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Edgar RCS, Malcolm TR, Siddiqui G, Giannangelo C, Counihan NA, Challis M, Duffy S, Chowdhury M, Marfurt J, Dans M, Wirjanata G, Noviyanti R, Daware K, Suraweera CD, Price RN, Wittlin S, Avery VM, Drinkwater N, Charman SA, Creek DJ, de Koning-Ward TF, Scammells PJ, McGowan S. On-target, dual aminopeptidase inhibition provides cross-species antimalarial activity. mBio 2024; 15:e0096624. [PMID: 38717141 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00966-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
To combat the global burden of malaria, development of new drugs to replace or complement current therapies is urgently required. Here, we show that the compound MMV1557817 is a selective, nanomolar inhibitor of both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax aminopeptidases M1 and M17, leading to inhibition of end-stage hemoglobin digestion in asexual parasites. MMV1557817 can kill sexual-stage P. falciparum, is active against murine malaria, and does not show any shift in activity against a panel of parasites resistant to other antimalarials. MMV1557817-resistant P. falciparum exhibited a slow growth rate that was quickly outcompeted by wild-type parasites and were sensitized to the current clinical drug, artemisinin. Overall, these results confirm MMV1557817 as a lead compound for further drug development and highlights the potential of dual inhibition of M1 and M17 as an effective multi-species drug-targeting strategy.IMPORTANCEEach year, malaria infects approximately 240 million people and causes over 600,000 deaths, mostly in children under 5 years of age. For the past decade, artemisinin-based combination therapies have been recommended by the World Health Organization as the standard malaria treatment worldwide. Their widespread use has led to the development of artemisinin resistance in the form of delayed parasite clearance, alongside the rise of partner drug resistance. There is an urgent need to develop and deploy new antimalarial agents with novel targets and mechanisms of action. Here, we report a new and potent antimalarial compound, known as MMV1557817, and show that it targets multiple stages of the malaria parasite lifecycle, is active in a preliminary mouse malaria model, and has a novel mechanism of action. Excitingly, resistance to MMV15578117 appears to be self-limiting, suggesting that development of the compound may provide a new class of antimalarial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca C S Edgar
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
- The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Tess R Malcolm
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Ghizal Siddiqui
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Carlo Giannangelo
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Natalie A Counihan
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
- The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Matthew Challis
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Sandra Duffy
- Discovery Biology, Centre for Cellular Phenomics, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Mrittika Chowdhury
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
- The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Jutta Marfurt
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Madeline Dans
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
- The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Grennady Wirjanata
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | | | - Kajal Daware
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Chathura D Suraweera
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Ric N Price
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sergio Wittlin
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Vicky M Avery
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith Sciences, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nyssa Drinkwater
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Susan A Charman
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Darren J Creek
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Tania F de Koning-Ward
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
- The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Peter J Scammells
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Sheena McGowan
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
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2
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Creek D, Giannangelo C, Challis M, Siddiqui G, Edgar R, Malcolm T, Webb C, Drinkwater N, Vinh N, MacRaild C, Counihan N, Duffy S, Wittlin S, Devine S, Avery V, de Koning-Ward T, Scammells P, McGowan S. Chemoproteomics validates selective targeting of Plasmodium M1 alanyl aminopeptidase as an antimalarial strategy. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3251230. [PMID: 38746424 PMCID: PMC11092810 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3251230/v3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
New antimalarial drug candidates that act via novel mechanisms are urgently needed to combat malaria drug resistance. Here, we describe the multi-omic chemical validation of Plasmodium M1 alanyl metalloaminopeptidase as an attractive drug target using the selective inhibitor, MIPS2673. MIPS2673 demonstrated potent inhibition of recombinant Plasmodium falciparum ( Pf A-M1) and Plasmodium vivax ( Pv A-M1) M1 metalloaminopeptidases, with selectivity over other Plasmodium and human aminopeptidases, and displayed excellent in vitro antimalarial activity with no significant host cytotoxicity. Orthogonal label-free chemoproteomic methods based on thermal stability and limited proteolysis of whole parasite lysates revealed that MIPS2673 solely targets Pf A-M1 in parasites, with limited proteolysis also enabling estimation of the binding site on Pf A-M1 to within ~5 Å of that determined by X-ray crystallography. Finally, functional investigation by untargeted metabolomics demonstrated that MIPS2673 inhibits the key role of Pf A-M1 in haemoglobin digestion. Combined, our unbiased multi-omic target deconvolution methods confirmed the on-target activity of MIPS2673, and validated selective inhibition of M1 alanyl metalloaminopeptidase as a promising antimalarial strategy.
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Mansouri M, Daware K, Webb CT, McGowan S. Understanding the structure and function of Plasmodium aminopeptidases to facilitate drug discovery. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 82:102693. [PMID: 37657352 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Malaria continues to be the most widespread parasitic disease affecting humans globally. As parasites develop drug resistance at an alarming pace, it has become crucial to identify novel drug targets. Over the last decade, the metalloaminopeptidases have gained importance as potential targets for new antimalarials. These enzymes are responsible for removing the N-terminal amino acids from proteins and peptides, and their restricted specificities suggest that many perform unique and essential roles within the malaria parasite. This mini-review focuses on the recent progress in structure and functional data relating to the Plasmodium metalloaminopeptidases that have been validated or shown promise as new antimalarial drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahta Mansouri
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia; Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia. https://twitter.com/Mahta__Mansouri
| | - Kajal Daware
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia; Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, 3800, Victoria Australia
| | - Chaille T Webb
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia; Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, 3800, Victoria Australia
| | - Sheena McGowan
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia; Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Clayton, 3800, Victoria Australia.
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4
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From bitter to delicious: properties and uses of microbial aminopeptidases. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 39:72. [PMID: 36625962 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-022-03501-3] [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: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Protein hydrolysates are easily digested and utilized by humans and animals, and are less likely to cause allergies. Protein hydrolysis caused by endopeptidases often leads to the exposure of hydrophobic amino acids at the ends of peptides, which consequently causes bitter taste. Microbial aminopeptidases remove the exposed hydrophobic amino acids at the ends of aminopeptides, which improves taste, allowing for easier production. This processe is attacking significant attention from industry and laboratories. Aminopeptidases selectively hydrolyze peptide bonds from the N-terminal of proteins or peptides to produce free amino acids. Aminopeptidases can be classified into leucine, lysine, methionine and proline aminopeptidases by hydrolyzed N-terminal residues; metallo-, serine- and cysteine- aminopeptidases by the reaction mechanisms; dipeptide and triphoptide enzymes by the released number of amino acid residues at the end of hydrolyzed peptides; or acidic, neutral and basic aminopeptidases by their optimal hydrolysis pH. Commercial aminopeptidases are generally produced by microbial fermentation, and are mainly applied in the debittering of protein hydrolysates, the deep hydrolysis of protein, and the production of condiments, cheese, and bioactive peptides, as well as for disease detection in the medical industry.
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Okombo J, Mok S, Qahash T, Yeo T, Bath J, Orchard LM, Owens E, Koo I, Albert I, Llinás M, Fidock DA. Piperaquine-resistant PfCRT mutations differentially impact drug transport, hemoglobin catabolism and parasite physiology in Plasmodium falciparum asexual blood stages. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010926. [PMID: 36306287 PMCID: PMC9645663 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of Plasmodium falciparum parasite resistance to dihydroartemisinin + piperaquine (PPQ) in Southeast Asia threatens plans to increase the global use of this first-line antimalarial combination. High-level PPQ resistance appears to be mediated primarily by novel mutations in the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT), which enhance parasite survival at high PPQ concentrations in vitro and increase the risk of dihydroartemisinin + PPQ treatment failure in patients. Using isogenic Dd2 parasites expressing contemporary pfcrt alleles with differential in vitro PPQ susceptibilities, we herein characterize the molecular and physiological adaptations that define PPQ resistance in vitro. Using drug uptake and cellular heme fractionation assays we report that the F145I, M343L, and G353V PfCRT mutations differentially impact PPQ and chloroquine efflux. These mutations also modulate proteolytic degradation of host hemoglobin and the chemical inactivation of reactive heme species. Peptidomic analyses reveal significantly higher accumulation of putative hemoglobin-derived peptides in the PPQ-resistant mutant PfCRT isoforms compared to parental PPQ-sensitive Dd2. Joint transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling of late trophozoites from PPQ-resistant or -sensitive isogenic lines reveals differential expression of genes involved in protein translation and cellular metabolism. PPQ-resistant parasites also show increased susceptibility to an inhibitor of the P. falciparum M17 aminopeptidase that operates on short globin-derived peptides. These results reveal unique physiological changes caused by the gain of PPQ resistance and highlight the potential therapeutic value of targeting peptide metabolism in P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Okombo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Tarrick Qahash
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Jade Bath
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Lindsey M. Orchard
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Edward Owens
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Imhoi Koo
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Istvan Albert
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - David A. Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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6
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Edgar RCS, Siddiqui G, Hjerrild K, Malcolm TR, Vinh NB, Webb CT, Holmes C, MacRaild CA, Chernih HC, Suen WW, Counihan NA, Creek DJ, Scammells PJ, McGowan S, de Koning-Ward TF. Genetic and chemical validation of Plasmodium falciparum aminopeptidase PfA-M17 as a drug target in the hemoglobin digestion pathway. eLife 2022; 11:80813. [PMID: 36097817 PMCID: PMC9470162 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malaria, remains a global health threat as parasites continue to develop resistance to antimalarial drugs used throughout the world. Accordingly, drugs with novel modes of action are desperately required to combat malaria. P. falciparum parasites infect human red blood cells where they digest the host’s main protein constituent, hemoglobin. Leucine aminopeptidase PfA-M17 is one of several aminopeptidases that have been implicated in the last step of this digestive pathway. Here, we use both reverse genetics and a compound specifically designed to inhibit the activity of PfA-M17 to show that PfA-M17 is essential for P. falciparum survival as it provides parasites with free amino acids for growth, many of which are highly likely to originate from hemoglobin. We further show that loss of PfA-M17 results in parasites exhibiting multiple digestive vacuoles at the trophozoite stage. In contrast to other hemoglobin-degrading proteases that have overlapping redundant functions, we validate PfA-M17 as a potential novel drug target. Malaria is a disease spread by mosquitoes. When infected insects bite the skin, they inject parasites called Plasmodium into the host. The symptoms of the disease then develop when Plasmodium infect host red blood cells. These parasites cannot make the raw materials to build their own proteins, so instead, they digest haemoglobin – the protein used by red blood cells to carry oxygen – and use its building blocks to produce proteins. Blocking the digestion of haemoglobin can stop malaria infections in their tracks, but it is unclear how exactly Plasmodium parasites break down the protein. Researchers think that a group of four enzymes called aminopeptidases are responsible for the final stage in this digestion, releasing the amino acids that make up haemoglobin. However, the individual roles of each of these aminopeptidases are not yet known. To start filling this gap, Edgar et al. set out to study one of these aminopeptidases, called PfA-M17. First, they genetically modified Plasmodium falciparum parasites so that the levels of this aminopeptidase were reduced during infection. Without the enzyme, the parasites were unable to grow. The next step was to confirm that this was because PfA-M17 breaks down haemoglobin, and not for another reason. To test this, Edgar et al. designed a new molecule that could stop PfA-M17 from releasing amino acids. This molecule, which they called ‘compound 3’, had the same effect as reducing the levels of PfA-M17. Further analysis showed that the amino acids that PfA- M17 releases match the amino acids found in haemoglobin. Malaria causes hundreds of thousands of deaths per year. Although there are treatments available, the Plasmodium parasites are starting to develop resistance. Confirming the role of PfA-M17 provides a starting point for new studies by parasitologists, biologists, and drug developers. This could lead to the development of chemicals that block this enzyme, forming the basis for new treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca C S Edgar
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.,The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Ghizal Siddiqui
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | | | - Tess R Malcolm
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.,Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Natalie B Vinh
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Chaille T Webb
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.,Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Clare Holmes
- CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, Geelong, Australia
| | - Christopher A MacRaild
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Hope C Chernih
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.,The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Willy W Suen
- CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, Geelong, Australia
| | - Natalie A Counihan
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.,The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Darren J Creek
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Peter J Scammells
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Sheena McGowan
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.,Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Tania F de Koning-Ward
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.,The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
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7
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Webb CT, Yang W, Riley BT, Hayes BK, Sivaraman KK, Malcolm TR, Harrop S, Atkinson SC, Kass I, Buckle AM, Drinkwater N, McGowan S. A metal ion-dependent conformational switch modulates activity of the Plasmodium M17 aminopeptidase. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102119. [PMID: 35691342 PMCID: PMC9270245 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The metal-dependent M17 aminopeptidases are conserved throughout all kingdoms of life. This large enzyme family is characterized by a conserved binuclear metal center and a distinctive homohexameric arrangement. Recently, we showed that hexamer formation in Plasmodium M17 aminopeptidases was controlled by the metal ion environment, although the functional necessity for hexamer formation is still unclear. To further understand the mechanistic role of the hexameric assembly, here we undertook an investigation of the structure and dynamics of the M17 aminopeptidase from Plasmodium falciparum, PfA-M17. We describe a novel structure of PfA-M17, which shows that the active sites of each trimer are linked by a dynamic loop, and loop movement is coupled with a drastic rearrangement of the binuclear metal center and substrate-binding pocket, rendering the protein inactive. Molecular dynamics simulations and biochemical analyses of PfA-M17 variants demonstrated that this rearrangement is inherent to PfA-M17, and that the transition between the active and inactive states is metal dependent and part of a dynamic regulatory mechanism. Key to the mechanism is a remodeling of the binuclear metal center, which occurs in response to a signal from the neighboring active site and serves to moderate the rate of proteolysis under different environmental conditions. In conclusion, this work identifies a precise mechanism by which oligomerization contributes to PfA-M17 function. Furthermore, it describes a novel role for metal cofactors in the regulation of enzymes, with implications for the wide range of metalloenzymes that operate via a two-metal ion catalytic center, including DNA processing enzymes and metalloproteases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaille T Webb
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Wei Yang
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia; Current address Warshel Institute for Computational Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518172, China
| | - Blake T Riley
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Brooke K Hayes
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Komagal Kannan Sivaraman
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Tess R Malcolm
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Stephen Harrop
- Australian Synchrotron. 800 Blackburn Road, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Sarah C Atkinson
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Itamar Kass
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia; Victorian Life Sciences Computation Center, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria, Australia; Current address InterX LTD, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Ashley M Buckle
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Nyssa Drinkwater
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Sheena McGowan
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia.
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8
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Edgar RCS, Counihan NA, McGowan S, de Koning-Ward TF. Methods Used to Investigate the Plasmodium falciparum Digestive Vacuole. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 11:829823. [PMID: 35096663 PMCID: PMC8794586 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.829823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a global health problem as parasites continue to develop resistance to all antimalarials in use. Infection causes clinical symptoms during the intra-erythrocytic stage of the lifecycle where the parasite infects and replicates within red blood cells (RBC). During this stage, P. falciparum digests the main constituent of the RBC, hemoglobin, in a specialized acidic compartment termed the digestive vacuole (DV), a process essential for survival. Many therapeutics in use target one or multiple aspects of the DV, with chloroquine and its derivatives, as well as artemisinin, having mechanisms of action within this organelle. In order to better understand how current therapeutics and those under development target DV processes, techniques used to investigate the DV are paramount. This review outlines the involvement of the DV in therapeutics currently in use and focuses on the range of techniques that are currently utilized to study this organelle including microscopy, biochemical analysis, genetic approaches and metabolomic studies. Importantly, continued development and application of these techniques will aid in our understanding of the DV and in the development of new therapeutics or therapeutic partners for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca C. S. Edgar
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
- The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Natalie A. Counihan
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
- The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Sheena McGowan
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Centre to Impact AMR, Monash University, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Tania F. de Koning-Ward
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
- The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
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