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Niikura M, Fukutomi T, Mitobe J, Kobayashi F. Characterization of a nuclear transport factor 2-like domain-containing protein in Plasmodium berghei. Malar J 2024; 23:13. [PMID: 38195464 PMCID: PMC10777651 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-04839-9] [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: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plasmodium lacks an mRNA export receptor ortholog, such as yeast Mex67. Yeast Mex67 contains a nuclear transport factor 2 (NTF2)-like domain, suggesting that NTF2-like domain-containing proteins might be associated with mRNA export in Plasmodium. In this study, the relationship between mRNA export and an NTF2-like domain-containing protein, PBANKA_1019700, was investigated using the ANKA strain of rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei. METHODS The deletion mutant Δ1019700 was generated by introducing gene-targeting vectors into the P. berghei ANKA genome, and parasite growth and virulence were examined. To investigate whether PBANKA_1019700 is involved in mRNA export, live-cell fluorescence imaging and immunoprecipitation coupled to mass spectrometry (IP-MS) were performed using transgenic parasites expressing fusion proteins (1019700::mCherry). RESULTS Deletion of PBANKA_1019700 affected the sexual phase but not the asexual phase of malaria parasites. Live-cell fluorescence imaging showed that PBANKA_1019700 localizes to the cytoplasm. Moreover, IP-MS analysis of 1019700::mCherry indicated that PBANKA_1019700 interacts with ubiquitin-related proteins but not nuclear proteins. CONCLUSIONS PBANKA_1019700 is a noncanonical NTF2-like superfamily protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamoru Niikura
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Toshiyuki Fukutomi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jiro Mitobe
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fumie Kobayashi
- Department of Environmental Science, School of Life and Environmental Science, Azabu University, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
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2
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Kumar R, Sharma P, Chauhan A, Singh N, Prajapati VM, Singh SK. Malate:quinone oxidoreductase knockout makes Mycobacterium tuberculosis susceptible to stress and affects its in vivo survival. Microbes Infect 2024; 26:105215. [PMID: 37689346 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2023.105215] [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: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (Mtb-Ra) ORF MRA_2875, annotated as malate:quinone oxidoreductase (mqo), is thought to have a role in TCA cycle in converting malate to oxaloacetate. To study its physiological relevance, we developed mqo knockout (KO) in Mtb-Ra. A KO complemented (KOC) strain was also developed by complementing the KO with mqo over-expressing construct. Under normal in vitro conditions, KO does not show any growth defect but showed reduced CFU burden in macrophages and in mice lungs. In vitro studies with KO showed reduced fitness under oxidative and low pH stress, and also increased susceptibility to levofloxacin and D-cycloserine. Transcript analysis of mqo showed increased expression levels under oxidative and low pH stress. This is the first study to show physiological relevance of mqo encoded by MRA_2875 in Mtb-Ra under oxidative and low pH stress. In summary, the present study shows that MRA_2875 encoded malate:quinone oxidoreductase is a functional enzyme which contributes to oxidative stress and low pH tolerance, and survival in macrophages and in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ram Kumar
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, B.S. 10/1, Sector-10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Princi Sharma
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, B.S. 10/1, Sector-10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, 226031, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Anu Chauhan
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, B.S. 10/1, Sector-10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, 226031, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Nirbhay Singh
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, B.S. 10/1, Sector-10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - V M Prajapati
- Toxicology and Experimental Medicine Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, B.S. 10/1, Sector-10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Sudheer Kumar Singh
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, B.S. 10/1, Sector-10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow, 226031, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
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3
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Ito T, Kajita S, Fujii M, Shinohara Y. Plasmodium Parasite Malate-Quinone Oxidoreductase Functionally Complements a Yeast Deletion Mutant of Mitochondrial Malate Dehydrogenase. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0016823. [PMID: 37036365 PMCID: PMC10269487 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00168-23] [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: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of drug-resistant variants of malaria-causing Plasmodium parasites is a life-threatening problem worldwide. Investigation of the physiological function of individual parasite proteins is a prerequisite for a deeper understanding of the metabolic pathways required for parasite survival and therefore a requirement for the development of novel antimalarials. A Plasmodium membrane protein, malate-quinone oxidoreductase (MQO), is thought to contribute to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and the electron transport chain (ETC) and is an antimalarial drug target. However, there is little information on its expression and function. Here, we investigated the function of Plasmodium falciparum MQO (PfMQO) in mitochondria using a yeast heterologous expression system. Using a yeast deletion mutant of mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (MDH1), which is expected to be functionally similar to MQO, as a background strain, we successfully constructed PfMQO-expressing yeast. We confirmed that expression of PfMQO complemented the growth defect of the MDH1 deletion, indicating that PfMQO can adopt the metabolic role of MDH1 in energy transduction for growth in the recombinant yeast. Analysis of cell fractions confirmed that PfMQO was expressed and enriched in yeast mitochondria. By measuring MQO activity, we also confirmed that PfMQO expressed in yeast mitochondria was active. Measurement of oxygen consumption rates showed that mitochondrial respiration was driven by the TCA cycle through PfMQO. In addition, we found that MQO activity was enhanced when intact mitochondria were sonicated, indicating that the malate binding site of PfMQO is located facing the mitochondrial matrix. IMPORTANCE We constructed a model organism to study the physiological role and function of P. falciparum malate-quinone oxidoreductase (PfMQO) in a yeast expression system. PfMQO is actively expressed in yeast mitochondria and functions in place of yeast mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase, which catalyzes the oxidation of malate to oxaloacetate in the TCA cycle. The catalytic site for the oxidation of malate in PfMQO, which is a membrane-bound protein, faces into the mitochondrial matrix, not the mitochondrial inner membrane space. Our findings clearly show that PfMQO is a TCA cycle enzyme and is coupled with the ETC via ubiquinone reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Ito
- Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Sayaka Kajita
- Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Minori Fujii
- Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Yasuo Shinohara
- Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
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4
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Hidayati AR, Melinda, Ilmi H, Sakura T, Sakaguchi M, Ohmori J, Hartuti ED, Tumewu L, Inaoka DK, Tanjung M, Yoshida E, Tokumasu F, Kita K, Mori M, Dobashi K, Nozaki T, Syafruddin D, Hafid AF, Waluyo D, Widyawaruyanti A. Effect of geranylated dihydrochalcone from Artocarpus altilis leaves extract on Plasmodium falciparum ultrastructural changes and mitochondrial malate: Quinone oxidoreductase. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2022; 21:40-50. [PMID: 36565667 PMCID: PMC9798170 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2022.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Nearly half of the world's population is at risk of being infected by Plasmodium falciparum, the pathogen of malaria. Increasing resistance to common antimalarial drugs has encouraged investigations to find compounds with different scaffolds. Extracts of Artocarpus altilis leaves have previously been reported to exhibit in vitro antimalarial activity against P. falciparum and in vivo activity against P. berghei. Despite these initial promising results, the active compound from A. altilis is yet to be identified. Here, we have identified 2-geranyl-2', 4', 3, 4-tetrahydroxy-dihydrochalcone (1) from A. altilis leaves as the active constituent of its antimalarial activity. Since natural chalcones have been reported to inhibit food vacuole and mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC), the morphological changes in food vacuole and biochemical inhibition of ETC enzymes of (1) were investigated. In the presence of (1), intraerythrocytic asexual development was impaired, and according to the TEM analysis, this clearly affected the ultrastructure of food vacuoles. Amongst the ETC enzymes, (1) inhibited the mitochondrial malate: quinone oxidoreductase (PfMQO), and no inhibition could be observed on dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) as well as bc1 complex activities. Our study suggests that (1) has a dual mechanism of action affecting the food vacuole and inhibition of PfMQO-related pathways in mitochondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agriana Rosmalina Hidayati
- Doctoral Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia,Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Mataram, Mataram, Indonesia
| | - Melinda
- Research Center for Genetic Engineering, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Hilkatul Ilmi
- Center of Natural Product Medicine Research and Development, Institute of Tropical Disease, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Takaya Sakura
- Department of Molecular Infection Dynamics, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan,School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Miako Sakaguchi
- Central Laboratory, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Junko Ohmori
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Endah Dwi Hartuti
- Research Center for Genetic Engineering, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Bogor, Indonesia,Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Lidya Tumewu
- Center of Natural Product Medicine Research and Development, Institute of Tropical Disease, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Daniel Ken Inaoka
- Department of Molecular Infection Dynamics, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan,School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan,Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Japan
| | - Mulyadi Tanjung
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Eri Yoshida
- Department of Molecular Infection Dynamics, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Fuyuki Tokumasu
- Department of Cellular Architecture Studies, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Kita
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan,Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Japan,Department of Host-Defense Biochemistry, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Mihoko Mori
- Kitasato Institute for Life Science, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Dobashi
- Kitasato Institute for Life Science, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoyoshi Nozaki
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Japan
| | - Din Syafruddin
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Hasanudin University, Makassar, Indonesia
| | - Achmad Fuad Hafid
- Center of Natural Product Medicine Research and Development, Institute of Tropical Disease, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Danang Waluyo
- Research Center for Genetic Engineering, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Aty Widyawaruyanti
- Center of Natural Product Medicine Research and Development, Institute of Tropical Disease, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia,Corresponding author. Center of Natural Product Medicine Research and Development, Institute of Tropical Disease, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia.
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5
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Yan N, Jing H, Wang J, Li Z, Xu K, Wang Q, Zheng J, Shi L, Cao X, Duan X. Arsenic Induces Blood‒Brain Barrier Disruption and Regulates T Lymphocyte Subpopulation Differentiation in the Cerebral Cortex and Hippocampus Associated with the Nrf2 Pathway In Vivo. Biol Trace Elem Res 2022:10.1007/s12011-022-03500-3. [PMID: 36435854 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-022-03500-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence has confirmed that the nervous system shows innate and adaptive immunity, which also participates in nerve damage. This study aimed to explore the neuroimmune imbalance induced by arsenic and its possible mechanism. Mice were exposed to NaAsO2 (0, 5, 10, 25, and 50 mg/L) for 1 month by drinking water. Y-maze and Morris water maze tests revealed that arsenic impaired learning and memory. The optical density of Evans blue showed a marked dose-dependent increase in the brain, and the mRNA and protein levels of the BBB tight junctions (TJs), occludin at 25 and 50 mg/L arsenic, and claudin-5 at 50 mg/L arsenic, were markedly decreased in the cerebral cortex. Arsenic downregulated occludin and claudin-5 mRNA expression at 50 mg/L and protein expression at 25 and 50 mg/L in the hippocampus. Immunohistochemical staining showed that 50 mg/L arsenic increased corticocerebral and hippocampal CD3+ T, CD4+ T, and CD8+ T cells; CD4 and CD8 proteins were increased with 25 and 50 mg/L arsenic. Arsenic decreased the corticocerebral and hippocampal Th1, Th17, and regulatory Treg transcription factors T-bet, Rorγt, and Foxp3 and the cytokine IFN-γ, IL-17, and TGF-β mRNA levels and increased the Th2 transcription factor GATA3 and cytokine IL-4 mRNA levels. Moreover, arsenic enhanced the expression of nuclear factor E2-related factor (Nrf2) and its downstream enzymes heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST). In conclusion, these results demonstrate that arsenic exposure induces BBB dysfunction and T lymphocyte infiltration and affects CD4+ T lymphocyte differentiation, which may be associated with Nrf2 activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Yan
- Department of Medical Applied Technology, Shenyang Medical College, Liaoning, Shenyang, China
| | - Hui Jing
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Shenyang Medical College, Liaoning, Shenyang, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Department of Scientific Research, Shenyang Medical College, Liaoning, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhou Li
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Shenyang Medical College, Liaoning, Shenyang, China
| | - Kangjie Xu
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Shenyang Medical College, Liaoning, Shenyang, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Shenyang Medical College, Liaoning, Shenyang, China
| | - Jingwen Zheng
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Shenyang Medical College, Liaoning, Shenyang, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Affiliated Health School, Shenyang Medical College, Liaoning, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiankui Cao
- Department of General Surgery, Liaoning Province Cancer Hospital and Institute (Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), Liaoning, Shenyang, China.
| | - Xiaoxu Duan
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Shenyang Medical College, Liaoning, Shenyang, China.
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6
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Rajaram K, Tewari SG, Wallqvist A, Prigge ST. Metabolic changes accompanying the loss of fumarate hydratase and malate-quinone oxidoreductase in the asexual blood stage of Plasmodium falciparum. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101897. [PMID: 35398098 PMCID: PMC9118666 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In the glucose-rich milieu of red blood cells, asexually replicating malarial parasites mainly rely on glycolysis for ATP production, with limited carbon flux through the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. By contrast, gametocytes and mosquito-stage parasites exhibit an increased dependence on the TCA cycle and oxidative phosphorylation for more economical energy generation. Prior genetic studies supported these stage-specific metabolic preferences by revealing that six of eight TCA cycle enzymes are completely dispensable during the asexual blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum, with only fumarate hydratase (FH) and malate-quinone oxidoreductase (MQO) being refractory to deletion. Several hypotheses have been put forth to explain the possible essentiality of FH and MQO, including their participation in a malate shuttle between the mitochondrial matrix and the cytosol. However, using newer genetic techniques like CRISPR and dimerizable Cre, we were able to generate deletion strains of FH and MQO in P. falciparum. We employed metabolomic analyses to characterize a double knockout mutant of FH and MQO (ΔFM) and identified changes in purine salvage and urea cycle metabolism that may help to limit fumarate accumulation. Correspondingly, we found that the ΔFM mutant was more sensitive to exogenous fumarate, which is known to cause toxicity by modifying and inactivating proteins and metabolites. Overall, our data indicate that P. falciparum is able to adequately compensate for the loss of FH and MQO, rendering them unsuitable targets for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krithika Rajaram
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Shivendra G Tewari
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Ft. Detrick, Maryland, USA; The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Anders Wallqvist
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Ft. Detrick, Maryland, USA
| | - Sean T Prigge
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
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7
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Niikura M, Fukutomi T, Mineo S, Mitobe J, Kobayashi F. Malaria in the postpartum period causes damage to the mammary gland. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258491. [PMID: 34644348 PMCID: PMC8513860 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland in the breast and is typically due to bacterial infection. In malaria-endemic areas, mastitis with accompanying fever can be challenging to differentiate from malaria. At the same time, it is unclear whether malaria infection is directly involved in the development of mastitis. In the present study, whether mastitis develops during infection with malaria parasites was investigated using a rodent malaria model with Plasmodium berghei (P. berghei; Pb) ANKA. The course of parasitemia in postpartum mice infected with Pb ANKA was similar to the course in infected virgin mice. However, infected postpartum mice died earlier than did infected virgin mice. In addition, the weight of pups from mice infected with Pb ANKA was significantly reduced compared with pups from uninfected mice. The macroscopic and histological analyses showed apparent changes, such as destruction of the alveolus wall and extensive presence of leukocytes, in mammary gland tissue in mice infected during the postpartum period. The findings suggest that women during the postpartum period are more vulnerable to complications when infected with malaria parasites, particularly women who do not acquire protective immunity against malaria parasites. Based on the proteomic analysis, IFN-γ signaling pathway-related proteins in mammary gland tissue of the infected postpartum mice were increased. Our results indicate that inflammation induced by IFN-γ, a proinflammatory cytokine, may contribute to negative histological changes in mammary gland tissue of postpartum mice infected with Pb ANKA. In IFN-γ receptor 1-deficient (IFNGR1-KO) mice, the histological changes in mammary gland tissue of the infected postpartum wild-type mice were improved to almost normal mammary gland structure. Furthermore, weight loss in pups delivered by infected IFNGR1-KO postpartum mice was not observed. Taken together, these findings indicate that inflammation induced by IFN-γ is associated with development of mastitis in postpartum mice infected with Pb ANKA. The present study results may increase our understanding of how disease aggravation occurs during postpartum malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamoru Niikura
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Fukutomi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shoichiro Mineo
- Department of Molecular Pathology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jiro Mitobe
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fumie Kobayashi
- Department of Environmental Science, School of Life and Environmental Science, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
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8
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Niikura M, Fukutomi T, Mitobe J, Kobayashi F. Roles and Cellular Localization of GBP2 and NAB2 During the Blood Stage of Malaria Parasites. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:737457. [PMID: 34604117 PMCID: PMC8479154 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.737457] [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: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The quality control and export of mRNA by RNA-binding proteins are necessary for the survival of malaria parasites, which have complex life cycles. Nuclear poly(A) binding protein 2 (NAB2), THO complex subunit 4 (THO4), nucleolar protein 3 (NPL3), G-strand binding protein 2 (GBP2) and serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 1 (SR1) are involved in nuclear mRNA export in malaria parasites. However, their roles in asexual and sexual development, and in cellular localization, are not fully understood. In this study using the rodent malaria parasite, Plasmodium berghei, we found that NAB2 and SR1, but not THO4, NPL3 or GBP2, played essential roles in the asexual development of malaria parasites. By contrast, GBP2 but not NPL3 was involved in male and female gametocyte production. THO4 was involved in female gametocyte production, but had a lower impact than GBP2. In this study, we focused on GBP2 and NAB2, which play important roles in the sexual and asexual development of malaria parasites, respectively, and examined their cellular localization. GBP2 localized to both the nucleus and cytoplasm of malaria parasites. Using immunoprecipitation coupled to mass spectrometry (IP-MS), GBP2 interacted with the proteins ALBA4, DOZI, and CITH, which play roles in translational repression. IP-MS also revealed that phosphorylated adapter RNA export protein (PHAX) domain-containing protein, an adaptor protein for exportin-1, also interacted with GBP2, implying that mRNA export occurs via the PHAX domain-containing protein pathway in malaria parasites. Live-cell fluorescence imaging revealed that NAB2 localized at the nuclear periphery. Moreover, IP-MS indicated that NAB2 interacted with transportin. RNA immunoprecipitation coupled to RNA sequencing revealed that NAB2 bound directly to 143 mRNAs, including those encoding 40S and 60S ribosomal proteins. Our findings imply that malaria parasites use an evolutionarily ancient mechanism conserved throughout eukaryotic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamoru Niikura
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Fukutomi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jiro Mitobe
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fumie Kobayashi
- Department of Environmental Science, School of Life and Environmental Science, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
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9
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Biochemical Studies of Mitochondrial Malate: Quinone Oxidoreductase from Toxoplasma gondii. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22157830. [PMID: 34360597 PMCID: PMC8345934 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22157830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that causes toxoplasmosis and infects almost one-third of the global human population. A lack of effective drugs and vaccines and the emergence of drug resistant parasites highlight the need for the development of new drugs. The mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) is an essential pathway for energy metabolism and the survival of T. gondii. In apicomplexan parasites, malate:quinone oxidoreductase (MQO) is a monotopic membrane protein belonging to the ETC and a key member of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and has recently been suggested to play a role in the fumarate cycle, which is required for the cytosolic purine salvage pathway. In T. gondii, a putative MQO (TgMQO) is expressed in tachyzoite and bradyzoite stages and is considered to be a potential drug target since its orthologue is not conserved in mammalian hosts. As a first step towards the evaluation of TgMQO as a drug target candidate, in this study, we developed a new expression system for TgMQO in FN102(DE3)TAO, a strain deficient in respiratory cytochromes and dependent on an alternative oxidase. This system allowed, for the first time, the expression and purification of a mitochondrial MQO family enzyme, which was used for steady-state kinetics and substrate specificity analyses. Ferulenol, the only known MQO inhibitor, also inhibited TgMQO at IC50 of 0.822 μM, and displayed different inhibition kinetics compared to Plasmodium falciparum MQO. Furthermore, our analysis indicated the presence of a third binding site for ferulenol that is distinct from the ubiquinone and malate sites.
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10
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Sato D, Hartuti ED, Inaoka DK, Sakura T, Amalia E, Nagahama M, Yoshioka Y, Tsuji N, Nozaki T, Kita K, Harada S, Matsubayashi M, Shiba T. Structural and Biochemical Features of Eimeria tenella Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase, a Potential Drug Target. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11121468. [PMID: 33297567 PMCID: PMC7762340 DOI: 10.3390/genes11121468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) is a mitochondrial monotopic membrane protein that plays an essential role in the pyrimidine de novo biosynthesis and electron transport chain pathways. In Eimeria tenella, an intracellular apicomplexan parasite that causes the most severe form of chicken coccidiosis, the activity of pyrimidine salvage pathway at the intracellular stage is negligible and it relies on the pyrimidine de novo biosynthesis pathway. Therefore, the enzymes of the de novo pathway are considered potential drug target candidates for the design of compounds with activity against this parasite. Although, DHODHs from E. tenella (EtDHODH), Plasmodium falciparum (PfDHODH), and human (HsDHODH) show distinct sensitivities to classical DHODH inhibitors, in this paper, we identify ferulenol as a potent inhibitor of both EtDHODH and HsDHODH. Additionally, we report the crystal structures of EtDHODH and HsDHODH in the absence and presence of ferulenol. Comparison of these enzymes showed that despite similar overall structures, the EtDHODH has a long insertion in the N-terminal helix region that assumes a disordered configuration. In addition, the crystal structures revealed that the ferulenol binding pocket of EtDHODH is larger than that of HsDHODH. These differences can be explored to accelerate structure-based design of inhibitors specifically targeting EtDHODH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Sato
- Department of Applied Biology, Graduate School of Science Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (M.N.); (Y.Y.); (S.H.)
| | - Endah Dwi Hartuti
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan;
| | - Daniel Ken Inaoka
- Department of Molecular Infection Dynamics, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan;
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan;
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; (E.A.); (T.N.)
- Correspondence: (D.K.I.); (T.S.); Tel.: +81-95-819-7230 (D.K.I.); Tel./Fax: +81-75-724-7541 (T.S.)
| | - Takaya Sakura
- Department of Molecular Infection Dynamics, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan;
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan;
| | - Eri Amalia
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; (E.A.); (T.N.)
| | - Madoka Nagahama
- Department of Applied Biology, Graduate School of Science Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (M.N.); (Y.Y.); (S.H.)
| | - Yukina Yoshioka
- Department of Applied Biology, Graduate School of Science Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (M.N.); (Y.Y.); (S.H.)
| | - Naotoshi Tsuji
- Department of Parasitology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0374, Japan;
| | - Tomoyoshi Nozaki
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; (E.A.); (T.N.)
| | - Kiyoshi Kita
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan;
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; (E.A.); (T.N.)
- Department of Host-Defense Biochemistry, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Shigeharu Harada
- Department of Applied Biology, Graduate School of Science Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (M.N.); (Y.Y.); (S.H.)
| | - Makoto Matsubayashi
- Division of Veterinary Science, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58 Rinku Orai Kita, Izumisano, Osaka 598-8531, Japan;
| | - Tomoo Shiba
- Department of Applied Biology, Graduate School of Science Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (M.N.); (Y.Y.); (S.H.)
- Correspondence: (D.K.I.); (T.S.); Tel.: +81-95-819-7230 (D.K.I.); Tel./Fax: +81-75-724-7541 (T.S.)
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11
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Niikura M, Fukutomi T, Fukui K, Inoue SI, Asahi H, Kobayashi F. G-strand binding protein 2 is involved in asexual and sexual development of Plasmodium berghei. Parasitol Int 2020; 76:102059. [PMID: 31958569 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2020.102059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
G-strand binding protein 2 (GBP2) is a Ser/Arg-rich (SR) protein involved in mRNA surveillance and nuclear mRNA quality control in yeast. However, the roles of GBP2 in virulence and sexual development in Plasmodium parasites are unclear, although GBP2 is involved in the asexual development of Plasmodium berghei, the rodent malaria parasite. In this study, we investigated the role of GBP2 in virulence and sexual development of P. berghei using gbp2-deleted P. berghei (Δgbp2 parasites). Then, to identify factors affected by gbp2 deletion, we performed a comparative proteomic analysis of the Δgbp2 parasites. We found that GBP2 was not associated with the development of experimental cerebral malaria during infection with P. berghei, but asexual development of the parasite was delayed with deletion of gbp2. However, the development of P. berghei gametocytes was significantly reduced with deletion of gbp2. Comparative proteomic analysis revealed that the levels of adenosine deaminase (ADA), purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP), and hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) in Δgbp2 parasites were significantly higher than those in wild-type (WT) parasites, suggesting that biosynthesis of purine nucleotides may be involved in function of GBP2. Therefore, we investigated the effect of purine starvation on the sexual development and proteome. In nt1-deleted P. berghei (Δnt1 parasites), the production of male and female gametocytes was significantly reduced compared to that in WT parasites. Moreover, we found that protein levels of GBP2 in Δnt1 parasites were markedly lower than in WT parasites. These findings suggest that GBP2 is primarily involved in the sexual development of malaria parasites, and its function may be suppressed by purine starvation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamoru Niikura
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Toshiyuki Fukutomi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kana Fukui
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Inoue
- Division of Immunology, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Nagasaki University, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Hiroko Asahi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fumie Kobayashi
- Department of Environmental Science, School of Life and Environmental Science, Azabu University, Japan
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12
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Same same, but different: Uncovering unique features of the mitochondrial respiratory chain of apicomplexans. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2019; 232:111204. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2019.111204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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13
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Wang X, Miyazaki Y, Inaoka DK, Hartuti ED, Watanabe YI, Shiba T, Harada S, Saimoto H, Burrows JN, Benito FJG, Nozaki T, Kita K. Identification of Plasmodium falciparum Mitochondrial Malate: Quinone Oxidoreductase Inhibitors from the Pathogen Box. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10060471. [PMID: 31234346 PMCID: PMC6627850 DOI: 10.3390/genes10060471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is one of the three major global health threats. Drug development for malaria, especially for its most dangerous form caused by Plasmodium falciparum, remains an urgent task due to the emerging drug-resistant parasites. Exploration of novel antimalarial drug targets identified a trifunctional enzyme, malate quinone oxidoreductase (MQO), located in the mitochondrial inner membrane of P. falciparum (PfMQO). PfMQO is involved in the pathways of mitochondrial electron transport chain, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and fumarate cycle. Recent studies have shown that MQO is essential for P. falciparum survival in asexual stage and for the development of experiment cerebral malaria in the murine parasite P. berghei, providing genetic validation of MQO as a drug target. However, chemical validation of MQO, as a target, remains unexplored. In this study, we used active recombinant protein rPfMQO overexpressed in bacterial membrane fractions to screen a total of 400 compounds from the Pathogen Box, released by Medicines for Malaria Venture. The screening identified seven hit compounds targeting rPfMQO with an IC50 of under 5 μM. We tested the activity of hit compounds against the growth of 3D7 wildtype strain of P. falciparum, among which four compounds showed an IC50 from low to sub-micromolar concentrations, suggesting that PfMQO is indeed a potential antimalarial drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinying Wang
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4, Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
| | - Yukiko Miyazaki
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4, Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
| | - Daniel Ken Inaoka
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4, Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
- Department of Molecular Infection Dynamics, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4, Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
| | - Endah Dwi Hartuti
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4, Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
| | - Yoh-Ichi Watanabe
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Tomoo Shiba
- Department of Applied Biology, Graduate School of Science Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Hashikamicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan.
| | - Shigeharu Harada
- Department of Applied Biology, Graduate School of Science Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Hashikamicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan.
| | - Hiroyuki Saimoto
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Tottori University, 4-101 Koyama-cho Minami, Tottori 680-8550, Japan.
| | | | | | - Tomoyoshi Nozaki
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Kiyoshi Kita
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4, Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
- Department of Host-Defense Biochemistry, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4, Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
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14
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Ke H, Ganesan SM, Dass S, Morrisey JM, Pou S, Nilsen A, Riscoe MK, Mather MW, Vaidya AB. Mitochondrial type II NADH dehydrogenase of Plasmodium falciparum (PfNDH2) is dispensable in the asexual blood stages. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214023. [PMID: 30964863 PMCID: PMC6456166 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The battle against malaria has been substantially impeded by the recurrence of drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest human malaria parasite. To counter the problem, novel antimalarial drugs are urgently needed, especially those that target unique pathways of the parasite, since they are less likely to have side effects. The mitochondrial type II NADH dehydrogenase (NDH2) of P. falciparum, PfNDH2 (PF3D7_0915000), has been considered a good prospective antimalarial drug target for over a decade, since malaria parasites lack the conventional multi-subunit NADH dehydrogenase, or Complex I, present in the mammalian mitochondrial electron transport chain (mtETC). Instead, Plasmodium parasites contain a single subunit NDH2, which lacks proton pumping activity and is absent in humans. A significant amount of effort has been expended to develop PfNDH2 specific inhibitors, yet the essentiality of PfNDH2 has not been convincingly verified. Herein, we knocked out PfNDH2 in P. falciparum via a CRISPR/Cas9 mediated approach. Deletion of PfNDH2 does not alter the parasite’s susceptibility to multiple mtETC inhibitors, including atovaquone and ELQ-300. We also show that the antimalarial activity of the fungal NDH2 inhibitor HDQ and its new derivative CK-2-68 is due to inhibition of the parasite cytochrome bc1 complex rather than PfNDH2. These compounds directly inhibit the ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase activity of the malarial bc1 complex. Our results suggest that PfNDH2 is not likely a good antimalarial drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hangjun Ke
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Suresh M. Ganesan
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Swati Dass
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Joanne M. Morrisey
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Sovitj Pou
- Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Aaron Nilsen
- Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Michael K. Riscoe
- Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Michael W. Mather
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Akhil B. Vaidya
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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15
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Novel Characteristics of Mitochondrial Electron Transport Chain from Eimeria tenella. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10010029. [PMID: 30626105 PMCID: PMC6356742 DOI: 10.3390/genes10010029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Eimeria tenella is an intracellular apicomplexan parasite, which infects cecal epithelial cells from chickens and causes hemorrhagic diarrhea and eventual death. We have previously reported the comparative RNA sequence analysis of the E. tenella sporozoite stage between virulent and precocious strains and showed that the expression of several genes involved in mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC), such as type II NADH dehydrogenase (NDH-2), complex II (succinate:quinone oxidoreductase), malate:quinone oxidoreductase (MQO), and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH), were upregulated in virulent strain. To study E. tenella mitochondrial ETC in detail, we developed a reproducible method for preparation of mitochondria-rich fraction from sporozoites, which maintained high specific activities of dehydrogenases, such as NDH-2 followed by G3PDH, MQO, complex II, and dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). Of particular importance, we showed that E. tenella sporozoite mitochondria possess an intrinsic ability to perform fumarate respiration (via complex II) in addition to the classical oxygen respiration (via complexes III and IV). Further analysis by high-resolution clear native electrophoresis, activity staining, and nano-liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (nano-LC-MS/MS) provided evidence of a mitochondrial complex II-III-IV supercomplex. Our analysis suggests that complex II from E. tenella has biochemical features distinct to known orthologues and is a potential target for the development of new anticoccidian drugs.
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16
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Kume A, Kasai S, Furuya H, Suzuki H. α-Tocopheryl succinate-suppressed development of cerebral malaria in mice. Parasitol Res 2018; 117:3177-3182. [PMID: 30030625 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-6016-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
α-Tocopheryl succinate (α-TOS), a derivative of vitamin E, is synthesized by esterification of α-tocopherol. It has been reported that α-TOS inhibits the mitochondrial complex II resulting in generation of reactive oxygen species, which triggers selective apoptosis in a large number of cancer cells, while it appears largely non-toxic towards normal cells. Plasmodium parasites are well known to have high sensitivity to oxidative stress. Thus, α-TOS is suspected to impact Plasmodium parasites by oxidative stress. In this study, to ascertain whether α-TOS is an appropriate candidate for an anti-malarial drug, C57BL/6J mice were infected with P. yoelii 17XL and P. berghei ANKA, a lethal strain of rodent malaria and experimental cerebral malaria (ECM), and treated with several concentrations of α-TOS by intraperitoneal administration on 1, 3, 5, and 7 days post infection (dpi). In addition, the permeability of the blood brain barrier (BBB) was examined by Evans blue staining in ECM on 7 dpi. As a result of α-TOS treatment, parasitemia was decreased and survival rate was significantly increased in mice infected with both parasites. Furthermore, the intensity of Evans blue staining on brains taken from α-TOS-treated mice was weaker than that of untreated mice. This means that α-TOS might inhibit the breakdown of BBB and progress of cerebral malaria. These findings indicate that vitamin E derivatives like α-TOS might be a potential candidate for treatment drugs against malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiko Kume
- Research Unit for Functional Genomics, National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nishi 2-13, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Shunji Kasai
- Eisai Co., Ltd., 13-1 Nishigoken-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-0812, Japan
| | - Hana Furuya
- Research Unit for Functional Genomics, National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nishi 2-13, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Suzuki
- Research Unit for Functional Genomics, National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nishi 2-13, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan.
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17
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Jayaraman V, Suryavanshi A, Kalale P, Kunala J, Balaram H. Biochemical characterization and essentiality of Plasmodium fumarate hydratase. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:5878-5894. [PMID: 29449371 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.816298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2017] [Revised: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum (Pf), the causative agent of malaria, has an iron-sulfur cluster-containing class I fumarate hydratase (FH) that catalyzes the interconversion of fumarate to malate, a well-known reaction in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. In humans, the same reaction is catalyzed by class II FH that has no sequence or structural homology with the class I enzyme from Plasmodium Fumarate is generated in large quantities in the parasite as a by-product of AMP synthesis and is converted to malate by FH and then used in the generation of the key metabolites oxaloacetate, aspartate, and pyruvate. Previous studies have identified the FH reaction as being essential to P. falciparum, but biochemical characterization of PfFH that may provide leads for the development of specific inhibitors is lacking. Here, we report on the kinetic characterization of purified recombinant PfFH, functional complementation of fh deficiency in Escherichia coli, and mitochondrial localization in the parasite. We found that the substrate analog mercaptosuccinic acid is a potent PfFH inhibitor, with a Ki value in the nanomolar range. The fh gene could not be knocked out in Plasmodium berghei when transfectants were introduced into BALB/c mice; however, fh knockout was successful when C57BL/6 mice were used as host, suggesting that the essentiality of the fh gene to the parasite was mouse strain-dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Jayaraman
- From the Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, Karnataka 560064, India
| | - Arpitha Suryavanshi
- From the Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, Karnataka 560064, India
| | - Pavithra Kalale
- From the Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, Karnataka 560064, India
| | - Jyothirmai Kunala
- From the Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, Karnataka 560064, India
| | - Hemalatha Balaram
- From the Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, Karnataka 560064, India
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18
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Hartuti ED, Inaoka DK, Komatsuya K, Miyazaki Y, Miller RJ, Xinying W, Sadikin M, Prabandari EE, Waluyo D, Kuroda M, Amalia E, Matsuo Y, Nugroho NB, Saimoto H, Pramisandi A, Watanabe YI, Mori M, Shiomi K, Balogun EO, Shiba T, Harada S, Nozaki T, Kita K. Biochemical studies of membrane bound Plasmodium falciparum mitochondrial L-malate:quinone oxidoreductase, a potential drug target. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2017; 1859:191-200. [PMID: 29269266 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2017.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum is an apicomplexan parasite that causes the most severe malaria in humans. Due to a lack of effective vaccines and emerging of drug resistance parasites, development of drugs with novel mechanisms of action and few side effects are imperative. To this end, ideal drug targets are those essential to parasite viability as well as absent in their mammalian hosts. The mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) of P. falciparum is one source of such potential targets because enzymes, such as L-malate:quinone oxidoreductase (PfMQO), in this pathway are absent humans. PfMQO catalyzes the oxidation of L-malate to oxaloacetate and the simultaneous reduction of ubiquinone to ubiquinol. It is a membrane protein, involved in three pathways (ETC, the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the fumarate cycle) and has been shown to be essential for parasite survival, at least, in the intra-erythrocytic asexual stage. These findings indicate that PfMQO would be a valuable drug target for development of antimalarial with novel mechanism of action. Up to this point in time, difficulty in producing active recombinant mitochondrial MQO has hampered biochemical characterization and targeted drug discovery with MQO. Here we report for the first time recombinant PfMQO overexpressed in bacterial membrane and the first biochemical study. Furthermore, about 113 compounds, consisting of ubiquinone binding site inhibitors and antiparasitic agents, were screened resulting in the discovery of ferulenol as a potent PfMQO inhibitor. Finally, ferulenol was shown to inhibit parasite growth and showed strong synergism in combination with atovaquone, a well-described anti-malarial and bc1 complex inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Endah Dwi Hartuti
- Master program of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, Indonesia; Biotech Center, Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Daniel Ken Inaoka
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.
| | - Keisuke Komatsuya
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yukiko Miyazaki
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Russell J Miller
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Wang Xinying
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Mohamad Sadikin
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | | | - Danang Waluyo
- Biotech Center, Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Marie Kuroda
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Eri Amalia
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuichi Matsuo
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Nuki B Nugroho
- Biotech Center, Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Hiroyuki Saimoto
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan
| | - Amila Pramisandi
- Biotech Center, Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, Jakarta, Indonesia; Graduate School of Infection Control Sciences, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoh-Ichi Watanabe
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mihoko Mori
- Graduate School of Infection Control Sciences, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuro Shiomi
- Graduate School of Infection Control Sciences, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Emmanuel Oluwadare Balogun
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Biochemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
| | - Tomoo Shiba
- Department of Applied Biology, Graduate School of Science Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shigeharu Harada
- Department of Applied Biology, Graduate School of Science Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tomoyoshi Nozaki
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Kita
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
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