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Queffeulou M, Leprohon P, Fernandez-Prada C, Ouellette M, Mejía-Jaramillo AM. CRISPR-Cas9 high-throughput screening to study drug resistance in Leishmania infantum. mBio 2024; 15:e0047724. [PMID: 38864609 PMCID: PMC11253630 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00477-24] [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: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Parasites of the genus Leishmania pose a global health threat with limited treatment options. New drugs are urgently needed, and genomic screens have the potential to accelerate target discovery, mode of action, and resistance mechanisms against these new drugs. We describe here our effort in developing a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen in Leishmania, an organism lacking a functional nonhomologous end joining system that must rely on microhomology-mediated end joining, single-strand annealing, or homologous recombination for repairing Cas9-induced double-stranded DNA breaks. A new vector for cloning and expressing single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) was designed and proven to be effective in a small pilot project while enriching specific sgRNAs during drug selection. We then developed a whole-genome library of 49,754 sgRNAs, targeting all the genes of Leishmania infantum. This library was transfected in L. infantum expressing Cas9, and these cells were selected for resistance to two antileishmanials, miltefosine and amphotericin B. The sgRNAs the most enriched in the miltefosine screen targeted the miltefosine transporter gene, but sgRNAs targeting genes coding for a RING-variant protein and a transmembrane protein were also enriched. The sgRNAs the most enriched by amphotericin B targeted the sterol 24 C methyltransferase genes and a hypothetical gene. Through gene disruption experiments, we proved that loss of function of these genes was associated with resistance. This study describes the feasibility of carrying out whole-genome CRISPR-Cas9 screens in Leishmania provided that a strong selective pressure is applied. Such a screen can be used for accelerating the development of urgently needed antileishmanial drugs.IMPORTANCELeishmaniasis, a global health threat, lacks adequate treatment options and drug resistance exacerbates the challenge. This study introduces a CRISPR-Cas9 screening approach in Leishmania infantum, unraveling mechanisms of drug resistance at a genome-wide scale. Our screen was applied against two main antileishmanial drugs, and guides were enriched upon drug selection. These guides targeted known and new targets, hence validating the use of this screen against Leishmania. This strategy provides a powerful tool to expedite drug discovery as well as potential therapeutic targets against this neglected tropical disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Queffeulou
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie du Centre de Recherche du CHU Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Philippe Leprohon
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie du Centre de Recherche du CHU Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Christopher Fernandez-Prada
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie du Centre de Recherche du CHU Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Marc Ouellette
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie du Centre de Recherche du CHU Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Ana María Mejía-Jaramillo
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie du Centre de Recherche du CHU Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
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Tulloch LB, Tinti M, Wall RJ, Weidt SK, Corpas- Lopez V, Dey G, Smith TK, Fairlamb AH, Barrett MP, Wyllie S. Sterol 14-alpha demethylase (CYP51) activity in Leishmania donovani is likely dependent upon cytochrome P450 reductase 1. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012382. [PMID: 38991025 PMCID: PMC11265716 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 07/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Liposomal amphotericin B is an important frontline drug for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis, a neglected disease of poverty. The mechanism of action of amphotericin B (AmB) is thought to involve interaction with ergosterol and other ergostane sterols, resulting in disruption of the integrity and key functions of the plasma membrane. Emergence of clinically refractory isolates of Leishmania donovani and L. infantum is an ongoing issue and knowledge of potential resistance mechanisms can help to alleviate this problem. Here we report the characterisation of four independently selected L. donovani clones that are resistant to AmB. Whole genome sequencing revealed that in three of the moderately resistant clones, resistance was due solely to the deletion of a gene encoding C24-sterol methyltransferase (SMT1). The fourth, hyper-resistant resistant clone (>60-fold) was found to have a 24 bp deletion in both alleles of a gene encoding a putative cytochrome P450 reductase (P450R1). Metabolic profiling indicated these parasites were virtually devoid of ergosterol (0.2% versus 18% of total sterols in wild-type) and had a marked accumulation of 14-methylfecosterol (75% versus 0.1% of total sterols in wild-type) and other 14-alpha methylcholestanes. These are substrates for sterol 14-alpha demethylase (CYP51) suggesting that this enzyme may be a bona fide P450R specifically involved in electron transfer from NADPH to CYP51 during catalysis. Deletion of P450R1 in wild-type cells phenocopied the metabolic changes observed in our AmB hyper-resistant clone as well as in CYP51 nulls. Likewise, addition of a wild type P450R1 gene restored sterol profiles to wild type. Our studies indicate that P450R1 is essential for L. donovani amastigote viability, thus loss of this gene is unlikely to be a driver of clinical resistance. Nevertheless, investigating the mechanisms underpinning AmB resistance in these cells provided insights that refine our understanding of the L. donovani sterol biosynthetic pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay B. Tulloch
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Michele Tinti
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J. Wall
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan K. Weidt
- Glasgow Polyomics, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Victoriano Corpas- Lopez
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Gourav Dey
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Terry K. Smith
- Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Alan H. Fairlamb
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Michael P. Barrett
- Glasgow Polyomics, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- School of Infection & Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Susan Wyllie
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee, United Kingdom
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Ferreira BA, Coser EM, de la Roca S, Aoki JI, Branco N, Soares GHC, Lima MIS, Coelho AC. Amphotericin B resistance in Leishmania amazonensis: In vitro and in vivo characterization of a Brazilian clinical isolate. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012175. [PMID: 38768213 PMCID: PMC11142706 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
In Brazil, Leishmania amazonensis is the etiological agent of cutaneous and diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis. The state of Maranhão in the Northeast of Brazil is prevalent for these clinical forms of the disease and also has high rates of HIV infection. Here, we characterized the drug susceptibility of a L. amazonensis clinical isolate from a 46-year-old man with diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis coinfected with HIV from this endemic area. This patient underwent several therapeutic regimens with meglumine antimoniate, liposomal amphotericin B, and pentamidine, without success. In vitro susceptibility assays against promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes demonstrated that this isolate had low susceptibility to amphotericin B, when compared with the reference strain of this species that is considered susceptible to antileishmanial drugs. Additionally, we investigated whether the low in vitro susceptibility would affect the in vivo response to amphotericin B treatment. The drug was effective in reducing the lesion size and parasite burden in mice infected with the reference strain, whereas those infected with the clinical isolate and a resistant line (generated experimentally by stepwise selection) were refractory to amphotericin B treatment. To evaluate whether the isolate was intrinsically resistant to amphotericin B in animals, infected mice were treated with other drugs that had not been used in the treatment of the patient (miltefosine, paromomycin, and a combination of both). Our findings demonstrated that all drug schemes were able to reduce lesion size and parasite burden in animals infected with the clinical isolate, confirming the amphotericin B-resistance phenotype. These findings indicate that the treatment failure observed in the patient may be associated with amphotericin B resistance, and demonstrate the potential emergence of amphotericin B-resistant L. amazonensis isolates in an area of Brazil endemic for cutaneous leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca A. Ferreira
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Elizabeth M. Coser
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Stephane de la Roca
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Juliana I. Aoki
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Nilson Branco
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Gustavo H. C. Soares
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mayara I. S. Lima
- Departamento de Biologia, Programas de Pós Graduação em Saúde e Ambiente e Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Brazil
| | - Adriano C. Coelho
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
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Bharadava K, Upadhyay TK, Kaushal RS, Ahmad I, Alraey Y, Siddiqui S, Saeed M. Genomic Insight of Leishmania Parasite: In-Depth Review of Drug Resistance Mechanisms and Genetic Mutations. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:12500-12514. [PMID: 38524425 PMCID: PMC10955595 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c09400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis, which is caused by a parasitic protozoan of the genus Leishmania, is still a major threat to global health, impacting millions of individuals worldwide in endemic areas. Chemotherapy has been the principal method for managing leishmaniasis; nevertheless, the evolution of drug resistance offers a significant obstacle to therapeutic success. Drug-resistant behavior in these parasites is a complex phenomenon including both innate and acquired mechanisms. Resistance is frequently related to changes in drug transportation, drug target alterations, and enhanced efflux of the drug from the pathogen. This review has revealed specific genetic mutations in Leishmania parasites that are associated with resistance to commonly used antileishmanial drugs such as pentavalent antimonials, miltefosine, amphotericin B, and paromomycin, resulting in changes in gene expression along with the functioning of various proteins involved in drug uptake, metabolism, and efflux. Understanding the genetic changes linked to drug resistance in Leishmania parasites is essential for creating approaches for tackling and avoiding the spread of drug-resistant variants. Based on which specific treatments focus on mutations and pathways could potentially improve treatment efficacy and help long-term leishmaniasis control. More study is needed to uncover the complete range of genetic changes generating medication resistance and to develop new therapies based on available information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krupanshi Bharadava
- Biophysics
& Structural Biology, Research & Development Cell, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat 391760, India
| | - Tarun Kumar Upadhyay
- Department
of Life Sciences, Parul Institute of Applied Sciences & Research
and Development Cell, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat 391760, India
| | - Radhey Shyam Kaushal
- Biophysics
& Structural Biology, Research & Development Cell, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat 391760, India
- Department
of Life Sciences, Parul Institute of Applied Sciences & Research
and Development Cell, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat 391760, India
| | - Irfan Ahmad
- Department
of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yasser Alraey
- Department
of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
| | - Samra Siddiqui
- Department
of Health Service Management, College of Public Health and Health
Informatics, University of Hail, Hail 55476, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohd Saeed
- Department
of Biology, College of Science, University
of Hail, Hail 55476, Saudi Arabia
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5
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Mano C, Kongkaew A, Tippawangkosol P, Junkum A, Siriyasatien P, Jariyapan N. In vitro susceptibility to miltefosine of amphotericin B-resistant Leishmania (Mundinia) martiniquensis. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:3027-3035. [PMID: 37796293 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07992-3] [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: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Leishmania (Mundinia) martiniquensis is a newly described species that causes human visceral, disseminated, and mucocutaneous leishmaniases. Amphotericin B deoxycholate (AmpB) is the first-line drug for the treatment of leishmaniasis in Thailand; however, several relapse cases of leishmaniasis caused by L. martiniquensis have been documented. In this study, in vitro susceptibility to AmpB and miltefosine (MIL) of wild-type (before treatment, LSCM1) and two AmpB-resistant L. martiniquensis strains (an in vitro-induced AmpB-resistant strain, AmpBRP2i, and a relapse strain, LSCM1-6) were determined. Results reveal that the IC50 value and resistance index against both drugs of promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes of the AmpBRP2i and LSCM1-6 strains were statistically significantly higher than those of the LSCM1 strain suggesting that cross-resistance with MIL occurred in both AmpB-resistant strains. The results of this study advocate further investigation into mechanisms that involve the complex nature of AmpB/MIL resistance in L. martiniquensis and development of effective methods for the identification of the AmpB-resistant parasites to help delivery of appropriate treatments for patients and for epidemiological surveys to survey the potential spread of drug-resistant strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chonlada Mano
- Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
| | - Aphisek Kongkaew
- Animal House Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
| | - Pongsri Tippawangkosol
- Center of Insect Vector Study, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
| | - Anuluck Junkum
- Center of Insect Vector Study, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
| | - Padet Siriyasatien
- Center of Excellence in Vector Biology and Vector-Borne Disease, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Narissara Jariyapan
- Center of Excellence in Vector Biology and Vector-Borne Disease, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
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6
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Khan H, Waqas M, Khurshid B, Ullah N, Khalid A, Abdalla AN, Alamri MA, Wadood A. Investigating the role of Sterol C24-Methyl transferase mutation on drug resistance in leishmaniasis and identifying potential inhibitors. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-14. [PMID: 37723868 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2256879] [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: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a fatal disease caused by the leishmania parasite. For the survival of the leishmania parasite, Sterol C24-Methyl Transferase (SMT) is essential which is an enzyme of the ergosterol pathway. SMT protein mutation is responsible for Amphotericin-B drug resistance in Leishmania, which is the main treatment for visceral leishmaniasis. Amphotericin-B resistance is caused by three mutated residues V131I, V321I and F72C. The underlying mechanisms and structural changes in SMT enzymes responsible for resistance due to mutation are still not well understood. In the current study, the potential mechanism of resistance due to these mutations and the structure variation of wild and mutant SMT proteins were investigated through molecular dynamics simulations and molecular docking analysis. The results showed that AmB established strong bonding interaction with wild SMT as compare to mutants SMT. The binding energy calculation showed that binding energy of AmB with mutants SMT increases as compare to the wild SMT. Further structural based virtual screening was carried out to design potential inhibitors for the mutant SMT. On the basis of structural-based virtual screening four inhibitors (SANC01057, SANC00882, SANC00414, SANC01047) were computationally identified as potential mutant SMT (F72C) inhibitors. This work provides valuable information for improved management of drug resistant Leishmaniasis.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huma Khan
- Department of Biochemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Waqas
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Birkat Al-Mouz Nizwa, Oman
| | - Beenish Khurshid
- Department of Biochemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Nazif Ullah
- Department of Biotechnology, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
| | - Asaad Khalid
- Substance Abuse and Toxicology Research Center, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ashraf N Abdalla
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mubarak A Alamri
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdul Wadood
- Department of Biochemistry, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Mardan, Pakistan
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Cao X, Fang W, Li J, Zheng J, Wang X, Mai K, Ai Q. Long noncoding RNA lincsc5d regulates hepatic cholesterol synthesis by modulating sterol C5 desaturase in large yellow croaker. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2023; 263:110800. [PMID: 36167286 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2022.110800] [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: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Although long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) plays a vital role in cholesterol metabolism, very little information is available in fish. Thus, a 10-week feeding experiment was performed to estimate the effects of lncRNA on cholesterol metabolism in large yellow croaker fed with fish oil (FO), soybean oil (SO), olive oil (OO), and palm oil (PO) diets. Results showed that fish fed with OO and PO diets had higher liver total cholesterol (TC) and cholesterol ester (CE) contents compared with fish fed with FO diets. Analysis of the KEGG pathway showed that the steroid biosynthesis pathway was enriched in comparisons FO vs SO, FO vs OO, and FO vs PO. Meanwhile, sterol C5 desaturase (SC5D), a cholesterol synthase, was up-regulated in the steroid biosynthesis pathway. SC5D was widely expressed in all tissues examined, and the highest expression of SC5D was detected in brain. More importantly, a novel lncRNA associated with sc5d gene was identified by RNA sequencing and named as lincsc5d. The tissue distribution of lincsc5d was similar to that of sc5d. A nuclear/cytoplasmic RNA separation assay showed that lincsc5d was a nucleus-enriched lncRNA. qRT-PCR results demonstrated that lincsc5d was markedly up-regulated in the SO, OO, and PO groups. Furthermore, the results of TC content and the lincsc5d and sc5d expression in hepatocytes agreed with in vivo results. In conclusion, this study indicated that vegetable oils, especially OO and PO, increased hepatic cholesterol levels by promoting cholesterol synthesis, and lncRNA lincsc5d and sc5d might be involved in cholesterol synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiufei Cao
- Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Nutrition and Feed (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Fang
- Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Nutrition and Feed (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, People's Republic of China
| | - JiaMin Li
- Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Nutrition and Feed (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, People's Republic of China
| | - Jichang Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Nutrition and Feed (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiuneng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Nutrition and Feed (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, People's Republic of China
| | - Kangsen Mai
- Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Nutrition and Feed (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, People's Republic of China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, 1 Wenhai Road, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, People's Republic of China
| | - Qinghui Ai
- Key Laboratory of Aquaculture Nutrition and Feed (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ministry of Education), Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, People's Republic of China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, 1 Wenhai Road, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, People's Republic of China.
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8
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Mano C, Kongkaew A, Tippawangkosol P, Somboon P, Roytrakul S, Pescher P, Späth GF, Uthaipibull C, Tantiworawit A, Siriyasatien P, Jariyapan N. Amphotericin B resistance correlates with increased fitness in vitro and in vivo in Leishmania ( Mundinia) martiniquensis. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1156061. [PMID: 37089544 PMCID: PMC10116047 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1156061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Amphotericin B (AmpB) deoxycholate is the available first-line drug used to treat visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (Mundinia) martiniquensis, however, some cases of AmpB treatment failure have been reported in Thailand. Resistance to drugs is known to affect parasite fitness with a potential impact on parasite transmission but still little is known about the effect of resistance to drugs on L. martiniquensis. Here we aimed to gain insight into the fitness changes occurring after treatment failure or in vitro-induced resistance to AmpB. L. martiniquensis parasites isolated from a patient before (LSCM1) and after relapse (LSCM1-6) were compared for in vitro and in vivo fitness changes together with an in vitro induced AmpB-resistant parasite generated from LSCM1 parasites (AmpBRP2i). Results revealed increased metacyclogenesis of the AmpBPR2i and LSCM1-6 strains (AmpB-resistant strains) compared to the LSCM1 strain and increased fitness with respect to growth and infectivity. The LSCM1-6 and AmpBRP2i strains were present in mice for longer periods compared to the LSCM1 strain, but no clinical signs of the disease were observed. These results suggest that the AmpB-resistant parasites could be more efficiently transmitted to humans and maintained in asymptomatic hosts longer than the susceptible strain. The asymptomatic hosts therefore may represent "reservoirs" for the resistant parasites enhancing transmission. The results in this study advocate an urgent need to search and monitor for AmpB-resistant L. martiniquensis in patients with relapsing leishmaniasis and in asymptomatic patients, especially, in HIV/Leishmania coinfected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chonlada Mano
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Aphisek Kongkaew
- Animal House Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Pongsri Tippawangkosol
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Pradya Somboon
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Sittiruk Roytrakul
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Pascale Pescher
- Institut Pasteur, INSERM U1201, Université Paris Cité, Unité de Parasitologie Moléculaire et Signalisation, Paris, France
| | - Gerald F. Späth
- Institut Pasteur, INSERM U1201, Université Paris Cité, Unité de Parasitologie Moléculaire et Signalisation, Paris, France
| | | | - Adisak Tantiworawit
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Padet Siriyasatien
- Center of Excellence in Vector Biology and Vector-Borne Disease, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Narissara Jariyapan
- Center of Excellence in Vector Biology and Vector-Borne Disease, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- *Correspondence: Narissara Jariyapan,
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Feng M, Jin Y, Yang S, Joachim AM, Ning Y, Mori-Quiroz LM, Fromm J, Perera C, Zhang K, Werbovetz KA, Wang MZ. Sterol profiling of Leishmania parasites using a new HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry-based method and antifungal azoles as chemical probes reveals a key intermediate sterol that supports a branched ergosterol biosynthetic pathway. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2022; 20:27-42. [PMID: 35994895 PMCID: PMC9418051 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2022.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Human leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by Leishmania protozoan parasites. Current chemotherapeutic options against the deadly disease have significant limitations. The ergosterol biosynthetic pathway has been identified as a drug target in Leishmania. However, remarkable differences in the efficacy of antifungal azoles that inhibit ergosterol biosynthesis have been reported for the treatment of leishmaniasis. To better understand the sterol biosynthetic pathway in Leishmania and elucidate the mechanism underlying the differential efficacy of antifungal azoles, we developed a new LC-MS/MS method to study sterol profiles in promastigotes of three Leishmania species, including two L. donovani, one L. major and one L. tarentolae strains. A combination of distinct precursor ion masses and LC retention times allowed for specific detection of sixteen intermediate sterols between lanosterol and ergosterol using the newly developed LC-MS/MS method. Although both posaconazole and fluconazole are known inhibitors of fungal lanosterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51), only posaconazole led to a substantial accumulation of lanosterol in azole-treated L. donovani promastigotes. Furthermore, a key intermediate sterol accumulated by 40- and 7-fold when these parasites were treated with posaconazole and fluconazole, respectively, which was determined as 4α,14α-dimethylzymosterol by high resolution mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. The identification of 4α,14α-dimethylzymosterol supports a branched ergosterol biosynthetic pathway in Leishmania, where lanosterol C4- and C14-demethylation reactions occur in parallel rather than sequentially. Our results suggest that selective inhibition of leishmanial CYP51 is insufficient to effectively prevent parasite growth and dual inhibitors of both CYP51 and the unknown sterol C4-demethylase may be required for optimal antiparasitic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Feng
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Yiru Jin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Sihyung Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Arline M Joachim
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Yu Ning
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Luis M Mori-Quiroz
- Synthetic Chemical Biology Core Laboratory, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Jacob Fromm
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Chamani Perera
- Synthetic Chemical Biology Core Laboratory, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Karl A Werbovetz
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Michael Zhuo Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA.
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10
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Alpizar-Sosa EA, Ithnin NRB, Wei W, Pountain AW, Weidt SK, Donachie AM, Ritchie R, Dickie EA, Burchmore RJS, Denny PW, Barrett MP. Amphotericin B resistance in Leishmania mexicana: Alterations to sterol metabolism and oxidative stress response. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010779. [PMID: 36170238 PMCID: PMC9581426 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphotericin B is increasingly used in treatment of leishmaniasis. Here, fourteen independent lines of Leishmania mexicana and one L. infantum line were selected for resistance to either amphotericin B or the related polyene antimicrobial, nystatin. Sterol profiling revealed that, in each resistant line, the predominant wild-type sterol, ergosta-5,7,24-trienol, was replaced by other sterol intermediates. Broadly, two different profiles emerged among the resistant lines. Whole genome sequencing then showed that these distinct profiles were due either to mutations in the sterol methyl transferase (C24SMT) gene locus or the sterol C5 desaturase (C5DS) gene. In three lines an additional deletion of the miltefosine transporter gene was found. Differences in sensitivity to amphotericin B were apparent, depending on whether cells were grown in HOMEM, supplemented with foetal bovine serum, or a serum free defined medium (DM). Metabolomic analysis after exposure to AmB showed that a large increase in glucose flux via the pentose phosphate pathway preceded cell death in cells sustained in HOMEM but not DM, indicating the oxidative stress was more significantly induced under HOMEM conditions. Several of the lines were tested for their ability to infect macrophages and replicate as amastigote forms, alongside their ability to establish infections in mice. While several AmB resistant lines showed reduced virulence, at least two lines displayed heightened virulence in mice whilst retaining their resistance phenotype, emphasising the risks of resistance emerging to this critical drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edubiel A. Alpizar-Sosa
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection & Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Nur Raihana Binti Ithnin
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection & Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Wenbin Wei
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew W. Pountain
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection & Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Institute for Computational Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Stefan K. Weidt
- Glasgow Polyomics, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Anne M. Donachie
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection & Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Ryan Ritchie
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection & Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Emily A. Dickie
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection & Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Glasgow Polyomics, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J. S. Burchmore
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection & Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Glasgow Polyomics, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Paul W. Denny
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Michael P. Barrett
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection & Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Glasgow Polyomics, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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11
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Alpizar-Sosa EA, Kumordzi Y, Wei W, Whitfield PD, Barrett MP, Denny PW. Genome deletions to overcome the directed loss of gene function in Leishmania. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:988688. [PMID: 36211960 PMCID: PMC9539739 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.988688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
With the global reach of the Neglected Tropical Disease leishmaniasis increasing, coupled with a tiny armory of therapeutics which all have problems with resistance, cost, toxicity and/or administration, the validation of new drug targets in the causative insect vector borne protozoa Leishmania spp is more important than ever. Before the introduction of CRISPR Cas9 technology in 2015 genetic validation of new targets was carried out largely by targeted gene knockout through homologous recombination, with the majority of genes targeted (~70%) deemed non-essential. In this study we exploit the ready availability of whole genome sequencing technology to reanalyze one of these historic cell lines, a L. major knockout in the catalytic subunit of serine palmitoyltransferase (LCB2), which causes a complete loss of sphingolipid biosynthesis but remains viable and infective. This revealed a number of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, but also the complete loss of several coding regions including a gene encoding a putative ABC3A orthologue, a putative sterol transporter. Hypothesizing that the loss of such a transporter may have facilitated the directed knockout of the catalytic subunit of LCB2 and the complete loss of de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis, we re-examined LCB2 in a L. mexicana line engineered for straightforward CRISPR Cas9 directed manipulation. Strikingly, LCB2 could not be knocked out indicating essentiality. However, simultaneous deletion of LCB2 and the putative ABC3A was possible. This indicated that the loss of the putative ABC3A facilitated the loss of sphingolipid biosynthesis in Leishmania, and suggested that we should re-examine the many other Leishmania knockout lines where genes were deemed non-essential.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yasmine Kumordzi
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Wenbin Wei
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Phillip D. Whitfield
- Glasgow Polyomics, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Michael P. Barrett
- Glasgow Polyomics, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom,Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection and Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Paul W. Denny
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: Paul W. Denny,
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12
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Kumari S, Kumar V, Tiwari RK, Ravidas V, Pandey K, Kumar A. - Amphotericin B: A drug of choice for Visceral Leishmaniasis. Acta Trop 2022; 235:106661. [PMID: 35998680 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis or Kala-azar is a vector-borne disease caused by an intracellular parasite of the genus leishmania. In India, Amphotericin B (AmB) is a first-line medication for treating leishmaniasis. After a large-scale resistance to pentavalent antimony therapy developed in Bihar state, it was rediscovered as an effective treatment for Leishmania donovani infection. AmB which binds to the ergosterol of protozoan cells causes a change in membrane integrity resulting in ions leakage, and ultimately leading to cell death. The treatment effect of liposomal AmB can be seen more quickly than deoxycholate AmB because, it has some toxic effects, but liposomal AmB is significantly less toxic. Evidence from studies suggested that ABLC (Abelcet) and ABCD (Amphotec) are as effective as L-AmB but Liposomal form (Ambisome) is a more widely accepted treatment option than conventional ones. Nevertheless, the world needs some way more efficient antileishmanial drugs that are less toxic and less expensive for people living with parasitic infections caused by Leishmania. So, academics, researchers, and sponsors need to focus on finding such drugs. This review provides a summary of the chemical, pharmacokinetic, drug-target interactions, stability, dose efficacy, and many other characteristics of the AmB and their various formulations. We have also highlighted the clinically significant aspects of PKDL and VL co-infection with HIV/TB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shobha Kumari
- Department of Biochemistry, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna 800007, Bihar, India
| | - Vikash Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna 800007, Bihar, India
| | - Ritesh Kumar Tiwari
- Department of Biochemistry, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna 800007, Bihar, India
| | - Vidyanand Ravidas
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna 800007, Bihar, India
| | - Krishna Pandey
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna 800007, Bihar, India
| | - Ashish Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Agamkuan, Patna 800007, Bihar, India.
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13
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Sakyi PO, Broni E, Amewu RK, Miller WA, Wilson MD, Kwofie SK. Homology Modeling, de Novo Design of Ligands, and Molecular Docking Identify Potential Inhibitors of Leishmania donovani 24-Sterol Methyltransferase. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:859981. [PMID: 35719359 PMCID: PMC9201040 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.859981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The therapeutic challenges pertaining to leishmaniasis due to reported chemoresistance and toxicity necessitate the need to explore novel pathways to identify plausible inhibitory molecules. Leishmania donovani 24-sterol methyltransferase (LdSMT) is vital for the synthesis of ergosterols, the main constituents of Leishmania cellular membranes. So far, mammals have not been shown to possess SMT or ergosterols, making the pathway a prime candidate for drug discovery. The structural model of LdSMT was elucidated using homology modeling to identify potential novel 24-SMT inhibitors via virtual screening, scaffold hopping, and de-novo fragment-based design. Altogether, six potential novel inhibitors were identified with binding energies ranging from −7.0 to −8.4 kcal/mol with e-LEA3D using 22,26-azasterol and S1–S4 obtained from scaffold hopping via the ChEMBL, DrugBank, PubChem, ChemSpider, and ZINC15 databases. These ligands showed comparable binding energy to 22,26-azasterol (−7.6 kcal/mol), the main inhibitor of LdSMT. Moreover, all the compounds had plausible ligand efficiency-dependent lipophilicity (LELP) scores above 3. The binding mechanism identified Tyr92 to be critical for binding, and this was corroborated via molecular dynamics simulations and molecular mechanics Poisson–Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) calculations. The ligand A1 was predicted to possess antileishmanial properties with a probability of activity (Pa) of 0.362 and a probability of inactivity (Pi) of 0.066, while A5 and A6 possessed dermatological properties with Pa values of 0.205 and 0.249 and Pi values of 0.162 and 0.120, respectively. Structural similarity search via DrugBank identified vabicaserin, daledalin, zanapezil, imipramine, and cefradine with antileishmanial properties suggesting that the de-novo compounds could be explored as potential antileishmanial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick O. Sakyi
- Department of Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Chemical Sciences, School of Sciences, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana
| | - Emmanuel Broni
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, College of Basic & Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), College of Health Sciences (CHS), University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Richard K. Amewu
- Department of Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Whelton A. Miller
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL, United States
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Michael D. Wilson
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), College of Health Sciences (CHS), University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL, United States
| | - Samuel Kojo Kwofie
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, College of Basic & Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- *Correspondence: Samuel Kojo Kwofie,
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14
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Caffrey P, Hogan M, Song Y. New Glycosylated Polyene Macrolides: Refining the Ore from Genome Mining. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11030334. [PMID: 35326797 PMCID: PMC8944477 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11030334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycosylated polyene macrolides include effective antifungal agents, such as pimaricin, nystatin, candicidin, and amphotericin B. For the treatment of systemic mycoses, amphotericin B has been described as a gold-standard antibiotic because of its potent activity against a broad spectrum of fungal pathogens, which do not readily become resistant. However, amphotericin B has severe toxic side effects, and the development of safer alternatives remains an important objective. One approach towards obtaining such compounds is to discover new related natural products. Advances in next-generation sequencing have delivered a wealth of microbial genome sequences containing polyene biosynthetic gene clusters. These typically encode a modular polyketide synthase that catalyzes the assembly of the aglycone core, a cytochrome P450 that oxidizes a methyl branch to a carboxyl group, and additional enzymes for synthesis and attachment of a single mycosamine sugar residue. In some cases, further P450s catalyze epoxide formation or hydroxylation within the macrolactone. Bioinformatic analyses have identified over 250 of these clusters. Some are predicted to encode potentially valuable new polyenes that have not been uncovered by traditional screening methods. Recent experimental studies have characterized polyenes with new polyketide backbones, previously unknown late oxygenations, and additional sugar residues that increase water-solubility and reduce hemolytic activity. Here we review these studies and assess how this new knowledge can help to prioritize silent polyene clusters for further investigation. This approach should improve the chances of discovering better antifungal antibiotics.
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15
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Simvastatin Resistance of Leishmania amazonensis Induces Sterol Remodeling and Cross-Resistance to Sterol Pathway and Serine Protease Inhibitors. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10020398. [PMID: 35208853 PMCID: PMC8877030 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The sterol biosynthesis pathway of Leishmania spp. is used as a pharmacological target; however, available information about the mechanisms of the regulation and remodeling of sterol-related genes is scarce. The present study investigated compensatory mechanisms of the sterol biosynthesis pathway using an inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase (simvastatin) and by developing drug-resistant parasites to evaluate the impact on sterol remodeling, cross-resistance, and gene expression. Simvastatin-resistant L. amazonensis parasites (LaSimR) underwent reprogramming of sterol metabolism manifested as an increase in cholestane- and stigmastane-based sterols and a decrease in ergostane-based sterols. The levels of the transcripts of sterol 24-C-methyltransferase (SMT), sterol C14-α-demethylase (C14DM), and protease subtilisin (SUB) were increased in LaSimR. LaSimR was cross-resistance to ketoconazole (a C14DM inhibitor) and remained sensitive to terbinafine (an inhibitor of squalene monooxygenase). Sensitivity of the LaSimR mutant to other antileishmanial drugs unrelated to the sterol biosynthesis pathway, such as trivalent antimony and pentamidine, was similar to that of the wild-type strain; however, LaSimR was cross-resistant to miltefosine, general serine protease inhibitor N-p-tosyl-l-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (TPCK), subtilisin-specific inhibitor 4-[(diethylamino)methyl]-N-[2-(2-methoxyphenyl)ethyl]-N-(3R)-3-pyrrolidinyl-benzamide dihydrochloride (PF-429242), and tunicamycin. The findings on the regulation of the sterol pathway can support the development of drugs and protease inhibitors targeting this route in parasites.
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16
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Santi AMM, Murta SMF. Impact of Genetic Diversity and Genome Plasticity of Leishmania spp. in Treatment and the Search for Novel Chemotherapeutic Targets. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:826287. [PMID: 35141175 PMCID: PMC8819175 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.826287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is one of the major public health concerns in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. The absence of vaccines for human use and the lack of effective vector control programs make chemotherapy the main strategy to control all forms of the disease. However, the high toxicity of available drugs, limited choice of therapeutic agents, and occurrence of drug-resistant parasite strains are the main challenges related to chemotherapy. Currently, only a small number of drugs are available for leishmaniasis treatment, including pentavalent antimonials (SbV), amphotericin B and its formulations, miltefosine, paromomycin sulphate, and pentamidine isethionate. In addition to drug toxicity, therapeutic failure of leishmaniasis is a serious concern. The occurrence of drug-resistant parasites is one of the causes of therapeutic failure and is closely related to the diversity of parasites in this genus. Owing to the enormous plasticity of the genome, resistance can occur by altering different metabolic pathways, demonstrating that resistance mechanisms are multifactorial and extremely complex. Genetic variability and genome plasticity cause not only the available drugs to have limitations, but also make the search for new drugs challenging. Here, we examined the biological characteristics of parasites that hinder drug discovery.
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17
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Hilaire V, Michel G, Majoor A, Hadji-Minaglou F, Landreau A, Fernandez X. New method for screening anti-Leishmania compounds in plants extracts by HPTLC-bioautography. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2021; 1188:123061. [PMID: 34894478 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2021.123061] [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] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Leishmania genus is responsible for leishmaniasis, a group of diseases affecting 12 million people in the tropical and subtropical zone. Currently, the few drugs that are available to treat this disease are expensive and cause many side effects. Searching for new therapeutics from plant species seems to be a promising path. This work proposes an original HPTLC test against parasites, in particular on Leishmania infantum, to screen new molecules from plant extracts. The technique uses protozoa transformed to express the luciferase gene to observe the bioautogram in bioluminescence. We have developed two different test protocols based on the two dimorphic stages of the parasite. The free promastigote stage, and an intracellular stage parasitizing macrophage cells called the amastigote stage. These two stages only survive under extremely different conditions which required the development of two very different test protocols. For the promastigote free stage of the protozoa, the direct bioautography technique was chosen while for the intracellular amastigote stage, bioautography by immersion (agar overlay) was required. Amphotericine B was chosen as the reference compound for this assay. The development of each of these two tests made it possible to clearly detect areas of activity on the bioautogram, allowing a rapid and inexpensive screening of the antiparasitic properties of molecules in natural extracts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Hilaire
- BotaniCert, 4 traverse Dupont, 06130 Grasse, France; Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272, Nice, France
| | - Gregory Michel
- Université Côte d'Azur, Inserm, U1065, C3M, Nice, France
| | - Alissa Majoor
- Université Côte d'Azur, Inserm, U1065, C3M, Nice, France
| | | | - Anne Landreau
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272, Nice, France; Univ Angers, Univ Brest, GEIHP, SFR ICAT, F-49000 Angers, France
| | - Xavier Fernandez
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272, Nice, France.
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18
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Morelle C, Mukherjee A, Zhang J, Fani F, Khandelwal A, Gingras H, Trottier J, Barbier O, Leprohon P, Burke MD, Ouellette M. Well-Tolerated Amphotericin B Derivatives That Effectively Treat Visceral Leishmaniasis. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:2472-2482. [PMID: 34282886 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Chemotherapy against the neglected tropical disease visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is suboptimal with only four licensed drugs. Amphotericin B (AmB), despite its toxicity, remained a second line drug for a long time. However, the demonstration that liposomal AmB is highly effective against VL propelled it, despite its cost, to a first line drug in many countries. While several ongoing efforts are aiming at finding cheaper and stable AmB-formulations, an alternative strategy is the development of less-toxic AmB derivatives. We show here that two less-toxic AmB derivatives with the carboxylate at position 16 of AmB derivatized to a methyl urea (AmB-MU) or amino urea (AmB-AU) are active in vitro against Leishmania donovani, both as free-living parasites as well as their intracellular form. Both less-toxic derivatives, similarly to AmB, target the ergosterol pathway of L. donovani. While the AmB-AU derivative showed female-specific liver toxicity in vivo, the AmB-MU derivative was well-tolerated and more effective than AmB against experimental VL. These studies are an important step for improving AmB-based therapy against a prevalent parasitic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christelle Morelle
- Axe des Maladies Infectieuses et Immunitaires du Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, and Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec G1V 4G2,Canada
| | - Angana Mukherjee
- Axe des Maladies Infectieuses et Immunitaires du Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, and Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec G1V 4G2,Canada
| | - Jiabao Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Arnold and Mabel Beckman Institute, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Fereshteh Fani
- Axe des Maladies Infectieuses et Immunitaires du Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, and Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec G1V 4G2,Canada
| | - Anuj Khandelwal
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Arnold and Mabel Beckman Institute, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Hélène Gingras
- Axe des Maladies Infectieuses et Immunitaires du Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, and Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec G1V 4G2,Canada
| | - Jocelyn Trottier
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Endocrinology-Nephrology Axis, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec G1V 4G2,Canada
| | - Olivier Barbier
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Endocrinology-Nephrology Axis, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec G1V 4G2,Canada
| | - Philippe Leprohon
- Axe des Maladies Infectieuses et Immunitaires du Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, and Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec G1V 4G2,Canada
| | - Martin D. Burke
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Arnold and Mabel Beckman Institute, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Marc Ouellette
- Axe des Maladies Infectieuses et Immunitaires du Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie, and Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec G1V 4G2,Canada
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Hendrickx S, Reis-Cunha JL, Forrester S, Jeffares DC, Caljon G. Experimental Selection of Paromomycin Resistance in Leishmania donovani Amastigotes Induces Variable Genomic Polymorphisms. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9081546. [PMID: 34442625 PMCID: PMC8398221 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9081546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The relatively high post-treatment relapse rates of paromomycin (PMM) in visceral leishmaniasis treatment and the swift emergence of experimental drug resistance challenge its broad application and urge for rational use and monitoring of resistance. However, no causal molecular mechanisms to Leishmania PMM resistance have been identified so far. To gain insights into potential resistance mechanisms, twelve experimentally selected Leishmania donovani clonal lines and the non-cloned preselection population, with variable degrees of PMM resistance, were subjected to whole genome sequencing. To identify genomic variations potentially associated with resistance, SNPs, Indels, chromosomal somy and gene copy number variations were compared between the different parasite lines. A total of 11 short nucleotide variations and the copy number alterations in 39 genes were correlated to PMM resistance. Some of the identified genes are involved in transcription, translation and protein turn-over (transcription elongation factor-like protein, RNA-binding protein, ribosomal protein L1a, 60S ribosomal protein L6, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-1, proteasome regulatory non-ATP-ase subunit 3), virulence (major surface protease gp63, protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1-like protein), mitochondrial function (ADP/ATP mitochondrial carrier-like protein), signaling (phosphatidylinositol 3-related kinase, protein kinase putative and protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1-like protein) and vesicular trafficking (ras-related protein RAB1). These results indicate that, in Leishmania, the aminoglycoside PMM affects protein translational processes and underlines the complex and probably multifactorial origin of resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Hendrickx
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium;
| | - João Luís Reis-Cunha
- Department of Biology and York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York YO31 5DD, UK; (J.L.R.-C.); (S.F.)
| | - Sarah Forrester
- Department of Biology and York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York YO31 5DD, UK; (J.L.R.-C.); (S.F.)
| | - Daniel C. Jeffares
- Department of Biology and York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York YO31 5DD, UK; (J.L.R.-C.); (S.F.)
- Correspondence: (D.C.J.); (G.C.); Tel.: +32-3-265-26-01 (G.C.)
| | - Guy Caljon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium;
- Correspondence: (D.C.J.); (G.C.); Tel.: +32-3-265-26-01 (G.C.)
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20
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Bansal R, Sen SS, Muthuswami R, Madhubala R. Stigmasterol as a potential biomarker for amphotericin B resistance in Leishmania donovani. J Antimicrob Chemother 2021; 75:942-950. [PMID: 31886855 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkz515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leishmania donovani, a protozoan parasite, is the primary causative agent for visceral leishmaniasis. Toxicity and increased resistance to existing drugs have led to an urgent need for identifying new drugs and drug targets. Understanding the risks and mechanisms of resistance is of great importance. Amphotericin B (AmB) is a polyene antimicrobial, the mainstay therapy for visceral leishmaniasis in several parts of India. OBJECTIVES In the present study, we established a line of AmB-resistant L. donovani promastigotes in vitro and demonstrated the molecular basis of resistance to AmB. METHODS AmB-resistant promastigotes were generated and characterized to evaluate the mechanism of resistance to AmB. We examined the sterol composition of the promastigotes and the axenic amastigotes derived from the WT and AmB-resistant promastigotes. The role of the plant-like C-22 desaturase responsible for stigmasterol production was also evaluated in the AmB-resistant strain. RESULTS The IC50 for resistant cells was four times higher than for the WT. AmB-resistant promastigotes showed an increase in the conversion of β-sitosterol into stigmasterol. The presence of higher amounts of stigmasterol in resistant promastigotes, as well as in axenic amastigotes, signifies its role in AmB resistance in Leishmania. The resistant strain showed reduced infectivity in vitro. CONCLUSIONS We have elucidated the mode of action and resistance mechanisms to the drug. However, further work is required to validate the potential role of stigmasterol in resistance and to help develop a diagnostic kit that can assist in diagnosing potentially resistant lines in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruby Bansal
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Shib Sankar Sen
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Rohini Muthuswami
- Chromatin Remodelling Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Rentala Madhubala
- School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
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21
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Gutierrez Guarnizo SA, Tikhonova EB, Zabet-Moghaddam M, Zhang K, Muskus C, Karamyshev AL, Karamysheva ZN. Drug-Induced Lipid Remodeling in Leishmania Parasites. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9040790. [PMID: 33918954 PMCID: PMC8068835 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9040790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmania parasites efficiently develop resistance against several types of drugs including antimonials, the primary antileishmanial drug historically implemented. The resistance to antimonials is considered to be a major risk factor for effective leishmaniasis treatment. To detect biomarkers/biopatterns for the differentiation of antimony-resistant Leishmania strains, we employed untargeted global mass spectrometry to identify intracellular lipids present in antimony sensitive and resistant parasites before and after antimony exposure. The lipidomic profiles effectively differentiated the sensitive and resistant phenotypes growing with and without antimony pressure. Resistant phenotypes were characterized by significant downregulation of phosphatidylcholines, sphingolipid decrease, and lysophosphatidylcholine increase, while sensitive phenotypes were characterized by the upregulation of triglycerides with long-chain fatty acids and a tendency toward the phosphatidylethanolamine decrease. Our findings suggest that the changes in lipid composition in antimony-resistant parasites contribute to the physiological response conducted to combat the oxidative stress unbalance caused by the drug. We have identified several lipids as potential biomarkers associated with the drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sneider Alexander Gutierrez Guarnizo
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; (S.A.G.G.); (E.B.T.)
- Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia;
| | - Elena B. Tikhonova
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; (S.A.G.G.); (E.B.T.)
| | | | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA;
| | - Carlos Muskus
- Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia;
| | - Andrey L. Karamyshev
- Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; (S.A.G.G.); (E.B.T.)
- Correspondence: (A.L.K.); (Z.N.K.); Tel.: +1-806-743-4102 (A.L.K.); +1-806-834-5075 (Z.N.K.)
| | - Zemfira N. Karamysheva
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA;
- Correspondence: (A.L.K.); (Z.N.K.); Tel.: +1-806-743-4102 (A.L.K.); +1-806-834-5075 (Z.N.K.)
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22
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Damasceno JD, Marques CA, Black J, Briggs E, McCulloch R. Read, Write, Adapt: Challenges and Opportunities during Kinetoplastid Genome Replication. Trends Genet 2020; 37:21-34. [PMID: 32993968 PMCID: PMC9213392 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2020.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The genomes of all organisms are read throughout their growth and development, generating new copies during cell division and encoding the cellular activities dictated by the genome’s content. However, genomes are not invariant information stores but are purposefully altered in minor and major ways, adapting cellular behaviour and driving evolution. Kinetoplastids are eukaryotic microbes that display a wide range of such read–write genome activities, in many cases affecting critical aspects of their biology, such as host adaptation. Here we discuss the range of read–write genome changes found in two well-studied kinetoplastid parasites, Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania, focusing on recent work that suggests such adaptive genome variation is linked to novel strategies the parasites use to replicate their unconventional genomes. Polycistronic transcription dominates and shapes kinetoplastid genomes, inevitably leading to clashes with DNA replication. By harnessing the resultant DNA damage for adaptation, kinetoplastids have huge potential for dynamic read–write genome variation. Major origins of DNA replication are confined to the boundaries of polycistronic transcription units in the Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania genomes, putatively limiting DNA damage. Subtelomeres may lack this arrangement, generating read–write hotspots. In T. brucei, early replication of the highly transcribed subtelomeric variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) expression site may ensure replication-transcription clashes within this site to trigger DNA recombination, an event critical for antigenic variation. Leishmania genomes show extensive aneuploidy and copy number variation. Notably, DNA replication requires recombination factors and relies on post-S phase replication of subtelomeres. Evolution of compartmentalised DNA replication programmes underpin important aspects of genome biology in kinetoplastids, illustrating the consolidation of genome maintenance strategies to promote genome plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeziel D Damasceno
- The Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Sir Graeme Davies Building, 120 University Place, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK.
| | - Catarina A Marques
- The Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Sir Graeme Davies Building, 120 University Place, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Jennifer Black
- The Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Sir Graeme Davies Building, 120 University Place, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Emma Briggs
- The Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Sir Graeme Davies Building, 120 University Place, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK; Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Richard McCulloch
- The Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Sir Graeme Davies Building, 120 University Place, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK.
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23
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Mukherjee S, Moitra S, Xu W, Hernandez V, Zhang K. Sterol 14-α-demethylase is vital for mitochondrial functions and stress tolerance in Leishmania major. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008810. [PMID: 32817704 PMCID: PMC7462297 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sterol 14-α-demethylase (C14DM) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of sterols and the primary target of azoles. In Leishmania major, genetic or chemical inactivation of C14DM leads to accumulation of 14-methylated sterol intermediates and profound plasma membrane abnormalities including increased fluidity and failure to maintain ordered membrane microdomains. These defects likely contribute to the hypersensitivity to heat and severely reduced virulence displayed by the C14DM-null mutants (c14dm‾). In addition to plasma membrane, sterols are present in intracellular organelles. In this study, we investigated the impact of C14DM ablation on mitochondria. Our results demonstrate that c14dm‾ mutants have significantly higher mitochondrial membrane potential than wild type parasites. Such high potential leads to the buildup of reactive oxygen species in the mitochondria, especially under nutrient-limiting conditions. Consistent with these mitochondrial alterations, c14dm‾ mutants show impairment in respiration and are heavily dependent on glucose uptake and glycolysis to generate energy. Consequently, these mutants are extremely sensitive to glucose deprivation and such vulnerability can be rescued through the supplementation of glucose or glycerol. In addition, the accumulation of oxidants may also contribute to the heat sensitivity exhibited by c14dm‾. Finally, genetic or chemical ablation of C14DM causes increased susceptibility to pentamidine, an antimicrobial agent with activity against trypanosomatids. In summary, our investigation reveals that alteration of sterol synthesis can negatively affect multiple cellular processes in Leishmania parasites and make them vulnerable to clinically relevant stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumit Mukherjee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
| | - Samrat Moitra
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
| | - Wei Xu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
| | - Veronica Hernandez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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24
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Faral-Tello P, Greif G, Satragno D, Basmadjián Y, Robello C. Leishmania infantum isolates exhibit high infectivity and reduced susceptibility to amphotericin B. RSC Med Chem 2020; 11:913-918. [PMID: 33479686 PMCID: PMC7651856 DOI: 10.1039/d0md00073f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease caused by a protozoan parasite of the Leishmania species in over 98 countries in five continents. Visceral leishmaniasis is one of the main forms of the disease and is mainly caused by Leishmania infantum, whose main vector is the dipteran Lutzomyia longipalpis. The presence of the vector in Uruguay was recorded for the first time in 2010 and an autochthonous outbreak of canine visceral leishmaniasis occurred in the northern locality of the country in 2015. We report the isolation in blood-free FBS-supplemented defined media of five isolates responsible for the referred outbreak, and characterize them in terms of their growth as promastigotes, infectivity and replication in human derived monocytes and drug resistance. Results indicate similar promastigote growth among the strains, enhanced infectivity and replication for the five strains isolated from the Uruguayan outbreak when compared with reference strains from South America, equivalent drug susceptibility for miltefosine and nifurtimox and a significant difference in IC50 values for amphotericin B between the Uruguayan strains, 3-4 fold higher than the reference strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Faral-Tello
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno , Unidad de Biología Molecular , Institut Pasteur de Montevideo , Mataojo 2020 , Montevideo , 11400 , Uruguay
| | - Gonzalo Greif
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno , Unidad de Biología Molecular , Institut Pasteur de Montevideo , Mataojo 2020 , Montevideo , 11400 , Uruguay
| | - Dinora Satragno
- Centro Hospital Veterinario , Facultad de Veterinaria , Universidad de la República , Uruguay
| | - Yester Basmadjián
- Departamento de Parasitología , Instituto de Higiene , Facultad de Medicina , Universidad de la República , Montevideo , Uruguay
| | - Carlos Robello
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno , Unidad de Biología Molecular , Institut Pasteur de Montevideo , Mataojo 2020 , Montevideo , 11400 , Uruguay
- Departamento de Bioquímica , Facultad de Medicina , Universidad de la República , Montevideo , Uruguay .
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25
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Meshram RJ, Bagul KT, Aouti SU, Shirsath AM, Duggal H, Gacche RN. Modeling and simulation study to identify threonine synthase as possible drug target in Leishmania major. Mol Divers 2020; 25:1679-1700. [PMID: 32737682 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-020-10129-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is one of the most neglected tropical diseases that demand immediate attention to the identification of new drug targets and effective drug candidates. The present study demonstrates the possibility of using threonine synthase (TS) as a putative drug target in leishmaniasis disease management. We report the construction of an effective homology model of the enzyme that appears to be structurally as well as functionally well conserved. The 200 nanosecond molecular dynamics data on TS with and without pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) shed light on mechanistic details of PLP-induced conformational changes. Moreover, we address some important structural and dynamic interactions in the PLP binding region of TS that are in good agreement with previously speculated crystallographic estimations. Additionally, after screening more than 44,000 compounds, we propose 10 putative inhibitor candidates for TS based on virtual screening data and refined Molecular Mechanics Generalized Born Surface Area calculations. We expect that structural and functional dynamics data disclosed in this study will help initiate experimental endeavors toward establishing TS as an effective antileishmanial drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan J Meshram
- Bioinformatics Centre, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, 411007, India.
| | - Kamini T Bagul
- Bioinformatics Centre, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, 411007, India
| | - Snehal U Aouti
- Bioinformatics Centre, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, 411007, India
| | - Akshay M Shirsath
- Bioinformatics Centre, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, 411007, India
| | - Harleen Duggal
- Bioinformatics Centre, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, 411007, India
| | - Rajesh N Gacche
- Department of Biotechnology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, 411007, India
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26
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Ahmed H, Curtis CR, Tur-Gracia S, Olatunji TO, Carter KC, Williams RAM. Drug combinations as effective anti-leishmanials against drug resistant Leishmania mexicana. RSC Med Chem 2020; 11:905-912. [PMID: 33479685 DOI: 10.1039/d0md00101e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmania is a parasite that causes the disease leishmaniasis, and 700 000 to 1 million new cases occur each year. There are few drugs that treat the disease and drug resistance in the parasite limits the clinical utility of existing drugs. One way to combat drug resistance is to use combination therapy rather than monotherapy. In this study we have compared the effect of single and combination treatments with four different compounds, i.e. alkylphosphocholine analogues APC12 and APC14, miltefosine (MIL), ketoconazole (KTZ), and amphotericin B (AmpB), on the survival of Leishmania mexicana wild-type promastigotes and a cell line derived from the WT with induced resistance to APC12 (C12Rx). The combination treatment with APC14 and APC16 had a synergistic effect in killing the WT while the combination treatment with KTZ and APC12 or APC14 or APC12 and APC14 had a synergistic effect against C12Rx. More than 90% killing efficiency was obtained using APC12 alone at >1 mg ml-1 against the C12Rx strain; however, combinations with APC14 produced a similar killing efficiency using APC12 at 0.063-0.25 mg ml-1 and APC14 at 0.003-0.5 mg ml-1. These results show that combination therapy can negate induced drug resistance in L. mexicana and that the use of this type of screening system could accelerate the development of drug combinations for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Humera Ahmed
- University of the West of Scotland Paisley Campus , UK .
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27
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Lathosterol Oxidase (Sterol C-5 Desaturase) Deletion Confers Resistance to Amphotericin B and Sensitivity to Acidic Stress in Leishmania major. mSphere 2020; 5:5/4/e00380-20. [PMID: 32611698 PMCID: PMC7333571 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00380-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Sterols are essential membrane components in eukaryotes, and sterol synthesis inhibitors can have potent effects against pathogenic fungi and trypanosomatids. Understanding the roles of sterols will facilitate the development of new drugs and counter drug resistance. LSO is required for the formation of the C-5–C-6 double bond in the sterol core structure in mammals, fungi, protozoans, plants, and algae. Functions of this C-5–C-6 double bond are not well understood. In this study, we generated and characterized a lathosterol oxidase-null mutant in Leishmania major. Our data suggest that LSO is vital for the structure and membrane-stabilizing functions of leishmanial sterols. In addition, our results imply that while mutations in lathosterol oxidase can confer resistance to amphotericin B, an important antifungal and antiprotozoal agent, the alteration in sterol structure leads to significant defects in stress response that could be exploited for drug development. Lathosterol oxidase (LSO) catalyzes the formation of the C-5–C-6 double bond in the synthesis of various types of sterols in mammals, fungi, plants, and protozoa. In Leishmania parasites, mutations in LSO or other sterol biosynthetic genes are associated with amphotericin B resistance. To investigate the biological roles of sterol C-5–C-6 desaturation, we generated an LSO-null mutant line (lso−) in Leishmania major, the causative agent for cutaneous leishmaniasis. lso− parasites lacked the ergostane-based sterols commonly found in wild-type L. major and instead accumulated equivalent sterol species without the C-5–C-6 double bond. These mutant parasites were replicative in culture and displayed heightened resistance to amphotericin B. However, they survived poorly after reaching the maximal density and were highly vulnerable to the membrane-disrupting detergent Triton X-100. In addition, lso− mutants showed defects in regulating intracellular pH and were hypersensitive to acidic conditions. They also had potential alterations in the carbohydrate composition of lipophosphoglycan, a membrane-bound virulence factor in Leishmania. All these defects in lso− were corrected upon the restoration of LSO expression. Together, these findings suggest that the C-5–C-6 double bond is vital for the structure of the sterol core, and while the loss of LSO can lead to amphotericin B resistance, it also makes Leishmania parasites vulnerable to biologically relevant stress. IMPORTANCE Sterols are essential membrane components in eukaryotes, and sterol synthesis inhibitors can have potent effects against pathogenic fungi and trypanosomatids. Understanding the roles of sterols will facilitate the development of new drugs and counter drug resistance. LSO is required for the formation of the C-5–C-6 double bond in the sterol core structure in mammals, fungi, protozoans, plants, and algae. Functions of this C-5–C-6 double bond are not well understood. In this study, we generated and characterized a lathosterol oxidase-null mutant in Leishmania major. Our data suggest that LSO is vital for the structure and membrane-stabilizing functions of leishmanial sterols. In addition, our results imply that while mutations in lathosterol oxidase can confer resistance to amphotericin B, an important antifungal and antiprotozoal agent, the alteration in sterol structure leads to significant defects in stress response that could be exploited for drug development.
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28
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Anderson O, Beckett J, Briggs CC, Natrass LA, Cranston CF, Wilkinson EJ, Owen JH, Mir Williams R, Loukaidis A, Bouillon ME, Pritchard D, Lahmann M, Baird MS, Denny PW. An investigation of the antileishmanial properties of semi-synthetic saponins. RSC Med Chem 2020; 11:833-842. [PMID: 33479679 PMCID: PMC7651632 DOI: 10.1039/d0md00123f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by insect-vector borne protozoan parasites of the, Leishmania species. Whilst infection threatens and affects millions of the global poor, vaccines are absent and drug therapy limited. Extensive efforts have recently been made to discover new leads from small molecule synthetic compound libraries held by industry; however, the number of new chemical entities identified and entering development as anti-leishmanials has been very low. This has led to increased interest in the possibility of discovering naturally derived compounds with potent antileishmanial activity which may be developed towards clinical applications. Plant-derived triterpenoid and steroidal saponins have long been considered as anti-microbials and here we describe an investigation of a library of 137 natural (9) and semi-synthetic saponins (128) for activity against Leishmania mexicana, a causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis. The triterpenoid sapogenin, hederagenin, readily obtained in large quantities from Hedera helix (common ivy), was converted into a range of 128 derivatives. These semi-synthetic compounds, as well as saponins isolated from ivy, were examined with a phenotypic screening approach to identify potent and selective anti-leishmanial hits. This led to the identification of 12 compounds, including the natural saponin gypsogenin, demonstrating high potency (ED50 < 10.5 μM) against axenic L. mexicana amastigotes, the mammalian pathogenic form. One of these, hederagenin disuccinate, was sufficiently non-toxic to the macrophage host cell to facilitate further analyses, selectivity index (SI) > 10. Whilst this was not active in an infected cell model, the anti-leishmanial properties of hederagenin-derivatives have been demonstrated, and the possibility of improving the selectivity of natural hederagenin through chemical modification has been established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orlagh Anderson
- Department of Biosciences and Centre for Global Infectious Diseases , Durham University , Stockton Road , Durham , DH1 3LE , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)191 3343983
| | - Joseph Beckett
- Department of Biosciences and Centre for Global Infectious Diseases , Durham University , Stockton Road , Durham , DH1 3LE , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)191 3343983
| | - Carla C Briggs
- Department of Biosciences and Centre for Global Infectious Diseases , Durham University , Stockton Road , Durham , DH1 3LE , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)191 3343983
| | - Liam A Natrass
- Department of Biosciences and Centre for Global Infectious Diseases , Durham University , Stockton Road , Durham , DH1 3LE , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)191 3343983
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Global Infectious Diseases , Durham University , Stockton Road , Durham , DH1 3LE , UK
| | - Charles F Cranston
- Department of Biosciences and Centre for Global Infectious Diseases , Durham University , Stockton Road , Durham , DH1 3LE , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)191 3343983
| | - Elizabeth J Wilkinson
- Department of Chemistry , School of Natural Science , Bangor University , Gwynedd LL57 2UW , UK
| | - Jack H Owen
- Department of Chemistry , School of Natural Science , Bangor University , Gwynedd LL57 2UW , UK
| | - Rhodri Mir Williams
- Department of Chemistry , School of Natural Science , Bangor University , Gwynedd LL57 2UW , UK
| | - Angelos Loukaidis
- Department of Chemistry , School of Natural Science , Bangor University , Gwynedd LL57 2UW , UK
| | - Marc E Bouillon
- Department of Chemistry , School of Natural Science , Bangor University , Gwynedd LL57 2UW , UK
| | - Deiniol Pritchard
- Naturiol Bangor Ltd , Alun Roberts Building , Bangor University , Gwynedd LL57 2UW , UK
| | - Martina Lahmann
- Department of Chemistry , School of Natural Science , Bangor University , Gwynedd LL57 2UW , UK
| | - Mark S Baird
- Naturiol Bangor Ltd , Alun Roberts Building , Bangor University , Gwynedd LL57 2UW , UK
| | - Paul W Denny
- Department of Biosciences and Centre for Global Infectious Diseases , Durham University , Stockton Road , Durham , DH1 3LE , UK . ; Tel: +44 (0)191 3343983
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29
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Van den Kerkhof M, Sterckx YGJ, Leprohon P, Maes L, Caljon G. Experimental Strategies to Explore Drug Action and Resistance in Kinetoplastid Parasites. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E950. [PMID: 32599761 PMCID: PMC7356981 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8060950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Kinetoplastids are the causative agents of leishmaniasis, human African trypanosomiasis, and American trypanosomiasis. They are responsible for high mortality and morbidity in (sub)tropical regions. Adequate treatment options are limited and have several drawbacks, such as toxicity, need for parenteral administration, and occurrence of treatment failure and drug resistance. Therefore, there is an urgency for the development of new drugs. Phenotypic screening already allowed the identification of promising new chemical entities with anti-kinetoplastid activity potential, but knowledge on their mode-of-action (MoA) is lacking due to the generally applied whole-cell based approach. However, identification of the drug target is essential to steer further drug discovery and development. Multiple complementary techniques have indeed been used for MoA elucidation. In this review, the different 'omics' approaches employed to define the MoA or mode-of-resistance of current reference drugs and some new anti-kinetoplastid compounds are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Van den Kerkhof
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.V.d.K.); (L.M.)
| | - Yann G.-J. Sterckx
- Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry (LMB), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium;
| | - Philippe Leprohon
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie du Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada;
| | - Louis Maes
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.V.d.K.); (L.M.)
| | - Guy Caljon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.V.d.K.); (L.M.)
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30
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Sani A, Hassan D, Khalil AT, Mughal A, El-Mallul A, Ayaz M, Yessimbekov Z, Shinwari ZK, Maaza M. Floral extracts-mediated green synthesis of NiO nanoparticles and their diverse pharmacological evaluations. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 39:4133-4147. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1775120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ayesha Sani
- National Center of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan
| | - Dilawar Hassan
- National Center of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan
- UNESCO-UNISA Africa chair in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, College of Graduate Studies, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
- Nanosciences African Network (NANOAFNET), Materials Research Department, iThemba LABS, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ali Talha Khalil
- UNESCO-UNISA Africa chair in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, College of Graduate Studies, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
- Nanosciences African Network (NANOAFNET), Materials Research Department, iThemba LABS, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Biotechnology, Qarshi University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Affifa Mughal
- College of Pharmacy, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro, Pakistan
| | - Ahmed El-Mallul
- Department of Food Engineering, Warsaw Medical University, Warszawa, Poland
| | - Muhammad Ayaz
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Malakand, Chakdara, Pakistan
| | - Zhanibek Yessimbekov
- Department of Food Engineering, Shakarim State University of Semey, Semey City, Kazakhstan
| | | | - Malik Maaza
- UNESCO-UNISA Africa chair in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, College of Graduate Studies, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
- Nanosciences African Network (NANOAFNET), Materials Research Department, iThemba LABS, Cape Town, South Africa
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31
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Pountain AW, Barrett MP. Untargeted metabolomics to understand the basis of phenotypic differences in amphotericin B-resistant Leishmania parasites. Wellcome Open Res 2020; 4:176. [PMID: 32133420 PMCID: PMC7041363 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15452.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Protozoan
Leishmania parasites are responsible for a range of clinical infections that represent a substantial challenge for global health. Amphotericin B (AmB) is increasingly used to treat
Leishmania infection, so understanding the potential for resistance to this drug is an important priority. Previously we described four independently-derived AmB-resistant
L. mexicana lines that exhibited resistance-associated genetic lesions resulting in altered sterol content. However, substantial phenotypic variation between these lines, including differences in virulence attributes, were not fully explained by these changes. Methods: To identify alterations in cellular metabolism potentially related to phenotypic differences between wild-type and AmB-resistant lines, we extracted metabolites and performed untargeted metabolomics by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results: We observed substantial differences in metabolite abundance between lines, arising in an apparently stochastic manner. Concerted remodeling of central carbon metabolism was not observed; however, in three lines, decreased abundance of several oligohexoses was observed. Given that the oligomannose mannogen is an important virulence factor in
Leishmania, this could relate to loss of virulence in these lines. Increased abundance of the reduced forms of the oxidative stress-protective thiols trypanothione and glutathione was also observed in multiple lines. Conclusions: This dataset will provide a useful resource for understanding the molecular basis of drug resistance in
Leishmania, and suggests a role for metabolic changes separate from the primary mechanism of drug resistance in determining the phenotypic profile of parasite lines subjected to experimental selection of resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Pountain
- Wellcome Center for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK.,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Michael P Barrett
- Wellcome Center for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK.,Glasgow Polyomics, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
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32
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Capela R, Moreira R, Lopes F. An Overview of Drug Resistance in Protozoal Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E5748. [PMID: 31731801 PMCID: PMC6888673 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20225748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Protozoan diseases continue to be a worldwide social and economic health problem. Increased drug resistance, emerging cross resistance, and lack of new drugs with novel mechanisms of action significantly reduce the effectiveness of current antiprotozoal therapies. While drug resistance associated to anti-infective agents is a reality, society seems to remain unaware of its proportions and consequences. Parasites usually develops ingenious and innovative mechanisms to achieve drug resistance, which requires more research and investment to fight it. In this review, drug resistance developed by protozoan parasites Plasmodium, Leishmania, and Trypanosoma will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Capela
- Instituto de Investigação do Medicamento (iMed.ULisboa), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal; (R.M.); (F.L.)
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33
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Barrett MP, Kyle DE, Sibley LD, Radke JB, Tarleton RL. Protozoan persister-like cells and drug treatment failure. Nat Rev Microbiol 2019; 17:607-620. [PMID: 31444481 PMCID: PMC7024564 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-019-0238-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial treatment failure threatens our ability to control infections. In addition to antimicrobial resistance, treatment failures are increasingly understood to derive from cells that survive drug treatment without selection of genetically heritable mutations. Parasitic protozoa, such as Plasmodium species that cause malaria, Toxoplasma gondii and kinetoplastid protozoa, including Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp., cause millions of deaths globally. These organisms can evolve drug resistance and they also exhibit phenotypic diversity, including the formation of quiescent or dormant forms that contribute to the establishment of long-term infections that are refractory to drug treatment, which we refer to as 'persister-like cells'. In this Review, we discuss protozoan persister-like cells that have been linked to persistent infections and discuss their impact on therapeutic outcomes following drug treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Barrett
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
| | - Dennis E Kyle
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - L David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Joshua B Radke
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rick L Tarleton
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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Conceição-Silva F, Morgado FN. Leishmania Spp-Host Interaction: There Is Always an Onset, but Is There an End? Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:330. [PMID: 31608245 PMCID: PMC6761226 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
For a long time Leishmaniasis had been considered as a neglected tropical disease. Recently, it has become a priority in public health all over the world for different aspects such as geographic spread, number of population living at risk of infection as well as the potential lethality and/or the development of disfiguring lesions in the, respectively, visceral and tegumentary forms of the disease. As a result, several groups have been bending over this issue and many valuable data have been published. Nevertheless, parasite-host interactions are still not fully known and, consequently, we do not entirely understand the infection dynamics and parasite persistence. This knowledge may point targets for modulation or blockage, being very useful in the development of measures to interfere in the course of infection/ disease and to minimize the risks and morbidity. In the present review we will discuss some aspects of the Leishmania spp-mammalian host interaction in the onset of infection and after the clinical cure of the lesions. We will also examine the information already available concerning the parasite strategy to evade immune response mainly at the beginning of the infection, as well as during the parasite persistence. This knowledge can improve the conditions of treatment, follow-up and cure control of patients, minimizing the potential damages this protozoosis can cause to infected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Conceição-Silva
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, IOC/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Fernanda N Morgado
- Laboratory of Leishmaniasis Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, IOC/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Chemogenomic Profiling of Antileishmanial Efficacy and Resistance in the Related Kinetoplastid Parasite Trypanosoma brucei. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2019; 63:AAC.00795-19. [PMID: 31160283 PMCID: PMC6658743 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00795-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The arsenal of drugs used to treat leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania spp., is limited and beset by toxicity and emergent resistance. Furthermore, our understanding of drug mode of action and potential routes to resistance is limited. Forward genetic approaches have revolutionized our understanding of drug mode of action in the related kinetoplastid parasite Trypanosoma brucei. The arsenal of drugs used to treat leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania spp., is limited and beset by toxicity and emergent resistance. Furthermore, our understanding of drug mode of action and potential routes to resistance is limited. Forward genetic approaches have revolutionized our understanding of drug mode of action in the related kinetoplastid parasite Trypanosoma brucei. Therefore, we screened our genome-scale T. brucei RNA interference (RNAi) library against the current antileishmanial drugs sodium stibogluconate (antimonial), paromomycin, miltefosine, and amphotericin B. Identification of T. brucei orthologues of the known Leishmania antimonial and miltefosine plasma membrane transporters effectively validated our approach, while a cohort of 42 novel drug efficacy determinants provides new insights and serves as a resource. Follow-up analyses revealed the antimonial selectivity of the aquaglyceroporin TbAQP3. A lysosomal major facilitator superfamily transporter contributes to paromomycin-aminoglycoside efficacy. The vesicle-associated membrane protein TbVAMP7B and a flippase contribute to amphotericin B and miltefosine action and are potential cross-resistance determinants. Finally, multiple phospholipid-transporting flippases, including the T. brucei orthologue of the Leishmania miltefosine transporter, a putative β-subunit/CDC50 cofactor, and additional membrane-associated hits, affect amphotericin B efficacy, providing new insights into mechanisms of drug uptake and action. The findings from this orthology-based chemogenomic profiling approach substantially advance our understanding of antileishmanial drug action and potential resistance mechanisms and should facilitate the development of improved therapies as well as surveillance for drug-resistant parasites.
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