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Multivariate chemogenomic screening prioritizes new macrofilaricidal leads. Commun Biol 2023; 6:44. [PMID: 36639423 PMCID: PMC9839782 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04435-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Development of direct acting macrofilaricides for the treatment of human filariases is hampered by limitations in screening throughput imposed by the parasite life cycle. In vitro adult screens typically assess single phenotypes without prior enrichment for chemicals with antifilarial potential. We developed a multivariate screen that identified dozens of compounds with submicromolar macrofilaricidal activity, achieving a hit rate of >50% by leveraging abundantly accessible microfilariae. Adult assays were multiplexed to thoroughly characterize compound activity across relevant parasite fitness traits, including neuromuscular control, fecundity, metabolism, and viability. Seventeen compounds from a diverse chemogenomic library elicited strong effects on at least one adult trait, with differential potency against microfilariae and adults. Our screen identified five compounds with high potency against adults but low potency or slow-acting microfilaricidal effects, at least one of which acts through a novel mechanism. We show that the use of microfilariae in a primary screen outperforms model nematode developmental assays and virtual screening of protein structures inferred with deep learning. These data provide new leads for drug development, and the high-content and multiplex assays set a new foundation for antifilarial discovery.
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Barbosa UC, Nava AFD, Ferreira Neto JV, Dias CA, Silva VCD, Mesquita HGD, Sampaio RTDM, Barros WG, Farias EDS, Silva TRRD, Crainey JL, Tadei WP, Koolen HHF, Pessoa FAC. Dirofilaria immitis is endemic in rural areas of the Brazilian Amazonas state capital, Manaus. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA = BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY : ORGAO OFICIAL DO COLEGIO BRASILEIRO DE PARASITOLOGIA VETERINARIA 2023; 32:e000223. [PMID: 37132734 PMCID: PMC10153491 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612023018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The canine filarial parasite Dirofilaria immitis has not been reported in Brazil´s Amazonas state capital, Manaus, for over a century. Here, we report one imported and 27 autochthonous D. immitis infections from a microfilarial survey of 766 domestic dog blood samples collected between 2017 and 2021 in Manaus. An Overall prevalence estimate of 15.44% (23/149) was calculated from our two rural collection sites; a prevalence of 1.22% (4/328) was estimated at our periurban collection site, and an overall prevalence of 0.35% (1/289) was calculated from our two urban clinic collections. Our data suggest that in the urban areas of Manaus, where the parasites are very likely vectored by the same species of mosquito that historically vectored Wuchereria bancrofti (Culex quinquefasciatus), prevalence levels are very low and possibly maintained by an influx from rural areas where sylvatic reservoirs and/or more favorable vector transmission dynamics maintain high prevalences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulysses Carvalho Barbosa
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia PPG-Bionorte, Manaus, AM, Brasil
- Laboratório de Etnoepidemiologia, Coordenação de Sociedade Ambiente e Saúde, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | | | - José Vicente Ferreira Neto
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Entomologia, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - Cindy Alves Dias
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biointeração Parasita-Hospedeiro, Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - Viviane Costa da Silva
- Laboratório de Ecologia Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - Hugo Guimarães de Mesquita
- Laboratório de Etnoepidemiologia, Coordenação de Sociedade Ambiente e Saúde, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - Raquel Telles de Moreira Sampaio
- Laboratório de Etnoepidemiologia, Coordenação de Sociedade Ambiente e Saúde, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - Wanilze Gonçalves Barros
- Laboratório de Etnoepidemiologia, Coordenação de Sociedade Ambiente e Saúde, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - Emanuelle de Sousa Farias
- Laboratório de Ecologia Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | | | - James Lee Crainey
- Laboratório de Ecologia Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | - Wanderli Pedro Tadei
- Laboratório de Malária e Dengue, Coordenação de Sociedade Ambiente e Saúde, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Manaus, AM, Brasil
| | | | - Felipe Arley Costa Pessoa
- Laboratório de Ecologia Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Manaus, AM, Brasil
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3
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Risch F, Ritter M, Hoerauf A, Hübner MP. Human filariasis-contributions of the Litomosoides sigmodontis and Acanthocheilonema viteae animal model. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:4125-4143. [PMID: 33547508 PMCID: PMC8599372 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-07026-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Filariae are vector-borne parasitic nematodes that are endemic worldwide, in tropical and subtropical regions. Important human filariae spp. include Onchocerca volvulus, Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia spp., and Loa loa and Mansonella spp. causing onchocerciasis (river blindness), lymphatic filariasis (lymphedema and hydrocele), loiasis (eye worm), and mansonelliasis, respectively. It is estimated that over 1 billion individuals live in endemic regions where filarial diseases are a public health concern contributing to significant disability adjusted life years (DALYs). Thus, efforts to control and eliminate filarial diseases were already launched by the WHO in the 1970s, especially against lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis, and are mainly based on mass drug administration (MDA) of microfilaricidal drugs (ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine, albendazole) to filarial endemic areas accompanied with vector control strategies with the goal to reduce the transmission. With the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it was decided to eliminate transmission of onchocerciasis and stop lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem by 2030. It was also requested that novel drugs and treatment strategies be developed. Mouse models provide an important platform for anti-filarial drug research in a preclinical setting. This review presents an overview about the Litomosoides sigmodontis and Acanthocheilonema viteae filarial mouse models and their role in immunological research as well as preclinical studies about novel anti-filarial drugs and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic Risch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (IMMIP), University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Manuel Ritter
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (IMMIP), University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Achim Hoerauf
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (IMMIP), University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marc P Hübner
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (IMMIP), University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany.
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Kwofie SK, Broni E, Yunus FU, Nsoh J, Adoboe D, Miller WA, Wilson MD. Molecular Docking Simulation Studies Identifies Potential Natural Product Derived-Antiwolbachial Compounds as Filaricides against Onchocerciasis. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9111682. [PMID: 34829911 PMCID: PMC8615632 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9111682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Onchocerciasis is the leading cause of blindness and severe skin lesions which remain a major public health problem, especially in tropical areas. The widespread use of antibiotics and the long duration required for effective treatment continues to add to the increasing global menace of multi-resistant pathogens. Onchocerca volvulus harbors the endosymbiont bacteria Wolbachia, essential for the normal development of embryos, larvae and long-term survival of the adult worm, O. volvulus. We report here results of using structure-based drug design (SBDD) approach aimed at identifying potential novel Wolbachia inhibitors from natural products against the Wolbachia surface protein (WSP). The protein sequence of the WSP with UniProtKB identifier Q0RAI4 was used to model the three-dimensional (3D) structure via homology modelling techniques using three different structure-building algorithms implemented in Modeller, I-TASSER and Robetta. Out of the 15 generated models of WSP, one was selected as the most reasonable quality model which had 82, 15.5, 1.9 and 0.5% of the amino acid residues in the most favored regions, additionally allowed regions, generously allowed regions and disallowed regions, respectively, based on the Ramachandran plot. High throughput virtual screening was performed via Autodock Vina with a library comprising 42,883 natural products from African and Chinese databases, including 23 identified anti-Onchocerca inhibitors. The top six compounds comprising ZINC000095913861, ZINC000095486235, ZINC000035941652, NANPDB4566, acetylaleuritolic acid and rhemannic acid had binding energies of −12.7, −11.1, −11.0, −11, −10.3 and −9.5 kcal/mol, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulations including molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann (MMPBSA) calculations reinforced the stability of the ligand-WSP complexes and plausible binding mechanisms. The residues Arg45, Tyr135, Tyr148 and Phe195 were predicted as potential novel critical residues required for ligand binding in pocket 1. Acetylaleuritolic acid and rhemannic acid (lantedene A) have previously been shown to possess anti-onchocercal activity. This warrants the need to evaluate the anti-WSP activity of the identified molecules. The study suggests the exploitation of compounds which target both pockets 1 and 2, by investigating their potential for effective depletion of Wolbachia. These compounds were predicted to possess reasonably good pharmacological profiles with insignificant toxicity and as drug-like. The compounds were computed to possess biological activity including antibacterial, antiparasitic, anthelmintic and anti-rickettsials. The six natural products are potential novel antiwolbachial agents with insignificant toxicities which can be explored further as filaricides for onchocerciasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel K. Kwofie
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, PMB LG 77, Legon, Accra LG 77, Ghana; (E.B.); (F.U.Y.); (J.N.); (D.A.)
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra LG 54, Ghana
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +233-203-797922
| | - Emmanuel Broni
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, PMB LG 77, Legon, Accra LG 77, Ghana; (E.B.); (F.U.Y.); (J.N.); (D.A.)
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra LG 54, Ghana
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), College of Health Sciences (CHS), University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra LG 581, Ghana;
| | - Faruk U. Yunus
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, PMB LG 77, Legon, Accra LG 77, Ghana; (E.B.); (F.U.Y.); (J.N.); (D.A.)
| | - John Nsoh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, PMB LG 77, Legon, Accra LG 77, Ghana; (E.B.); (F.U.Y.); (J.N.); (D.A.)
| | - Dela Adoboe
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, PMB LG 77, Legon, Accra LG 77, Ghana; (E.B.); (F.U.Y.); (J.N.); (D.A.)
| | - Whelton A. Miller
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153, USA;
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, IL 19104, USA
| | - Michael D. Wilson
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), College of Health Sciences (CHS), University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 581, Legon, Accra LG 581, Ghana;
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153, USA;
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Brattig NW, Cheke RA, Garms R. Onchocerciasis (river blindness) - more than a century of research and control. Acta Trop 2021; 218:105677. [PMID: 32857984 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
This review summarises more than a century of research on onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, and its control. River blindness is an infection caused by the tissue filaria Onchocerca volvulus affecting the skin, subcutaneous tissue and eyes and leading to blindness in a minority of infected persons. The parasite is transmitted by its intermediate hosts Simulium spp. which breed in rivers. Featured are history and milestones in onchocerciasis research and control, state-of-the-art data on the parasite, its endobacteria Wolbachia, on the vectors, previous and current prevalence of the infection, its diagnostics, the interaction between the parasite and its host, immune responses and the pathology of onchocerciasis. Detailed information is documented on the time course of control programmes in the afflicted countries in Africa and the Americas, a long road from previous programmes to current successes in control of the transmission of this infectious disease. By development, adjustment and optimization of the control measures, transmission by the vector has been interrupted in foci of countries in the Americas, in Uganda, in Sudan and elsewhere, followed by onchocerciasis eliminations. The current state and future perspectives for control, elimination and eradication within the next 20-30 years are described and discussed. This review contributes to a deeper comprehension of this disease by a tissue-dwelling filaria and it will be helpful in efforts to control and eliminate other filarial infections.
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Ta-Tang TH, Luz SLB, Crainey JL, Rubio JM. An Overview of the Management of Mansonellosis. Res Rep Trop Med 2021; 12:93-105. [PMID: 34079424 PMCID: PMC8163967 DOI: 10.2147/rrtm.s274684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Mansonellosis is caused by three filarial parasite species from the genus Mansonella that commonly produce chronic human microfilaraemias: M. ozzardi, M. perstans and M. streptocerca. The disease is widespread in Africa, the Caribbean and South and Central America, and although it is typically asymptomatic it has been associated with mild pathologies including leg-chills, joint-pains, headaches, fevers, and corneal lesions. No robust mansonellosis disease burden estimates have yet been made and the impact the disease has on blood bank stocks and the monitoring of other filarial diseases is not thought to be of sufficient public health importance to justify dedicated disease management interventions. Mansonellosis´s Ceratopogonidae and Simuliidae vectors are not targeted by other control programmes and because of their small size and out-door biting habits are unlikely to be affected by interventions targeting other disease vectors like mosquitoes. The ivermectin and mebendazole-based mass drug administration (iMDA and mMDA) treatment regimens deployed by the WHO´s Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN) programme and its forerunners have, however, likely impacted significantly on the mansonellosis disease burden, principally by reducing the transmission of M. streptocerca in Africa. The increasingly popular plan of using iMDA to control malaria could also affect M. ozzardi parasite prevalence and transmission in Latin America in the future. However, a potentially far greater mansonellosis disease burden impact is likely to come from short-course curative anti-Wolbachia therapeutics, which are presently being developed for onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis treatment. Even if the WHO´s ESPEN programme does not choose to deploy these drugs in MDA interventions, they have the potential to dramatically increase the financial and logistical feasibility of effective mansonellosis management. There is, thus, now a fresh and urgent need to better characterise the disease burden and eco-epidemiology of mansonellosis so that effective management programmes can be designed, advocated for and implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thuy-Huong Ta-Tang
- Malaria and NTDs Laboratory, National Centre of Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergio L B Luz
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil
| | - James L Crainey
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil
| | - José M Rubio
- Malaria & Emerging Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, National Microbiology Center, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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7
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Crainey JL, Costa CHA, de Oliveira Leles LF, Ribeiro da Silva TR, de Aquino Narzetti LH, Serra Dos Santos YV, Costa Conteville L, Costa Pessoa FA, Carvajal Cortés JJ, Vicente ACP, Rubio Muñoz JM, Bessa Luz SL. Deep Sequencing Reveals Occult Mansonellosis Coinfections in Residents From the Brazilian Amazon Village of São Gabriel da Cachoeira. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 71:1990-1993. [PMID: 31995172 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Mansonella ozzardi and Mansonella perstans infections both cause mansonellosis but are usually treated differently. Using a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay and deep sequencing, we reveal the presence of mansonellosis coinfections that were undetectable by standard diagnostic methods. Our results confirm mansonellosis coinfections and have important implications for the disease's treatment and diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Lee Crainey
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia, Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Carlos Henrique Aguiar Costa
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia, Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-graduação Stricto Sensu em Biologia Computacional e Sistemas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lorena Ferreira de Oliveira Leles
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia, Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Biologia da Interação Patógeno Hospedeiro, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Túllio Romão Ribeiro da Silva
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia, Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-graduação Stricto Sensu em Biologia Parasitária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luiz Henrique de Aquino Narzetti
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia, Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Yago Vinícius Serra Dos Santos
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia, Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu em Biologia da Interação Patógeno Hospedeiro, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Liliane Costa Conteville
- Programa de Pós-graduação Stricto Sensu em Biologia Computacional e Sistemas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Malaria & Emerging Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, National Microbiology Center, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Felipe Arley Costa Pessoa
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia, Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil
| | - José Joaquin Carvajal Cortés
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia, Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Paulo Vicente
- Malaria & Emerging Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, National Microbiology Center, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Miguel Rubio Muñoz
- Malaria & Emerging Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, National Microbiology Center, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sérgio Luiz Bessa Luz
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia, Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil
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Kwarteng A, Asiedu E, Sylverken A, Larbi A, Mubarik Y, Apprey C. In silico drug repurposing for filarial infection predicts nilotinib and paritaprevir as potential inhibitors of the Wolbachia 5'-aminolevulinic acid synthase. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8455. [PMID: 33875732 PMCID: PMC8055890 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87976-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Filarial infections affect millions of individuals and are responsible for some notorious disabilities. Current treatment options involve repeated mass drug administrations, which have been met with several challenges despite some successes. Administration of doxycycline, an anti-Wolbachia agent, has shown clinical effectiveness but has several limitations, including long treatment durations and contraindications. We describe the use of an in silico drug repurposing approach to screening a library of over 3200 FDA-approved medications against the filarial endosymbiont, Wolbachia. We target the enzyme which catalyzes the first step of heme biosynthesis in the Wolbachia. This presents an opportunity to inhibit heme synthesis, which leads to depriving the filarial worm of heme, resulting in a subsequent macrofilaricidal effect. High throughput virtual screening, molecular docking and molecular simulations with binding energy calculations led to the identification of paritaprevir and nilotinib as potential anti-Wolbachia agents. Having higher binding affinities to the catalytic pocket than the natural substrate, these drugs have the structural potential to bind and engage active site residues of the wolbachia 5'-Aminolevulinic Acid Synthase. We hereby propose paritaprevir and nilotinib for experimental validations as anti-Wolbachia agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kwarteng
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana. .,Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana.
| | - Ebenezer Asiedu
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Augustina Sylverken
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Amma Larbi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Yusif Mubarik
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Charles Apprey
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
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9
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Bulman CA, Chappell L, Gunderson E, Vogel I, Beerntsen B, Slatko BE, Sullivan W, Sakanari JA. The Eagle effect in the Wolbachia-worm symbiosis. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:118. [PMID: 33627171 PMCID: PMC7905570 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04545-w] [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: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Onchocerciasis (river blindness) and lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) are two human neglected tropical diseases that cause major disabilities. Mass administration of drugs targeting the microfilarial stage has reduced transmission and eliminated these diseases in several countries but a macrofilaricidal drug that kills or sterilizes the adult worms is critically needed to eradicate the diseases. The causative agents of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis are filarial worms that harbor the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia. Because filarial worms depend on Wolbachia for reproduction and survival, drugs targeting Wolbachia hold great promise as a means to eliminate these diseases. Methods To better understand the relationship between Wolbachia and its worm host, adult Brugia pahangi were exposed to varying concentrations of doxycycline, minocycline, tetracycline and rifampicin in vitro and assessed for Wolbachia numbers and worm motility. Worm motility was monitored using the Worminator system, and Wolbachia titers were assessed by qPCR of the single copy gene wsp from Wolbachia and gst from Brugia to calculate IC50s and in time course experiments. Confocal microscopy was also used to quantify Wolbachia located at the distal tip region of worm ovaries to assess the effects of antibiotic treatment in this region of the worm where Wolbachia are transmitted vertically to the microfilarial stage. Results Worms treated with higher concentrations of antibiotics had higher Wolbachia titers, i.e. as antibiotic concentrations increased there was a corresponding increase in Wolbachia titers. As the concentration of antibiotic increased, worms stopped moving and never recovered despite maintaining Wolbachia titers comparable to controls. Thus, worms were rendered moribund by the higher concentrations of antibiotics but Wolbachia persisted suggesting that these antibiotics may act directly on the worms at high concentration. Surprisingly, in contrast to these results, antibiotics given at low concentrations reduced Wolbachia titers. Conclusion Wolbachia in B. pahangi display a counterintuitive dose response known as the “Eagle effect.” This effect in Wolbachia suggests a common underlying mechanism that allows diverse bacterial and fungal species to persist despite exposure to high concentrations of antimicrobial compounds. To our knowledge this is the first report of this phenomenon occurring in an intracellular endosymbiont, Wolbachia, in its filarial host.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina A Bulman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Laura Chappell
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Emma Gunderson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ian Vogel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Brenda Beerntsen
- Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Barton E Slatko
- Molecular Parasitology Division, New England Biolabs Inc, Ipswich, MA, USA
| | - William Sullivan
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Judy A Sakanari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Lefoulon E, Foster JM, Truchon A, Carlow CKS, Slatko BE. The Wolbachia Symbiont: Here, There and Everywhere. Results Probl Cell Differ 2021; 69:423-451. [PMID: 33263882 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-51849-3_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia symbionts, first observed in the 1920s, are now known to be present in about 30-70% of tested arthropod species, in about half of tested filarial nematodes (including the majority of human filarial nematodes), and some plant-parasitic nematodes. In arthropods, they are generally viewed as parasites while in nematodes they appear to be mutualists although this demarcation is not absolute. Their presence in arthropods generally leads to reproductive anomalies, while in nematodes, they are generally required for worm development and reproduction. In mosquitos, Wolbachia inhibit RNA viral infections, leading to populational reductions in human RNA virus pathogens, whereas in filarial nematodes, their requirement for worm fertility and survival has been channeled into their use as drug targets for filariasis control. While much more research on these ubiquitous symbionts is needed, they are viewed as playing significant roles in biological processes, ranging from arthropod speciation to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Lefoulon
- Molecular Parasitology Group, New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, USA
| | - Jeremy M Foster
- Molecular Parasitology Group, New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, USA
| | - Alex Truchon
- Molecular Parasitology Group, New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, USA
| | - C K S Carlow
- Molecular Parasitology Group, New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, USA
| | - Barton E Slatko
- Molecular Parasitology Group, New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, USA.
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Lefoulon E, Clark T, Guerrero R, Cañizales I, Cardenas-Callirgos JM, Junker K, Vallarino-Lhermitte N, Makepeace BL, Darby AC, Foster JM, Martin C, Slatko BE. Diminutive, degraded but dissimilar: Wolbachia genomes from filarial nematodes do not conform to a single paradigm. Microb Genom 2020; 6:mgen000487. [PMID: 33295865 PMCID: PMC8116671 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia are alpha-proteobacteria symbionts infecting a large range of arthropod species and two different families of nematodes. Interestingly, these endosymbionts are able to induce diverse phenotypes in their hosts: they are reproductive parasites within many arthropods, nutritional mutualists within some insects and obligate mutualists within their filarial nematode hosts. Defining Wolbachia 'species' is controversial and so they are commonly classified into 17 different phylogenetic lineages, termed supergroups, named A-F, H-Q and S. However, available genomic data remain limited and not representative of the full Wolbachia diversity; indeed, of the 24 complete genomes and 55 draft genomes of Wolbachia available to date, 84 % belong to supergroups A and B, exclusively composed of Wolbachia from arthropods. For the current study, we took advantage of a recently developed DNA-enrichment method to produce four complete genomes and two draft genomes of Wolbachia from filarial nematodes. Two complete genomes, wCtub and wDcau, are the smallest Wolbachia genomes sequenced to date (863 988 bp and 863 427 bp, respectively), as well as the first genomes representing supergroup J. These genomes confirm the validity of this supergroup, a controversial clade due to weaknesses of the multilocus sequence typing approach. We also produced the first draft Wolbachia genome from a supergroup F filarial nematode representative (wMhie), two genomes from supergroup D (wLsig and wLbra) and the complete genome of wDimm from supergroup C. Our new data confirm the paradigm of smaller Wolbachia genomes from filarial nematodes containing low levels of transposable elements and the absence of intact bacteriophage sequences, unlike many Wolbachia from arthropods, where both are more abundant. However, we observe differences among the Wolbachia genomes from filarial nematodes: no global co-evolutionary pattern, strong synteny between supergroup C and supergroup J Wolbachia, and more transposable elements observed in supergroup D Wolbachia compared to the other supergroups. Metabolic pathway analysis indicates several highly conserved pathways (haem and nucleotide biosynthesis, for example) as opposed to more variable pathways, such as vitamin B biosynthesis, which might be specific to certain host-symbiont associations. Overall, there appears to be no single Wolbachia-filarial nematode pattern of co-evolution or symbiotic relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Lefoulon
- Molecular Parasitology Group, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, MA, USA
- Present address: School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Travis Clark
- Molecular Parasitology Group, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, MA, USA
| | - Ricardo Guerrero
- Instituto de Zoología y Ecología Tropical, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Israel Cañizales
- Instituto de Zoología y Ecología Tropical, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
- Ediciones La Fauna KPT SL, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Manuel Cardenas-Callirgos
- Neotropical Parasitology Research Network - NEOPARNET, Asociación Peruana de Helmintología e Invertebrados Afines – APHIA, Peru
| | - Kerstin Junker
- Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors, ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
| | - Nathaly Vallarino-Lhermitte
- Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM, UMR7245), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Benjamin L. Makepeace
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Alistair C. Darby
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jeremy M. Foster
- Molecular Parasitology Group, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, MA, USA
| | - Coralie Martin
- Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM, UMR7245), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Barton E. Slatko
- Molecular Parasitology Group, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, MA, USA
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Abstract
Neglected parasitic helminth diseases such as onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis affect an estimated 145 million people worldwide, creating a serious health burden in endemic areas such as sub-Saharan Africa and India. Although these diseases are not usually lethal, these filarial nematodes, transmitted by blood-feeding insect vectors, cause severe debilitation and cause chronic disability to infected individuals. The adult worms can reproduce from 5 to up to 14 years, releasing millions of microfilariae, juvenile worms, over an infected individual's lifetime. The current treatments for controlling human filarial infections is focused on killing microfilariae, the earliest larval stage. Currently, there is an unmet medical need for treatments consisting of a macrofilaricidal regimen, one that targets the adult stage of the parasite, to increase the rate of elimination, allow for safe use in coendemic regions of Onchocerca volvulus and Loa loa, and to provide a rapid method to resolve reinfections. Herein, recent approaches for targeting human filarial diseases are discussed, including direct acting agents to target parasitic nematodes and antibacterial approaches to target the endosymbiotic bacteria, Wolbachia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie A. Hawryluk
- Bristol-Myers Squibb, Global Health, 10300 Campus Point Drive, San Diego, California 92121, United States
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Short-course quinazoline drug treatments are effective in the Litomosoides sigmodontis and Brugia pahangi jird models. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2019; 12:18-27. [PMID: 31869759 PMCID: PMC6931063 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2019.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 11/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The quinazolines CBR417 and CBR490 were previously shown to be potent anti-wolbachials that deplete Wolbachia endosymbionts of filarial nematodes and present promising pre-clinical candidates for human filarial diseases such as onchocerciasis. In the present study we tested both candidates in two models of chronic filarial infection, namely the Litomosoides sigmodontis and Brugia pahangi jird model and assessed their long-term effect on Wolbachia depletion, microfilariae counts and filarial embryogenesis 16−18 weeks after treatment initiation (wpt). Once per day (QD) oral treatment with CBR417 (50 mg/kg) for 4 days or twice per day (BID) with CBR490 (25 mg/kg) for 7 days during patent L. sigmodontis infection reduced the Wolbachia load by >99% and completely cleared peripheral microfilaremia from 10–14 wpt. Similarly, 7 days of QD treatments (40 mg/kg) with CBR417 or CBR490 cleared >99% of Wolbachia from B. pahangi and reduced peritoneal microfilariae counts by 93% in the case of CBR417 treatment. Transmission electron microscopy analysis indicated intensive damage to the B. pahangi ovaries following CBR417 treatment and in accordance filarial embryogenesis was inhibited in both models after CBR417 or CBR490 treatment. Suboptimal treatment regimens of CBR417 or CBR490 did not lead to a maintained reduction of the microfilariae and Wolbachia load. In conclusion, CBR417 or CBR490 are pre-clinical candidates for filarial diseases, which achieve long-term clearance of Wolbachia endosymbionts of filarial nematodes, inhibit filarial embryogenesis and clear microfilaremia with treatments as short as 7 days. CBR417 and CBR490 provide long-term effects in 2 chronic filaria jird models. CBR417 and CBR490 deplete >99% Wolbachia in B. pahangi and L. sigmodontis filariae. CBR417 and CBR490 clear L. sigmodontis microfilariae after 10–14 weeks. CBR417 and CBR490 inhibit filarial embryogenesis in both models. Suboptimal doses do not maintain reduction of microfilariae and Wolbachia.
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