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Avalos-Padilla Y, Fernàndez-Busquets X. Nanotherapeutics against malaria: A decade of advancements in experimental models. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 16:e1943. [PMID: 38426407 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Malaria, caused by different species of protists of the genus Plasmodium, remains among the most common causes of death due to parasitic diseases worldwide, mainly for children aged under 5. One of the main obstacles to malaria eradication is the speed with which the pathogen evolves resistance to the drug schemes developed against it. For this reason, it remains urgent to find innovative therapeutic strategies offering sufficient specificity against the parasite to minimize resistance evolution and drug side effects. In this context, nanotechnology-based approaches are now being explored for their use as antimalarial drug delivery platforms due to the wide range of advantages and tuneable properties that they offer. However, major challenges remain to be addressed to provide a cost-efficient and targeted therapeutic strategy contributing to malaria eradication. The present work contains a systematic review of nanotechnology-based antimalarial drug delivery systems generated during the last 10 years. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunuen Avalos-Padilla
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain
- Nanomalaria Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institute (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Fernàndez-Busquets
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain
- Nanomalaria Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institute (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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2
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New Compounds with Bioisosteric Replacement of Classic Choline Kinase Inhibitors Show Potent Antiplasmodial Activity. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13111842. [PMID: 34834257 PMCID: PMC8621770 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13111842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In the fight against Malaria, new strategies need to be developed to avoid resistance of the parasite to pharmaceutics and other prevention barriers. Recently, a Host Directed Therapy approach based on the suppression of the starting materials uptake from the host by the parasite has provided excellent results. In this article, we propose the synthesis of bioisosteric compounds that are capable of inhibiting Plasmodium falciparum Choline Kinase and therefore to reduce choline uptake, which is essential for the development of the parasite. Of the 41 bioisosteric compounds reported herein, none showed any influence of the linker on the antimalarial and enzyme inhibitory activity, whereas an effect of the type of cationic heads used could be observed. SARs determined that the thienopyrimidine substituted in 4 by a pyrrolidine is the best scaffold, independently of the chosen linker. The decrease in lipophilicity seems to improve the antimalarial activity but to cause an opposite effect on the inhibition of the enzyme. While potent compounds with similar good inhibitory values have been related to the proposed mechanism of action, some of them still show discrepancies and further studies are needed to determine their specific molecular target.
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3
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Belete TM. Recent Progress in the Development of New Antimalarial Drugs with Novel Targets. Drug Des Devel Ther 2020; 14:3875-3889. [PMID: 33061294 PMCID: PMC7519860 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s265602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a major global health problem that causes significant mortality and morbidity annually. The therapeutic options are scarce and massively challenged by the emergence of resistant parasite strains, which causes a major obstacle to malaria control. To prevent a potential public health emergency, there is an urgent need for new antimalarial drugs, with single-dose cures, broad therapeutic potential, and novel mechanism of action. Antimalarial drug development can follow several approaches ranging from modifications of existing agents to the design of novel agents that act against novel targets. Modern advancement in the biology of the parasite and the availability of the different genomic techniques provide a wide range of novel targets in the development of new therapy. Several promising targets for drug intervention have been revealed in recent years. Therefore, this review focuses on the progress made on the latest scientific and technological advances in the discovery and development of novel antimalarial agents. Among the most interesting antimalarial target proteins currently studied are proteases, protein kinases, Plasmodium sugar transporter inhibitor, aquaporin-3 inhibitor, choline transport inhibitor, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase inhibitor, isoprenoid biosynthesis inhibitor, farnesyltransferase inhibitor and enzymes are involved in lipid metabolism and DNA replication. This review summarizes the novel molecular targets and their inhibitors for antimalarial drug development approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tafere Mulaw Belete
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
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4
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Marine Microbiome as a Source of Antimalarials. Trop Med Infect Dis 2019; 4:tropicalmed4030103. [PMID: 31337089 PMCID: PMC6789460 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed4030103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
It is important to discover novel antimalarial pharmacophores because of the widespread emergence of Plasmodium falciparum isolates resistant to the available drugs. Secondary metabolites derived from microbes associated with marine invertebrates are a valuable resource for the discovery of novel drug leads. However, the potential of marine microbes as a source of antimalarials has not been explored. We investigated the promise of marine microorganisms for the production of antimalarial activities by testing 2365 diverse microbial extracts using phenotypic screening of a multidrug resistant chloroquine resistant P. falciparum strain. We conducted counter screening against mammalian cells for the 317 active extracts that exhibited more than 70% inhibition at 1 µg/mL. The screen identified 17 potent bioactive leads from a broad range of taxa. Our results establish that the marine microbiome is a rich source of antiplasmodial compounds that warrants in depth exploration.
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5
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Guca E, Nagy GN, Hajdú F, Marton L, Izrael R, Hoh F, Yang Y, Vial H, Vértessy BG, Guichou JF, Cerdan R. Structural determinants of the catalytic mechanism of Plasmodium CCT, a key enzyme of malaria lipid biosynthesis. Sci Rep 2018; 8:11215. [PMID: 30046154 PMCID: PMC6060094 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-29500-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, in the human erythrocyte, relies on phospholipid metabolism to fulfil the massive need for membrane biogenesis. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is the most abundant phospholipid in Plasmodium membranes. PC biosynthesis is mainly ensured by the de novo Kennedy pathway that is considered as an antimalarial drug target. The CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CCT) catalyses the rate-limiting step of the Kennedy pathway. Here we report a series of structural snapshots of the PfCCT catalytic domain in its free, substrate- and product-complexed states that demonstrate the conformational changes during the catalytic mechanism. Structural data show the ligand-dependent conformational variations of a flexible lysine. Combined kinetic and ligand-binding analyses confirm the catalytic roles of this lysine and of two threonine residues of the helix αE. Finally, we assessed the variations in active site residues between Plasmodium and mammalian CCT which could be exploited for future antimalarial drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewelina Guca
- Dynamique des Interactions Membranaires Normales et Pathologiques, UMR 5235, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,Institute for Research in Biomedicine, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Carrer de Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gergely N Nagy
- Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary.,Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,Division of Structural Biology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX37BN, United Kingdom
| | - Fanni Hajdú
- Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary.,Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Lívia Marton
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,Doctoral School of Multidisciplinary Medical Science, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Richard Izrael
- Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary.,Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - François Hoh
- CNRS UMR5048, Centre de Biochimie Structurale, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,INSERM U1054, Montpellier, France
| | - Yinshan Yang
- CNRS UMR5048, Centre de Biochimie Structurale, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,INSERM U1054, Montpellier, France
| | - Henri Vial
- Dynamique des Interactions Membranaires Normales et Pathologiques, UMR 5235, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Beata G Vértessy
- Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary.,Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Jean-François Guichou
- CNRS UMR5048, Centre de Biochimie Structurale, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,INSERM U1054, Montpellier, France
| | - Rachel Cerdan
- Dynamique des Interactions Membranaires Normales et Pathologiques, UMR 5235, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
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6
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Brancucci NMB, Gerdt JP, Wang C, De Niz M, Philip N, Adapa SR, Zhang M, Hitz E, Niederwieser I, Boltryk SD, Laffitte MC, Clark MA, Grüring C, Ravel D, Blancke Soares A, Demas A, Bopp S, Rubio-Ruiz B, Conejo-Garcia A, Wirth DF, Gendaszewska-Darmach E, Duraisingh MT, Adams JH, Voss TS, Waters AP, Jiang RHY, Clardy J, Marti M. Lysophosphatidylcholine Regulates Sexual Stage Differentiation in the Human Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Cell 2017; 171:1532-1544.e15. [PMID: 29129376 PMCID: PMC5733390 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 192] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Transmission represents a population bottleneck in the Plasmodium life cycle and a key intervention target of ongoing efforts to eradicate malaria. Sexual differentiation is essential for this process, as only sexual parasites, called gametocytes, are infective to the mosquito vector. Gametocyte production rates vary depending on environmental conditions, but external stimuli remain obscure. Here, we show that the host-derived lipid lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC) controls P. falciparum cell fate by repressing parasite sexual differentiation. We demonstrate that exogenous LysoPC drives biosynthesis of the essential membrane component phosphatidylcholine. LysoPC restriction induces a compensatory response, linking parasite metabolism to the activation of sexual-stage-specific transcription and gametocyte formation. Our results reveal that malaria parasites can sense and process host-derived physiological signals to regulate differentiation. These data close a critical knowledge gap in parasite biology and introduce a major component of the sexual differentiation pathway in Plasmodium that may provide new approaches for blocking malaria transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas M B Brancucci
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Boston, MA 02155, USA
| | - Joseph P Gerdt
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Boston, MA 02155, USA
| | - ChengQi Wang
- Center for Global Health & Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Mariana De Niz
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Boston, MA 02155, USA
| | - Nisha Philip
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK; Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Swamy R Adapa
- Center for Global Health & Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Min Zhang
- Center for Global Health & Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Eva Hitz
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Igor Niederwieser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sylwia D Boltryk
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marie-Claude Laffitte
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Martha A Clark
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Boston, MA 02155, USA
| | - Christof Grüring
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Boston, MA 02155, USA
| | - Deepali Ravel
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Boston, MA 02155, USA
| | - Alexandra Blancke Soares
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Allison Demas
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Boston, MA 02155, USA
| | - Selina Bopp
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Boston, MA 02155, USA
| | - Belén Rubio-Ruiz
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, 18010 Granada, Spain
| | - Ana Conejo-Garcia
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, 18010 Granada, Spain
| | - Dyann F Wirth
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Boston, MA 02155, USA
| | - Edyta Gendaszewska-Darmach
- Institute of Technical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Lodz University of Technology, 90-924 Lodz, Poland
| | - Manoj T Duraisingh
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Boston, MA 02155, USA
| | - John H Adams
- Center for Global Health & Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Till S Voss
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andrew P Waters
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Rays H Y Jiang
- Center for Global Health & Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Jon Clardy
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Boston, MA 02155, USA.
| | - Matthias Marti
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Boston, MA 02155, USA.
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7
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Tran PN, Brown SHJ, Rug M, Ridgway MC, Mitchell TW, Maier AG. Changes in lipid composition during sexual development of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Malar J 2016; 15:73. [PMID: 26852399 PMCID: PMC4744411 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-016-1130-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The development of differentiated sexual stages (gametocytes) within human red blood cells is essential for the propagation of the malaria parasite, since only mature gametocytes will survive in the mosquito’s midgut. Hence gametocytogenesis is a pre-requisite for transmission of the disease. Physiological changes involved in sexual differentiation are still enigmatic. In particular the lipid metabolism—despite being central to cellular regulation and development—is not well explored. Methods Here the lipid profiles of red blood cells infected with the five different sexual stages of Plasmodium falciparum were analysed by mass spectrometry and compared to those from uninfected and asexual trophozoite infected erythrocytes. Results Fundamental differences between erythrocytes infected with the different parasite stages were revealed. In mature gametocytes many lipids that decrease in the trophozoite and early gametocyte infected red blood cells are regained. In particular, regulators of membrane fluidity, cholesterol and sphingomyelin, increased significantly during gametocyte maturation. Neutral lipids (serving mainly as caloriometric reserves) increased from 3 % of total lipids in uninfected to 27 % in stage V gametocyte infected red blood cells. The major membrane lipid class (phospholipids) decreased during gametocyte development. Conclusions The lipid profiles of infected erythrocytes are characteristic for the particular parasite life cycle and maturity stages of gametocytes. The obtained lipid profiles are crucial in revealing the lipid metabolism of malaria parasites and identifying targets to interfere with this deadly disease. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-016-1130-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phuong N Tran
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia. .,La Trobe Institute of Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Simon H J Brown
- School of Medicine and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
| | - Melanie Rug
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia. .,Centre for Advanced Microscopy, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
| | - Melanie C Ridgway
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
| | - Todd W Mitchell
- School of Medicine and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
| | - Alexander G Maier
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
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8
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Garg A, Lukk T, Kumar V, Choi JY, Augagneur Y, Voelker DR, Nair S, Ben Mamoun C. Structure, function and inhibition of the phosphoethanolamine methyltransferases of the human malaria parasites Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium knowlesi. Sci Rep 2015; 5:9064. [PMID: 25761669 PMCID: PMC4357015 DOI: 10.1038/srep09064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 02/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphoethanolamine methyltransferases (PMTs) catalyze the three-step methylation of phosphoethanolamine to form phosphocholine, a critical step in the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine in a select number of eukaryotes including human malaria parasites, nematodes and plants. Genetic studies in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum have shown that the methyltransferase PfPMT plays a critical function in parasite development and differentiation. The presence of PMT orthologs in other malaria parasites that infect humans and their absence in mammals make them ideal targets for the development of selective antimalarials with broad specificity against different Plasmodium species. Here we describe the X-ray structures and biochemical properties of PMT orthologs from Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium knowlesi and show that both enzymes are inhibited by amodiaquine and NSC158011, two drugs with potent antimalarial activity. Metabolic studies in a yeast mutant that relies on PkPMT or PvPMT for survival demonstrated that these compounds inhibit phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis from ethanolamine. Our structural and functional data provide insights into the mechanism of catalysis and inhibition of PMT enzymes and set the stage for a better design of more specific and selective antimalarial drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aprajita Garg
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT, 06520 USA
| | - Tiit Lukk
- 1] Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [2] Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, Cornell University
| | - Vidya Kumar
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT, 06520 USA
| | - Jae-Yeon Choi
- Basic Science Section, Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado 80206
| | - Yoann Augagneur
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT, 06520 USA
| | - Dennis R Voelker
- Basic Science Section, Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado 80206
| | - Satish Nair
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT, 06520 USA
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9
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Penarete-Vargas DM, Boisson A, Urbach S, Chantelauze H, Peyrottes S, Fraisse L, Vial HJ. A chemical proteomics approach for the search of pharmacological targets of the antimalarial clinical candidate albitiazolium in Plasmodium falciparum using photocrosslinking and click chemistry. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113918. [PMID: 25470252 PMCID: PMC4254740 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2014] [Accepted: 10/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for severe malaria which is one of the most prevalent and deadly infectious diseases in the world. The antimalarial therapeutic arsenal is hampered by the onset of resistance to all known pharmacological classes of compounds, so new drugs with novel mechanisms of action are critically needed. Albitiazolium is a clinical antimalarial candidate from a series of choline analogs designed to inhibit plasmodial phospholipid metabolism. Here we developed an original chemical proteomic approach to identify parasite proteins targeted by albitiazolium during their native interaction in living parasites. We designed a bifunctional albitiazolium-derived compound (photoactivable and clickable) to covalently crosslink drug-interacting parasite proteins in situ followed by their isolation via click chemistry reactions. Mass spectrometry analysis of drug-interacting proteins and subsequent clustering on gene ontology terms revealed parasite proteins involved in lipid metabolic activities and, interestingly, also in lipid binding, transport, and vesicular transport functions. In accordance with this, the albitiazolium-derivative was localized in the endoplasmic reticulum and trans-Golgi network of P. falciparum. Importantly, during competitive assays with albitiazolium, the binding of choline/ethanolamine phosphotransferase (the enzyme involved in the last step of phosphatidylcholine synthesis) was substantially displaced, thus confirming the efficiency of this strategy for searching albitiazolium targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Marcela Penarete-Vargas
- Dynamique des Interactions Membranaires Normales et Pathologiques, CNRS UMR 5235, Université Montpellier II, cc107, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
- * E-mail: (DMPV); (HJV)
| | - Anaïs Boisson
- Dynamique des Interactions Membranaires Normales et Pathologiques, CNRS UMR 5235, Université Montpellier II, cc107, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| | - Serge Urbach
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, CNRS UMR 5203, INSERM U661, Université Montpellier I, Université Montpellier II, F-34094 Montpellier, France
| | - Hervé Chantelauze
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, CNRS UMR 5247, Université Montpellier II, cc1705, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| | - Suzanne Peyrottes
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, CNRS UMR 5247, Université Montpellier II, cc1705, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| | - Laurent Fraisse
- Sanofi, Therapeutic Strategic Unit for Infectious Diseases, 195 route d’Espagne, BP 13669, 31036 Toulouse Cedex, France
| | - Henri J. Vial
- Dynamique des Interactions Membranaires Normales et Pathologiques, CNRS UMR 5235, Université Montpellier II, cc107, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
- * E-mail: (DMPV); (HJV)
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10
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Sanders NG, Sullivan DJ, Mlambo G, Dimopoulos G, Tripathi AK. Gametocytocidal screen identifies novel chemical classes with Plasmodium falciparum transmission blocking activity. PLoS One 2014; 9:e105817. [PMID: 25157792 PMCID: PMC4144897 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2014] [Accepted: 07/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Discovery of transmission blocking compounds is an important intervention strategy necessary to eliminate and eradicate malaria. To date only a small number of drugs that inhibit gametocyte development and thereby transmission from the mosquito to the human host exist. This limitation is largely due to a lack of screening assays easily adaptable to high throughput because of multiple incubation steps or the requirement for high gametocytemia. Here we report the discovery of new compounds with gametocytocidal activity using a simple and robust SYBR Green I- based DNA assay. Our assay utilizes the exflagellation step in male gametocytes and a background suppressor, which masks the staining of dead cells to achieve healthy signal to noise ratio by increasing signal of viable parasites and subtracting signal from dead parasites. By determining the contribution of exflagellation to fluorescent signal and using appropriate cutoff values, we were able to screen for gametocytocidal compounds. After assay validation and optimization, we screened an FDA approved drug library of approximately 1500 compounds, as well as the 400 compound MMV malaria box and identified 44 gametocytocidal compounds with sub to low micromolar IC50s. Major classes of compounds with gametocytocidal activity included quaternary ammonium compounds with structural similarity to choline, acridine-like compounds similar to quinacrine and pyronaridine, as well as antidepressant, antineoplastic, and anthelminthic compounds. Top drug candidates showed near complete transmission blocking in membrane feeding assays. This assay is simple, reproducible and demonstrated robust Z-factor values at low gametocytemia levels, making it amenable to HTS for identification of novel and potent gametocytocidal compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie G. Sanders
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - David J. Sullivan
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Godfree Mlambo
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - George Dimopoulos
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Abhai K. Tripathi
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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4-amino bis-pyridinium derivatives as novel antileishmanial agents. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2014; 58:4103-12. [PMID: 24798287 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02481-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The antileishmanial activity of a series of bis-pyridinium derivatives that are analogues of pentamidine have been investigated, and all compounds assayed were found to display activity against promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania donovani and Leishmania major, with 50% effective concentrations (EC50s) lower than 1 μM in most cases. The majority of compounds showed similar behavior in both Leishmania species, being slightly more active against L. major amastigotes. However, compound VGP-106 {1,1'-(biphenyl-4,4'-diylmethylene)bis[4-(4-bromo-N-methylanilino)pyridinium] dibromide} exhibited significantly higher activity against L. donovani amastigotes (EC50, 0.86 ± 0.46 μM) with a lower toxicity in THP-1 cells (EC50, 206.54 ± 9.89 μM). As such, VGP-106 was chosen as a representative compound to further elucidate the mode of action of this family of inhibitors in promastigote forms of L. donovani. We have determined that uptake of VGP-106 in Leishmania is a temperature-independent process, suggesting that the compound crosses the parasite membrane by diffusion. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed a severe mitochondrial swelling in parasites treated with compound VGP-106, which induces hyperpolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential and a significant decrease of intracellular free ATP levels due to the inhibition of ATP synthesis. Additionally, we have confirmed that VGP-106 induces mitochondrial ROS production and an increase in intracellular Ca(2+) levels. All these molecular events can activate the apoptotic process in Leishmania; however, propidium iodide assays gave no indication of DNA fragmentation. These results underline the potency of compound VGP-106, which may represent a new avenue for the development of novel antileishmanial compounds.
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Santos LO, Garcia-Gomes AS, Catanho M, Sodre CL, Santos ALS, Branquinha MH, d'Avila-Levy CM. Aspartic peptidases of human pathogenic trypanosomatids: perspectives and trends for chemotherapy. Curr Med Chem 2014; 20:3116-33. [PMID: 23298141 PMCID: PMC3837538 DOI: 10.2174/0929867311320250007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2012] [Accepted: 12/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Aspartic peptidases are proteolytic enzymes present in many organisms like vertebrates, plants, fungi, protozoa and in some retroviruses such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). These enzymes are involved in important metabolic processes in microorganisms/virus and play major roles in infectious diseases. Although few studies have been performed in order to identify and characterize aspartic peptidase in trypanosomatids, which include the etiologic agents of leishmaniasis, Chagas’ disease and sleeping sickness, some beneficial properties of aspartic peptidase inhibitors have been described on fundamental biological events of these pathogenic agents. In this context, aspartic peptidase inhibitors (PIs) used in the current chemotherapy against HIV (e.g., amprenavir, indinavir, lopinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir and saquinavir) were able to inhibit the aspartic peptidase activity produced by different species of Leishmania. Moreover, the treatment of Leishmania promastigotes with HIV PIs induced several perturbations on the parasite homeostasis, including loss of the motility and arrest of proliferation/growth. The HIV PIs also induced an increase in the level of reactive oxygen species and the appearance of irreversible morphological alterations, triggering parasite death pathways such as programed cell death (apoptosis) and uncontrolled autophagy. The blockage of physiological parasite events as well as the induction of death pathways culminated in its incapacity to adhere, survive and escape of phagocytic cells. Collectively, these results support the data showing that parasites treated with HIV PIs have a significant reduction in the ability to cause in vivo infection. Similarly, the treatment of Trypanosoma cruzi cells with pepstatin A showed a significant inhibition on both aspartic peptidase activity and growth as well as promoted several and irreversible morphological changes. These studies indicate that aspartic peptidases can be promising targets in trypanosomatid cells and aspartic proteolytic inhibitors can be benefic chemotherapeutic agents against these human pathogenic microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- L O Santos
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz-IOC, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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