scholarly journals Fungal Homoserine Kinase (thr1Δ) Mutants Are Attenuated in Virulence and Die Rapidly upon Threonine Starvation and Serum Incubation

2010 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 729-737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne M. Kingsbury ◽  
John H. McCusker
Keyword(s):  
Drug Targets ◽  
Antifungal Drug ◽  
Aspartate Kinase ◽  
Biosynthetic Enzymes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Threonine Synthase ◽  
Homoserine Kinase ◽  
Exciting Potential ◽  
Feedback Inhibitor

ABSTRACT The fungally conserved subset of amino acid biosynthetic enzymes not present in humans offer exciting potential as an unexploited class of antifungal drug targets. Since threonine biosynthesis is essential in Cryptococcus neoformans, we further explored the potential of threonine biosynthetic enzymes as antifungal drug targets by determining the survival in mice of Saccharomyces cerevisiae homoserine kinase (thr1Δ) and threonine synthase (thr4Δ) mutants. In striking contrast to aspartate kinase (hom3Δ) mutants, S. cerevisiae thr1Δ and thr4Δ mutants were severely depleted after only 4 h in vivo. Similarly, Candida albicans thr1Δ mutants, but not hom3Δ mutants, were significantly attenuated in virulence. Consistent with the in vivo phenotypes, S. cerevisiae thr1Δ and thr4Δ mutants as well as C. albicans thr1Δ mutants were extremely serum sensitive. In both species, serum sensitivity was suppressed by the addition of threonine, a feedback inhibitor of Hom3p. Because mutation of the HOM3 and HOM6 genes, required for the production of the toxic pathway intermediate homoserine, also suppressed serum sensitivity, we hypothesize that serum sensitivity is a consequence of homoserine accumulation. Serum survival is critical for dissemination, an important virulence determinant: thus, together with the essential nature of C. neoformans threonine synthesis, the cross-species serum sensitivity of thr1Δ mutants makes the fungus-specific Thr1p, and likely Thr4p, ideal antifungal drug targets.

scholarly journals Characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi Sirtuins as Possible Drug Targets for Chagas Disease

2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (8) ◽  
pp. 4669-4679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilmar Silvio Moretti ◽  
Leonardo da Silva Augusto ◽  
Tatiana Mordente Clemente ◽  
Raysa Paes Pinto Antunes ◽  
Nobuko Yoshida ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Damage Repair ◽  
Lysine Deacetylases

ABSTRACTAcetylation of lysine is a major posttranslational modification of proteins and is catalyzed by lysine acetyltransferases, while lysine deacetylases remove acetyl groups. Among the deacetylases, the sirtuins are NAD+-dependent enzymes, which modulate gene silencing, DNA damage repair, and several metabolic processes. As sirtuin-specific inhibitors have been proposed as drugs for inhibiting the proliferation of tumor cells, in this study, we investigated the role of these inhibitors in the growth and differentiation ofTrypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas disease. We found that the use of salermide during parasite infection prevented growth and initial multiplication after mammalian cell invasion byT. cruziat concentrations that did not affect host cell viability. In addition,in vivoinfection was partially controlled upon administration of salermide. There are two sirtuins inT. cruzi, TcSir2rp1 and TcSir2rp3. By using specific antibodies and cell lines overexpressing the tagged versions of these enzymes, we found that TcSir2rp1 is localized in the cytosol and TcSir2rp3 in the mitochondrion. TcSir2rp1 overexpression acts to impair parasite growth and differentiation, whereas the wild-type version of TcSir2rp3 and not an enzyme mutated in the active site improves both. The effects observed with TcSir2rp3 were fully reverted by adding salermide, which inhibited TcSir2rp3 expressed inEscherichia coliwith a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) ± standard error of 1 ± 0.5 μM. We concluded that sirtuin inhibitors targeting TcSir2rp3 could be used in Chagas disease chemotherapy.

scholarly journals Hydroxylamine and Carboxymethoxylamine Can Inhibit Toxoplasma gondii Growth through an Aspartate Aminotransferase-Independent Pathway

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jixu Li ◽  
Huanping Guo ◽  
Eloiza May Galon ◽  
Yang Gao ◽  
Seung-Hun Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Protozoan Parasite ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Lytic Cycle ◽  
Type I ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mechanism Of Inhibition

ABSTRACT Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite and a successful parasitic pathogen in diverse organisms and host cell types. Hydroxylamine (HYD) and carboxymethoxylamine (CAR) have been reported as inhibitors of aspartate aminotransferases (AATs) and interfere with the proliferation in Plasmodium falciparum. Therefore, AATs are suggested as drug targets against Plasmodium. The T. gondii genome encodes only one predicted AAT in both T. gondii type I strain RH and type II strain PLK. However, the effects of HYD and CAR, as well as their relationship with AAT, on T. gondii remain unclear. In this study, we found that HYD and CAR impaired the lytic cycle of T. gondii in vitro, including the inhibition of invasion or reinvasion, intracellular replication, and egress. Importantly, HYD and CAR could control acute toxoplasmosis in vivo. Further studies showed that HYD and CAR could inhibit the transamination activity of rTgAAT in vitro. However, our results confirmed that deficiency of AAT in both RH and PLK did not reduce the virulence in mice, although the growth ability of the parasites was affected in vitro. HYD and CAR could still inhibit the growth of AAT-deficient parasites. These findings indicated that HYD and CAR inhibition of T. gondii growth and control of toxoplasmosis can occur in an AAT-independent pathway. Overall, further studies focusing on the elucidation of the mechanism of inhibition are warranted. Our study hints at new substrates of HYD and CAR as potential drug targets to inhibit T. gondii growth.

scholarly journals Targeting Fibronectin To Disrupt In Vivo Candida albicans Biofilms

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 3152-3155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeniel E. Nett ◽  
Jonathan Cabezas-Olcoz ◽  
Karen Marchillo ◽  
Deane F. Mosher ◽  
David R. Andes
Keyword(s):  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Venous Catheter ◽  
Surface Adhesion ◽  
Inhibitory Protein ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Novel Target

ABSTRACTNew drug targets are of great interest for the treatment of fungal biofilms, which are routinely resistant to antifungal therapies. We theorized that the interaction ofCandida albicanswith matricellular host proteins would provide a novel target. Here, we show that an inhibitory protein (FUD) targetingCandida-fibronectin interactions disrupts biofilm formationin vitroandin vivoin a rat venous catheter model. The peptide appears to act by blocking the surface adhesion ofCandida, halting biofilm formation.

scholarly journals Genetic Validation of Trypanosoma brucei Glutathione Synthetase as an Essential Enzyme

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 614-624 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea Pratt ◽  
Suong Nguyen ◽  
Margaret A. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Trypanosoma Brucei ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Glutathione Synthetase ◽  
Biosynthetic Enzymes ◽  
Polyamine Biosynthesis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stage Disease ◽  
Trypanosomatid Parasites ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Essential Enzyme

ABSTRACTHuman African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is a debilitating and fatal vector-borne disease. Polyamine biosynthesis is the target of one of the key drugs (eflornithine) used for the treatment of late-stage disease, suggesting that the pathway might be exploited for the identification of additional drug targets. The polyamine spermidine is required in trypanosomatid parasites for formation of a unique redox cofactor termed trypanothione, which is formed from the conjugation of glutathione to spermidine. Here we characterize recombinantTrypanosoma bruceiglutathione synthetase (TbGS) and show that depletion ofTbGS in blood-form parasites using a regulated knockout strategy leads to loss of trypanothione and to cell death as quantified by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis. These data suggest that >97% depletion ofTbGS is required before trypanothione is depleted and cell growth arrest is observed. Exogenous glutathione was able to partially compensate for the loss ofTbGS, suggesting that parasites are able to transport intact glutathione. Finally, reduced expression ofTbGS leads to increased levels of upstream glutathione biosynthetic enzymes and decreased expression of polyamine biosynthetic enzymes, providing evidence that the cells cross regulate the two branches of the trypanothione biosynthetic pathway to maintain spermidine and trypanothione homeostasis.

scholarly journals Candida tropicalis Antifungal Cross-Resistance Is Related to Different Azole Target (Erg11p) Modifications

2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (10) ◽  
pp. 4769-4781 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Forastiero ◽  
A. C. Mesa-Arango ◽  
A. Alastruey-Izquierdo ◽  
L. Alcazar-Fuoli ◽  
L. Bernal-Martinez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Amphotericin B ◽  
Candida Tropicalis ◽  
Antifungal Drug ◽  
Cross Resistance ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Antifungal Drug Resistance

ABSTRACTCandida tropicalisranks between third and fourth amongCandidaspecies most commonly isolated from clinical specimens. Invasive candidiasis and candidemia are treated with amphotericin B or echinocandins as first-line therapy, with extended-spectrum triazoles as acceptable alternatives.Candida tropicalisis usually susceptible to all antifungal agents, although several azole drug-resistant clinical isolates are being reported. However,C. tropicalisresistant to amphotericin B is uncommon, and only a few strains have reliably demonstrated a high level of resistance to this agent. The resistance mechanisms operating inC. tropicalisstrains isolated from clinical samples showing resistance to azole drugs alone or with amphotericin B cross-resistance were elucidated. Antifungal drug resistance was related to mutations of the azole target (Erg11p) with or without alterations of the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway. The antifungal drug resistance shownin vitrocorrelated very well with the results obtainedin vivousing the model hostGalleria mellonella. Using this panel of strains, theG. mellonellamodel system was validated as a simple, nonmammalian minihost model that can be used to studyin vitro-in vivocorrelation of antifungals inC. tropicalis. The development inC. tropicalisof antifungal drug resistance with different mechanisms during antifungal treatment has potential clinical impact and deserves specific prospective studies.

scholarly journals Complex Regulation Pathways of AmpC-Mediated β-Lactam Resistance in Enterobacter cloacae Complex

2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (12) ◽  
pp. 7753-7761 ◽  
Author(s):  
François Guérin ◽  
Christophe Isnard ◽  
Vincent Cattoir ◽  
Jean Christophe Giard
Keyword(s):  
Drug Targets ◽  
Genetic Regulation ◽  
Enterobacter Cloacae ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Regulation Mechanism ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
High Level

ABSTRACTEnterobacter cloacaecomplex (ECC), an opportunistic pathogen causing numerous infections in hospitalized patients worldwide, is able to resist β-lactams mainly by producing the AmpC β-lactamase enzyme. AmpC expression is highly inducible in the presence of some β-lactams, but the underlying genetic regulation, which is intricately linked to peptidoglycan recycling, is still poorly understood. In this study, we constructed different mutant strains that were affected in genes encoding enzymes suspected to be involved in this pathway. As expected, the inactivation ofampC,ampR(which encodes the regulator protein ofampC), andampG(encoding a permease) abolished β-lactam resistance. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) experiments combined with phenotypic studies showed that cefotaxime (at high concentrations) and cefoxitin induced the expression ofampCin different ways: one involving NagZ (aN-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase) and another independent of NagZ. Unlike the model established forPseudomonas aeruginosa, inactivation of DacB (also known as PBP4) was not responsible for a constitutiveampCoverexpression in ECC, whereas it caused AmpC-mediated high-level β-lactam resistance, suggesting a post-transcriptional regulation mechanism. Global transcriptomic analysis by transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) of adacBdeletion mutant confirmed these results. Lastly, analysis of 37 ECC clinical isolates showed that amino acid changes in the AmpD sequence were likely the most crucial event involved in the development of high-level β-lactam resistancein vivoas opposed toP. aeruginosawheredacBmutations have been commonly found. These findings bring new elements for a better understanding of β-lactam resistance in ECC, which is essential for the identification of novel potential drug targets.

scholarly journals Acinetobacter baumanniiOxyR Regulates the Transcriptional Response to Hydrogen Peroxide

2018 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lillian J. Juttukonda ◽  
Erin R. Green ◽  
Zachery R. Lonergan ◽  
Marie C. Heffern ◽  
Christopher J. Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Peroxide ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Transcriptional Response ◽  
Transcriptional Regulator ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
World Health ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACTAcinetobacter baumanniiis a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen that causes diverse infections, including pneumonia, bacteremia, and wound infections. Due to multiple intrinsic and acquired antimicrobial-resistance mechanisms,A. baumanniiisolates are commonly multidrug resistant, and infections are notoriously difficult to treat. The World Health Organization recently highlighted carbapenem-resistantA. baumanniias a “critical priority” for the development of new antimicrobials because of the risk to human health posed by this organism. Therefore, it is important to discover the mechanisms used byA. baumanniito survive stresses encountered during infection in order to identify new drug targets. In this study, by use ofin vivoimaging, we identified hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as a stressor produced in the lung duringA. baumanniiinfection and defined OxyR as a transcriptional regulator of the H2O2stress response. Upon exposure to H2O2,A. baumanniidifferentially transcribes several hundred genes. However, the transcriptional upregulation of genes predicted to detoxify hydrogen peroxide is abolished in anA. baumanniistrain in which the transcriptional regulatoroxyRis genetically inactivated. Moreover, inactivation ofoxyRin both antimicrobial-susceptible and multidrug-resistantA. baumanniistrains impairs growth in the presence of H2O2. OxyR is a direct regulator ofkatEandahpF1, which encode the major H2O2-degrading enzymes inA. baumannii, as confirmed through measurement of promoter binding by recombinant OxyR in electromobility shift assays. Finally, anoxyRmutant is less fit than wild-typeA. baumanniiduring infection of the murine lung. This work reveals a mechanism used by this important human pathogen to survive H2O2stress encountered during infection.

scholarly journals Novel Bioengineered Three-Dimensional Human Intestinal Model for Long-Term Infection of Cryptosporidium parvum

2017 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria A DeCicco RePass ◽  
Ying Chen ◽  
Yinan Lin ◽  
Wenda Zhou ◽  
David L. Kaplan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cryptosporidium Parvum ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tissue Model ◽  
Culture Models

ABSTRACT Cryptosporidium spp. are apicomplexan parasites of global importance that cause human diarrheal disease. In vitro culture models that may be used to study this parasite and that have physiological relevance to in vivo infection remain suboptimal. Thus, the pathogenesis of cryptosporidiosis remains poorly characterized, and interventions for the disease are limited. In this study, we evaluated the potential of a novel bioengineered three-dimensional (3D) human intestinal tissue model (which we developed previously) to support long-term infection by Cryptosporidium parvum. Infection was assessed by immunofluorescence assays and confocal and scanning electron microscopy and quantified by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. We found that C. parvum infected and developed in this tissue model for at least 17 days, the extent of the study time used in the present study. Contents from infected scaffolds could be transferred to fresh scaffolds to establish new infections for at least three rounds. Asexual and sexual stages and the formation of new oocysts were observed during the course of infection. Additionally, we observed ablation, blunting, or distortion of microvilli in infected epithelial cells. Ultimately, a 3D model system capable of supporting continuous Cryptosporidium infection will be a useful tool for the study of host-parasite interactions, identification of putative drug targets, screening of potential interventions, and propagation of genetically modified parasites.

scholarly journals Transcriptional Profiling Suggests T Cells Cluster around Neurons Injected with Toxoplasma gondii Proteins

mSphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily F. Merritt ◽  
Hannah J. Johnson ◽  
Zhee Sheen Wong ◽  
Adam S. Buntzman ◽  
Austin C. Conklin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Transcriptional Profiling ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Symptomatic Disease

ABSTRACT Toxoplasma gondii’s tropism for and persistence in the central nervous system (CNS) underlies the symptomatic disease that T. gondii causes in humans. Our recent work has shown that neurons are the primary CNS cell with which Toxoplasma interacts and which it infects in vivo. This predilection for neurons suggests that T. gondii’s persistence in the CNS depends specifically upon parasite manipulation of the host neurons. Yet, most work on T. gondii-host cell interactions has been done in vitro and in nonneuronal cells. We address this gap by utilizing our T. gondii-Cre system that allows permanent marking and tracking of neurons injected with parasite effector proteins in vivo. Using laser capture microdissection (LCM) and RNA sequencing using RNA-seq, we isolated and transcriptionally profiled T. gondii-injected neurons (TINs), Bystander neurons (nearby non-T. gondii-injected neurons), and neurons from uninfected mice (controls). These profiles show that TIN transcriptomes significantly differ from the transcriptomes of Bystander and control neurons and that much of this difference is driven by increased levels of transcripts from immune cells, especially CD8+ T cells and monocytes. These data suggest that when we used LCM to isolate neurons from infected mice, we also picked up fragments of CD8+ T cells and monocytes clustering in extreme proximity around TINs and, to a lesser extent, Bystander neurons. In addition, we found that T. gondii transcripts were primarily found in the TIN transcriptome, not in the Bystander transcriptome. Collectively, these data suggest that, contrary to common perception, neurons that directly interact with or harbor parasites can be recognized by CD8+ T cells. IMPORTANCE Like other persistent intracellular pathogens, Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite, has evolved to evade the immune system and establish a chronic infection in specific cells and organs, including neurons in the CNS. Understanding T. gondii’s persistence in neurons holds the potential to identify novel, curative drug targets. The work presented here offers new insights into the neuron-T. gondii interaction in vivo. By transcriptionally profiling neurons manipulated by T. gondii, we unexpectedly revealed that immune cells, and specifically CD8+ T cells, appear to cluster around these neurons, suggesting that CD8+ T cells specifically recognize parasite-manipulated neurons. Such a possibility supports evidence from other labs that questions the long-standing dogma that neurons are often persistently infected because they are not directly recognized by immune cells such as CD8+ T cells. Collectively, these data suggest we reconsider the broader role of neurons in the context of infection and neuroinflammation.

scholarly journals Systems Biology-Based Identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Persistence Genes in Mouse Lungs

mBio ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noton K. Dutta ◽  
Nirmalya Bandyopadhyay ◽  
Balaji Veeramani ◽  
Gyanu Lamichhane ◽  
Petros C. Karakousis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Systems Biology ◽  
Biological Networks ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Experimental Testing ◽  
Data Types ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mouse Lungs

ABSTRACTIdentifyingMycobacterium tuberculosispersistence genes is important for developing novel drugs to shorten the duration of tuberculosis (TB) treatment. We developed computational algorithms that predictM. tuberculosisgenes required for long-term survival in mouse lungs. As the input, we used high-throughputM. tuberculosismutant library screen data, mycobacterial global transcriptional profiles in mice and macrophages, and functional interaction networks. We selected 57 unique, genetically defined mutants (18 previously tested and 39 untested) to assess the predictive power of this approach in the murine model of TB infection. We observed a 6-fold enrichment in the predicted set ofM. tuberculosisgenes required for persistence in mouse lungs relative to randomly selected mutant pools. Our results also allowed us to reclassify several genes as required forM. tuberculosispersistencein vivo. Finally, the new results implicated additional high-priority candidate genes for testing. Experimental validation of computational predictions demonstrates the power of this systems biology approach for elucidatingM. tuberculosispersistence genes.IMPORTANCEMycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), has a genetic repertoire that permits it to persist in the face of host immune responses. Identification of such persistence genes could reveal novel drug targets and elucidate mechanisms by which the organism eludes the immune system and resists drugs. Genetic screens have identified a total of 31 persistence genes, but to date only 15% of the ~4,000M. tuberculosisgenes have been tested experimentally. In this paper, as an alternative to brute force experimental screens, we describe computational methods that predict new persistence genes by combining known examples with growing databases of biological networks. Experimental testing demonstrated that these predictions are highly accurate, validating the computational approach and providing new information aboutM. tuberculosispersistence in host tissues. Using the new experimental results as additional input highlights additional genes for testing. Our approach can be extended to other data types and target organisms to characterize host-pathogen interactions relevant to this and other infectious diseases.

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