1
|
Kumar K, Basak R, Rai A, Mukhopadhyay A. GRASP negatively regulates the secretion of the virulence factor gp63 in Leishmania. Mol Microbiol 2024; 121:1063-1078. [PMID: 38558112 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15255] [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: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Metalloprotease-gp63 is a virulence factor secreted by Leishmania. However, secretory pathway in Leishmania is not well defined. Here, we cloned and expressed the GRASP homolog from Leishmania. We found that Leishmania expresses one GRASP homolog of 58 kDa protein (LdGRASP) which localizes in LdRab1- and LPG2-positive Golgi compartment in Leishmania. LdGRASP was found to bind with COPII complex, LdARF1, LdRab1 and LdRab11 indicating its role in ER and Golgi transport in Leishmania. To determine the function of LdGRASP, we generated LdGRASP knockout parasites using CRISPR-Cas9. We found fragmentation of Golgi in Ld:GRASPKO parasites. Our results showed enhanced transport of non-GPI-anchored gp63 to the cell surface leading to higher secretion of this form of gp63 in Ld:GRASPKO parasites in comparison to Ld:WT cells. In contrast, we found that transport of GPI-anchored gp63 to the cell surface is blocked in Ld:GRASPKO parasites and thereby inhibits its secretion. The overexpression of dominant-negative mutant of LdRab1 or LdSar1 in Ld:GRASPKO parasites significantly blocked the secretion of non-GPI-anchored gp63. Interestingly, we found that survival of transgenic parasites overexpressing Ld:GRASP-GFP is significantly compromised in macrophages in comparison to Ld:WT and Ld:GRASPKO parasites. These results demonstrated that LdGRASP differentially regulates Ldgp63 secretory pathway in Leishmania.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kamal Kumar
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India
| | - Rituparna Basak
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India
| | - Aakansha Rai
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India
| | - Amitabha Mukhopadhyay
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Cattaneo GM, Varotto-Boccazzi I, Molteni R, Ronchetti F, Gabrieli P, Mendoza-Roldan JA, Otranto D, Montomoli E, Bandi C, Epis S. A novel chemically defined medium for the biotechnological and biomedical exploitation of the cell factory Leishmania tarentolae. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9562. [PMID: 38671070 PMCID: PMC11053126 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60383-1] [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: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of media for cell culture is a major issue in the biopharmaceutical industry, for the production of therapeutics, immune-modulating molecules and protein antigens. Chemically defined media offer several advantages, as they are free of animal-derived components and guarantee high purity and a consistency in their composition. Microorganisms of the genus Leishmania represent a promising cellular platform for production of recombinant proteins, but their maintenance requires supplements of animal origin, such as hemin and fetal bovine serum. In the present study, three chemically defined media were assayed for culturing Leishmania tarentolae, using both a wild-type strain and a strain engineered to produce a viral antigen. Among the three media, Schneider's Drosophila Medium supplemented with Horseradish Peroxidase proved to be effective for the maintenance of L. tarentolae promastigotes, also allowing the heterologous protein production by the engineered strain. Finally, the engineered strain was maintained in culture up to the 12th week without antibiotic, revealing its capability to produce the recombinant protein in the absence of selective pressure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ilaria Varotto-Boccazzi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
- Pediatric CRC 'Fondazione Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi', University of Milan, 20157, Milan, Italy
| | - Riccardo Molteni
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Gabrieli
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
- Pediatric CRC 'Fondazione Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi', University of Milan, 20157, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010, Valenzano, Italy
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Republic of China
| | - Emanuele Montomoli
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
- VisMederi, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Claudio Bandi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
- Pediatric CRC 'Fondazione Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi', University of Milan, 20157, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Epis
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy.
- Pediatric CRC 'Fondazione Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi', University of Milan, 20157, Milan, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Benaim G, Paniz-Mondolfi A. Unmasking the Mechanism behind Miltefosine: Revealing the Disruption of Intracellular Ca 2+ Homeostasis as a Rational Therapeutic Target in Leishmaniasis and Chagas Disease. Biomolecules 2024; 14:406. [PMID: 38672424 PMCID: PMC11047903 DOI: 10.3390/biom14040406] [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: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Originally developed as a chemotherapeutic agent, miltefosine (hexadecylphosphocholine) is an inhibitor of phosphatidylcholine synthesis with proven antiparasitic effects. It is the only oral drug approved for the treatment of Leishmaniasis and American Trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease). Although its precise mechanisms are not yet fully understood, miltefosine exhibits broad-spectrum anti-parasitic effects primarily by disrupting the intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis of the parasites while sparing the human hosts. In addition to its inhibitory effects on phosphatidylcholine synthesis and cytochrome c oxidase, miltefosine has been found to affect the unique giant mitochondria and the acidocalcisomes of parasites. Both of these crucial organelles are involved in Ca2+ regulation. Furthermore, miltefosine has the ability to activate a specific parasite Ca2+ channel that responds to sphingosine, which is different to its L-type VGCC human ortholog. Here, we aimed to provide an overview of recent advancements of the anti-parasitic mechanisms of miltefosine. We also explored its multiple molecular targets and investigated how its pleiotropic effects translate into a rational therapeutic approach for patients afflicted by Leishmaniasis and American Trypanosomiasis. Notably, miltefosine's therapeutic effect extends beyond its impact on the parasite to also positively affect the host's immune system. These findings enhance our understanding on its multi-targeted mechanism of action. Overall, this review sheds light on the intricate molecular actions of miltefosine, highlighting its potential as a promising therapeutic option against these debilitating parasitic diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Benaim
- Unidad de Señalización Celular y Bioquímica de Parásitos, Instituto de Estudios Avanzados (IDEA), Caracas 1080, Venezuela
- Laboratorio de Biofísica, Instituto de Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas 1040, Venezuela
| | - Alberto Paniz-Mondolfi
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Division of Microbiology, New York, NY 10029, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Fischer Weinberger R, Bachmaier S, Ober V, Githure GB, Dandugudumula R, Phan IQ, Almoznino M, Polatoglou E, Tsigankov P, Nitzan Koren R, Myler PJ, Boshart M, Zilberstein D. A divergent protein kinase A regulatory subunit essential for morphogenesis of the human pathogen Leishmania. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012073. [PMID: 38551993 PMCID: PMC11006142 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Parasitic protozoa of the genus Leishmania cycle between the phagolysosome of mammalian macrophages, where they reside as rounded intracellular amastigotes, and the midgut of female sand flies, which they colonize as elongated extracellular promastigotes. Previous studies indicated that protein kinase A (PKA) plays an important role in the initial steps of promastigote differentiation into amastigotes. Here, we describe a novel regulatory subunit of PKA (which we have named PKAR3) that is unique to Leishmania and most (but not all) other Kinetoplastidae. PKAR3 is localized to subpellicular microtubules (SPMT) in the cell cortex, where it recruits a specific catalytic subunit (PKAC3). Promastigotes of pkar3 or pkac3 null mutants lose their elongated shape and become rounded but remain flagellated. Truncation of an N-terminal formin homology (FH)-like domain of PKAR3 results in its detachment from the SPMT, also leading to rounded promastigotes. Thus, the tethering of PKAC3 via PKAR3 at the cell cortex is essential for maintenance of the elongated shape of promastigotes. This role of PKAR3 is reminiscent of PKARIβ and PKARIIβ binding to microtubules of mammalian neurons, which is essential for the elongation of dendrites and axons, respectively. Interestingly, PKAR3 binds nucleoside analogs, but not cAMP, with a high affinity similar to the PKAR1 isoform of Trypanosoma. We propose that these early-diverged protists have re-purposed PKA for a novel signaling pathway that spatiotemporally controls microtubule remodeling and cell shape.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sabine Bachmaier
- Faculty of Biology, Genetics, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Veronica Ober
- Faculty of Biology, Genetics, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
| | - George B. Githure
- Faculty of Biology, Genetics, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Ramu Dandugudumula
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Isabelle Q. Phan
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Michal Almoznino
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Eleni Polatoglou
- Faculty of Biology, Genetics, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Polina Tsigankov
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Roni Nitzan Koren
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Peter J. Myler
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, Department of Biomedical Informatics & Medical Education, and Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Michael Boshart
- Faculty of Biology, Genetics, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Dan Zilberstein
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Volkmar K, Jaedtka M, Baars I, Walber B, Philipp MS, Bagola K, Müller AJ, Heine H, van Zandbergen G. Investigating pyroptosis as a mechanism of L. major cell-to-cell spread in the human BLaER1 infection model. Mol Microbiol 2024; 121:453-469. [PMID: 37612878 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15142] [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: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Leishmania is the causative agent of the tropical neglected disease leishmaniasis and infects macrophages as its definitive host cell. In order to sustain and propagate infections, Leishmania parasites have to complete cycles of exit and re-infection. Yet, the mechanism driving the parasite spread to other cells remains unclear. Recent studies reported pro-inflammatory monocytes as replicative niche of Leishmania major and showed prolonged expression of IL-1β at the site of infection, indicating an activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and pointing toward pyroptosis as a possible mechanism of parasite spread. To address the species-specific inflammasome activation of human cells, we characterized the BLaER1 monocytes as a model for L. major infection. We found that BLaER1 monocytes support infection and activation by Leishmania parasites to the same extent as primary human macrophages. Harnessing the possibilities of this infection model, we first showed that BLaER1 GSDMD-/- cells, which carry a deletion of the pore-forming protein gasdermin D, are more resistant to pyroptotic cell death and, concomitantly, display a strongly delayed release of intracellular parasite. Using that knockout in a co-incubation assay in comparison with wild-type BLaER1 cells, we demonstrate that impairment of the pyroptosis pathway leads to lower rates of parasite spread to new host cells, thus, implicating pyroptotic cell death as a possible exit mechanism of L. major in pro-inflammatory microenvironments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kerren Volkmar
- Division of Immunology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut Langen, Langen, Germany
- Institute for Immunology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Moritz Jaedtka
- Division of Immunology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut Langen, Langen, Germany
- Institute for Immunology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Iris Baars
- Experimental Immunodynamics, Institute of Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Bianca Walber
- Division of Immunology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut Langen, Langen, Germany
| | | | - Katrin Bagola
- Division of Immunology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut Langen, Langen, Germany
| | - Andreas J Müller
- Experimental Immunodynamics, Institute of Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Holger Heine
- Division of Innate Immunity, Research Center Borstel-Leibniz Lung Center, Airway Research Center North (ARCN), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Borstel, Germany
| | - Ger van Zandbergen
- Division of Immunology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut Langen, Langen, Germany
- Institute for Immunology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Alfaro-Palma J, Johnston WA, Behrendorff J, Cui Z, Moradi SV, Alexandrov K. Development of Lyophilized Eukaryotic Cell-Free Protein Expression System Based on Leishmania tarentolae. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:449-456. [PMID: 38268082 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Eukaryotic cell-free protein expression systems enable rapid production of recombinant multidomain proteins in their functional form. A cell-free system based on the rapidly growing protozoan Leishmania tarentolae (LTE) has been extensively used for protein engineering and analysis of protein interaction networks. However, like other eukaryotic cell-free systems, LTE deteriorates at ambient temperatures and requires deep freezing for transport and storage. In this study, we report the development of a lyophilized version of LTE. Use of lyoprotectants such as poly(ethylene glycol) and trehalose during the drying process allows retention of 76% of protein expression activity versus nonlyophilized controls. Lyophilized LTE is capable of withstanding storage at room temperature for over 2 weeks. We demonstrated that upon reconstitution the lyophilized LTE could be used for in vitro expression of active enzymes, analysis of protein-protein interactions by AlphaLISA assay, and functional analysis of protein biosensors. Development of lyophilized LTE lowers the barriers to its distribution and opens the door to its application in remote areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Alfaro-Palma
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
| | - Wayne A Johnston
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
| | - James Behrendorff
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
- CSIRO Future Science Platform in Synthetic Biology, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Black Mountain, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Zhenling Cui
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
| | - Shayli Varasteh Moradi
- Protein Expression Facility, AIBN Building, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Kirill Alexandrov
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Halliday C, de Liz LV, Vaughan S, Sunter JD. Disruption of Leishmania flagellum attachment zone architecture causes flagellum loss. Mol Microbiol 2024; 121:53-68. [PMID: 38010644 PMCID: PMC10953051 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Leishmania are flagellated eukaryotic parasites that cause leishmaniasis and are closely related to the other kinetoplastid parasites such as Trypanosoma brucei. In all these parasites there is a cell membrane invagination at the base of the flagellum called the flagellar pocket, which is tightly associated with and sculpted by cytoskeletal structures including the flagellum attachment zone (FAZ). The FAZ is a complex interconnected structure linking the flagellum to the cell body and has critical roles in cell morphogenesis, function and pathogenicity. However, this structure varies dramatically in size and organisation between these different parasites, suggesting changes in protein localisation and function. Here, we screened the localisation and function of the Leishmania orthologues of T. brucei FAZ proteins identified in the genome-wide protein tagging project TrypTag. We identified 27 FAZ proteins and our deletion analysis showed that deletion of two FAZ proteins in the flagellum, FAZ27 and FAZ34 resulted in a reduction in cell body size, and flagellum loss in some cells. Furthermore, after null mutant generation, we observed distinct and reproducible changes to cell shape, demonstrating the ability of the parasite to adapt to morphological perturbations resulting from gene deletion. This process of adaptation has important implications for the study of Leishmania mutants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clare Halliday
- Department of Biological and Medical SciencesOxford Brookes UniversityOxfordUK
| | - Laryssa Vanessa de Liz
- Department of Biological and Medical SciencesOxford Brookes UniversityOxfordUK
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e ParasitologiaUniversidade Federal de Santa CatarinaFlorianópolisSCBrazil
| | - Sue Vaughan
- Department of Biological and Medical SciencesOxford Brookes UniversityOxfordUK
| | - Jack D. Sunter
- Department of Biological and Medical SciencesOxford Brookes UniversityOxfordUK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Biswas A, Bhattacharjee A, Das PK. Modulation and Determination of the Status of Inflammasomes in Leishmania-Infected Macrophages. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2782:137-146. [PMID: 38622398 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3754-8_10] [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: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Leishmania, an intra-macrophage kinetoplastid parasite, modulates a vast array of defensive mechanisms of the host macrophages to create a comfortable environment for their survival. When the host encounters intracellular pathogens, a multimeric protein complex called NLRP3 inflammasome gets turned on, leading to caspase-1 activation-mediated maturation of IL-1β from its pro-form. However, Leishmania often manages to neutralize inflammasome activation by manipulating negative regulatory molecules of the host itself. Exhaustion of NLRP3 and pro-IL-1β result from decreased NF-κB activity in infection, which was attributed to increased expression of A20, a negative regulator of NF-κB signalling. Moreover, reactive oxygen species, another key requirement for inflammasome activation, are inhibited by mitochondrial uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) which is upregulated by Leishmania. Inflammasome activation is a complex event and procedures involved in monitoring inflammasome activation need to be accurate and error-free. In this chapter, we summarize the protocol that includes various experimental procedures required for the determination of the status of inflammasomes in Leishmania-infected macrophages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arunima Biswas
- Department of Zoology, Molecular Cell Biology laboratory, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, India.
| | - Anindita Bhattacharjee
- Department of Zoology, Molecular Cell Biology laboratory, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, India
| | - Pijush K Das
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Goto Y, Ito T, Ghosh S, Mukherjee B. Access and utilization of host-derived iron by Leishmania parasites. J Biochem 2023; 175:17-24. [PMID: 37830941 PMCID: PMC10771036 DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvad082] [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: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron is involved in many biochemical processes including oxygen transport, ATP production, DNA synthesis and antioxidant defense. The importance of iron also applies to Leishmania parasites, an intracellular protozoan pathogen causing leishmaniasis. Leishmania are heme-auxotrophs, devoid of iron storage proteins and the heme synthesis pathway. Acquisition of iron and heme from the surrounding niche is thus critical for the intracellular survival of Leishmania inside the host macrophages. Moreover, Leishmania parasites are also exposed to oxidative stress within phagolysosomes of macrophages in mammalian hosts, and they need iron superoxide dismutase for overcoming this stress. Therefore, untangling the strategy adopted by these parasites for iron acquisition and utilization can be good targets for the development of antileishmanial drugs. Here, in this review, we will address how Leishmania parasites acquire and utilize iron and heme during infection to macrophages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yasuyuki Goto
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tatsumi Ito
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Souradeepa Ghosh
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
| | - Budhaditya Mukherjee
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Porta EO, Gao L, Denny PW, Steel PG, Kalesh K. Inhibition of HSP90 distinctively modulates the global phosphoproteome of Leishmania mexicana developmental stages. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0296023. [PMID: 37905935 PMCID: PMC10715028 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02960-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE In the unicellular parasites Leishmania spp., the etiological agents of leishmaniasis, a complex infectious disease that affects 98 countries in 5 continents, chemical inhibition of HSP90 protein leads to differentiation from promastigote to amastigote stage. Recent studies indicate potential role for protein phosphorylation in the life cycle control of Leishmania. Also, recent studies suggest a fundamentally important role of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) in regulating the downstream effects of the HSP90 inhibition in Leishmania. Phosphorylation-dephosphorylation dynamics of RBPs in higher eukaryotes serves as an important on/off switch to regulate RNA processing and decay in response to extracellular signals and cell cycle check points. In the current study, using a combination of highly sensitive TMT labeling-based quantitative proteomic MS and robust phosphoproteome enrichment, we show for the first time that HSP90 inhibition distinctively modulates global protein phosphorylation landscapes in the different life cycle stages of Leishmania, shedding light into a crucial role of the posttranslational modification in the differentiation of the parasite under HSP90 inhibition stress. We measured changes in phosphorylation of many RBPs and signaling proteins including protein kinases upon HSP90 inhibition in the therapeutically relevant amastigote stage. This work provides insights into the importance of HSP90-mediated protein cross-talks and regulation of phosphorylation in Leishmania, thus significantly expanding our knowledge of the posttranslational modification in Leishmania biology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Liqian Gao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Paul W. Denny
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick G. Steel
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Karunakaran Kalesh
- School of Health and Life Sciences,Teesside University, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom
- National Horizons Centre, Darlington, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Zhang Y, Sabatini R. Leishmania PNUTS discriminates between PP1 catalytic subunits through an RVxF-ΦΦ-F motif and polymorphisms in the PP1 C-tail and catalytic domain. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105432. [PMID: 37926279 PMCID: PMC10731240 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105432] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphoprotein phosphatase 1 (PP1) associates with specific regulatory subunits to achieve, among other functions, substrate selectivity. Among the eight PP1 isotypes in Leishmania, PP1-8e associates with the regulatory protein PNUTS along with the structural factors JBP3 and Wdr82 in the PJW/PP1 complex that modulates RNA polymerase II (pol II) phosphorylation and transcription termination. Little is known regarding interactions involved in PJW/PP1 complex formation, including how PP1-8e is the selective isotype associated with PNUTS. Here, we show that PNUTS uses an established RVxF-ΦΦ-F motif to bind the PP1 catalytic domain with similar interfacial interactions as mammalian PP1-PNUTS and noncanonical motifs. These atypical interactions involve residues within the PP1-8e catalytic domain and N and C terminus for isoform-specific regulator binding. This work advances our understanding of PP1 isoform selectivity and reveals key roles of PP1 residues in regulator binding. We also explore the role of PNUTS as a scaffold protein for the complex by identifying the C-terminal region involved in binding JBP3 and Wdr82 and impact of PNUTS on the stability of complex components and function in pol II transcription in vivo. Taken together, these studies provide a potential mechanism where multiple motifs within PNUTS are used combinatorially to tune binding affinity to PP1, and the C terminus for JBP3 and Wdr82 association, in the Leishmania PJW/PP1 complex. Overall, our data provide insights in the formation of the PJW/PP1 complex involved in regulating pol II transcription in divergent protozoans where little is understood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Robert Sabatini
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Pinheiro LS, Andrade-Neto VV, Mantuano-Barradas M, Pereira EC, Barbosa RCF, de Oliveira MCC, Menna-Barreto RFS, Cunha-Júnior EF, Torres-Santos EC. Biological effects of trans, trans-farnesol in Leishmania amazonensis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1221246. [PMID: 38035328 PMCID: PMC10687452 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1221246] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Farnesol, derived from farnesyl pyrophosphate in the sterols biosynthetic pathway, is a molecule with three unsaturations and four possible isomers. Candida albicans predominantly secretes the trans, trans-farnesol (t, t-FOH) isomer, known for its role in regulating the virulence of various fungi species and modulating morphological transition processes. Notably, the evolutionary divergence in sterol biosynthesis between fungi, including Candida albicans, and trypanosomatids resulted in the synthesis of sterols with the ergostane skeleton, distinct from cholesterol. This study aims to assess the impact of exogenously added trans, trans-farnesol on the proliferative ability of Leishmania amazonensis and to identify its presence in the lipid secretome of the parasite. Methods The study involved the addition of exogenous trans, trans-farnesol to evaluate its interference with the proliferation of L. amazonensis promastigotes. Proliferation, cell cycle, DNA fragmentation, and mitochondrial functionality were assessed as indicators of the effects of trans, trans-farnesol. Additionally, lipid secretome analysis was conducted, focusing on the detection of trans, trans-farnesol and related products derived from the precursor, farnesyl pyrophosphate. In silico analysis was employed to identify the sequence for the farnesene synthase gene responsible for producing these isoprenoids in the Leishmania genome. Results Exogenously added trans, trans-farnesol was found to interfere with the proliferation of L. amazonensis promastigotes, inhibiting the cell cycle without causing DNA fragmentation or loss of mitochondrial functionality. Despite the absence of trans, trans-farnesol in the culture supernatant, other products derived from farnesyl pyrophosphate, specifically α-farnesene and β-farnesene, were detected starting on the fourth day of culture, continuing to increase until the tenth day. Furthermore, the identification of the farnesene synthase gene in the Leishmania genome through in silico analysis provided insights into the enzymatic basis of isoprenoid production. Discussion The findings collectively offer the first insights into the mechanism of action of farnesol on L. amazonensis. While trans, trans-farnesol was not detected in the lipid secretome, the presence of α-farnesene and β-farnesene suggests alternative pathways or modifications in the isoprenoid metabolism of the parasite. The inhibitory effects on proliferation and cell cycle without inducing DNA fragmentation or mitochondrial dysfunction raise questions about the specific targets and pathways affected by exogenous trans, trans-farnesol. The identification of the farnesene synthase gene provides a molecular basis for understanding the synthesis of related isoprenoids in Leishmania. Further exploration of these mechanisms may contribute to the development of novel therapeutic strategies against Leishmania infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liliane Sena Pinheiro
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Tripanosomatídeos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Teófilo Otoni, MG, Brazil
| | - Valter Viana Andrade-Neto
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Tripanosomatídeos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Marcio Mantuano-Barradas
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Tripanosomatídeos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Elisa Cavalcante Pereira
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Tripanosomatídeos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Edézio Ferreira Cunha-Júnior
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Unidade Integrada de Pesquisa em Produtos Bioativos e Biociências, Centro Multidisciplinar UFRJ-Macaé, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Macaé, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Caio Torres-Santos
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Tripanosomatídeos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Barrera-Téllez FJ, Prieto-Martínez FD, Hernández-Campos A, Martínez-Mayorga K, Castillo-Bocanegra R. In Silico Exploration of the Trypanothione Reductase (TryR) of L. mexicana. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16046. [PMID: 38003236 PMCID: PMC10671491 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216046] [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: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Human leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease which affects nearly 1.5 million people every year, with Mexico being an important endemic region. One of the major defense mechanisms of these parasites is based in the polyamine metabolic pathway, as it provides the necessary compounds for its survival. Among the enzymes in this route, trypanothione reductase (TryR), an oxidoreductase enzyme, is crucial for the Leishmania genus' survival against oxidative stress. Thus, it poses as an attractive drug target, yet due to the size and features of its catalytic pocket, modeling techniques such as molecular docking focusing on that region is not convenient. Herein, we present a computational study using several structure-based approaches to assess the druggability of TryR from L. mexicana, the predominant Leishmania species in Mexico, beyond its catalytic site. Using this consensus methodology, three relevant pockets were found, of which the one we call σ-site promises to be the most favorable one. These findings may help the design of new drugs of trypanothione-related diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J. Barrera-Téllez
- Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Fernando D. Prieto-Martínez
- Instituto de Química, Unidad Mérida, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Carretera Mérida-Tetiz, Km. 4.5, Ucú 97357, Mexico
| | - Alicia Hernández-Campos
- Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Karina Martínez-Mayorga
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Unidad Mérida, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Sierra Papacal, Mérida 97302, Mexico
| | - Rafael Castillo-Bocanegra
- Departamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Pimviriyakul P, Kapaothong Y, Tangsupatawat T. Heterologous Expression and Characterization of a Full-length Protozoan Nitroreductase from Leishmania orientalis isolate PCM2. Mol Biotechnol 2023; 65:556-569. [PMID: 36042106 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-022-00556-3] [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: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease found in parts of the tropics and subtropics, is caused by Leishmania protozoa infection. Nitroreductases (NTRs), enzymes involved in nitroaromatic prodrug activation, are attractive targets for leishmaniasis treatment development. In this study, a full-length recombinant NTR from the Leishmania orientalis isolate PCM2 (LoNTR), which causes severe leishmaniasis in Thailand, was successfully expressed in soluble form using chaperone co-expression in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The purified histidine-tagged enzyme (His6-LoNTR) had a subunit molecular mass of 36 kDa with no cofactor bound; however, the addition of exogenous flavin (either FMN or FAD) readily increased its enzyme activity. Bioinformatics analysis found that the unique N-terminal sequences of LoNTR is only present in Leishmania where the addition of this region might result in the loss of flavin binding. Either NADH or NADPH can serve as an electron donor to transfer electrons to nitrofurazone; however, NADPH was preferred. Molecular oxygen was identified as an additional electron acceptor resulting in wasteful electrons from NADPH for the main catalysis. Steady-state kinetic experiments revealed a ping-pong mechanism for His6-LoNTR with Km,NADPH, Km,NFZ, and kcat of 28 µM, 68 µM, and 0.84 min-1, respectively. Besides nitroreductase activity, His6-LoNTR also has the ability to reduce quinone derivatives. The properties of full-length His6-LoNTR were different from previously reported protozoa and bacterial NTRs in many respects. This study provides information of NTR catalysis to be developed as a potential future therapeutic target to treat leishmaniasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Panu Pimviriyakul
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.
| | - Yuvarun Kapaothong
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| | - Theerapat Tangsupatawat
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Chatuchak, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
de Sá KSG, Amaral LA, Rodrigues TS, Ishimoto AY, de Andrade WAC, de Almeida L, Freitas-Castro F, Batah SS, Oliveira SC, Pastorello MT, Fabro AT, Zamboni DS. Gasdermin-D activation promotes NLRP3 activation and host resistance to Leishmania infection. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1049. [PMID: 36828815 PMCID: PMC9958042 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36626-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Intracellular parasites from the Leishmania genus cause Leishmaniasis, a disease affecting millions of people worldwide. NLRP3 inflammasome is key for disease outcome, but the molecular mechanisms upstream of the inflammasome activation are still unclear. Here, we demonstrate that despite the absence of pyroptosis, Gasdermin-D (GSDMD) is active at the early stages of Leishmania infection in macrophages, allowing transient cell permeabilization, potassium efflux, and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Further, GSDMD is processed into a non-canonical 25 kDa fragment. Gsdmd-/- macrophages and mice exhibit less NLRP3 inflammasome activation and are highly susceptible to infection by several Leishmania species, confirming the role of GSDMD for inflammasome-mediated host resistance. Active NLRP3 inflammasome and GSDMD are present in skin biopsies of patients, demonstrating activation of this pathway in human leishmaniasis. Altogether, our findings reveal that Leishmania subverts the normal functions of GSDMD, an important molecule to promote inflammasome activation and immunity in Leishmaniasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keyla S G de Sá
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Luana A Amaral
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Tamara S Rodrigues
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Adriene Y Ishimoto
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Warrison A C de Andrade
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Leticia de Almeida
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Felipe Freitas-Castro
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Sabrina S Batah
- Departamento de Patologia e Medicina Legal, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Sergio C Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Mônica T Pastorello
- Departamento de Patologia e Medicina Legal, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Alexandre T Fabro
- Departamento de Patologia e Medicina Legal, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil
- Serviço de Patologia do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Dario S Zamboni
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Sandes JM, de Figueiredo RCBQ. The endoplasmic reticulum of trypanosomatids: An unrevealed road for chemotherapy. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1057774. [PMID: 36439218 PMCID: PMC9684732 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1057774] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of higher eukaryotic cells forms an intricate membranous network that serves as the main processing facility for folding and assembling of secreted and membrane proteins. The ER is a highly dynamic organelle that interacts with other intracellular structures, as well as endosymbiotic pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms. A strict ER quality control (ERQC) must work to ensure that proteins entering the ER are folded and processed correctly. Unfolded or misfolded proteins are usually identified, selected, and addressed to Endoplasmic Reticulum-Associated Degradation (ERAD) complex. Conversely, when there is a large demand for secreted proteins or ER imbalance, the accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins activates the Unfold Protein Response (UPR) to restore the ER homeostasis or, in the case of persistent ER stress, induces the cell death. Pathogenic trypanosomatids, such as Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania spp are the etiological agents of important neglected diseases. These protozoans have a complex life cycle alternating between vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. The ER of trypanosomatids, like those found in higher eukaryotes, is also specialized for secretion, and depends on the ERAD and non-canonical UPR to deal with the ER stress. Here, we reviewed the basic aspects of ER biology, organization, and quality control in trypanosomatids. We also focused on the unusual way by which T. cruzi, T. brucei, and Leishmania spp. respond to ER stress, emphasizing how these parasites' ER-unrevealed roads might be an attractive target for chemotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jana Messias Sandes
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular de Patógenos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães, Recife, Brazil
- Laboratório de Microscopia Eletrônica, Instituto Keizo Assami, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Yilmaz IC, Dunuroglu E, Ayanoglu IC, Ipekoglu EM, Yildirim M, Girginkardesler N, Ozbel Y, Toz S, Ozbilgin A, Aykut G, Gursel I, Gursel M. Leishmania kinetoplast DNA contributes to parasite burden in infected macrophages: Critical role of the cGAS-STING-TBK1 signaling pathway in macrophage parasitemia. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1007070. [PMID: 36405710 PMCID: PMC9667060 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1007070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmania parasites harbor a unique network of circular DNA known as kinetoplast DNA (kDNA). The role of kDNA in leishmania infections is poorly understood. Herein, we show that kDNA delivery to the cytosol of Leishmania major infected THP-1 macrophages provoked increased parasite loads when compared to untreated cells, hinting at the involvement of cytosolic DNA sensors in facilitating parasite evasion from the immune system. Parasite proliferation was significantly hindered in cGAS- STING- and TBK-1 knockout THP-1 macrophages when compared to wild type cells. Nanostring nCounter gene expression analysis on L. major infected wild type versus knockout cells revealed that some of the most upregulated genes including, Granulysin (GNLY), Chitotriosidase-1 (CHIT1), Sialomucin core protein 24 (CD164), SLAM Family Member 7 (SLAMF7), insulin-like growth factor receptor 2 (IGF2R) and apolipoprotein E (APOE) were identical in infected cGAS and TBK1 knockout cells, implying their involvement in parasite control. Amlexanox treatment (a TBK1 inhibitor) of L. major infected wild type cells inhibited both the percentage and the parasite load of infected THP-1 cells and delayed footpad swelling in parasite infected mice. Collectively, these results suggest that leishmania parasites might hijack the cGAS-STING-TBK1 signaling pathway to their own advantage and the TBK1 inhibitor amlexanox could be of interest as a candidate drug in treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ismail Cem Yilmaz
- Basic and Translational Research Program, Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Emre Dunuroglu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ihsan Cihan Ayanoglu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Emre Mert Ipekoglu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Muzaffer Yildirim
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Department, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Nogay Girginkardesler
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey
| | - Yusuf Ozbel
- Department of Parasitology, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Seray Toz
- Department of Parasitology, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Ozbilgin
- Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey
| | - Gamze Aykut
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Department, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ihsan Gursel
- Basic and Translational Research Program, Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
- Molecular Biology and Genetics Department, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Mayda Gursel
- Basic and Translational Research Program, Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
- *Correspondence: Mayda Gursel,
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Guay-Vincent MM, Matte C, Berthiaume AM, Olivier M, Jaramillo M, Descoteaux A. Revisiting Leishmania GP63 host cell targets reveals a limited spectrum of substrates. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010640. [PMID: 36191034 PMCID: PMC9560592 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Colonization of host phagocytic cells by Leishmania metacyclic promastigotes involves several parasite effectors, including the zinc-dependent metalloprotease GP63. The major mode of action of this virulence factor entails the cleavage/degradation of host cell proteins. Given the potent proteolytic activity of GP63, identification of its substrates requires the adequate preparation of cell lysates to prevent artefactual degradation during cell processing. In the present study, we re-examined the cleavage/degradation of reported GP63 substrates when GP63 activity was efficiently neutralized during the preparation of cell lysates. To this end, we infected bone marrow-derived macrophages with either wild type, Δgp63, and Δgp63+GP63 L. major metacyclic promastigotes for various time points. We prepared cell lysates in the absence or presence of the zinc-metalloprotease inhibitor 1,10-phenanthroline and examined the levels and integrity of ten previously reported host cell GP63 substrates. Inhibition of GP63 activity with 1,10-phenanthroline during the processing of macrophages prevented the cleavage/degradation of several previously described GP63 targets, including PTP-PEST, mTOR, p65RelA, c-Jun, VAMP3, and NLRP3. Conversely, we confirmed that SHP-1, Synaptotagmin XI, VAMP8, and Syntaxin-5 are bona fide GP63 substrates. These results point to the importance of efficiently inhibiting GP63 activity during the preparation of Leishmania-infected host cell lysates. In addition, our results indicate that the role of GP63 in Leishmania pathogenesis must be re-evaluated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Michèle Guay-Vincent
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christine Matte
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anne-Marie Berthiaume
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Martin Olivier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maritza Jaramillo
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Albert Descoteaux
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Quebec, Canada
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
de Albuquerque-Melo BC, Cysne-Finkelstein L, Gonçalves-Oliveira LF, Cascabulho CM, Henriques-Pons A, Pereira MCDS, Alves CR, Dias-Lopes G. Impact of collaborative actions of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis subpopulations on the infection profile. Parasitology 2022; 149:1526-1535. [PMID: 35822537 PMCID: PMC11010534 DOI: 10.1017/s003118202200097x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
This study focuses on the role of the population structure of Leishmania spp. on the adaptive capacity of the parasite. Herein, we investigate the contribution of subpopulations of the L. (V.) braziliensis Thor strain (Thor03, Thor10 and Thor22) in the profile of murine macrophages infection. Infection assays were performed with binary combinations of these subpopulations at stationary phases. The initial interaction time showed major effects on the combination assays, as demonstrated by the significant increase in the infection rate at 5 h. Based on the endocytic index (EI), Thor10 (EI = 563.6) and Thor03 (EI = 497) showed a higher infection load compared to Thor22 (EI = 227.3). However, the EI decreased in Thor03 after 48 h (EI = 447) and 72 h (EI = 388.3) of infection, and showed changes in the infection level in all Thor10/Thor22 combinations. Assays with CellTrace CFSE-labelled Thor22 promastigotes indicated an increase (~1.5 fold) in infection by this subpopulation in the presence of Thor10 when compared to the infection profile of Thor03/Thor22 combinations in the same proportions. In addition, the potential of these subpopulations, alone or in binary combinations, to modulate the expression of cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) in vitro was investigated. Lower NO and tumour necrosis factor-α production levels were observed for all Thor10/Thor22 combinations at 24 h compared to these subpopulations alone. In contrast, Thor03/Thor22 combination assays increased IL-10 production at this time. Collectively, these results provide in vitro evidence on the potential of L. (V.) braziliensis population structure to play a relevant role in a host infection by this parasite.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Léa Cysne-Finkelstein
- Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | - Luiz Filipe Gonçalves-Oliveira
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | - Cynthia Machado Cascabulho
- Laboratório de Inovação em Terapias, Ensino e Bioprodutos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | - Andrea Henriques-Pons
- Laboratório de Inovação em Terapias, Ensino e Bioprodutos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | | | - Carlos Roberto Alves
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | - Geovane Dias-Lopes
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Jafarzadeh A, Nemati M, Aminizadeh N, Bodhale N, Sarkar A, Jafarzadeh S, Sharifi I, Saha B. Bidirectional cytokine-microRNA control: A novel immunoregulatory framework in leishmaniasis. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010696. [PMID: 35925884 PMCID: PMC9351994 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010696] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
As effector innate immune cells and as a host to the protozoan parasite Leishmania, macrophages play a dual role in antileishmanial immunoregulation. The 2 key players in this immunoregulation are the macrophage-expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) and the macrophage-secreted cytokines. miRNAs, as small noncoding RNAs, play vital roles in macrophage functions including cytokines and chemokines production. In the reverse direction, Leishmania-regulated cytokines alter miRNAs expression to regulate the antileishmanial functions of macrophages. The miRNA patterns vary with the time and stage of infection. The cytokine-regulated macrophage miRNAs not only help parasite elimination or persistence but also regulate cytokine production from macrophages. Based on these observations, we propose a novel immunoregulatory framework as a scientific rationale for antileishmanial therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abdollah Jafarzadeh
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Molecular Medicine Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
- * E-mail: (AJ); (BS)
| | - Maryam Nemati
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Research Center, Research Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
- Department of Haematology and Laboratory Sciences, School of Para-Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Najmeh Aminizadeh
- Department of Histology, School of Medicine, Islamic Azad University Branch of Kerman, Kerman
| | | | - Arup Sarkar
- Trident Academy of Creative Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Sara Jafarzadeh
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran
| | - Iraj Sharifi
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Bhaskar Saha
- National Centre For Cell Science, Pune, India
- Trident Academy of Creative Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
- * E-mail: (AJ); (BS)
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Moreno CJG, Farias HM, de Lima Medeiros R, de Brito Pinto TK, de Freitas Oliveira JW, de Sousa FL, de Medeiros MJC, Amorim-Carmo B, Santos-Gomes G, de Lima Pontes D, Rocha HAO, Frazão NF, Silva MS. Quantum Biochemistry Screening and In Vitro Evaluation of Leishmania Metalloproteinase Inhibitors. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:8553. [PMID: 35955687 PMCID: PMC9368959 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158553] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmanolysin, also known as major promastigote protease (PSP) or gp63, is the most abundant surface glycoprotein of Leishmania spp., and has been extensively studied and recognized as the main parasite virulence factor. Characterized as a metalloprotease, gp63 can be powerfully inactivated in the presence of a metal chelator. In this study, we first used the structural parameters of a 7-hydroxycoumarin derivative, L1 compound, to evaluate the theoretical-computational experiments against gp63, comparing it with an available metal chelator already described. The methodology followed was (i) analysis of the three-dimensional structure of gp63 as well as its active site, and searching the literature and molecular databases for possible inhibitors; (ii) molecular docking simulations and investigation of the interactions in the generated protein-ligand complexes; and (iii) the individual energy of the gp63 amino acids that interacted most with the ligands of interest was quantified by ab initio calculations using Molecular Fraction with Conjugated Caps (MFCC). MFCC still allowed the final quantum balance calculations of the protein interaction to be obtained with each inhibitor candidate binder. L1 obtained the best energy quantum balance result with -2 eV, followed by DETC (-1.4 eV), doxycycline (-1.3 eV), and 4-terpineol (-0.6 eV), and showed evidence of covalent binding in the enzyme active site. In vitro experiments confirmed L1 as highly effective against L. amazonensis parasites. The compound also exhibited a low cytotoxicity profile against mammalian RAW and 3T3 cells lines, presenting a selective index of 149.19 and 380.64 µM, respectively. L1 induced promastigote forms' death by necrosis and the ultrastructural analysis revealed disruption in membrane integrity. Furthermore, leakage of the contents and destruction of the parasite were confirmed by Spectroscopy Dispersion analysis. These results together suggested L1 has a potential effect against L. amazonensis, the etiologic agent of diffuse leishmaniasis, and the only one that currently does not have a satisfactory treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cláudia Jassica Gonçalves Moreno
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59012-570, Brazil; (C.J.G.M.); (J.W.d.F.O.)
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59012-570, Brazil;
- Postgraduate Program in Biochemistry, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59012-570, Brazil;
| | - Henriqueta Monalisa Farias
- Academic Unit of Physics, Mathematics of the Education and Health Center, Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande 58428-830, Brazil; (H.M.F.); (R.d.L.M.); (N.F.F.)
| | - Rafael de Lima Medeiros
- Academic Unit of Physics, Mathematics of the Education and Health Center, Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande 58428-830, Brazil; (H.M.F.); (R.d.L.M.); (N.F.F.)
| | - Talita Katiane de Brito Pinto
- Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59012-570, Brazil;
| | - Johny Wysllas de Freitas Oliveira
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59012-570, Brazil; (C.J.G.M.); (J.W.d.F.O.)
- Postgraduate Program in Biochemistry, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59012-570, Brazil;
| | - Francimar Lopes de Sousa
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Coordination and Polymers (LQCPol), Institute of Chemistry Chemistry Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59012-570, Brazil; (F.L.d.S.J.); (M.J.C.d.M.); (D.d.L.P.)
| | - Mayara Jane Campos de Medeiros
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Coordination and Polymers (LQCPol), Institute of Chemistry Chemistry Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59012-570, Brazil; (F.L.d.S.J.); (M.J.C.d.M.); (D.d.L.P.)
| | - Bruno Amorim-Carmo
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59012-570, Brazil;
| | - Gabriela Santos-Gomes
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, IHMT, NOVA University of Lisbon—UNL, 1349-008 Lisbon, Portugal;
| | - Daniel de Lima Pontes
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Coordination and Polymers (LQCPol), Institute of Chemistry Chemistry Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59012-570, Brazil; (F.L.d.S.J.); (M.J.C.d.M.); (D.d.L.P.)
| | - Hugo Alexandre Oliveira Rocha
- Postgraduate Program in Biochemistry, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59012-570, Brazil;
- Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59012-570, Brazil;
| | - Nilton Fereira Frazão
- Academic Unit of Physics, Mathematics of the Education and Health Center, Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande 58428-830, Brazil; (H.M.F.); (R.d.L.M.); (N.F.F.)
| | - Marcelo Sousa Silva
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59012-570, Brazil; (C.J.G.M.); (J.W.d.F.O.)
- Postgraduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59012-570, Brazil;
- Postgraduate Program in Biochemistry, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59012-570, Brazil;
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, IHMT, NOVA University of Lisbon—UNL, 1349-008 Lisbon, Portugal;
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Cortazzo da Silva L, Aoki JI, Floeter-Winter LM. Finding Correlations Between mRNA and Protein Levels in Leishmania Development: Is There a Discrepancy? Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:852902. [PMID: 35903202 PMCID: PMC9318571 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.852902] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple genes and proteins have been identified as differentially expressed in the stages of the Leishmania life cycle. The differentiation processes are implicated in specific transcriptional and proteomic adjustments driven by gene expression regulation mechanisms. Leishmania parasites lack gene-specific transcriptional control, and gene expression regulation mostly depends on posttranscriptional mechanisms. Due to the lack of transcriptional regulation, criticism regarding the relevance of transcript quantification as a possible and efficient prediction of protein levels is recurrent in studies that use transcriptomic information. The advent of high-throughput technologies has improved the analysis of genomes, transcriptomes and proteomes for different organisms under several conditions. Nevertheless, defining the correlation between transcriptional and proteomic profiles requires arduous and expensive work and remains a challenge in Leishmania. In this review, we analyze transcriptomic and proteomic data for several Leishmania species in two different stages of the parasite life cycle: metacyclogenesis and amastigogenesis (amastigote differentiation). We found a correlation between mRNA and protein levels of 60.9% and 69.8% for metacyclogenesis and amastigogenesis, respectively; showing that majority mRNA and protein levels increase or decrease concomitantly. Among the analyzed genes that did not present correlation indicate that transcriptomic data should be carefully interpreted as protein expression. We also discuss possible explanations and mechanisms involved for this lack of correlation.
Collapse
|
23
|
Díaz E, Febres A, Giammarresi M, Silva A, Vanegas O, Gomes C, Ponte-Sucre A. G Protein-Coupled Receptors as Potential Intercellular Communication Mediators in Trypanosomatidae. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:812848. [PMID: 35651757 PMCID: PMC9149261 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.812848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Detection and transduction of environmental signals, constitute a prerequisite for successful parasite invasion; i.e., Leishmania transmission, survival, pathogenesis and disease manifestation and dissemination, with diverse molecules functioning as inter-cellular signaling ligands. Receptors [i.e., G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)] and their associated transduction mechanisms, well conserved through evolution, specialize in this function. However, canonical GPCR-related signal transduction systems have not been described in Leishmania, although orthologs, with reduced domains and function, have been identified in Trypanosomatidae. These inter-cellular communication means seem to be essential for multicellular and unicellular organism’s survival. GPCRs are flexible in their molecular architecture and may interact with the so-called receptor activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs), which modulate their function, changing GPCRs pharmacology, acting as chaperones and regulating signaling and/or trafficking in a receptor-dependent manner. In the skin, vasoactive- and neuro- peptides released in response to the noxious stimuli represented by the insect bite may trigger parasite physiological responses, for example, chemotaxis. For instance, in Leishmania (V.) braziliensis, sensory [Substance P, SP, chemoattractant] and autonomic [Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide, VIP, and Neuropeptide Y, NPY, chemorepellent] neuropeptides at physiological levels stimulate in vitro effects on parasite taxis. VIP and NPY chemotactic effects are impaired by their corresponding receptor antagonists, suggesting that the stimulated responses might be mediated by putative GPCRs (with essential conserved receptor domains); the effect of SP is blocked by [(D-Pro 2, D-Trp7,9]-Substance P (10-6 M)] suggesting that it might be mediated by neurokinin-1 transmembrane receptors. Additionally, vasoactive molecules like Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide [CGRP] and Adrenomedullin [AM], exert a chemorepellent effect and increase the expression of a 24 kDa band recognized in western blot analysis by (human-)-RAMP-2 antibodies. In-silico search oriented towards GPCRs-like receptors and signaling cascades detected a RAMP-2-aligned sequence corresponding to Leishmania folylpolyglutamate synthase and a RAMP-3 aligned protein, a hypothetical Leishmania protein with yet unknown function, suggesting that in Leishmania, CGRP and AM activities may be modulated by RAMP- (-2) and (-3) homologs. The possible presence of proteins and molecules potentially involved in GPCRs cascades, i.e., RAMPs, signpost conservation of ancient signaling systems associated with responses, fundamental for cell survival, (i.e., taxis and migration) and may constitute an open field for description of pharmacophores against Leishmania parasites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emilia Díaz
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine Luis Razetti, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Anthony Febres
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, TX, United States
| | - Michelle Giammarresi
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine Luis Razetti, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Adrian Silva
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine Luis Razetti, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Oriana Vanegas
- Pediatric Gastroenterology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Carlos Gomes
- Royal Berkshire NHS, Foundation Trust, Light House Lab, Bracknell, United Kingdom
| | - Alicia Ponte-Sucre
- Laboratory of Molecular Physiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine Luis Razetti, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
- Medical Mission Institute, Würzburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Alicia Ponte-Sucre,
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Carter NS, Kawasaki Y, Nahata SS, Elikaee S, Rajab S, Salam L, Alabdulal MY, Broessel KK, Foroghi F, Abbas A, Poormohamadian R, Roberts SC. Polyamine Metabolism in Leishmania Parasites: A Promising Therapeutic Target. Med Sci (Basel) 2022; 10:24. [PMID: 35645240 PMCID: PMC9149861 DOI: 10.3390/medsci10020024] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites of the genus Leishmania cause a variety of devastating and often fatal diseases in humans and domestic animals worldwide. The need for new therapeutic strategies is urgent because no vaccine is available, and treatment options are limited due to a lack of specificity and the emergence of drug resistance. Polyamines are metabolites that play a central role in rapidly proliferating cells, and recent studies have highlighted their critical nature in Leishmania. Numerous studies using a variety of inhibitors as well as gene deletion mutants have elucidated the pathway and routes of transport, revealing unique aspects of polyamine metabolism in Leishmania parasites. These studies have also shed light on the significance of polyamines for parasite proliferation, infectivity, and host-parasite interactions. This comprehensive review article focuses on the main polyamine biosynthetic enzymes: ornithine decarboxylase, S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, and spermidine synthase, and it emphasizes recent discoveries that advance these enzymes as potential therapeutic targets against Leishmania parasites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Sigrid C. Roberts
- School of Pharmacy, Pacific University Oregon, Hillsboro, OR 97123, USA; (N.S.C.); (Y.K.); (S.S.N.); (S.E.); (S.R.); (L.S.); (M.Y.A.); (K.K.B.); (F.F.); (A.A.); (R.P.)
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
de Oliveira BCD, Assis LHC, Shiburah ME, Paiva SC, Fontes VS, de Oliveira LS, da Silva VL, da Silva MS, Cano MIN. Synchronization of Leishmania amazonensis Cell Cycle Using Hydroxyurea. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2579:127-135. [PMID: 36045203 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2736-5_10] [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
Leishmania spp. comprises a group of protozoan parasites that affect millions of people around the world. Understanding the main cell cycle-dependent events could provide an important route for developing specific therapies since some factors involved in cell cycle control may have low similarity relative to their homologs in mammals. Furthermore, accurate cell cycle-dependent analyses often require many cells, which can be achieved through cell cycle synchronization. Here, we described a useful method to synchronize procyclic promastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis using hydroxyurea (HU) and the analysis of its DNA content profile. This approach can be extended to other trypanosomatids, such as Trypanosoma cruzi or Trypanosoma brucei, and provides an effective method for arresting more than 80% of cells at the G1/S phase transition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz C D de Oliveira
- Telomeres Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Luiz H C Assis
- Telomeres Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Mark E Shiburah
- Telomeres Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Stephany C Paiva
- Telomeres Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Veronica S Fontes
- Telomeres Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Leilane S de Oliveira
- Telomeres Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Vitor L da Silva
- DNA Replication and Repair Laboratory (DRRL), Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcelo S da Silva
- DNA Replication and Repair Laboratory (DRRL), Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
| | - Maria Isabel N Cano
- Telomeres Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
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.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elfriede Dall
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
| | | | - Hans Brandstetter
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Passos ADO, Assis LHC, Ferri YG, da Silva VL, da Silva MS, Cano MIN. The Trypanosomatids Cell Cycle: A Brief Report. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2579:25-34. [PMID: 36045195 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2736-5_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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosomatids are protozoan parasites among which are the etiologic agents of various infectious diseases in humans, such as Trypanosoma cruzi (causative agent of Chagas disease), Trypanosoma brucei (causative agent of sleeping sickness), and species of the genus Leishmania (causative agents of leishmaniases). The cell cycle in these organisms presents a sequence of events conserved throughout evolution. However, these parasites also have unique characteristics that confer some peculiarities related to the cell cycle phases. This review compares general and peculiar aspects of the cell cycle in the replicative forms of trypanosomatids. Moreover, a brief discussion about the possible cross-talk between telomeres and the cell cycle is presented. Finally, we intend to open a discussion on how a profound understanding of the cell cycle would facilitate the search for potential targets for developing antiparasitic therapies that could help millions of people worldwide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur de Oliveira Passos
- DNA Replication and Repair Laboratory (DRRL), Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Luiz H C Assis
- Telomeres Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Yete G Ferri
- Telomeres Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Vitor L da Silva
- Telomeres Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcelo S da Silva
- DNA Replication and Repair Laboratory (DRRL), Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
| | - Maria Isabel N Cano
- Telomeres Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Assis LA, Santos Filho MVC, da Cruz Silva JR, Bezerra MJR, de Aquino IRPUC, Merlo KC, Holetz FB, Probst CM, Rezende AM, Papadopoulou B, da Costa Lima TDC, de Melo Neto OP. Identification of novel proteins and mRNAs differentially bound to the Leishmania Poly(A) Binding Proteins reveals a direct association between PABP1, the RNA-binding protein RBP23 and mRNAs encoding ribosomal proteins. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009899. [PMID: 34705820 PMCID: PMC8575317 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Poly(A) Binding Proteins (PABPs) are major eukaryotic RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) with multiple roles associated with mRNA stability and translation and characterized mainly from multicellular organisms and yeasts. A variable number of PABP homologues are seen in different organisms however the biological reasons for multiple PABPs are generally not well understood. In the unicellular Leishmania, dependent on post-transcriptional mechanisms for the control of its gene expression, three distinct PABPs are found, with yet undefined functional distinctions. Here, using RNA-immunoprecipitation sequencing analysis we show that the Leishmania PABP1 preferentially associates with mRNAs encoding ribosomal proteins, while PABP2 and PABP3 bind to an overlapping set of mRNAs distinct to those enriched in PABP1. Immunoprecipitation studies combined to mass-spectrometry analysis identified RBPs differentially associated with PABP1 or PABP2, including RBP23 and DRBD2, respectively, that were investigated further. Both RBP23 and DRBD2 bind directly to the three PABPs in vitro, but reciprocal experiments confirmed preferential co-immunoprecipitation of PABP1, as well as the EIF4E4/EIF4G3 based translation initiation complex, with RBP23. Other RBP23 binding partners also imply a direct role in translation. DRBD2, in contrast, co-immunoprecipitated with PABP2, PABP3 and with RBPs unrelated to translation. Over 90% of the RBP23-bound mRNAs code for ribosomal proteins, mainly absent from the transcripts co-precipitated with DRBD2. These experiments suggest a novel and specific route for translation of the ribosomal protein mRNAs, mediated by RBP23, PABP1 and the associated EIF4E4/EIF4G3 complex. They also highlight the unique roles that different PABP homologues may have in eukaryotic cells associated with mRNA translation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ludmila A. Assis
- Department of Microbiology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
- Department of Genetics, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Moezio V. C. Santos Filho
- Department of Microbiology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
- Department of Genetics, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Joao R. da Cruz Silva
- Department of Microbiology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Maria J. R. Bezerra
- Department of Microbiology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | | | - Kleison C. Merlo
- Department of Microbiology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Fabiola B. Holetz
- Laboratory of Gene Expression Regulation, Carlos Chagas Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Christian M. Probst
- Laboratory of Gene Expression Regulation, Carlos Chagas Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Antonio M. Rezende
- Department of Microbiology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Barbara Papadopoulou
- CHU de Quebec Research Center and Department of Microbiology-Infectious Disease and Immunology, Laval University, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Osvaldo P. de Melo Neto
- Department of Microbiology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Kourbeli V, Chontzopoulou E, Moschovou K, Pavlos D, Mavromoustakos T, Papanastasiou IP. An Overview on Target-Based Drug Design against Kinetoplastid Protozoan Infections: Human African Trypanosomiasis, Chagas Disease and Leishmaniases. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26154629. [PMID: 34361781 PMCID: PMC8348971 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26154629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The protozoan diseases Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), Chagas disease (CD), and leishmaniases span worldwide and therefore their impact is a universal concern. The present regimen against kinetoplastid protozoan infections is poor and insufficient. Target-based design expands the horizon of drug design and development and offers novel chemical entities and potential drug candidates to the therapeutic arsenal against the aforementioned neglected diseases. In this review, we report the most promising targets of the main kinetoplastid parasites, as well as their corresponding inhibitors. This overview is part of the Special Issue, entitled "Advances of Medicinal Chemistry against Kinetoplastid Protozoa (Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp.) Infections: Drug Design, Synthesis and Pharmacology".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Violeta Kourbeli
- Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli-Zografou, 157 84 Athens, Greece;
| | - Eleni Chontzopoulou
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli-Zografou, 157 71 Athens, Greece; (E.C.); (K.M.); (D.P.); (T.M.)
| | - Kalliopi Moschovou
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli-Zografou, 157 71 Athens, Greece; (E.C.); (K.M.); (D.P.); (T.M.)
| | - Dimitrios Pavlos
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli-Zografou, 157 71 Athens, Greece; (E.C.); (K.M.); (D.P.); (T.M.)
| | - Thomas Mavromoustakos
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli-Zografou, 157 71 Athens, Greece; (E.C.); (K.M.); (D.P.); (T.M.)
| | - Ioannis P. Papanastasiou
- Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli-Zografou, 157 84 Athens, Greece;
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Ochoa R, Ortega-Pajares A, Castello FA, Serral F, Fernández Do Porto D, Villa-Pulgarin JA, Varela-M RE, Muskus C. Identification of Potential Kinase Inhibitors within the PI3K/AKT Pathway of Leishmania Species. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11071037. [PMID: 34356660 PMCID: PMC8301987 DOI: 10.3390/biom11071037] [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] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a public health disease that requires the development of more effective treatments and the identification of novel molecular targets. Since blocking the PI3K/AKT pathway has been successfully studied as an effective anticancer strategy for decades, we examined whether the same approach would also be feasible in Leishmania due to their high amount and diverse set of annotated proteins. Here, we used a best reciprocal hits protocol to identify potential protein kinase homologues in an annotated human PI3K/AKT pathway. We calculated their ligandibility based on available bioactivity data of the reported homologues and modelled their 3D structures to estimate the druggability of their binding pockets. The models were used to run a virtual screening method with molecular docking. We found and studied five protein kinases in five different Leishmania species, which are AKT, CDK, AMPK, mTOR and GSK3 homologues from the studied pathways. The compounds found for different enzymes and species were analysed and suggested as starting point scaffolds for the design of inhibitors. We studied the kinases’ participation in protein–protein interaction networks, and the potential deleterious effects, if inhibited, were supported with the literature. In the case of Leishmania GSK3, an inhibitor of its human counterpart, prioritized by our method, was validated in vitro to test its anti-Leishmania activity and indirectly infer the presence of the enzyme in the parasite. The analysis contributes to improving the knowledge about the presence of similar signalling pathways in Leishmania, as well as the discovery of compounds acting against any of these kinases as potential molecular targets in the parasite.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Ochoa
- Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales PECET, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia;
- Biophysics of Tropical Diseases Max Planck Tandem Group, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia
- Correspondence: (R.O.); (R.E.V.-M.)
| | - Amaya Ortega-Pajares
- Department of Medicine, The Peter Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia;
| | - Florencia A. Castello
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), IC-CONICET Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellon 2, Ciudad de Buenos Aires C1428EHA, Argentina; (F.A.C.); (F.S.); (D.F.D.P.)
| | - Federico Serral
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), IC-CONICET Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellon 2, Ciudad de Buenos Aires C1428EHA, Argentina; (F.A.C.); (F.S.); (D.F.D.P.)
| | - Darío Fernández Do Porto
- Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), IC-CONICET Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellon 2, Ciudad de Buenos Aires C1428EHA, Argentina; (F.A.C.); (F.S.); (D.F.D.P.)
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellon 2, Ciudad de Buenos Aires C1428EHA, Argentina
| | - Janny A. Villa-Pulgarin
- Grupo de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Corporación Universitaria Remington, Medellín 050034, Colombia;
| | - Rubén E. Varela-M
- Grupo de Investigación en Química y Biotecnología (QUIBIO), Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Santiago de Cali, Cali 760035, Colombia
- Correspondence: (R.O.); (R.E.V.-M.)
| | - Carlos Muskus
- Programa de Estudio y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales PECET, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia;
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Van Houtven J, Cuypers B, Meysman P, Hooyberghs J, Laukens K, Valkenborg D. Constrained Standardization of Count Data from Massive Parallel Sequencing. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:166966. [PMID: 33794260 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166966] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In high-throughput omics disciplines like transcriptomics, researchers face a need to assess the quality of an experiment prior to an in-depth statistical analysis. To efficiently analyze such voluminous collections of data, researchers need triage methods that are both quick and easy to use. Such a normalization method for relative quantitation, CONSTANd, was recently introduced for isobarically-labeled mass spectra in proteomics. It transforms the data matrix of abundances through an iterative, convergent process enforcing three constraints: (I) identical column sums; (II) each row sum is fixed (across matrices) and (III) identical to all other row sums. In this study, we investigate whether CONSTANd is suitable for count data from massively parallel sequencing, by qualitatively comparing its results to those of DESeq2. Further, we propose an adjustment of the method so that it may be applied to identically balanced but differently sized experiments for joint analysis. We find that CONSTANd can process large data sets at well over 1 million count records per second whilst mitigating unwanted systematic bias and thus quickly uncovering the underlying biological structure when combined with a PCA plot or hierarchical clustering. Moreover, it allows joint analysis of data sets obtained from different batches, with different protocols and from different labs but without exploiting information from the experimental setup other than the delineation of samples into identically processed sets (IPSs). CONSTANd's simplicity and applicability to proteomics as well as transcriptomics data make it an interesting candidate for integration in multi-omics workflows.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joris Van Houtven
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol, Belgium; Universiteit Hasselt, Data Science Institute (DSI), Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics (I-BioStat), Agoralaan, Diepenbeek BE 3590, Belgium; Universiteit Antwerpen, Centre for Proteomics, Groenenborgerlaan 171, Antwerpen BE 2020, Belgium.
| | - Bart Cuypers
- Universiteit Antwerpen, Biomedical Informatics Network Antwerp (Biomina), Middelheimlaan 1, Antwerpen BE 2020, Belgium; Molecular Parasitology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, Antwerpen BE 2020, Belgium; Universiteit Antwerpen, Adrem Data Lab, Department of Computer Sciences, Middelheimlaan 1, Antwerpen BE 2020, Belgium
| | - Pieter Meysman
- Universiteit Antwerpen, Biomedical Informatics Network Antwerp (Biomina), Middelheimlaan 1, Antwerpen BE 2020, Belgium; Universiteit Antwerpen, Adrem Data Lab, Department of Computer Sciences, Middelheimlaan 1, Antwerpen BE 2020, Belgium
| | - Jef Hooyberghs
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol, Belgium; Universiteit Hasselt, Data Science Institute (DSI), Theoretical Physics, Agoralaan, Diepenbeek BE 3590, Belgium
| | - Kris Laukens
- Universiteit Antwerpen, Biomedical Informatics Network Antwerp (Biomina), Middelheimlaan 1, Antwerpen BE 2020, Belgium; Universiteit Antwerpen, Adrem Data Lab, Department of Computer Sciences, Middelheimlaan 1, Antwerpen BE 2020, Belgium
| | - Dirk Valkenborg
- Universiteit Hasselt, Data Science Institute (DSI), Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics (I-BioStat), Agoralaan, Diepenbeek BE 3590, Belgium; Universiteit Antwerpen, Centre for Proteomics, Groenenborgerlaan 171, Antwerpen BE 2020, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Illa O, Ospina J, Sánchez-Aparicio JE, Pulido X, Abengozar MÁ, Gaztelumendi N, Carbajo D, Nogués C, Rivas L, Maréchal JD, Royo M, Ortuño RM. Hybrid Cyclobutane/Proline-Containing Peptidomimetics: The Conformational Constraint Influences Their Cell-Penetration Ability. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22105092. [PMID: 34065025 PMCID: PMC8151717 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105092] [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] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
A new family of hybrid β,γ-peptidomimetics consisting of a repetitive unit formed by a chiral cyclobutane-containing trans-β-amino acid plus a Nα-functionalized trans-γ-amino-l-proline joined in alternation were synthesized and evaluated as cell penetrating peptides (CPP). They lack toxicity on the human tumoral cell line HeLa, with an almost negligible cell uptake. The dodecapeptide showed a substantial microbicidal activity on Leishmania parasites at 50 µM but with a modest intracellular accumulation. Their previously published γ,γ-homologues, with a cyclobutane γ-amino acid, showed a well-defined secondary structure with an average inter-guanidinium distance of 8–10 Å, a higher leishmanicidal activity as well as a significant intracellular accumulation. The presence of a very rigid cyclobutane β-amino acid in the peptide backbone precludes the acquisition of a defined conformation suitable for their cell uptake ability. Our results unveiled the preorganized charge-display as a relevant parameter, additional to the separation among the charged groups as previously described. The data herein reinforce the relevance of these descriptors in the design of CPPs with improved properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ona Illa
- Departament de Química, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (J.O.); (J.-E.S.-A.); (J.-D.M.)
- Correspondence: (O.I.); (M.R.); (R.M.O.)
| | - Jimena Ospina
- Departament de Química, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (J.O.); (J.-E.S.-A.); (J.-D.M.)
| | - José-Emilio Sánchez-Aparicio
- Departament de Química, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (J.O.); (J.-E.S.-A.); (J.-D.M.)
| | - Ximena Pulido
- Institut de Recerca Biomèdica, c/Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), c/ Jordi Girona 18–26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Departamento de Química, Universidad del Tolima, Santa Helena Parte Alta, Ibagué 730006299, Tolima, Colombia
| | - María Ángeles Abengozar
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, c/ Ramiro de Maeztu 9, CSIC, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.Á.A.); (L.R.)
| | - Nerea Gaztelumendi
- Departament de Biologia Cellular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (N.G.); (C.N.)
| | - Daniel Carbajo
- Institut de Química Avançada de Catalunya (IQAC-CSIC), c/ Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Carme Nogués
- Departament de Biologia Cellular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (N.G.); (C.N.)
| | - Luis Rivas
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, c/ Ramiro de Maeztu 9, CSIC, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.Á.A.); (L.R.)
| | - Jean-Didier Maréchal
- Departament de Química, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (J.O.); (J.-E.S.-A.); (J.-D.M.)
| | - Miriam Royo
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), c/ Jordi Girona 18–26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Química Avançada de Catalunya (IQAC-CSIC), c/ Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain;
- Correspondence: (O.I.); (M.R.); (R.M.O.)
| | - Rosa M. Ortuño
- Departament de Química, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; (J.O.); (J.-E.S.-A.); (J.-D.M.)
- Correspondence: (O.I.); (M.R.); (R.M.O.)
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Chiboub O, Sifaoui I, Abderrabba M, Mejri M, Fernández JJ, Díaz-Marrero AR, Lorenzo-Morales J, Piñero JE. Apoptosis-like cell death upon kinetoplastid induction by compounds isolated from the brown algae Dictyota spiralis. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:198. [PMID: 33845894 PMCID: PMC8042727 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04693-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The in vitro activity of the brown seaweed Dictyota spiralis against both Leishmania amazonensis and Trypanosoma cruzi was evaluated in a previous study. Processing by bio-guided fractionation resulted in the isolation of three active compounds, classified as diterpenes. In the present study, we performed several assays to detect clinical features associated to cell death in L. amazonensis and T. cruzi with the aim to elucidate the mechanism of action of these compounds on parasitic cells. METHODS The aims of the experiments were to detect and evaluate specific events involved in apoptosis-like cell death in the kinetoplastid, including DNA condensation, accumulation of reactive oxygen species and changes in ATP concentration, cell permeability and mitochondrial membrane potential, respectively, in treated cells. RESULTS The results demonstrated that the three isolated diterpenes could inhibit the tested parasites by inducing an apoptosis-like cell death. CONCLUSIONS These results encourage further investigation on the isolated compounds as potential drug candidates against both L. amazonensis and T. cruzi.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olfa Chiboub
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez S/N, 38203 La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
- Laboratoire Matériaux-Molécules et Applications, University of Carthage, La Marsa, Carthage, Tunisia
| | - Ines Sifaoui
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez S/N, 38203 La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
- Red de Investigación Cooperativa en Enfermedades Tropicales (RICET), Madrid, Spain
| | - Manef Abderrabba
- Laboratoire Matériaux-Molécules et Applications, University of Carthage, La Marsa, Carthage, Tunisia
| | - Mondher Mejri
- Laboratoire Matériaux-Molécules et Applications, University of Carthage, La Marsa, Carthage, Tunisia
| | - José J. Fernández
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez S/N, 38203 La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
| | - Ana R. Díaz-Marrero
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
| | - Jacob Lorenzo-Morales
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez S/N, 38203 La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
- Red de Investigación Cooperativa en Enfermedades Tropicales (RICET), Madrid, Spain
| | - José E. Piñero
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez S/N, 38203 La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
- Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), La Laguna, Tenerife Spain
- Red de Investigación Cooperativa en Enfermedades Tropicales (RICET), Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Reverte M, Eren RO, Jha B, Desponds C, Snäkä T, Prevel F, Isorce N, Lye LF, Owens KL, Gazos Lopes U, Beverley SM, Fasel N. The antioxidant response favors Leishmania parasites survival, limits inflammation and reprograms the host cell metabolism. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009422. [PMID: 33765083 PMCID: PMC7993605 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The oxidative burst generated by the host immune system can restrict intracellular parasite entry and growth. While this burst leads to the induction of antioxidative enzymes, the molecular mechanisms and the consequences of this counter-response on the life of intracellular human parasites are largely unknown. The transcription factor NF-E2-related factor (NRF2) could be a key mediator of antioxidant signaling during infection due to the entry of parasites. Here, we showed that NRF2 was strongly upregulated in infection with the human Leishmania protozoan parasites, its activation was dependent on a NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) and SRC family of protein tyrosine kinases (SFKs) signaling pathway and it reprogrammed host cell metabolism. In inflammatory leishmaniasis caused by a viral endosymbiont inducing TNF-α in chronic leishmaniasis, NRF2 activation promoted parasite persistence but limited TNF-α production and tissue destruction. These data provided evidence of the dual role of NRF2 in protecting both the invading pathogen from reactive oxygen species and the host from an excess of the TNF-α destructive pro-inflammatory cytokine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Reverte
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Remzi Onur Eren
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Baijayanti Jha
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Chantal Desponds
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Tiia Snäkä
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Florence Prevel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Isorce
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Lon-Fye Lye
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, School of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Katherine L. Owens
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, School of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Ulisses Gazos Lopes
- Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Center of Health Science, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Stephen M. Beverley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, School of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Nicolas Fasel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Richard SA. Exploring the Pivotal Immunomodulatory and Anti-Inflammatory Potentials of Glycyrrhizic and Glycyrrhetinic Acids. Mediators Inflamm 2021; 2021:6699560. [PMID: 33505216 PMCID: PMC7808814 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6699560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Licorice extract is a Chinese herbal medication most often used as a demulcent or elixir. The extract usually consists of many components but the key ingredients are glycyrrhizic (GL) and glycyrrhetinic acid (GA). GL and GA function as potent antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumor agents, and immuneregulators. GL and GA have potent activities against hepatitis A, B, and C viruses, human immunodeficiency virus type 1, vesicular stomatitis virus, herpes simplex virus, influenza A, severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, vaccinia virus, and arboviruses. Also, GA was observed to be of therapeutic valve in human enterovirus 71, which was recognized as the utmost regular virus responsible for hand, foot, and mouth disease. The anti-inflammatory mechanism of GL and GA is realized via cytokines like interferon-γ, tumor necrotizing factor-α, interleukin- (IL-) 1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, and IL-17. They also modulate anti-inflammatory mechanisms like intercellular cell adhesion molecule 1 and P-selectin, enzymes like inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and transcription factors such as nuclear factor-kappa B, signal transducer and activator of transcription- (STAT-) 3, and STAT-6. Furthermore, DCs treated with GL were capable of influencing T-cell differentiation toward Th1 subset. Moreover, GA is capable of blocking prostaglandin-E2 synthesis via blockade of cyclooxygenase- (COX-) 2 resulting in concurrent augmentation nitric oxide production through the enhancement of iNOS2 mRNA secretion in Leishmania-infected macrophages. GA is capable of inhibiting toll-like receptors as well as high-mobility group box 1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seidu A. Richard
- Department of Medicine, Princefield University, P. O. Box MA 128, Ho, Ghana
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Fernandes CAH, Morea EGO, Cano MIN. RPA-1 from Leishmania sp.: Recombinant Protein Expression and Purification, Molecular Modeling, and Molecular Dynamics Simulations Protocols. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2281:169-191. [PMID: 33847958 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1290-3_10] [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: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
RPA is a conserved heterotrimeric complex and the major single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)-binding protein heterotrimeric complex, which in eukaryotes is formed by the RPA-1, RPA-2, and RPA-3 subunits. The main structural feature of RPA is the presence of the oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide-binding fold (OB-fold) domains, responsible for ssDNA binding and protein:protein interactions. Among the RPA subunits, RPA-1 bears three of the four OB folds involved with RPA-ssDNA binding, although in some organisms RPA-2 can also bind ssDNA. The OB-fold domains are also present in telomere end-binding proteins (TEBP), essential for chromosome end protection. RPA-1 from Leishmania sp., as well as RPA-1 from trypanosomatids, a group of early-divergent protozoa, shows some structural differences compared to higher eukaryote RPA-1. Also, RPA-1 from Leishmania sp., similar to TEBPs, may exert telomeric protective functions. Remarkably, different pieces of evidence have pointed out that trypanosomatids may not have OB fold-containing TEBPs. Moreover, recent data indicate that trypanosomatid RPA-1 may be considered a TEBP since it shares with TEBPs conserved functional and structural features. However, it is still unknown whether the RPA-1 protective telomeric role is exclusive to trypanosomatids or is also present in other primitive eukaryotes. Here, we describe a protocol to obtain highly purified and biologically active Leishmania amazonensis recombinant RPA-1, and to perform molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations methods which could be probably applied to functional and structural studies of homologous proteins in other primitive eukaryotes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A H Fernandes
- Department of Biophysics and Pharmacology, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Edna G O Morea
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Maria Isabel N Cano
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Costa MS, Gonçalves YG, Borges BC, Silva MJB, Amstalden MK, Costa TR, Antunes LMG, Rodrigues RS, Rodrigues VDM, de Faria Franca E, Zoia MAP, de Araújo TG, Goulart LR, Von Poelhsitz G, Yoneyama KAG. Ruthenium (II) complex cis-[Ru II(ŋ 2-O 2CC 7H 7O 2)(dppm) 2]PF 6-hmxbato induces ROS-mediated apoptosis in lung tumor cells producing selective cytotoxicity. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15410. [PMID: 32958783 PMCID: PMC7506019 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72420-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Ruthenium complexes have been extensively explored as potential molecules for cancer treatment. Considering our previous findings on the remarkable cytotoxic activity exhibited by the ruthenium (II) complex 3-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzoate (hmxbato)-cis-[RuII(ŋ2-O2CC7H7O2)(dppm)2]PF6 against Leishmania promastigotes and also the similar metabolic characteristics between trypanosomatids and tumor cells, the present study aimed to analyze the anticancer potential of hmxbato against lung tumor cells, as well as the partial death mechanisms involved. Hmxbato demonstrated selective cytotoxicity against A549 lung tumor cells. In addition, this complex at a concentration of 3.8 µM was able to expressively increase the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tumor cells, causing an oxidative stress that may culminate in: (1) reduction in cellular proliferation; (2) changes in cell morphology and organization patterns of the actin cytoskeleton; (3) cell arrest in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle; (4) apoptosis; (5) changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential and (6) initial DNA damage. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the induction of programmed cell death can occur by the intrinsic apoptotic pathway through the activation of caspases. It is also worth highlighting that hmxbato exhibited predominant actions on A549 tumor cells in comparison to BEAS-2B normal bronchial epithelium cells, which makes this complex an interesting candidate for the design of new drugs against lung cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mônica Soares Costa
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Toxinas Animais, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, UFU, Pará avenue, 1720, Uberlândia, MG, CEP 38400-902, Brazil.
| | | | - Bruna Cristina Borges
- Laboratório de Osteoimunologia e Imunologia dos Tumores, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, UFU, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Marcelo José Barbosa Silva
- Laboratório de Osteoimunologia e Imunologia dos Tumores, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, UFU, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Martin Krähenbühl Amstalden
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicologia e Ciências Alimentares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, CEP 14040-903, Brazil
| | - Tássia Rafaella Costa
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Toxinas Animais, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, UFU, Pará avenue, 1720, Uberlândia, MG, CEP 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Lusânia Maria Greggi Antunes
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicologia e Ciências Alimentares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, CEP 14040-903, Brazil
| | - Renata Santos Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Toxinas Animais, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, UFU, Pará avenue, 1720, Uberlândia, MG, CEP 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Veridiana de Melo Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Toxinas Animais, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, UFU, Pará avenue, 1720, Uberlândia, MG, CEP 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Eduardo de Faria Franca
- Laboratório de Cristalografia e Química Computacional, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, UFU, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Mariana Alves Pereira Zoia
- Laboratório de Nanobiotecnologia, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, UFU, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Thaise Gonçalves de Araújo
- Laboratório de Nanobiotecnologia, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, UFU, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Luiz Ricardo Goulart
- Laboratório de Nanobiotecnologia, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, UFU, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Von Poelhsitz
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, UFU, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Kelly Aparecida Geraldo Yoneyama
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Toxinas Animais, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, UFU, Pará avenue, 1720, Uberlândia, MG, CEP 38400-902, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Pinho N, Wiśniewski JR, Dias-Lopes G, Saboia-Vahia L, Bombaça ACS, Mesquita-Rodrigues C, Menna-Barreto R, Cupolillo E, de Jesus JB, Padrón G, Cuervo P. In-depth quantitative proteomics uncovers specie-specific metabolic programs in Leishmania (Viannia) species. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008509. [PMID: 32804927 PMCID: PMC7451982 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmania species are responsible for a broad spectrum of diseases, denominated Leishmaniasis, affecting over 12 million people worldwide. During the last decade, there have been impressive efforts for sequencing the genome of most of the pathogenic Leishmania spp. as well as hundreds of strains, but large-scale proteomics analyses did not follow these achievements and the Leishmania proteome remained mostly uncharacterized. Here, we report a comprehensive comparative study of the proteomes of strains representing L. braziliensis, L. panamensis and L. guyanensis species. Proteins extracted by SDS-mediated lysis were processed following the multi-enzyme digestion-filter aided sample preparation (FASP) procedure and analysed by high accuracy mass spectrometry. "Total Protein Approach" and "Proteomic Ruler" were applied for absolute quantification of proteins. Principal component analysis demonstrated very high reproducibility among biological replicates and a very clear differentiation of the three species. Our dataset comprises near 7000 proteins, representing the most complete Leishmania proteome yet known, and provides a comprehensive quantitative picture of the proteomes of the three species in terms of protein concentration and copy numbers. Analysis of the abundance of proteins from the major energy metabolic processes allow us to highlight remarkably differences among the species and suggest that these parasites depend on distinct energy substrates to obtain ATP. Whereas L. braziliensis relies the more on glycolysis, L. panamensis and L. guyanensis seem to depend mainly on mitochondrial respiration. These results were confirmed by biochemical assays showing opposite profiles for glucose uptake and O2 consumption in these species. In addition, we provide quantitative data about different membrane proteins, transporters, and lipids, all of which contribute for significant species-specific differences and provide rich substrate for explore new molecules for diagnosing purposes. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD017696.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathalia Pinho
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Leishmanioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jacek R. Wiśniewski
- Biochemical Proteomics Group, Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Geovane Dias-Lopes
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Saboia-Vahia
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Leishmanioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | | | | | - Rubem Menna-Barreto
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Elisa Cupolillo
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Leishmanioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jose Batista de Jesus
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Departamento de Medicina–Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei, Campus Dom Bosco, São João del Rei, MG, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Padrón
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Leishmanioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Patricia Cuervo
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Leishmanioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Ranatunga M, Rai R, Richardson SCW, Dyer P, Harbige L, Deacon A, Pecorino L, Getti GTM. Leishmania aethiopica cell-to-cell spreading involves caspase-3, AkT, and NF-κB but not PKC-δ activation and involves uptake of LAMP-1-positive bodies containing parasites. FEBS J 2020; 287:1777-1797. [PMID: 31804757 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15166] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Development of human leishmaniasis is dependent on the ability of intracellular Leishmania parasites to spread and enter macrophages. The mechanism through which free promastigotes and amastigotes bind and enter host macrophages has been previously investigated; however, little is known about intracellular trafficking and cell-to-cell spreading. In this study, the mechanism involved in the spreading of Leishmania aethiopica and Leishmania mexicana was investigated. A significant increase in phosphatidylserine (PS) exhibition, cytochrome C release, and active caspase-3 expression was detected (P < 0.05) during L. aethiopica, but not L. mexicana spreading. A decrease (P < 0.05) of protein kinase B (Akt) protein and BCL2-associated agonist of cell death (BAD) phosphorylation was also observed. The nuclear factor kappa-light-chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB) signaling pathway and pro-apoptotic protein protein kinase C delta (PKC-δ) were downregulated while inhibition of caspase-3 activation prevented L. aethiopica spreading. Overall suggesting that L. aethiopica induces host cell's apoptosis during spreading in a caspase-3-dependent manner. The trafficking of amastigotes within macrophages following cell-to-cell spreading differed from that of axenic parasites and involved co-localization with lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP-1) within 10 min postinfection. Interestingly, following infection with axenic amastigotes and promastigotes, co-localization of parasites with LAMP-1-positive structures took place at 1 and 4 h, respectively, suggesting that the membrane coat and LAMP-1 protein were derived from the donor cell. Collectively, these findings indicate that host cell apoptosis, demonstrated by PS exhibition, caspase-3 activation, cytochrome C release, downregulation of Akt, BAD phosphorylation, NF-kB activation, and independent of PKC-δ expression, is involved in L. aethiopica spreading. Moreover, L. aethiopica parasites associate with LAMP-rich structures when taken up by neighboring macrophages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Rajeev Rai
- University of Greenwich at Medway, Kent, UK
| | | | - Paul Dyer
- University of Greenwich at Medway, Kent, UK
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Battista T, Colotti G, Ilari A, Fiorillo A. Targeting Trypanothione Reductase, a Key Enzyme in the Redox Trypanosomatid Metabolism, to Develop New Drugs against Leishmaniasis and Trypanosomiases. Molecules 2020; 25:E1924. [PMID: 32326257 PMCID: PMC7221613 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25081924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The protozoans Leishmania and Trypanosoma, belonging to the same Trypanosomatidae family, are the causative agents of Leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and human African trypanosomiasis. Overall, these infections affect millions of people worldwide, posing a serious health issue as well as socio-economical concern. Current treatments are inadequate, mainly due to poor efficacy, toxicity, and emerging resistance; therefore, there is an urgent need for new drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Theo Battista
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University, P.le A.Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Gianni Colotti
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, Italian National Research Council, IBPM-CNR, c/o Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University, P.le A.Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (G.C.); (A.I.)
| | - Andrea Ilari
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, Italian National Research Council, IBPM-CNR, c/o Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University, P.le A.Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (G.C.); (A.I.)
| | - Annarita Fiorillo
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University, P.le A.Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Geroldinger G, Tonner M, Quirgst J, Walter M, De Sarkar S, Machín L, Monzote L, Stolze K, Catharina Duvigneau J, Staniek K, Chatterjee M, Gille L. Activation of artemisinin and heme degradation in Leishmania tarentolae promastigotes: A possible link. Biochem Pharmacol 2020; 173:113737. [PMID: 31786259 PMCID: PMC7116464 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2019.113737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Endoperoxides (EPs) appear to be promising drug candidates against protozoal diseases, including malaria and leishmaniasis. Previous studies have shown that these drugs need an intracellular activation to exert their pharmacological potential. The efficiency of these drugs is linked to the extensive iron demand of these intracellular protozoal parasites. An essential step of the activation mechanism of these drugs is the formation of radicals in Leishmania. Iron is a known trigger for intracellular radical formation. However, the activation of EPs by low molecular iron or by heme iron may strongly depend on the structure of the EPs themselves. In this study, we focused on the activation of artemisinin (Art) in Leishmania tarentolae promastigotes (LtP) in comparison to reference compounds. Viability assays in different media in the presence of different iron sources (hemin/fetal calf serum) showed that IC50 values of Art in LtP were modulated by assay conditions, but overall were within the low micromolar range. Low temperature electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of LtP showed that Art shifted the redox state of the labile iron pool less than the EP ascaridole questioning its role as a major activator of Art in LtP. Based on the high reactivity of Art with hemin in previous biomimetic experiments, we focused on putative heme-metabolizing enzymes in Leishmania, which were so far not well described. Inhibitors of mammalian heme oxygenase (HO; tin and chromium mesoporphyrin) acted antagonistically to Art in LtP and boosted its IC50 value for several magnitudes. By inductively coupled plasma methods (ICP-OES, ICP-MS) we showed that these inhibitors do not block iron (heme) accumulation, but are taken up and act within LtP. These inhibitors blocked the conversion of hemin to bilirubin in LtP homogenates, suggesting that an HO-like enzyme activity in LtP exists. NADPH-dependent degradation of Art and hemin was highest in the small granule and microsomal fractions of LtP. Photometric measurements in the model Art/hemin demonstrated that hemin requires reduction to heme and that subsequently an Art/heme complex (λmax 474 nm) is formed. EPR spin-trapping in the system Art/hemin revealed that NADPH, ascorbate and cysteine are suitable reductants and finally activate Art to acyl-carbon centered radicals. These findings suggest that heme is a major activator of Art in LtP either via HO-like enzyme activities and/or chemical interaction of heme with Art.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gerald Geroldinger
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Tonner
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Judith Quirgst
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Walter
- Department of Environmental Geosciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sritama De Sarkar
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research, Kolkata, India
| | - Laura Machín
- Institute of Pharmacy and Food, Havana University, Havana, Cuba
| | - Lianet Monzote
- Parasitology Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine "Pedro Kouri", Havana, Cuba
| | - Klaus Stolze
- Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, Department of Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - J Catharina Duvigneau
- Institute for Medical Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katrin Staniek
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mitali Chatterjee
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research, Kolkata, India
| | - Lars Gille
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Laranjeira-Silva MF, Hamza I, Pérez-Victoria JM. Iron and Heme Metabolism at the Leishmania-Host Interface. Trends Parasitol 2020; 36:279-289. [PMID: 32005611 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2019.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Species of the protozoan Leishmania are causative agents of human leishmaniasis, a disease that results in significant death, disability, and disfigurement around the world. The parasite is transmitted to a mammalian host by a sand fly vector where it develops as an intracellular parasite within macrophages. This process requires the acquisition of nutritional iron and heme from the host as Leishmania lacks the capacity for de novo heme synthesis and does not contain cytosolic iron-storage proteins. Proteins involved in Leishmania iron and heme transport and metabolism have been identified and shown to be crucial for the parasite's growth and replication within the host. Consequently, a detailed understanding of how these parasites harness host pathways for survival may lay the foundation for promising new therapeutic intervention against leishmaniasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Iqbal Hamza
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
| | - José M Pérez-Victoria
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina 'López-Neyra', CSIC, (IPBLN-CSIC), PTS Granada, Granada, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Karade SS, Ansari A, Srivastava VK, Nayak AR, Pratap JV. Molecular and structural analysis of a mechanical transition of helices in the L. donovani coronin coiled-coil domain. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 143:785-796. [PMID: 31778699 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.09.138] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions of cellular importance are mediated by coiled coils (CCs), the ubiquitous structural motif formed by the association of two or more α-helices in a knobs into holes manner. Coronins, actin-associated multi-functional proteins that possess distinct cytoskeleton-dependent and independent functions, oligomerize through their C-terminal CC domain. The structure of the L. donovani coronin CC domain (LdCoroCC; PDB ID 5CX2) revealed, in addition to a novel topology and architecture, an inherent asymmetry, with one of the helices of the 4-helix bundle axially shifted (~2 turns). The structural analysis identified that steric hindrance by Ile 486, Leu 493 and Met 500 as the cause for this asymmetry. To experimentally validate this hypothesis and to better understand the sequence-structure relationship in CCs, these amino acids have been mutated (I486A, L493A, M500V and the double mutant I486A-L493A) and characterized. Thermal CD studies suggest that the I486A and M500V mutants have comparable Tm values to LdCoroCC, while the other mutants have lower melting temperatures. The mutant crystal structures (I486A, M500V and the double mutant) retain the 'ade' core packing as LdcoroCC. While the M500V structure is similar to LdCoroCC, the I486A and the I486A-L493A structures show an asymmetry to symmetry transition. This study reveals crucial role of residues at position 'a' in coiled-coil domain play an important role in stabilizing the asymmetry in LdCoroCC, which might be necessary pursue specific biological function(s) inside the Leishmania.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sharanbasappa Shrimant Karade
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR - Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ahmadullah Ansari
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR - Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Vijay Kumar Srivastava
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR - Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ashok Ranjan Nayak
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR - Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - J Venkatesh Pratap
- Molecular and Structural Biology Division, CSIR - Central Drug Research Institute, Sector 10, Jankipuram Extension, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, Uttar Pradesh, India.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Imran M, Javed T, Jabeen A, Mehnaz G, Ullah K, Shaheen N, Khalid S, Amirzada MI, Yameen MA, Hasan SMF, Shah SH, Rauf K, Schenk G, McGeary R, Pieters L, Latif M, Al-Kahraman YM, Hassan Bin Asad MH. Synthesis, characterization and docking studies of amide ligands as anti-leishmanial agents. Pak J Pharm Sci 2020; 33:385-392. [PMID: 32122872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Aim of this study was to synthesize new inhibitors on the basis of active site of aspartic protease enzyme and to evaluate their intended biological activity. A3D model of an enzyme was generated via homology modeling and series of novel amide ligands were synthesized by using a short high yield process, subsequently, analyzed in-silico and in-vitro anti-leishmanial activities. Characterization and identification was accomplished via NMR (H1& C13), infrared and mass spectroscopic techniques. Among all compound (4) was found to show significant activity (IC50 58±0.01) against Leishmania major (L. major) species. Furthermore, docking studies confirmed the inhibition of a targeted enzyme that supported the interaction of potent compound (4) with key residues (aspartic protease) via hydrogen bonds. Present study conferred about novel compound (4) as a promising compound to antagonize L. major activities in future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Imran
- Department of Pharmacy Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, KPK, Pakistan
| | - Tariq Javed
- Department of Pharmacy, LMDC, University of Health Sciences Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Asma Jabeen
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Gul Mehnaz
- Department of Pharmacology, Abbottabad International Medical College, Abbottabad, KPK, Pakistan
| | - Kalim Ullah
- Department of Zoology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, KPK, Pakistan
| | - Nusrat Shaheen
- Department of Chemistry, Abbottabad University of Science and Technology, Abbottabad, Pakistan
| | - Sofia Khalid
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Imran Amirzada
- Department of Pharmacy Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, KPK, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Arafat Yameen
- Department of Pharmacy Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, KPK, Pakistan
| | - S M Farid Hasan
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Sajid Hussain Shah
- Department of Pharmacy Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, KPK, Pakistan
| | - Khalid Rauf
- Department of Pharmacy Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, KPK, Pakistan
| | - Gary Schenk
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Bio Sciences, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Ross- McGeary
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Bio Sciences, University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Luc Pieters
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, lab Natura, University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Muhammad Latif
- Department of Zoology, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education Lahore, Multan Campus, Pakistan
| | - Yasser Msa Al-Kahraman
- Department of Pharmacy / Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, KPK, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Hassham Hassan Bin Asad
- Department of Pharmacy / Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, KPK, Pakistan/ Institute of Fundamental Medicine, Department of Genetics, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Tatarastan, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Abstract
Markers to diagnose chemoresistance in infecting Leishmania parasites are urgently required. This is fundamental for patients who do not heal during or after treatment, as they are unresponsive, or patients who relapse at the end of the therapy, suffering from therapeutic failure. Glucose utilization is an indicator of cell viability that closely associates with metabolic activity. In Leishmania, glucose is a source of carbon atoms and is imported into the cell through specific transporters. In experimentally developed chemoresistant Leishmania parasites a significant decrease of the expression of glucose transporters as well as in the cellular accumulation glucose has been described. Alternatively, the electrical membrane potential is an essential parameter for the formation of the electromotive force needed for the acquisition of important nutrients and solutes (e.g., glucose) by cells, and changes in glucose concentration are suggested to constitute a physiological adaptation associated with a chemoresistant phenotype of Leishmania parasites. Here we describe easy methods to measure glucose uptake and the membrane potential in isolates from patient suffering leishmaniasis. Correlation between both parameters might be helpful to identify chemoresistant parasites. Results suggest that the measured kinetics of glucose utilization rate can be correlated with the plasma membrane potential and together used to differentiate between the performance of wild-type and reference parasites on the one hand and parasites isolated from patients with therapeutic failure on the other.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maritza Padrón-Nieves
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Experimental, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Alicia Ponte-Sucre
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Experimental, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Anas M, Kumari V, Gupta N, Dube A, Kumar N. Protein quality control machinery in intracellular protozoan parasites: hopes and challenges for therapeutic targeting. Cell Stress Chaperones 2019; 24:891-904. [PMID: 31228085 PMCID: PMC6717229 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-019-01016-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [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: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Intracellular protozoan parasites have evolved an efficient protein quality control (PQC) network comprising protein folding and degradation machineries that protect the parasite's proteome from environmental perturbations and threats posed by host immune surveillance. Interestingly, the components of PQC machinery in parasites have acquired sequence insertions which may provide additional interaction interfaces and diversify the repertoire of their biological roles. However, the auxiliary functions of PQC machinery remain poorly explored in parasite. A comprehensive understanding of this critical machinery may help to identify robust biological targets for new drugs against acute or latent and drug-resistant infections. Here, we review the dynamic roles of PQC machinery in creating a safe haven for parasite survival in hostile environments, serving as a metabolic sensor to trigger transformation into phenotypically distinct stages, acting as a lynchpin for trafficking of parasite cargo across host membrane for immune evasion and serving as an evolutionary capacitor to buffer mutations and drug-induced proteotoxicity. Versatile roles of PQC machinery open avenues for exploration of new drug targets for anti-parasitic intervention and design of strategies for identification of potential biomarkers for point-of-care diagnosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Anas
- Department of Parasitology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 226031, India
| | - Varsha Kumari
- Department of Parasitology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 226031, India
| | - Niharika Gupta
- Department of Parasitology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 226031, India
| | - Anuradha Dube
- Department of Parasitology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 226031, India
| | - Niti Kumar
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Delhi, India.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Beneke T, Demay F, Hookway E, Ashman N, Jeffery H, Smith J, Valli J, Becvar T, Myskova J, Lestinova T, Shafiq S, Sadlova J, Volf P, Wheeler RJ, Gluenz E. Genetic dissection of a Leishmania flagellar proteome demonstrates requirement for directional motility in sand fly infections. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007828. [PMID: 31242261 PMCID: PMC6615630 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The protozoan parasite Leishmania possesses a single flagellum, which is remodelled during the parasite’s life cycle from a long motile flagellum in promastigote forms in the sand fly to a short immotile flagellum in amastigotes residing in mammalian phagocytes. This study examined the protein composition and in vivo function of the promastigote flagellum. Protein mass spectrometry and label free protein enrichment testing of isolated flagella and deflagellated cell bodies defined a flagellar proteome for L. mexicana promastigote forms (available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD011057). This information was used to generate a CRISPR-Cas9 knockout library of 100 mutants to screen for flagellar defects. This first large-scale knockout screen in a Leishmania sp. identified 56 mutants with altered swimming speed (52 reduced and 4 increased) and defined distinct mutant categories (faster swimmers, slower swimmers, slow uncoordinated swimmers and paralysed cells, including aflagellate promastigotes and cells with curled flagella and disruptions of the paraflagellar rod). Each mutant was tagged with a unique 17-nt barcode, providing a simple barcode sequencing (bar-seq) method for measuring the relative fitness of L. mexicana mutants in vivo. In mixed infections of the permissive sand fly vector Lutzomyia longipalpis, paralysed promastigotes and uncoordinated swimmers were severely diminished in the fly after defecation of the bloodmeal. Subsequent examination of flies infected with a single paralysed mutant lacking the central pair protein PF16 or an uncoordinated swimmer lacking the axonemal protein MBO2 showed that these promastigotes did not reach anterior regions of the fly alimentary tract. These data show that L. mexicana need directional motility for successful colonisation of sand flies. Leishmania are protozoan parasites, transmitted between mammals by the bite of phlebotomine sand flies. Promastigote forms in the sand fly have a long flagellum, which is motile and used for anchoring the parasites to prevent clearance with the digested blood meal remnants. To dissect flagellar functions and their importance in life cycle progression, we generated here a comprehensive list of >300 flagellar proteins and produced a CRISPR-Cas9 gene knockout library of 100 mutant Leishmania. We studied their behaviour in vitro before examining their fate in the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis. Measuring mutant swimming speeds showed that about half behaved differently compared to the wild type: a few swam faster, many slower and some were completely paralysed. We also found a group of uncoordinated swimmers. To test whether flagellar motility is required for parasite migration from the fly midgut to the foregut from where they reach the next host, we infected sand flies with a mixed mutant population. Each mutant carried a unique tag and tracking these tags up to nine days after infection showed that paralysed and uncoordinated Leishmania were rapidly lost from flies. These data indicate that directional swimming is important for successful colonisation of sand flies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Beneke
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - François Demay
- University of Lille 1, Cité Scientifique, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
| | - Edward Hookway
- Research Department of Pathology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicole Ashman
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Heather Jeffery
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - James Smith
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica Valli
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Tomas Becvar
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Myskova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Lestinova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Shahaan Shafiq
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jovana Sadlova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Volf
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Richard John Wheeler
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Eva Gluenz
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Pessoa CC, Reis LC, Ramos-Sanchez EM, Orikaza CM, Cortez C, de Castro Levatti EV, Badaró ACB, Yamamoto JUDS, D’Almeida V, Goto H, Mortara RA, Real F. ATP6V0d2 controls Leishmania parasitophorous vacuole biogenesis via cholesterol homeostasis. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007834. [PMID: 31199856 PMCID: PMC6594656 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
V-ATPases are part of the membrane components of pathogen-containing vacuoles, although their function in intracellular infection remains elusive. In addition to organelle acidification, V-ATPases are alternatively implicated in membrane fusion and anti-inflammatory functions controlled by ATP6V0d2, the d subunit variant of the V-ATPase complex. Therefore, we evaluated the role of ATP6V0d2 in the biogenesis of pathogen-containing vacuoles using ATP6V0d2 knock-down macrophages infected with the protozoan parasite Leishmania amazonensis. These parasites survive within IFNγ/LPS-activated inflammatory macrophages, multiplying in large/fusogenic parasitophorous vacuoles (PVs) and inducing ATP6V0d2 upregulation. ATP6V0d2 knock-down decreased macrophage cholesterol levels and inhibited PV enlargement without interfering with parasite multiplication. However, parasites required ATP6V0d2 to resist the influx of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-derived cholesterol, which restored PV enlargement in ATP6V0d2 knock-down macrophages by replenishing macrophage cholesterol pools. Thus, we reveal parasite-mediated subversion of host V-ATPase function toward cholesterol retention, which is required for establishing an inflammation-resistant intracellular parasite niche.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carina Carraro Pessoa
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Luiza Campos Reis
- Laboratório de Soroepidemiologia e Imunobiologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Eduardo Milton Ramos-Sanchez
- Laboratório de Soroepidemiologia e Imunobiologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Cristina Mary Orikaza
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Cristian Cortez
- Centro de Genómica y Bioinformática, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | | | - Ana Carolina Benites Badaró
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | | | - Vânia D’Almeida
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Hiro Goto
- Laboratório de Soroepidemiologia e Imunobiologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Renato Arruda Mortara
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Fernando Real
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
De Niz M, Meehan GR, Brancucci NM, Marti M, Rotureau B, Figueiredo LM, Frischknecht F. Intravital imaging of host-parasite interactions in skin and adipose tissues. Cell Microbiol 2019; 21:e13023. [PMID: 30825872 PMCID: PMC6590052 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Intravital microscopy allows the visualisation of how pathogens interact with host cells and tissues in living animals in real time. This method has enabled key advances in our understanding of host-parasite interactions under physiological conditions. A combination of genetics, microscopy techniques, and image analysis have recently facilitated the understanding of biological phenomena in living animals at cellular and subcellular resolution. In this review, we summarise findings achieved by intravital microscopy of the skin and adipose tissues upon infection with various parasites, and we present a view into possible future applications of this method.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana De Niz
- Institute of Cell Biology, Heussler GroupUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative ParasitologyUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Gavin R. Meehan
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative ParasitologyUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Nicolas M.B. Brancucci
- Malaria Gene Regulation Unit, Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection BiologySwiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteBaselSwitzerland
- University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Matthias Marti
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative ParasitologyUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Brice Rotureau
- Trypanosome Transmission Group, Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, INSERM U1201Institut PasteurParisFrance
| | - Luisa M. Figueiredo
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo AntunesUniversidade de LisboaLisbonPortugal
| | - Friedrich Frischknecht
- Integrative Parasitology, Centre for Infectious DiseasesUniversity of Heidelberg Medical SchoolHeidelbergGermany
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Shrivastava R, Drory-Retwitzer M, Shapira M. Nutritional stress targets LeishIF4E-3 to storage granules that contain RNA and ribosome components in Leishmania. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007237. [PMID: 30870425 PMCID: PMC6435199 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmania parasites lack pathways for de novo purine biosynthesis. The depletion of purines induces differentiation into virulent metacyclic forms. In vitro, the parasites can survive prolonged periods of purine withdrawal changing their morphology to long and slender cells with an extended flagellum, and decreasing their translation rates. Reduced translation leads to the appearance of discrete granules that contain LeishIF4E-3, one of the six eIF4E paralogs encoded by the Leishmania genome. We hypothesize that each is responsible for a different function during the life cycle. LeishIF4E-3 is a weak cap-binding protein paralog, but its involvement in translation under normal conditions cannot be excluded. However, in response to nutritional stress, LeishIF4E-3 concentrates in specific cytoplasmic granules. LeishIF4E-3 granulation can be induced by the independent elimination of purines, amino acids and glucose. As these granules contain mature mRNAs, we propose that these bodies store inactive transcripts until recovery from stress occurs. In attempt to examine the content of the nutritional stress-induced granules, they were concentrated over sucrose gradients and further pulled-down by targeting in vivo tagged LeishIF4E-3. Proteomic analysis highlighted granule enrichment with multiple ribosomal proteins, suggesting that ribosome particles are abundant in these foci, as expected in case of translation inhibition. RNA-binding proteins, RNA helicases and metabolic enzymes were also enriched in the granules, whereas no degradation enzymes or P-body markers were detected. The starvation-induced LeishIF4E-3-containing granules, therefore, appear to store stalled ribosomes and ribosomal subunits, along with their associated mRNAs. Following nutritional stress, LeishIF4E-3 becomes phosphorylated at position S75, located in its less-conserved N-terminal extension. The ability of the S75A mutant to form granules was reduced, indicating that cellular signaling regulates LeishIF4E-3 function. Cells respond to cellular stress by decreasing protein translation, to prevent the formation of partially folded or misfolded new polypeptides whose accumulation can be detrimental to living cells. Under such conditions, the cells benefit from storing inactive mRNAs and stalled ribosomal particles, to maintain their availability once conditions improve; dedicated granules offer a solution for such storage. Leishmania parasites are exposed to a variety of stress conditions as a natural part of their life cycle, including the nutritional stress that the parasites experience within the gut of the sandfly. Thus, Leishmania and related trypanosomatids serve as a good model system to investigate RNA fate during different stress conditions. Various granules appear in Leishmania and related organisms in response to different stress conditions. Here, we investigated how nutritional stress, in particular elimination of purines, induced the formation of granules that harbor a specific cap-binding protein, LeishIF4E-3. The starvation-induced LeishIF4E-3 containing granules consist of a variety of ribosomal proteins, along with RNA-binding proteins and mature mRNAs. We thus propose that Leishmania modulates the assembly of LeishIF4E-3-containing granules for transient storage of stalled ribosomal particles and inactive mRNAs. Following renewal of nutrient availability, as occurs during the parasite’s life cycle, the granules disappear. Although their fate is yet unclear, they could be recycled in the cell. Unlike other granules described in trypanosomes, the LeishIF4E-3-containing granules did not contain RNA degradation enzymes, suggesting that their function is mainly for storage until conditions improve.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rohit Shrivastava
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Matan Drory-Retwitzer
- Department of Computer Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Michal Shapira
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|