Sola
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (CSIC Associated Unit), Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences and IBUB, University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Linares
- Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre, Avda. de Cordoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Juárez-Jiménez
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Gastronomy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Av. Prat de la Riba 171, E-08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain
| | - Caterina Pont
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (CSIC Associated Unit), Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences and IBUB, University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Viayna
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Gastronomy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Av. Prat de la Riba 171, E-08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain
| | - David Vílchez
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Gastronomy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Av. Prat de la Riba 171, E-08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain
| | - Cristina Sampedro
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (CSIC Associated Unit), Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences and IBUB, University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paloma Abad
- Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre, Avda. de Cordoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Veterinaria, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Susana Pérez-Benavente
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Veterinaria, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jerónimo Lameira
- Laboratório de Planejamento e Desenvolvimento de Fármacos-LPDF, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais- ICEN, Universidade Federal do Pará - UFPA, Av. Augusto Correa, Nº 1- Bairro: Guamá, Cep: 66.075-900 Belém-Pará, Brazil
| | - José M Bautista
- Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre, Avda. de Cordoba s/n, 28041 Madrid, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Veterinaria, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego Muñoz-Torrero
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (CSIC Associated Unit), Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences and IBUB, University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - F Javier Luque
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Gastronomy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Av. Prat de la Riba 171, E-08921 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain.
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Huang J, Xiong K, Zhang H, Zhao Y, Cao J, Gong H, Zhou Y, Zhou J. Molecular characterization of Babesia microti thioredoxin (BmTrx2) and its expression patterns induced by antiprotozoal drugs. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:38. [PMID: 29335000 PMCID: PMC5769273 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2619-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Human babesiosis is an infectious disease that is epidemic in various regions all over the world. The predominant causative pathogen of this disease is the intra-erythrocytic parasite Babesia microti. The thioredoxin system is one of the major weapons that is used in the resistance to the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) produced by host immune system. In other intra-erythrocytic apicomplexans like the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, anti-oxidative proteins are promising targets for the development of anti-parasitic drugs. However, to date, the sequences and biological properties of thioredoxins and thioredoxin-like molecules of B. microti remain unknown. Understanding the molecular characterization and function of B. microti thioredoxins may help to develop anti-Babesia drugs and controlling babesiosis. Methods The full-length B. microti thioredoxin 2 (BmTrx2) gene was obtained using a rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method, and the deduced BmTrx2 amino acid sequence was analyzed using regular bioinformatics tools. Recombinant BmTrx2 protein was expressed in vitro and purified using His-tag protein affinity chromatography resins. Reverse transcription PCR, quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot were employed to detect the expression and native proteins of BmTrx2. Indirect immunofluorescence assay was used to localize BmTrx2 in B. microti. Bovine insulin reduction assays were used to determine the enzyme activity of the purified recombinant BmTrx2 protein. Results The full-length BmTrx2 was 564 bp with a 408 bp open reading frame encoding a protein of 135 amino acids. The predicted molecular weight of the protein was 15.5 kDa. A conserved thioredoxin-like family domain was found in BmTrx2. The expression of BmTrx2 was upregulated on both the third and eighth day post-infection in mice, whereas expression was downregulated during the beginning and later stages. The results of Western blot analysis showed the native BmTrx2 in parasite lysates could be detected by mouse anti-BmTrx2 serum and that the recombinant BmTrx2 protein could be recognized by serum of B. microti-infected mice. Immunofluorescence microscopy showed that BmTrx2 localized in the cell cytoplasm of B. microti merozoites in B. microti-infected red blood cells. The results of bovine insulin reduction assay indicated the purified recombinant BmTrx2 protein possesses antioxidant enzyme activity. Dihydroartemisinin and quinine, known anti-malaria drugs, and clindamycin, a known anti-babesiosis drug, induced significantly higher upregulation of BmTrx2 mRNA. Conclusions Our results indicate that BmTrx2 is a functional enzyme with antioxidant activity and may be involved in the response of B. microti to anti-parasite drugs. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-2619-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwei Huang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Kang Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Houshuang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yanzhen Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jie Cao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Haiyan Gong
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yongzhi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jinlin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China.
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Seol B, Shin HI, Kim JY, Jeon BY, Kang YJ, Pak JH, Kim TS, Lee HW. Sequence conservation of Plasmodium vivax glutamate dehydrogenase among Korean isolates and its application in seroepidemiology. Malar J 2017; 16:3. [PMID: 28049479 PMCID: PMC5209832 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-016-1653-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glutamate dehydrogenase of malaria parasites (pGDH) is widely used in rapid diagnostic tests for malaria. Variation in the pGDH gene among Korean isolates of Plasmodium vivax was analysed, and a recombinant pGDH protein was evaluated for use as antigens for the serodiagnosis of vivax malaria. METHODS Genomic DNA was purified from blood samples of 20 patients and the pGDH gene of P. vivax was sequenced. Recombinant protein was prepared to determine the antigenicity of pGDH by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS Partial sequence analysis of the P. vivax pGDH gene from the 20 Korean isolates showed that an open reading frame (ORF) of 1410 nucleotides encoded a deduced protein of 470 amino acids. The amino acid and nucleotide sequences were conserved among all the Korean isolates. This ORF showed 100% homology with P. vivax strain Sal-I (GenBank accession No. XP_001616617.1). The full ORF (amino acids 39-503), excluding the region before the intron, was cloned from isolate P. vivax Bucheon 3 (KJ726751) and subcloned into the expression vector pET28b for transformation into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)pLysS. The expressed recombinant protein had a molecular mass of approximately 55 kDa and showed 84.8% sensitivity (39/46 cases) and 97.2% specificity (35/36 cases) in an ELISA. The efficacy of recombinant pGDH protein in seroepidemiological studies was also evaluated by ELISA using serum samples collected from 876 inhabitants of Gyodong-myeon, Ganghwa County, Incheon Metropolitan City. Of these samples, 91 (10.39%) showed a positive reaction with recombinant pGDH protein. Among the antibody-positive individuals, 13 (14.29%) had experienced malaria infection during the last 10 years. CONCLUSION The pGDH genes of P. vivax isolates from representative epidemic-prone areas of South Korea are highly conserved. Therefore, pGDH is expected to be a useful antigen in seroepidemiological studies. It was difficult to identify the foci of malaria transmission in Gyodong-myeon based on the patient distribution because of the very low parasitaemia of Korean vivax malaria. However, seroepidemiology with recombinant pGDH protein easily identified regions with the highest incidence of malaria within the study area. Therefore, recombinant pGDH protein may have a useful role in serodiagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bomin Seol
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, 22212, South Korea
| | - Hyun-Il Shin
- Division of Malaria and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Health, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Osong, 363-951, South Korea
| | - Jung-Yeon Kim
- Division of Malaria and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Health, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Osong, 363-951, South Korea
| | - Bo-Young Jeon
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26493, South Korea
| | - Yoon-Joong Kang
- Department of Biomedical Science, Jungwon University, Goesan, Chungbuk, 367-805, South Korea
| | - Jhang-Ho Pak
- Department of Convergence Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine and Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Seoul, 05505, South Korea
| | - Tong-Soo Kim
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, 22212, South Korea.
| | - Hyeong-Woo Lee
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26493, South Korea.
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Stage-Specific Changes in Plasmodium Metabolism Required for Differentiation and Adaptation to Different Host and Vector Environments. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1006094. [PMID: 28027318 PMCID: PMC5189940 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp.) encounter markedly different (nutritional) environments during their complex life cycles in the mosquito and human hosts. Adaptation to these different host niches is associated with a dramatic rewiring of metabolism, from a highly glycolytic metabolism in the asexual blood stages to increased dependence on tricarboxylic acid (TCA) metabolism in mosquito stages. Here we have used stable isotope labelling, targeted metabolomics and reverse genetics to map stage-specific changes in Plasmodium berghei carbon metabolism and determine the functional significance of these changes on parasite survival in the blood and mosquito stages. We show that glutamine serves as the predominant input into TCA metabolism in both asexual and sexual blood stages and is important for complete male gametogenesis. Glutamine catabolism, as well as key reactions in intermediary metabolism and CoA synthesis are also essential for ookinete to oocyst transition in the mosquito. These data extend our knowledge of Plasmodium metabolism and point towards possible targets for transmission-blocking intervention strategies. Furthermore, they highlight significant metabolic differences between Plasmodium species which are not easily anticipated based on genomics or transcriptomics studies and underline the importance of integration of metabolomics data with other platforms in order to better inform drug discovery and design. Malaria kills almost half a million people worldwide every year and more than two hundred million people are diagnosed with this deadly disease annually. It is caused by the protozoan parasite Plasmodium spp., mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia and is transmitted by bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Due to an increase in resistance to existing drugs and lack of an effective vaccine, new intervention strategies which target development of parasite in human host and transmission through the mosquito vector are urgently needed. In this study, we explored the metabolic capacity of different developmental stages of the malaria parasite to determine carbon source utilization in different host niches and whether any stage-specific switches in metabolism could be exploited in new therapies aimed at eradicating malaria. Using stable isotope labelling and metabolomics, we have identified considerable nutritional adaptability of malaria parasites between the mammalian host and the mosquito vector. Gene disruption in the rodent malaria parasite P. berghei was used to identify the metabolic pathways which are crucial to the survival and development of the parasite. Our data also point at key metabolic differences in different Plasmodium species highlighting the importance of integrating metabolomics analyses with molecular tools and identifies possible transmission blocking candidates for malaria intervention.
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Jacot D, Waller RF, Soldati-Favre D, MacPherson DA, MacRae JI. Apicomplexan Energy Metabolism: Carbon Source Promiscuity and the Quiescence Hyperbole. Trends Parasitol 2015; 32:56-70. [PMID: 26472327 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2015.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Revised: 08/28/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The nature of energy metabolism in apicomplexan parasites has been closely investigated in the recent years. Studies in Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii in particular have revealed that these parasites are able to employ enzymes in non-traditional ways, while utilizing multiple anaplerotic routes into a canonical tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle to satisfy their energy requirements. Importantly, some life stages of these parasites previously considered to be metabolically quiescent are, in fact, active and able to adapt their carbon source utilization to survive. We compare energy metabolism across the life cycle of malaria parasites and consider how this varies in other apicomplexans and related organisms, while discussing how this can be exploited for therapeutic intervention in these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Jacot
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ross F Waller
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - James I MacRae
- The Francis Crick Institute, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK.
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Allen SM, Lim EE, Jortzik E, Preuss J, Chua HH, MacRae JI, Rahlfs S, Haeussler K, Downton MT, McConville MJ, Becker K, Ralph SA. Plasmodium falciparum glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase 6-phosphogluconolactonase is a potential drug target. FEBS J 2015. [PMID: 26198663 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum is exposed to substantial redox challenges during its complex life cycle. In intraerythrocytic parasites, haemoglobin breakdown is a major source of reactive oxygen species. Deficiencies in human glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, the initial enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), lead to a disturbed redox equilibrium in infected erythrocytes and partial protection against severe malaria. In P. falciparum, the first two reactions of the PPP are catalysed by the bifunctional enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase 6-phosphogluconolactonase (PfGluPho). This enzyme differs structurally from its human counterparts and represents a potential target for drugs. In the present study we used epitope tagging of endogenous PfGluPho to verify that the enzyme localises to the parasite cytosol. Furthermore, attempted double crossover disruption of the PfGluPho gene indicates that the enzyme is essential for the growth of blood stage parasites. As a further step towards targeting PfGluPho pharmacologically, ellagic acid was characterised as a potent PfGluPho inhibitor with an IC50 of 76 nM. Interestingly, pro-oxidative drugs or treatment of the parasites with H2O2 only slightly altered PfGluPho expression or activity under the conditions tested. Furthermore, metabolic profiling suggested that pro-oxidative drugs do not significantly perturb the abundance of PPP intermediates. These data indicate that PfGluPho is essential in asexual parasites, but that the oxidative arm of the PPP is not strongly regulated in response to oxidative challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey M Allen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Erin E Lim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Esther Jortzik
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Janina Preuss
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Hwa Huat Chua
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - James I MacRae
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Stefan Rahlfs
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Kristina Haeussler
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Malcolm J McConville
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Katja Becker
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Stuart A Ralph
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Australia
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Role and Regulation of Glutathione Metabolism in Plasmodium falciparum. Molecules 2015; 20:10511-34. [PMID: 26060916 PMCID: PMC6272303 DOI: 10.3390/molecules200610511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Revised: 05/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria in humans is caused by one of five species of obligate intracellular protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium. P. falciparum causes the most severe disease and is responsible for 600,000 deaths annually, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has long been suggested that during their development, malaria parasites are exposed to environmental and metabolic stresses. One strategy to drug discovery was to increase these stresses by interfering with the parasites’ antioxidant and redox systems, which may be a valuable approach to disease intervention. Plasmodium possesses two redox systems—the thioredoxin and the glutathione system—with overlapping but also distinct functions. Glutathione is the most abundant low molecular weight redox active thiol in the parasites existing primarily in its reduced form representing an excellent thiol redox buffer. This allows for an efficient maintenance of the intracellular reducing environment of the parasite cytoplasm and its organelles. This review will highlight the mechanisms that are responsible for sustaining an adequate concentration of glutathione and maintaining its redox state in Plasmodium. It will provide a summary of the functions of the tripeptide and will discuss the potential of glutathione metabolism for drug discovery against human malaria parasites.
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Mathema VB, Na-Bangchang K. A brief review on biomarkers and proteomic approach for malaria research. ASIAN PAC J TROP MED 2015; 8:253-62. [DOI: 10.1016/s1995-7645(14)60327-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
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20
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Eliuk S, Makarov A. Evolution of Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry Instrumentation. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY (PALO ALTO, CALIF.) 2015; 8:61-80. [PMID: 26161972 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anchem-071114-040325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 260] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
We discuss the evolution of Orbitrap mass spectrometry (MS) from its birth in the late 1990s to its current role as one of the most prominent techniques for MS. The Orbitrap mass analyzer is the first high-performance mass analyzer that employs trapping of ions in electrostatic fields. Tight integration with the ion injection process enables the high-resolution, mass accuracy, and sensitivity that have become essential for addressing analytical needs in numerous areas of research, as well as in routine analysis. We examine three major families of instruments (related to the LTQ Orbitrap, Q Exactive, and Orbitrap Fusion mass spectrometers) in the context of their historical development over the past ten eventful years. We discuss as well future trends and perspectives of Orbitrap MS. We illustrate the compelling potential of Orbitrap-based mass spectrometers as (ultra) high-resolution platforms, not only for high-end proteomic applications, but also for routine targeted analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Eliuk
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, San Jose, California 97232;
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21
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Tomlins AM, Ben-Rached F, Williams RAM, Proto WR, Coppens I, Ruch U, Gilberger TW, Coombs GH, Mottram JC, Müller S, Langsley G. Plasmodium falciparumATG8 implicated in both autophagy and apicoplast formation. Autophagy 2014; 9:1540-52. [DOI: 10.4161/auto.25832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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22
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Vincent IM, Barrett MP. Metabolomic-based strategies for anti-parasite drug discovery. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 20:44-55. [PMID: 25281738 DOI: 10.1177/1087057114551519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Metabolomics-based studies are proving of great utility in the analysis of modes of action (MOAs) and resistance mechanisms of drugs in parasitic protozoa. They have helped to determine the MOA of eflornithine, half of the gold standard combination therapy in use against human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), as well as the mechanism of resistance to this drug. In Leishmania, metabolomics has also given insight into the MOA of miltefosine, an alkylphospholipid. Several studies on antimony resistance in Leishmania have been conducted, analyzing the metabolic content of resistant lines, offering clues as to the MOA of this class of drugs. A study of chloroquine resistance in Plasmodium falciparum combined metabolomics techniques with other genetic and proteomic techniques to offer new insight into the role of the PfCRT protein. The MOA and mechanism of resistance to a group of halogenated pyrimidines in Trypanosoma brucei have also recently been elucidated. Effective as metabolomics techniques are, care must be taken in the design and implementation of these experiments, to ensure the resulting data are meaningful. This review outlines the steps required to conduct a metabolomics experiment as well as provide an overview of metabolomics-based drug research in protozoa to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel M Vincent
- The Glasgow Polyomics Facility and Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Michael P Barrett
- The Glasgow Polyomics Facility and Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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23
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Abstract
Targeting the redox metabolism of Plasmodium falciparum to create a fatal overload of oxidative stress is a route to explore the discovery of new antimalarial drugs. There are three main possibilities to target the redox metabolism of P. falciparum at the erythrocytic stage: selective targeting and inhibition of a redox P. falciparum protein or enzyme; oxidant drugs targeting essential parasite components and heme by-products; and redox cycler drugs targeting the parasitized red blood cell. Oxidants and redox cycler agents, with or without specific targets, may disrupt the fragile parasitized erythrocyte redox-dependent architecture given that: redox equilibrium plays a vital role at the erythrocytic stage; P. falciparum possesses major NADPH-dependent redox systems, such as glutathione and thioredoxin ones; and the protein-NADPH-dependent phosphorylation-dephosphorylation process is involved in building new permeation pathways and channels for the nutrient-waste import-export traffic of the parasite.
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24
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MacRae JI, Dixon MW, Dearnley MK, Chua HH, Chambers JM, Kenny S, Bottova I, Tilley L, McConville MJ. Mitochondrial metabolism of sexual and asexual blood stages of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. BMC Biol 2013; 11:67. [PMID: 23763941 PMCID: PMC3704724 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-11-67] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Accepted: 06/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The carbon metabolism of the blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum, comprising rapidly dividing asexual stages and non-dividing gametocytes, is thought to be highly streamlined, with glycolysis providing most of the cellular ATP. However, these parasitic stages express all the enzymes needed for a canonical mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and it was recently proposed that they may catabolize glutamine via an atypical branched TCA cycle. Whether these stages catabolize glucose in the TCA cycle and what is the functional significance of mitochondrial metabolism remains unresolved. Results We reassessed the central carbon metabolism of P. falciparum asexual and sexual blood stages, by metabolically labeling each stage with 13C-glucose and 13C-glutamine, and analyzing isotopic enrichment in key pathways using mass spectrometry. In contrast to previous findings, we found that carbon skeletons derived from both glucose and glutamine are catabolized in a canonical oxidative TCA cycle in both the asexual and sexual blood stages. Flux of glucose carbon skeletons into the TCA cycle is low in the asexual blood stages, with glutamine providing most of the carbon skeletons, but increases dramatically in the gametocyte stages. Increased glucose catabolism in the gametocyte TCA cycle was associated with increased glucose uptake, suggesting that the energy requirements of this stage are high. Significantly, whereas chemical inhibition of the TCA cycle had little effect on the growth or viability of asexual stages, inhibition of the gametocyte TCA cycle led to arrested development and death. Conclusions Our metabolomics approach has allowed us to revise current models of P. falciparum carbon metabolism. In particular, we found that both asexual and sexual blood stages utilize a conventional TCA cycle to catabolize glucose and glutamine. Gametocyte differentiation is associated with a programmed remodeling of central carbon metabolism that may be required for parasite survival either before or after uptake by the mosquito vector. The increased sensitivity of gametocyte stages to TCA-cycle inhibitors provides a potential target for transmission-blocking drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- James I MacRae
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, 30 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
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Ludin P, Woodcroft B, Ralph SA, Mäser P. In silico prediction of antimalarial drug target candidates. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2012; 2:191-9. [PMID: 24533280 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2012.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2012] [Revised: 06/28/2012] [Accepted: 07/03/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The need for new antimalarials is persistent due to the emergence of drug resistant parasites. Here we aim to identify new drug targets in Plasmodium falciparum by phylogenomics among the Plasmodium spp. and comparative genomics to Homo sapiens. The proposed target discovery pipeline is largely independent of experimental data and based on the assumption that P. falciparum proteins are likely to be essential if (i) there are no similar proteins in the same proteome and (ii) they are highly conserved across the malaria parasites of mammals. This hypothesis was tested using sequenced Saccharomycetaceae species as a touchstone. Consecutive filters narrowed down the potential target space of P. falciparum to proteins that are likely to be essential, matchless in the human proteome, expressed in the blood stages of the parasite, and amenable to small molecule inhibition. The final set of 40 candidate drug targets was significantly enriched in essential proteins and comprised proven targets (e.g. dihydropteroate synthetase or enzymes of the non-mevalonate pathway), targets currently under investigation (e.g. calcium-dependent protein kinases), and new candidates of potential interest such as phosphomannose isomerase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, signaling components, and transporters. The targets were prioritized based on druggability indices and on the availability of in vitro assays. Potential inhibitors were inferred from similarity to known targets of other disease systems. The identified candidates from P. falciparum provide insight into biochemical peculiarities and vulnerable points of the malaria parasite and might serve as starting points for rational drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Ludin
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4002 Basel, Switzerland ; University of Basel, 4000 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ben Woodcroft
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Stuart A Ralph
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Pascal Mäser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4002 Basel, Switzerland ; University of Basel, 4000 Basel, Switzerland
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Preuss J, Jortzik E, Becker K. Glucose-6-phosphate metabolism in Plasmodium falciparum. IUBMB Life 2012; 64:603-11. [PMID: 22639416 DOI: 10.1002/iub.1047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2012] [Accepted: 04/07/2012] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Malaria is still one of the most threatening diseases worldwide. The high drug resistance rates of malarial parasites make its eradication difficult and furthermore necessitate the development of new antimalarial drugs. Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for severe malaria and therefore of special interest with regard to drug development. Plasmodium parasites are highly dependent on glucose and very sensitive to oxidative stress; two observations that drew interest to the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) with its key enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD). A central position of the PPP for malaria parasites is supported by the fact that human G6PD deficiency protects to a certain degree from malaria infections. Plasmodium parasites and the human host possess a complete PPP, both of which seem to be important for the parasites. Interestingly, there are major differences between parasite and human G6PD, making the enzyme of Plasmodium a promising target for antimalarial drug design. This review gives an overview of the current state of research on glucose-6-phosphate metabolism in P. falciparum and its impact on malaria infections. Moreover, the unique characteristics of the enzyme G6PD in P. falciparum are discussed, upon which its current status as promising target for drug development is based.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Preuss
- Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Center, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
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Zocher K, Fritz-Wolf K, Kehr S, Fischer M, Rahlfs S, Becker K. Biochemical and structural characterization of Plasmodium falciparum glutamate dehydrogenase 2. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2012; 183:52-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2012.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2011] [Revised: 01/23/2012] [Accepted: 01/31/2012] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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Preuss J, Hedrick M, Sergienko E, Pinkerton A, Mangravita-Novo A, Smith L, Marx C, Fischer E, Jortzik E, Rahlfs S, Becker K, Bode L. High-throughput screening for small-molecule inhibitors of plasmodium falciparum glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase 6-phosphogluconolactonase. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 17:738-51. [PMID: 22496096 DOI: 10.1177/1087057112442382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum causes severe malaria infections in millions of people every year. The parasite is developing resistance to the most common antimalarial drugs, which creates an urgent need for new therapeutics. A promising and attractive target for antimalarial drug design is the bifunctional enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase-6-phosphogluconolactonase (PfGluPho) of P. falciparum, which catalyzes the key step in the parasites' pentose phosphate pathway. In this study, we describe the development of a high-throughput screening assay to identify small-molecule inhibitors of recombinant PfGluPho. The optimized assay was used to screen three small-molecule compound libraries-namely, LOPAC (Sigma-Aldrich, 1280 compounds), Spectrum (MicroSource Discovery Systems, 1969 compounds), and DIVERSet (ChemBridge, 49 971 compounds). These pilot screens identified 899 compounds that inhibited PfGluPho activity by at least 50%. Selected compounds were further studied to determine IC(50) values in an orthogonal assay, the type of inhibition and reversibility, and effects on P. falciparum growth. Screening results and follow-up studies for selected PfGluPho inhibitors are presented. Our high-throughput screening assay may provide the basis to identify novel and urgently needed antimalarial drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Preuss
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
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