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Deepachandi B, Weerasinghe S, Gunathileka H, Soysa P, Siriwardana Y. In vitro growth of Leishmania parasites from biopsy samples of suspected cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis cases in Sri Lanka: An observational study. Exp Parasitol 2024; 259:108710. [PMID: 38350521 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Sri Lanka reports a large focus of Leishmania donovani caused cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Subsequent emergence of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) was also reported recently. Expansion of the on-going disease outbreak and many complexities indicate urgent need to enhance early case detection methods. In vitro cultivation (IVC) of parasites causing visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is important for disease confirmation and to obtain sufficient quantities of parasites required in many scientific studies. IVC is carried out as a useful second line investigation for direct microscopy negative patients with CL in this setting. Along with the emergence of VL, current study was carried out to evaluate in vitro growth of local VL parasites and to identify their differences associated with in vitro growth characteristics. Routine parasitological diagnostic methods, i.e., light microscopy (LM), polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used for confirmation of suspected cases. Lesion samples from 125 suspected CL cases and bone marrow or splenic aspirations from 125 suspected VL patients were used to inoculate IVCs. Media M199 (about 70 μl) supplemented with 15-20% of heat inactivated fetal bovine serum was used for initial culturing procedures in capillaries. Capillary cultures were monitored daily. Total of 44 different compositions/conditions were used for evaluating in vitro growth of VL causing parasite. Daily records on parasite counts, morphological appearance (size, shape, and wriggly movements) were maintained. In vitro transformation of Leishmania promastigotes to amastigotes and outcome of the attempts on recovery of live Leishmania from culture stabilates was also compared between CL and VL parasites. Proportion of cultures showing a transformation of promastigotes were 40/45 (88.9%) and 4/10 (40.0%) for CL and VL respectively. In the transformed cultures, parasites showing typical shape, size and movement patterns were less in VL (1/4, 25.0%) compared to CL (28/40, 70.0%). CL cultures showed a growth up to mass culturing level with mean duration of two weeks while it was about five weeks for VL cultures. Proportion of cultures that reached a parasite density of 1 × 106 cells/ml (proceeded to mass cultures) was significantly low in VL (4/10, 40%) as compared to CL (28/40, 70.0%). None of media compositions/conditions were successful for mass culturing of VL parasites while all of them were shown to be useful for growing CL strains. Also in vitro transformation to amastigote form and recovering of culture stabilates were not successful compared to CL. There were clear differences between in vitro growth of Leishmania parasites causing local CL and VL. Further studies are recommended for optimization of in vitro culturing of VL parasite which will be invaluable to enhance case detection in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhagya Deepachandi
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, 00800, Sri Lanka; Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Science, NSBM Green University, Homagama, 10206, Sri Lanka
| | - Sudath Weerasinghe
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, 00800, Sri Lanka
| | - Himali Gunathileka
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, 00800, Sri Lanka
| | - Preethi Soysa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo 00800, Sri Lanka
| | - Yamuna Siriwardana
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, 00800, Sri Lanka.
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Kamran M, Bhattacharjee R, Das S, Mukherjee S, Ali N. The paradigm of intracellular parasite survival and drug resistance in leishmanial parasite through genome plasticity and epigenetics: Perception and future perspective. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1001973. [PMID: 36814446 PMCID: PMC9939536 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1001973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania is an intracellular, zoonotic, kinetoplastid eukaryote with more than 1.2 million cases all over the world. The leishmanial chromosomes are divided into polymorphic chromosomal ends, conserved central domains, and antigen-encoding genes found in telomere-proximal regions. The genome flexibility of chromosomal ends of the leishmanial parasite is known to cause drug resistance and intracellular survival through the evasion of host defense mechanisms. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the plasticity of Leishmania genome organization which is the primary cause of drug resistance and parasite survival. Moreover, we have not only elucidated the causes of such genome plasticity which includes aneuploidy, epigenetic factors, copy number variation (CNV), and post-translation modification (PTM) but also highlighted their impact on drug resistance and parasite survival.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sonali Das
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - Sohitri Mukherjee
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
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Cayla M, Nievas YR, Matthews KR, Mottram JC. Distinguishing functions of trypanosomatid protein kinases. Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:950-961. [PMID: 36075845 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosomatid parasitic protozoa are divergent from opisthokont models and have evolved unique mechanisms to regulate their complex life cycles and to adapt to a range of hosts. Understanding how these organisms respond, adapt, and persist in their different hosts could reveal optimal drug-control strategies. Protein kinases are fundamental to many biological processes such as cell cycle control, adaptation to stress, and cellular differentiation. Therefore, we have focused this review on the features and functions of protein kinases that distinguish trypanosomatid kinomes from other eukaryotes. We describe the latest research, highlighting similarities and differences between two groups of trypanosomatid parasites, Leishmania and African trypanosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Cayla
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Y Romina Nievas
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Keith R Matthews
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jeremy C Mottram
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK.
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Efstathiou A, Smirlis D. Leishmania Protein Kinases: Important Regulators of the Parasite Life Cycle and Molecular Targets for Treating Leishmaniasis. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9040691. [PMID: 33801655 PMCID: PMC8066228 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9040691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania is a protozoan parasite of the trypanosomatid family, causing a wide range of diseases with different clinical manifestations including cutaneous, mucocutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. According to WHO, one billion people are at risk of Leishmania infection as they live in endemic areas while there are 12 million infected people worldwide. Annually, 0.9-1.6 million new infections are reported and 20-50 thousand deaths occur due to Leishmania infection. As current chemotherapy for treating leishmaniasis exhibits numerous drawbacks and due to the lack of effective human vaccine, there is an urgent need to develop new antileishmanial therapy treatment. To this end, eukaryotic protein kinases can be ideal target candidates for rational drug design against leishmaniasis. Eukaryotic protein kinases mediate signal transduction through protein phosphorylation and their inhibition is anticipated to be disease modifying as they regulate all essential processes for Leishmania viability and completion of the parasitic life cycle including cell-cycle progression, differentiation and virulence. This review highlights existing knowledge concerning the exploitation of Leishmania protein kinases as molecular targets to treat leishmaniasis and the current knowledge of their role in the biology of Leishmania spp. and in the regulation of signalling events that promote parasite survival in the insect vector or the mammalian host.
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Grünebast J, Clos J. Leishmania: Responding to environmental signals and challenges without regulated transcription. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:4016-4023. [PMID: 33363698 PMCID: PMC7744640 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.11.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Here we describe the non-canonical control of gene expression in Leishmania, a single-cell parasite that is responsible for one of the major neglected tropical diseases. We discuss the lack of regulated RNA synthesis, the post-transcriptional gene regulation including RNA stability and regulated translation. We also show that genetic adaptations such as mosaic aneuploidy, gene copy number variations and DNA sequence polymorphisms are important means for overcoming drug challenge and environmental diversity. These mechanisms are discussed in the context of the unique flow of genetic information found in Leishmania and related protists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janne Grünebast
- Leishmaniasis Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Clos
- Leishmaniasis Group, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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Raj S, Sasidharan S, Balaji SN, Saudagar P. An overview of biochemically characterized drug targets in metabolic pathways of Leishmania parasite. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:2025-2037. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06736-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Raj S, Saha G, Sasidharan S, Dubey VK, Saudagar P. Biochemical characterization and chemical validation of Leishmania MAP Kinase-3 as a potential drug target. Sci Rep 2019; 9:16209. [PMID: 31700105 PMCID: PMC6838069 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52774-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus have evolved unique signaling pathways that can sense various environmental changes and trigger stage differentiation for survival and host infectivity. MAP kinase (MAPK) plays a critical role in various cellular activities like cell differentiation, proliferation, stress regulation, and apoptosis. The Leishmania donovani MAPK3 (LdMAPK3) is involved in the regulation of flagella length and hence plays an important role in disease transmission. Here, we reported the gene cloning, protein expression, biochemical characterizations, inhibition studies and cell proliferation assay of LdMAPK3. The recombinant purified LdMAPK3 enzyme obeys the Michaelis-Menten equation with Km and Vmax of LdMAPK3 was found to be 20.23 nM and 38.77 ± 0.71 nmoles ATP consumed/mg LdMAPK3/min respectively. The maximum kinase activity of LdMAPK3 was recorded at 35 °C and pH 7. The in-vitro inhibition studies with two natural inhibitors genistein (GEN) and chrysin (CHY) was evaluated against LdMAPK3. The Ki value for GEN and CHY were found to be 3.76 ± 0.28 µM and Ki = 8.75 ± 0.11 µM respectively. The IC50 value for the compounds, GEN and CHY against L. donovani promastigotes were calculated as 9.9 µg/mL and 13 µg/mL respectively. Our study, therefore, reports LdMAPK3 as a new target for therapeutic approach against leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shweta Raj
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology-Warangal, Telangana State, 506004, India
| | - Gundappa Saha
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India
| | - Santanu Sasidharan
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology-Warangal, Telangana State, 506004, India
| | - Vikash Kumar Dubey
- School of Biochemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology-Banaras Hindu University, Uttar Pradesh, 221005, India
| | - Prakash Saudagar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology-Warangal, Telangana State, 506004, India.
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Raj S, Sasidharan S, Dubey VK, Saudagar P. Identification of lead molecules against potential drug target protein MAPK4 from L. donovani: An in-silico approach using docking, molecular dynamics and binding free energy calculation. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221331. [PMID: 31425543 PMCID: PMC6699710 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis caused by obligate intracellular parasites of genus Leishmania is one of the most neglected tropical diseases threatening 350 million people worldwide. Protein kinases have drawn much attention as potential drug targets due to their important role in various cellular processes. In Leishmania sp. mitogen-activated protein kinase 4 is essential for the parasite survival because of its involvement in various regulatory, apoptotic and developmental pathways. The current study reveals the identification of natural inhibitors of L. donovani mitogen-activated protein kinase-4 (LdMPK4). We have performed in silico docking of 110 natural inhibitors of Leishmania parasite that have been reported earlier and identified two compounds Genistein (GEN) and Chrysin (CHY). The homology model of LdMPK4 was developed, followed by binding affinity studies, and pharmacokinetic properties of the inhibitors were calculated by maintaining ATP as a standard molecule. The modelled structure was deposited in the protein model database with PMDB ID: PM0080988. Molecular dynamic simulation of the enzyme-inhibitor complex along with the free energy calculations over 50 ns showed that GEN and CHY are more stable in their binding. These two molecules, GEN and CHY, can be considered as lead molecules for targeting LdMPK4 enzyme and could emerge as potential LdMPK4 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shweta Raj
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology-Warangal, Warangal, (T.S.), India
| | - Santanu Sasidharan
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology-Warangal, Warangal, (T.S.), India
| | - Vikash Kumar Dubey
- School of Biochemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology-Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Prakash Saudagar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology-Warangal, Warangal, (T.S.), India
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Borba JV, Silva AC, Ramos PI, Grazzia N, Miguel DC, Muratov EN, Furnham N, Andrade CH. Unveiling the Kinomes of Leishmania infantum and L. braziliensis Empowers the Discovery of New Kinase Targets and Antileishmanial Compounds. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2019; 17:352-361. [PMID: 30949306 PMCID: PMC6429582 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2019.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania (NTD) endemic in 98 countries. Although some drugs are available, current treatments deal with issues such as toxicity, low efficacy, and emergence of resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify new targets for the development of new antileishmanial drugs. Protein kinases (PKs), which play an essential role in many biological processes, have become potential drug targets for many parasitic diseases. A refined bioinformatics pipeline was applied in order to define and compare the kinomes of L. infantum and L. braziliensis, species that cause cutaneous and visceral manifestations of leishmaniasis in the Americas, the latter being potentially fatal if untreated. Respectively, 224 and 221 PKs were identified in L. infantum and L. braziliensis overall. Almost all unclassified eukaryotic PKs were assigned to six of nine major kinase groups and, consequently, most have been classified into family and subfamily. Furthermore, revealing the kinomes for both Leishmania species allowed for the prioritization of potential drug targets that could be explored for discovering new drugs against leishmaniasis. Finally, we used a drug repurposing approach and prioritized seven approved drugs and investigational compounds to be experimentally tested against Leishmania. Trametinib and NMS-1286937 inhibited the growth of L. infantum and L. braziliensis promastigotes and amastigotes and therefore might be good candidates for the drug repurposing pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce V.B. Borba
- Labmol – Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás - UFG, Goiânia, GO, 74605-510, Brazil
| | - Arthur C. Silva
- Labmol – Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás - UFG, Goiânia, GO, 74605-510, Brazil
| | - Pablo I.P. Ramos
- Instituto Gonçalo Moniz (IGM), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Salvador, BA, 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Nathalia Grazzia
- LEBIL – Laboratory of Leishmania Biology Infection Studies, Department of Animal Biology, Biology Institute, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Danilo C. Miguel
- LEBIL – Laboratory of Leishmania Biology Infection Studies, Department of Animal Biology, Biology Institute, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Eugene N. Muratov
- Laboratory for Molecular Modeling, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Chemical Technology, Odessa National Polytechnic University, Odessa, 65000, Ukraine
| | - Nicholas Furnham
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Carolina H. Andrade
- Labmol – Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás - UFG, Goiânia, GO, 74605-510, Brazil
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Kugeratski FG, Batista M, Lima CVDP, Neilson LJ, da Cunha ES, de Godoy LM, Zanivan S, Krieger MA, Marchini FK. Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase 5 Regulates Proliferation and Biosynthetic Processes in Procyclic Forms of Trypanosoma brucei. J Proteome Res 2018; 17:108-118. [PMID: 29043805 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.7b00415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The pathogenic protozoan T. brucei alternates into distinct developmental stages in the mammalian and insect hosts. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways transduce extracellular stimuli into a range of cellular responses, which ultimately lead to the adaptation to the external environment. Here, we combined a loss of function approach with stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture (SILAC)-based mass spectrometry (MS) to investigate the role of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 5 (MKK5) in T. brucei. The silencing of MKK5 significantly decreased the proliferation of procyclic forms of T. brucei. To shed light on the molecular alterations associated with this phenotype, we measured the total proteome and phosphoproteome of cells silenced for MKK5. In the total proteome, we observed a general decrease in proteins related to ribosome and translation as well as down-regulation of several components of the fatty acids biosynthesis pathway. In addition, we observed alterations in the protein levels and phosphorylation of key metabolic enzymes, which point toward a suppression of the oxidative metabolism. Taken together, our findings show that the silencing of MKK5 alters cell growth, energy metabolism, protein and fatty acids biosynthesis in procyclic T. brucei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda G Kugeratski
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, U.K
- University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, U.K
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Sara Zanivan
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow G61 1BD, U.K
- University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, U.K
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MAPK1 of Leishmania donovani interacts and phosphorylates HSP70 and HSP90 subunits of foldosome complex. Sci Rep 2017; 7:10202. [PMID: 28860596 PMCID: PMC5579238 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-09725-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
MAP kinases (MAPK) are the most downstream kinases in signal transduction cascades and regulate critical cellular activities such as cell proliferation, differentiation, mortality, stress response, and apoptosis. The Leishmania donovani MAPK1 (LdMAPK1) is involved in parasite viability and drug resistance, but its substrates have not been identified yet. Aiming to identify the possible targets(s) of LdMAPK1, we sought to isolate interacting partners by co-immunoprecipitation, gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Out of fifteen analyzed protein bands, four were identified as subunits of the HSP90 foldosome complex, namely HSP 90, HSP70, STI and SGT. Western blot analysis not only confirmed that LdMAPK1 interacts with HSP70 and HSP90 but also demonstrated that MAPK1 abundance modulates their expression. The interaction is sensitive to treatment with AMTZD, a competitive ERK inhibitor. MAPK1 also displayed kinase activity with HSP90 or HSP70 as substrates. By phosphorylating HSPs in the foldosome complex, MAPK1 may regulate the stability and activity of the foldosome which in turn plays a pivotal role in the parasitic life cycle of L. donovani. Our study therefore implicates LdMAPK1 in the post-translational modification and possibly the regulation of heat shock proteins. Conversely, HSP90 and HSP70 are identified as the first substrates of LdMAPK1.
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Batista M, Kugeratski FG, de Paula Lima CV, Probst CM, Kessler RL, de Godoy LM, Krieger MA, Marchini FK. The MAP kinase MAPKLK1 is essential to Trypanosoma brucei proliferation and regulates proteins involved in mRNA metabolism. J Proteomics 2016; 154:118-127. [PMID: 28039027 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2016.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation events regulate many cellular processes. The identification of all phosphorylation sites and their association to a respective protein kinase or phosphatase is a challenging and crucial step to have a deeper understanding of the effects of signaling networks on cells. Pathogenic trypanosomatids have a large number of protein kinases and phosphatases in comparison to other organisms, which reinforces the relevance of the phosphorylation process in these early eukaryotes, nevertheless little is known about protein phosphorylation in these protozoa. In this context, the role of a MAP kinase-like kinase (MAPKLK1), observed to be essential to proliferation of procyclic Trypanosoma brucei, was studied. After silencing MAPKLK1 expression by RNAi, the cells were evaluated by SILAC MS-based proteomics and RNA-Seq. We identified 1756 phosphorylation sites of which 384 were not previously described in T. brucei. Despite being essential, few modulations were observed at the phosphorylation patterns and gene expression levels of MAPKLK1 knockdown. These indirect targets and potential substrates of MAPKLK1 are related to key cellular processes enriched to mRNA processing and stability control. SIGNIFICANCE The field of cell signaling is a promising topic of study for trypanosomatids, since little is known about this topic and the gene expression regulation occurs at post-transcriptional level. In this sense, the present work increases the knowledge on protein phosphorylation process in Trypanosoma brucei. We depleted one MAP kinase (MAPKLK1) of T. brucei and evaluated the effects on the cell. We showed that MAPKLK1 is essential to the cell, while few modulations on phosphoproteome, proteome and transcriptome are observed with its depletion. Although in low number, the changes in phosphoproteome were significant, presenting possible substrate candidates of MAPKLK1 and indirect targets related to mRNA processing and stability control, metabolic pathways, among others. This result provides insights in the phosphorylation network of T. brucei, a model organism that impacts human and animal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Batista
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Carlos Chagas Institute, Fiocruz, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil; Mass Spectrometry Facility RPT02H, Carlos Chagas Institute, Fiocruz, Parana, Brazil
| | - Fernanda G Kugeratski
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Carlos Chagas Institute, Fiocruz, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
| | - Carla V de Paula Lima
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Carlos Chagas Institute, Fiocruz, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
| | - Christian M Probst
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Carlos Chagas Institute, Fiocruz, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
| | - Rafael L Kessler
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Carlos Chagas Institute, Fiocruz, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
| | - Lyris M de Godoy
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Carlos Chagas Institute, Fiocruz, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
| | - Marco A Krieger
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Carlos Chagas Institute, Fiocruz, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
| | - Fabricio K Marchini
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Carlos Chagas Institute, Fiocruz, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil; Mass Spectrometry Facility RPT02H, Carlos Chagas Institute, Fiocruz, Parana, Brazil.
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Haubrich BA, Swinney DC. Enzyme Activity Assays for Protein Kinases: Strategies to Identify Active Substrates. Curr Drug Discov Technol 2016; 13:2-15. [PMID: 26768716 DOI: 10.2174/1570163813666160115125930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2015] [Revised: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Protein kinases are an important class of enzymes and drug targets. New opportunities to discover medicines for neglected diseases can be leveraged by the extensive kinase tools and knowledge created in targeting human kinases. A valuable tool for kinase drug discovery is an enzyme assay that measures catalytic function. The functional assay can be used to identify inhibitors, estimate affinity, characterize molecular mechanisms of action (MMOAs) and evaluate selectivity. However, establishing an enzyme assay for a new kinases requires identification of a suitable substrate. Identification of a new kinase's endogenous physiologic substrate and function can be extremely costly and time consuming. Fortunately, most kinases are promiscuous and will catalyze the phosphotransfer from ATP to alternative substrates with differing degrees of catalytic efficiency. In this manuscript we review strategies and successes in the identification of alternative substrates for kinases from organisms responsible for many of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) towards the goal of informing strategies to identify substrates for new kinases. Approaches for establishing a functional kinase assay include measuring auto-activation and use of generic substrates and peptides. The most commonly used generic substrates are casein, myelin basic protein, and histone. Sequence homology modeling can provide insights into the potential substrates and the requirement for activation. Empirical approaches that can identify substrates include screening of lysates (which may also help identify native substrates) and use of peptide arrays. All of these approaches have been used with a varying degree of success to identify alternative substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brad A Haubrich
- Institute for Rare and Neglected Diseases Drug Discovery, 897 Independence Ave, Suite 2C, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
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McConville MJ, Saunders EC, Kloehn J, Dagley MJ. Leishmania carbon metabolism in the macrophage phagolysosome- feast or famine? F1000Res 2015; 4:938. [PMID: 26594352 PMCID: PMC4648189 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.6724.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A number of medically important microbial pathogens target and proliferate within macrophages and other phagocytic cells in their mammalian hosts. While the majority of these pathogens replicate within the host cell cytosol or non-hydrolytic vacuolar compartments, a few, including protists belonging to the genus
Leishmania, proliferate long-term within mature lysosome compartments. How these parasites achieve this feat remains poorly defined. In this review, we highlight recent studies that suggest that
Leishmania virulence is intimately linked to programmed changes in the growth rate and carbon metabolism of the obligate intra-macrophage stages. We propose that activation of a slow growth and a stringent metabolic response confers resistance to multiple stresses (oxidative, temperature, pH), as well as both nutrient limitation and nutrient excess within this niche. These studies highlight the importance of metabolic processes as key virulence determinants in
Leishmania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malcolm J McConville
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Flemington Rd, Parkville, 3010, Australia
| | - Eleanor C Saunders
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Flemington Rd, Parkville, 3010, Australia
| | - Joachim Kloehn
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Flemington Rd, Parkville, 3010, Australia
| | - Michael J Dagley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Flemington Rd, Parkville, 3010, Australia
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Cayla M, Rachidi N, Leclercq O, Schmidt-Arras D, Rosenqvist H, Wiese M, Späth GF. Transgenic analysis of the Leishmania MAP kinase MPK10 reveals an auto-inhibitory mechanism crucial for stage-regulated activity and parasite viability. PLoS Pathog 2014; 10:e1004347. [PMID: 25232945 PMCID: PMC4169501 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2014] [Accepted: 07/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Protozoan pathogens of the genus Leishmania have evolved unique signaling mechanisms that can sense changes in the host environment and trigger adaptive stage differentiation essential for host cell infection. The signaling mechanisms underlying parasite development remain largely elusive even though Leishmania mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) have been linked previously to environmentally induced differentiation and virulence. Here, we unravel highly unusual regulatory mechanisms for Leishmania MAP kinase 10 (MPK10). Using a transgenic approach, we demonstrate that MPK10 is stage-specifically regulated, as its kinase activity increases during the promastigote to amastigote conversion. However, unlike canonical MAPKs that are activated by dual phosphorylation of the regulatory TxY motif in the activation loop, MPK10 activation is independent from the phosphorylation of the tyrosine residue, which is largely constitutive. Removal of the last 46 amino acids resulted in significantly enhanced MPK10 activity both for the recombinant and transgenic protein, revealing that MPK10 is regulated by an auto-inhibitory mechanism. Over-expression of this hyperactive mutant in transgenic parasites led to a dominant negative effect causing massive cell death during amastigote differentiation, demonstrating the essential nature of MPK10 auto-inhibition for parasite viability. Moreover, phosphoproteomics analyses identified a novel regulatory phospho-serine residue in the C-terminal auto-inhibitory domain at position 395 that could be implicated in kinase regulation. Finally, we uncovered a feedback loop that limits MPK10 activity through dephosphorylation of the tyrosine residue of the TxY motif. Together our data reveal novel aspects of protein kinase regulation in Leishmania, and propose MPK10 as a potential signal sensor of the mammalian host environment, whose intrinsic pre-activated conformation is regulated by auto-inhibition. Leishmaniasis is an important human disease caused by Leishmania parasites. A crucial aspect of Leishmania infectivity is its capacity to sense different environments and adapt for survival inside insect vector and vertebrate host by stage differentiation. This process is triggered by environmental changes encountered in these organisms, including temperature and pH shifts, which usually are sensed and transduced by signaling cascades including protein kinases and their substrates. In this study, we analyzed the regulation of the Leishmania mitogen-activated protein kinase MPK10 using protein purified from transgenic parasites and combining site-directed mutagenesis and activity tests. We demonstrate that this kinase is activated during parasite differentiation and regulated by an atypical mechanism involving auto-inhibition, which is essential for parasite viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Cayla
- Institut Pasteur and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique URA 2581, Unité de Parasitologie Moléculaire et Signalisation, Paris, France
| | - Najma Rachidi
- Institut Pasteur and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique URA 2581, Unité de Parasitologie Moléculaire et Signalisation, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Leclercq
- Institut Pasteur and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique URA 2581, Unité de Parasitologie Moléculaire et Signalisation, Paris, France
| | - Dirk Schmidt-Arras
- Institut Pasteur and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique URA 2581, Unité de Parasitologie Moléculaire et Signalisation, Paris, France
| | - Heidi Rosenqvist
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland
- Protein Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Martin Wiese
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland
| | - Gerald F. Späth
- Institut Pasteur and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique URA 2581, Unité de Parasitologie Moléculaire et Signalisation, Paris, France
- * E-mail:
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16
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Dacher M, Morales MA, Pescher P, Leclercq O, Rachidi N, Prina E, Cayla M, Descoteaux A, Späth GF. Probing druggability and biological function of essential proteins inLeishmaniacombining facilitated null mutant and plasmid shuffle analyses. Mol Microbiol 2014; 93:146-66. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mariko Dacher
- Institut Pasteur, CNRS URA 2581; Unité de Parasitologie moléculaire et Signalisation; Paris France
| | - Miguel A. Morales
- Institut Pasteur, CNRS URA 2581; Unité de Parasitologie moléculaire et Signalisation; Paris France
| | - Pascale Pescher
- Institut Pasteur, CNRS URA 2581; Unité de Parasitologie moléculaire et Signalisation; Paris France
| | - Olivier Leclercq
- Institut Pasteur, CNRS URA 2581; Unité de Parasitologie moléculaire et Signalisation; Paris France
| | - Najma Rachidi
- Institut Pasteur, CNRS URA 2581; Unité de Parasitologie moléculaire et Signalisation; Paris France
| | - Eric Prina
- Institut Pasteur, CNRS URA 2581; Unité de Parasitologie moléculaire et Signalisation; Paris France
| | - Mathieu Cayla
- Institut Pasteur, CNRS URA 2581; Unité de Parasitologie moléculaire et Signalisation; Paris France
| | - Albert Descoteaux
- INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier and Center for Host-Parasite Interactions; Laval Québec Canada
| | - Gerald F. Späth
- Institut Pasteur, CNRS URA 2581; Unité de Parasitologie moléculaire et Signalisation; Paris France
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17
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Smirlis D, Soares MBP. Selection of molecular targets for drug development against trypanosomatids. Subcell Biochem 2014; 74:43-76. [PMID: 24264240 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7305-9_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosomatid parasites are a group of flagellated protozoa that includes the genera Leishmania and Trypanosoma, which are the causative agents of diseases (leishmaniases, sleeping sickness and Chagas disease) that cause considerable morbidity and mortality, affecting more than 27 million people worldwide. Today no effective vaccines for the prevention of these diseases exist, whereas current chemotherapy is ineffective, mainly due to toxic side effects of current drugs and to the emergence of drug resistance and lack of cost effectiveness. For these reasons, rational drug design and the search of good candidate drug targets is of prime importance. The search for drug targets requires a multidisciplinary approach. To this end, the completion of the genome project of many trypanosomatid species gives a vast amount of new information that can be exploited for the identification of good drug candidates with a prediction of "druggability" and divergence from mammalian host proteins. In addition, an important aspect in the search for good drug targets is the "target identification" and evaluation in a biological pathway, as well as the essentiality of the gene in the mammalian stage of the parasite, which is provided by basic research and genetic and proteomic approaches. In this chapter we will discuss how these bioinformatic tools and experimental evaluations can be integrated for the selection of candidate drug targets, and give examples of metabolic and signaling pathways in the parasitic protozoa that can be exploited for rational drug design.
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18
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Chakraborty D, Saravanan P, Patra S, Dubey VK. Studies on ornithine decarboxylase of Leishmania donovani: structure modeling and inhibitor docking. Med Chem Res 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00044-012-0035-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Abstract
SUMMARYLeishmaniaare obligatory intracellular parasitic protozoa that cycle between sand fly mid-gut and phagolysosomes of mammalian macrophages. They have developed genetically programmed changes in gene and protein expression that enable rapid optimization of cell function according to vector and host environments. During the last two decades, host-free systems that mimic intra-lysosomal environments have been devised in which promastigotes differentiate into amastigotes axenically. These cultures have facilitated detailed investigation of the molecular mechanisms underlyingLeishmaniadevelopment inside its host. Axenic promastigotes and amastigotes have been subjected to transcriptome and proteomic analyses. Development had appeared somewhat variable but was revealed by proteomics to be strictly coordinated and regulated. Here we summarize the current understanding ofLeishmaniapromastigote to amastigote differentiation, highlighting the data generated by proteomics.
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Jensen BC, Kifer CT, Parsons M. Trypanosoma brucei: Two mitogen activated protein kinase kinases are dispensable for growth and virulence of the bloodstream form. Exp Parasitol 2011; 128:250-5. [PMID: 21396364 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2011.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2011] [Revised: 03/03/2011] [Accepted: 03/03/2011] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Mitogen activated protein kinase cascades function in eukaryotic responses to the environment and stress. Trypanosomatid parasites possess protein kinases with sequences characteristic of kinases in such cascades. In this report we use gene knockouts to demonstrate that two mitogen activated kinase kinase genes, MKK1 (Tb927.3.4860) and MKK5 (Tb927.10.5270), are not essential in the pathogenic bloodstream stage of Trypanosoma brucei, either in vitro or in vivo. Bloodstream forms lacking MKK1 showed decreased growth at 39°C as compared to the parental line. However, unlike its Leishmania orthologue, T. brucei MKK1 does not appear to play a significant role in flagellar biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan C Jensen
- Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, 307 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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21
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Parasite mitogen-activated protein kinases as drug discovery targets to treat human protozoan pathogens. JOURNAL OF SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION 2011; 2011:971968. [PMID: 21637385 PMCID: PMC3100106 DOI: 10.1155/2011/971968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2010] [Revised: 11/12/2010] [Accepted: 12/07/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Protozoan pathogens are a highly diverse group of unicellular organisms, several of which are significant human pathogens. One group of protozoan pathogens includes obligate intracellular parasites such as agents of malaria, leishmaniasis, babesiosis, and toxoplasmosis. The other group includes extracellular pathogens such as agents of giardiasis and amebiasis. An unfortunate unifying theme for most human protozoan pathogens is that highly effective treatments for them are generally lacking. We will review targeting protozoan mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) as a novel drug discovery approach towards developing better therapies, focusing on Plasmodia, Leishmania, and Toxoplasma, about which the most is known.
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