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Almeida JR, Gomes A, Mendes B, Aguiar L, Ferreira M, Brioschi MBC, Duarte D, Nogueira F, Cortes S, Salazar-Valenzuela D, Miguel DC, Teixeira C, Gameiro P, Gomes P. Unlocking the potential of snake venom-based molecules against the malaria, Chagas disease, and leishmaniasis triad. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 242:124745. [PMID: 37150376 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124745] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Malaria, leishmaniasis and Chagas disease are vector-borne protozoal infections with a disproportionately high impact on the most fragile societies in the world, and despite malaria-focused research gained momentum in the past two decades, both trypanosomiases and leishmaniases remain neglected tropical diseases. Affordable effective drugs remain the mainstay of tackling this burden, but toxicicty, inneficiency against later stage disease, and drug resistance issues are serious shortcomings. One strategy to overcome these hurdles is to get new therapeutics or inspiration in nature. Indeed, snake venoms have been recognized as valuable sources of biomacromolecules, like peptides and proteins, with antiprotozoal activity. This review highlights major snake venom components active against at least one of the three aforementioned diseases, which include phospholipases A2, metalloproteases, L-amino acid oxidases, lectins, and oligopeptides. The relevance of this repertoire of biomacromolecules and the bottlenecks in their clinical translation are discussed considering approaches that should increase the success rate in this arduous task. Overall, this review underlines how venom-derived biomacromolecules could lead to pioneering antiprotozoal treatments and how the drug landscape for neglected diseases may be revolutionized by a closer look at venoms. Further investigations on poorly studied venoms is needed and could add new therapeutics to the pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Rafael Almeida
- Biomolecules Discovery Group, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena 150150, Ecuador.
| | - Ana Gomes
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, P-4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Bruno Mendes
- Biomolecules Discovery Group, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena 150150, Ecuador
| | - Luísa Aguiar
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, P-4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Mariana Ferreira
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, P-4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| | | | - Denise Duarte
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862, Brazil.
| | - Fátima Nogueira
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, UNL, Rua Junqueira 100, P-1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Sofia Cortes
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, UNL, Rua Junqueira 100, P-1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - David Salazar-Valenzuela
- Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (BioCamb) e Ingeniería en Biodiversidad y Recursos Genéticos, Facultad de Ciencias de Medio Ambiente, Universidad Indoamérica, Quito 170103, Ecuador.
| | - Danilo C Miguel
- Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (BioCamb) e Ingeniería en Biodiversidad y Recursos Genéticos, Facultad de Ciencias de Medio Ambiente, Universidad Indoamérica, Quito 170103, Ecuador.
| | - Cátia Teixeira
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, P-4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula Gameiro
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, P-4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Paula Gomes
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, P-4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
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Lomonte B. Lys49 myotoxins, secreted phospholipase A 2-like proteins of viperid venoms: A comprehensive review. Toxicon 2023; 224:107024. [PMID: 36632869 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Muscle necrosis is a potential clinical complication of snakebite envenomings, which in severe cases can lead to functional or physical sequelae such as disability or amputation. Snake venom proteins with the ability to directly damage skeletal muscle fibers are collectively referred to as myotoxins, and include three main types: cytolysins of the "three-finger toxin" protein family expressed in many elapid venoms, the so-called "small" myotoxins found in a number of rattlesnake venoms, and the widespread secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) molecules. Among the latter, protein variants that conserve the sPLA2 structure, but lack such enzymatic activity, have been increasingly found in the venoms of many viperid species. Intriguingly, these sPLA2-like proteins are able to induce muscle necrosis by a mechanism independent of phospholipid hydrolysis. They are commonly referred to as "Lys49 myotoxins" since they most often present, among other substitutions, the replacement of the otherwise invariant residue Asp49 of sPLA2s by Lys. This work comprehensively reviews the historical developments and current knowledge towards deciphering the mechanism of action of Lys49 sPLA2-like myotoxins, and points out main gaps to be filled for a better understanding of these multifaceted snake venom proteins, to hopefully lead to improved treatments for snakebites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Lomonte
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, 11501, Costa Rica.
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Abstract
The deleterious consequences of snake envenomation are due to the extreme protein complexity of snake venoms. Therefore, the identification of their components is crucial for understanding the clinical manifestations of envenomation pathophysiology and for the development of effective antivenoms. In addition, snake venoms are considered as libraries of bioactive molecules that can be used to develop innovative drugs. Numerous separation and analytical techniques are combined to study snake venom composition including chromatographic techniques such as size exclusion and RP-HPLC and electrophoretic techniques. Herein, we present in detail these existing techniques and their applications in snake venom research. In the first part, we discuss the different possible technical combinations that could be used to isolate and purify SV proteins using what is known as bioassay-guided fractionation. In the second part, we describe four different proteomic strategies that could be applied for venomics studies to evaluate whole venom composition, including the mostly used technique: RP-HPLC. Eventually, we show that to date, there is no standard technique used for the separation of all snake venoms. Thus, different combinations might be developed, taking into consideration the main objective of the study, the available resources, and the properties of the target molecules to be isolated.
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Antiprotozoal Effect of Snake Venoms and Their Fractions: A Systematic Review. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10121632. [PMID: 34959587 PMCID: PMC8707848 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10121632] [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: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Protozoal infection is a lingering public health issue of great concern, despite efforts to produce drugs and vaccines against it. Recent breakthrough research has discovered alternative antiprotozoal agents encompassing the use of snake venoms and their components to cure these infections. This study collated the existing literature to examine the antiprotozoal effect of snake venoms and their fractions. Methods: We conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines. The PubMed and Embase databases were searched from their inception until 13 October 2021. Articles were screened at the title, abstract and full-text phases. Some additional studies were obtained through the manual search process. Results: We identified 331 studies via the electronic database and manual searches, of which 55 reporting the antiprotozoal effect of snake venoms and their components were included in the review. Around 38% of studies examined the effect of whole crude venoms, and a similar percentage evaluated the effect of a proportion of enzymatic phospholipase A2 (PLA2). In particular, this review reports around 36 PLA2 activities and 29 snake crude venom activities. We also report the notable phenomenon of synergism with PLA2 isoforms of Bothrops asper. Importantly, limited attention has been given so far to the antiprotozoal efficacies of metalloproteinase, serine protease and three-finger toxins, although these venom components have been identified as significant components of the dominant venom families. Conclusion: This study highlights the impact of snake venoms and their fractions on controlling protozoal infections and suggests the need to examine further the effectiveness of other venom components, such as metalloproteinase, serine protease and three-finger toxins. Future research questions in this field must be redirected toward synergism in snake venom components, based on pharmacological usage and in the context of toxicology. Ascertaining the effects of snake venoms and their components on other protozoal species that have not yet been studied is imperative.
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Teixeira SC, da Silva MS, Gomes AAS, Moretti NS, Lopes DS, Ferro EAV, Rodrigues VDM. Panacea within a Pandora's box: the antiparasitic effects of phospholipases A 2 (PLA 2s) from snake venoms. Trends Parasitol 2021; 38:80-94. [PMID: 34364805 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2021.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Parasitic diseases affect millions of individuals worldwide, mainly in low-income regions. There is no cure for most of these diseases, and the treatment relies on drugs that have side effects and lead to drug resistance, emphasizing the urgency to find new treatments. Snake venom has been gaining prominence as a rich source of molecules with antiparasitic potentials, such as phospholipases A2 (PLA2s). Here, we compile the findings involving PLA2s with antiparasitic activities against helminths, Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, and trypanosomatids. We indicate their molecular features, highlighting the possible antiparasitic mechanisms of action of these proteins. We also demonstrate interactions between PLA2s and some parasite membrane components, shedding light on potential targets for drug design that may provide better treatment for the illnesses caused by parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Cota Teixeira
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Science, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia (UFU), MG, Brazil.
| | - Marcelo Santos da Silva
- DNA Replication and Repair Laboratory (DRRL), Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Nilmar Silvio Moretti
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Patógenos (LBMP), Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Daiana Silva Lopes
- Multidisciplinary Institute of Health, Anísio Teixeira Campus, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Vitória da Conquista, BA, Brazil
| | - Eloisa Amália Vieira Ferro
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Science, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia (UFU), MG, Brazil
| | - Veridiana de Melo Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Animal Toxins, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
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Dematei A, Nunes JB, Moreira DC, Jesus JA, Laurenti MD, Mengarda ACA, Vieira MS, do Amaral CP, Domingues MM, de Moraes J, Passero LFD, Brand G, Bessa LJ, Wimmer R, Kuckelhaus SAS, Tomás AM, Santos NC, Plácido A, Eaton P, Leite JRSA. Mechanistic Insights into the Leishmanicidal and Bactericidal Activities of Batroxicidin, a Cathelicidin-Related Peptide from a South American Viper ( Bothrops atrox). JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2021; 84:1787-1798. [PMID: 34077221 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.1c00153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Snake venoms are important sources of bioactive molecules, including those with antiparasitic activity. Cathelicidins form a class of such molecules, which are produced by a variety of organisms. Batroxicidin (BatxC) is a cathelicidin found in the venom of the common lancehead (Bothrops atrox). In the present work, BatxC and two synthetic analogues, BatxC(C-2.15Phe) and BatxC(C-2.14Phe)des-Phe1, were assessed for their microbicidal activity. All three peptides showed a broad-spectrum activity on Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, as well as promastigote and amastigote forms of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis. Circular dichroism (CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data indicated that the three peptides changed their structure upon interaction with membranes. Biomimetic membrane model studies demonstrated that the peptides exert a permeabilization effect in prokaryotic membranes, leading to cell morphology distortion, which was confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The molecules considered in this work exhibited bactericidal and leishmanicidal activity at low concentrations, with the AFM data suggesting membrane pore formation as their mechanism of action. These peptides stand as valuable prototype drugs to be further investigated and eventually used to treat bacterial and protozoal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anderson Dematei
- Center for Tropical Medicine, NMT, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasilia, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
- Research Center in Morphology and Applied Immunology, NuPMIA, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasilia, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
| | - João B Nunes
- Research Center in Morphology and Applied Immunology, NuPMIA, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasilia, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
- Laboratory for the Synthesis and Analysis of Biomolecules, LSAB, Institute of Chemistry, University of Brasilia, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Daniel C Moreira
- Research Center in Morphology and Applied Immunology, NuPMIA, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasilia, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Jéssica A Jesus
- Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Márcia D Laurenti
- Department of Pathology, Laboratory of Pathology of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-060, Brazil
| | - Ana C A Mengarda
- Research Center on Neglected Diseases, NPDN, University of Guarulhos, Guarulhos 07023-070, Brazil
| | - Maria Silva Vieira
- I3S, Institute of Research and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, Porto 4099-002, Portugal
- IBMC, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Porto, Porto 4099-002, Portugal
| | - Constança Pais do Amaral
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Marco M Domingues
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Josué de Moraes
- Research Center on Neglected Diseases, NPDN, University of Guarulhos, Guarulhos 07023-070, Brazil
| | - Luiz F D Passero
- Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Pathology, Laboratory of Pathology of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-060, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Brand
- Laboratory for the Synthesis and Analysis of Biomolecules, LSAB, Institute of Chemistry, University of Brasilia, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Lucinda J Bessa
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Porto 4099-002, Portugal
| | - Reinhard Wimmer
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg 9220, Denmark
| | - Selma A S Kuckelhaus
- Research Center in Morphology and Applied Immunology, NuPMIA, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasilia, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Ana M Tomás
- I3S, Institute of Research and Innovation in Health, University of Porto, Porto 4099-002, Portugal
- IBMC, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Porto, Porto 4099-002, Portugal
- ICBAS, Abel Salazar Institute for Biomedical Research, University of Porto, Porto 4099-002, Portugal
| | - Nuno C Santos
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Alexandra Plácido
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Porto 4099-002, Portugal
| | - Peter Eaton
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, Porto 4099-002, Portugal
- The Bridge, Joseph Banks Laboratories, School of Chemistry, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7TS, U.K
| | - José Roberto S A Leite
- Center for Tropical Medicine, NMT, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasilia, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
- Research Center in Morphology and Applied Immunology, NuPMIA, Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasilia, Brasília 70910-900, Brazil
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Vitorino KA, Alfonso JJ, Gómez AF, Santos APA, Antunes YR, Caldeira CADS, Gómez CV, Teles CB, Soares AM, Calderon LA. Antimalarial activity of basic phospholipases A 2 isolated from Paraguayan Bothrops diporus venom against Plasmodium falciparum. Toxicon X 2020; 8:100056. [PMID: 32885164 PMCID: PMC7451622 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxcx.2020.100056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a parasitic infectious disease and was responsible for 400.000 deaths in 2018. Plasmodium falciparum represents the species that causes most human deaths due to severe malaria. In addition, studies prove the resistance of P. falciparum to drugs used to treat malaria, making the search for new drugs with antiplasmodial potential necessary. In this context, the literature describes snake venoms as a rich source of molecules with microbicidal potential, including phospholipases A2 (PLA2s). In this sense, the present study aimed to isolate basic PLA2s from Paraguayan Bothrops diporus venom and evaluate their antiplasmodial potential. Basic PLA2s were obtained using two chromatographic steps. Initially, B. diporus venom was subjected to ion exchange chromatography (IEC). The electrophoretic profile of the fractions from the IEC permitted the selection of 3 basic fractions, which were subjected to reverse phase chromatography, resulting in the isolation of the PLA2s. The toxins were tested for enzymatic activity using a chromogenic substrate and finally, the antiplasmodial, cytotoxic potential and hemolytic activity of the isolated toxins were evaluated. The electrophoretic profile of the fractions from the IEC permitted the selection of 3 basic fractions, which were subjected to reverse phase chromatography, resulting in the isolation of the two enzymatically active PLA2s, BdTX-I and BdTX-II and the PLA2 homologue BdTX-III. The antiplasmodial potential was evaluated and the toxins showed IC50 values of: 2.44, 0.0153 and 0.59 μg/mL respectively, presenting PLA2 selectivity according to the selectivity index results (SI) calculated against HepG2 cells. The results show that the 3 basic phospholipases isolated in this study have a potent antiparasitic effect against the W2 strain of P. falciparum. In view of the results obtained in this work, further research are necessary to determine the mechanism of action by which these toxins cause cell death in parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keila A. Vitorino
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Experimental, PGBIOEXP, Universidade Federal de Rondônia, UNIR, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde (CEBio), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Rondônia (FIOCRUZ-RO), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Jorge J. Alfonso
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Experimental, PGBIOEXP, Universidade Federal de Rondônia, UNIR, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde (CEBio), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Rondônia (FIOCRUZ-RO), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Centro para el Desarrollo de Investigación Científica (CEDIC), Asunción, Paraguay
| | - Ana F. Gómez
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Experimental, PGBIOEXP, Universidade Federal de Rondônia, UNIR, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde (CEBio), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Rondônia (FIOCRUZ-RO), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Centro para el Desarrollo de Investigación Científica (CEDIC), Asunción, Paraguay
| | - Ana Paula A. Santos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Experimental, PGBIOEXP, Universidade Federal de Rondônia, UNIR, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde (CEBio), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Rondônia (FIOCRUZ-RO), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Plataforma de Bioensaios de Malária e Leishmaniose (PBML), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Rondônia (FIOCRUZ-RO), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Ygor R. Antunes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Experimental, PGBIOEXP, Universidade Federal de Rondônia, UNIR, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde (CEBio), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Rondônia (FIOCRUZ-RO), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Cleópatra A. da S. Caldeira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Experimental, PGBIOEXP, Universidade Federal de Rondônia, UNIR, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde (CEBio), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Rondônia (FIOCRUZ-RO), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Celeste V. Gómez
- Centro para el Desarrollo de Investigación Científica (CEDIC), Asunción, Paraguay
| | - Carolina B.G. Teles
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Experimental, PGBIOEXP, Universidade Federal de Rondônia, UNIR, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Plataforma de Bioensaios de Malária e Leishmaniose (PBML), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Rondônia (FIOCRUZ-RO), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Centro Universitário São Lucas, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia da Amazônia Legal, Rede BIONORTE, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia, Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental (INCT-EpiAmO), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Andreimar M. Soares
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Experimental, PGBIOEXP, Universidade Federal de Rondônia, UNIR, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde (CEBio), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Rondônia (FIOCRUZ-RO), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Centro Universitário São Lucas, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia da Amazônia Legal, Rede BIONORTE, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia, Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental (INCT-EpiAmO), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Leonardo A. Calderon
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Experimental, PGBIOEXP, Universidade Federal de Rondônia, UNIR, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde (CEBio), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Rondônia (FIOCRUZ-RO), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia da Amazônia Legal, Rede BIONORTE, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia, Epidemiologia da Amazônia Ocidental (INCT-EpiAmO), Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
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Podešvová L, Leštinová T, Horáková E, Lukeš J, Volf P, Yurchenko V. Suicidal Leishmania. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9020079. [PMID: 31991768 PMCID: PMC7168676 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9020079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmania are obligate intracellular parasites known to have developed successful ways of efficient immunity evasion. Because of this, leishmaniasis, a disease caused by these flagellated protists, is ranked as one of the most serious tropical infections worldwide. Neither prophylactic medication, nor vaccination has been developed thus far, even though the infection has usually led to strong and long-lasting immunity. In this paper, we describe a “suicidal” system established in Leishmania mexicana, a human pathogen causing cutaneous leishmaniasis. This system is based on the expression and (de)stabilization of a basic phospholipase A2 toxin from the Bothrops pauloensis snake venom, which leads to the inducible cell death of the parasites in vitro. Furthermore, the suicidal strain was highly attenuated during macrophage infection, regardless of the toxin stabilization. Such a deliberately weakened parasite could be used to vaccinate the host, as its viability is regulated by the toxin stabilization, causing a profoundly reduced pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Podešvová
- Life Science Research Centre and Institute of Environmental Technologies, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Leštinová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Horáková
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 370 05 České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Julius Lukeš
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 370 05 České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
- Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, 370 05 České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Petr Volf
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vyacheslav Yurchenko
- Life Science Research Centre and Institute of Environmental Technologies, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, Sechenov University, 119435 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +420-597-092-326
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9
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Zuliani JP, Soares AM. Toxins of Animal Venoms and Inhibitors. Curr Top Med Chem 2019; 19:1950-1951. [DOI: 10.2174/156802661922191024125315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Pavan Zuliani
- Lab. Imunologia Celular Aplicada à Saúde FIOCRUZ-RO Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ Unidade Rondônia, Porto Velho-RO, Brazil
| | - Andreimar Martins Soares
- Centro de Estudos de Biomoléculas Aplicadas à Saúde FIOCRUZ-RO CEBio, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Unidade Rondônia Porto Velho-RO, Brazil
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