1
|
Schalkwijk J, Allman EL, Jansen PAM, de Vries LE, Verhoef JMJ, Jackowski S, Botman PNM, Beuckens-Schortinghuis CA, Koolen KMJ, Bolscher JM, Vos MW, Miller K, Reeves SA, Pett H, Trevitt G, Wittlin S, Scheurer C, Sax S, Fischli C, Angulo-Barturen I, Jiménez-Diaz MB, Josling G, Kooij TWA, Bonnert R, Campo B, Blaauw RH, Rutjes FPJT, Sauerwein RW, Llinás M, Hermkens PHH, Dechering KJ. Antimalarial pantothenamide metabolites target acetyl-coenzyme A biosynthesis in Plasmodium falciparum. Sci Transl Med 2020; 11:11/510/eaas9917. [PMID: 31534021 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aas9917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Malaria eradication is critically dependent on new therapeutics that target resistant Plasmodium parasites and block transmission of the disease. Here, we report that pantothenamide bioisosteres were active against blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum parasites and also blocked transmission of sexual stages to the mosquito vector. These compounds were resistant to degradation by serum pantetheinases, showed favorable pharmacokinetic properties, and cleared parasites in a humanized mouse model of P. falciparum infection. Metabolomics revealed that coenzyme A biosynthetic enzymes converted pantothenamides into coenzyme A analogs that interfered with parasite acetyl-coenzyme A anabolism. Resistant parasites generated in vitro showed mutations in acetyl-coenzyme A synthetase and acyl-coenzyme A synthetase 11. Introduction and reversion of these mutations in P. falciparum using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing confirmed the roles of these enzymes in the sensitivity of the malaria parasites to pantothenamides. These pantothenamide compounds with a new mode of action may have potential as drugs against malaria parasites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joost Schalkwijk
- Department of Dermatology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
| | - Erik L Allman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Patrick A M Jansen
- Department of Dermatology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Laura E de Vries
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Julie M J Verhoef
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Karen Miller
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Stacy A Reeves
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Helmi Pett
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | | | - Sergio Wittlin
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian Scheurer
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sibylle Sax
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Fischli
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Gabrielle Josling
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Taco W A Kooij
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | | | - Brice Campo
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Robert W Sauerwein
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,TropIQ Health Sciences, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA.,Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|