1
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Tomaz KCP, Tavella TA, Borba JVB, Salazar-Alvarez LC, Levandoski JE, Mottin M, Sousa BKP, Moreira-Filho JT, Almeida VM, Clementino LC, Bourgard C, Massirer KB, Couñago RM, Andrade CH, Sunnerhagen P, Bilsland E, Cassiano GC, Costa FTM. Identification of potential inhibitors of casein kinase 2 alpha of Plasmodium falciparum with potent in vitro activity. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0058923. [PMID: 37819090 PMCID: PMC10649021 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00589-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance to commercially available antimalarials is a major obstacle in malaria control and elimination, creating the need to find new antiparasitic compounds with novel mechanisms of action. The success of kinase inhibitors for oncological treatments has paved the way for the exploitation of protein kinases as drug targets in various diseases, including malaria. Casein kinases are ubiquitous serine/threonine kinases involved in a wide range of cellular processes such as mitotic checkpoint signaling, DNA damage response, and circadian rhythm. In Plasmodium, it is suggested that these protein kinases are essential for both asexual and sexual blood-stage parasites, reinforcing their potential as targets for multi-stage antimalarials. To identify new putative PfCK2α inhibitors, we utilized an in silico chemogenomic strategy involving virtual screening with docking simulations and quantitative structure-activity relationship predictions. Our investigation resulted in the discovery of a new quinazoline molecule (542), which exhibited potent activity against asexual blood stages and a high selectivity index (>100). Subsequently, we conducted chemical-genetic interaction analysis on yeasts with mutations in casein kinases. Our chemical-genetic interaction results are consistent with the hypothesis that 542 inhibits yeast Cka1, which has a hinge region with high similarity to PfCK2α. This finding is in agreement with our in silico results suggesting that 542 inhibits PfCK2α via hinge region interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaira C. P. Tomaz
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases (LDT), Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Tatyana A. Tavella
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases (LDT), Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Joyce V. B. Borba
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases (LDT), Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design (LabMol), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Luis C. Salazar-Alvarez
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases (LDT), Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - João E. Levandoski
- Department of Materials and Bioprocesses Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Melina Mottin
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design (LabMol), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Bruna K. P. Sousa
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design (LabMol), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, Brazil
| | - José T. Moreira-Filho
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design (LabMol), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Vitor M. Almeida
- Centro de Química Medicinal (CQMED), Centro de Biologia Molecular e Engenharia Genética(CBMEG), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Leandro C. Clementino
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases (LDT), Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Catarina Bourgard
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases (LDT), Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Katlin B. Massirer
- Centro de Química Medicinal (CQMED), Centro de Biologia Molecular e Engenharia Genética(CBMEG), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Rafael M. Couñago
- Centro de Química Medicinal (CQMED), Centro de Biologia Molecular e Engenharia Genética(CBMEG), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Carolina H. Andrade
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design (LabMol), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, Brazil
- Center for Research and Advancement of Fragments and Molecular Targets (CRAFT), University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center for Excellence in Artificial Intelligence (CEIA), Institute of Informatics, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Per Sunnerhagen
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Elizabeth Bilsland
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Gustavo C. Cassiano
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases (LDT), Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM), Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Fabio T. M. Costa
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases (LDT), Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
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2
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Collier S, Pietsch E, Dans M, Ling D, Tavella TA, Lopaticki S, Marapana DS, Shibu MA, Andrew D, Tiash S, McMillan PJ, Gilson P, Tilley L, Dixon MWA. Plasmodium falciparum formins are essential for invasion and sexual stage development. Commun Biol 2023; 6:861. [PMID: 37596377 PMCID: PMC10439200 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05233-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The malaria parasite uses actin-based mechanisms throughout its lifecycle to control a range of biological processes including intracellular trafficking, gene regulation, parasite motility and invasion. In this work we assign functions to the Plasmodium falciparum formins 1 and 2 (FRM1 and FRM2) proteins in asexual and sexual blood stage development. We show that FRM1 is essential for merozoite invasion and FRM2 is required for efficient cell division. We also observed divergent functions for FRM1 and FRM2 in gametocyte development. Conditional deletion of FRM1 leads to a delay in gametocyte stage progression. We show that FRM2 controls the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons in developing gametocytes, with premature removal of the protein resulting in a loss of transmissible stage V gametocytes. Lastly, we show that targeting formin proteins with the small molecule inhibitor of formin homology domain 2 (SMIFH2) leads to a multistage block in asexual and sexual stage parasite development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Collier
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Emma Pietsch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Madeline Dans
- The Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Dawson Ling
- The Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Tatyana A Tavella
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Sash Lopaticki
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Danushka S Marapana
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Mohini A Shibu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Dean Andrew
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Snigdha Tiash
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Paul J McMillan
- Biological Optical Microscopy Platform, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Paul Gilson
- The Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Leann Tilley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Matthew W A Dixon
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
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3
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Lima MNN, Cassiano GC, Tomaz KCP, Silva AC, Sousa BKP, Ferreira LT, Tavella TA, Calit J, Bargieri DY, Neves BJ, Costa FTM, Andrade CH. Integrative Multi-Kinase Approach for the Identification of Potent Antiplasmodial Hits. Front Chem 2019; 7:773. [PMID: 31824917 PMCID: PMC6881481 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a tropical infectious disease that affects over 219 million people worldwide. Due to the constant emergence of parasitic resistance to the current antimalarial drugs, the discovery of new antimalarial drugs is a global health priority. Multi-target drug discovery is a promising and innovative strategy for drug discovery and it is currently regarded as one of the best strategies to face drug resistance. Aiming to identify new multi-target antimalarial drug candidates, we developed an integrative computational approach to select multi-kinase inhibitors for Plasmodium falciparum calcium-dependent protein kinases 1 and 4 (CDPK1 and CDPK4) and protein kinase 6 (PK6). For this purpose, we developed and validated shape-based and machine learning models to prioritize compounds for experimental evaluation. Then, we applied the best models for virtual screening of a large commercial database of drug-like molecules. Ten computational hits were experimentally evaluated against asexual blood stages of both sensitive and multi-drug resistant P. falciparum strains. Among them, LabMol-171, LabMol-172, and LabMol-181 showed potent antiplasmodial activity at nanomolar concentrations (EC50 ≤ 700 nM) and selectivity indices >15 folds. In addition, LabMol-171 and LabMol-181 showed good in vitro inhibition of P. berghei ookinete formation and therefore represent promising transmission-blocking scaffolds. Finally, docking studies with protein kinases CDPK1, CDPK4, and PK6 showed structural insights for further hit-to-lead optimization studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilia N N Lima
- LabMol-Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Gustavo C Cassiano
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases-Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Kaira C P Tomaz
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases-Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Arthur C Silva
- LabMol-Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Bruna K P Sousa
- LabMol-Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Leticia T Ferreira
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases-Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Tatyana A Tavella
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases-Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Juliana Calit
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel Y Bargieri
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bruno J Neves
- Laboratory of Cheminformatics, University Center of Anápolis/UniEVANGELICA, Anápolis, Brazil
| | - Fabio T M Costa
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases-Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Carolina Horta Andrade
- LabMol-Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.,Laboratory of Tropical Diseases-Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
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4
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Lima MNN, Neves BJ, Cassiano GC, Gomes MN, Tomaz KCP, Ferreira LT, Tavella TA, Calit J, Bargieri DY, Muratov EN, Costa FTM, Andrade CH. Chalcones as a basis for computer-aided drug design: innovative approaches to tackle malaria. Future Med Chem 2019; 11:2635-2646. [PMID: 31556721 PMCID: PMC7333642 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2018-0255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: Computer-aided drug design approaches were applied to identify chalcones with antiplasmodial activity. Methodology: The virtual screening was performed as follows: structural standardization of in-house database of chalcones; identification of potential Plasmodium falciparum protein targets for the chalcones; homology modeling of the predicted P. falciparum targets; molecular docking studies; and in vitro experimental validation. Results: Using these models, we prioritized 16 chalcones with potential antiplasmodial activity, for further experimental evaluation. Among them, LabMol-86 and LabMol-87 showed potent in vitro antiplasmodial activity against P. falciparum, while LabMol-63 and LabMol-73 were potent inhibitors of Plasmodium berghei progression into mosquito stages. Conclusion: Our results encourage the exploration of chalcones in hit-to-lead optimization studies for tackling malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilia NN Lima
- LabMol, Laboratory for Molecular Modeling & Drug Design, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Goiás, Rua 240, Qd. 87, Goiânia, GO 74605-170, Brazil
| | - Bruno J Neves
- LabMol, Laboratory for Molecular Modeling & Drug Design, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Goiás, Rua 240, Qd. 87, Goiânia, GO 74605-170, Brazil
- Laboratory of Cheminformatics, University Center of Anápolis (UniEVANGÉLICA), Anápolis, GO 75083-515, Brazil
| | - Gustavo C Cassiano
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases, Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology & Immunology, Institute of Biology, UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Marcelo N Gomes
- LabMol, Laboratory for Molecular Modeling & Drug Design, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Goiás, Rua 240, Qd. 87, Goiânia, GO 74605-170, Brazil
- Metropolitan College of Anápolis, FAMA, Anápolis, GO 75064-780, Brazil
- InSiChem Drug Discovery, Anápolis, GO 75132-903, Brazil
| | - Kaira CP Tomaz
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases, Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology & Immunology, Institute of Biology, UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Leticia T Ferreira
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases, Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology & Immunology, Institute of Biology, UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Tatyana A Tavella
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases, Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology & Immunology, Institute of Biology, UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Juliana Calit
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel Y Bargieri
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eugene N Muratov
- Laboratory for Molecular Modeling, Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27955-7568, USA
- Department of Chemical Technology, Odessa National Polytechnic University, Odessa, 65000, Ukraine
| | - Fabio TM Costa
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases, Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology & Immunology, Institute of Biology, UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Carolina Horta Andrade
- LabMol, Laboratory for Molecular Modeling & Drug Design, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Goiás, Rua 240, Qd. 87, Goiânia, GO 74605-170, Brazil
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases, Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology & Immunology, Institute of Biology, UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
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5
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Ferreira L, Venancio VP, Kawano T, Abrão LCC, Tavella TA, Almeida LD, Pires GS, Bilsland E, Sunnerhagen P, Azevedo L, Talcott ST, Mertens-Talcott SU, Costa FTM. Chemical Genomic Profiling Unveils the in Vitro and in Vivo Antiplasmodial Mechanism of Açaí ( Euterpe oleracea Mart.) Polyphenols. ACS Omega 2019; 4:15628-15635. [PMID: 31572864 PMCID: PMC6761757 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b02127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Malaria remains a major detrimental parasitic disease in the developing world, with more than 200 million cases annually. Widespread drug-resistant parasite strains push for the development of novel antimalarial drugs. Plant-derived natural products are key sources of antimalarial molecules. Euterpe oleracea Martius ("açaí") originates from Brazil and has anti-inflammatory and antineoplasic properties. Here, we evaluated the antimalarial efficacy of three phenolic fractions of açaí; total phenolics (1), nonanthocyanin phenolics (2), and total anthocyanins (3). In vitro, fraction 2 moderately inhibited parasite growth in chloroquine-sensitive (HB3) and multiresistant (Dd2) Plasmodium falciparum strains, while none of the fractions was toxic to noncancer cells. Despite the limited activity in vitro, the oral treatment with 20 mg/kg of fraction 1 reduced parasitemia by 89.4% in Plasmodium chabaudi-infected mice and prolonged survival. Contrasting in vitro and in vivo activities of 1 suggest key antiplasmodial roles for polyphenol metabolites rather than the fraction itself. Finally, we performed haploinsufficiency chemical genomic profiling (HIP) utilizing heterozygous Saccharomyces cerevisiae deletion mutants to identify molecular mechanisms of açaí fractions. HIP results indicate proteostasis as the main cellular pathway affected by fraction 2. These results open avenues to develop açaí polyphenols as potential new antimalarial candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letícia
T. Ferreira
- Laboratory
of Tropical Diseases—Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da
Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology and Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Department of Structural and Functional
Biology, Institute of Biology, University
of Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Vinícius P. Venancio
- Department
of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Taila Kawano
- Department
of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Faculty
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University
of Alfenas, Alfenas, MG 37130-001, Brazil
| | - Lailah C. C. Abrão
- Department
of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Faculty
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University
of Alfenas, Alfenas, MG 37130-001, Brazil
| | - Tatyana A. Tavella
- Laboratory
of Tropical Diseases—Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da
Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology and Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Department of Structural and Functional
Biology, Institute of Biology, University
of Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Ludimila D. Almeida
- Laboratory
of Tropical Diseases—Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da
Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology and Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Department of Structural and Functional
Biology, Institute of Biology, University
of Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Gabriel S. Pires
- Laboratory
of Tropical Diseases—Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da
Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology and Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Department of Structural and Functional
Biology, Institute of Biology, University
of Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Elizabeth Bilsland
- Laboratory
of Tropical Diseases—Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da
Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology and Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Department of Structural and Functional
Biology, Institute of Biology, University
of Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Per Sunnerhagen
- Department
of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University
of Gothenburg, Gothenburg SE-405 30, Sweden
| | - Luciana Azevedo
- Laboratory
of Nutritional and Toxicological Analysis in Vivo—LANTIN, Faculty
of Nutrition, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | - Stephen T. Talcott
- Department
of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Susanne U. Mertens-Talcott
- Department
of Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Fabio T. M. Costa
- Laboratory
of Tropical Diseases—Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da
Silva, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology and Synthetic Biology Laboratory, Department of Structural and Functional
Biology, Institute of Biology, University
of Campinas—UNICAMP, Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil
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6
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Bilsland E, Tavella TA, Krogh R, Stokes JE, Roberts A, Ajioka J, Spring DR, Andricopulo AD, Costa FTM, Oliver SG. Antiplasmodial and trypanocidal activity of violacein and deoxyviolacein produced from synthetic operons. BMC Biotechnol 2018; 18:22. [PMID: 29642881 PMCID: PMC5896143 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-018-0428-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Violacein is a deep violet compound that is produced by a number of bacterial species. It is synthesized from tryptophan by a pathway that involves the sequential action of 5 different enzymes (encoded by genes vioA to vioE). Violacein has antibacterial, antiparasitic, and antiviral activities, and also has the potential of inducing apoptosis in certain cancer cells. RESULTS Here, we describe the construction of a series of plasmids harboring the complete or partial violacein biosynthesis operon and their use to enable production of violacein and deoxyviolacein in E.coli. We performed in vitro assays to determine the biological activity of these compounds against Plasmodium, Trypanosoma, and mammalian cells. We found that, while deoxyviolacein has a lower activity against parasites than violacein, its toxicity to mammalian cells is insignificant compared to that of violacein. CONCLUSIONS We constructed E. coli strains capable of producing biologically active violacein and related compounds, and propose that deoxyviolacein might be a useful starting compound for the development of antiparasite drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Bilsland
- 0000000121885934grid.5335.0Cambridge Systems Biology Centre and Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK ,0000 0001 0723 2494grid.411087.bDepartment of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, UNICAMP, Campinas, SP Brazil ,0000 0001 0723 2494grid.411087.bLaboratory of Tropical Diseases – Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva - Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP Brazil
| | - Tatyana A. Tavella
- 0000 0001 0723 2494grid.411087.bLaboratory of Tropical Diseases – Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva - Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP Brazil
| | - Renata Krogh
- 0000 0004 1937 0722grid.11899.38Laboratory of Medicinal and Computational Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, SP Brazil
| | - Jamie E. Stokes
- 0000000121885934grid.5335.0Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Annabelle Roberts
- 0000000121885934grid.5335.0Cambridge Systems Biology Centre and Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - James Ajioka
- 0000000121885934grid.5335.0Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - David R. Spring
- 0000000121885934grid.5335.0Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Adriano D. Andricopulo
- 0000 0004 1937 0722grid.11899.38Laboratory of Medicinal and Computational Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, SP Brazil
| | - Fabio T. M. Costa
- 0000 0001 0723 2494grid.411087.bLaboratory of Tropical Diseases – Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva - Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP Brazil
| | - Stephen G. Oliver
- 0000000121885934grid.5335.0Cambridge Systems Biology Centre and Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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7
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Sampaio EP, Ding L, Rose SR, Cruz P, Hsu AP, Kashyap A, Rosen LB, Smelkinson M, Tavella TA, Ferre EMN, Wierman MK, Zerbe CS, Lionakis MS, Holland SM. Novel signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 mutation disrupts small ubiquitin-related modifier conjugation causing gain of function. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2017; 141:1844-1853.e2. [PMID: 28859974 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2017.07.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 11/09/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sumoylation is a posttranslational reversible modification of cellular proteins through the conjugation of small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) and comprises an important regulator of protein function. OBJECTIVE We sought to characterize the molecular mechanism of a novel mutation at the SUMO motif on signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1). METHODS STAT1 sequencing and functional characterization were performed in transfection experiments by using immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation in STAT1-deficient cell lines. Transcriptional response and target gene activation were also investigated in PBMCs. RESULTS We identified a novel STAT1 mutation (c.2114A>T, p.E705V) within the SUMO motif (702IKTE705) in a patient with disseminated Rhodococcus species infection, Norwegian scabies, chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, hypothyroidism, and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The mutation is located in the tail segment and is predicted to disrupt STAT1 sumoylation. Immunoprecipitation experiments performed in transfected cells confirmed absent STAT1 sumoylation for E705V, whereas it was present in wild-type (WT) STAT1 cells, as well as the loss-of-function mutants L706S and Y701C. Furthermore, stimulation with IFN-γ led to enhanced STAT1 phosphorylation, enhanced transcriptional activity, and target gene expression in the E705V-transfected compared with WT-transfected cells. Computer modeling of WT and mutant STAT1 molecules showed variations in the accessibility of the phosphorylation site Y701, which corresponded to the loss-of-function and gain-of-function variants. CONCLUSION This is the first report of a mutation in the STAT1 sumoylation motif associated with clinical disease. These data reinforce sumoylation as a key posttranslational regulatory modification of STAT1 and identify a novel mechanism for gain-of-function STAT1 disease in human subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth P Sampaio
- Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Md; Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Li Ding
- Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Md
| | - Stacey R Rose
- Fungal Pathogenesis Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, Md
| | - Phillip Cruz
- Computational Biology Section, Bioinformatics and Computational Biosciences Branch (BCBB), OCICB/OSMO/OD, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, Md
| | - Amy P Hsu
- Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Md
| | - Anuj Kashyap
- Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Md
| | - Lindsey B Rosen
- Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Md
| | | | - Tatyana A Tavella
- Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Md
| | - Elise M N Ferre
- Fungal Pathogenesis Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, Md
| | - Meredith K Wierman
- Saint Joseph Physician Network Practices, Infectious Diseases, Mishawaka, Ind
| | - Christa S Zerbe
- Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Md
| | - Michail S Lionakis
- Fungal Pathogenesis Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, Md
| | - Steven M Holland
- Laboratory of Clinical Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Md
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