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He L, Qiu Y, Pang G, Li S, Wang J, Feng Y, Chen L, Zhu L, Liu Y, Cui L, Cao Y, Zhu X. Plasmodium falciparum GAP40 Plays an Essential Role in Merozoite Invasion and Gametocytogenesis. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0143423. [PMID: 37249423 PMCID: PMC10269477 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01434-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclic invasion of red blood cells (RBCs) by Plasmodium merozoites is associated with the symptoms and pathology of malaria. Merozoite invasion is powered actively and rapidly by a parasite actomyosin motor called the glideosome. The ability of the glideosome to generate force to support merozoite entry into the host RBCs is thought to rely on its stable anchoring within the inner membrane complex (IMC) through membrane-resident proteins, such as GAP50 and GAP40. Using a conditional knockdown (KD) approach, we determined that PfGAP40 was required for asexual blood-stage replication. PfGAP40 is not needed for merozoite egress from host RBCs or for the attachment of merozoites to new RBCs. PfGAP40 coprecipitates with PfGAP45 and PfGAP50. During merozoite invasion, PfGAP40 is associated strongly with stabilizing the expression levels of PfGAP45 and PfGAP50 in the schizont stage. Although PfGAP40 KD did not influence IMC integrity, it impaired the maturation of gametocytes. In addition, PfGAP40 is phosphorylated, and mutations that block phosphorylation of PfGAP40 at the C-terminal serine residues S370, S372, S376, S405, S409, S420, and S445 reduced merozoite invasion efficiency. Overall, our findings implicate PfGAP40 as an important regulator for the gliding activity of merozoites and suggest that phosphorylation is required for PfGAP40 function. IMPORTANCE Red blood cell invasion is central to the pathogenesis of the malaria parasite, and the parasite proteins involved in this process are potential therapeutic targets. Gliding motility powers merozoite invasion and is driven by a unique molecular motor termed the glideosome. The glideosome is stably anchored to the parasite inner membrane complex (IMC) through membrane-resident proteins. In the present study, we demonstrate the importance of an IMC-resident glideosome component, PfGAP40, that plays a critical role in stabilizing the expression levels of glideosome components in the schizont stage. We determined that phosphorylation of PfGAP40 at C-terminal residues is required for efficient merozoite invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu He
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Yue Qiu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
- Department of Cardiovascular Ultrasound, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Geping Pang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Siqi Li
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Yonghui Feng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Lumeng Chen
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Liying Zhu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Yinjie Liu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Liwang Cui
- College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Yaming Cao
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Xiaotong Zhu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
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Kelsen A, Kent RS, Snyder AK, Wehri E, Bishop SJ, Stadler RV, Powell C, Martorelli di Genova B, Rompikuntal PK, Boulanger MJ, Warshaw DM, Westwood NJ, Schaletzky J, Ward GE. MyosinA is a druggable target in the widespread protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002110. [PMID: 37155705 PMCID: PMC10185354 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread apicomplexan parasite that can cause severe disease in its human hosts. The ability of T. gondii and other apicomplexan parasites to invade into, egress from, and move between cells of the hosts they infect is critical to parasite virulence and disease progression. An unusual and highly conserved parasite myosin motor (TgMyoA) plays a central role in T. gondii motility. The goal of this work was to determine whether the parasite's motility and lytic cycle can be disrupted through pharmacological inhibition of TgMyoA, as an approach to altering disease progression in vivo. To this end, we first sought to identify inhibitors of TgMyoA by screening a collection of 50,000 structurally diverse small molecules for inhibitors of the recombinant motor's actin-activated ATPase activity. The top hit to emerge from the screen, KNX-002, inhibited TgMyoA with little to no effect on any of the vertebrate myosins tested. KNX-002 was also active against parasites, inhibiting parasite motility and growth in culture in a dose-dependent manner. We used chemical mutagenesis, selection in KNX-002, and targeted sequencing to identify a mutation in TgMyoA (T130A) that renders the recombinant motor less sensitive to compound. Compared to wild-type parasites, parasites expressing the T130A mutation showed reduced sensitivity to KNX-002 in motility and growth assays, confirming TgMyoA as a biologically relevant target of KNX-002. Finally, we present evidence that KNX-002 can slow disease progression in mice infected with wild-type parasites, but not parasites expressing the resistance-conferring TgMyoA T130A mutation. Taken together, these data demonstrate the specificity of KNX-002 for TgMyoA, both in vitro and in vivo, and validate TgMyoA as a druggable target in infections with T. gondii. Since TgMyoA is essential for virulence, conserved in apicomplexan parasites, and distinctly different from the myosins found in humans, pharmacological inhibition of MyoA offers a promising new approach to treating the devastating diseases caused by T. gondii and other apicomplexan parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Kelsen
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Robyn S Kent
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Anne K Snyder
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Eddie Wehri
- Center for Emerging and Neglected Diseases, University of California Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Stephen J Bishop
- School of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St. Andrews and EaStCHEM, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel V Stadler
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Cameron Powell
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Bruno Martorelli di Genova
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Pramod K Rompikuntal
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Martin J Boulanger
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - David M Warshaw
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Nicholas J Westwood
- School of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St. Andrews and EaStCHEM, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Schaletzky
- Center for Emerging and Neglected Diseases, University of California Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Gary E Ward
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
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Wolk O, Goldblum A. Predicting the Likelihood of Molecules to Act as Modulators of Protein-Protein Interactions. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:126-137. [PMID: 36512704 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Targeting protein-protein interactions (PPIs) by small molecule modulators (iPPIs) is an attractive strategy for drug therapy, and some iPPIs have already been introduced into the clinic. Blocking PPIs is however considered to be a more difficult task than inhibiting enzymes or antagonizing receptor activity. In this paper, we examine whether it is possible to predict the likelihood of molecules to act as iPPIs. Using our in-house iterative stochastic elimination (ISE) algorithm, we constructed two classification models that successfully distinguish between iPPIs from the iPPI-DB database and decoy molecules from either the Enamine HTS collection (ISE 1) or the ZINC database (ISE 2). External test sets of iPPIs taken from the TIMBAL database and decoys from Enamine HTS or ZINC were screened by the models: the area under the curve for the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.85-0.89, and the Enrichment Factor increased from an initial 1 to as much as 66 for ISE 1 and 57 for ISE 2. Screening of the Enamine HTS and ZINC data sets through both models results in a library of ∼1.3 million molecules that pass either one of the models. This library is enriched with iPPI candidates that are structurally different from known iPPIs, and thus, it is useful for target-specific screenings and should accelerate the discovery of iPPI drug candidates. The entire library is available in Table S6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omri Wolk
- Molecular Modeling Laboratory, Institute for Drug Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Amiram Goldblum
- Molecular Modeling Laboratory, Institute for Drug Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
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Kanatani S, Elahi R, Kanchanabhogin S, Vartak N, Tripathi AK, Prigge ST, Sinnis P. Screening the Pathogen Box for Inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum Sporozoite Motility Reveals a Critical Role for Kinases in Transmission Stages. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2022; 66:e0041822. [PMID: 35943271 PMCID: PMC9487509 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00418-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
As the malaria parasite becomes resistant to every drug that we develop, the identification and development of novel drug candidates are essential. Many studies have screened compounds designed to target the clinically important blood stages. However, if we are to shrink the malaria map, new drugs that block the transmission of the parasite are needed. Sporozoites are the infective stage of the malaria parasite, transmitted to the mammalian host as mosquitoes probe for blood. Sporozoite motility is critical to their ability to exit the inoculation site and establish infection, and drug-like compounds targeting motility are effective at blocking infection in the rodent malaria model. In this study, we established a moderate-throughput motility assay for sporozoites of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, enabling us to screen the 400 drug-like compounds from the pathogen box provided by the Medicines for Malaria Venture for their activity. Compounds exhibiting inhibitory effects on P. falciparum sporozoite motility were further assessed for transmission-blocking activity and asexual-stage growth. Five compounds had a significant inhibitory effect on P. falciparum sporozoite motility in the nanomolar range. Using membrane feeding assays, we demonstrate that four of these compounds had inhibitory activity against the transmission of P. falciparum to the mosquito. Interestingly, of the four compounds with inhibitory activity against both transmission stages, three are known kinase inhibitors. Together with a previous study that found that several of these compounds could inhibit asexual blood-stage parasite growth, our findings provide new antimalarial drug candidates that have multistage activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachie Kanatani
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Rubayet Elahi
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Sukanat Kanchanabhogin
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Natasha Vartak
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Abhai K. Tripathi
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Sean T. Prigge
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Photini Sinnis
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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5
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Karati D, Mahadik KR, Trivedi P, Kumar D. A Molecular Insight into Pyrazole Congeners as Antimicrobial, Anticancer, and Antimalarial Agents. Med Chem 2022; 18:1044-1059. [PMID: 35240964 DOI: 10.2174/1573406418666220303150640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pyrazole is a bioactive heterocyclic congener found in a wide range of biological and pharmacological applications. Due to their multiple prospective uses, developing innovative pyrazoles and analogues, disclosing revolutionary ways for synthesizing this nucleus, investigating diverse potencies of that heterocycle, and seeking for possible applications of pyrazoles are all growing more significant Objectives: Pyrazole scaffolds have been proven to be successful as antimicrobial, anticancer, antimalarial therapeutic against multiple targets like DNA gyrase, topoisomerase IV, Hsp90, and several kinase enzymes. Its moiety has absorbed the attention of many scientists to research chemical and pharmacological profile due to this miscellany in the biotic region. RESULTS The review covers pyrazole scaffolds with a variety of biological functions, as well as attempts to connect the structure-activity relationship. Multiple pyrazole analogues have been produced as lead compounds, and their activities have been evaluated. CONCLUSION The combination of pyrazole with other pharmacophores in a molecule might lead to novel potent therapeutic medicines, which could aid in the development of potent lead compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipanjan Karati
- Poona College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Erandwane, Pune- 411038, Maharashtra, India
| | - Kakasaheb Ramoo Mahadik
- Poona College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Erandwane, Pune- 411038, Maharashtra, India
| | - Piyush Trivedi
- Hon. Director, Center of Innovation and Translational Research, Poona College of Pharmacy, Bhartiya Vidyapeeth, Pune 411038, India
| | - Dileep Kumar
- Poona College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Erandwane, Pune- 411038, Maharashtra, India
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Anam ZE, Joshi N, Gupta S, Yadav P, Chaurasiya A, Kahlon AK, Kaushik S, Munde M, Ranganathan A, Singh S. A De novo Peptide from a High Throughput Peptide Library Blocks Myosin A -MTIP Complex Formation in Plasmodium falciparum. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21176158. [PMID: 32859024 PMCID: PMC7503848 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21176158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites, through their motor machinery, produce the required propulsive force critical for host cell-entry. The conserved components of this so-called glideosome machinery are myosin A and myosin A Tail Interacting Protein (MTIP). MTIP tethers myosin A to the inner membrane complex of the parasite through 20 amino acid-long C-terminal end of myosin A that makes direct contacts with MTIP, allowing the invasion of Plasmodium falciparum in erythrocytes. Here, we discovered through screening a peptide library, a de-novo peptide ZA1 that binds the myosin A tail domain. We demonstrated that ZA1 bound strongly to myosin A tail and was able to disrupt the native myosin A tail MTIP complex both in vitro and in vivo. We then showed that a shortened peptide derived from ZA1, named ZA1S, was able to bind myosin A and block parasite invasion. Overall, our study identified a novel anti-malarial peptide that could be used in combination with other antimalarials for blocking the invasion of Plasmodium falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zill e Anam
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; (Z.e.A.); (P.Y.); (A.C.); (A.K.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Nishant Joshi
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201304, India;
| | - Sakshi Gupta
- School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; (S.G.); (M.M.)
| | - Preeti Yadav
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; (Z.e.A.); (P.Y.); (A.C.); (A.K.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Ayushi Chaurasiya
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; (Z.e.A.); (P.Y.); (A.C.); (A.K.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Amandeep Kaur Kahlon
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; (Z.e.A.); (P.Y.); (A.C.); (A.K.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Shikha Kaushik
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; (Z.e.A.); (P.Y.); (A.C.); (A.K.K.); (S.K.)
| | - Manoj Munde
- School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; (S.G.); (M.M.)
| | - Anand Ranganathan
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; (Z.e.A.); (P.Y.); (A.C.); (A.K.K.); (S.K.)
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (S.S.)
| | - Shailja Singh
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India; (Z.e.A.); (P.Y.); (A.C.); (A.K.K.); (S.K.)
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (S.S.)
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7
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Brullo C, Rapetti F, Bruno O. Pyrazolyl-Ureas as Interesting Scaffold in Medicinal Chemistry. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25153457. [PMID: 32751358 PMCID: PMC7435939 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25153457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The pyrazole nucleus has long been known as a privileged scaffold in the synthesis of biologically active compounds. Within the numerous pyrazole derivatives developed as potential drugs, this review is focused on molecules characterized by a urea function directly linked to the pyrazole nucleus in a different position. In the last 20 years, the interest of numerous researchers has been especially attracted by pyrazolyl-ureas showing a wide spectrum of biological activities, ranging from the antipathogenic activities (bacteria, plasmodium, toxoplasma, and others) to the anticarcinogenic activities. In particular, in the anticancer field, pyrazolyl-ureas have been shown to interact at the intracellular level on many pathways, in particular on different kinases such as Src, p38-MAPK, TrKa, and others. In addition, some of them evidenced an antiangiogenic potential that deserves to be explored. This review therefore summarizes all these biological data (from 2000 to date), including patented compounds.
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Burns AL, Dans MG, Balbin JM, de Koning-Ward TF, Gilson PR, Beeson JG, Boyle MJ, Wilson DW. Targeting malaria parasite invasion of red blood cells as an antimalarial strategy. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2019; 43:223-238. [PMID: 30753425 PMCID: PMC6524681 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuz005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium spp. parasites that cause malaria disease remain a significant global-health burden. With the spread of parasites resistant to artemisinin combination therapies in Southeast Asia, there is a growing need to develop new antimalarials with novel targets. Invasion of the red blood cell by Plasmodium merozoites is essential for parasite survival and proliferation, thus representing an attractive target for therapeutic development. Red blood cell invasion requires a co-ordinated series of protein/protein interactions, protease cleavage events, intracellular signals, organelle release and engagement of an actin-myosin motor, which provide many potential targets for drug development. As these steps occur in the bloodstream, they are directly susceptible and exposed to drugs. A number of invasion inhibitors against a diverse range of parasite proteins involved in these different processes of invasion have been identified, with several showing potential to be optimised for improved drug-like properties. In this review, we discuss red blood cell invasion as a drug target and highlight a number of approaches for developing antimalarials with invasion inhibitory activity to use in future combination therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Burns
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia 5005
| | - Madeline G Dans
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3004.,Deakin University, School of Medicine, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia 3216
| | - Juan M Balbin
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia 5005
| | | | - Paul R Gilson
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3004
| | - James G Beeson
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3004.,Central Clinical School and Department of Microbiology, Monash University 3004.,Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Australia 3052
| | - Michelle J Boyle
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3004.,QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia 4006
| | - Danny W Wilson
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia 5005.,Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3004
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9
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Hernández PC, Wasserman M, Chaparro-Olaya J. In vitro interaction between Plasmodium falciparum myosin B (PfMyoB) and myosin A tail interacting protein (MTIP). Parasitol Res 2018; 117:3437-46. [PMID: 30094538 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-6039-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites, including Plasmodium falciparum, are obligate intracellular organisms that utilize a strategy termed "gliding" to move and invade host cells, causing disease. Gliding is carried out by a protein complex known as the glideosome, which includes an actin-myosin motor. To date, six myosins have been identified in P. falciparum (PfMyoA, B, C, D, E, and F), but only the role of PfMyoA, the myosin of the glideosome that is involved in the process of red blood cell and mosquito cell invasion, has been established. Based on previous observations, we speculated that PfMyoA and PfMyoB may have similar or redundant functions. To test this hypothesis, we searched for in vitro interactions between PfMyoB and MTIP (myosin A tail interacting protein), the myosin light chain of PfMyoA. A set of differentially tagged PfMyoA, PfMyoB, and MTIP recombinant proteins was employed to specifically and simultaneously detect each myosin in competition assays and inhibition assays using specific peptides. MTIP potentially acts as the light chain of PfMyoB.
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10
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Boucher LE, Hopp CS, Muthinja JM, Frischknecht F, Bosch J. Discovery of Plasmodium (M)TRAP-Aldolase Interaction Stabilizers Interfering with Sporozoite Motility and Invasion. ACS Infect Dis 2018; 4:620-634. [PMID: 29411968 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.7b00225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
As obligate, intracellular parasites, Plasmodium spp. rely on invasion of host cells in order to replicate and continue their life cycle. The parasite needs to traverse the dermis and endothelium of blood vessels, invade hepatocytes and red blood cells, traverse the mosquito midgut, and enter the salivary glands to continue the cycle of infection and transmission. To traverse and invade cells, the parasite employs an actomyosin motor at the core of a larger invasion machinery complex known as the glideosome. The complex is comprised of multiple protein-protein interactions linking the motor to the internal cytoskeletal network of the parasite and to the extracellular adhesins, which directly contact the host tissue or cell surface. One key interaction is between the cytoplasmic tails of the thrombospondin related anonymous protein (TRAP) and aldolase, a bridging protein to the motor. Here, we present results from screening the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) library of 400 compounds against this key protein-protein interaction. Using a surface plasmon resonance screen, we have identified several compounds that modulate the dynamics of the interaction between TRAP and aldolase. These compounds have been validated in vitro by studying their effects on sporozoite gliding motility and hepatocyte invasion. One of the MMV compounds identified reduced invasion levels by 89% at the lowest concentration tested (16 μM) and severely inhibited gliding at even lower concentrations (5 μM). By targeting protein-protein interactions, we investigated an under-explored area of parasite biology and general drug development, to identify potential antimalarial lead compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E. Boucher
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Christine S. Hopp
- Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 5625 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20852, United States
| | - Julianne Mendi Muthinja
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Medical School, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Friedrich Frischknecht
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Medical School, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Bosch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
- InterRayBio, LLC, 1812 Ashland Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
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11
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Abadio AKR, Kioshima ES, Leroux V, Martins NF, Maigret B, Felipe MSS. Identification of New Antifungal Compounds Targeting Thioredoxin Reductase of Paracoccidioides Genus. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0142926. [PMID: 26569405 PMCID: PMC4646694 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of invasive fungal infections worldwide has increased in the last decades. The development of specific drugs targeting pathogenic fungi without producing collateral damage to mammalian cells is a daunting pharmacological challenge. Indeed, many of the toxicities and drug interactions observed with contemporary antifungal therapies can be attributed to “nonselective” interactions with enzymes or cell membrane systems found in mammalian host cells. A computer-aided screening strategy against the TRR1 protein of Paracoccidioides lutzii is presented here. Initially, a bank of commercially available compounds from Life Chemicals provider was docked to model by virtual screening simulations. The small molecules that interact with the model were ranked and, among the best hits, twelve compounds out of 3,000 commercially-available candidates were selected. These molecules were synthesized for validation and in vitro antifungal activity assays for Paracoccidioides lutzii and P. brasiliensis were performed. From 12 molecules tested, 3 harbor inhibitory activity in antifungal assays against the two pathogenic fungi. Corroborating these findings, the molecules have inhibitory activity against the purified recombinant enzyme TRR1 in biochemical assays. Therefore, a rational combination of molecular modeling simulations and virtual screening of new drugs has provided a cost-effective solution to an early-stage medicinal challenge. These results provide a promising technique to the development of new and innovative drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erika Seki Kioshima
- Department of Clinical Analysis and Biomedicine, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
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12
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Diller DJ, Connell ND, Welsh WJ. Avalanche for shape and feature-based virtual screening with 3D alignment. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2015; 29:1015-24. [PMID: 26458937 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-015-9875-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
This report introduces a new ligand-based virtual screening tool called Avalanche that incorporates both shape- and feature-based comparison with three-dimensional (3D) alignment between the query molecule and test compounds residing in a chemical database. Avalanche proceeds in two steps. The first step is an extremely rapid shape/feature based comparison which is used to narrow the focus from potentially millions or billions of candidate molecules and conformations to a more manageable number that are then passed to the second step. The second step is a detailed yet still rapid 3D alignment of the remaining candidate conformations to the query conformation. Using the 3D alignment, these remaining candidate conformations are scored, re-ranked and presented to the user as the top hits for further visualization and evaluation. To provide further insight into the method, the results from two prospective virtual screens are presented which show the ability of Avalanche to identify hits from chemical databases that would likely be missed by common substructure-based or fingerprint-based search methods. The Avalanche method is extended to enable patent landscaping, i.e., structural refinements to improve the patentability of hits for deployment in drug discovery campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Diller
- Snowdon, Inc., Princeton, NJ, 08540, USA.
- CMD Bioscience, 5 Science Park, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
| | - Nancy D Connell
- Department of Medicine, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - William J Welsh
- Department of Pharmacology, Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
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13
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Mortensen OV, Kortagere S. Designing modulators of monoamine transporters using virtual screening techniques. Front Pharmacol 2015; 6:223. [PMID: 26483692 PMCID: PMC4586420 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2015.00223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The plasma-membrane monoamine transporters (MATs), including the serotonin (SERT), norepinephrine (NET) and dopamine (DAT) transporters, serve a pivotal role in limiting monoamine-mediated neurotransmission through the reuptake of their respective monoamine neurotransmitters. The transporters are the main target of clinically used psychostimulants and antidepressants. Despite the availability of several potent and selective MAT substrates and inhibitors the continuing need for therapeutic drugs to treat brain disorders involving aberrant monoamine signaling provides a compelling reason to identify novel ways of targeting and modulating the MATs. Designing novel modulators of MAT function have been limited by the lack of three dimensional structure information of the individual MATs. However, crystal structures of LeuT, a bacterial homolog of MATs, in a substrate-bound occluded, substrate-free outward-open, and an apo inward-open state and also with competitive and non-competitive inhibitors have been determined. In addition, several structures of the Drosophila DAT have also been resolved. Together with computational modeling and experimental data gathered over the past decade, these structures have dramatically advanced our understanding of several aspects of SERT, NET, and DAT transporter function, including some of the molecular determinants of ligand interaction at orthosteric substrate and inhibitor binding pockets. In addition progress has been made in the understanding of how allosteric modulation of MAT function can be achieved. Here we will review all the efforts up to date that has been made through computational approaches employing structural models of MATs to design small molecule modulators to the orthosteric and allosteric sites using virtual screening techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole V Mortensen
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine , Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sandhya Kortagere
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine , Philadelphia, PA, USA
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14
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Min DK, Lee HS, Lee N, Lee CJ, Song HJ, Yang GE, Yoon D, Park SW. In silico Screening of Chemical Libraries to Develop Inhibitors That Hamper the Interaction of PCSK9 with the LDL Receptor. Yonsei Med J 2015; 56:1251-7. [PMID: 26256967 PMCID: PMC4541654 DOI: 10.3349/ymj.2015.56.5.1251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2014] [Revised: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) binds to the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and promotes degradation of the LDLR. Inhibition of PCSK9 either by reducing its expression or by blocking its activity results in the upregulation of the LDLR and subsequently lowers the plasma concentration of LDL-cholesterol. As a modality to inhibit PCSK9 action, we searched the chemical library for small molecules that block the binding of PCSK9 to the LDLR. MATERIALS AND METHODS We selected 100 chemicals that bind to PCSK9 where the EGF-AB fragment of the LDLR binds via in silico screening of the ChemBridge chemical library, using the computational GOLD algorithm analysis. Effects of chemicals were evaluated using the PCSK9-LDLR binding assay, immunoblot analysis, and the LDL-cholesterol uptake assay in vitro, as well as the fast performance liquid chromatography assay for plasma lipoproteins in vivo. RESULTS A set of chemicals were found that decreased the binding of PCSK9 to the EGF-AB fragment of the LDLR in a dose-dependent manner. They also increased the amount of the LDLR significantly and subsequently increased the uptake of fluorescence-labeled LDL in HepG2 cells. Additionally, one particular molecule lowered the plasma concentration of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol significantly in wild-type mice, while such an effect was not observed in Pcsk9 knockout mice. CONCLUSION Our findings strongly suggest that in silico screening of small molecules that inhibit the protein-protein interaction between PCSK9 and the LDLR is a potential modality for developing hypercholesterolemia therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Kook Min
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Genetic Science, Integrated Genomic Research Center for Metabolic Regulation, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyun-Sook Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Genetic Science, Integrated Genomic Research Center for Metabolic Regulation, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Narae Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Genetic Science, Integrated Genomic Research Center for Metabolic Regulation, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Chan Joo Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Genetic Science, Integrated Genomic Research Center for Metabolic Regulation, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyun Joo Song
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Genetic Science, Integrated Genomic Research Center for Metabolic Regulation, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ga Eul Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Genetic Science, Integrated Genomic Research Center for Metabolic Regulation, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Dojun Yoon
- Department of Biochemistry, Catholic Kwandong University College of Medicine, Gangneung, Korea
| | - Sahng Wook Park
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Genetic Science, Integrated Genomic Research Center for Metabolic Regulation, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
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15
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Spillman NJ, Kirk K. The malaria parasite cation ATPase PfATP4 and its role in the mechanism of action of a new arsenal of antimalarial drugs. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2015; 5:149-62. [PMID: 26401486 PMCID: PMC4559606 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2015.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2015] [Revised: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The intraerythrocytic malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, maintains a low cytosolic Na(+) concentration and the plasma membrane P-type cation translocating ATPase 'PfATP4' has been implicated as playing a key role in this process. PfATP4 has been the subject of significant attention in recent years as mutations in this protein confer resistance to a growing number of new antimalarial compounds, including the spiroindolones, the pyrazoles, the dihydroisoquinolones, and a number of the antimalarial agents in the Medicines for Malaria Venture's 'Malaria Box'. On exposure of parasites to these compounds there is a rapid disruption of cytosolic Na(+). Whether, and if so how, such chemically distinct compounds interact with PfATP4, and how such interactions lead to parasite death, is not yet clear. The fact that multiple different chemical classes have converged upon PfATP4 highlights its significance as a potential target for new generation antimalarial agents. A spiroindolone (KAE609, now known as cipargamin) has progressed through Phase I and IIa clinical trials with favourable results. In this review we consider the physiological role of PfATP4, summarise the current repertoire of antimalarial compounds for which PfATP4 is implicated in their mechanism of action, and provide an outlook on translation from target identification in the laboratory to patient treatment in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Jane Spillman
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia ; Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kiaran Kirk
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
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16
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Nemetski SM, Cardozo TJ, Bosch G, Weltzer R, O'Malley K, Ejigiri I, Kumar KA, Buscaglia CA, Nussenzweig V, Sinnis P, Levitskaya J, Bosch J. Inhibition by stabilization: targeting the Plasmodium falciparum aldolase-TRAP complex. Malar J 2015; 14:324. [PMID: 26289816 PMCID: PMC4545932 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-015-0834-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emerging resistance of the malaria parasite Plasmodium to current therapies underscores the critical importance of exploring novel strategies for disease eradication. Plasmodium species are obligate intracellular protozoan parasites. They rely on an unusual form of substrate-dependent motility for their migration on and across host-cell membranes and for host cell invasion. This peculiar motility mechanism is driven by the 'glideosome', an actin-myosin associated, macromolecular complex anchored to the inner membrane complex of the parasite. Myosin A, actin, aldolase, and thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (TRAP) constitute the molecular core of the glideosome in the sporozoite, the mosquito stage that brings the infection into mammals. METHODS Virtual library screening of a large compound library against the PfAldolase-TRAP complex was used to identify candidate compounds that stabilize and prevent the disassembly of the glideosome. The mechanism of these compounds was confirmed by biochemical, biophysical and parasitological methods. RESULTS A novel inhibitory effect on the parasite was achieved by stabilizing a protein-protein interaction within the glideosome components. Compound 24 disrupts the gliding and invasive capabilities of Plasmodium parasites in in vitro parasite assays. A high-resolution, ternary X-ray crystal structure of PfAldolase-TRAP in complex with compound 24 confirms the mode of interaction and serves as a platform for future ligand optimization. CONCLUSION This proof-of-concept study presents a novel approach to anti-malarial drug discovery and design. By strengthening a protein-protein interaction within the parasite, an avenue towards inhibiting a previously "undruggable" target is revealed and the motility motor responsible for successful invasion of host cells is rendered inactive. This study provides new insights into the malaria parasite cell invasion machinery and convincingly demonstrates that liver cell invasion is dramatically reduced by 95 % in the presence of the small molecule stabilizer compound 24.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sondra Maureen Nemetski
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, Phyllis and David Komansky Center for Children's Health, New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, USA.
| | - Timothy J Cardozo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA. .,Institute for Systems Genetics, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA.
| | - Gundula Bosch
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA. .,Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI), Baltimore, USA.
| | - Ryan Weltzer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA. .,Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI), Baltimore, USA.
| | - Kevin O'Malley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA. .,Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI), Baltimore, USA.
| | - Ijeoma Ejigiri
- Department of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA.
| | - Kota Arun Kumar
- Michael Heidelberg Division of Pathology of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA. .,Department of Animal Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India.
| | - Carlos A Buscaglia
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (IIB-INTECH), Universidad Nacional de General San Martín-CONICET, 1650, San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Victor Nussenzweig
- Michael Heidelberg Division of Pathology of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA.
| | - Photini Sinnis
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA. .,Department of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, USA. .,Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI), Baltimore, USA.
| | - Jelena Levitskaya
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA. .,Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI), Baltimore, USA.
| | - Jürgen Bosch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA. .,Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI), Baltimore, USA.
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17
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Kumpula EP, Kursula I. Towards a molecular understanding of the apicomplexan actin motor: on a road to novel targets for malaria remedies? Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2015; 71:500-13. [PMID: 25945702 PMCID: PMC4427158 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x1500391x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites are the causative agents of notorious human and animal diseases that give rise to considerable human suffering and economic losses worldwide. The most prominent parasites of this phylum are the malaria-causing Plasmodium species, which are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, and Toxoplasma gondii, which infects one third of the world's population. These parasites share a common form of gliding motility which relies on an actin-myosin motor. The components of this motor and the actin-regulatory proteins in Apicomplexa have unique features compared with all other eukaryotes. This, together with the crucial roles of these proteins, makes them attractive targets for structure-based drug design. In recent years, several structures of glideosome components, in particular of actins and actin regulators from apicomplexan parasites, have been determined, which will hopefully soon allow the creation of a complete molecular picture of the parasite actin-myosin motor and its regulatory machinery. Here, current knowledge of the function of this motor is reviewed from a structural perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esa-Pekka Kumpula
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- German Electron Synchrotron, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Inari Kursula
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- German Electron Synchrotron, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009 Bergen, Norway
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18
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Abstract
The apicomplexan family of pathogens, which includes Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii, are primarily obligate intracellular parasites and invade multiple cell types. These parasites express extracellular membrane protein receptors, adhesins, to form specific pathogen-host cell interaction complexes. Various adhesins are used to invade a variety of cell types. The receptors are linked to an actomyosin motor, which is part of a complex comprised of many proteins known as the invasion machinery or glideosome. To date, reviews on invasion have focused primarily on the molecular pathways and signals of invasion, with little or no structural information presented. Over 75 structures of parasite receptors and glideosome proteins have been deposited with the Protein Data Bank. These structures include adhesins, motor proteins, bridging proteins, inner membrane complex and cytoskeletal proteins, as well as co-crystal structures with peptides and antibodies. These structures provide information regarding key interactions necessary for target receptor engagement, machinery complex formation, how force is transmitted, and the basis of inhibitory antibodies. Additionally, these structures can provide starting points for the development of antibodies and inhibitory molecules targeting protein-protein interactions, with the aim to inhibit invasion. This review provides an overview of the parasite adhesin protein families, the glideosome components, glideosome architecture, and discuss recent work regarding alternative models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Boucher
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Jürgen Bosch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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19
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Flannery EL, McNamara CW, Kim SW, Kato TS, Li F, Teng CH, Gagaring K, Manary MJ, Barboa R, Meister S, Kuhen K, Vinetz JM, Chatterjee AK, Winzeler EA. Mutations in the P-type cation-transporter ATPase 4, PfATP4, mediate resistance to both aminopyrazole and spiroindolone antimalarials. ACS Chem Biol 2015; 10:413-20. [PMID: 25322084 PMCID: PMC4340351 DOI: 10.1021/cb500616x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Aminopyrazoles are a new class of
antimalarial compounds identified
in a cellular antiparasitic screen with potent activity against Plasmodium falciparum asexual and sexual stage parasites.
To investigate their unknown mechanism of action and thus identify
their target, we cultured parasites in the presence of a representative
member of the aminopyrazole series, GNF-Pf4492, to select for resistance.
Whole genome sequencing of three resistant lines showed that each
had acquired independent mutations in a P-type cation-transporter
ATPase, PfATP4 (PF3D7_1211900), a protein implicated as the novel Plasmodium spp. target of another, structurally unrelated,
class of antimalarials called the spiroindolones and characterized
as an important sodium transporter of the cell. Similarly to the spiroindolones,
GNF-Pf4492 blocks parasite transmission to mosquitoes and disrupts
intracellular sodium homeostasis. Our data demonstrate that PfATP4
plays a critical role in cellular processes, can be inhibited by two
distinct antimalarial pharmacophores, and supports the recent observations
that PfATP4 is a critical antimalarial target.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Case W. McNamara
- The Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | | | - Tomoyo Sakata Kato
- The Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | | | | | - Kerstin Gagaring
- The Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | | | - Rachel Barboa
- The Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | | | - Kelli Kuhen
- The Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | | | - Arnab K. Chatterjee
- The Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, San Diego, California 92121, United States
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20
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Douse CH, Vrielink N, Wenlin Z, Cota E, Tate EW. Targeting a dynamic protein-protein interaction: fragment screening against the malaria myosin A motor complex. ChemMedChem 2015; 10:134-43. [PMID: 25367834 PMCID: PMC4506568 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201402357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Motility is a vital feature of the complex life cycle of Plasmodium falciparum, the apicomplexan parasite that causes human malaria. Processes such as host cell invasion are thought to be powered by a conserved actomyosin motor (containing myosin A or myoA), correct localization of which is dependent on a tight interaction with myosin A tail domain interacting protein (MTIP) at the inner membrane of the parasite. Although disruption of this protein-protein interaction represents an attractive means to investigate the putative roles of myoA-based motility and to inhibit the parasitic life cycle, no small molecules have been identified that bind to MTIP. Furthermore, it has not been possible to obtain a crystal structure of the free protein, which is highly dynamic and unstable in the absence of its natural myoA tail partner. Herein we report the de novo identification of the first molecules that bind to and stabilize MTIP via a fragment-based, integrated biophysical approach and structural investigations to examine the binding modes of hit compounds. The challenges of targeting such a dynamic system with traditional fragment screening workflows are addressed throughout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H Douse
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, South KensingtonLondon SW7 2AZ (UK) E-mail:
- Centre for Structural Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonSouth Kensington, London SW7 2AZ (UK)
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College LondonSouth Kensington, London SW7 2AZ (UK)
| | - Nina Vrielink
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, South KensingtonLondon SW7 2AZ (UK) E-mail:
| | - Zhang Wenlin
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, South KensingtonLondon SW7 2AZ (UK) E-mail:
| | - Ernesto Cota
- Centre for Structural Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonSouth Kensington, London SW7 2AZ (UK)
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College LondonSouth Kensington, London SW7 2AZ (UK)
| | - Edward W Tate
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, South KensingtonLondon SW7 2AZ (UK) E-mail:
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College LondonSouth Kensington, London SW7 2AZ (UK)
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21
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Vaidya AB, Morrisey JM, Zhang Z, Das S, Daly TM, Otto TD, Spillman NJ, Wyvratt M, Siegl P, Marfurt J, Wirjanata G, Sebayang BF, Price RN, Chatterjee A, Nagle A, Stasiak M, Charman SA, Angulo-Barturen I, Ferrer S, Belén Jiménez-Díaz M, Martínez MS, Gamo FJ, Avery VM, Ruecker A, Delves M, Kirk K, Berriman M, Kortagere S, Burrows J, Fan E, Bergman LW. Pyrazoleamide compounds are potent antimalarials that target Na+ homeostasis in intraerythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5521. [PMID: 25422853 PMCID: PMC4263321 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2014] [Accepted: 10/09/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The quest for new antimalarial drugs, especially those with novel modes of action, is essential in the face of emerging drug-resistant parasites. Here we describe a new chemical class of molecules, pyrazoleamides, with potent activity against human malaria parasites and showing remarkably rapid parasite clearance in an in vivo model. Investigations involving pyrazoleamide-resistant parasites, whole-genome sequencing and gene transfers reveal that mutations in two proteins, a calcium-dependent protein kinase (PfCDPK5) and a P-type cation-ATPase (PfATP4), are necessary to impart full resistance to these compounds. A pyrazoleamide compound causes a rapid disruption of Na+ regulation in blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Similar effect on Na+ homeostasis was recently reported for spiroindolones, which are antimalarials of a chemical class quite distinct from pyrazoleamides. Our results reveal that disruption of Na+ homeostasis in malaria parasites is a promising mode of antimalarial action mediated by at least two distinct chemical classes. Novel antimalarial drugs are urgently needed to combat parasite drug resistance. Here, Vaidya et al. describe a new chemical class of potent antimalarial compounds that act by disrupting the parasite's sodium homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akhil B Vaidya
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 190129, USA
| | - Joanne M Morrisey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 190129, USA
| | - Zhongsheng Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Box 357350, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Sudipta Das
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 190129, USA
| | - Thomas M Daly
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 190129, USA
| | - Thomas D Otto
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB101SA, UK
| | - Natalie J Spillman
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
| | - Matthew Wyvratt
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, PO Box 1826, 20Rt de Pr-Bois, Geneva 15 1215, Switzerland
| | - Peter Siegl
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, PO Box 1826, 20Rt de Pr-Bois, Geneva 15 1215, Switzerland
| | - Jutta Marfurt
- Division of Global and Tropical Health, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, PO Box 41096, Casuarina, Northern Territory 0811, Australia
| | - Grennady Wirjanata
- Division of Global and Tropical Health, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, PO Box 41096, Casuarina, Northern Territory 0811, Australia
| | - Boni F Sebayang
- Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, Jl. Diponegoro 69, Jakarta 10430, Indonesia
| | - Ric N Price
- 1] Division of Global and Tropical Health, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, PO Box 41096, Casuarina, Northern Territory 0811, Australia [2] Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LJ, UK
| | - Arnab Chatterjee
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Advait Nagle
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA
| | - Marcin Stasiak
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Box 357350, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Susan A Charman
- Center for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Iñigo Angulo-Barturen
- GlaxoSmithKline, Malaria Support Group, Calle Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos 28760, Spain
| | - Santiago Ferrer
- GlaxoSmithKline, Malaria Support Group, Calle Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos 28760, Spain
| | | | - María Santos Martínez
- GlaxoSmithKline, Malaria Support Group, Calle Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos 28760, Spain
| | - Francisco Javier Gamo
- GlaxoSmithKline, Malaria Support Group, Calle Severo Ochoa 2, Tres Cantos 28760, Spain
| | - Vicky M Avery
- Eskitis Institute, Griffith University, Don Young Road, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia
| | - Andrea Ruecker
- Department of Life Sciences, South Kensington Campus, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Michael Delves
- Department of Life Sciences, South Kensington Campus, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Kiaran Kirk
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
| | | | - Sandhya Kortagere
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 190129, USA
| | - Jeremy Burrows
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, PO Box 1826, 20Rt de Pr-Bois, Geneva 15 1215, Switzerland
| | - Erkang Fan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Box 357350, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Lawrence W Bergman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Molecular Parasitology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 190129, USA
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Abstract
Despite a century of control and eradication campaigns, malaria remains one of the world's most devastating diseases. Our once-powerful therapeutic weapons are losing the war against the Plasmodium parasite, whose ability to rapidly develop and spread drug resistance hamper past and present malaria-control efforts. Finding new and effective treatments for malaria is now a top global health priority, fuelling an increase in funding and promoting open-source collaborations between researchers and pharmaceutical consortia around the world. The result of this is rapid advances in drug discovery approaches and technologies, with three major methods for antimalarial drug development emerging: (i) chemistry-based, (ii) target-based, and (iii) cell-based. Common to all three of these approaches is the unique ability of structural biology to inform and accelerate drug development. Where possible, SBDD (structure-based drug discovery) is a foundation for antimalarial drug development programmes, and has been invaluable to the development of a number of current pre-clinical and clinical candidates. However, as we expand our understanding of the malarial life cycle and mechanisms of resistance development, SBDD as a field must continue to evolve in order to develop compounds that adhere to the ideal characteristics for novel antimalarial therapeutics and to avoid high attrition rates pre- and post-clinic. In the present review, we aim to examine the contribution that SBDD has made to current antimalarial drug development efforts, covering hit discovery to lead optimization and prevention of parasite resistance. Finally, the potential for structural biology, particularly high-throughput structural genomics programmes, to identify future targets for drug discovery are discussed.
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Falchi F, Caporuscio F, Recanatini M. Structure-based design of small-molecule protein–protein interaction modulators: the story so far. Future Med Chem 2014; 6:343-57. [DOI: 10.4155/fmc.13.204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
As the pivotal role of protein–protein interactions in cell growth, transcriptional activity, intracellular trafficking, signal transduction and pathological conditions has been assessed, experimental and in silico strategies have been developed to design protein–protein interaction modulators. State-of-the-art structure-based design methods, mainly pharmacophore modeling and docking, which have succeeded in the identification of enzyme inhibitors, receptor agonists and antagonists, and new tools specifically conceived to target protein–protein interfaces (e.g., hot-spot and druggable pocket prediction methods) have been applied in the search for small-molecule protein–protein interaction modulators. Many successful applications of structure-based design approaches that, despite the challenge of targeting protein–protein interfaces with small molecules, have led to the identification of micromolar and submicromolar hits are reviewed here.
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Der Torossian Torres M, Silva AF, Alves FL, Capurro ML, Miranda A, Oliveira Junior VX. The Importance of Ring Size and Position for the Antiplasmodial Activity of Angiotensin II Restricted Analogs. Int J Pept Res Ther 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-014-9392-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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25
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Abstract
Malaria elimination has recently been reinstated as a global health priority but current therapies seem to be insufficient for the task. Elimination efforts require new drug classes that alleviate symptoms, prevent transmission and provide a radical cure. To develop these next-generation medicines, public-private partnerships are funding innovative approaches to identify compounds that target multiple parasite species at multiple stages of the parasite life cycle. In this Review, we discuss the cell-, chemistry- and target-based approaches used to discover new drug candidates that are currently in clinical trials or undergoing preclinical testing.
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Bhargav SP, Vahokoski J, Kumpula EP, Kursula I. Crystallization and preliminary structural characterization of the two actin isoforms of the malaria parasite. Acta Crystallogr Sect F Struct Biol Cryst Commun 2013; 69:1171-6. [PMID: 24100575 PMCID: PMC3792683 DOI: 10.1107/s174430911302441x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2013] [Accepted: 09/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is a devastating disease caused by apicomplexan parasites of the genus Plasmodium that use a divergent actin-powered molecular motor for motility and invasion. Plasmodium actin differs from canonical actins in sequence, structure and function. Here, the purification, crystallization and secondary-structure analysis of the two Plasmodium actin isoforms are presented. The recombinant parasite actins were folded and could be purified to homogeneity. Plasmodium actins I and II were crystallized in complex with the gelsolin G1 domain; the crystals diffracted to resolutions of 1.19 and 2.2 Å and belonged to space groups P2₁2₁2₁ and P2₁, respectively, each with one complex in the asymmetric unit.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juha Vahokoski
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Esa-Pekka Kumpula
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and German Electron Synchrotron (DESY), Building 25b, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Inari Kursula
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and German Electron Synchrotron (DESY), Building 25b, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
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Turley S, Khamrui S, Bergman LW, Hol WG. The compact conformation of the Plasmodium knowlesi myosin tail interacting protein MTIP in complex with the C-terminal helix of myosin A. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2013; 190:56-9. [PMID: 23831369 PMCID: PMC3910325 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2013.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2013] [Revised: 06/18/2013] [Accepted: 06/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The myosin motor of the malaria parasite's invasion machinery moves over actin fibers while it is making critical contacts with the myosin-tail interacting protein (MTIP). Previously, in a "compact" Plasmodium falciparum MTIP•MyoA complex, MTIP domains 2 (D2) and 3 (D3) make contacts with the MyoA helix, and the central helix is kinked, but in an "extended" Plasmodium knowlesi MTIP•MyoA complex only D3 interacts with the MyoA helix, and the central helix is fully extended. Here we report the crystal structure of the compact P. knowlesi MTIP•MyoA complex. It appears that, depending on the pH, P. knowlesi MTIP can adopt either the compact or the extended conformation to interact with MyoA. Only at pH values above ~7.0, can key hydrogen bonds can be formed by the imidazole group of MyoA His810 with an aspartate carboxylate from the hinge of MTIP and a lysine amino group of MyoA simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stewart Turley
- Department of Biochemistry, Biomolecular Structure Center, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Susmita Khamrui
- Department of Biochemistry, Biomolecular Structure Center, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Lawrence W. Bergman
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Wim G.J. Hol
- Department of Biochemistry, Biomolecular Structure Center, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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Kortagere S, Fontana ACK, Rose DR, Mortensen OV. Identification of an allosteric modulator of the serotonin transporter with novel mechanism of action. Neuropharmacology 2013; 72:282-90. [PMID: 23632081 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2012] [Revised: 03/22/2013] [Accepted: 04/15/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Serotonin transporters (SERTs) play an essential role in the termination and regulation of serotonin signaling in the brain. SERT is also the target of antidepressants and psychostimulants. Molecules with novel activities and modes of interaction with regard to SERT function are of great scientific and clinical interest. We explored structural regions outside the putative serotonin translocation pathway to identify potential binding sites for allosteric transporter modulators (ATMs). Mutational studies revealed a pocket of amino acids outside the orthosteric substrate binding sites located in the interface between extracellular loops 1 and 3 that when mutated affect transporter function. Using the structure of the bacterial transporter homolog leucine transporter as a template, we developed a structural model of SERT. We performed molecular dynamics simulations to further characterize the allosteric pocket that was identified by site-directed mutagenesis studies and employed this pocket in a virtual screen for small-molecule modulators of SERT function. In functional transport assays, we found that one of the identified molecules, ATM7, increased the reuptake of serotonin, possibly by facilitating the interaction of serotonin with transport-ready conformations of SERT when concentrations of serotonin were low and rate limiting. In addition, ATM7 potentiates 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA, "Ecstasy")-induced reversed transport by SERT. Taking advantage of a conformationally sensitive residue in transmembrane domain 6, we demonstrate that ATM7 mechanistically stabilizes an outward-facing conformation of SERT. Taken together these observations demonstrate that ATM7 acts through a novel mechanism that involves allosteric modulation of SERT function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandhya Kortagere
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA.
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Marques AF, Esser D, Rosenthal PJ, Kassack MU, Lima LMTR. Falcipain-2 inhibition by suramin and suramin analogues. Bioorg Med Chem 2013; 21:3667-73. [PMID: 23680445 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2013.04.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2013] [Revised: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 04/17/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Falcipain-2 is a cysteine protease of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum that plays a key role in the hydrolysis of hemoglobin, a process that is required by intraerythrocytic parasites to obtain amino acids. In this work we show that the polysulfonated napthylurea suramin is capable of binding to falcipain-2, inhibiting its catalytic activity at nanomolar concentrations against both synthetic substrates and the natural substrate hemoglobin. Kinetic measurements suggest that the inhibition occurs through an noncompetitive allosteric mechanism, eliciting substrate inhibition. Smaller suramin analogues and those with substituted methyl groups also showed inhibition within the nanomolar range. Our results identify the suramin family as a potential starting point for the design of falcipain-2 inhibitor antimalarials that act through a novel inhibition mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Fonseca Marques
- Laboratory for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, CCS, Bss34, Ilha do Fundão, 21941-590 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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Aguiar ACC, Rocha EMMD, Souza NBD, França TCC, Krettli AU. New approaches in antimalarial drug discovery and development: a review. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2012; 107:831-45. [DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02762012000700001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2012] [Accepted: 08/16/2012] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Toxoplasma gondii, the agent that causes toxoplasmosis, is an opportunistic parasite that infects many mammalian species. It is an obligate intracellular parasite that causes severe congenital neurological and ocular disease mostly in immunocompromised humans. The current regimen of therapy includes only a few medications that often lead to hypersensitivity and toxicity. In addition, there are no vaccines available to prevent the transmission of this agent. Therefore, safer and more effective medicines to treat toxoplasmosis are urgently needed. AREAS COVERED The author presents in silico and in vitro strategies that are currently used to screen for novel targets and unique chemotypes against T. gondii. Furthermore, this review highlights the screening technologies and characterization of some novel targets and new chemical entities that could be developed into highly efficacious treatments for toxoplasmosis. EXPERT OPINION A number of diverse methods are being used to design inhibitors against T. gondii. These include ligand-based methods, in which drugs that have been shown to be efficacious against other Apicomplexa parasites can be repurposed to identify lead molecules against T. gondii. In addition, structure-based methods use currently available repertoire of structural information in various databases to rationally design small-molecule inhibitors of T. gondii. Whereas the screening methods have their advantages and limitations, a combination of methods is ideally suited to design small-molecule inhibitors of complex parasites such as T. gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandhya Kortagere
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Institute for Molecular Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, 2900, Queen Lane, PA 19129, USA.
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Douse CH, Green JL, Salgado PS, Simpson PJ, Thomas JC, Langsley G, Holder AA, Tate EW, Cota E. Regulation of the Plasmodium motor complex: phosphorylation of myosin A tail-interacting protein (MTIP) loosens its grip on MyoA. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:36968-77. [PMID: 22932904 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.379842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction between the C-terminal tail of myosin A (MyoA) and its light chain, myosin A tail domain interacting protein (MTIP), is an essential feature of the conserved molecular machinery required for gliding motility and cell invasion by apicomplexan parasites. Recent data indicate that MTIP Ser-107 and/or Ser-108 are targeted for intracellular phosphorylation. Using an optimized MyoA tail peptide to reconstitute the complex, we show that this region of MTIP is an interaction hotspot using x-ray crystallography and NMR, and S107E and S108E mutants were generated to mimic the effect of phosphorylation. NMR relaxation experiments and other biophysical measurements indicate that the S108E mutation serves to break the tight clamp around the MyoA tail, whereas S107E has a smaller but measurable impact. These data are consistent with physical interactions observed between recombinant MTIP and native MyoA from Plasmodium falciparum lysates. Taken together these data support the notion that the conserved interactions between MTIP and MyoA may be specifically modulated by this post-translational modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H Douse
- Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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Nayak M, Batchu H, Batra S. Straightforward copper-catalyzed synthesis of pyrrolopyrazoles from halogenated pyrazolecarbaldehydes. Tetrahedron Lett 2012; 53:4206-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2012.05.148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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Nayak M, Batra S. Synthesis of Diverse Fused Pyrazoles through Palladium-Mediated Heteroarylation of Heteroarene C-H Bonds. European J Org Chem 2012. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.201200401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Bosch J, Paige MH, Vaidya AB, Bergman LW, Hol WGJ. Crystal structure of GAP50, the anchor of the invasion machinery in the inner membrane complex of Plasmodium falciparum. J Struct Biol 2012; 178:61-73. [PMID: 22387043 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2012.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2011] [Revised: 02/08/2012] [Accepted: 02/10/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The glideosome associated protein GAP50 is an essential protein in apicomplexan parasites such as Plasmodium, Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium, several species of which are important human pathogens. The 44.6kDa protein is part of a multi-protein complex known as the invasion machinery or glideosome, which is required for cell invasion and substrate gliding motility empowered by an actin-myosin motor. GAP50 is anchored through its C-terminal transmembrane helix into the inner membrane complex and interacts via a short six residue C-terminal tail with other proteins of the invasion machinery in the pellicle of the parasite. In this paper we describe the 1.7Å resolution crystal structure of the soluble GAP50 domain from the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The structure shows an αßßα fold with overall similarity to purple acid phosphatases with, however, little homology regarding the nature of the residues in the active site region of the latter enzyme. While purple acid phosphatases contain a phosphate bridged binuclear Fe-site coordinated by seven side chains with the Fe-ions 3.2Å apart, GAP50 in our crystals contains two cobalt ions each with one protein ligand and a distance between the Co(2+) ions of 18Å.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Bosch
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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36
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Abstract
Over the past two decades computational methods have eased up the financial and experimental burden of early drug discovery process. The in silico methods have provided support in terms of databases, data mining of large genomes, network analysis, systems biology on the bioinformatics front and structure-activity relationship, similarity analysis, docking, and pharmacophore methods for lead design and optimization. This review highlights some of the applications of bioinformatics and chemoinformatics methods that have enriched the field of drug discovery. In addition, the review also provided insights into the use of free energy perturbation methods for efficiently computing binding energy. These in silico methods are complementary and can be easily integrated into the traditional in vitro and in vivo methods to test pharmacological hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandhya Kortagere
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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37
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Nayak M, Batra S. Synthesis of substituted pyrazolo[4,3-b]pyridines via copper-mediated intramolecular C–N cross-coupling of primary allylamines. RSC Adv 2012. [DOI: 10.1039/c2ra01170k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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38
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39
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Nam TG, McNamara CW, Bopp S, Dharia NV, Meister S, Bonamy GMC, Plouffe DM, Kato N, McCormack S, Bursulaya B, Ke H, Vaidya AB, Schultz PG, Winzeler EA. A chemical genomic analysis of decoquinate, a Plasmodium falciparum cytochrome b inhibitor. ACS Chem Biol 2011; 6:1214-22. [PMID: 21866942 PMCID: PMC3220786 DOI: 10.1021/cb200105d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
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Decoquinate has single-digit nanomolar activity against in vitro blood stage Plasmodium falciparum parasites, the causative agent of human malaria. In vitro evolution of decoquinate-resistant parasites and subsequent comparative genomic analysis to the drug-sensitive parental strain revealed resistance was conferred by two nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms in the gene encoding cytochrome b. The resultant amino acid mutations, A122T and Y126C, reside within helix C in the ubiquinol-binding pocket of cytochrome b, an essential subunit of the cytochrome bc1 complex. As with other cytochrome bc1 inhibitors, such as atovaquone, decoquinate has low nanomolar activity against in vitro liver stage P. yoelii and provides partial prophylaxis protection when administered to infected mice at 50 mg kg–1. In addition, transgenic parasites expressing yeast dihydroorotate dehydrogenase are >200-fold less sensitive to decoquinate, which provides additional evidence that this drug inhibits the parasite’s mitochondrial electron transport chain. Importantly, decoquinate exhibits limited cross-resistance to a panel of atovaquone-resistant parasites evolved to harbor various mutations in cytochrome b. The basis for this difference was revealed by molecular docking studies, in which both of these inhibitors were shown to have distinctly different modes of binding within the ubiquinol-binding site of cytochrome b.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Case W. McNamara
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | | | | | | | - Ghislain M. C. Bonamy
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - David M. Plouffe
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Nobutaka Kato
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Susan McCormack
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Badry Bursulaya
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Hangjun Ke
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129, United States
| | - Akhil B. Vaidya
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129, United States
| | - Peter G. Schultz
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Elizabeth A. Winzeler
- Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, 10675 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, California 92121, United States
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40
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Rodrigues T, Moreira R, Gut J, Rosenthal PJ, O Neill PM, Biagini GA, Lopes F, dos Santos DJVA, Guedes RC. Identification of new antimalarial leads by use of virtual screening against cytochrome bc₁. Bioorg Med Chem 2011; 19:6302-8. [PMID: 21958736 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2011.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2011] [Revised: 08/31/2011] [Accepted: 09/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Cytochrome bc(1) is a validated drug target in malaria parasites. The spread of Plasmodium falciparum strains resistant to multiple antimalarials emphasizes the urgent need for new drugs. We screened in silico the ZINC and MOE databases, using ligand- and structure-based approaches, to identify new leads for development. The most active compound presented an IC(50) value against cultured P. falciparum of 2 μM and a docking pose consistent with its activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Rodrigues
- Research Institute for Medicines and Pharmaceutical Sciences (iMed.UL), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-019 Lisbon, Portugal
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41
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Ferreira RS, Guido RVC, Andricopulo AD, Oliva G. In silicoscreening strategies for novel inhibitors of parasitic diseases. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2011; 6:481-9. [DOI: 10.1517/17460441.2011.563297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Kortagere S, Mui E, Mcleod R, Welsh WJ. Rapid discovery of inhibitors of Toxoplasma gondii using hybrid structure-based computational approach. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2011; 25:403-11. [DOI: 10.1007/s10822-011-9420-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2010] [Accepted: 02/16/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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