1
|
Maher SP, Bakowski MA, Vantaux A, Flannery EL, Andolina C, Gupta M, Antonova-Koch Y, Argomaniz M, Cabrera-Mora M, Campo B, Chao AT, Chatterjee AK, Cheng WT, Chuenchob E, Cooper CA, Cottier K, Galinski MR, Harupa-Chung A, Ji H, Joseph SB, Lenz T, Lonardi S, Matheson J, Mikolajczak SA, Moeller T, Orban A, Padín-Irizarry V, Pan K, Péneau J, Prudhomme J, Roesch C, Ruberto AA, Sabnis SS, Saney CL, Sattabongkot J, Sereshki S, Suriyakan S, Ubalee R, Wang Y, Wasisakun P, Yin J, Popovici J, McNamara CW, Joyner CJ, Nosten F, Witkowski B, Le Roch KG, Kyle DE. A Drug Repurposing Approach Reveals Targetable Epigenetic Pathways in Plasmodium vivax Hypnozoites. bioRxiv 2024:2023.01.31.526483. [PMID: 36778461 PMCID: PMC9915689 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.31.526483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Radical cure of Plasmodium vivax malaria must include elimination of quiescent 'hypnozoite' forms in the liver; however, the only FDA-approved treatments are contraindicated in many vulnerable populations. To identify new drugs and drug targets for hypnozoites, we screened the Repurposing, Focused Rescue, and Accelerated Medchem (ReFRAME) library and a collection of epigenetic inhibitors against P. vivax liver stages. From both libraries, we identified inhibitors targeting epigenetics pathways as selectively active against P. vivax and P. cynomolgi hypnozoites. These include DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitors as well as several inhibitors targeting histone post-translational modifications. Immunofluorescence staining of Plasmodium liver forms showed strong nuclear 5-methylcystosine signal, indicating liver stage parasite DNA is methylated. Using bisulfite sequencing, we mapped genomic DNA methylation in sporozoites, revealing DNA methylation signals in most coding genes. We also demonstrated that methylation level in proximal promoter regions as well as in the first exon of the genes may affect, at least partially, gene expression in P. vivax. The importance of selective inhibitors targeting epigenetic features on hypnozoites was validated using MMV019721, an acetyl-CoA synthetase inhibitor that affects histone acetylation and was previously reported as active against P. falciparum blood stages. In summary, our data indicate that several epigenetic mechanisms are likely modulating hypnozoite formation or persistence and provide an avenue for the discovery and development of improved radical cure antimalarials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S. P. Maher
- Center for Tropical & Emerging Global Disease, University of Georgia; Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - M. A. Bakowski
- Calibr, a division of The Scripps Research Institute; La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - A. Vantaux
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institute Pasteur of Cambodia; Phnom Penh, 120 210, Cambodia
| | - E. L. Flannery
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research; Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
| | - C. Andolina
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit; Mae Sot, Tak, 63110, Thailand
| | - M. Gupta
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California; Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Y. Antonova-Koch
- Calibr, a division of The Scripps Research Institute; La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - M. Argomaniz
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia; Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - M. Cabrera-Mora
- International Center for Malaria Research, Education and Development, Emory Vaccine Center, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University; Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - B. Campo
- Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV); Geneva, 1215, Switzerland
| | - A. T. Chao
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research; Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
| | - A. K. Chatterjee
- Calibr, a division of The Scripps Research Institute; La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - W. T. Cheng
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia; Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - E. Chuenchob
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research; Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
| | - C. A. Cooper
- Center for Tropical & Emerging Global Disease, University of Georgia; Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | | | - M. R. Galinski
- International Center for Malaria Research, Education and Development, Emory Vaccine Center, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University; Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University; Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - A. Harupa-Chung
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research; Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
| | - H. Ji
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia; Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - S. B. Joseph
- Calibr, a division of The Scripps Research Institute; La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - T. Lenz
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California; Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - S. Lonardi
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California; Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - J. Matheson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago; Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
| | - S. A. Mikolajczak
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research; Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
| | | | - A. Orban
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institute Pasteur of Cambodia; Phnom Penh, 120 210, Cambodia
| | - V. Padín-Irizarry
- Center for Tropical & Emerging Global Disease, University of Georgia; Athens, GA, 30602, USA
- School of Sciences, Clayton State University; Morrow, GA, 30260, USA
| | - K. Pan
- Calibr, a division of The Scripps Research Institute; La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - J. Péneau
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institute Pasteur of Cambodia; Phnom Penh, 120 210, Cambodia
| | - J. Prudhomme
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California; Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - C. Roesch
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institute Pasteur of Cambodia; Phnom Penh, 120 210, Cambodia
| | - A. A. Ruberto
- Center for Tropical & Emerging Global Disease, University of Georgia; Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - S. S. Sabnis
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia; Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - C. L. Saney
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia; Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - J. Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Mahidol University; Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - S. Sereshki
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California; Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - S. Suriyakan
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit; Mae Sot, Tak, 63110, Thailand
| | - R. Ubalee
- Department of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (AFRIMS); Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Y. Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California; Riverside, CA, 92521
- Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program, University of California; Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - P. Wasisakun
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit; Mae Sot, Tak, 63110, Thailand
| | - J. Yin
- Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program, University of California; Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - J. Popovici
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institute Pasteur of Cambodia; Phnom Penh, 120 210, Cambodia
| | - C. W. McNamara
- Calibr, a division of The Scripps Research Institute; La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - C. J. Joyner
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia; Athens, GA, 30602, USA
- International Center for Malaria Research, Education and Development, Emory Vaccine Center, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University; Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - F. Nosten
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit; Mae Sot, Tak, 63110, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford; Oxford, OX3 7LG, UK
| | - B. Witkowski
- Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institute Pasteur of Cambodia; Phnom Penh, 120 210, Cambodia
| | - K. G. Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Systems Biology, University of California; Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - D. E. Kyle
- Center for Tropical & Emerging Global Disease, University of Georgia; Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| |
Collapse
|