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Ranjan Kumar R, Jain R, Akhtar S, Parveen N, Ghosh A, Sharma V, Singh S. Characterization of thiamine pyrophosphokinase of vitamin B1 biosynthetic pathway as a drug target of Leishmania donovani. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:5669-5685. [PMID: 37350670 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2227718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Vitamin B1 is an essential cofactor for enzymes involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, particularly Transketolases. These enzymes are amenable to therapeutic interventions because of their specificity. In the final step of the Vitamin B1 biosynthesis pathway, Thiamine Pyrophosphokinase (TPK) converts thiamin into its active form, Thiamin Pyrophosphate (TPP), allowing researchers to investigate the functional importance of this enzyme and the pathway's dispensability in Leishmania donovani, a protozoan parasite that causes visceral leishmaniasis. In this study, various in silico, biochemical, biophysical, and cellular assays-based experiments have been conducted to identify and characterize LdTPK, and to provide a sound platform for the discovery of potential LdTPK inhibitors. LdTPK structural modelling ensured high protein quality. Oxythiamine and pyrithiamine were found to bind well with LdTPK with considerable binding energies, and MD simulation-based experiments indicated the stability of the complexation. Additionally, LdTPK1 was found to activate ROS defense in amastigotes, and its inhibition using oxythiamine and pyrithiamine led to the growth inhibition of L. donovani promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes. These findings highlight LdTPK as a promising target for the development of new anti-leishmanial agents. An in-depth analysis of the enzymes involved in TPP biosynthesis in L. donovani has the potential to yield novel therapeutic strategies for Leishmaniasis.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Ranjan Kumar
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Banasthali Vidyapith University, Banasthali, Rajasthan, India
| | - Ravi Jain
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Sabir Akhtar
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Nidha Parveen
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Arabinda Ghosh
- Department of Computational Biology and Biotechnology, Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankaradeva Viswavidyalaya, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Veena Sharma
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Banasthali Vidyapith University, Banasthali, Rajasthan, India
| | - Shailja Singh
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
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de Souza Aguiar LM, de Moraes Alves MM, Sobrinho Júnior EPC, Paiva PMG, de Amorim Carvalho FA, de Albuquerque LP, de Siqueira Patriota LL, Napoleão TH. Microgramma vacciniifolia Frond Lectin: In Vitro Anti-leishmanial Activity and Immunomodulatory Effects Against Internalized Amastigote Forms of Leishmania amazonensis. Acta Parasitol 2023; 68:869-879. [PMID: 37874484 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-023-00717-7] [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: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The treatment of leishmaniasis, an anthropozoonosis caused by Leishmania protozoa, is limited by factors, such as adverse effects, toxicity, and excessive cost, which has highlighted the importance of novel drugs. In this context, natural products have been considered as sources of antileishmanial agents. This study investigated the leishmanicidal activity of Microgramma vacciniifolia frond lectin (MvFL) on promastigotes and amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis. METHODS The effects of MvFL on promastigote proliferation and macrophage infection by amastigotes were evaluated and mean inhibitory concentrations (IC50) were calculated. As a safety assessment, the hemolytic capacity of MvFL (6.25-200 µg/mL) against mouse and human erythrocytes was determined. Additionally, the ability of MvFL (6.25-100 µg/mL) to modulate lysosomal and phagocytic activities and the nitric oxide (NO) production by murine peritoneal macrophages was also investigated. RESULTS After 24 h, MvFL inhibited the proliferation of L. amazonensis promastigotes, with an IC50 of 88 µg/mL; however, hemolytic activity was not observed. MvFL also reduced macrophage infection by amastigotes with an IC50 of 52 µg/mL. Furthermore, treatment with MvFL reduced the number of amastigotes internalized by infected murine peritoneal macrophages by up to 68.9% within 48 h. At a concentration of 25 µg/mL, MvFL stimulated lysosomal activity of macrophages within 72 h, but did not alter phagocytic activity or induce NO production at any of the tested concentrations. CONCLUSION MvFL exerts antileishmanial activity and further studies are needed to assess its therapeutic potential in in vivo experimental models of leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michel Muálem de Moraes Alves
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Plantas Medicinais-NPPM, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil
- Departamento de Morfofisiologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil
| | | | - Patrícia Maria Guedes Paiva
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Fernando Aécio de Amorim Carvalho
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Plantas Medicinais-NPPM, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil
| | | | | | - Thiago Henrique Napoleão
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
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Cabral FV, Cerone M, Persheyev S, Lian C, Samuel IDW, Ribeiro MS, Smith TK. New insights in photodynamic inactivation of Leishmania amazonensis: A focus on lipidomics and resistance. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289492. [PMID: 37713373 PMCID: PMC10503701 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289492] [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: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of drug resistance in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) has become a major problem over the past decades. The spread of resistant phenotypes has been attributed to the wide misuse of current antileishmanial chemotherapy, which is a serious threat to global health. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been shown to be effective against a wide spectrum of drug-resistant pathogens. Due to its multi-target approach and immediate effects, it may be an attractive strategy for treatment of drug-resistant Leishmania species. In this study, we sought to evaluate the activity of PDT in vitro using the photosensitizer 1,9-dimethyl methylene blue (DMMB), against promastigotes of two Leishmania amazonensis strains: the wild-type (WT) and a lab induced miltefosine-resistant (MFR) strain. The underlying mechanisms of DMMB-PDT action upon the parasites was focused on the changes in the lipid metabolism of both strains, which was conducted by a quantitative lipidomics analysis. We also assessed the production of ROS, mitochondrial labeling and lipid droplets accumulation after DMMB-PDT. Our results show that DMMB-PDT produced high levels of ROS, promoting mitochondrial membrane depolarization due to the loss of membrane potential. In addition, both untreated strains revealed some differences in the lipid content, in which MFR parasites showed increased levels of phosphatidylcholine, hence suggesting this could also be related to their mechanism of resistance to miltefosine. Moreover, the oxidative stress and consequent lipid peroxidation led to significant phospholipid alterations, thereby resulting in cellular dysfunction and parasite death. Thus, our results demonstrated that DMMB-mediated PDT is effective to kill L. amazonensis MFR strain and should be further studied as a potential strategy to overcome antileishmanial drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda V. Cabral
- Center for Lasers and Applications, Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN/CNEN), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Michela Cerone
- Schools of Biology & Chemistry, BSRC, University of St. Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
| | - Saydulla Persheyev
- Organic Semiconductor Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Cheng Lian
- Organic Semiconductor Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Ifor D. W. Samuel
- Organic Semiconductor Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Martha S. Ribeiro
- Center for Lasers and Applications, Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN/CNEN), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Terry K. Smith
- Schools of Biology & Chemistry, BSRC, University of St. Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
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dos Santos RF, Da Silva T, Brito ACDS, Inácio JD, Ventura BD, Mendes MAP, Azevedo BF, Siqueira LM, Almeida-Amaral EE, Dutra PML, Da-Silva SAG. Therapeutic effect of oral quercetin in hamsters infected with Leishmania Viannia braziliensis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 12:1059168. [PMID: 36710981 PMCID: PMC9880276 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1059168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease caused by several species of intracellular protozoa of the genus Leishmania that present manifestations ranging from cutaneous ulcers to the fatal visceral form. Leishmania Viannia braziliensis is an important species associated with American tegumentary leishmaniasis and the main agent in Brazil, with variable sensitivity to available drugs. The search for new therapeutic alternatives to treat leishmaniasis is an urgent need, especially for endemic countries. Not only is quercetin well known for its antioxidant activity in radical scavenging but also several other biological effects are described, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and pro-oxidant activities. This study aimed to investigate the flavonoid quercetin's therapeutic potential in L. (V.) braziliensis infection. Quercetin showed antiamastigote (IC50 of 21 ± 2.5 µM) and antipromastigote (25 ± 0.7 µM) activities and a selectivity index of 22. The treatment of uninfected or L. (V.) braziliensis-infected macrophages with quercetin increased reactive oxygen species (ROS)/H202 generation without altering Nitric Oxide (NO) production. Oral treatment with quercetin of infected hamsters, starting at 1 week of infection for 8 weeks, reduced the lesion thickness (p > 0.01) and parasite load (p > 0.001). The results of this study suggest that the antiamastigote activity of the flavonoid quercetin in vitro is associated, at least in part, with the modulation of ROS production by macrophages. The efficacy of oral quercetin treatment in hamsters infected with L. (V.) braziliensis was presented for the first time and shows its promising therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosiane Freire dos Santos
- Laboratório de Imunofarmacologia Parasitária, Disciplina de Parasitologia/Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Thayssa Da Silva
- Laboratório de Imunofarmacologia Parasitária, Disciplina de Parasitologia/Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Andréia Carolinne de Souza Brito
- Laboratório de Imunofarmacologia Parasitária, Disciplina de Parasitologia/Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Job Domingos Inácio
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Tripanossomatídeos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bianca Domingues Ventura
- Laboratório de Imunofarmacologia Parasitária, Disciplina de Parasitologia/Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Michely Aparecida Polido Mendes
- Laboratório de Imunofarmacologia Parasitária, Disciplina de Parasitologia/Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bruno Fonseca Azevedo
- Laboratório de Imunofarmacologia Parasitária, Disciplina de Parasitologia/Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Larissa Moreira Siqueira
- Laboratório de Imunofarmacologia Parasitária, Disciplina de Parasitologia/Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Patrícia Maria Lourenço Dutra
- Laboratório de Imunofisiologia do Exercício, Disciplina de Parasitologia/Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Silvia Amaral Gonçalves Da-Silva
- Laboratório de Imunofarmacologia Parasitária, Disciplina de Parasitologia/Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Kant V, Kumar P, Ranjan R, Kumar P, Mandal D, Vijayakumar S. In silico screening, molecular dynamic simulations, and in vitro activity of selected natural compounds as an inhibitor of Leishmania donovani 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:2093-2109. [PMID: 35536513 PMCID: PMC9085559 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07532-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In Leishmania sp., the enzymes of de novo cysteine biosynthesis pathway require sulfide. Other organisms utilize sulfide through the sulfide reduction pathway, but Leishmania lacks the gene that encodes these enzymes. Hence, the major source of sulfide for Leishmania is believed to be from the action of 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3MST) on 3-mercapto-pyruvate (3MP). There has been no effort reported in the past to screen inhibitors against L. donovani 3MST (Ld3MST). As a result, this study examines natural compounds that are potent against Ld3MST and validates it by in vitro activity and cytotoxicity tests. Initially, a library of ~ 5000 natural compounds was subjected to molecular docking approach for screening, and the best hit was validated using a long-term molecular dynamic simulation (MD). Among the docking results, quercetine-3-rutinoside (Rutin) was deemed the best hit. The results of the MD indicated that Rutin was highly capable of interacting with the varied active site segments, possibly blocking substrate access. Additionally, promastigotes and amastigotes were tested for Rutin activity and the IC50 was found to be 40.95 and 90.09 μM, respectively. Similarly, the cytotoxicity assay revealed that Rutin was not toxic even at a concentration of 819.00 μM to THP-1 cell lines. Additionally, the Ld3MST was cloned, purified, and evaluated for enzyme activity in the presence of Rutin. Reduction in the enzyme activity (~ 85%) was observed in the presence of ~ 40 μM Rutin. Thus, this study suggests that Rutin may act as a potent inhibitor of Ld3MST. With further in vivo investigations, Rutin could be a small molecule of choice for combating leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishnu Kant
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hajipur, Bihar, India
| | - Pawan Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hajipur, Bihar, India
| | - Ravi Ranjan
- Division of Bioinformatics, ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, Bihar, India
| | - Prakash Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hajipur, Bihar, India
| | - Debabrata Mandal
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hajipur, Bihar, India.
| | - Saravanan Vijayakumar
- Division of Bioinformatics, ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, Bihar, India.
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