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Pitombeira MCSR, Júnior PAS, Murta SMF, Romanha A, Luccas PH, Nonato MC, Rocha REO, Ferreira RS, da Silveira FF, Castelo-Branco FS, Carvalho AS, Boechat N. New 2-nitroimidazole-N-acylhydrazones, analogs of benznidazole, as anti-Trypanosoma cruzi agents. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2024; 357:e2400059. [PMID: 38627301 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202400059] [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: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Chagas disease is a neglected tropical parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. Worldwide, an estimated 8 million people are infected with T. cruzi, causing more than 10,000 deaths per year. Currently, only two drugs, nifurtimox and benznidazole (BNZ), are approved for its treatment. However, both are ineffective during the chronic phase, show toxicity, and produce serious side effects. This work aimed to obtain and evaluate novel 2-nitroimidazole-N-acylhydrazone derivatives analogous to BNZ. The design of these compounds used the two important pharmacophoric subunits of the BNZ prototype, the 2-nitroimidazole nucleus and the benzene ring, and the bioisosterism among the amide group of BNZ and N-acylhydrazone. The 27 compounds were obtained by a three-step route in 57%-98% yields. The biological results demonstrated the potential of this new class of compounds, since eight compounds were potent and selective in the in vitro assay against T. cruzi amastigotes and trypomastigotes using a drug-susceptible strain of T. cruzi (Tulahuen) (IC50 = 4.3-6.25 µM) and proved to be highly selective with low cytotoxicity on L929 cells. The type I nitroreductase (TcNTR) assay suggests that the new compounds may act as substrates for this enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelly C S R Pitombeira
- Laboratorio de Sintese de Farmacos LASFAR, Instituto de Tecnologia em Farmacos, Farmanguinhos-FIOCRUZ, Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Programa de Pos -Graduação em Farmacologia e Química Medicinal do Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas-ICB-UFRJ, Centro de Ciências da Saúde-CCS, Bloco J, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Policarpo A S Júnior
- Grupo de Genômica Funcional e Proteômica de Leishmania spp e Trypanosoma cruzi, Instituto René Rachou (FIOCRUZ-Minas), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Silvane Maria Fonseca Murta
- Grupo de Genômica Funcional e Proteômica de Leishmania spp e Trypanosoma cruzi, Instituto René Rachou (FIOCRUZ-Minas), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Alvaro Romanha
- Grupo de Genômica Funcional e Proteômica de Leishmania spp e Trypanosoma cruzi, Instituto René Rachou (FIOCRUZ-Minas), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Pedro H Luccas
- Laboratório de Cristalografia de Proteínas, Departamento de Ciências BioMoleculares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - M Cristina Nonato
- Laboratório de Cristalografia de Proteínas, Departamento de Ciências BioMoleculares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Rafael E O Rocha
- Departamento de Bioquíımica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Rafaela S Ferreira
- Departamento de Bioquíımica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Flávia F da Silveira
- Laboratorio de Sintese de Farmacos LASFAR, Instituto de Tecnologia em Farmacos, Farmanguinhos-FIOCRUZ, Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Frederico S Castelo-Branco
- Laboratorio de Sintese de Farmacos LASFAR, Instituto de Tecnologia em Farmacos, Farmanguinhos-FIOCRUZ, Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Alcione S Carvalho
- Laboratorio de Sintese de Farmacos LASFAR, Instituto de Tecnologia em Farmacos, Farmanguinhos-FIOCRUZ, Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Nubia Boechat
- Laboratorio de Sintese de Farmacos LASFAR, Instituto de Tecnologia em Farmacos, Farmanguinhos-FIOCRUZ, Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Programa de Pos -Graduação em Farmacologia e Química Medicinal do Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas-ICB-UFRJ, Centro de Ciências da Saúde-CCS, Bloco J, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Giroud M, Kuhn B, Haap W. Drug Discovery Efforts to Identify Novel Treatments for Neglected Tropical Diseases - Cysteine Protease Inhibitors. Curr Med Chem 2024; 31:2170-2194. [PMID: 37916489 DOI: 10.2174/0109298673249097231017051733] [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: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neglected tropical diseases are a severe burden for mankind, affecting an increasing number of people around the globe. Many of those diseases are caused by protozoan parasites in which cysteine proteases play a key role in the parasite's pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE In this review article, we summarize the drug discovery efforts of the research community from 2017 - 2022 with a special focus on the optimization of small molecule cysteine protease inhibitors in terms of selectivity profiles or drug-like properties as well as in vivo studies. The cysteine proteases evaluated by this methodology include Cathepsin B1 from Schistosoma mansoni, papain, cruzain, falcipain, and rhodesain. METHODS Exhaustive literature searches were performed using the keywords "Cysteine Proteases" and "Neglected Tropical Diseases" including the years 2017 - 2022. Overall, approximately 3'000 scientific papers were retrieved, which were filtered using specific keywords enabling the focus on drug discovery efforts. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION Potent and selective cysteine protease inhibitors to treat neglected tropical diseases were identified, which progressed to pharmacokinetic and in vivo efficacy studies. As far as the authors are aware of, none of those inhibitors reached the stage of active clinical development. Either the inhibitor's potency or pharmacokinetic properties or safety profile or a combination thereof prevented further development of the compounds. More efforts with particular emphasis on optimizing pharmacokinetic and safety properties are needed, potentially by collaborations of academic and industrial research groups with complementary expertise. Furthermore, new warheads reacting with the catalytic cysteine should be exploited to advance the research field in order to make a meaningful impact on society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maude Giroud
- Pharma Research and Early Development pRED, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Medicinal Chemistry, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Grenzacherstrasse 124, Basel, CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Bernd Kuhn
- Pharma Research and Early Development pRED, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Medicinal Chemistry, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Grenzacherstrasse 124, Basel, CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Wolfgang Haap
- Pharma Research and Early Development pRED, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Medicinal Chemistry, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Grenzacherstrasse 124, Basel, CH-4070, Switzerland
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3
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Nicolás-Hernández DS, Rodríguez-Expósito RL, López-Arencibia A, Bethencourt-Estrella CJ, Sifaoui I, Salazar-Villatoro L, Omaña-Molina M, Fernández JJ, Díaz-Marrero AR, Piñero JE, Lorenzo-Morales J. Meroterpenoids from Gongolaria abies-marina against Kinetoplastids: In Vitro Activity and Programmed Cell Death Study. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16040476. [PMID: 37111233 PMCID: PMC10146491 DOI: 10.3390/ph16040476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease affect millions of people worldwide. The available treatments against these parasitic diseases are limited and display multiple undesired effects. The brown alga belonging to the genus Gongolaria has been previously reported as a source of compounds with different biological activities. In a recent study from our group, Gongolaria abies-marine was proven to present antiamebic activity. Hence, this brown alga could be a promising source of interesting molecules for the development of new antiprotozoal drugs. In this study, four meroterpenoids were isolated and purified from a dichloromethane/ethyl acetate crude extract through a bioguided fractionation process targeting kinetoplastids. Moreover, the in vitro activity and toxicity were evaluated, and the induction of programmed cell death was checked in the most active and less toxic compounds, namely gongolarone B (2), 6Z-1'-methoxyamentadione (3) and 1'-methoxyamentadione (4). These meroterpenoids triggered mitochondrial malfunction, oxidative stress, chromatin condensation and alterations of the tubulin network. Furthermore, a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image analysis showed that meroterpenoids (2-4) induced the formation of autophagy vacuoles and ER and Golgi complex disorganization. The obtained results demonstrated that the mechanisms of action at the cellular level of these compounds were able to induce autophagy as well as an apoptosis-like process in the treated parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desirée San Nicolás-Hernández
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Red de Investigación Colaborativa en Enfermedades Tropicales (RICET), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rubén L Rodríguez-Expósito
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Red de Investigación Colaborativa en Enfermedades Tropicales (RICET), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Atteneri López-Arencibia
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Red de Investigación Colaborativa en Enfermedades Tropicales (RICET), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos J Bethencourt-Estrella
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Red de Investigación Colaborativa en Enfermedades Tropicales (RICET), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ines Sifaoui
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Red de Investigación Colaborativa en Enfermedades Tropicales (RICET), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Lizbeth Salazar-Villatoro
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de Mexico 07360, Mexico
| | - Maritza Omaña-Molina
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
| | - José J Fernández
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez 3, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Ana R Díaz-Marrero
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez 3, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez 3, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - José E Piñero
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Red de Investigación Colaborativa en Enfermedades Tropicales (RICET), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28006 Madrid, Spain
- Consorcio Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red (CIBER) de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jacob Lorenzo-Morales
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Red de Investigación Colaborativa en Enfermedades Tropicales (RICET), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28006 Madrid, Spain
- Consorcio Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red (CIBER) de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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4
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de Souza CC, de Azevedo-França JA, Barrias E, Cavalcante SCF, Vieira EG, Ferreira AMDC, de Souza W, Navarro M. Silver and copper-benznidazole derivatives as potential antiparasitic metallodrugs: Synthesis, characterization, and biological evaluation. J Inorg Biochem 2023; 239:112047. [PMID: 36428157 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2022.112047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Currently the only drug available to treat Chagas disease in Brazil is benznidazole (BZN). Therefore, there is an urgent need to discover and develop new anti- Trypanosoma cruzi candidates. In our continuous effort to enhance clinical antiparasitic drugs using synergistic strategy, BZN was coordinated to silver and copper ions to enhance its effectiveness to treat that illness. In this work, the syntheses of four novel metal-BZN complexes, [Ag(BZN)2]NO3·H2O (1), [CuCl2(BZN)(H2O)]·1/2CH3CN (2), [Ag(PPh3)2(BZN)2]NO3·H2O (3), and [Cu(PPh3)2(BNZ)2]NO3·2H2O (4), and their characterization using multiple analytical and spectroscopic techniques such as Infrared (FTIR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H, 13C, 31P), UV-Visible (UV-Vis), Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR), conductivity and elemental analysis are described. IC50 (Half-maximal inhibitory concentration) values of Ag-BZN compounds are about five to ten times lower than benznidazole itself in both proliferation stages of the parasite (epimastigotes and amastigotes). The cytotoxicity of both compounds in human cells (fibroblasts and hepatocytes) are comparable to BZN, indicating that Ag-BZN complexes can be more selective than BZN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassiano Cunha de Souza
- Laboratório de Química Bioinorgânica e Catálise, Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil
| | - José Aleixo de Azevedo-França
- Laboratório de Química Bioinorgânica e Catálise, Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil
| | - Emile Barrias
- Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia, INMETRO, Xerém, RJ, Brazil
| | | | - Eduardo Guimarães Vieira
- Laboratório de Bioinorgânica, Catálise e Farmacologia, Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria Da Costa Ferreira
- Laboratório de Bioinorgânica, Catálise e Farmacologia, Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Wanderley de Souza
- Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia (INBEB) and Centro Nacional de Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagens, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Maribel Navarro
- Laboratório de Química Bioinorgânica e Catálise, Departamento de Química, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.
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5
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Pauli I, Rezende CDO, Slafer BW, Dessoy MA, de Souza ML, Ferreira LLG, Adjanohun ALM, Ferreira RS, Magalhães LG, Krogh R, Michelan-Duarte S, Del Pintor RV, da Silva FBR, Cruz FC, Dias LC, Andricopulo AD. Multiparameter Optimization of Trypanocidal Cruzain Inhibitors With In Vivo Activity and Favorable Pharmacokinetics. Front Pharmacol 2022; 12:774069. [PMID: 35069198 PMCID: PMC8767159 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.774069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cruzain, the main cysteine protease of Trypanosoma cruzi, plays key roles in all stages of the parasite's life cycle, including nutrition acquisition, differentiation, evasion of the host immune system, and invasion of host cells. Thus, inhibition of this validated target may lead to the development of novel drugs for the treatment of Chagas disease. In this study, a multiparameter optimization (MPO) approach, molecular modeling, and structure-activity relationships (SARs) were employed for the identification of new benzimidazole derivatives as potent competitive inhibitors of cruzain with trypanocidal activity and suitable pharmacokinetics. Extensive pharmacokinetic studies enabled the identification of metabolically stable and permeable compounds with high selectivity indices. CYP3A4 was found to be involved in the main metabolic pathway, and the identification of metabolic soft spots provided insights into molecular optimization. Compound 28, which showed a promising trade-off between pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, caused no acute toxicity and reduced parasite burden both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivani Pauli
- Laboratório de Química Medicinal e Computacional, Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Celso de O Rezende
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Brian W Slafer
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Marco A Dessoy
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Mariana L de Souza
- Laboratório de Química Medicinal e Computacional, Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Leonardo L G Ferreira
- Laboratório de Química Medicinal e Computacional, Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Abraham L M Adjanohun
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Rafaela S Ferreira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Luma G Magalhães
- Laboratório de Química Medicinal e Computacional, Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Renata Krogh
- Laboratório de Química Medicinal e Computacional, Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Simone Michelan-Duarte
- Laboratório de Química Medicinal e Computacional, Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
| | | | | | - Fabio C Cruz
- Departamento de Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luiz C Dias
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Adriano D Andricopulo
- Laboratório de Química Medicinal e Computacional, Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
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6
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Rivero CV, Martínez SJ, Novick P, Cueto JA, Salassa BN, Vanrell MC, Li X, Labriola CA, Polo LM, Engman DM, Clos J, Romano PS. Repurposing Carvedilol as a Novel Inhibitor of the Trypanosoma cruzi Autophagy Flux That Affects Parasite Replication and Survival. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:657257. [PMID: 34476220 PMCID: PMC8406938 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.657257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
T. cruzi, the causal agent of Chagas disease, is a parasite able to infect different types of host cells and to persist chronically in the tissues of human and animal hosts. These qualities and the lack of an effective treatment for the chronic stage of the disease have contributed to the durability and the spread of the disease around the world. There is an urgent necessity to find new therapies for Chagas disease. Drug repurposing is a promising and cost-saving strategy for finding new drugs for different illnesses. In this work we describe the effect of carvedilol on T. cruzi. This compound, selected by virtual screening, increased the accumulation of immature autophagosomes characterized by lower acidity and hydrolytic properties. As a consequence of this action, the survival of trypomastigotes and the replication of epimastigotes and amastigotes were impaired, resulting in a significant reduction of infection and parasite load. Furthermore, carvedilol reduced the whole-body parasite burden peak in infected mice. In summary, in this work we present a repurposed drug with a significant in vitro and in vivo activity against T. cruzi. These data in addition to other pharmacological properties make carvedilol an attractive lead for Chagas disease treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Vanesa Rivero
- Laboratorio de Biología de Trypanosoma cruzi y la célula hospedadora - Instituto de Histología y Embriología "Dr. Mario H. Burgos", IHEM-CONICET- Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina.,Leishmaniasis Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Santiago José Martínez
- Laboratorio de Biología de Trypanosoma cruzi y la célula hospedadora - Instituto de Histología y Embriología "Dr. Mario H. Burgos", IHEM-CONICET- Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Paul Novick
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Juan Agustín Cueto
- Laboratorio de Biología de Trypanosoma cruzi y la célula hospedadora - Instituto de Histología y Embriología "Dr. Mario H. Burgos", IHEM-CONICET- Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Betiana Nebaí Salassa
- Laboratorio de Biología de Trypanosoma cruzi y la célula hospedadora - Instituto de Histología y Embriología "Dr. Mario H. Burgos", IHEM-CONICET- Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - María Cristina Vanrell
- Laboratorio de Biología de Trypanosoma cruzi y la célula hospedadora - Instituto de Histología y Embriología "Dr. Mario H. Burgos", IHEM-CONICET- Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Xiaomo Li
- Leishmaniasis Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Carlos Alberto Labriola
- Laboratorio de Biología estructural y celular, Fundación Instituto Leloir (FIL-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Luis Mariano Polo
- Instituto de Histología y Embriología "Dr. Mario H. Burgos", IHEM-CONICET- Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - David M Engman
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Joachim Clos
- Leishmaniasis Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Patricia Silvia Romano
- Laboratorio de Biología de Trypanosoma cruzi y la célula hospedadora - Instituto de Histología y Embriología "Dr. Mario H. Burgos", IHEM-CONICET- Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
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7
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Silva LR, Guimarães AS, do Nascimento J, do Santos Nascimento IJ, da Silva EB, McKerrow JH, Cardoso SH, da Silva-Júnior EF. Computer-aided design of 1,4-naphthoquinone-based inhibitors targeting cruzain and rhodesain cysteine proteases. Bioorg Med Chem 2021; 41:116213. [PMID: 33992862 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2021.116213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Chagas disease and Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) are caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and T. brucei parasites, respectively. Cruzain (CRZ) and Rhodesain (RhD) are cysteine proteases that share 70% of identity and play vital functions in these parasites. These macromolecules represent promising targets for designing new inhibitors. In this context, 26 CRZ and 5 RhD 3D-structures were evaluated by molecular redocking to identify the most accurate one to be utilized as a target. Posteriorly, a virtual screening of a library containing 120 small natural and nature-based compounds was performed on both of them. In total, 14 naphthoquinone-based analogs were identified, synthesized, and biologically evaluated. In total, five compounds were active against RhD, being three of them also active on CRZ. A derivative of 1,4-naphthoquinonepyridin-2-ylsulfonamide was found to be the most active molecule, exhibiting IC50 values of 6.3 and 1.8 µM for CRZ and RhD, respectively. Dynamic simulations at 100 ns demonstrated good stability and do not alter the targets' structures. MM-PBSA calculations revealed that it presents a higher affinity for RhD (-25.3 Kcal mol-1) than CRZ, in which van der Waals interactions were more relevant. A mechanistic hypothesis (via C3-Michael-addition reaction) involving a covalent mode of inhibition for this compound towards RhD was investigated by covalent molecular docking and DFT B3LYP/6-31 + G* calculations, exhibiting a low activation energy (ΔG‡) and providing a stable product (ΔG), with values of 7.78 and - 39.72 Kcal mol-1, respectively; similar to data found in the literature. Nevertheless, a reversibility assay by dilution revealed that JN-11 is a time-dependent and reversible inhibitor. Finally, this study applies modern computer-aided techniques to identify promising inhibitors from a well-known chemical class of natural products. Then, this work could inspire other future studies in the field, being useful for designing potent naphthoquinones as RhD inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro Rocha Silva
- Chemistry and Biotechnology Institute, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus A.C. Simões, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, Maceió 57072-970, Brazil; Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Synthesis, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus Arapiraca, Manoel Severino Barbosa Avenue, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
| | - Ari Souza Guimarães
- Chemistry and Biotechnology Institute, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus A.C. Simões, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, Maceió 57072-970, Brazil; Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Synthesis, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus Arapiraca, Manoel Severino Barbosa Avenue, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
| | - Jadiely do Nascimento
- Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Synthesis, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus Arapiraca, Manoel Severino Barbosa Avenue, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
| | - Igor José do Santos Nascimento
- Chemistry and Biotechnology Institute, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus A.C. Simões, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, Maceió 57072-970, Brazil
| | - Elany Barbosa da Silva
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - James H McKerrow
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sílvia Helena Cardoso
- Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Synthesis, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus Arapiraca, Manoel Severino Barbosa Avenue, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
| | - Edeildo Ferreira da Silva-Júnior
- Chemistry and Biotechnology Institute, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus A.C. Simões, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, Maceió 57072-970, Brazil.
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In vitro study of the trypanocidal activity of anilinophenanthrolines against Trypanosoma cruzi. Parasitol Int 2021; 83:102338. [PMID: 33766741 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2021.102338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease is present in Latin America, North America, Europe, and Asia, where between 6 and 7 million people are infected. This illness is transmitted mainly by the insect vector during blood feeding and by oral transmission. Chagas disease is treated with benznidazole and its effectiveness depends on which phase of the disease the treatment starts. Therefore, the identification of new compounds with anti-Chagas activities is important. Protozoan parasites present cysteine proteases, important for host cell infection and differentiation, which have been explored as valid targets against pathogenic parasites. In the present study, the effects of 10 new 1,10-phenanthroline derivatives were evaluated on T. cruzi. Three of them were effective against amastigotes (IC50 from 0.5 to 3 μM), epimastigotes (IC50 from 0.5 to at least 10 μM) and trypomastigotes (and LD50 from 1 to 10 μM), and they were not toxic to mammalian cells (CC50 ≥ 20 μM). These compounds also promoted the formation of autophagosomes, alter the level of heterochromatin condensation, caused the loss of kDNA topology, and the elongated cell body shape. Apart from ultrastructural alterations, an increased generation of ROS and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential were observed. Therefore, these drugs revealed potential trypanocidal effects and warrant further antiparasitic studies against Chagas disease.
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Update on relevant trypanosome peptidases: Validated targets and future challenges. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2020; 1869:140577. [PMID: 33271348 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2020.140577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of the American Trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease, and Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, the agents of Sleeping sickness (Human African Trypanosomiasis, HAT), as well as Trypanosoma brucei brucei, the agent of the cattle disease nagana, contain cysteine, serine, threonine, aspartyl and metallo peptidases. The most abundant among these enzymes are the cysteine proteases from the Clan CA, the Cathepsin L-like cruzipain and rhodesain, and the Cathepsin B-like enzymes, which have essential roles in the parasites and thus are potential targets for chemotherapy. In addition, several other proteases, present in one or both parasites, have been characterized, and some of them are also promising candidates for the developing of new drugs. Recently, new inhibitors, with good selectivity for the parasite proteasomes, have been described and are very promising as lead compounds for the development of new therapies for these neglected diseases. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: "Play and interplay of proteases in health and disease".
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de Paula JC, Bakoshi ABK, Lazarin-Bidóia D, Ud Din Z, Rodrigues-Filho E, Ueda-Nakamura T, Nakamura CV. Antiproliferative activity of the dibenzylideneacetone derivate (E)-3-ethyl-4-(4-nitrophenyl)but‑3-en-2-one in Trypanosoma cruzi. Acta Trop 2020; 211:105653. [PMID: 32777226 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease is one of the most prevalent neglected diseases in the world. The illness is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan parasite with a complex life cycle and three morphologically distinct developmental stages. Nowadays, the only treatment is based on two nitro-derivative drugs, benznidazole and nifurtimox, which cause serious side effects. Since the treatment is limited, the search for new treatment options for patients with Chagas disease is highly necessary. In this study we analyzed the substance A11K3, a dibenzylideneacetone (DBA). DBAs have an acyclic dienone attached to aryl groups in both β-positions and studies have shown that they have biological activity against tumors cells, bacteria, and protozoa such as T. cruzi and Leishmania spp. Here we show that A11K3 is active against all three T. cruzi evolutionary forms: the epimastigote (IC50 = 3.3 ± 0.8), the trypomastigote (EC50 = 24 ± 4.3) and the intracellular amastigote (IC50 = 9.3 ± 0.5 µM). A cytotoxicity assay in LLCMK2 cells showed a CC50 of 239.2 ± 15.7 µM giving a selectivity index (CC50/IC50) of 72.7 for epimastigotes, 9.9 for trypomastigotes and 25.9 for intracellular amastigotes. Morphological and ultrastructural analysis of the parasites treated with A11K3 by TEM and SEM revealed alterations in the Golgi complex, mitochondria, plasma membrane and cell body, with an increase of autophagic vacuoles and lipid bodies. Biochemical assays of A11K3-treated T. cruzi showed an increase of ROS, plasma membrane ruptures, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial membrane depolarization with a decrease in ATP and accumulation of autophagic vacuoles. The results lead to the hypothesis that A11K3 causes death of the protozoan through events such as plasma membrane and mitochondrial alterations and autophagy, characteristic of cell collapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica Carreira de Paula
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Inovação Tecnológica no Desenvolvimento de Fármacos e Cosméticos, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Bloco B-08, Av. Colombo 5790, Maringá, PR CEP 87020-900, Brazil
| | - Amanda Beatriz Kawano Bakoshi
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Inovação Tecnológica no Desenvolvimento de Fármacos e Cosméticos, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Bloco B-08, Av. Colombo 5790, Maringá, PR CEP 87020-900, Brazil
| | - Danielle Lazarin-Bidóia
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Inovação Tecnológica no Desenvolvimento de Fármacos e Cosméticos, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Bloco B-08, Av. Colombo 5790, Maringá, PR CEP 87020-900, Brazil
| | - Zia Ud Din
- LaBioMMi, Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, CP 676, São Carlos, SP 13.565-905, Brazil
| | - Edson Rodrigues-Filho
- LaBioMMi, Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, CP 676, São Carlos, SP 13.565-905, Brazil
| | - Tania Ueda-Nakamura
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Inovação Tecnológica no Desenvolvimento de Fármacos e Cosméticos, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Bloco B-08, Av. Colombo 5790, Maringá, PR CEP 87020-900, Brazil
| | - Celso Vataru Nakamura
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Inovação Tecnológica no Desenvolvimento de Fármacos e Cosméticos, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Bloco B-08, Av. Colombo 5790, Maringá, PR CEP 87020-900, Brazil.
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Wei N, Du Y, Lu J, Zhou Y, Cao J, Zhang H, Gong H, Zhou J. A cysteine protease of Babesia microti and its interaction with tick cystatins. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:3013-3022. [PMID: 32740752 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06818-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Babesiosis is a tick-borne protozoonosis caused by Babesia, which can cause fever, hemolytic anemia, hemoglobinuria, and even death. Babesia microti is a parasite found in rodents and can be pathogenic to humans. In this study, the full-length cDNA of a B. microti cysteine protease (BmCYP) was expressed and the recombinant rBmCYP protein analyzed and characterized. BmCYP is encoded by an ORF of 1.3 kb, with a predicted molecular weight of 50 kDa and a theoretical pI of 8.5. The amino acid sequence of BmCYP exhibits an identity of 32.9 to 35.2% with cysteine proteases of Babesia ovis, Babesia bovis, and Theileria, respectively. The results of the proteinase assays show that rBmCYP has cysteine protease enzymatic activity. In addition, we demonstrate that tick cystatins rRhcyst-1 and rRhcyst-2 were able to effectively inhibit the activity of rBmCYP; the inhibition rates were 57.2% and 30.9%, respectively. Tick cystatins Rhcyst-1 and Rhcyst-2 were differentially expressed in ticks that fed on Babesia-infected mice relative to non-infected control ticks. Our results suggest that BmCYP is a functional enzyme with cysteine protease enzymatic activity and may be involved in tick-B. microti interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yanfang Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jinmiao Lu
- 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
| | - Jie Cao
- 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
| | - Haiyan Gong
- 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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12
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Toman NP, Kamenik AS, Santos LH, Hofer F, Liedl KR, Ferreira RS. Profiling selectivity of chagasin mutants towards cysteine proteases cruzain or cathepsin L through molecular dynamics simulations. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 39:5940-5952. [PMID: 32715978 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1796797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Chagasin, an endogenous cysteine protease inhibitor from Trypanosoma cruzi, can control the activity of the parasitic cruzain and its homologous human cathepsin L. While chagasin inhibits both enzymes with similar potency, mutations have different effects on binding to these enzymes. Mutants T31A and T31A/T32A bind well to cathepsin L, but their affinity for cruzain drops ∼40 to 140-fold. On the other hand, the mutant W93A binds well to cruzain, but it loses potency against cathepsin L. Here, we employed molecular dynamics simulations to understand the selectivity in inhibition of cruzain or cathepsin L by chagasin mutants W93A, T31A, and T31A/T32A. Our results allowed profiling the nonbonded interactions in the interfaces of each mutant with these cysteine proteases. Additionally, we observed differences in the binding conformation of the chagasin loops L2 and L6 of the W93A mutant, favoring interactions with cruzain and reducing interactions with cathepsin L. These differences are associated with a partial dissociation of the W93A-cathepsin L complex, providing a likely cause for the selectivity of the mutant W93A towards cruzain.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Núbia Prates Toman
- Laboratório de Modelagem Molecular e Planejamento de Fármacos, Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Anna Sophia Kamenik
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Lucianna Helene Santos
- Laboratório de Modelagem Molecular e Planejamento de Fármacos, Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Florian Hofer
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Klaus R Liedl
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Rafaela Salgado Ferreira
- Laboratório de Modelagem Molecular e Planejamento de Fármacos, Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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Koeller CM, Bangs JD. Processing and targeting of cathepsin L (TbCatL) to the lysosome in
Trypanosoma brucei. Cell Microbiol 2019; 21:e12980. [DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carolina M. Koeller
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences University at Buffalo (SUNY) Buffalo New York USA
| | - James D. Bangs
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences University at Buffalo (SUNY) Buffalo New York USA
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Rocha DA, Silva EB, Fortes IS, Lopes MS, Ferreira RS, Andrade SF. Synthesis and structure-activity relationship studies of cruzain and rhodesain inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 157:1426-1459. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.08.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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15
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Otta DA, de Araújo FF, de Rezende VB, Souza-Fagundes EM, Elói-Santos SM, Costa-Silva MF, Santos RA, Costa HA, Siqueira-Neto JL, Martins-Filho OA, Teixeira-Carvalho A. Identification of Anti-Trypanosoma cruzi Lead Compounds with Putative Immunomodulatory Activity. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018; 62:e01834-17. [PMID: 29437629 PMCID: PMC5913944 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01834-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In seeking substitutions for the current Chagas disease treatment, which has several relevant side effects, new therapeutic candidates have been extensively investigated. In this context, a balanced interaction between mediators of the host immune response seems to be a key element for therapeutic success, as a proinflammatory microenvironment modulated by interleukin-10 (IL-10) is shown to be relevant to potentiate anti-Trypanosoma cruzi drug activity. This study aimed to identify the potential immunomodulatory activities of the anti-T. cruzi K777, pyronaridine (PYR), and furazolidone (FUR) compounds in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from noninfected (NI) subjects and chronic Chagas disease (CD) patients. Our results showed low cytotoxicity to PBMC populations, with 50% cytotoxic concentrations (CC50) of 71.0 μM (K777), 9.0 μM (PYR), and greater than 20 μM (FUR). In addition, K777 showed no impact on the exposure index (EI) of phytohemagglutinin-stimulated leukocytes (PHA), while PYR and FUR treatments induced increased EI of monocytes and T lymphocytes at late stages of apoptosis in NI subjects. Moreover, K777 induced a more prominent proinflammatory response (tumor necrosis factor alpha-positive [TNF-α+] CD8+/CD4+, gamma interferon-positive [IFN-γ+] CD4+/CD8+ modulated by interleukin-10-positive [IL-10+] CD4+ T/CD8+ T) than did PYR (TNF-α+ CD8+, IL-10+ CD8+) and FUR (TNF-α+ CD8+, IL-10+ CD8+). Signature analysis of intracytoplasmic cytokines corroborated the proinflammatory/modulated (K777) and proinflammatory (PYR and FUR) profiles previously found. In conclusion, the lead compound K777 may induce beneficial changes in the immunological profile of patients presenting the chronic phase of Chagas disease and may contribute to a more effective therapy against the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayane Andriotti Otta
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisas em Biomarcadores, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Fortes de Araújo
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisas em Biomarcadores, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Sanidade e Produção Animal nos Trópicos, Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Uberaba (UNIUBE), Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vitor Bortolo de Rezende
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisas em Biomarcadores, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Elaine Maria Souza-Fagundes
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Silvana Maria Elói-Santos
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisas em Biomarcadores, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Departamento de Propedêutica Complementar, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Matheus Fernandes Costa-Silva
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisas em Biomarcadores, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Raiany Araújo Santos
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisas em Biomarcadores, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Heloísa Alves Costa
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisas em Biomarcadores, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jair Lage Siqueira-Neto
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Olindo Assis Martins-Filho
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisas em Biomarcadores, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Andréa Teixeira-Carvalho
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisas em Biomarcadores, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Franco J, Scarone L, Comini MA. Drugs and Drug Resistance in African and American Trypanosomiasis. ANNUAL REPORTS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.armc.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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17
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de Souza AS, de Oliveira MT, Andricopulo AD. Development of a pharmacophore for cruzain using oxadiazoles as virtual molecular probes: quantitative structure–activity relationship studies. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2017; 31:801-816. [DOI: 10.1007/s10822-017-0039-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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18
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Moreira CMDN, Batista CM, Fernandes JC, Kessler RL, Soares MJ, Fragoso SP. Knockout of the gamma subunit of the AP-1 adaptor complex in the human parasite Trypanosoma cruzi impairs infectivity and differentiation and prevents the maturation and targeting of the major protease cruzipain. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0179615. [PMID: 28759609 PMCID: PMC5536268 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The AP-1 Adaptor Complex assists clathrin-coated vesicle assembly in the trans-Golgi network (TGN) of eukaryotic cells. However, the role of AP-1 in the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi-the Chagas disease parasite-has not been addressed. Here, we studied the function and localization of AP-1 in different T. cruzi life cycle forms, by generating a gene knockout of the large AP-1 subunit gamma adaptin (TcAP1-γ), and raising a monoclonal antibody against TcAP1-γ. Co-localization with a Golgi marker and with the clathrin light chain showed that TcAP1-γ is located in the Golgi, and it may interact with clathrin in vivo, at the TGN. Epimastigote (insect form) parasites lacking TcAP1-γ (TcγKO) have reduced proliferation and differentiation into infective metacyclic trypomastigotes (compared with wild-type parasites). TcγKO parasites have also displayed significantly reduced infectivity towards mammalian cells. Importantly, TcAP1-γ knockout impaired maturation and transport to lysosome-related organelles (reservosomes) of a key cargo-the major cysteine protease cruzipain, which is important for parasite nutrition, differentiation and infection. In conclusion, the defective processing and transport of cruzipain upon AP-1 ablation may underlie the phenotype of TcγKO parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Rafael Luis Kessler
- Laboratory of Functional Genomics. Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fiocruz, Curitiba - PR, Brazil
| | - Maurilio José Soares
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fiocruz, Curitiba - PR, Brazil
| | - Stenio Perdigão Fragoso
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Trypanosomatids, Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fiocruz, Curitiba - PR, Brazil
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Guerra A, Gonzalez-Naranjo P, Campillo NE, Varela J, Lavaggi ML, Merlino A, Cerecetto H, González M, Gomez-Barrio A, Escario JA, Fonseca-Berzal C, Yaluf G, Paniagua-Solis J, Páez JA. Novel Imidazo[4,5-c][1,2,6]thiadiazine 2,2-dioxides as antiproliferative trypanosoma cruzi drugs: Computational screening from neural network, synthesis and in vivo biological properties. Eur J Med Chem 2017; 136:223-234. [PMID: 28499168 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.04.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
A new family of imidazo[4,5-c][1,2,6]thiadiazine 2,2-dioxide with antiproliferative Trypanosoma cruzi properties was identified from a neural network model published by our group. The synthesis and evaluation of this new class of trypanocidal agents are described. These compounds inhibit the growth of Trypanosoma cruzi, comparable with benznidazole or nifurtimox. In vitro assays were performed to study their effects on the growth of the epimastigote form of the Tulahuen 2 strain, as well as the epimastigote and amastigote forms of CL clone B5 of Trypanosoma cruzi. To verify selectivity towards parasite cells, the non-specific cytotoxicity of the most relevant compounds was studied in mammalian cells, i.e. J774 murine macrophages and NCTC clone 929 fibroblasts. Furthermore, these compounds were assayed regarding the inhibition of cruzipain. In vivo studies revealed that one of the compounds, 19, showed interesting trypanocidal activity, and could be a very promising candidate for the treatment of Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Guerra
- Instituto de Química Médica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Gonzalez-Naranjo
- Instituto de Química Médica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Nuria E Campillo
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Varela
- Grupo de Química Medicinal, Laboratorio de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias-Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - María L Lavaggi
- Grupo de Química Medicinal, Laboratorio de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias-Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Alicia Merlino
- Grupo de Química Medicinal, Laboratorio de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias-Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Hugo Cerecetto
- Grupo de Química Medicinal, Laboratorio de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias-Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Mercedes González
- Grupo de Química Medicinal, Laboratorio de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias-Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Alicia Gomez-Barrio
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Pza, Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - José A Escario
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Pza, Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Fonseca-Berzal
- Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Pza, Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gloria Yaluf
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (iics), Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Asunción, Paraguay
| | - Jorge Paniagua-Solis
- Laboratorios Silanes IDF, S.L. Calle Santiago Grisolia, Nº 2- PTM 148 Parque Tecnologico de Madrid 28760, Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan A Páez
- Instituto de Química Médica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
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20
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Oliveira SSCD, Gonçalves DDS, Garcia-Gomes ADS, Gonçalves IC, Seabra SH, Menna-Barreto RF, Lopes AHDCS, D'Avila-Levy CM, Santos ALSD, Branquinha MH. Susceptibility of Phytomonas serpens to calpain inhibitors in vitro: interference on the proliferation, ultrastructure, cysteine peptidase expression and interaction with the invertebrate host. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2016; 112:31-43. [PMID: 27925020 PMCID: PMC5224352 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760160270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A pleiotropic response to the calpain inhibitor MDL28170 was detected in the tomato
parasite Phytomonas serpens. Ultrastructural studies revealed that
MDL28170 caused mitochondrial swelling, shortening of flagellum and disruption of
trans Golgi network. This effect was correlated to the inhibition in processing of
cruzipain-like molecules, which presented an increase in expression paralleled by
decreased proteolytic activity. Concomitantly, a calcium-dependent cysteine peptidase
was detected in the parasite extract, the activity of which was repressed by
pre-incubation of parasites with MDL28170. Flow cytometry and Western blotting
analyses revealed the differential expression of calpain-like proteins (CALPs) in
response to the pre-incubation of parasites with the MDL28170, and confocal
fluorescence microscopy confirmed their surface location. The interaction of
promastigotes with explanted salivary glands of the insect Oncopeltus
fasciatus was reduced when parasites were pre-treated with MDL28170,
which was correlated to reduced levels of surface cruzipain-like and gp63-like
molecules. Treatment of parasites with anti-Drosophila melanogaster
(Dm) calpain antibody also decreased the adhesion process. Additionally, parasites
recovered from the interaction process presented higher levels of surface
cruzipain-like and gp63-like molecules, with similar levels of CALPs cross-reactive
to anti-Dm-calpain antibody. The results confirm the importance of exploring the use
of calpain inhibitors in studying parasites’ physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Santiago Carvalho de Oliveira
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Laboratório de Investigação de Peptidases, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Diego de Souza Gonçalves
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Química, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquímica, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Aline Dos Santos Garcia-Gomes
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Estudos Integrados em Protozoologia, Coleção de Protozoários, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.,Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia, Laboratório de Microbiologia, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Inês Correa Gonçalves
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Laboratório de Bioquímica de Microrganismos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Sergio Henrique Seabra
- Centro Universitário Estadual da Zona Oeste, Laboratório de Tecnologia em Cultura de Células, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | | | - Angela Hampshire de Carvalho Santos Lopes
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Laboratório de Bioquímica de Microrganismos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Claudia Masini D'Avila-Levy
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Estudos Integrados em Protozoologia, Coleção de Protozoários, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - André Luis Souza Dos Santos
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Laboratório de Investigação de Peptidases, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.,Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Química, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquímica, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Marta Helena Branquinha
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Laboratório de Investigação de Peptidases, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
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21
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Arafet K, Ferrer S, Moliner V. First quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics studies of the inhibition mechanism of cruzain by peptidyl halomethyl ketones. Biochemistry 2015; 54:3381-91. [PMID: 25965914 DOI: 10.1021/bi501551g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Cruzain is a primary cysteine protease expressed by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi during Chagas disease infection, and thus, the development of inhibitors of this protein is a promising target for designing an effective therapy against the disease. In this paper, the mechanism of inhibition of cruzain by two different irreversible peptidyl halomethyl ketones (PHK) inhibitors has been studied by means of hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics-molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to obtain a complete representation of the possible free energy reaction paths. These have been traced on free energy surfaces in terms of the potential of mean force computed at AM1d/MM and DFT/MM levels of theory. An analysis of the possible reaction mechanisms of the inhibition process has been performed showing that the nucleophilic attack of an active site cysteine, Cys25, on a carbon atom of the inhibitor and the cleavage of the halogen-carbon bond take place in a single step. PClK appears to be much more favorable than PFK from a kinetic point of view. This result would be in agreement with experimental studies in other papain-like enzymes. A deeper analysis of the results suggests that the origin of the differences between PClK and PFK can be the different stabilizing interactions established between the inhibitors and the residues of the active site of the protein. Any attempt to explore the viability of the inhibition process through a stepwise mechanism involving the formation of a thiohemiketal intermediate and a three-membered sulfonium intermediate has been unsuccessful. Nevertheless, a mechanism through a protonated thiohemiketal, with participation of His159 as a proton donor, appears to be feasible despite showing higher free energy barriers. Our results suggest that PClK can be used as a starting point to develop a proper inhibitor of cruzain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kemel Arafet
- Departament de Química Física i Analítica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Silvia Ferrer
- Departament de Química Física i Analítica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Vicent Moliner
- Departament de Química Física i Analítica, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castelló, Spain
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22
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Ferrão PM, d'Avila-Levy CM, Araujo-Jorge TC, Degrave WM, Gonçalves ADS, Garzoni LR, Lima AP, Feige JJ, Bailly S, Mendonça-Lima L, Waghabi MC. Cruzipain Activates Latent TGF-β from Host Cells during T. cruzi Invasion. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124832. [PMID: 25938232 PMCID: PMC4418758 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies indicate that the activity of cruzipain, the main lysosomal cysteine peptidase of Trypanosoma cruzi, contributes to parasite infectivity. In addition, the parasitic invasion process of mammalian host cells is described to be dependent on the activation of the host TGF-β signaling pathway by T. cruzi. Here, we tested the hypothesis that cruzipain could be an important activator of latent TGF-β and thereby trigger TGF-β-mediated events crucial for the development of Chagas disease. We found that live epimastigotes of T. cruzi, parasite lysates and purified cruzipain were able to activate latent TGF-β in vitro. This activation could be inhibited by the cysteine peptidase inhibitor Z-Phe-Ala-FMK. Moreover, transfected parasites overexpressing chagasin, a potent endogenous cruzipain inhibitor, prevented latent TGF-β activation. We also observed that T. cruzi invasion, as well as parasite intracellular growth, were inhibited by the administration of Z-Phe-Ala-FMK or anti-TGF-β neutralizing antibody to Vero cell cultures. We further demonstrated that addition of purified cruzipain enhanced the invasive activity of trypomastigotes and that this effect could be completely inhibited by addition of a neutralizing anti-TGF-β antibody. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the activities of cruzipain and TGF-β in the process of cell invasion are functionally linked. Our data suggest that cruzipain inhibition is an interesting chemotherapeutic approach for Chagas disease not only because of its trypanocidal activity, but also due to the inhibitory effect on TGF-β activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Mello Ferrão
- Laboratório de Genômica Funcional e Bioinformática, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratório de Investigação Cardiovascular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Claudia Masini d'Avila-Levy
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Tania Cremonini Araujo-Jorge
- Laboratório de Inovações em Terapias, Ensino e Bioprodutos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Wim Maurits Degrave
- Laboratório de Genômica Funcional e Bioinformática, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Antônio da Silva Gonçalves
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia e Fisiologia de Infecções Virais, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luciana Ribeiro Garzoni
- Laboratório de Investigação Cardiovascular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Programa Integrado de doença de Chagas, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana Paula Lima
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular de Peptidases, Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jean Jacques Feige
- INSERM, Unité 1036, Grenoble, F-38054, France
- Université Grenoble-Alpes—Grenoble, F-38041, France
- CEA, DSV,iRTSV, Laboratory of Biology of Cancer and Infection, Grenoble, F-38054, France
| | - Sabine Bailly
- INSERM, Unité 1036, Grenoble, F-38054, France
- Université Grenoble-Alpes—Grenoble, F-38041, France
- CEA, DSV,iRTSV, Laboratory of Biology of Cancer and Infection, Grenoble, F-38054, France
| | - Leila Mendonça-Lima
- Laboratório de Genômica Funcional e Bioinformática, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mariana Caldas Waghabi
- Laboratório de Genômica Funcional e Bioinformática, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Programa Integrado de doença de Chagas, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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23
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Lehmann C, Heitmann A, Mishra S, Burda PC, Singer M, Prado M, Niklaus L, Lacroix C, Ménard R, Frischknecht F, Stanway R, Sinnis P, Heussler V. A cysteine protease inhibitor of plasmodium berghei is essential for exo-erythrocytic development. PLoS Pathog 2014; 10:e1004336. [PMID: 25166051 PMCID: PMC4148452 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2013] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites express a potent inhibitor of cysteine proteases (ICP) throughout their life cycle. To analyze the role of ICP in different life cycle stages, we generated a stage-specific knockout of the Plasmodium berghei ICP (PbICP). Excision of the pbicb gene occurred in infective sporozoites and resulted in impaired sporozoite invasion of hepatocytes, despite residual PbICP protein being detectable in sporozoites. The vast majority of these parasites invading a cultured hepatocyte cell line did not develop to mature liver stages, but the few that successfully developed hepatic merozoites were able to initiate a blood stage infection in mice. These blood stage parasites, now completely lacking PbICP, exhibited an attenuated phenotype but were able to infect mosquitoes and develop to the oocyst stage. However, PbICP-negative sporozoites liberated from oocysts exhibited defective motility and invaded mosquito salivary glands in low numbers. They were also unable to invade hepatocytes, confirming that control of cysteine protease activity is of critical importance for sporozoites. Importantly, transfection of PbICP-knockout parasites with a pbicp-gfp construct fully reversed these defects. Taken together, in P. berghei this inhibitor of the ICP family is essential for sporozoite motility but also appears to play a role during parasite development in hepatocytes and erythrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anna Heitmann
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Satish Mishra
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | - Mirko Singer
- University of Heidelberg Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Monica Prado
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Livia Niklaus
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Céline Lacroix
- Institute Pasteur, Unité de Biologie et Génétique du Paludisme, Paris, France
| | - Robert Ménard
- Institute Pasteur, Unité de Biologie et Génétique du Paludisme, Paris, France
| | | | - Rebecca Stanway
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Photini Sinnis
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Volker Heussler
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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24
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Smirlis D, Soares MBP. Selection of molecular targets for drug development against trypanosomatids. Subcell Biochem 2014; 74:43-76. [PMID: 24264240 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7305-9_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosomatid parasites are a group of flagellated protozoa that includes the genera Leishmania and Trypanosoma, which are the causative agents of diseases (leishmaniases, sleeping sickness and Chagas disease) that cause considerable morbidity and mortality, affecting more than 27 million people worldwide. Today no effective vaccines for the prevention of these diseases exist, whereas current chemotherapy is ineffective, mainly due to toxic side effects of current drugs and to the emergence of drug resistance and lack of cost effectiveness. For these reasons, rational drug design and the search of good candidate drug targets is of prime importance. The search for drug targets requires a multidisciplinary approach. To this end, the completion of the genome project of many trypanosomatid species gives a vast amount of new information that can be exploited for the identification of good drug candidates with a prediction of "druggability" and divergence from mammalian host proteins. In addition, an important aspect in the search for good drug targets is the "target identification" and evaluation in a biological pathway, as well as the essentiality of the gene in the mammalian stage of the parasite, which is provided by basic research and genetic and proteomic approaches. In this chapter we will discuss how these bioinformatic tools and experimental evaluations can be integrated for the selection of candidate drug targets, and give examples of metabolic and signaling pathways in the parasitic protozoa that can be exploited for rational drug design.
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25
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Reversible cysteine protease inhibitors show promise for a Chagas disease cure. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2013; 58:1167-78. [PMID: 24323474 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01855-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The cysteine protease cruzipain is essential for the viability, infectivity, and virulence of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. Thus, inhibitors of cruzipain are considered promising anti-T. cruzi chemotherapeutic agents. Reversible cruzipain inhibitors containing a nitrile "warhead" were prepared and demonstrated 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) as potent as 1 nM in baculovirus-generated cruzipain enzyme assays. In epimastigote and intracellular amastigote in vitro assays, the most potent compounds demonstrated antiparasitic behavior in the 5 to 10 μM IC50 range; however, trypomastigote production from the amastigote form was ∼90 to 95% inhibited at 2 μM. Two key compounds, Cz007 and Cz008, with IC50s of 1.1 and 1.8 nM, respectively, against the recombinant enzyme were tested in a murine model of acute T. cruzi infection, with oral dosing in chow for 28 days at doses from 3 to 50 mg/kg of body weight. At 3 mg/kg of Cz007 and 3 mg/kg of Cz008, the blood parasitemia areas under the concentration-time curves were 16% and 25% of the untreated group, respectively. At sacrifice, 24 days after immunosuppression with cyclophosphamide, parasite presence in blood, heart, and esophagus was evaluated. Based on negative quantitative PCR results in all three tissues, cure rates in surviving animals were 90% for Cz007 at 3 mg/kg, 78% for Cz008 at 3 mg/kg, and 71% for benznidazole, the control compound, at 50 mg/kg.
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26
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Ndao M, Nath-Chowdhury M, Sajid M, Marcus V, Mashiyama ST, Sakanari J, Chow E, Mackey Z, Land KM, Jacobson MP, Kalyanaraman C, McKerrow JH, Arrowood MJ, Caffrey CR. A cysteine protease inhibitor rescues mice from a lethal Cryptosporidium parvum infection. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2013; 57:6063-73. [PMID: 24060869 PMCID: PMC3837922 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00734-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidiosis, caused by the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum, can stunt infant growth and can be lethal in immunocompromised individuals. The most widely used drugs for treating cryptosporidiosis are nitazoxanide and paromomycin, although both exhibit limited efficacy. To investigate an alternative approach to therapy, we demonstrate that the clan CA cysteine protease inhibitor N-methyl piperazine-Phe-homoPhe-vinylsulfone phenyl (K11777) inhibits C. parvum growth in mammalian cell lines in a concentration-dependent manner. Further, using the C57BL/6 gamma interferon receptor knockout (IFN-γR-KO) mouse model, which is highly susceptible to C. parvum, oral or intraperitoneal treatment with K11777 for 10 days rescued mice from otherwise lethal infections. Histologic examination of untreated mice showed intestinal inflammation, villous blunting, and abundant intracellular parasite stages. In contrast, K11777-treated mice (210 mg/kg of body weight/day) showed only minimal inflammation and no epithelial changes. Three putative protease targets (termed cryptopains 1 to 3, or CpaCATL-1, -2, and -3) were identified in the C. parvum genome, but only two are transcribed in infected mammals. A homology model predicted that K11777 would bind to cryptopain 1. Recombinant enzymatically active cryptopain 1 was successfully targeted by K11777 in a competition assay with a labeled active-site-directed probe. K11777 exhibited no toxicity in vitro and in vivo, and surviving animals remained free of parasites 3 weeks after treatment. The discovery that a cysteine protease inhibitor provides potent anticryptosporidial activity in an animal model of infection encourages the investigation and development of this biocide class as a new, and urgently needed, chemotherapy for cryptosporidiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Momar Ndao
- National Reference Centre for Parasitology, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Canada
| | - Milli Nath-Chowdhury
- National Reference Centre for Parasitology, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Canada
| | - Mohammed Sajid
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases and Department of Pathology, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Victoria Marcus
- Department of Pathology, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Susan T. Mashiyama
- Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Judy Sakanari
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases and Department of Pathology, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Eric Chow
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases and Department of Pathology, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Zachary Mackey
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases and Department of Pathology, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Kirkwood M. Land
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases and Department of Pathology, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California, USA
| | - Matthew P. Jacobson
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Chakrapani Kalyanaraman
- Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - James H. McKerrow
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases and Department of Pathology, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Michael J. Arrowood
- Division of Parasitic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Conor R. Caffrey
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases and Department of Pathology, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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27
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Physalins B and F, seco-steroids isolated from Physalis angulata L., strongly inhibit proliferation, ultrastructure and infectivity of Trypanosoma cruzi. Parasitology 2013; 140:1811-21. [PMID: 24001147 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182013001297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
We previously observed that physalins have immunomodulatory properties, as well as antileishmanial and antiplasmodial activities. Here, we investigated the anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity of physalins B, D, F and G. We found that physalins B and F were the most potent compounds against trypomastigote and epimastigote forms of T. cruzi. Electron microscopy of trypomastigotes incubated with physalin B showed disruption of kinetoplast, alterations in Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum, followed by the formation of myelin-like figures, which were stained with MDC to confirm their autophagic vacuole identity. Physalin B-mediated alteration in Golgi apparatus was likely due to T. cruzi protease perturbation; however physalins did not inhibit activity of the trypanosomal protease cruzain. Flow cytometry examination showed that cell death is mainly caused by necrosis. Treatment with physalins reduced the invasion process, as well as intracellular parasite development in macrophage cell culture, with a potency similar to benznidazole. We observed that a combination of physalins and benznidazole has a greater anti-T. cruzi activity than when compounds were used alone. These results indicate that physalins, specifically B and F, are potent and selective trypanocidal agents. They cause structural alterations and induce autophagy, which ultimately lead to parasite cell death by a necrotic process.
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Moreira DRM, Costa SPM, Hernandes MZ, Rabello MM, de Oliveira Filho GB, de Melo CML, da Rocha LF, de Simone CA, Ferreira RS, Fradico JRB, Meira CS, Guimarães ET, Srivastava RM, Pereira VRA, Soares MBP, Leite ACL. Structural Investigation of Anti-Trypanosoma cruzi 2-Iminothiazolidin-4-ones Allows the Identification of Agents with Efficacy in Infected Mice. J Med Chem 2012; 55:10918-36. [DOI: 10.1021/jm301518v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Rodrigo Magalhaes Moreira
- Departamento de Química
Fundamental, Centro de Ciências Exatas and da Natureza, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-901, Recife,
PE, Brazil
- Departamento
de Ciências
Farmacêuticas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50740-520, Recife,
PE, Brazil
| | - Salvana Priscylla Manso Costa
- Departamento
de Ciências
Farmacêuticas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50740-520, Recife,
PE, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Zaldini Hernandes
- Departamento
de Ciências
Farmacêuticas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50740-520, Recife,
PE, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Montenegro Rabello
- Departamento
de Ciências
Farmacêuticas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50740-520, Recife,
PE, Brazil
| | - Gevanio Bezerra de Oliveira Filho
- Departamento
de Ciências
Farmacêuticas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50740-520, Recife,
PE, Brazil
| | | | - Lucas Ferreira da Rocha
- Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhaes, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz,
CEP, 50670-420, Salvador-PE, Brazil
| | - Carlos Alberto de Simone
- Departamento de Física
and Informática, Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, CEP 13560-970, São Carlos,
SP, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Salgado Ferreira
- Departamento de Bioquímica
and
Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, CEP 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Cássio Santana Meira
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo
Cruz, CEP 40296-710, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Elisalva Teixeira Guimarães
- Departamento de Ciências da
Vida, Universidade Estadual da Bahia, CEP
41150-000, Salvador, BA, Brazil
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo
Cruz, CEP 40296-710, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Rajendra Mohan Srivastava
- Departamento de Química
Fundamental, Centro de Ciências Exatas and da Natureza, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50670-901, Recife,
PE, Brazil
| | | | - Milena Botelho Pereira Soares
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo
Cruz, CEP 40296-710, Salvador, BA, Brazil
- Centro de Biotecnologia and
Terapia Celular, Hospital São Rafael, CEP 41253-190, Salvador, BA, Brazil
| | - Ana Cristina Lima Leite
- Departamento
de Ciências
Farmacêuticas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50740-520, Recife,
PE, Brazil
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dos Santos Filho JM, Moreira DRM, de Simone CA, Ferreira RS, McKerrow JH, Meira CS, Guimarães ET, Soares MBP. Optimization of anti-Trypanosoma cruzi oxadiazoles leads to identification of compounds with efficacy in infected mice. Bioorg Med Chem 2012; 20:6423-33. [PMID: 23006639 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2012.08.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2012] [Revised: 08/16/2012] [Accepted: 08/23/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
We recently showed that oxadiazoles have anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity at micromolar concentrations. These compounds are easy to synthesize and show a number of clear and interpretable structure-activity relationships (SAR), features that make them attractive to pursue potency enhancement. We present here the structural design, synthesis, and anti-T. cruzi evaluation of new oxadiazoles denoted 5a-h and 6a-h. The design of these compounds was based on a previous model of computational docking of oxadiazoles on the T. cruzi protease cruzain. We tested the ability of these compounds to inhibit catalytic activity of cruzain, but we found no correlation between the enzyme inhibition and the antiparasitic activity of the compounds. However, we found reliable SAR data when we tested these compounds against the whole parasite. While none of these oxadiazoles showed toxicity for mammalian cells, oxadiazoles 6c (fluorine), 6d (chlorine), and 6e (bromine) reduced epimastigote proliferation and were cidal for trypomastigotes of T. cruzi Y strain. Oxadiazoles 6c and 6d have IC(50) of 9.5 ± 2.8 and 3.5 ± 1.8 μM for trypomastigotes, while Benznidazole, which is the currently used drug for Chagas disease treatment, showed an IC(50) of 11.3 ± 2.8 μM. Compounds 6c and 6d impair trypomastigote development and invasion in macrophages, and also induce ultrastructural alterations in trypomastigotes. Finally, compound 6d given orally at 50mg/kg substantially reduces the parasitemia in T. cruzi-infected BALB/c mice. Our drug design resulted in potency enhancement of oxadiazoles as anti-Chagas disease agents, and culminated with the identification of oxadiazole 6d, a trypanosomicidal compound in an animal model of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Maurício dos Santos Filho
- Departamento de Engenharia Química, Centro de Tecnologia e Geociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, CEP 50740-521, Recife, PE, Brazil.
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Assis DM, Gontijo VS, de Oliveira Pereira I, Santos JAN, Camps I, Nagem TJ, Ellena J, Izidoro MA, dos Santos Tersariol IL, de Barros NMT, Doriguetto AC, dos Santos MH, Juliano MA. Inhibition of cysteine proteases by a natural biflavone: behavioral evaluation of fukugetin as papain and cruzain inhibitor. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2012; 28:661-70. [DOI: 10.3109/14756366.2012.668539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Diego Magno Assis
- Department of Biophysics, Federal University of São Paulo,
São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Ihosvany Camps
- Institute of Exact Science, Federal University of Alfenas,
Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | - Tanus Jorge Nagem
- ICEB-LAPRONA, Federal University of Ouro Preto,
Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
| | - Javier Ellena
- Department of Physics and Informatics, Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo,
São Carlos, SP, Brazil
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Nicoll-Griffith DA. Use of cysteine-reactive small molecules in drug discovery for trypanosomal disease. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2012; 7:353-66. [PMID: 22458506 DOI: 10.1517/17460441.2012.668520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The roles of cysteine protease (CP) enzymes in the biochemistry and infectivity of the three trypanosomal parasitic infections, Chagas' disease, leishmaniasis and human African trypanosomiasis, which have been elucidated over the last three decades are summarized. Inhibitors of these enzymes, which act through trapping the active site cysteine with an electrophilic warhead, hold huge potential as therapeutic agents but the promise of these has yet to be realized in clinical studies. The article addresses aspects that ought to be considered in order to develop orally active CP inhibitors that are safe and effective therapies for trypanosomiasis. AREAS COVERED This article reviews learnings from CP research in the trypanosomal field and recent advances in developing cysteine protease inhibitors (CPIs) of human cathepsin K, a related enzyme. Considerations such as intra- and extracellular localization of the CPs, off-target activities against human cathepsin enzymes, basic versus neutral and potential pro-drug inhibitors are reviewed. A description of odanacatib, a cathepsin K inhibitor currently in late stage development, is made to illustrate the attributes of a clinically viable CPI. EXPERT OPINION The emerging role of CPs in a wide array of parasitic diseases is highlighted with the vision that CP inhibitors could become the 'β-lactams' of anti-parasitic treatments in the coming decades. New CPI research will see the optimization of intra- and extracellular enzyme targeting, reduction of off-target activities and better understanding of pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic interactions which will all lead to compounds with much improved efficacy and viability as clinical therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A Nicoll-Griffith
- Infectious Diseases Franchise, Discovery and Pre-clinical Sciences, Merck and Co., Office K11-2047B, 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA.
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Doyle PS, Zhou YM, Hsieh I, Greenbaum DC, McKerrow JH, Engel JC. The Trypanosoma cruzi protease cruzain mediates immune evasion. PLoS Pathog 2011; 7:e1002139. [PMID: 21909255 PMCID: PMC3164631 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2010] [Accepted: 05/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas' disease. Novel chemotherapy with the drug K11777 targets the major cysteine protease cruzain and disrupts amastigote intracellular development. Nevertheless, the biological role of the protease in infection and pathogenesis remains unclear as cruzain gene knockout failed due to genetic redundancy. A role for the T. cruzi cysteine protease cruzain in immune evasion was elucidated in a comparative study of parental wild type- and cruzain-deficient parasites. Wild type T. cruzi did not activate host macrophages during early infection (<60 min) and no increase in ∼P iκB was detected. The signaling factor NF-κB P65 colocalized with cruzain on the cell surface of intracellular wild type parasites, and was proteolytically cleaved. No significant IL-12 expression occurred in macrophages infected with wild type T. cruzi and treated with LPS and BFA, confirming impairment of macrophage activation pathways. In contrast, cruzain-deficient parasites induced macrophage activation, detectable iκB phosphorylation, and nuclear NF-κB P65 localization. These parasites were unable to develop intracellularly and survive within macrophages. IL 12 expression levels in macrophages infected with cruzain-deficient T. cruzi were comparable to LPS activated controls. Thus cruzain hinders macrophage activation during the early (<60 min) stages of infection, by interruption of the NF-κB P65 mediated signaling pathway. These early events allow T. cruzi survival and replication, and may lead to the spread of infection in acute Chagas' disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia S. Doyle
- Tropical Disease Research Unit and Sandler Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Yuan M. Zhou
- Tropical Disease Research Unit and Sandler Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Ivy Hsieh
- Tropical Disease Research Unit and Sandler Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Doron C. Greenbaum
- Tropical Disease Research Unit and Sandler Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - James H. McKerrow
- Tropical Disease Research Unit and Sandler Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Juan C. Engel
- Tropical Disease Research Unit and Sandler Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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Robertson SA, Renslo AR. Drug discovery for neglected tropical diseases at the Sandler Center. Future Med Chem 2011; 3:1279-88. [PMID: 21859302 PMCID: PMC3199145 DOI: 10.4155/fmc.11.85] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The Sandler Center's approach to target-based drug discovery for neglected tropical diseases is to focus on parasite targets that are homologous to human targets being actively investigated in the pharmaceutical industry. In this way we attempt to use both the know-how and actual chemical matter from other drug-development efforts to jump start the discovery process for neglected tropical diseases. Our approach is akin to drug repurposing, except that we seek to repurpose leads rather than drugs. Medicinal chemistry can then be applied to optimize the leads specifically for the desired antiparasitic indication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A Robertson
- Sandler Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, 600 16th Street, S-272, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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Bijina B, Chellappan S, Krishna JG, Basheer SM, Elyas K, Bahkali AH, Chandrasekaran M. Protease inhibitor from Moringa oleifera with potential for use as therapeutic drug and as seafood preservative. Saudi J Biol Sci 2011; 18:273-81. [PMID: 23961135 PMCID: PMC3730569 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2011.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2011] [Revised: 04/04/2011] [Accepted: 04/11/2011] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Protease inhibitors are well known to have several applications in medicine and biotechnology. Several plant sources are known to return potential protease inhibitors. In this study plants belonging to different families of Leguminosae, Malvaceae, Rutaceae, Graminae and Moringaceae were screened for the protease inhibitor. Among them Moringa oleifera, belonging to the family Moringaceae, recorded high level of protease inhibitor activity after ammonium sulfate fractionation. M. oleifera, which grows throughout most of the tropics and having several industrial and medicinal uses, was selected as a source of protease inhibitor since so far no reports were made on isolation of the protease inhibitor. Among the different parts of M. oleifera tested, the crude extract isolated from the mature leaves and seeds showed the highest level of inhibition against trypsin. Among the various extraction media evaluated, the crude extract prepared in phosphate buffer showed maximum recovery of the protease inhibitor. The protease inhibitor recorded high inhibitory activity toward the serine proteases thrombin, elastase, chymotrypsin and the cysteine proteases cathepsin B and papain which have more importance in pharmaceutical industry. The protease inhibitor also showed complete inhibition of activities of the commercially available proteases of Bacillus licheniformis and Aspergillus oryzae. However, inhibitory activities toward subtilisin, esperase, pronase E and proteinase K were negligible. Further, it was found that the protease inhibitor could prevent proteolysis in a commercially valuable shrimp Penaeus monodon during storage indicating the scope for its application as a seafood preservative. This is the first report on isolation of a protease inhibitor from M. oleifera.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Bijina
- Microbial Technology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin 682022, India
| | - Sreeja Chellappan
- Microbial Technology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin 682022, India
| | - Jissa G. Krishna
- Microbial Technology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin 682022, India
| | - Soorej M. Basheer
- Microbial Technology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin 682022, India
| | - K.K. Elyas
- Microbial Technology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin 682022, India
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Calicut, Calicut University P.O., Kerala, India
| | - Ali H. Bahkali
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - M. Chandrasekaran
- Microbial Technology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin 682022, India
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
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Castro HC, Abreu PA, Geraldo RB, Martins RCA, dos Santos R, Loureiro NIV, Cabral LM, Rodrigues CR. Looking at the proteases from a simple perspective. J Mol Recognit 2011; 24:165-81. [PMID: 21360607 DOI: 10.1002/jmr.1091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Proteases have received enormous interest from the research and medical communities because of their significant roles in several human diseases. Some examples include the involvement of thrombin in thrombosis, HIV-1 protease in Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, cruzain in Trypanosoma cruzi infection, and membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase in tumor invasion and metastasis. Many efforts has been undertaken to design effective inhibitors featuring potent inhibitory activity, specificity, and metabolic stability to those proteases involved in such pathologies. Protease inhibitors usually target the active site, but some of them act by other inhibitory mechanisms. The understanding of the structure-function relationships of proteases and inhibitors has an impact on new inhibitor drugs designing. In this paper, the structures of four proteases (thrombin, HIV-protease, cruzain, and a matrix metalloproteinase) are briefly reviewed, and used as examples of the importance of proteases for the development of new treatment strategies, leading to a longer and healthier life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena C Castro
- LABioMol, Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, 24001-970, Brazil.
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36
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Alvarez VE, Niemirowicz GT, Cazzulo JJ. The peptidases of Trypanosoma cruzi: digestive enzymes, virulence factors, and mediators of autophagy and programmed cell death. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2011; 1824:195-206. [PMID: 21621652 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2011.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2011] [Revised: 05/11/2011] [Accepted: 05/12/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of the American Trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease, contains cysteine, serine, threonine, aspartyl and metallo peptidases. The most abundant among these enzymes is cruzipain, a cysteine proteinase expressed as a mixture of isoforms, some of them membrane-bound. The enzyme is an immunodominant antigen in human chronic Chagas disease and seems to be important in the host/parasite relationship. Inhibitors of cruzipain kill the parasite and cure infected mice, thus validating the enzyme as a very promising target for the development of new drugs against the disease. In addition, a 30kDa cathepsin B-like enzyme, two metacaspases and two autophagins have been described. Serine peptidases described in the parasite include oligopeptidase B, a member of the prolyl oligopeptidase family involved in Ca(2+)-signaling during mammalian cell invasion; a prolyl endopeptidase (Tc80), against which inhibitors are being developed, and a lysosomal serine carboxypeptidase. Metallopeptidases homologous to the gp63 of Leishmania spp. are present, as well as two metallocarboxypeptidases belonging to the M32 family, previously found only in prokaryotes. The proteasome has properties similar to those of other eukaryotes, and its inhibition by lactacystin blocks some differentiation steps in the life cycle of the parasite. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Proteolysis 50 years after the discovery of lysosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanina E Alvarez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas (IIB-INTECH, Universidad Nacional de San Martín-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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37
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Ang KKH, Ratnam J, Gut J, Legac J, Hansell E, Mackey ZB, Skrzypczynska KM, Debnath A, Engel JC, Rosenthal PJ, McKerrow JH, Arkin MR, Renslo AR. Mining a cathepsin inhibitor library for new antiparasitic drug leads. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2011; 5:e1023. [PMID: 21572521 PMCID: PMC3086806 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2010] [Accepted: 02/14/2011] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The targeting of parasite cysteine proteases with small molecules is emerging as a possible approach to treat tropical parasitic diseases such as sleeping sickness, Chagas' disease, and malaria. The homology of parasite cysteine proteases to the human cathepsins suggests that inhibitors originally developed for the latter may be a source of promising lead compounds for the former. We describe here the screening of a unique ∼ 2,100-member cathepsin inhibitor library against five parasite cysteine proteases thought to be relevant in tropical parasitic diseases. Compounds active against parasite enzymes were subsequently screened against cultured Plasmodium falciparum, Trypanosoma brucei brucei and/or Trypanosoma cruzi parasites and evaluated for cytotoxicity to mammalian cells. The end products of this effort include the identification of sub-micromolar cell-active leads as well as the elucidation of structure-activity trends that can guide further optimization efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenny K. H. Ang
- The Small Molecule Discovery Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Joseline Ratnam
- The Small Molecule Discovery Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Jiri Gut
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Legac
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Hansell
- The Sandler Center for Drug Discovery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Zachary B. Mackey
- The Sandler Center for Drug Discovery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Katarzyna M. Skrzypczynska
- The Sandler Center for Drug Discovery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Anjan Debnath
- The Sandler Center for Drug Discovery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Juan C. Engel
- The Sandler Center for Drug Discovery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Philip J. Rosenthal
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - James H. McKerrow
- The Sandler Center for Drug Discovery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Michelle R. Arkin
- The Small Molecule Discovery Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MRA); (ARR)
| | - Adam R. Renslo
- The Small Molecule Discovery Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MRA); (ARR)
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38
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Ennes-Vidal V, Menna-Barreto RFS, Santos ALS, Branquinha MH, d'Avila-Levy CM. MDL28170, a calpain inhibitor, affects Trypanosoma cruzi metacyclogenesis, ultrastructure and attachment to Rhodnius prolixus midgut. PLoS One 2011; 6:e18371. [PMID: 21483751 PMCID: PMC3070728 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2010] [Accepted: 03/06/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas' disease. During the parasite life cycle, many molecules are involved in the differentiation process and infectivity. Peptidases are relevant for crucial steps of T. cruzi life cycle; as such, it is conceivable that they may participate in the metacyclogenesis and interaction with the invertebrate host. Methodology/Principal Findings In this paper, we have investigated the effect of the calpain inhibitor MDL28170 on the attachment of T. cruzi epimastigotes to the luminal midgut surface of Rhodnius prolixus, as well as on the metacyclogenesis process and ultrastructure. MDL28170 treatment was capable of significantly reducing the number of bound epimastigotes to the luminal surface midgut of the insect. Once the cross-reactivity of the anti-Dm-calpain was assessed, it was possible to block calpain molecules by the antibody, leading to a significant reduction in the capacity of adhesion to the insect guts by T. cruzi. However, the antibodies were unable to interfere in metacyclogenesis, which was impaired by the calpain inhibitor presenting a significant reduction in the number of metacyclic trypomastigotes. The calpain inhibitor also promoted a direct effect against bloodstream trypomastigotes. Ultrastructural analysis of epimastigotes treated with the calpain inhibitor revealed disorganization in the reservosomes, Golgi and plasma membrane disruption. Conclusions/Significance The presence of calpain and calpain-like molecules in a wide range of organisms suggests that these proteins could be necessary for basic cellular functions. Herein, we demonstrated the effects of MDL28170 in crucial steps of the T. cruzi life cycle, such as attachment to the insect midgut and metacyclogenesis, as well as in parasite viability and morphology. Together with our previous findings, these results help to shed some light on the functions of T. cruzi calpains. Considering the potential roles of these molecules on the interaction with both invertebrate and vertebrate hosts, it is interesting to improve knowledge on these molecules in T. cruzi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vítor Ennes-Vidal
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Sajid M, Robertson SA, Brinen LS, McKerrow JH. Cruzain : the path from target validation to the clinic. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2011; 712:100-15. [PMID: 21660661 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4419-8414-2_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cruzain is the major papain-like cysteine protease of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent causing Chagas' disease in humans in South America. Cruzain is indispensable for the survival and propagation of this protozoan parasite and therefore, it has attracted considerable interest as a potential drug target. This chapter charts the path from the initial identification of this proteases activity and its validation as a bone fide drug target to the arduous task of the discovery of an inhibitor targeting this protease and finally the path towards the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Sajid
- Afd. Parasitologie, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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40
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Beaulieu C, Isabel E, Fortier A, Massé F, Mellon C, Méthot N, Ndao M, Nicoll-Griffith D, Lee D, Park H, Black WC. Identification of potent and reversible cruzipain inhibitors for the treatment of Chagas disease. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2010; 20:7444-9. [PMID: 21041084 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2010.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2010] [Revised: 09/30/2010] [Accepted: 10/05/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Identification of potent and reversible cruzipain inhibitors for the treatment of Chagas disease is described. The identified inhibitors bearing an amino nitrile warhead in P1 exhibit low nanomolar in vitro potency against cruzipain. Further SAR in P2 portion led to the identification of compounds, such as 26, that have a unique selectivity profile against other cysteine proteases and offering new opportunities for safer treatment of Chagas disease.
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41
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Proteomic analysis of two Trypanosoma cruzi zymodeme 3 strains. Exp Parasitol 2010; 126:540-51. [PMID: 20566365 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2010.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2009] [Revised: 05/27/2010] [Accepted: 06/01/2010] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Two Trypanosoma cruzi Z3 strains, designated as 3663 and 4167, were previously isolated from insect vectors captured in the Brazilian Amazon region. These strains exhibited different infection patterns in Vero, C6/36, RAW 264.7 and HEp-2 cell lineages, in which 3663 trypomastigote form was much less infective than 4167 ones. A proteomic approach was applied to investigate the differences in the global patterns of protein expression in these two Z3 strains. Two-dimensional (2D) protein maps were generated and certain spots were identified by mass spectrometry (MS). Our analyses revealed a significant difference in the expression profile of different proteins between strains 3663 and 4167. Among them, cruzipain, an important regulator of infectivity. This data was corroborated by flow cytometry analysis using anti-cruzipain antibody. This difference could contribute to the infectivity profiles observed for each strain by in vitro assay using different cell lines.
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42
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Durrant JD, Keränen H, Wilson BA, McCammon JA. Computational identification of uncharacterized cruzain binding sites. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2010; 4:e676. [PMID: 20485483 PMCID: PMC2867933 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2009] [Accepted: 03/23/2010] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease, caused by the unicellular parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, claims 50,000 lives annually and is the leading cause of infectious myocarditis in the world. As current antichagastic therapies like nifurtimox and benznidazole are highly toxic, ineffective at parasite eradication, and subject to increasing resistance, novel therapeutics are urgently needed. Cruzain, the major cysteine protease of Trypanosoma cruzi, is one attractive drug target. In the current work, molecular dynamics simulations and a sequence alignment of a non-redundant, unbiased set of peptidase C1 family members are used to identify uncharacterized cruzain binding sites. The two sites identified may serve as targets for future pharmacological intervention. Chagas disease, an infection that afflicts millions of people in Central and South America, is caused by the unicellular parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. In the chronic stage of the disease, patients' hearts are adversely affected. Chagas is the leading cause of infectious heart disease in the world. The current drugs used to treat Chagas disease are highly toxic, unable to eradiate the parasite, and subject to increasing drug resistance. Consequently, researchers are actively looking for new treatments. One attractive drug target is a Chagas protein called cruzain, which is required for the parasite's survival. Drugs that can inhibit the correct functioning of cruzain within the parasite may one day serve as powerful treatments in the fight against this devastating tropical disease. To design drugs that will be effective against cruzain, we need to know what portions of the protein are crucial for its functionality. For example, portions of the protein that bind to other proteins or to small molecules are likely to be critical. These regions are called “binding sites.” In the current work, we identify two uncharacterized cruzain binding sites. With this knowledge in hand, future researchers may be able to design drugs that target these sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D Durrant
- Biomedical Sciences Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America.
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43
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Fernandez M, Caballero J, Fernandez L, Sarai A. Genetic algorithm optimization in drug design QSAR: Bayesian-regularized genetic neural networks (BRGNN) and genetic algorithm-optimized support vectors machines (GA-SVM). Mol Divers 2010; 15:269-89. [PMID: 20306130 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-010-9234-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2009] [Accepted: 01/25/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Many articles in "in silico" drug design implemented genetic algorithm (GA) for feature selection, model optimization, conformational search, or docking studies. Some of these articles described GA applications to quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) modeling in combination with regression and/or classification techniques. We reviewed the implementation of GA in drug design QSAR and specifically its performance in the optimization of robust mathematical models such as Bayesian-regularized artificial neural networks (BRANNs) and support vector machines (SVMs) on different drug design problems. Modeled data sets encompassed ADMET and solubility properties, cancer target inhibitors, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, HIV-1 protease inhibitors, ion-channel and calcium entry blockers, and antiprotozoan compounds as well as protein classes, functional, and conformational stability data. The GA-optimized predictors were often more accurate and robust than previous published models on the same data sets and explained more than 65% of data variances in validation experiments. In addition, feature selection over large pools of molecular descriptors provided insights into the structural and atomic properties ruling ligand-target interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Fernandez
- Department of Bioscience and Bioinformatics, Kyushu Institute of Technology (KIT), 680-4 Kawazu, Iizuka, 820-8502, Japan.
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McKerrow JH, Doyle PS, Engel JC, Podust LM, Robertson SA, Ferreira R, Saxton T, Arkin M, Kerr ID, Brinen LS, Craik CS. Two approaches to discovering and developing new drugs for Chagas disease. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2010; 104 Suppl 1:263-9. [PMID: 19753483 DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02762009000900034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2009] [Accepted: 06/09/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This review will focus on two general approaches carried out at the Sandler Center, University of California, San Francisco, to address the challenge of developing new drugs for the treatment of Chagas disease. The first approach is target-based drug discovery, and two specific targets, cytochrome P450 CYP51 and cruzain (aka cruzipain), are discussed. A 'proof of concept' molecule, the vinyl sulfone inhibitor K777, is now a clinical candidate. The preclinical assessment compliance for filing as an Investigational New Drug with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is presented, and an outline of potential clinical trials is given. The second approach to identifying new drug leads is parasite phenotypic screens in culture. The development of an assay allowing high throughput screening of Trypanosoma cruzi amastigotes in skeletal muscle cells is presented. This screen has the advantage of not requiring specific strains of parasites, so it could be used with field isolates, drug resistant strains or laboratory strains. It is optimized for robotic liquid handling and has been validated through a screen of a library of FDA-approved drugs identifying 65 hits.
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Affiliation(s)
- J H McKerrow
- Sandler Center at Mission Bay, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158-2330, USA.
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45
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La Peyre JF, Xue QG, Itoh N, Li Y, Cooper RK. Serine protease inhibitor cvSI-1 potential role in the eastern oyster host defense against the protozoan parasite Perkinsus marinus. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2010; 34:84-92. [PMID: 19720077 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2009.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2009] [Revised: 08/21/2009] [Accepted: 08/22/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The serine protease inhibitor cvSI-1, purified from plasma of eastern oysters, inhibited the proliferation of the protozoan parasite Perkinsus marinus in vitro. In situ hybridization located cvSI-1 gene expression in basophil cells of the digestive tubules and cvSI-1 expression measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was several hundred folds greater in digestive glands than in other organs examined or circulating hemocytes. cvSI-1 gene expression was also significantly greater in winter than in summer. Finally, cvSI-1 gene expression and plasma protease inhibitory activity in oysters selected for increased resistance to P. marinus were significantly greater than in unselected oysters. These findings support the hypothesis that cvSI-1 plays a role in eastern oyster host defense against P. marinus possibly through inhibition of parasite proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerome F La Peyre
- Department of Veterinary Science, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
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46
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Kinetoplastid papain-like cysteine peptidases. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2009; 167:12-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2009.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2009] [Revised: 04/21/2009] [Accepted: 04/22/2009] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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47
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Kerr ID, Lee JH, Farady CJ, Marion R, Rickert M, Sajid M, Pandey KC, Caffrey CR, Legac J, Hansell E, McKerrow JH, Craik CS, Rosenthal PJ, Brinen LS. Vinyl sulfones as antiparasitic agents and a structural basis for drug design. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:25697-703. [PMID: 19620707 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.014340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 209] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Cysteine proteases of the papain superfamily are implicated in a number of cellular processes and are important virulence factors in the pathogenesis of parasitic disease. These enzymes have therefore emerged as promising targets for antiparasitic drugs. We report the crystal structures of three major parasite cysteine proteases, cruzain, falcipain-3, and the first reported structure of rhodesain, in complex with a class of potent, small molecule, cysteine protease inhibitors, the vinyl sulfones. These data, in conjunction with comparative inhibition kinetics, provide insight into the molecular mechanisms that drive cysteine protease inhibition by vinyl sulfones, the binding specificity of these important proteases and the potential of vinyl sulfones as antiparasitic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain D Kerr
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158-2550, USA
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48
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de Souza W, Sant'Anna C, Cunha-e-Silva NL. Electron microscopy and cytochemistry analysis of the endocytic pathway of pathogenic protozoa. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 44:67-124. [PMID: 19410686 DOI: 10.1016/j.proghi.2009.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Endocytosis is essential for eukaryotic cell survival and has been well characterized in mammal and yeast cells. Among protozoa it is also important for evading from host immune defenses and to support intense proliferation characteristic of some life cycle stages. Here we focused on the contribution of morphological and cytochemical studies to the understanding of endocytosis in Trichomonas, Giardia, Entamoeba, Plasmodium, and trypanosomatids, mainly Trypanosoma cruzi, and also Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanderley de Souza
- Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil.
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Arrested growth of Trypanosoma cruzi by the calpain inhibitor MDL28170 and detection of calpain homologues in epimastigote forms. Parasitology 2009; 136:433-41. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182009005629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYIn this paper, we aimed to explore the effects of the calpain inhibitor III (MDL28170) and to detect calpain-like molecules (CALPs) in epimastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi isolate Dm28c. MDL28170 at 70 μM promoted a powerful reduction in the growth rate after 48 h. The IC50 value was calculated to be 31·7 μM. This inhibitor promoted an increase in the cellular volume, but not cell lysis, resulting in a trypanostatic effect. T. cruzi CALPs presented a strong cross-reactivity with anti-Drosophila melanogaster calpain and anti-cytoskeleton-associated protein from Trypanosoma brucei antibodies, and labelling was found mainly intracellularly. Furthermore, an 80 kDa reactive protein was detected by Western blotting assays. No significant cross-reactivity was found with anti-human brain calpain antibody. The expression of CALPs was decreased in cells kept for long periods in axenic cultures in comparison to a strain recently isolated from mice, as well as in MDL28170-treated cells, the latter being paralleled by an increased expression of cruzipain. Different levels of CALPs expression were also detected in distinct phylogenetic lineages, like Y strain (lineage TCI), Dm28c (TCII) and INPA6147 strain (Z3 zymodeme). These results may contribute for the investigation of the functions of CALPs in trypanosomatids.
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50
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All Trypanosoma cruzi developmental forms present lysosome-related organelles. Histochem Cell Biol 2008; 130:1187-98. [PMID: 18696100 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-008-0486-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/27/2008] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigote forms concentrate their major protease, cruzipain, in the same compartment where these parasites store macromolecules obtained from medium and for this ability these organelles were named as reservosomes. Intracellular digestion occurs mainly inside reservosomes and seems to be modulated by cruzipain and its natural inhibitor chagasin that also concentrates in reservosomes. T. cruzi mammalian forms, trypomastigotes and amastigotes, are unable to capture macromolecules by endocytosis, but also express cruzipain and chagasin, whose role in infectivity has been described. In this paper, we demonstrate that trypomastigotes and amastigotes also concentrate cruzipain, chagasin as well as serine carboxypeptidase in hydrolase-rich compartments of acidic nature. The presence of P-type proton ATPase indicates that this compartment is acidified by the same enzyme as epimastigote endocytic compartments. Electron microscopy analyzes showed that these organelles are placed at the posterior region of the parasite body, are single membrane bound and possess an electron-dense matrix with electronlucent inclusions. Three-dimensional reconstruction showed that these compartments have different size and shape in trypomastigotes and amastigotes. Based on these evidences, we suggest that all T. cruzi developmental stages present lysosome-related organelles that in epimastigotes have the additional and unique ability of storing cargo.
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