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Magistrati M, Gilea AI, Gerra MC, Baruffini E, Dallabona C. Drug Drop Test: How to Quickly Identify Potential Therapeutic Compounds for Mitochondrial Diseases Using Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10696. [PMID: 37445873 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial diseases (MDs) refer to a group of clinically and genetically heterogeneous pathologies characterized by defective mitochondrial function and energy production. Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment for most MDs, and current therapeutic management is limited to relieving symptoms. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been efficiently used as a model organism to study mitochondria-related disorders thanks to its easy manipulation and well-known mitochondrial biogenesis and metabolism. It has been successfully exploited both to validate alleged pathogenic variants identified in patients and to discover potential beneficial molecules for their treatment. The so-called "drug drop test", a phenotype-based high-throughput screening, especially if coupled with a drug repurposing approach, allows the identification of molecules with high translational potential in a cost-effective and time-saving manner. In addition to drug identification, S. cerevisiae can be used to point out the drug's target or pathway. To date, drug drop tests have been successfully carried out for a variety of disease models, leading to very promising results. The most relevant aspect is that studies on more complex model organisms confirmed the effectiveness of the drugs, strengthening the results obtained in yeast and demonstrating the usefulness of this screening as a novel approach to revealing new therapeutic molecules for MDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Magistrati
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Alexandru Ionut Gilea
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Maria Carla Gerra
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Enrico Baruffini
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Cristina Dallabona
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
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Modopathies Caused by Mutations in Genes Encoding for Mitochondrial RNA Modifying Enzymes: Molecular Mechanisms and Yeast Disease Models. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032178. [PMID: 36768505 PMCID: PMC9917222 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In eukaryotes, mitochondrial RNAs (mt-tRNAs and mt-rRNAs) are subject to specific nucleotide modifications, which are critical for distinct functions linked to the synthesis of mitochondrial proteins encoded by mitochondrial genes, and thus for oxidative phosphorylation. In recent years, mutations in genes encoding for mt-RNAs modifying enzymes have been identified as being causative of primary mitochondrial diseases, which have been called modopathies. These latter pathologies can be caused by mutations in genes involved in the modification either of tRNAs or of rRNAs, resulting in the absence of/decrease in a specific nucleotide modification and thus on the impairment of the efficiency or the accuracy of the mitochondrial protein synthesis. Most of these mutations are sporadic or private, thus it is fundamental that their pathogenicity is confirmed through the use of a model system. This review will focus on the activity of genes that, when mutated, are associated with modopathies, on the molecular mechanisms through which the enzymes introduce the nucleotide modifications, on the pathological phenotypes associated with mutations in these genes and on the contribution of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to confirming the pathogenicity of novel mutations and, in some cases, for defining the molecular defects.
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di Punzio G, Gilberti M, Baruffini E, Lodi T, Donnini C, Dallabona C. A Yeast-Based Repurposing Approach for the Treatment of Mitochondrial DNA Depletion Syndromes Led to the Identification of Molecules Able to Modulate the dNTP Pool. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212223. [PMID: 34830106 PMCID: PMC8621932 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA depletion syndromes (MDS) are clinically heterogenous and often severe diseases, characterized by a reduction of the number of copies of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in affected tissues. In the context of MDS, yeast has proved to be both an excellent model for the study of the mechanisms underlying mitochondrial pathologies and for the discovery of new therapies via high-throughput assays. Among the several genes involved in MDS, it has been shown that recessive mutations in MPV17 cause a hepatocerebral form of MDS and Navajo neurohepatopathy. MPV17 encodes a non selective channel in the inner mitochondrial membrane, but its physiological role and the nature of its cargo remains elusive. In this study we identify ten drugs active against MPV17 disorder, modelled in yeast using the homologous gene SYM1. All ten of the identified molecules cause a concomitant increase of both the mitochondrial deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate (mtdNTP) pool and mtDNA stability, which suggests that the reduced availability of DNA synthesis precursors is the cause for the mtDNA deletion and depletion associated with Sym1 deficiency. We finally evaluated the effect of these molecules on mtDNA stability in two other MDS yeast models, extending the potential use of these drugs to a wider range of MDS patients.
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A Yeast-Based Screening Unravels Potential Therapeutic Molecules for Mitochondrial Diseases Associated with Dominant ANT1 Mutations. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094461. [PMID: 33923309 PMCID: PMC8123201 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial diseases result from inherited or spontaneous mutations in mitochondrial or nuclear DNA, leading to an impairment of the oxidative phosphorylation responsible for the synthesis of ATP. To date, there are no effective pharmacological therapies for these pathologies. We performed a yeast-based screening to search for therapeutic drugs to be used for treating mitochondrial diseases associated with dominant mutations in the nuclear ANT1 gene, which encodes for the mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier. Dominant ANT1 mutations are involved in several degenerative mitochondrial pathologies characterized by the presence of multiple deletions or depletion of mitochondrial DNA in tissues of affected patients. Thanks to the presence in yeast of the AAC2 gene, orthologue of human ANT1, a yeast mutant strain carrying the M114P substitution equivalent to adPEO-associated L98P mutation was created. Five molecules were identified for their ability to suppress the defective respiratory growth phenotype of the haploid aac2M114P. Furthermore, these molecules rescued the mtDNA mutability in the heteroallelic AAC2/aac2M114P strain, which mimics the human heterozygous condition of adPEO patients. The drugs were effective in reducing mtDNA instability also in the heteroallelic strain carrying the R96H mutation equivalent to the more severe de novo dominant missense mutation R80H, suggesting a general therapeutic effect on diseases associated with dominant ANT1 mutations.
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Ceccatelli Berti C, di Punzio G, Dallabona C, Baruffini E, Goffrini P, Lodi T, Donnini C. The Power of Yeast in Modelling Human Nuclear Mutations Associated with Mitochondrial Diseases. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:300. [PMID: 33672627 PMCID: PMC7924180 DOI: 10.3390/genes12020300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing application of next generation sequencing approaches to the analysis of human exome and whole genome data has enabled the identification of novel variants and new genes involved in mitochondrial diseases. The ability of surviving in the absence of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and mitochondrial genome makes the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae an excellent model system for investigating the role of these new variants in mitochondrial-related conditions and dissecting the molecular mechanisms associated with these diseases. The aim of this review was to highlight the main advantages offered by this model for the study of mitochondrial diseases, from the validation and characterisation of novel mutations to the dissection of the role played by genes in mitochondrial functionality and the discovery of potential therapeutic molecules. The review also provides a summary of the main contributions to the understanding of mitochondrial diseases emerged from the study of this simple eukaryotic organism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Claudia Donnini
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (C.C.B.); (G.d.P.); (C.D.); (E.B.); (P.G.); (T.L.)
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Vallières C, Singh N, Alexander C, Avery SV. Repurposing Nonantifungal Approved Drugs for Synergistic Targeting of Fungal Pathogens. ACS Infect Dis 2020; 6:2950-2958. [PMID: 33141557 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
With the spread of drug resistance, new antimicrobials are urgently needed. Here, we set out to tackle this problem by high-throughput exploration for novel antifungal synergies among combinations of approved, nonantifungal drugs; a novel strategy exploiting the potential of alternative targets, low chemicals usage and low development risk. We screened the fungal pathogen Candida albicans by combining a small panel of nonantifungal drugs (all in current use for other clinical applications) with 1280 compounds from an approved drug library. Screens at sublethal concentrations of the antibiotic paromomycin (PM), the antimalarial primaquine (PQ), or the anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen (IF) revealed a total of 17 potential strong, synergistic interactions with the library compounds. Susceptibility testing with the most promising combinations corroborated marked synergies [fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) indices ≤0.5] between PM + β-escin, PQ + celecoxib, and IF + pentamidine, reducing the MICs of PM, PQ, and IF in C. albicans by >64-, 16-, and 8-fold, respectively. Paromomycin + β-escin and PQ + celecoxib were effective also against C. albicans biofilms, azole-resistant clinical isolates, and other fungal pathogens. Actions were specific, as no synergistic effect was observed in mammalian cells. Mode of action was investigated for one of the combinations, revealing that PM + β-escin synergistically increase the error-rate of mRNA translation and suggesting a different molecular target to current antifungals. The study unveils the potential of the described combinatorial strategy in enabling acceleration of drug-repurposing discovery for combatting fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Vallières
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K
| | - Nishant Singh
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K
| | - Cameron Alexander
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K
| | - Simon V. Avery
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K
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Laleve A, Panozzo C, Kühl I, Bourand-Plantefol A, Ostojic J, Sissoko A, Tribouillard-Tanvier D, Cornu D, Burg A, Meunier B, Blondel M, Clain J, Bonnefoy N, Duval R, Dujardin G. Artemisinin and its derivatives target mitochondrial c-type cytochromes in yeast and human cells. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2020; 1867:118661. [PMID: 31987792 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2020.118661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Artemisinin and its derivatives kill malaria parasites and inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells. In both processes, heme was shown to play a key role in artemisinin bioactivation. We found that artemisinin and clinical artemisinin derivatives are able to compensate for a mutation in the yeast Bcs1 protein, a key chaperon involved in biogenesis of the mitochondrial respiratory complex III. The equivalent Bcs1 variant causes an encephalopathy in human by affecting complex III assembly. We show that artemisinin derivatives decrease the content of mitochondrial cytochromes and disturb the maturation of the complex III cytochrome c1. This last effect is likely responsible for the compensation by decreasing the detrimental over-accumulation of the inactive pre-complex III observed in the bcs1 mutant. We further show that a fluorescent dihydroartemisinin probe rapidly accumulates in the mitochondrial network and targets cytochromes c and c1 in yeast, human cells and isolated mitochondria. In vitro this probe interacts with purified cytochrome c only under reducing conditions and we detect cytochrome c-dihydroartemisinin covalent adducts by mass spectrometry analyses. We propose that reduced mitochondrial c-type cytochromes act as both targets and mediators of artemisinin bioactivation in yeast and human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anais Laleve
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Cristina Panozzo
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Inge Kühl
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Alexa Bourand-Plantefol
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jelena Ostojic
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Abdoulaye Sissoko
- Université de Paris, MERIT, IRD, 4 Avenue de l'Observatoire, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Déborah Tribouillard-Tanvier
- Inserm UMR1078, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé; Etablissement Français du Sang (EFS) Bretagne; CHRU Brest, Hôpital Morvan, Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire, 22 avenue Camille Desmoulins, 29200 Brest, France
| | - David Cornu
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Angélique Burg
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Brigitte Meunier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Marc Blondel
- Inserm UMR1078, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé; Etablissement Français du Sang (EFS) Bretagne; CHRU Brest, Hôpital Morvan, Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire, 22 avenue Camille Desmoulins, 29200 Brest, France
| | - Jerome Clain
- Université de Paris, MERIT, IRD, 4 Avenue de l'Observatoire, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Nathalie Bonnefoy
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Romain Duval
- Université de Paris, MERIT, IRD, 4 Avenue de l'Observatoire, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Geneviève Dujardin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
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Zhang E, Wang S, Su X, Han S. Imaging stressed organellesviasugar-conjugated color-switchable pH sensors. Analyst 2020; 145:1319-1327. [DOI: 10.1039/c9an02441g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Sugar-conjugated pH sensors discriminate stressed lysosomes in different cell starvation conditionsviared-to-green fluorescence switch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enkang Zhang
- Department of Chemical Biology
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- State Key Laboratory for Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces
- the Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation
| | - Siyu Wang
- Department of Chemical Biology
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- State Key Laboratory for Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces
- the Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation
| | - Xinhui Su
- Department of Nuclear Medicine
- Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University
- Xiamen
- China
| | - Shoufa Han
- Department of Chemical Biology
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- State Key Laboratory for Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces
- the Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation
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