Simultaneous Quantification of Trehalose and Trehalose 6-Phosphate by Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography/Electrospray Accurate Mass Spectrometry with Application in Non-Targeted Metabolomics

High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) was coupled with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) to simultaneously quantify trehalose and trehalose 6-phosphate without derivatization or sample preparation. The use of full scan mode and exact mass analysis also makes it possible to carry out metabolomic analyses as well as semi-quantification. In addition, the use of different clusters in negative mode makes it possible to compensate for deficiencies in linearity and inerrant saturation at time-of-flight detectors. The method has been approved and validated for different matrices, yeasts, and bacteria, and has shown differentiation between bacteria as a function of growth temperatures.

Structure-Based Design and Synthesis of Piperidinol-Containing Molecules as New Mycobacterium abscessus Inhibitors

Non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) infections, such as those caused by Mycobacterium abscessus, are increasing globally. Due to their intrinsic drug resistance, M. abscessus pulmonary infections are often difficult to cure using standard chemotherapy. We previously demonstrated that a piperidinol derivative, named PIPD1, is an efficient molecule both against M. abscessus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the agent of tuberculosis, by targeting the mycolic acid transporter MmpL3. These results prompted us to design and synthesize a series of piperidinol derivatives and to determine the biological activity against M. abscessus. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies pointed toward specific sites on the scaffold that can tolerate slight modifications. Overall, these results identified FMD-88 as a new promising active analogue against M. abscessus. Also, we determined the pharmacokinetics properties of PIPD1 and showed that intraperitoneal administration of this compound resulted in promising serum concentration and an elimination half-life of 3.2 hours.

A piperidinol-containing molecule is active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis by inhibiting the mycolic acid flippase activity of MmpL3

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, remains a major human pathogen, and current treatment options to combat this disease are under threat because of the emergence of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis. High-throughput whole-cell screening of an extensive compound library has recently identified a piperidinol-containing molecule, PIPD1, as a potent lead compound against M. tuberculosis Herein, we show that PIPD1 and related analogs exert in vitro bactericidal activity against the M. tuberculosis strain mc²6230 and also against a panel of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis, suggesting that PIPD1's mode of action differs from those of most first- and second-line anti-tubercular drugs. Selection and DNA sequencing of PIPD1-resistant mycobacterial mutants revealed the presence of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in mmpL3, encoding an inner membrane-associated mycolic acid flippase in M. tuberculosis Results from functional assays with spheroplasts derived from a M. smegmatis strain lacking the endogenous mmpL3 gene but harboring the M. tuberculosis mmpL3 homolog indicated that PIPD1 inhibits the MmpL3-driven translocation of trehalose monomycolate across the inner membrane without altering the proton motive force. Using a predictive structural model of MmpL3 from M. tuberculosis, docking studies revealed a PIPD1-binding cavity recently found to accommodate different inhibitors in M. smegmatis MmpL3. In conclusion, our findings have uncovered bactericidal activity of a new chemical scaffold. Its anti-tubercular activity is mediated by direct inhibition of the flippase activity of MmpL3 rather than by inhibition of the inner membrane proton motive force, significantly advancing our understanding of MmpL3-targeted inhibition in mycobacteria.

MmpL8MAB controls Mycobacterium abscessus virulence and production of a previously unknown glycolipid family

Mycobacterium abscessus is a peculiar rapid-growing Mycobacterium (RGM) capable of surviving within eukaryotic cells thanks to an arsenal of virulence genes also found in slow-growing mycobacteria (SGM), such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis A screen based on the intracellular survival in amoebae and macrophages (MΦ) of an M. abscessus transposon mutant library revealed the important role of MAB_0855, a yet uncharacterized Mycobacterial membrane protein Large (MmpL). Large-scale comparisons with SGM and RGM genomes uncovered MmpL12 proteins as putative orthologs of MAB_0855 and a locus-scale synteny between the MAB_0855 and Mycobacterium chelonae mmpL8 loci. A KO mutant of the MAB_0855 gene, designated herein as mmpL8MAB , had impaired adhesion to MΦ and displayed a decreased intracellular viability. Despite retaining the ability to block phagosomal acidification, like the WT strain, the mmpL8MAB mutant was delayed in damaging the phagosomal membrane and in making contact with the cytosol. Virulence attenuation of the mutant was confirmed in vivo by impaired zebrafish killing and a diminished propensity to induce granuloma formation. The previously shown role of MmpL in lipid transport prompted us to investigate the potential lipid substrates of MmpL8MAB Systematic lipid analysis revealed that MmpL8MAB was required for the proper expression of a glycolipid entity, a glycosyl diacylated nonadecyl diol (GDND) alcohol comprising different combinations of oleic and stearic acids. This study shows the importance of MmpL8MAB in modifying interactions between the bacteria and phagocytic cells and in the production of a previously unknown glycolipid family.

Iminosugar-ferrocene conjugates as potential anticancer agents

We prepared a series of new iminosugar-ferrocene hybrids displaying potent inhibition of fucosidase (bovine kidney) and inactivation of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells proliferation at low micromolar concentrations. The synthetic route brought to light an unprecedented isomerisation of a 2-ethanalylpyrrolidine.

Deciphering the Resistance-Counteracting Functions of Ferroquine in Plasmodium falciparum-Infected Erythrocytes

The aminoquinoline chloroquine (CQ) has been widely used for treating malaria since World War II. Resistance to CQ began to spread around 1957 and is now found in all malarious areas of the world. CQ resistance is caused by multiple mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT). These mutations result in an increased efflux of CQ from the acidic digestive vacuole (DV) to the cytosol of the parasite. This year, we proposed a strategy to locate and quantify the aminoquinolines in situ within infected red blood cells (iRBCs) using synchrotron based X-ray nanoprobe fluorescence. Direct measurements of unlabeled CQ and ferroquine (FQ) (a ferrocene-CQ conjugate, extremely active against CQ-resistant strains) enabled us to evidence fundamentally different transport mechanisms from the cytosol to the DV between CQ and FQ in the CQ-susceptible strain HB3. These results inspired the present study of the localization of CQ and FQ in the CQ-resistant strain W2. The introduction of the ferrocene core in the lateral side chain of CQ has an important consequence: the transporter is unable to efflux FQ from the DV. We also found that resistant parasites treated by FQ accumulate a sulfur-containing compound, credibly glutathion, in their DV.

[Targeting malaria parasite at the level of apicoplast: an update]

In 1996, the discovery of a relic chloroplast in Plasmodium and Toxoplasma cells has strongly changed our vision of these parasites in the "Tree of Life", and has opened an unexpected new field of investigation in the search for antiparasitic treatments, including antimalarials. This review details our current understanding of the sophisticated evolution of the parasites of the Apicomplexa phylum and briefly covers a decade of research and development in drug discovery, trying to target the malaria parasite at the level of its plant-like organelle. Fifteen years after the discovery of the apicoplast and ten years after the publication of the genome of Plasmodium falciparum, it seems that we have completed a first phase of tests of available antibiotics and herbicides. In the human host, the liver phase is the only parasitic stage, for which biological functions harbored by the apicoplast, such as fatty acid biosynthesis, seem indispensable. During the erythrocytic phase, recent results have focused the attention on the processes controlling the biogenesis of the apicoplast, and one of the functions harbored by the apicoplast, i.e. the biosynthesis of isoprenoids, as major -promising targets for future treatments.

In situ nanochemical imaging of label-free drugs: a case study of antimalarials in Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes

We report here for the first time the in vitro localization of unlabeled antimalarial drugs with high spatial resolution. This strategy further enhances our understanding of the action mechanisms of antimalarial drugs. Our approach may be applied to a wide range of domains where quantitative chemical imaging of drugs at the sub-cellular level appears critical.

The antimalarial ferroquine: role of the metal and intramolecular hydrogen bond in activity and resistance

Inhibition of hemozoin biocrystallization is considered the main mechanism of action of 4-aminoquinoline antimalarials including chloroquine (CQ) but cannot fully explain the activity of ferroquine (FQ) which has been related to redox properties and intramolecular hydrogen bonding. Analogues of FQ, methylferroquine (Me-FQ), ruthenoquine (RQ), and methylruthenoquine (Me-RQ), were prepared. Combination of physicochemical and molecular modeling methods showed that FQ and RQ favor intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the 4-aminoquinoline NH group and the terminal amino group in the absence of water, suggesting that this structure may enhance its passage through the membrane. This was further supported by the use of Me-FQ and Me-RQ where the intramolecular hydrogen bond cannot be formed. Docking studies suggest that FQ can interact specifically with the {0,0,1} and {1,0,0} faces of hemozoin, blocking crystal growth. With respect to the structure-activity relationship, the antimalarial activity on 15 different P. falciparum strains showed that the activity of FQ and RQ were correlated with each other but not with CQ, confirming lack of cross resistance. Conversely, Me-FQ and Me-RQ showed significant cross-resistance with CQ. Mutations or copy number of pfcrt, pfmrp, pfmdr1, pfmdr2, or pfnhe-1 did not exhibit significant correlations with the IC(50) of FQ or RQ. We next showed that FQ and Me-FQ were able to generate hydroxyl radicals, whereas RQ and me-RQ did not. Ultrastructural studies revealed that FQ and Me-FQ but not RQ or Me-RQ break down the parasite digestive vacuole membrane, which could be related to the ability of the former to generate hydroxyl radicals.

Esterprodrugs of ciprofloxacin as DNA-gyrase inhibitors: synthesis, antiparasitic evaluation and docking studies

Novel ester prodrugs of ciprofloxacin proved to be extremely efficient against Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii. Molecular modeling and computational calculations were used to understand the mechanisms of action of these drugs.

Enhancement of the antimalarial activity of ciprofloxacin using a double prodrug/bioorganometallic approach

The derivatization of the fluoroquinolone ciprofloxacin greatly increases its antimalarial activity by combining bioorganometallic chemistry and the prodrug approach. Two new achiral compounds 2 and 4 were found to be 10- to 100-fold more active than ciprofloxacin against Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine-susceptible and chloroquine-resistant strains. These achiral derivatives killed parasites more rapidly than did ciprofloxacin. Compounds 2 and 4 were revealed to be promising leads, creating a new family of antimalarial agents.