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Song Q, Han S, Hu S, Xu Y, Zuo K. The Verticillium dahliae effector VdPHB1 promotes pathogenicity in cotton and interacts with the immune protein GhMC4. Plant Cell Physiol 2024:pcae043. [PMID: 38619117 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcae043] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Verticillium dahliae is a kind of pathogenic fungus that brings about wilt disease and great losses in cotton. The molecular mechanism of the effectors in V. dahliae regulating cotton immunity remains largely unknown. Here we identified an effector of V. dahliae, VdPHB1, whose gene expression is highly induced by infection. VdPHB1 protein is localized in the intercellular space of cotton plants. Knockout VdPHB1 gene in V. dahliae had no effect on pathogen growth, but decreased the virulence in cotton. VdPHB1 ectopically expressed Arabidopsis plants were growth-inhibited and significantly susceptible to V. dahliae. Further, VdPHB1 interacted with the type II metacaspase GhMC4. GhMC4 gene silenced cotton plants were more sensitive to V. dahliae with reduced expressions of pathogen defense-related and programmed cell death genes. The accumulation of GhMC4 protein were concurrently repressed when VdPHB1 protein expressed during infection. In summary, these results revealed a novel molecular mechanism of virulence regulation that the secreted effector VdPHB1 represses the activity of cysteine protease for helping V. dahliae infection in cotton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingwei Song
- Single Cell Research Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Song Han
- Single Cell Research Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Shi Hu
- Single Cell Research Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yiyang Xu
- Single Cell Research Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Kaijing Zuo
- Single Cell Research Center, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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2
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Dehbashi S, Tahmasebi H, Alikhani MY, Shahbazi MA, Arabestani MR. Staphopain mediated virulence and antibiotic resistance alteration in co-infection of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa: an animal model. BMC Biotechnol 2024; 24:10. [PMID: 38439037 PMCID: PMC10913572 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-024-00840-x] [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: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Polymicrobial communities lead to worsen the wound infections, due to mixed biofilms, increased antibiotic resistance, and altered virulence production. Promising approaches, including enzymes, may overcome the complicated condition of polymicrobial infections. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate Staphopain A-mediated virulence and resistance alteration in an animal model of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa co-infection. S. aureus and P. aeruginosa were co-cultured on the L-929 cell line and wound infection in an animal model. Then, recombinant staphopain A was purified and used to treat mono- and co-infections. Following the treatment, changes in virulence factors and resistance were investigated through phenotypic methods and RT-PCR. Staphopain A resulted in a notable reduction in the viability of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. The biofilm formed in the wound infection in both animal model and cell culture was disrupted remarkably. Moreover, the biofilm-encoding genes, quorum sensing regulating genes, and virulence factors (hemolysin and pyocyanin) controlled by QS were down-regulated in both microorganisms. Furthermore, the resistance to vancomycin and doripenem decreased following treatment with staphopain A. According to this study, staphopain A might promote wound healing and cure co-infection. It seems to be a promising agent to combine with antibiotics to overcome hard-to-cure infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanaz Dehbashi
- Department of Laboratory Sciences, Varastegan Institute of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hamed Tahmasebi
- School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
| | - Mohammad Yousef Alikhani
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mohammad-Ali Shahbazi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713, Groningen, AV, The Netherlands
| | - Mohammad Reza Arabestani
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
- Infectious disease Research center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
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3
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Zeng Y, Zheng Z, Hessler G, Zou K, Leng J, Bautor J, Stuttmann J, Xue L, Parker JE, Cui H. Arabidopsis PHYTOALEXIN DEFICIENT 4 promotes the maturation and nuclear accumulation of immune-related cysteine protease RD19. J Exp Bot 2024; 75:1530-1546. [PMID: 37976211 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad454] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Arabidopsis PHYTOALEXIN DEFICIENT 4 (PAD4) has an essential role in pathogen resistance as a heterodimer with ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY 1 (EDS1). Here we investigated an additional PAD4 role in which it associates with and promotes the maturation of the immune-related cysteine protease RESPONSIVE TO DEHYDRATION 19 (RD19). We found that RD19 and its paralog RD19c promoted EDS1- and PAD4-mediated effector-triggered immunity to an avirulent Pseudomonas syringae strain, DC3000, expressing the effector AvrRps4 and basal immunity against the fungal pathogen Golovinomyces cichoracearum. Overexpression of RD19, but not RD19 protease-inactive catalytic mutants, in Arabidopsis transgenic lines caused EDS1- and PAD4-dependent autoimmunity and enhanced pathogen resistance. In these lines, RD19 maturation to a pro-form required its catalytic residues, suggesting that RD19 undergoes auto-processing. In transient assays, PAD4 interacted preferentially with the RD19 pro-protease and promoted its nuclear accumulation in leaf cells. Our results lead us to propose a model for PAD4-stimulated defense potentiation. PAD4 promotes maturation and nuclear accumulation of processed RD19, and RD19 then stimulates EDS1-PAD4 dimer activity to confer pathogen resistance. This study highlights potentially important additional PAD4 functions that eventually converge on canonical EDS1-PAD4 dimer signaling in plant immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhong Zeng
- State Key Laboratory Key Laboratory of Ecological Control of Fujian-Taiwan Crop Pests, Plant Immunity Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Zichao Zheng
- State Key Laboratory Key Laboratory of Ecological Control of Fujian-Taiwan Crop Pests, Plant Immunity Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Giuliana Hessler
- Department of Plant-Microbe Interactions, Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linne Weg 10, 50829 Cologne, Germany
| | - Ke Zou
- State Key Laboratory Key Laboratory of Ecological Control of Fujian-Taiwan Crop Pests, Plant Immunity Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Junchen Leng
- State Key Laboratory Key Laboratory of Ecological Control of Fujian-Taiwan Crop Pests, Plant Immunity Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Jaqueline Bautor
- Department of Plant-Microbe Interactions, Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linne Weg 10, 50829 Cologne, Germany
| | - Johannes Stuttmann
- CEA, CNRS, BIAM, UMR7265, LEMiRE (Rhizosphère et Interactions sol-plante-microbiote), Aix Marseille University, 13115 Saint-Paul lez Durance, France
| | - Li Xue
- College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Jane E Parker
- Department of Plant-Microbe Interactions, Max-Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linne Weg 10, 50829 Cologne, Germany
- Cologne-Duesseldorf Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Haitao Cui
- State Key Laboratory Key Laboratory of Ecological Control of Fujian-Taiwan Crop Pests, Plant Immunity Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, China
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Ajayi O, Metibemu DS, Crown O, Adeyinka OS, Kaiser M, Shoji N, Silva M, Rodriguez A, Ogungbe IV. Discovery of an orally active nitrothiophene-based antitrypanosomal agent. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 263:115954. [PMID: 37984297 PMCID: PMC10843616 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115954] [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: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and rhodesiense, is a parasitic disease endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. Untreated cases of HAT can be severely debilitating and fatal. Although the number of reported cases has decreased progressively over the last decade, the number of effective and easily administered medications is very limited. In this work, we report the antitrypanosomal activity of a series of potent compounds. A subset of molecules in the series are highly selective for trypanosomes and are metabolically stable. One of the compounds, (E)-N-(4-(methylamino)-4-oxobut-2-en-1-yl)-5-nitrothiophene-2-carboxamide (10), selectively inhibited the growth of T. b. brucei, T. b. gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense, have excellent oral bioavailability and was effective in treating acute infection of HAT in mouse models. Based on its excellent bioavailability, compound 10 and its analogs are candidates for lead optimization and pre-clinical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwatomi Ajayi
- Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA
| | - Damilohun S Metibemu
- Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA; Department of Chemistry, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL, 35899, USA
| | - Olamide Crown
- Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA; Department of Chemistry, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL, 35899, USA
| | - Olawale S Adeyinka
- Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA; Department of Chemistry, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL, 35899, USA
| | - Marcel Kaiser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, 4123, Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, 4001, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Shoji
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10010, USA
| | | | - Ana Rodriguez
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10010, USA
| | - Ifedayo Victor Ogungbe
- Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA; Department of Chemistry, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL, 35899, USA.
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5
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Popović M, Gavrović-Jankulović M. Yeast Surface Display Methodology for the Characterization of Food Allergens In Situ. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2717:41-63. [PMID: 37737977 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3453-0_4] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
High throughput allergen characterization is often based on phage display technique which is limited by the constraints of a prokaryotic expression system such as potential loss of conformational epitopes and lack of post-translational modifications. Replacing the phage display platform with a yeast surface display system could accelerate the immunological characterization of complex structured allergens. Yeast surface display is a powerful technique that allows faster immunochemical characterization of allergens in situ without the need for protein purification. Yeast surface display offers an alternative that could lead to the improvement of standard immunodiagnostic and immunotherapeutic approaches. In this chapter, we describe a protocol on yeast surface display for the characterization of plant-derived food allergens using actinidin (Act d 1), a major kiwifruit allergen, as a model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milica Popović
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
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Mishra A, Varshney A, Mishra S. Regulation of Atg8 membrane deconjugation by cysteine proteases in the malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:344. [PMID: 37910326 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-05004-2] [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: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
During macroautophagy, the Atg8 protein is conjugated to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) in autophagic membranes. In Apicomplexan parasites, two cysteine proteases, Atg4 and ovarian tumor unit (Otu), have been identified to delipidate Atg8 to release this protein from membranes. Here, we investigated the role of cysteine proteases in Atg8 conjugation and deconjugation and found that the Plasmodium parasite consists of both activities. We successfully disrupted the genes individually; however, simultaneously, they were refractory to deletion and essential for parasite survival. Mutants lacking Atg4 and Otu showed normal blood and mosquito stage development. All mice infected with Otu KO sporozoites became patent; however, Atg4 KO sporozoites either failed to establish blood infection or showed delayed patency. Through in vitro and in vivo analysis, we found that Atg4 KO sporozoites invade and normally develop into early liver stages. However, nuclear and organelle differentiation was severely hampered during late stages and failed to mature into hepatic merozoites. We found a higher level of Atg8 in Atg4 KO parasites, and the deconjugation of Atg8 was hampered. We confirmed Otu localization on the apicoplast; however, parasites lacking Otu showed no visible developmental defects. Our data suggest that Atg4 is the primary deconjugating enzyme and that Otu cannot replace its function completely because it cleaves the peptide bond at the N-terminal side of glycine, thereby irreversibly inactivating Atg8 during its recycling. These findings highlight a role for the Atg8 deconjugation pathway in organelle biogenesis and maintenance of the homeostatic cellular balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akancha Mishra
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Aastha Varshney
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Satish Mishra
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
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7
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Chen Y, Li X, Wang M, Li Y, Fan J, Yan J, Zhang S, Lu L, Zou P. A cysteine protease inhibitor GC376 displays potent antiviral activity against coxsackievirus infection. Curr Res Microb Sci 2023; 5:100203. [PMID: 37767059 PMCID: PMC10520345 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2023.100203] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Infection with coxsackievirus A10 (CV-A10) can cause hand-foot-mouth disease and is also associated with severe complications, including viral pneumonia, aseptic and viral meningitis. Coxsackievirus infection may also play a role in the pathogenesis of acute myocardial infarction and in the increased risk of type 1 diabetes mellitus in adults. However, there are no approved vaccines or direct antiviral agents available to prevention or treatment of coxsackievirus infection. Here, we reported that GC376 potently inhibited CV-A10 infection in different cell lines without cytotoxicity, significantly suppressed production of viral proteins, and strongly reduced the yields of infectious progeny virions. Further study indicated that GC376, as viral 3C protease inhibitor, had the potential to restrain the cleavage of the viral polyprotein into individually functional proteins, thus suppressed the replication of CV-A10. Furthermore, the drug exhibited antiviral activity against coxsackieviruses of various serotypes including CV-A6, CV-A7 and CV-A16, suggesting that GC376 is a broad-spectrum anti-coxsackievirus inhibitor and the 3C protease is a promising target for developing anti-coxsackievirus agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongkang Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaohong Li
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Li
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Fan
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingjing Yan
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuye Zhang
- Clinical Center for BioTherapy and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Peng Zou
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Keshapaga UR, Jathoth K, Singh SS, Gogada R, Burgula S. Characterization of high-yield Bacillus subtilis cysteine protease for diverse industrial applications. Braz J Microbiol 2023:10.1007/s42770-023-00992-6. [PMID: 37157054 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-023-00992-6] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial proteases have extensive applications in various fields of industrial microbiology. In this study, protease-producing organisms were screened on skimmed milk agar media using serial dilution. Through microbial biomass production, biochemical tests, protease-specific activity, and 16 s RNA gene sequencing, the isolates were identified as Bacillus subtilis and submitted to NCBI. The strain accession numbers were designated as A1 (MT903972), A2 (MT903996), A4 (MT904091), and A5 (MT904796). The strain A4 Bacillus subtilis showed highest protease-specific activity as 76,153.84 U/mg. A4 Bacillus subtilis was unaffected by Ca2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Hg2+, Mg2+, Na, Fe2+, and Zn2+ but was inhibited by 80% by Mn2+ (5 mM). The protease activity was inhibited by up to 30% by iodoacetamide (5 mM). These findings confirm the enzyme to be a cysteine protease which was further confirmed by MALDI-TOF. The identified protease showed 71% sequence similarity with Bacillus subtilis cysteine protease. The crude cysteine protease significantly aided in fabric stain removal when added to a generic detergent. It also aided in the recovery of silver from used X-ray films and de-hairing of goat skin hides and showed decent application in meat tenderization. Thus, the isolated cysteine protease has high potential for industrial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Usha Rani Keshapaga
- Department of Microbiology, University College of Science, Osmania University, Tarnaka, Hyderabad, 500 007, Telangana, India
| | - Kalyani Jathoth
- Department of Microbiology, University College of Science, Osmania University, Tarnaka, Hyderabad, 500 007, Telangana, India
| | - Surya Satyanarayana Singh
- Department of Biochemistry , University College of Science, Osmania University , Tarnaka, Hyderabad, 500 007, Telangana, India
| | - Raghu Gogada
- Department of Biochemistry , University College of Science, Osmania University , Tarnaka, Hyderabad, 500 007, Telangana, India
| | - Sandeepta Burgula
- Department of Microbiology, University College of Science, Osmania University, Tarnaka, Hyderabad, 500 007, Telangana, India.
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9
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Farid A. Preparation of polyclonal anti-Schistosoma mansoni cysteine protease antibodies for early diagnosis. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:1609-1619. [PMID: 36773062 PMCID: PMC10006032 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12408-4] [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: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
In many parts of the tropics, schistosomiasis is a major parasitic disease second only to malaria as a cause of morbidity and mortality. Diagnostic approaches include microscopic sampling of excreta such as the Kato-Katz method, radiography, and serology. Due to their vital role in many stages of the parasitic life cycle, proteases have been under investigation as targets of immunological or chemotherapeutic anti-Schistosoma agents. Five major classes of protease have been identified on the basis of the peptide hydrolysis mechanism: serine, cysteine, aspartic, threonine, and metalloproteases. Proteases of all five catalytic classes have been identified from S. mansoni through proteomic or genetic analysis. The study aimed to produce polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) against schistosomal cysteine proteases (CP) to be used in the diagnosis of schistosomiasis. This study was conducted on S. mansoni-infected patients from highly endemic areas and from outpatients' clinic and hospitals and other patients infected with other parasites (Fasciola, hookworm, hydatid, and trichostrongyloids). In this study, the produced polyclonal antibodies against S. mansoni cysteine protease antigens were labeled with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) conjugate and used to detect CP antigens in stool and serum samples of S. mansoni-infected patients by sandwich ELISA. The study involved 200 S. mansoni-infected patients (diagnosed by finding characteristic eggs in the collected stool samples), 100 patients infected with other parasites (Fasciola, hookworm, hydatid, and trichostrongyloids), and 100 individuals who served as parasite-free healthy negative control. The prepared pAb succeeded in detecting CP antigens in stool and serum samples of S. mansoni-infected patients by sandwich ELISA with a sensitivity of 98.5% and 98.0% respectively. A positive correlation was observed between S. mansoni egg counts and both stool and serum antigen concentrations. Purified 27.5 kDa CP could be introduced as a suitable candidate antigen for early immunodiagnosis using sandwich ELISA for antigen detection. KEY POINTS: • Detection of cysteine protease antigens can replace parasitological examination. • Sandwich ELISA has a higher sensitivity than microscopic examination of eggs. • Identification of antigens is important for the goal of obtaining diagnostic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyaa Farid
- Biotechnology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
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10
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Ahmed U, Manzoor M, Qureshi S, Mazhar M, Fatima A, Aurangzeb S, Hamid M, Khan KM, Khan NA, Rashid Y, Anwar A. Anti-amoebic effects of synthetic acridine-9(10H)-one against brain-eating amoebae. Acta Trop 2023; 239:106824. [PMID: 36610529 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106824] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Pathogenic A. castellanii and N. fowleri are opportunistic free-living amoebae. Acanthamoeba spp. are the causative agents of granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE) and amebic keratitis (AK), whereas Naegleria fowleri causes a very rare but severe brain infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Acridinone is an important heterocyclic scaffold and both synthetic and naturally occurring derivatives have shown various valuable biological properties. In the present study, ten synthetic Acridinone derivatives (I-X) were synthesized and assessed against both amoebae for anti-amoebic and cysticidal activities in vitro. In addition, excystation, encystation, cytotoxicity, host cell pathogenicity was also performed in-vitro. Furthermore, molecular docking studies of these compounds with three cathepsin B paralogous enzymes of N. fowleri were performed in order to predict the possible docking mode with pathogen. Compound VII showed potent anti-amoebic activity against A. castellanii with IC50 53.46 µg/mL, while compound IX showed strong activity against N. fowleri in vitro with IC50 72.41 µg/mL. Compounds II and VII showed a significant inhibition of phenotypic alteration of A. castellanii, while compound VIII significantly inhibited N. fowleri cysts. Cytotoxicity assessment showed that these compounds caused minimum damage to human keratinocyte cells (HaCaT cells) at 100 µg/mL, while also effectively reduced the cytopathogenicity of Acanthamoeba to HaCaT cells. Moreover, Cathepsin B protease was investigated in-silico as a new molecular therapeutic target for these compounds. All compounds showed potential interactions with the catalytic residues. These results showed that acridine-9(10H)-one derivatives, in particular compounds II, VII, VIII and IX hold promise in the development of therapeutic agents against these free-living amoebae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Usman Ahmed
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Mehwish Manzoor
- H. E. J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Sehrish Qureshi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Muzna Mazhar
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Arj Fatima
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Sana Aurangzeb
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Mehwish Hamid
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Khalid Mohammed Khan
- H. E. J. Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan; Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Institute for Research and Medical Consultations (IRMC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Naveed Ahmed Khan
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, University City, United Arab Emirates; Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Istinye University, Istanbul, 34010, Turkey
| | - Yasmeen Rashid
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
| | - Ayaz Anwar
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
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11
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Premachandran K, Srinivasan TS. A brief review on oryzacystatin: a potent phytocystatin for crop management. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:1799-1807. [PMID: 36471210 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-08161-y] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Phytocystatins are a type of proteinase inhibitor which are extensively studied for their specific inhibitory action against cysteine protease enzymes (CP) of insects and pathogens. Oryzacystatins (OC), a phytocystatin from rice inhibits CP in a reversible manner with its conserved tripartite wedge. OCs have important role in plant innate defense mechanism through phytohormonal signalling pathways. OC are induced in response to both biotic and abiotic stress conditions and are used to develop transgenic plants exhibiting resistance against stress conditions. In this review, we focus on the structure and mechanism of action of oryzacystatins, their possible role in plant physiology, biotic and abiotic stress tolerance mechanism in plants and their potential application strategies for future crop management studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishnamanikumar Premachandran
- Centre for Climate Change Studies, International Research Centre, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600119, India
| | - Thanga Suja Srinivasan
- Centre for Climate Change Studies, International Research Centre, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600119, India.
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12
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Eurtivong C, Zimmer C, Schirmeister T, Butkinaree C, Saruengkhanphasit R, Niwetmarin W, Ruchirawat S, Bhambra AS. A structure-based virtual high-throughput screening, molecular docking, molecular dynamics and MM/PBSA study identified novel putative drug-like dual inhibitors of trypanosomal cruzain and rhodesain cysteine proteases. Mol Divers 2023:10.1007/s11030-023-10600-2. [PMID: 36617352 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-023-10600-2] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Virtual screening a collection of ~ 25,000 ChemBridge molecule collection identified two nitrogenous heterocyclic molecules, 12 and 15, with potential dual inhibitory properties against trypanosomal cruzain and rhodesain cysteine proteases. Similarity search in DrugBank found the two virtual hits with novel chemical structures with unreported anti-trypanosomal activities. Investigations into the binding mechanism by molecular dynamics simulations for 100 ns revealed the molecules were able to occupy the binding sites and stabilise the protease complexes. Binding affinities calculated using the MM/PBSA method for the last 20 ns showed that the virtual hits have comparable binding affinities to other known inhibitors from literature suggesting both molecules as promising scaffolds with dual cruzain and rhodesain inhibition properties, i.e. 12 has predicted ΔGbind values of - 38.1 and - 38.2 kcal/mol to cruzain and rhodesain, respectively, and 15 has predicted ΔGbind values of - 34.4 and - 25.8 kcal/mol to rhodesain. Per residue binding free energy decomposition studies and visual inspection at 100 ns snapshots revealed hydrogen bonding and non-polar attractions with important amino acid residues that contributed to the ΔGbind values. The interactions are similar to those previously reported in the literature. The overall ADMET predictions for the two molecules were favourable for drug development with acceptable pharmacokinetic profiles and adequate oral bioavailability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chatchakorn Eurtivong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol Univeristy, 447 Sri-Ayutthaya Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
- Program in Chemical Sciences, Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, 906 Kamphaeng Phet 6, Talat Bang Khen, Lak Si, Bangkok, 10210, Thailand.
- Center of Excellence On Environmental Health and Toxicology (EHT), OPS, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Collin Zimmer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tanja Schirmeister
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Chutikarn Butkinaree
- National Omics Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Khlong Luang, 12120, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Rungroj Saruengkhanphasit
- Program in Chemical Sciences, Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, 906 Kamphaeng Phet 6, Talat Bang Khen, Lak Si, Bangkok, 10210, Thailand
- Center of Excellence On Environmental Health and Toxicology (EHT), OPS, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Worawat Niwetmarin
- Program in Chemical Sciences, Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, 906 Kamphaeng Phet 6, Talat Bang Khen, Lak Si, Bangkok, 10210, Thailand
- Center of Excellence On Environmental Health and Toxicology (EHT), OPS, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Somsak Ruchirawat
- Program in Chemical Sciences, Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, 906 Kamphaeng Phet 6, Talat Bang Khen, Lak Si, Bangkok, 10210, Thailand
- Center of Excellence On Environmental Health and Toxicology (EHT), OPS, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Bangkok, Thailand
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok, 10210, Thailand
| | - Avninder S Bhambra
- Leicester School of Allied Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, de Montfort University, Leicester, UK
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13
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Simunović V, Grubišić I. Amino acid (acyl carrier protein) ligase-associated biosynthetic gene clusters reveal unexplored biosynthetic potential. Mol Genet Genomics 2023; 298:49-65. [PMID: 36271918 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-022-01962-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the postulated cellular function of a novel family of amino acid (acyl carrier protein) ligases (AALs) in natural product biosynthesis. Here, we analyzed the manually curated, putative, aal-associated natural product biosynthetic gene clusters (NP BGCs) using two computational platforms for NP prediction, antiSMASH-BiG-SCAPE-CORASON and DeepBGC. The detected BGCs included a diversity of type I polyketide/nonribosomal peptide (PKS/NRPS) hybrid BGCs, exemplified by the guadinomine BGC, which suggested a dedicated function of AALs in the biosynthesis of rare (2S)-aminomalonyl-ACP extension units. Besides modular PKS/NRPSs and NRPSs, AAL-associated BGCs were predicted to assemble arylpolyenes, ladderane lipids, phosphonates, aminoglycosides, β-lactones, and thioamides of both nonribosomal and ribosomal origins. Additionally, we revealed a frequent association of AALs with putative, seldom observed transglutaminase-like and BtrH-like transferases of the cysteine protease superfamily, which may form larger families of ACP-dependent amide bond catalysts used in NP synthesis. Our results disclosed an exceptional chemical novelty and biosynthetic potential of the AAL-associated BGCs in NP biosynthesis. The presented in silico evidence supports the initial hypothesis and provides an important foundation for future experimental studies aimed at discovering novel pharmaceutically relevant active compounds.
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14
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Puja S, Seth S, Hora R, Kaur S, Mishra PC. Understanding the Molecular Basis for Enhanced Glutenase Activity of Actinidin using Structural Bioinformatics. Protein Pept Lett 2023; 30:777-782. [PMID: 37592795 DOI: 10.2174/0929866530666230817141100] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Management of gluten intolerance is currently possible only by consumption of a gluten-free diet (GFD) for a lifetime. The scientific community has been searching for alternatives to GFD, like the inclusion of natural proteases with meals or pre-treatment of gluten-containing foods with glutenases. Actinidin from kiwifruit has shown considerable promise in digesting immunogenic gliadin peptides compared to other plant-derived cysteine proteases. METHODS In this study, we aimed to understand the structural basis for the elevated protease action of actinidin against gliadin peptides by using an in silico approach. RESULTS Docking experiments revealed key differences between the binding of gliadin peptide to actinidin and papain, which may be responsible for their differential digestive action. CONCLUSION Sequence comparison of different plant cysteine proteases highlights amino acid residues surrounding the active site pocket of actinidin that are unique to this molecule and hence likely to contribute to its digestive properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivangi Puja
- Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab-143005, India
| | - Shreya Seth
- Department of Biotechnology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab-143005, India
| | - Rachna Hora
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab-143005, India
| | - Satinder Kaur
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab-143005, India
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15
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Elamin T, Santos NP, Briza P, Brandstetter H, Dall E. Structural and functional studies of legumain-mycocypin complexes revealed a competitive, exosite-regulated mode of interaction. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102502. [PMID: 36116553 PMCID: PMC9579014 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102502] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Under pathophysiologic conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and cancer, the endolysosomal cysteine protease legumain was found to translocate to the cytosol, the nucleus, and the extracellular space. These noncanonical localizations demand for a tight regulation of legumain activity, which is in part conferred by protein inhibitors. While there is a significant body of knowledge on the interaction of human legumain with endogenous cystatins, only little is known on its regulation by fungal mycocypins. Mycocypins are characterized by (i) versatile, plastic surface loops allowing them to inhibit different classes of enzymes and (ii) a high resistance toward extremes of pH and temperature. These properties make mycocypins attractive starting points for biotechnological and medical applications. In this study, we show that mycocypins utilize an adaptable reactive center loop to target the active site of legumain in a substrate-like manner. The interaction was further stabilized by variable, isoform-specific exosites, converting the substrate recognition into inhibition. Additionally, we found that selected mycocypins were capable of covalent complex formation with legumain by forming a disulfide bond to the active site cysteine. Furthermore, our inhibition studies with other clan CD proteases suggested that mycocypins may serve as broad-spectrum inhibitors of clan CD proteases. Our studies uncovered the potential of mycocypins as a new scaffold for drug development, providing the basis for the design of specific legumain inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tasneem Elamin
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Naiá P Santos
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Peter Briza
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Hans Brandstetter
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Elfriede Dall
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
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16
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Dušeková E, Berta M, Sedláková D, Řeha D, Dzurillová V, Shaposhnikova A, Fadaei F, Tomková M, Minofar B, Sedlák E. Specific anion effect on properties of HRV 3C protease. Biophys Chem 2022; 287:106825. [PMID: 35597150 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2022.106825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [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: 03/20/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Specific salts effect is intensively studied from the prospective of modification of different physico-chemical properties of biomacromolecules. Limited knowledge of the specific salts effect on enzymes led us to address the influence of five sodium anions: sulfate, phosphate, chloride, bromide, and perchlorate, on catalytic and conformational properties of human rhinovirus-14 (HRV) 3C protease. The enzyme conformation was monitored by circular dichroism spectrum (CD) and by tyrosines fluorescence. Stability and flexibility of the enzyme have been analyzed by CD in the far-UV region, differential scanning calorimetry and molecular dynamics simulations, respectively. We showed significant influence of the anions on the enzyme properties in accordance with the Hofmeister effect. The HRV 3C protease in the presence of kosmotropic anions, in contrast with chaotropic anions, exhibits increased stability, rigidity. Correlations of stabilization effect of anions on the enzyme with their charge density and the rate constant of the enzyme with the viscosity B-coefficients of anions suggest direct interaction of the anions with HRV 3C protease. The role of stabilization and decreased fluctuation of the polypeptide chain of HRV 3C protease on its activation in the presence of kosmotropic anions is discussed within the frame of the macromolecular rate theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Dušeková
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Jesenná 5, 04154 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Martin Berta
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Jesenná 5, 04154 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Dagmar Sedláková
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Jesenná 5, 04154 Košice, Slovakia; Department of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
| | - David Řeha
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1645/31A, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Dzurillová
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Jesenná 5, 04154 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Anastasiia Shaposhnikova
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1645/31A, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Laboratory of Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Zámek 136, 37333 Nové Hrady, Czech Republic
| | - Fatemeh Fadaei
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1645/31A, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Laboratory of Structural Biology and Bioinformatics, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Zámek 136, 37333 Nové Hrady, Czech Republic
| | - Mária Tomková
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Biosciences, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Jesenná 5, 04154 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Babak Minofar
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1645/31A, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Erik Sedlák
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Biosciences, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Jesenná 5, 04154 Košice, Slovakia.
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17
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Zhuang Y, Lu M, Yu DD, Wang YX, Teng YC, Chao LQ, Ma TT. [Mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion in ameliorating liver injury induced by DDP by regulating apoptosis factors Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and Caspase-9]. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu 2022; 47:587-591. [PMID: 35880274 DOI: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.20220065] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism of the effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on improving liver injury by observing the changes of cysteine protease (Caspase) associated with hepatocyte apoptosis based on cisplatin (DDP) induced liver injury model mice. METHODS Forty KM mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, acupuncture group and moxibustion group, with 10 mice in each group. The liver injury model was replicated by intraperitoneal injection of DDP. In the acupuncture group and the moxibustion group, acupuncture and moxibustion were performed at"Dazhui"(GV14), and bilateral "Ganshu"(BL18), "Shenshu"(BL23), and "Zusanli"(ST36), respectively, once per day for 5 d. General condition of mice in each group were observed;The activities of AST, ALT and GLDH in mice serum were detected by biochemical method. ELISA and Western blot assay were used to detect Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and Caspase-9 contents and protein expression in the liver tissues of each group of mice, respectively. RESULTS Compared with the control group, the general condition of the mice in the model group was poorer, and the Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and Caspase-9 contents and protein expressions in liver tissues and the activities of AST, ALT and GLDH in serum were increased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the general condition of the mice in the acupuncture and moxibustion groups improved, and the Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and Caspase-9 contents and protein expressions in liver tissues and activities of AST, ALT and GLDH in serum were decreased (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Acupuncture and moxibustion can reduce liver injury due to DDP chemotherapy by modulating the expression of apoptotic factors Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and Caspase-9 in liver tissues of DDP model mice and improving liver function, which may be one of the mechanisms of the effect of acupuncture and moxibustion to ameliorates liver injury after DDP chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhuang
- College of Acu-moxibustion and Tuina, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Mei Lu
- College of Acu-moxibustion and Tuina, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Dong-Dong Yu
- College of Acu-moxibustion and Tuina, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China; The Third Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450008
| | - Yong-Xin Wang
- College of Acu-moxibustion and Tuina, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Ying-Chun Teng
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450001
| | - Li-Qin Chao
- Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046
| | - Tian-Tian Ma
- College of Acu-moxibustion and Tuina, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
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18
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Calugi L, Lenci E, Bianchini F, Contini A, Trabocchi A. Modular synthesis of 2,4-diaminoanilines as CNS drug-like non-covalent inhibitors of asparagine endopeptidase. Bioorg Med Chem 2022; 63:116746. [PMID: 35430537 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2022.116746] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Asparagine endopeptidase (AEP), also called legumain, is a pH-dependent endolysosomal cysteine protease that cleaves its substrates after asparagine residues. Recent studies showed that it possesses δ-secretase activity and that it is implicated in numerous neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Following evidence of aryl-morpholines as useful asparagine endopeptidase inhibitors, a series of morpholinoanilines with diverse substituents at ortho position were synthesized in view of improving the potency and scope of this molecular scaffold, allowing to identify ethyl 2-isonipecotate-4-morpholinoaniline possessing inhibition potency in the nanomolar range. CNS MPO (CNS MultiParameter Optimization) calculations revealed that most of the compounds developed in this work show physicochemical parameters in the desirable range for CNS drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Calugi
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Elena Lenci
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Francesca Bianchini
- Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences ''Mario Serio", University of Florence, Viale 8 Morgagni 50, I-50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Alessandro Contini
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Via Venezian 21, I-20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Trabocchi
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 13, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy.
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19
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Sharma M, Chaudhary D. In vitro and in vivo implications of rationally designed bromelain laden core-shell hybrid solid lipid nanoparticles for oral administration in thrombosis management. Nanomedicine 2022; 42:102543. [PMID: 35189392 DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2022.102543] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Bromelain, a dietary supplement of cysteine protease family having promising results against thrombosis, is gaining attention. Yet poor mechanical stability, gastric instability, high oral dose and poor patient compliance restricted its clinical application. Therefore, acid stable bromelain loaded hybrid solid lipid nanoparticles (Br-HNPs) were fabricated and characterized for their contribution to in-vivo stability and therapeutic efficacy in thrombosis management. Comprehensive optimization of various process and formulation variables ensued the formation of nano-sized (120.56 ± 40.12 nm) Br-HNPs with entrapment efficiency of 86.32 ± 5.56%. Spherical core shell framework of Br-HNPs prolonged drug release and provided in-vivo and storage stability at room temperature. Br-HNPs significantly inhibited platelet aggregation without affecting bleeding time and dissolved thrombus at 1.91-fold higher efficacy compared to bromelain. Furthermore, Br-HNPs prevented hypercoagulation states and suppressed cytokines production significantly (P < .05) contributing to its antiplatelet activity. These findings indicated that Br-HNPs could serve as a promising alternative to commercial therapies for management of thrombotic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manu Sharma
- Department of Pharmacy, Banasthali Vidyapith, Banasthali, Rajasthan, India.
| | - Deepika Chaudhary
- Department of Pharmacy, Banasthali Vidyapith, Banasthali, Rajasthan, India.
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20
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Yingqi H, Lv Y, Zhang J, Ahmad N, Li Y, Wang N, Xiuming L, Na Y, Li X. Identification and functional characterization of safflower cysteine protease 1 as negative regulator in response to low-temperature stress in transgenic Arabidopsis. Planta 2022; 255:106. [PMID: 35445865 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-022-03875-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We performed genome-wide and heterologous expression analysis of the safflower cysteine protease family and found that inhibition of CtCP1 expression enhanced plant cold resistance. Cysteine protease (CP) is mainly involved in plant senescence and stress responses. However, the molecular mechanism of endogenous cysteine protease inhibition in plant stress tolerance is yet unknown. Here, we report the discovery and functional characterization of a candidate CP1 gene from safflower. The conserved structural topology of CtCPs revealed important insights into their possible roles in plant growth and stress responses. The qRT-PCR results implied that most of CtCP genes were highly expressed at fading stage suggesting that they are most likely involved in senescence process. The CtCP1 expression was significantly induced at different time points under cold, NaCl, H2O2 and PEG stress, respectively. The in-vitro activity of heterologously expressed CtCP1 protein showed highest protease activity for casein and azocasein substrates. The expression and phenotypic data together with antioxidant activity and physiological indicators revealed that transgenic plants inhibited by CtCP1-anti showed higher tolerance to low temperature than WT and CtCP1-OE plants. Our findings demonstrated the discovery of a new Cysteine protease 1 gene that exerted a detrimental effect on transgenic Arabidopsis under low-temperature stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Yingqi
- College of Life Sciences, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Yanxi Lv
- College of Life Sciences, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Jianyi Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Naveed Ahmad
- College of Life Sciences, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
- Institute of Crop Germplasm Resources (Institute of Biotechnology), Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Ecology and Physiology, Jinan, 250100, People's Republic of China
| | - Youbao Li
- College of Life Sciences, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Nan Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Liu Xiuming
- College of Life Sciences, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China.
- Institute of Life Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China.
- Biomedical Collaborative Innovation Center of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Yao Na
- College of Life Sciences, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China.
| | - Xiaokun Li
- Institute of Life Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China.
- Biomedical Collaborative Innovation Center of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China.
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21
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Ishaq F, Sereesongsaeng N, Johnston MC, Scott CJ, Burden RE. Lysosomal cysteine proteases are mediators of cell death in macrophages following exposure to amorphous silica nanoparticles. Chem Biol Interact 2022; 356:109882. [PMID: 35263611 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.109882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Increasing use of nanomaterials in everyday products such as cosmetics, medicines and food packaging is of grave concern given the lack of understanding with regards the impact such materials have on biological systems. The aim of this study is to examine cell death induced by cationic amorphous silica nanoparticles and determine the involvement of lysosomal cysteine proteases in this process. We report that multiple forms of cell death including apoptosis and pyroptosis are elicited following exposure to amorphous silica nanoparticles and that lysosomal cysteine proteases are involved in both cell death pathways in macrophages. Interestingly, lysosomal cysteine protease mRNA expression and release into the extracellular environment is induced following exposure to amorphous silica nanoparticles. Previously, the determination of nanoparticle-induced toxicity has focused on cytokine readouts, but the work presented here demonstrates that changes to normal protease biology should also be considered when evaluating the molecular mechanisms by which nanoparticulate matter causes cellular inflammation and death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Ishaq
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK
| | | | - Michael C Johnston
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7AE, UK
| | - Christopher J Scott
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7AE, UK
| | - Roberta E Burden
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK.
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22
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Rajan PK, Dunna NR, Venkatabalasubramanian S. A comprehensive overview on the anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and ferroptosis functions of bromelain: an emerging cysteine protease. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2022; 22:615-625. [PMID: 35176951 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2022.2042250] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Bromelain belongs to the cysteine protease endopeptidase class of enzymes isolated from the stem and fruit tissue component of Ananas comosus. The commercial and translational therapeutic potential of bromelain is ever increasing due to its augmented stability, easier purification, and salubrious pan-cancer effects. AREAS COVERED This paper presents the current state of knowledge about the isolation methods of bromelain, its safety, efficacy and tolerability. In addition, bromelains<apos;> role in eliciting pharmacological effects and its healing ability to mitigate cancer side effects based on accumulated in vitro, in vivo, and clinical evidence is relatively considerable. EXPERT OPINION Identification of molecular targets and crucial signalling pathways that bromelain regulates suggest it genuinely prospects for combating cancer and mitigation of chemotherapy or radiotherapy mediated side effects. Further research on the development of bromelain-entrapped drug delivery systems for augmented enzyme stability, processing ability and translational potential against cancer can be beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prajitha K Rajan
- Department of Genetic Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, SRM Nagar, Kattankulathur, 603203, Kanchipuram, Chennai, India
| | - Nageswara Rao Dunna
- Cancer Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA - Deemed University, Thanjavur, 613401, India
| | - Sivaramakrishnan Venkatabalasubramanian
- Department of Genetic Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, SRM Nagar, Kattankulathur, 603203, Kanchipuram, Chennai, India
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23
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Puri S, Hsu STD. Oxidation of catalytic cysteine of human deubiquitinase BAP1 triggers misfolding and aggregation in addition to functional loss. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 599:57-62. [PMID: 35176625 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) form a large protease family involved in a myriad of biological and pathological processes, including ROS sensors. ROS-mediated inhibition of their DUB activities is critical for fine-tuning the stress-activated signaling pathways. Here, we demonstrate that the ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase (UCH) domain of BAP1 (BAP1-UCH) is highly sensitive to moderate oxidative stress. Oxidation of the catalytic C91 significantly destabilizes BAP1-UCH and increases the population of partially unfolded form, which is prone to aggregation. Unlike other DUBs, the oxidation-induced structural and functional loss of BAP1-UCH cannot be fully reversed by reducing agents. The oligomerization of oxidized BAP1-UCH is attributed to inter-molecular disulfide bond formation. Hydrogen-deuterium mass exchange spectrometry (HDX-MS) reveals increased fluctuations of the central β-sheet upon oxidation. Our findings suggest that oxidation-mediated functional loss and increased aggregation propensity may contribute to oncogenesis associated with BAP1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarita Puri
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Shang-Te Danny Hsu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan; Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan.
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24
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Behl T, Chadha S, Sehgal A, Singh S, Sharma N, Kaur R, Bhatia S, Al-Harrasi A, Chigurupati S, Alhowail A, Bungau S. Exploring the role of cathepsin in rheumatoid arthritis. Saudi J Biol Sci 2022; 29:402-10. [PMID: 35002435 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease which is marked by leukocytes infiltration inside synovial tissue, joints and also inside synovial fluid which causes progressive destruction of joint cartilage. There are numerous genetical and lifestyle factors, responsible for rheumatoid arthritis. One such factor can be cysteine cathepsins, which act as proteolytic enzymes. These proteolytic enzyme gets activated at acidic pH and are found in lysosomes and are also termed as cysteine proteases. These proteases belong to papain family and have their elucidated role in musculoskeletal disorders. Numerous cathepsins have their targeted role in rheumatoid arthritis. These proteases are secreted through various cell types which includes matrix metalloproteases and papain like cysteine proteases. These proteases can potentially lead to bone and cartilage destruction which causes an immune response in case of inflammatory arthritis.
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Dall E, Licht A, Brandstetter H. Production of Functional Plant Legumain Proteases Using the Leishmania tarentolae Expression System. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2447:35-51. [PMID: 35583771 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2079-3_4] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plant proteases of the legumain-type are key players in many processes along the plant life cycle. In particular, legumains are especially important in plant programmed cell death and the processing and maturation of seed storage proteins within the vacuole. Plant legumains are therefore synonymously called vacuolar processing enzymes (VPEs). Because of their dual protease and cyclase activities, plant legumains are of great interest to biotechnological applications, e.g., for the development of cyclic peptides for drug design. Despite this high interest by the scientific community, the recombinant expression of plant legumains proved challenging due to several posttranslational modifications, including (1) the formation of structurally critical disulfide bonds, (2) activation via pH-dependent proteolytic processing, and (3) stabilization by varying degrees of glycosylation. Recently we could show that LEXSY is a robust expression system for the production of plant legumains. Here we provide a general protocol for the recombinant expression of plant legumains in Leishmania cells. We further included detailed procedures for legumain purification, activation and subsequent activity assays and additionally note specific considerations with regard to isoform specific activation intermediates. This protocol serves as a universal strategy for different legumain isoforms from different source organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elfriede Dall
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
| | | | - Hans Brandstetter
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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26
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Aunguldee T, Gerdprasert O, Tangteerawatana P, Jariyapongskul A, Leelayoova S, Wongsatayanon BT. Immunogenicity and potential protection of DNA vaccine of Leishmania martiniquensis against Leishmania infection in mice. J Infect Dev Ctries 2021; 15:1328-1338. [PMID: 34669604 DOI: 10.3855/jidc.14472] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In Thailand, Leishmania martiniquensis is the predominant species causing cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. Its incidence has been increasing among immunocompetent and immunocompromised hosts. We developed a prototype DNA vaccine using a partial consensus sequence of the cysteine protease B (cpb) gene derived from L. martiniquensis from Thai patients. METHODOLOGY The laboratory inbred strain of albino BALB/c mice were immunized intramuscularly three times at 2-week intervals (weeks 0, 2, and 4) with cpb plasmid DNA (pcDNA_cpb) with or without the adjuvant, monoolein (pcDNA_cpb-MO). Mice were challenged at week 6 with L. martiniquensis promastigotes. Sera were analysed for IgG1, IgG2a, interferon gamma and interleukin 10 (IFN-γ and IL-10, respectively) levels at weeks 0, 4, and 9. Additionally, livers and spleens were also analysed for parasite burden using immunohistochemistry and real-time polymerase chain (qPCR) assays. RESULTS Three weeks after promastigote challenge, vaccinated mice showed significantly increased levels of IgG2a and IFN-γ while IL-10 level was significantly reduced when compared with those in the control group (p < 0.01). Parasite burden in the livers and spleens of vaccinated mice significantly decreased. In addition, a significant increase in mature granuloma formation in the livers when compared with those of the control group (p < 0.05) was found, indicating increased T-helper cells (Th1)-induced inflammation and destruction of amastigotes. Monoolein produced a booster effect to enhance the mouse Th1 protective immunity. CONCLUSIONS The prototype DNA vaccine could induce a Th1 immune response that conferred potential protection to the L. martiniquensis promastigote challenge in BALB/c mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thuntawat Aunguldee
- Biomedical Science Program, Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Orapin Gerdprasert
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Amporn Jariyapongskul
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Saovanee Leelayoova
- Department of Parasitology, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand
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Nešić A, Čavić M, Popović M, Gavrović-Jankulović M. A new approach for activation of the kiwifruit cysteine protease for usage in in-vitro testing. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 48:4065-72. [PMID: 34109497 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06416-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Actinidin (Act d 1), a highly abundant cysteine protease from kiwifruit, is one of the major contributors to the development of kiwifruit allergy. Many studies have focused on the optimization of Act d 1 purification and its role in the development of food allergies. Testing on cell culture monolayers is a common step in the elucidation of food allergen sensitization. In the case of cysteine proteases, an additional activation step with L-cysteine is required before the testing. Hence, we aimed to evaluate whether L-cysteine already present in commonly used cell culture media would suffice for Act d 1 activation. Successfully activated Act d 1 (98.1% of proteolytic activity, as compared to L-cysteine activated Act d 1) was further tested in two commonly used 2D model systems (Caco-2 and HEK293 cells) to evaluate its role on the mRNA expression of cytokines involved in the innate immunity (IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα, TSLP). Furthermore, the contribution of Act d 1 in the promotion of inflammation through regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression was also examined. These results demonstrate that activation of cysteine proteases can be achieved without previous enzyme incubation in L-cysteine -containing solution. Act d 1 incubated in cell culture medium was able to modulate gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines when tested on two model systems of the epithelial barrier.
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28
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Zhao Q, Zhao C, Shi Y, Wei G, Yang K, Wang X, Huang A. Proteomics analysis of the bio-functions of Dregea sinensis stems provides insights regarding milk-clotting enzyme. Food Res Int 2021; 144:110340. [PMID: 34053536 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Dregea sinensis (D. sinensis) stems have traditionally been used as milk coagulant in Dali of Yunnan Province, China. In this study, proteomics was used to investigate the bio-functions of D. sinensis stem proteins, leading to the purification and identification of the milk-clotting enzyme. A total of 205 proteins mainly involved in the catalytic and metabolic processes were identified, of which 28 proteins exhibited hydrolase activity. Among the 28 proteins, we focused on two enzymes (M9QMC9 and B7VF65). Based on proteomics, a cysteine protease (M9QMC9) with a molecular weight of 25.8 kDa and milk-clotting activity was purified from D. sinensis stems using double ammonium sulfate precipitation and was confirmed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The milk-clotting temperature using the purified enzyme was around 80 °C (specific activity at 314.38 U/mg), and it was found to be stable in the pH range of 6-9 in NaCl concentration of <0.8 mol/L. These findings indicated that the enzyme isolated from D. sinensis stems has potential in the dairy and food sectors, especially in the cheese-making industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Zhao
- College of Food Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Cunchao Zhao
- Yunnan Plateau Characteristic Agricultural Industry Research Institute, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Yanan Shi
- College of Food Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Guangqiang Wei
- College of Food Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Kun Yang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Xuefeng Wang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Aixiang Huang
- College of Food Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China.
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29
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Silva LR, Guimarães AS, do Nascimento J, do Santos Nascimento IJ, da Silva EB, McKerrow JH, Cardoso SH, da Silva-Júnior EF. Computer-aided design of 1,4-naphthoquinone-based inhibitors targeting cruzain and rhodesain cysteine proteases. Bioorg Med Chem 2021; 41:116213. [PMID: 33992862 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2021.116213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Chagas disease and Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) are caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and T. brucei parasites, respectively. Cruzain (CRZ) and Rhodesain (RhD) are cysteine proteases that share 70% of identity and play vital functions in these parasites. These macromolecules represent promising targets for designing new inhibitors. In this context, 26 CRZ and 5 RhD 3D-structures were evaluated by molecular redocking to identify the most accurate one to be utilized as a target. Posteriorly, a virtual screening of a library containing 120 small natural and nature-based compounds was performed on both of them. In total, 14 naphthoquinone-based analogs were identified, synthesized, and biologically evaluated. In total, five compounds were active against RhD, being three of them also active on CRZ. A derivative of 1,4-naphthoquinonepyridin-2-ylsulfonamide was found to be the most active molecule, exhibiting IC50 values of 6.3 and 1.8 µM for CRZ and RhD, respectively. Dynamic simulations at 100 ns demonstrated good stability and do not alter the targets' structures. MM-PBSA calculations revealed that it presents a higher affinity for RhD (-25.3 Kcal mol-1) than CRZ, in which van der Waals interactions were more relevant. A mechanistic hypothesis (via C3-Michael-addition reaction) involving a covalent mode of inhibition for this compound towards RhD was investigated by covalent molecular docking and DFT B3LYP/6-31 + G* calculations, exhibiting a low activation energy (ΔG‡) and providing a stable product (ΔG), with values of 7.78 and - 39.72 Kcal mol-1, respectively; similar to data found in the literature. Nevertheless, a reversibility assay by dilution revealed that JN-11 is a time-dependent and reversible inhibitor. Finally, this study applies modern computer-aided techniques to identify promising inhibitors from a well-known chemical class of natural products. Then, this work could inspire other future studies in the field, being useful for designing potent naphthoquinones as RhD inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro Rocha Silva
- Chemistry and Biotechnology Institute, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus A.C. Simões, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, Maceió 57072-970, Brazil; Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Synthesis, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus Arapiraca, Manoel Severino Barbosa Avenue, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
| | - Ari Souza Guimarães
- Chemistry and Biotechnology Institute, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus A.C. Simões, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, Maceió 57072-970, Brazil; Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Synthesis, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus Arapiraca, Manoel Severino Barbosa Avenue, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
| | - Jadiely do Nascimento
- Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Synthesis, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus Arapiraca, Manoel Severino Barbosa Avenue, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
| | - Igor José do Santos Nascimento
- Chemistry and Biotechnology Institute, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus A.C. Simões, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, Maceió 57072-970, Brazil
| | - Elany Barbosa da Silva
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - James H McKerrow
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sílvia Helena Cardoso
- Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Synthesis, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus Arapiraca, Manoel Severino Barbosa Avenue, Arapiraca 57309-005, Brazil
| | - Edeildo Ferreira da Silva-Júnior
- Chemistry and Biotechnology Institute, Federal University of Alagoas, Campus A.C. Simões, Lourival Melo Mota Avenue, Maceió 57072-970, Brazil.
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Rawat A, Roy M, Jyoti A, Kaushik S, Verma K, Srivastava VK. Cysteine proteases: Battling pathogenic parasitic protozoans with omnipresent enzymes. Microbiol Res 2021; 249:126784. [PMID: 33989978 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2021.126784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 02/20/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Millions of people worldwide lie at the risk of parasitic protozoic infections that kill over a million people each year. The rising inefficacy of conventional therapeutics to combat these diseases, mainly due to the development of drug resistance to a handful of available licensed options contributes substantially to the rising burden of these ailments. Cysteine proteases are omnipresent enzymes that are critically implicated in the pathogenesis of protozoic infections. Despite their significance and druggability, cysteine proteases as therapeutic targets have not yet been translated into the clinic. The review presents the significance of cysteine proteases of members of the genera Plasmodium, Entamoeba, and Leishmania, known to cause Malaria, Amoebiasis, and Leishmaniasis, respectively, the protozoic diseases with the highest morbidity and mortality. Further, projecting them as targets for molecular tools like the CRISPR-Cas technology for favorable manipulation, exploration of obscure genomes, and achieving a better insight into protozoic functioning. Overcoming the hurdles that prevent us from gaining a better insight into the functioning of these enzymes in protozoic systems is a necessity. Managing the burden of parasitic protozoic infections pivotally depends upon the betterment of molecular tools and therapeutic concepts that will pave the path to an array of diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aadish Rawat
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Rajasthan, Kant Kalwar, NH-11C, Jaipur-Delhi Highway, Jaipur, India
| | - Mrinalini Roy
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Rajasthan, Kant Kalwar, NH-11C, Jaipur-Delhi Highway, Jaipur, India
| | - Anupam Jyoti
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Rajasthan, Kant Kalwar, NH-11C, Jaipur-Delhi Highway, Jaipur, India
| | - Sanket Kaushik
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Rajasthan, Kant Kalwar, NH-11C, Jaipur-Delhi Highway, Jaipur, India
| | - Kuldeep Verma
- Institute of Science, Nirma University, Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Highway, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Vijay Kumar Srivastava
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Rajasthan, Kant Kalwar, NH-11C, Jaipur-Delhi Highway, Jaipur, India.
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Rauf A, Khalil AA, Olatunde A, Khan M, Anwar S, Alafnan A, Rengasamy KR. Diversity, molecular mechanisms and structure-activity relationships of marine protease inhibitors-A review. Pharmacol Res 2021; 166:105521. [PMID: 33662574 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Marine habitats are well-known for their diverse life forms that are potential sources of novel bioactive compounds. Evidence from existing studies suggests that these compounds contribute significantly to the field of pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmeceuticals. The isolation of natural compounds from a marine environment with protease inhibitory activity has gained importance due to drug discovery potential. Despite the increasing research endeavours focusing on protease inhibitors' design and characterization, many of these compounds have failed to reach final phases of clinical trials. As a result, the search for new sources for the development of protease inhibitors remains pertinent. This review focuses on the diverse marine protease inhibitors and their structure-activity relationships. Furthermore, the potential of marine protease inhibitors in drug discovery and molecular mechanism inhibitor binding are critically discussed.
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Murata S, Taniguchi A, Isezaki M, Fujisawa S, Sakai E, Taneno A, Ichii O, Ito T, Maekawa N, Okagawa T, Konnai S, Ohashi K. Characterisation of a cysteine protease from poultry red mites and its potential use as a vaccine for chickens. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 28:9. [PMID: 33544074 PMCID: PMC7863971 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2021005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Poultry red mites (PRMs, Dermanyssus gallinae) are ectoparasites that negatively affect farmed chickens, leading to serious economic losses worldwide. Acaricides have been used to control PRMs in poultry houses. However, some PRMs have developed resistance to acaricides, and therefore different approaches are required to manage the problems caused by PRMs. Vaccination of chickens is one of the methods being considered to reduce the number of PRMs in poultry houses. In a previous study, a cysteine protease, Deg-CPR-1, was identified as a candidate vaccine against PRMs distributed in Europe. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of Deg-CPR-1. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that Deg-CPR-1 is closely related to the digestive cysteine proteases of other mite species, and it was classified into a cluster different from that of chicken cathepsins. Deg-CPR-1 of PRMs in Japan has an amino acid substitution compared with that of PRMs in Europe, but it showed efficacy as a vaccine, consistent with previous findings. Deg-CPR-1 exhibited cathepsin L-like enzyme activity. In addition, the Deg-CPR-1 mRNA was expressed in the midgut and in all stages of PRMs that feed on blood. These results imply that Deg-CPR-1 in the midgut may have important functions in physiological processes, and the inhibition of its expression may contribute to the efficacy of a Deg-CPR-1-based vaccine. Further research is required to fully understand the mechanisms of vaccine efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiro Murata
- Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita-18, Nishi-9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan - Department of Advanced Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita-18, Nishi-9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
| | - Ayaka Taniguchi
- Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita-18, Nishi-9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
| | - Masayoshi Isezaki
- Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita-18, Nishi-9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
| | - Sotaro Fujisawa
- Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita-18, Nishi-9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
| | - Eishi Sakai
- Vaxxinova Japan K.K., 1-24-8 Hamamatsucho, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0013, Japan
| | - Akira Taneno
- Vaxxinova Japan K.K., 1-24-8 Hamamatsucho, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0013, Japan
| | - Osamu Ichii
- Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita-18, Nishi-9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
| | - Takuya Ito
- Hokkaido Institute of Public Health, Kita-19, Nishi-12, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0819, Japan
| | - Naoya Maekawa
- Department of Advanced Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita-18, Nishi-9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Okagawa
- Department of Advanced Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita-18, Nishi-9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
| | - Satoru Konnai
- Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita-18, Nishi-9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan - Department of Advanced Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita-18, Nishi-9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Ohashi
- Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita-18, Nishi-9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan - Department of Advanced Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita-18, Nishi-9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
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Spinozzi S, Albini S, Best H, Richard I. Calpains for dummies: What you need to know about the calpain family. Biochim Biophys Acta Proteins Proteom 2021; 1869:140616. [PMID: 33545367 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2021.140616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
This review was written in memory of our late friend, Dr. Hiroyuki Sorimachi, who, following the steps of his mentor Koichi Suzuki, a pioneer in calpain research, has made tremendous contributions to the field. During his career, Hiro also wrote several reviews on calpain, the last of which, published in 2016, was comprehensive. In this manuscript, we decided to put together a review with the basic information a novice may need to know about calpains. We also tried to avoid similarities with previous reviews and reported the most significant new findings, at the same time highlighting Hiro's contributions to the field. The review will cover a short history of calpain discovery, the presentation of the family, the life of calpain from transcription to activity, human diseases caused by calpain mutations and therapeutic perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Spinozzi
- Genethon, 1 bis, Rue de l'Internationale - 91000 Evry, France; Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare Research Unit UMR_S951, 91000, Evry, France
| | - Sonia Albini
- Genethon, 1 bis, Rue de l'Internationale - 91000 Evry, France; Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare Research Unit UMR_S951, 91000, Evry, France
| | - Heather Best
- Genethon, 1 bis, Rue de l'Internationale - 91000 Evry, France; Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare Research Unit UMR_S951, 91000, Evry, France
| | - Isabelle Richard
- Genethon, 1 bis, Rue de l'Internationale - 91000 Evry, France; Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, Inserm, Genethon, Integrare Research Unit UMR_S951, 91000, Evry, France.
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Banerjee S. An insight into the interaction between α-ketoamide- based inhibitor and coronavirus main protease: A detailed in silico study. Biophys Chem 2021; 269:106510. [PMID: 33285430 PMCID: PMC7695570 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2020.106510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The search for therapeutic drugs that can neutralize the effects of COVID-2019 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is the main focus of current research. The coronavirus main protease (Mpro) is an attractive target for anti-coronavirus drug design. Further, α-ketoamide is proved to be very effective as a reversible covalent-inhibitor against cysteine proteases. Herein, we report on the non-covalent to the covalent adduct formation mechanism of α-ketoamide-based inhibitor with the enzyme active site amino acids by QM/SQM model (QM = quantum mechanical, SQM = semi-empirical QM). To uncover the mechanism, we focused on two approaches: a concerted and a stepwise fashion. The concerted pathway proceeds via deprotonation of the thiol of cysteine (here, Cys145 SγH) and simultaneous reversible nucleophilic attack of sulfur onto the α-ketoamide warhead. In this work, we propose three plausible concerted pathways. On the contrary, in a traditional two-stage pathway, the first step is proton transfer from Cys145 SγH to His41 Nδ forming an ion pair, and consecutively, in the second step, the thiolate ion attacks the α-keto group to form a thiohemiketal. In this reaction, we find that the stability of the tetrahedral intermediate oxyanion/hydroxyl group plays an important role. Moreover, as the α-keto group has two faces Si or Re for the nucleophilic attack, we considered both possibilities of attack leading to S- and R-thiohemiketal. We computed the structural, electronic, and energetic parameters of all stationary points including transition states via ONIOM and pure DFT method. Additionally, to characterize covalent, weak noncovalent interaction (NCI) and hydrogen-bonds, we applied NCI-reduced density gradient (NCI-RDG) methods along with Bader's Quantum Theory of Atoms-in-Molecules (QTAIM) and natural bonding orbital (NBO) analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snehasis Banerjee
- Department of Chemistry, Government College of Engineering and Leather Technology, Salt Lake, Sector-3, Kolkata, PIN-700106, West Bengal, India.
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35
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Hodgson JJ, Krell PJ, Passarelli AL. Mature viral cathepsin is required for release of viral occlusion bodies from Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus-infected cells. Virology 2021; 556:23-32. [PMID: 33540271 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2021.01.001] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Baculovirus-infected larvae release progeny viral occlusion bodies (OBs) to enable cyclical virus transmission to new hosts. The alphabaculovirus chitinase and cathepsin enzymes cause terminal liquefaction of host insect cadavers, aiding OB dispersal. The mechanism of cell lysis required to release the OBs is unclear but here we show Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus cathepsin protease activity is required for efficient release of the host tissue-degrading chitinase and cathepsin enzymes and critical for release of progeny OBs from virus-infected cells. Comparisons between viruses containing or lacking cathepsin indicate that cathepsin was necessary for OB release into cultured cell media or hemolymph of insects. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of cysteine protease activity in cells during infection blocked maturation of active cathepsin and OB release from infected cells. Together, these results suggest an important link between baculovirus-induced cell lysis, the concomitant maturation of cathepsin, and cellular release of chitinase, cathepsin and progeny OBs from cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey J Hodgson
- Boyce Thompson Institute at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
| | - Peter J Krell
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
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Iida S, Fukunishi Y. Asymmetric dynamics of dimeric SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV main proteases in an apo form: Molecular dynamics study on fluctuations of active site, catalytic dyad, and hydration water. BBA Adv 2021; 1:100016. [PMID: 34235495 PMCID: PMC8214910 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadva.2021.100016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been widely spread around the world. It is necessary to examine the viral proteins that play a notorious role in the invasion of our body. The main protease (3CLpro) facilitates the maturation of the coronavirus. It is thought that the dimerization of 3CLpro leads to its catalytic activity; the detailed mechanism has, however, not been suggested. Furthermore, the structural differences between the predecessor SARS-CoV 3CLpro and SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro have not been fully understood. Here, we show the structural and dynamical differences between the two main proteases, and demonstrate the relationship between the dimerization and the activity via atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. Simulating monomeric and dimeric 3CLpro systems for each protease, we show that (i) global dynamics between the two different proteases are not conserved, (ii) the dimerization stabilizes the catalytic dyad and hydration water molecules behind the dyad, and (iii) the substrate-binding site (active site) and hydration water molecules in each protomer fluctuate asymmetrically. We then speculate the roles of hydration water molecules in their catalytic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinji Iida
- Technology Research Association for Next-Generation Natural Products Chemistry, 2-3-26, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan 135-0064
- Corresponding author.
| | - Yoshifumi Fukunishi
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-3-26 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan 135-0064
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Abstract
Cathepsin L (CatL) is a potent collagenase involved in atherosclerotic vascular remodeling and dysfunction in animals and humans. This study investigated the hypothesis that plasma CatL is associated with the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD). Between February May 2011 and January 2013, 206 consecutive subjects were enrolled from among patients who underwent coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention treatment. Age-matched subjects (n = 215) served as controls. Plasma CatL and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were measured. The patients with CAD had significantly higher plasma CatL levels compared to the controls (1.4 ± 0.4 versus 0.4 ± 0.2 ng/mL, P < 0.001), and the patients with acute coronary syndrome had significantly higher plasma CatL levels compared to those with stable angina pectoris (1.7 ± 0.7 versus 0.8 ± 0.4 ng/mL, P < 0.01). Linear regression analysis showed that overall, the plasma CatL levels were inversely correlated with the high-density lipoprotein levels (r = -0.32, P < 0.01) and positively with hs-CRP levels (r = 0.35, P < 0.01). Multiple logistic regression analyses shows that cathepsin L levels were independent predictors of CAD (add ratio, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.1; P < 0.01). These data demonstrated that increased levels of plasma CatL are closely associated with the presence of CAD and that circulating CatL serves as a useful biomarker for CAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenglin Yu
- Department of Cardiology and Hypertension, Yanbian University Hospital
| | - Ying Wan
- Department of Cardiology and Hypertension, Yanbian University Hospital
| | - Wenhu Xu
- Department of Cardiology and Hypertension, Yanbian University Hospital
| | - Xiongjie Jin
- Department of Cardiology and Hypertension, Yanbian University Hospital
| | - Shengming Zhang
- Department of Cardiology and Hypertension, Yanbian University Hospital
| | - Minglong Xin
- Department of Cardiology and Hypertension, Yanbian University Hospital
| | - Haiying Jiang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Jiaxing University Medical College
| | - Xianwu Cheng
- Department of Cardiology and Hypertension, Yanbian University Hospital.,Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Jiaxing University Medical College
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Singh V, Hada RS, Uddin A, Aneja B, Abid M, Pandey KC, Singh S. Inhibition of Hemoglobin Degrading Protease Falcipain-2 as a Mechanism for Anti-Malarial Activity of Triazole-Amino Acid Hybrids. Curr Top Med Chem 2020; 20:377-389. [PMID: 32000644 DOI: 10.2174/1568026620666200130162347] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Novel drug development against malaria parasite over old conventional antimalarial drugs is essential due to rapid and indiscriminate use of drugs, which led to the emergence of resistant strains. METHODS In this study, previously reported triazole-amino acid hybrids (13-18) are explored against Plasmodium falciparum as antimalarial agents. Among six compounds, 15 and 18 exhibited antimalarial activity against P. falciparum with insignificant hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity towards HepG2 mammalian cells. In molecular docking studies, both compounds bind into the active site of PfFP-2 and block its accessibility to the substrate that leads to the inhibition of target protein further supported by in vitro analysis. RESULTS Antimalarial half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 15 and 18 compounds were found to be 9.26 μM and 20.62 μM, respectively. Blood stage specific studies showed that compounds, 15 and 18 are effective at late trophozoite stage and block egress pathway of parasites. Decreased level of free monomeric heme was found in a dose dependent manner after the treatment with compounds 15 and 18, which was further evidenced by the reduction in percent of hemoglobin hydrolysis. Compounds 15 and 18 hindered hemoglobin degradation via intra- and extracellular cysteine protease falcipain-2 (PfFP-2) inhibitory activity both in in vitro and in vivo in P. falciparum. CONCLUSION We report antimalarial potential of triazole-amino acid hybrids and their role in the inhibition of cysteine protease PfFP-2 as its mechanistic aspect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vigyasa Singh
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Rahul Singh Hada
- Department of Life Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Gautam Buddha Nagar UP, 201314, India
| | - Amad Uddin
- Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Babita Aneja
- Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, 110025, India.,Department of Organic Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Mohammad Abid
- Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Kailash C Pandey
- Host-Parasite Interaction Biology Group, National Institute of Malaria Research, Indian Council of Medical Research, Sector-8, Dwarka, New Delhi 110077, India
| | - Shailja Singh
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India
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Wang Z, Wu D, Tachibana H, Feng M, Cheng XJ. Identification and biochemical characterisation of Acanthamoeba castellanii cysteine protease 3. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:592. [PMID: 33228764 PMCID: PMC7685649 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04474-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acanthamoeba spp. are free-living amoeba that are ubiquitously distributed in the environment. This study examines pathogenic Acanthamoeba cysteine proteases (AcCPs) belonging to the cathepsin L-family and explores the mechanism of AcCP3 interaction with host cells. METHODS Six AcCP genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Quantitative real-time PCR was used to analyse the relative mRNA expression of AcCPs during the encystation process and between pre- and post-reactivated trophozoites. To further verify the role of AcCP3 in these processes, AcCP3 recombinant proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli, and the hydrolytic activity of AcCP3 was determined. The influence of the AcCP3 on the hydrolytic activity of trophozoites and the toxicity of trophozoites to human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) was examined by inhibiting AcCP3 expression using siRNA. Furthermore, the levels of p-Raf and p-Erk were examined in HCECs following coculture with AcCP3 gene knockdown trophozoites by Western blotting. RESULTS During encystation, five out of six AcCPs exhibited decreased expression, and only AcCP6 was substantially up-regulated at the mRNA level, indicating that most AcCPs were not directly correlated to encystation. Furthermore, six AcCPs exhibited increased expression level following trophozoite reactivation with HEp-2 cells, particularly AcCP3, indicating that these AcCPs might be virulent factors. After refolding of recombinant AcCP3 protein, the 27 kDa mature protein from the 34 kDa pro-protein hydrolysed host haemoglobin, collagen and albumin and showed high activity in an acidic environment. After AcCP3 knockdown, the hydrolytic activity of trophozoite crude protein against gelatin was decreased, suggesting that these trophozoites had decreased toxicity. Compared with untreated trophozoites or negative control siRNA-treated trophozoites, AcCP3-knockdown trophozoites were less able to penetrate and damage monolayers of HCECs. Western blot analysis showed that the activation levels of the Ras/Raf/Erk/p53 signalling pathways in HCECs decreased after inhibiting the expression of trophozoite AcCP3. CONCLUSIONS AcCP6 was correlated to encystation. Furthermore, AcCP3 was a virulent factor in trophozoites and participated in the activation of the Ras/Raf/Erk/p53 signalling pathways of host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixin Wang
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Duo Wu
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Hiroshi Tachibana
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, 259-1193, Japan
| | - Meng Feng
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Xun-Jia Cheng
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Sloan S, Jenvey C, Cairns C, Stear M. Cathepsin F of Teladorsagia circumcincta is a recently evolved cysteine protease. Evol Bioinform Online 2020; 16:1176934320962521. [PMID: 33100828 PMCID: PMC7549167 DOI: 10.1177/1176934320962521] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasitic cysteine proteases are involved in parasite stage transition, invasion
of host tissues, nutrient uptake, and immune evasion. The cysteine protease
cathepsin F is the most abundant protein produced by fourth-stage larvae (L4) of
the nematode Teladorsagia circumcincta, while its transcript is
only detectable in L4 and adults. T. circumcincta cathepsin F
is a recently evolved cysteine protease that does not fall clearly into either
of the cathepsin L or F subfamilies. This protein exhibits characteristics of
both cathepsins F and L, and its phylogenetic relationship to its closest
homologs is distant, including proteins of closely related nematodes of the same
subfamily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Sloan
- AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Caitlin Jenvey
- AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Callum Cairns
- AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael Stear
- AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
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Sattari F, Rigi G, Ghaedmohammadi S. The first report on molecular cloning, functional expression, purification, and statistical optimization of Escherichia coli-derived recombinant Ficin from Iranian fig tree (Ficus carica cv.Sabz). Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 165:2126-35. [PMID: 33069821 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.10.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The enzyme ficin, abundantly found in the leaves of the common Fig (Ficus carica. L), is a cysteine protease of the plant endopeptidase family. In terms of activity, this enzyme mimics the activity of the papain enzyme. However, the enzyme is more acidic than papain and binds with higher efficiency to its substrate. Ficin is widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industry along with the medical diagnosis. To date, there are no available data on cloning and recombinant production of various isoforms of ficin. In the present study, after the cloning process and optimized expression of ficin in E. coli BL21, by means of the central composite design (CCD) and approach-based response surface methodology (RSM), the recombinant protein was purified using the Ni-sepharose column and gel filtration. The activity of ficin was determined by its ability to hydrolyze the bovine casein enzyme as a substrate. These results showed the presence of different isoforms of ficin in this cultivar that they are distinct in terms of DNA coding sequences. The optimum conditions for maximum production of the recombinant ficin enzyme in E. coli were as follows; a cell density of 1.25, post-induction time 7 h, 10% (w/v) lactose concentration, and shaking at 115 rpm at 24 °C. The concentration of purified product was reported to be 0.27 mg/ml. The optimization procedures increased the amounts of ficin production by approximately 3 folds (0.67 mg/ml) compared with the expiration level (in the absence of optimization). Also, our findings showed that the recombinant ficin was able to hydrolyze casein, denoting the functionality of the enzyme when used in-vitro. The pitfall of cutting-off the young branches of the common fig tree to purify the enzyme from the young shoots was successfully solved in this study.
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Elkerdany ED, Elnassery SM, Arafa FM, Zaki SAF, Mady RF. In vitro effect of a novel protease inhibitor cocktail on Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites. Exp Parasitol 2020; 219:108010. [PMID: 33007297 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2020.108010] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease and a global food and water-borne infection. The disease is caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which is a highly successful and remarkable pathogen because of its ability to infect almost any nucleated cell in warm-blooded animals. The present study was done to demonstrate the effect of protease inhibitors cocktail (PIC), which inhibit both cysteine and serine proteases, on in vitro cultured T. gondii tachyzoites on HepG2 cell line. This was achieved by assessing its effect on the invasion of the host cells and the intracellular development of T.gondii tachyzoites through measuring their number and viability after their incubation with PIC. Based on the results of the study, it was evident that the inhibitory action of the PIC was effective when applied to tachyzoites before their cultivation on HepG2 cells. Pre-treatment of T.gondii tachyzoites with PIC resulted in failure of the invasion of most of the tachyzoites and decreased the intracellular multiplication and viability of the tachyzoites that succeeded in the initial invasion process. Ultrastructural studies showed morphological alteration in tachyzoites and disruption in their organelles. This effect was irreversible till the complete lysis of cell monolayer in cultures. It can be concluded that PIC, at in vitro levels, could prevent invasion and intracellular multiplication of Toxoplasma tachyzoites. In addition, it is cost effective compared to individual protease inhibitors. It also had the benefit of combined therapy as it lowered the concentration of each protease inhibitor used in the cocktail. Other in vivo experiments are required to validate the cocktail efficacy against toxoplasmosis. Further studies may be needed to establish the exact mechanism by which the PIC exerts its effect on Toxoplasma tachyzoites behavior and its secretory pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman D Elkerdany
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt.
| | - Suzanne M Elnassery
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt.
| | - Fadwa M Arafa
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt.
| | - Sahar Abdel-Fattah Zaki
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Genetic Engineering Biotechnology Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications, Egypt.
| | - Rasha F Mady
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt.
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Liu Y, Wang K, Cheng Q, Kong D, Zhang X, Wang Z, Wang Q, Xie Q, Yan J, Chu J, Ling HQ, Li Q, Miao J, Zhao B. Cysteine protease RD21A regulated by E3 ligase SINAT4 is required for drought-induced resistance to Pseudomonas syringae in Arabidopsis. J Exp Bot 2020; 71:5562-5576. [PMID: 32453812 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Plants can be simultaneously exposed to multiple stresses. The interplay of abiotic and biotic stresses may result in synergistic or antagonistic effects on plant development and health. Temporary drought stress can stimulate plant immunity; however, the molecular mechanism of drought-induced immunity is largely unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that cysteine protease RD21A is required for drought-induced immunity. Temporarily drought-treated wild-type Arabidopsis plants became more sensitive to the bacterial pathogen-associated molecular pattern flg22, triggering stomatal closure, which resulted in increased resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst-DC3000). Knocking out rd21a inhibited flg22-triggered stomatal closure and compromised the drought-induced immunity. Ubiquitin E3 ligase SINAT4 interacted with RD21A and promoted its degradation in vivo. The overexpression of SINAT4 also consistently compromised the drought-induced immunity to Pst-DC3000. A bacterial type III effector, AvrRxo1, interacted with both SINAT4 and RD21A, enhancing SINAT4 activity and promoting the degradation of RD21A in vivo. Therefore, RD21A could be a positive regulator of drought-induced immunity, which could be targeted by pathogen virulence effectors during pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liu
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Lushan Botanical Garden Jiangxi Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, China
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kunru Wang
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Qiang Cheng
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Danyu Kong
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Xunzhong Zhang
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Zhibo Wang
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Qian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jijun Yan
- National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinfang Chu
- National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hong-Qing Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Li
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Jiamin Miao
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- College of Grassland, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Bingyu Zhao
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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Cruz WT, Bezerra EHS, Ramos MV, Rocha BAM, Medina MC, Demarco D, Carvalho CPS, Oliveira JS, Sousa JS, Souza PFN, Freire VN, da Silva FMS, Freitas CDT. Crystal structure and specific location of a germin-like protein with proteolytic activity from Thevetia peruviana. Plant Sci 2020; 298:110590. [PMID: 32771148 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2020.110590] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Peruvianin-I is a cysteine peptidase (EC 3.4.22) purified from Thevetia peruviana. Previous studies have shown that it is the only germin-like protein (GLP) with proteolytic activity described so far. In this work, the X-ray crystal structure of peruvianin-I was determined to a resolution of 2.15 Å (PDB accession number: 6ORM) and its specific location was evaluated by different assays. Its overall structure shows an arrangement composed of a homohexamer (a trimer of dimers) where each monomer exhibits a typical β-barrel fold and two glycosylation sites (Asn55 and Asn144). Analysis of its active site confirmed the absence of essential amino acids for typical oxalate oxidase activity of GLPs. Details of the active site and molecular docking results, using a specific cysteine peptidase inhibitor (iodoacetamide), were used to discuss a plausible mechanism for proteolytic activity of peruvianin-I. Histological analyses showed that T. peruviana has articulated anastomosing laticifers, i.e., rows of cells which merge to form continuous tubes throughout its green organs. Moreover, peruvianin-I was detected exclusively in the latex. Because latex peptidases have been described as defensive molecules against insects, we hypothesize that peruvianin-I contributes to protect T. peruviana plants against herbivory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wallace T Cruz
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Campus do Pici, CEP 60.440-554, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Eduardo H S Bezerra
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Campus do Pici, CEP 60.440-554, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Márcio V Ramos
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Campus do Pici, CEP 60.440-554, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Bruno A M Rocha
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Campus do Pici, CEP 60.440-554, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Maria C Medina
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, CEP 05.508-090, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Diego Demarco
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, CEP 05.508-090, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cristina Paiva S Carvalho
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Campus do Pici, CEP 60.440-554, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Jefferson S Oliveira
- Departamento de Biomedicina, Universidade Federal do Delta do Parnaíba, Campus Ministro Reis Velloso, Parnaíba, Piauí, Brazil
| | - Jeanlex S Sousa
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Pedro F N Souza
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Campus do Pici, CEP 60.440-554, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Valder N Freire
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | | | - Cleverson D T Freitas
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Campus do Pici, CEP 60.440-554, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
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45
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Abstract
Ebselen is an organoselenium compound exhibiting hydroperoxide- and peroxynitrite-reducing activity, acting as a glutathione peroxidase and peroxiredoxin enzyme mimetic. Ebselen reacts with a multitude of protein thiols, forming a selenosulfide bond, which results in pleiotropic effects of antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory nature. The main protease (Mpro) of the corona virus SARS-CoV-2 is a potential drug target, and a screen with over 10,000 compounds identified ebselen as a particularly promising inhibitor of Mpro (Jin, Z. et al. (2020) Nature 582, 289-293). We discuss here the reaction of ebselen with cysteine proteases, the role of ebselen in infections with viruses and with other microorganisms. We also discuss effects of ebselen in lung inflammation. In further research on the inhibition of Mpro in SARS-CoV-2, ebselen can serve as a promising lead compound, if the inhibitory effect is confirmed in intact cells in vivo. Independently of this action, potential beneficial effects of ebselen in COVID-19 are ascribed to a number of targets critical to pathogenesis, such as attenuation of inflammatory oxidants and cytokines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helmut Sies
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Michael J Parnham
- Faculty of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, JW Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Pharmacology Consultant, Bad Soden am Taunus, Germany.
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46
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Wei N, Du Y, Lu J, Zhou Y, Cao J, Zhang H, Gong H, Zhou J. A cysteine protease of Babesia microti and its interaction with tick cystatins. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:3013-3022. [PMID: 32740752 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06818-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Babesiosis is a tick-borne protozoonosis caused by Babesia, which can cause fever, hemolytic anemia, hemoglobinuria, and even death. Babesia microti is a parasite found in rodents and can be pathogenic to humans. In this study, the full-length cDNA of a B. microti cysteine protease (BmCYP) was expressed and the recombinant rBmCYP protein analyzed and characterized. BmCYP is encoded by an ORF of 1.3 kb, with a predicted molecular weight of 50 kDa and a theoretical pI of 8.5. The amino acid sequence of BmCYP exhibits an identity of 32.9 to 35.2% with cysteine proteases of Babesia ovis, Babesia bovis, and Theileria, respectively. The results of the proteinase assays show that rBmCYP has cysteine protease enzymatic activity. In addition, we demonstrate that tick cystatins rRhcyst-1 and rRhcyst-2 were able to effectively inhibit the activity of rBmCYP; the inhibition rates were 57.2% and 30.9%, respectively. Tick cystatins Rhcyst-1 and Rhcyst-2 were differentially expressed in ticks that fed on Babesia-infected mice relative to non-infected control ticks. Our results suggest that BmCYP is a functional enzyme with cysteine protease enzymatic activity and may be involved in tick-B. microti interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yanfang Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jinmiao Lu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yongzhi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jie Cao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Houshuang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Haiyan Gong
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jinlin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China.
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47
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Majumdar P, Nath U. De-ubiquitinases on the move: an emerging field in plant biology. Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2020; 22:563-572. [PMID: 32233097 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13118] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A balance between the synthesis and degradation of active proteins governs diverse cellular processes in plants, spanning from cell-cycle progression and circadian rhythm to the outcome of several hormone signalling pathways. Ubiquitin-mediated post-translational modification determines the degradative fate of the target proteins, thereby altering the output of cellular processes. An equally important, and perhaps under-appreciated, aspect of this pathway is the antagonistic process of de-ubiquitination. De-ubiquitinases (DUBs), a group of processing enzymes, play an important role in maintaining cellular ubiquitin homeostasis by hydrolyzing ubiquitin poly-proteins and free poly-ubiquitin chains into mono-ubiquitin. Further, DUBs rescue the cellular proteins from 26S proteasome-mediated degradation to their active form by cleaving the poly-ubiquitin chain from the target protein. Any perturbation in DUB activity is likely to affect proteostasis and downstream cellular processes. This review illustrates recent findings on the biological significance and mechanisms of action of the DUBs in Arabidopsis thaliana, with an emphasis on ubiquitin-specific proteases (UBPs), the largest family among the DUBs. We focus on the putative roles of various protein-protein interaction interfaces in DUBs and their generalized function in ubiquitin recycling, along with their pre-eminent role in plant development.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Majumdar
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - U Nath
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
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48
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Pang WC, Ramli ANM, Hamid AAA. Comparative modelling studies of fruit bromelain using molecular dynamics simulation. J Mol Model 2020; 26:142. [PMID: 32417971 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-020-04398-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Fruit bromelain is a cysteine protease accumulated in pineapple fruits. This proteolytic enzyme has received high demand for industrial and therapeutic applications. In this study, fruit bromelain sequences QIM61759, QIM61760 and QIM61761 were retrieved from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Genbank Database. The tertiary structure of fruit bromelain QIM61759, QIM61760 and QIM61761 was generated by using MODELLER. The result revealed that the local stereochemical quality of the generated models was improved by using multiple templates during modelling process. Moreover, by comparing with the available papain model, structural analysis provides an insight on how pro-peptide functions as a scaffold in fruit bromelain folding and contributing to inactivation of mature protein. The structural analysis also disclosed the similarities and differences between these models. Lastly, thermal stability of fruit bromelain was studied. Molecular dynamics simulation of fruit bromelain structures at several selected temperatures demonstrated how fruit bromelain responds to elevation of temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Cheng Pang
- Faculty of Industrial Science & Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Lebuhraya Tun Razak, 26300 Gambang, Kuantan, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia
| | - Aizi Nor Mazila Ramli
- Faculty of Industrial Science & Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Lebuhraya Tun Razak, 26300 Gambang, Kuantan, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia. .,Bio Aromatic Research Centre of Excellence, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Lebuhraya Tun Razak, 26300 Gambang, Kuantan, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia.
| | - Azzmer Azzar Abdul Hamid
- Department of Biotechnology, Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Bandar Indera Mahkota, 25200, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia.,Research Unit for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (RUBIC), Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Bandar Indera Mahkota, 25200, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
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49
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Gomez-Auli A, Hillebrand LE, Christen D, Günther SC, Biniossek ML, Peters C, Schilling O, Reinheckel T. The secreted inhibitor of invasive cell growth CREG1 is negatively regulated by cathepsin proteases. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 78:733-755. [PMID: 32385587 PMCID: PMC7873128 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03528-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Previous clinical and experimental evidence strongly supports a breast cancer-promoting function of the lysosomal protease cathepsin B. However, the cathepsin B-dependent molecular pathways are not completely understood. Here, we studied the cathepsin-mediated secretome changes in the context of the MMTV-PyMT breast cancer mouse model. Employing the cell-conditioned media from tumor-macrophage co-cultures, as well as tumor interstitial fluid obtained by a novel strategy from PyMT mice with differential cathepsin B expression, we identified an important proteolytic and lysosomal signature, highlighting the importance of this organelle and these enzymes in the tumor micro-environment. The Cellular Repressor of E1A Stimulated Genes 1 (CREG1), a secreted endolysosomal glycoprotein, displayed reduced abundance upon over-expression of cathepsin B as well as increased abundance upon cathepsin B deletion or inhibition. Moreover, it was cleaved by cathepsin B in vitro. CREG1 reportedly could act as tumor suppressor. We show that treatment of PyMT tumor cells with recombinant CREG1 reduced proliferation, migration, and invasion; whereas, the opposite was observed with reduced CREG1 expression. This was further validated in vivo by orthotopic transplantation. Our study highlights CREG1 as a key player in tumor–stroma interaction and suggests that cathepsin B sustains malignant cell behavior by reducing the levels of the growth suppressor CREG1 in the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Gomez-Auli
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Larissa Elisabeth Hillebrand
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Christen
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sira Carolin Günther
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Martin Lothar Biniossek
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Peters
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg, and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Schilling
- Institute of Surgical Pathology, University Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg, and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Reinheckel
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany. .,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Heidelberg, and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany. .,BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
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50
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Zhang H, Collins J, Nyamwihura R, Crown O, Ajayi O, Ogungbe IV. Vinyl sulfone-based inhibitors of trypanosomal cysteine protease rhodesain with improved antitrypanosomal activities. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2020; 30:127217. [PMID: 32527539 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127217] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The number of reported cases of Human African Trypanosmiasis (HAT), caused by kinetoplastid protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei, is declining in sub-Saharan Africa. Historically, such declines are generally followed by periods of higher incidence, and one of the lingering public health challenges of HAT is that its drug development pipeline is historically sparse. As a continuation of our work on new antitrypanosomal agents, we found that partially saturated quinoline-based vinyl sulfone compounds selectively inhibit the growth of T. brucei but displayed relatively weak inhibitory activity towards T. brucei's cysteine protease rhodesain. While two nitroaromatic analogues of the quinoline-based vinyl sulfone compounds displayed potent inhibition of T. brucei and rhodesain. The quinoline derivatives and the nitroaromatic-based compounds discovered in this work can serve as leads for ADME-based optimization and pre-clinical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaisheng Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA
| | - Jasmine Collins
- Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA
| | - Rogers Nyamwihura
- Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA
| | - Olamide Crown
- Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
| | - Oluwatomi Ajayi
- Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA
| | - Ifedayo Victor Ogungbe
- Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA.
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