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Dass S, Mather MW, Morrisey JM, Ling L, Vaidya AB, Ke H. Transcriptional changes in Plasmodium falciparum upon conditional knock down of mitochondrial ribosomal proteins RSM22 and L23. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274993. [PMID: 36201550 PMCID: PMC9536634 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrion of malaria parasites is an attractive antimalarial drug target, which require mitoribosomes to translate genes encoded in the mitochondrial (mt) DNA. Plasmodium mitoribosomes are composed of highly fragmented ribosomal RNA (rRNA) encoded in the mtDNA. All mitoribosomal proteins (MRPs) and other assembly factors are encoded in the nuclear genome. Here, we have studied one putative assembly factor, RSM22 (Pf3D7_1027200) and one large subunit (LSU) MRP, L23 (Pf3D7_1239100) in Plasmodium falciparum. We show that both proteins localize to the mitochondrion. Conditional knock down (KD) of PfRSM22 or PfMRPL23 leads to reduced cytochrome bc1 complex activity and increased sensitivity to bc1 inhibitors such as atovaquone and ELQ-300. Using RNA sequencing as a tool, we reveal the transcriptomic changes of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes upon KD of these two proteins. In the early phase of KD, while most mt rRNAs and transcripts of putative MRPs were downregulated in the absence of PfRSM22, many mt rRNAs and several MRPs were upregulated after KD of PfMRPL23. The contrast effects in the early phase of KD likely suggests non-redundant roles of PfRSM22 and PfMRPL23 in the assembly of P. falciparum mitoribosomes. At the late time points of KD, loss of PfRSM22 and PfMRPL23 caused defects in many essential metabolic pathways and transcripts related to essential mitochondrial functions, leading to parasite death. In addition, we enlist mitochondrial proteins of unknown function that are likely novel Plasmodium MRPs based on their structural similarity to known MRPs as well as their expression profiles in KD parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Dass
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Michael W. Mather
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Joanne M. Morrisey
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Liqin Ling
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Akhil B. Vaidya
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Hangjun Ke
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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Bhatnagar S, Nicklas S, Morrisey JM, Goldberg DE, Vaidya AB. Diverse Chemical Compounds Target Plasmodium falciparum Plasma Membrane Lipid Homeostasis. ACS Infect Dis 2019; 5:550-558. [PMID: 30638365 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.8b00277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Lipid homeostasis is essential to the maintenance of life. We previously reported that disruptions of the parasite Na+ homeostasis via inhibition of PfATP4 resulted in elevated cholesterol within the parasite plasma membrane as assessed by saponin sensitivity. A large number of compounds have been shown to target the parasite Na+ homeostasis. We screened 800 compounds from the Malaria and Pathogen Boxes to identify chemotypes that disrupted the parasite plasma membrane lipid homeostasis. Here, we show that the compounds disrupting parasite Na+ homeostasis also induced saponin sensitivity, an indication of parasite lipid homeostasis disruption. Remarkably, 13 compounds were identified that altered the plasma membrane lipid composition independently of the Na+ homeostasis disruption. Further studies suggest that these compounds target the Plasmodium falciparum Niemann-Pick type C1-related (PfNCR1) protein, which is hypothesized to be involved in maintaining plasma membrane lipid composition. PfNCR1, like PfATP4, appears to be targeted by multiple chemotypes with the potential for drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suyash Bhatnagar
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129, United States of America
| | - Sezin Nicklas
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129, United States of America
| | - Joanne M. Morrisey
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129, United States of America
| | - Daniel E. Goldberg
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, 4990 Children’s Place, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States of America
| | - Akhil B. Vaidya
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129, United States of America
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Ke H, Ganesan SM, Dass S, Morrisey JM, Pou S, Nilsen A, Riscoe MK, Mather MW, Vaidya AB. Mitochondrial type II NADH dehydrogenase of Plasmodium falciparum (PfNDH2) is dispensable in the asexual blood stages. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214023. [PMID: 30964863 PMCID: PMC6456166 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The battle against malaria has been substantially impeded by the recurrence of drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest human malaria parasite. To counter the problem, novel antimalarial drugs are urgently needed, especially those that target unique pathways of the parasite, since they are less likely to have side effects. The mitochondrial type II NADH dehydrogenase (NDH2) of P. falciparum, PfNDH2 (PF3D7_0915000), has been considered a good prospective antimalarial drug target for over a decade, since malaria parasites lack the conventional multi-subunit NADH dehydrogenase, or Complex I, present in the mammalian mitochondrial electron transport chain (mtETC). Instead, Plasmodium parasites contain a single subunit NDH2, which lacks proton pumping activity and is absent in humans. A significant amount of effort has been expended to develop PfNDH2 specific inhibitors, yet the essentiality of PfNDH2 has not been convincingly verified. Herein, we knocked out PfNDH2 in P. falciparum via a CRISPR/Cas9 mediated approach. Deletion of PfNDH2 does not alter the parasite’s susceptibility to multiple mtETC inhibitors, including atovaquone and ELQ-300. We also show that the antimalarial activity of the fungal NDH2 inhibitor HDQ and its new derivative CK-2-68 is due to inhibition of the parasite cytochrome bc1 complex rather than PfNDH2. These compounds directly inhibit the ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase activity of the malarial bc1 complex. Our results suggest that PfNDH2 is not likely a good antimalarial drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hangjun Ke
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Suresh M. Ganesan
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Swati Dass
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Joanne M. Morrisey
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Sovitj Pou
- Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Aaron Nilsen
- Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Michael K. Riscoe
- Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Michael W. Mather
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Akhil B. Vaidya
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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Ke H, Dass S, Morrisey JM, Mather MW, Vaidya AB. The mitochondrial ribosomal protein L13 is critical for the structural and functional integrity of the mitochondrion in Plasmodium falciparum. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:8128-8137. [PMID: 29626096 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.002552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The phylum Apicomplexa contains a group of protozoa causing diseases in humans and livestock. Plasmodium spp., the causative agent of malaria, contains a mitochondrion that is very divergent from that of their hosts. The malarial mitochondrion is a clinically validated target for the antimalarial drug atovaquone, which specifically blocks the electron transfer activity of the bc1 complex of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (mtETC). Most mtETC proteins are nuclear-encoded and imported from the cytosol, but three key protein subunits are encoded in the Plasmodium mitochondrial genome: cyt b, COXI, and COXIII. They are translated inside the mitochondrion by mitochondrial ribosomes (mitoribosomes). Here, we characterize the function of one large mitoribosomal protein in Plasmodium falciparum, PfmRPL13. We found that PfmRPL13 localizes to the parasite mitochondrion and is refractory to genetic knockout. Ablation of PfmRPL13 using a conditional knockdown system (TetR-DOZI-aptamer) caused a series of adverse events in the parasite, including mtETC deficiency, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm), and death. The PfmRPL13 knockdown parasite also became hypersensitive to proguanil, a drug proposed to target an alternative process for maintaining Δψm Surprisingly, transmission EM revealed that PfmRPL13 disruption also resulted in an unusually elongated and branched mitochondrion. The growth arrest of the knockdown parasite could be rescued with a second copy of PfmRPL13, but not by supplementation with decylubiquinone or addition of a yeast dihydroorotate dehydrogenase gene. In summary, we provide first and direct evidence that mitoribosomes are essential for malaria parasites to maintain the structural and functional integrity of the mitochondrion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hangjun Ke
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129.
| | - Swati Dass
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
| | - Joanne M Morrisey
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
| | - Michael W Mather
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
| | - Akhil B Vaidya
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
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Jenkins BJ, Daly TM, Morrisey JM, Mather MW, Vaidya AB, Bergman LW. Characterization of a Plasmodium falciparum Orthologue of the Yeast Ubiquinone-Binding Protein, Coq10p. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0152197. [PMID: 27015086 PMCID: PMC4807763 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Coenzyme Q (CoQ, ubiquinone) is a central electron carrier in mitochondrial respiration. CoQ is synthesized through multiple steps involving a number of different enzymes. The prevailing view that the CoQ used in respiration exists as a free pool that diffuses throughout the mitochondrial inner membrane bilayer has recently been challenged. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, deletion of the gene encoding Coq10p results in respiration deficiency without inhibiting the synthesis of CoQ, suggesting that the Coq10 protein is critical for the delivery of CoQ to the site(s) of respiration. The precise mechanism by which this is achieved remains unknown at present. We have identified a Plasmodium orthologue of Coq10 (PfCoq10), which is predominantly expressed in trophozoite-stage parasites, and localizes to the parasite mitochondrion. Expression of PfCoq10 in the S. cerevisiae coq10 deletion strain restored the capability of the yeast to grow on respiratory substrates, suggesting a remarkable functional conservation of this protein over a vast evolutionary distance, and despite a relatively low level of amino acid sequence identity. As the antimalarial drug atovaquone acts as a competitive inhibitor of CoQ, we assessed whether over-expression of PfCoq10 altered the atovaquone sensitivity in parasites and in yeast mitochondria, but found no alteration of its activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany J. Jenkins
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Thomas M. Daly
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Joanne M. Morrisey
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Michael W. Mather
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Akhil B. Vaidya
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Lawrence W. Bergman
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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6
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Stickles AM, Ting LM, Morrisey JM, Li Y, Mather MW, Meermeier E, Pershing AM, Forquer IP, Miley GP, Pou S, Winter RW, Hinrichs DJ, Kelly JX, Kim K, Vaidya AB, Riscoe MK, Nilsen A. Inhibition of cytochrome bc1 as a strategy for single-dose, multi-stage antimalarial therapy. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2015; 92:1195-201. [PMID: 25918204 PMCID: PMC4458825 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2014] [Accepted: 02/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-dose therapies for malaria have been proposed as a way to reduce the cost and increase the effectiveness of antimalarial treatment. However, no compound to date has shown single-dose activity against both the blood-stage Plasmodium parasites that cause disease and the liver-stage parasites that initiate malaria infection. Here, we describe a subset of cytochrome bc1 (cyt bc1) inhibitors, including the novel 4(1H)-quinolone ELQ-400, with single-dose activity against liver, blood, and transmission-stage parasites in mouse models of malaria. Although cyt bc1 inhibitors are generally classified as slow-onset antimalarials, we found that a single dose of ELQ-400 rapidly induced stasis in blood-stage parasites, which was associated with a rapid reduction in parasitemia in vivo. ELQ-400 also exhibited a low propensity for drug resistance and was active against atovaquone-resistant P. falciparum strains with point mutations in cyt bc1. Ultimately, ELQ-400 shows that cyt bc1 inhibitors can function as single-dose, blood-stage antimalarials and is the first compound to provide combined treatment, prophylaxis, and transmission blocking activity for malaria after a single oral administration. This remarkable multi-stage efficacy suggests that metabolic therapies, including cyt bc1 inhibitors, may be valuable additions to the collection of single-dose antimalarials in current development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M Stickles
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
| | - Li-Min Ting
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
| | - Joanne M Morrisey
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
| | - Yuexin Li
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
| | - Michael W Mather
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
| | - Erin Meermeier
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
| | - April M Pershing
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
| | - Isaac P Forquer
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
| | - Galen P Miley
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
| | - Sovitj Pou
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
| | - Rolf W Winter
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
| | - David J Hinrichs
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
| | - Jane X Kelly
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
| | - Kami Kim
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
| | - Akhil B Vaidya
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
| | - Michael K Riscoe
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
| | - Aaron Nilsen
- Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon; Departments of Medicine, Pathology, and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon
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7
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Ke H, Lewis IA, Morrisey JM, McLean KJ, Ganesan SM, Painter HJ, Mather MW, Jacobs-Lorena M, Llinás M, Vaidya AB. Genetic investigation of tricarboxylic acid metabolism during the Plasmodium falciparum life cycle. Cell Rep 2015; 11:164-74. [PMID: 25843709 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Revised: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
New antimalarial drugs are urgently needed to control drug-resistant forms of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Mitochondrial electron transport is the target of both existing and new antimalarials. Herein, we describe 11 genetic knockout (KO) lines that delete six of the eight mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle enzymes. Although all TCA KOs grew normally in asexual blood stages, these metabolic deficiencies halted life-cycle progression in later stages. Specifically, aconitase KO parasites arrested as late gametocytes, whereas α-ketoglutarate-dehydrogenase-deficient parasites failed to develop oocysts in the mosquitoes. Mass spectrometry analysis of (13)C-isotope-labeled TCA mutant parasites showed that P. falciparum has significant flexibility in TCA metabolism. This flexibility manifested itself through changes in pathway fluxes and through altered exchange of substrates between cytosolic and mitochondrial pools. Our findings suggest that mitochondrial metabolic plasticity is essential for parasite development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hangjun Ke
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Ian A Lewis
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Joanne M Morrisey
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Kyle J McLean
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Suresh M Ganesan
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Heather J Painter
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Michael W Mather
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Akhil B Vaidya
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA.
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8
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Vaidya AB, Morrisey JM, Zhang Z, Das S, Daly TM, Otto TD, Spillman NJ, Wyvratt M, Siegl P, Marfurt J, Wirjanata G, Sebayang BF, Price RN, Chatterjee A, Nagle A, Stasiak M, Charman SA, Angulo-Barturen I, Ferrer S, Belén Jiménez-Díaz M, Martínez MS, Gamo FJ, Avery VM, Ruecker A, Delves M, Kirk K, Berriman M, Kortagere S, Burrows J, Fan E, Bergman LW. Pyrazoleamide compounds are potent antimalarials that target Na+ homeostasis in intraerythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5521. [PMID: 25422853 PMCID: PMC4263321 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2014] [Accepted: 10/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The quest for new antimalarial drugs, especially those with novel modes of action, is essential in the face of emerging drug-resistant parasites. Here we describe a new chemical class of molecules, pyrazoleamides, with potent activity against human malaria parasites and showing remarkably rapid parasite clearance in an in vivo model. Investigations involving pyrazoleamide-resistant parasites, whole-genome sequencing and gene transfers reveal that mutations in two proteins, a calcium-dependent protein kinase (PfCDPK5) and a P-type cation-ATPase (PfATP4), are necessary to impart full resistance to these compounds. A pyrazoleamide compound causes a rapid disruption of Na+ regulation in blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Similar effect on Na+ homeostasis was recently reported for spiroindolones, which are antimalarials of a chemical class quite distinct from pyrazoleamides. Our results reveal that disruption of Na+ homeostasis in malaria parasites is a promising mode of antimalarial action mediated by at least two distinct chemical classes. Novel antimalarial drugs are urgently needed to combat parasite drug resistance. Here, Vaidya et al. describe a new chemical class of potent antimalarial compounds that act by disrupting the parasite's sodium homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akhil B Vaidya
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 190129, USA
| | - Joanne M Morrisey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 190129, USA
| | - Zhongsheng Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Box 357350, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Sudipta Das
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 190129, USA
| | - Thomas M Daly
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 190129, USA
| | - Thomas D Otto
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB101SA, UK
| | - Natalie J Spillman
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
| | - Matthew Wyvratt
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, PO Box 1826, 20Rt de Pr-Bois, Geneva 15 1215, Switzerland
| | - Peter Siegl
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, PO Box 1826, 20Rt de Pr-Bois, Geneva 15 1215, Switzerland
| | - Jutta Marfurt
- Division of Global and Tropical Health, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, PO Box 41096, Casuarina, Northern Territory 0811, Australia
| | - Grennady Wirjanata
- Division of Global and Tropical Health, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, PO Box 41096, Casuarina, Northern Territory 0811, Australia
| | - Boni F Sebayang
- Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, Jl. Diponegoro 69, Jakarta 10430, Indonesia
| | - Ric N Price
- 1] Division of Global and Tropical Health, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, PO Box 41096, Casuarina, Northern Territory 0811, Australia [2] Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LJ, UK
| | - Arnab Chatterjee
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Advait Nagle
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Marcin Stasiak
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Box 357350, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Susan A Charman
- Center for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Iñigo Angulo-Barturen
- GlaxoSmithKline, Malaria Support Group, Calle Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos 28760, Spain
| | - Santiago Ferrer
- GlaxoSmithKline, Malaria Support Group, Calle Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos 28760, Spain
| | | | - María Santos Martínez
- GlaxoSmithKline, Malaria Support Group, Calle Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos 28760, Spain
| | - Francisco Javier Gamo
- GlaxoSmithKline, Malaria Support Group, Calle Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos 28760, Spain
| | - Vicky M Avery
- Eskitis Institute, Griffith University, Don Young Road, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia
| | - Andrea Ruecker
- Department of Life Sciences, South Kensington Campus, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Michael Delves
- Department of Life Sciences, South Kensington Campus, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Kiaran Kirk
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
| | | | - Sandhya Kortagere
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 190129, USA
| | - Jeremy Burrows
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, PO Box 1826, 20Rt de Pr-Bois, Geneva 15 1215, Switzerland
| | - Erkang Fan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Box 357350, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Lawrence W Bergman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 190129, USA
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9
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Ke H, Sigala PA, Miura K, Morrisey JM, Mather MW, Crowley JR, Henderson JP, Goldberg DE, Long CA, Vaidya AB. The heme biosynthesis pathway is essential for Plasmodium falciparum development in mosquito stage but not in blood stages. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:34827-37. [PMID: 25352601 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.615831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Heme is an essential cofactor for aerobic organisms. Its redox chemistry is central to a variety of biological functions mediated by hemoproteins. In blood stages, malaria parasites consume most of the hemoglobin inside the infected erythrocytes, forming nontoxic hemozoin crystals from large quantities of heme released during digestion. At the same time, the parasites possess a heme de novo biosynthetic pathway. This pathway in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum has been considered essential and is proposed as a potential drug target. However, we successfully disrupted the first and last genes of the pathway, individually and in combination. These knock-out parasite lines, lacking 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase and/or ferrochelatase (FC), grew normally in blood-stage culture and exhibited no changes in sensitivity to heme-related antimalarial drugs. We developed a sensitive LC-MS/MS assay to monitor stable isotope incorporation into heme from its precursor 5-[(13)C4]aminolevulinic acid, and this assay confirmed that de novo heme synthesis was ablated in FC knock-out parasites. Disrupting the FC gene also caused no defects in gametocyte generation or maturation but resulted in a greater than 70% reduction in male gamete formation and completely prevented oocyst formation in female Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. Our data demonstrate that the heme biosynthesis pathway is not essential for asexual blood-stage growth of P. falciparum parasites but is required for mosquito transmission. Drug inhibition of pathway activity is therefore unlikely to provide successful antimalarial therapy. These data also suggest the existence of a parasite mechanism for scavenging host heme to meet metabolic needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hangjun Ke
- From the Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
| | - Paul A Sigala
- the Department of Molecular Microbiology and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Kazutoyo Miura
- the Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20852, and
| | - Joanne M Morrisey
- From the Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
| | - Michael W Mather
- From the Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
| | - Jan R Crowley
- the Center for Women's Infectious Disease Research and
| | - Jeffrey P Henderson
- the Center for Women's Infectious Disease Research and Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Daniel E Goldberg
- the Department of Molecular Microbiology and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Carole A Long
- the Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20852, and
| | - Akhil B Vaidya
- From the Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129,
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10
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Nilsen A, LaCrue AN, White KL, Forquer IP, Cross RM, Marfurt J, Mather MW, Delves MJ, Shackleford DM, Saenz FE, Morrisey JM, Steuten J, Mutka T, Li Y, Wirjanata G, Ryan E, Duffy S, Kelly JX, Sebayang BF, Zeeman AM, Noviyanti R, Sinden RE, Kocken CHM, Price RN, Avery VM, Angulo-Barturen I, Jiménez-Díaz MB, Ferrer S, Herreros E, Sanz LM, Gamo FJ, Bathurst I, Burrows JN, Siegl P, Guy RK, Winter RW, Vaidya AB, Charman SA, Kyle DE, Manetsch R, Riscoe MK. Quinolone-3-diarylethers: a new class of antimalarial drug. Sci Transl Med 2013; 5:177ra37. [PMID: 23515079 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3005029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The goal for developing new antimalarial drugs is to find a molecule that can target multiple stages of the parasite's life cycle, thus impacting prevention, treatment, and transmission of the disease. The 4(1H)-quinolone-3-diarylethers are selective potent inhibitors of the parasite's mitochondrial cytochrome bc1 complex. These compounds are highly active against the human malaria parasites Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. They target both the liver and blood stages of the parasite as well as the forms that are crucial for disease transmission, that is, the gametocytes, the zygote, the ookinete, and the oocyst. Selected as a preclinical candidate, ELQ-300 has good oral bioavailability at efficacious doses in mice, is metabolically stable, and is highly active in blocking transmission in rodent models of malaria. Given its predicted low dose in patients and its predicted long half-life, ELQ-300 has potential as a new drug for the treatment, prevention, and, ultimately, eradication of human malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Nilsen
- VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - Alexis N LaCrue
- Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, 3720 Spectrum Blvd. (Ste 304), Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Karen L White
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Isaac P Forquer
- VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - Richard M Cross
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620-5250, USA
| | - Jutta Marfurt
- Global Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Michael W Mather
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Michael J Delves
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - David M Shackleford
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Fabian E Saenz
- Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, 3720 Spectrum Blvd. (Ste 304), Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Joanne M Morrisey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Jessica Steuten
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Tina Mutka
- Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, 3720 Spectrum Blvd. (Ste 304), Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Yuexin Li
- VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - Grennady Wirjanata
- Global Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Eileen Ryan
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Sandra Duffy
- Eskitis Institute for Cell & Molecular Therapies, Brisbane Innovation Park, Nathan campus, Griffith University, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Jane Xu Kelly
- VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - Boni F Sebayang
- Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, Jl. Diponegoro 69, Jakarta 10430, Indonesia
| | - Anne-Marie Zeeman
- Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, P.O. Box 3306, 2280 GH Rijswijk, The Netherlands
| | - Rintis Noviyanti
- Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, Jl. Diponegoro 69, Jakarta 10430, Indonesia
| | - Robert E Sinden
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Clemens H M Kocken
- Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, P.O. Box 3306, 2280 GH Rijswijk, The Netherlands
| | - Ric N Price
- Global Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.,Centre for Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LJ, UK
| | - Vicky M Avery
- Eskitis Institute for Cell & Molecular Therapies, Brisbane Innovation Park, Nathan campus, Griffith University, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Iñigo Angulo-Barturen
- GlaxoSmithKline, Medicines Development Campus, Diseases of the Developing World, Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos 28760, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Belén Jiménez-Díaz
- GlaxoSmithKline, Medicines Development Campus, Diseases of the Developing World, Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos 28760, Madrid, Spain
| | - Santiago Ferrer
- GlaxoSmithKline, Medicines Development Campus, Diseases of the Developing World, Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos 28760, Madrid, Spain
| | - Esperanza Herreros
- GlaxoSmithKline, Medicines Development Campus, Diseases of the Developing World, Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos 28760, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura M Sanz
- GlaxoSmithKline, Medicines Development Campus, Diseases of the Developing World, Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos 28760, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco-Javier Gamo
- GlaxoSmithKline, Medicines Development Campus, Diseases of the Developing World, Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos 28760, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ian Bathurst
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, 20, route de Pré-Bois, PO Box 1826, 1215 Geneva 15, Switzerland
| | - Jeremy N Burrows
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, 20, route de Pré-Bois, PO Box 1826, 1215 Geneva 15, Switzerland
| | - Peter Siegl
- Siegl Pharma Consulting LLC, Blue Bell, PA, USA
| | - R Kiplin Guy
- Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105-3678 USA
| | - Rolf W Winter
- VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - Akhil B Vaidya
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Susan A Charman
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Dennis E Kyle
- Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, 3720 Spectrum Blvd. (Ste 304), Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Roman Manetsch
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620-5250, USA
| | - Michael K Riscoe
- VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA.,Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, 3181 Sam Jackson Blvd., Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
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11
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Olszewski KL, Mather MW, Morrisey JM, Garcia BA, Vaidya AB, Rabinowitz JD, Llinás M. Retraction: Branched tricarboxylic acid metabolism in Plasmodium falciparum. Nature 2013; 497:652. [PMID: 23615611 DOI: 10.1038/nature12164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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12
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Ke H, Morrisey JM, Ganesan SM, Mather MW, Vaidya AB. Mitochondrial RNA polymerase is an essential enzyme in erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2012; 185:48-51. [PMID: 22640832 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2012.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2011] [Revised: 05/07/2012] [Accepted: 05/16/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
We have shown that transgenic Plasmodium falciparum parasites expressing the yeast DHODH (dihydroorotate dehydrogenase) are independent of the mtETC (mitochondrial electron transport chain), suggesting that they might not need the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA), since it only encodes three protein subunits belonging to the mtETC and fragmentary ribosomal RNA molecules. Disrupting the mitochondrial RNA polymerase (mtRNAP), which is critical for mtDNA replication and transcription, might then cause the generation of a ρ(0) parasite line lacking mtDNA. We made multiple attempts to disrupt the mtRNAP gene by double crossover recombination methods in parasite lines expressing yDHODH either episomally or integrated in the genome, but were unable to produce the desired knockout. We verified that the mtRNAP gene was accessible to recombination by successfully integrating a triple HA tag at the 3' end via single cross-over recombination. These studies suggest that mtRNAP is essential even in mtETC-independent P. falciparum parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hangjun Ke
- Center for Molecular Parasitology and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
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13
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Nina PB, Morrisey JM, Ganesan SM, Ke H, Pershing AM, Mather MW, Vaidya AB. ATP synthase complex of Plasmodium falciparum: dimeric assembly in mitochondrial membranes and resistance to genetic disruption. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:41312-41322. [PMID: 21984828 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.290973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The rotary nanomotor ATP synthase is a central player in the bioenergetics of most organisms. Yet the role of ATP synthase in malaria parasites has remained unclear, as blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum appear to derive ATP largely through glycolysis. Also, genes for essential subunits of the F(O) sector of the complex could not be detected in the parasite genomes. Here, we have used molecular genetic and immunological tools to investigate the localization, complex formation, and functional significance of predicted ATP synthase subunits in P. falciparum. We generated transgenic P. falciparum lines expressing seven epitope-tagged canonical ATP synthase subunits, revealing localization of all but one of the subunits to the mitochondrion. Blue native gel electrophoresis of P. falciparum mitochondrial membranes suggested the molecular mass of the ATP synthase complex to be greater than 1 million daltons. This size is consistent with the complex being assembled as a dimer in a manner similar to the complexes observed in other eukaryotic organisms. This observation also suggests the presence of previously unknown subunits in addition to the canonical subunits in P. falciparum ATP synthase complex. Our attempts to disrupt genes encoding β and γ subunits were unsuccessful, suggesting an essential role played by the ATP synthase complex in blood stages of P. falciparum. These studies suggest that, despite some unconventional features and its minimal contribution to ATP synthesis, P. falciparum ATP synthase is localized to the parasite mitochondrion, assembled as a large dimeric complex, and is likely essential for parasite survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Praveen Balabaskaran Nina
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
| | - Joanne M Morrisey
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
| | - Suresh M Ganesan
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
| | - Hangjun Ke
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
| | - April M Pershing
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
| | - Michael W Mather
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129
| | - Akhil B Vaidya
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129.
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14
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Olszewski KL, Mather MW, Morrisey JM, Garcia BA, Vaidya AB, Rabinowitz JD, Llinás M. Erratum: Branched tricarboxylic acid metabolism in Plasmodium falciparum. Nature 2011. [DOI: 10.1038/nature09712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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15
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Kortagere S, Welsh WJ, Morrisey JM, Daly T, Ejigiri I, Sinnis P, Vaidya AB, Bergman LW. Structure-based design of novel small-molecule inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum. J Chem Inf Model 2010; 50:840-9. [PMID: 20426475 DOI: 10.1021/ci100039k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is endemic in most developing countries, with nearly 500 million cases estimated to occur each year. The need to design a new generation of antimalarial drugs that can combat the most drug-resistant forms of the malarial parasite is well recognized. In this study, we wanted to develop inhibitors of key proteins that form the invasion machinery of the malarial parasite. A critical feature of host-cell invasion by apicomplexan parasites is the interaction between the carboxy terminal tail of myosin A (MyoA) and the myosin tail interacting protein (MTIP). Using the cocrystal structure of the Plasmodium knowlesi MTIP and the MyoA tail peptide as input to the hybrid structure-based virtual screening approach, we identified a series of small molecules as having the potential to inhibit MTIP-MyoA interactions. Of the initial 15 compounds tested, a pyrazole-urea compound inhibited P. falciparum growth with an EC(50) value of 145 nM. We screened an additional 51 compounds belonging to the same chemical class and identified 8 compounds with EC(50) values less than 400 nM. Interestingly, the compounds appeared to act at several stages of the parasite's life cycle to block growth and development. The pyrazole-urea compounds identified in this study could be effective antimalarial agents because they competitively inhibit a key protein-protein interaction between MTIP and MyoA responsible for the gliding motility and the invasive features of the malarial parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandhya Kortagere
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
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16
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Olszewski KL, Mather MW, Morrisey JM, Garcia BA, Vaidya AB, Rabinowitz JD, Llinás M. Branched tricarboxylic acid metabolism in Plasmodium falciparum. Nature 2010; 466:774-8. [PMID: 20686576 PMCID: PMC2917841 DOI: 10.1038/nature09301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2010] [Accepted: 06/11/2010] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
A central hub of carbon metabolism is the tricarboxylic acid cycle, which serves to connect the processes of glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, respiration, amino acid synthesis and other biosynthetic pathways. The protozoan intracellular malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp.), however, have long been suspected of possessing a significantly streamlined carbon metabolic network in which tricarboxylic acid metabolism plays a minor role. Blood-stage Plasmodium parasites rely almost entirely on glucose fermentation for energy and consume minimal amounts of oxygen, yet the parasite genome encodes all of the enzymes necessary for a complete tricarboxylic acid cycle. Here, by tracing (13)C-labelled compounds using mass spectrometry we show that tricarboxylic acid metabolism in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is largely disconnected from glycolysis and is organized along a fundamentally different architecture from the canonical textbook pathway. We find that this pathway is not cyclic, but rather is a branched structure in which the major carbon sources are the amino acids glutamate and glutamine. As a consequence of this branched architecture, several reactions must run in the reverse of the standard direction, thereby generating two-carbon units in the form of acetyl-coenzyme A. We further show that glutamine-derived acetyl-coenzyme A is used for histone acetylation, whereas glucose-derived acetyl-coenzyme A is used to acetylate amino sugars. Thus, the parasite has evolved two independent production mechanisms for acetyl-coenzyme A with different biological functions. These results significantly clarify our understanding of the Plasmodium metabolic network and highlight the ability of altered variants of central carbon metabolism to arise in response to unique environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellen L. Olszewski
- Department of Molecular Biology & Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Michael W. Mather
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - Joanne M. Morrisey
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - Benjamin A. Garcia
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Akhil B. Vaidya
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - Joshua D. Rabinowitz
- Department of Chemistry & Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Molecular Biology & Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
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17
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Mather MW, Morrisey JM, Vaidya AB. Hemozoin-free Plasmodium falciparum mitochondria for physiological and drug susceptibility studies. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2010; 174:150-3. [PMID: 20674615 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2010.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2010] [Revised: 07/19/2010] [Accepted: 07/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Isolation of mitochondria of high purity and with intact enzymatic activities from malaria parasites has proven to be a major obstacle in characterizing the parasite mitochondrial physiology. We describe here an improved procedure for the isolation of a mitochondrially enriched preparation from the trophozoite stage of erythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum, combining disruption by N(2) cavitation and differential centrifugation with magnetic removal of hemozoin-associated material. These mitochondrial preparations may be used to assay various mitochondrial enzyme activities, such as succinate and dihydroorotate dehydrogenases, ubiquinol-cytochrome c oxidoreductase, and cytochrome c oxidase. They also exhibit a low level of ATPase activity, which is only marginally inhibited by classical inhibitors. We have used this preparation to determine the susceptibility of mitochondrial activities to drugs and drug candidate compounds in both "wild type" and transgenic parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Mather
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA.
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18
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Olszewski KL, Morrisey JM, Wilinski D, Burns JM, Vaidya AB, Rabinowitz JD, Llinás M. Host-parasite interactions revealed by Plasmodium falciparum metabolomics. Cell Host Microbe 2009; 5:191-9. [PMID: 19218089 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2009.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 207] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2008] [Revised: 12/19/2008] [Accepted: 01/22/2009] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Intracellular pathogens have devised mechanisms to exploit their host cells to ensure their survival and replication. The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum relies on an exchange of metabolites with the host for proliferation. Here we describe a mass spectrometry-based metabolomic analysis of the parasite throughout its 48 hr intraerythrocytic developmental cycle. Our results reveal a general modulation of metabolite levels by the parasite, with numerous metabolites varying in phase with the developmental cycle. Others differed from uninfected cells irrespective of the developmental stage. Among these was extracellular arginine, which was specifically converted to ornithine by the parasite. To identify the biochemical basis for this effect, we disrupted the plasmodium arginase gene in the rodent malaria model P. berghei. These parasites were viable but did not convert arginine to ornithine. Our results suggest that systemic arginine depletion by the parasite may be a factor in human malarial hypoargininemia associated with cerebral malaria pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellen L Olszewski
- Department of Molecular Biology, 2Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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19
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Vaidya AB, Painter HJ, Morrisey JM, Mather MW. The validity of mitochondrial dehydrogenases as antimalarial drug targets. Trends Parasitol 2008; 24:8-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2007.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2007] [Revised: 09/07/2007] [Accepted: 10/11/2007] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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20
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Painter HJ, Morrisey JM, Mather MW, Vaidya AB. Specific role of mitochondrial electron transport in blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum. Nature 2007; 446:88-91. [PMID: 17330044 DOI: 10.1038/nature05572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 333] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2006] [Accepted: 01/05/2007] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The origin of all mitochondria can be traced to the symbiotic arrangement that resulted in the emergence of eukaryotes in a world that was exclusively populated by prokaryotes. This arrangement, however, has been in continuous genetic flux: the varying degrees of gene loss and transfer from the mitochondrial genome in different eukaryotic lineages seem to signify an ongoing 'conflict' between the host and the symbiont. Eukaryotic parasites belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa provide an excellent example to support this view. These organisms contain the smallest mitochondrial genomes known, with an organization that differs among various genera; one genus, Cryptosporidium, seems to have lost the entire mitochondrial genome. Here we show that erythrocytic stages of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum seem to maintain an active mitochondrial electron transport chain to serve just one metabolic function: regeneration of ubiquinone required as the electron acceptor for dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, an essential enzyme for pyrimidine biosynthesis. Transgenic P. falciparum parasites expressing Saccharomyces cerevisiae dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, which does not require ubiquinone as an electron acceptor, were completely resistant to inhibitors of mitochondrial electron transport. Maintenance of mitochondrial membrane potential, however, was essential in these parasites, as indicated by their hypersensitivity to proguanil, a drug that collapsed the membrane potential in the presence of electron transport inhibitors. Thus, acquisition of just one enzyme can render mitochondrial electron transport nonessential in erythrocytic stages of P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather J Painter
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129, USA
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Bosch J, Turley S, Daly TM, Bogh SM, Villasmil ML, Roach C, Zhou N, Morrisey JM, Vaidya AB, Bergman LW, Hol WGJ. Structure of the MTIP-MyoA complex, a key component of the malaria parasite invasion motor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2006; 103:4852-7. [PMID: 16547135 PMCID: PMC1458759 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0510907103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2005] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The causative agents of malaria have developed a sophisticated machinery for entering multiple cell types in the human and insect hosts. In this machinery, a critical interaction occurs between the unusual myosin motor MyoA and the MyoA-tail Interacting Protein (MTIP). Here we present one crystal structure that shows three different conformations of Plasmodium MTIP, one of these in complex with the MyoA-tail, which reveal major conformational changes in the C-terminal domain of MTIP upon binding the MyoA-tail helix, thereby creating several hydrophobic pockets in MTIP that are the recipients of key hydrophobic side chains of MyoA. Because we also show that the MyoA helix is able to block parasite growth, this provides avenues for designing antimalarials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Bosch
- Departments of *Biochemistry and Biological Structure and
- Structural Genomics of Pathogenic Protozoa (SGPP), and
| | - Stewart Turley
- Departments of *Biochemistry and Biological Structure and
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195; and
| | - Thomas M. Daly
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - Stephen M. Bogh
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - Michelle L. Villasmil
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - Claudia Roach
- Departments of *Biochemistry and Biological Structure and
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195; and
| | - Na Zhou
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - Joanne M. Morrisey
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - Akhil B. Vaidya
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - Lawrence W. Bergman
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129
| | - Wim G. J. Hol
- Departments of *Biochemistry and Biological Structure and
- Structural Genomics of Pathogenic Protozoa (SGPP), and
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195; and
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Kaiser K, Camargo N, Coppens I, Morrisey JM, Vaidya AB, Kappe SHI. A member of a conserved Plasmodium protein family with membrane-attack complex/perforin (MACPF)-like domains localizes to the micronemes of sporozoites. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2004; 133:15-26. [PMID: 14668008 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2003.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Pore-forming proteins are employed by many pathogens to achieve successful host colonization. Intracellular pathogens use pore-forming proteins to invade host cells, survive within and productively interact with host cells, and finally egress from host cells to infect new ones. The malaria-causing parasites of the genus Plasmodium evolved a number of life cycle stages that enter and replicate in distinct cell types within the mosquito vector and vertebrate host. Despite the fact that interaction with host-cell membranes is a central theme in the Plasmodium life cycle, little is known about parasite proteins that mediate such interactions. We identified a family of five related genes in the genome of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii encoding secreted proteins all bearing a single membrane-attack complex/perforin (MACPF)-like domain. Each protein is highly conserved among Plasmodium species. Gene expression analysis in P. yoelii and the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum indicated that the family is not expressed in the parasites blood stages. However, one of the genes was significantly expressed in P. yoelii sporozoites, the stage transmitted by mosquito bite. The protein localized to the micronemes of sporozoites, organelles of the secretory invasion apparatus intimately involved in host-cell infection. MACPF-like proteins may play important roles in parasite interactions with the mosquito vector and transmission to the vertebrate host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Kaiser
- Department of Pathology, Michael Heidelberger Division, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
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Abstract
A 70-year-old male scientist, who had returned 5 weeks earlier from Ethiopia, was admitted to the hospital with symptoms consistent with malaria. On physical examination, he had orthostatic hypotension. He was dehydrated and showed a mild clinical delirium. Abdominal examination revealed a possible spleen tip, and he had petechial lesions bilaterally below his knees. Laboratory data revealed his white blood cell count to be 4,500/mL, with 67% polymorphonuclear cells and 15% band forms. The hemoglobin level was 13.9 g/dL, and the platelet count was low, at 32,000/mL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Povinelli
- Division of Communicable Disease, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, Madison, WI, USA
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Abstract
Atovaquone represents a class of antimicrobial agents with a broad-spectrum activity against various parasitic infections, including malaria, toxoplasmosis and Pneumocystis pneumonia. In malaria parasites, atovaquone inhibits mitochondrial electron transport at the level of the cytochrome bc1 complex and collapses mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, this drug is unique in being selectively toxic to parasite mitochondria without affecting the host mitochondrial functions. A better understanding of the structural basis for the selective toxicity of atovaquone could help in designing drugs against infections caused by mitochondria-containing parasites. To that end, we derived nine independent atovaquone-resistant malaria parasite lines by suboptimal treatment of mice infected with Plasmodium yoelii; these mutants exhibited resistance to atovaquone-mediated collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential as well as inhibition of electron transport. The mutants were also resistant to the synergistic effects of atovaquone/ proguanil combination. Sequencing of the mitochondrially encoded cytochrome b gene placed these mutants into four categories, three with single amino acid changes and one with two adjacent amino acid changes. Of the 12 nucleotide changes seen in the nine independently derived mutants 11 replaced A:T basepairs with G:C basepairs, possibly because of reactive oxygen species resulting from atovaquone treatment. Visualization of the resistance-conferring amino acid positions on the recently solved crystal structure of the vertebrate cytochrome bc1 complex revealed a discrete cavity in which subtle variations in hydrophobicity and volume of the amino acid side-chains may determine atovaquone-binding affinity, and thereby selective toxicity. These structural insights may prove useful in designing agents that selectively affect cytochrome bc1 functions in a wide range of eukaryotic pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- I K Srivastava
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, 2900 Queen Lane, MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
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