scholarly journals Identification of Leishmania major UDP-Sugar Pyrophosphorylase Inhibitors Using Biosensor-Based Small Molecule Fragment Library Screening

Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ohm Prakash ◽  
Jana Führing ◽  
John Post ◽  
Sharon Shepherd ◽  
Thomas Eadsforth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leishmania Major ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Protozoan Parasite ◽  
Library Screening ◽  
Uridine Diphosphate ◽  
Fragment Library ◽  
Antileishmanial Drug ◽  
Small Set ◽  
Diphosphate Glucose ◽  
Nucleotide Sugars

Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease that is caused by different species of the protozoan parasite Leishmania, and it currently affects 12 million people worldwide. The antileishmanial therapeutic arsenal remains very limited in number and efficacy, and there is no vaccine for this parasitic disease. One pathway that has been genetically validated as an antileishmanial drug target is the biosynthesis of uridine diphosphate-glucose (UDP-Glc), and its direct derivative UDP-galactose (UDP-Gal). De novo biosynthesis of these two nucleotide sugars is controlled by the specific UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGP). Leishmania parasites additionally express a UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase (USP) responsible for monosaccharides salvage that is able to generate both UDP-Gal and UDP-Glc. The inactivation of the two parasite pyrophosphorylases UGP and USP, results in parasite death. The present study reports on the identification of structurally diverse scaffolds for the development of USP inhibitors by fragment library screening. Based on this screening, we selected a small set of commercially available compounds, and identified molecules that inhibit both Leishmania major USP and UGP, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration in the 100 µM range. The inhibitors were predicted to bind at allosteric regulation sites, which were validated by mutagenesis studies. This study sets the stage for the development of potent USP inhibitors.

scholarly journals The Dynamic Influence of Olorofim (F901318) on the Cell Morphology and Organization of Living Cells of Aspergillus fumigatus

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
Saskia du Pré ◽  
Mike Birch ◽  
Derek Law ◽  
Nicola Beckmann ◽  
Graham E. M. Sibley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Aspergillus Fumigatus ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Dynamic Structure ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Uridine Diphosphate ◽  
Dna And Rna ◽  
Diphosphate Glucose ◽  
Cycle Regulation ◽  
Mitotracker Red

The first characterized antifungal in the orotomide class is olorofim. It targets the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway by inhibiting dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). The pyrimidines uracil, thymine and cytosine are the building blocks of DNA and RNA; thus, inhibition of their synthesis is likely to have multiple effects, including affecting cell cycle regulation and protein synthesis. Additionally, uridine-5′-triphosphate (UTP) is required for the formation of uridine-diphosphate glucose (UDP-glucose), which is an important precursor for several cell wall components. In this study, the dynamic effects of olorofim treatment on the morphology and organization of Aspergillus fumigatus hyphae were analyzed microscopically using confocal live-cell imaging. Treatment with olorofim led to increased chitin content in the cell wall, increased septation, enlargement of vacuoles and inhibition of mitosis. Furthermore, vesicle-like structures, which could not be stained or visualized with a range of membrane- or vacuole-selective dyes, were found in treated hyphae. A colocalization study of DHODH and MitoTracker Red FM confirmed for the first time that A. fumigatus DHODH is localized in the mitochondria. Overall, olorofim treatment was found to significantly influence the dynamic structure and organization of A. fumigatus hyphae.

scholarly journals Half-sites oxidation of bovine liver uridine diphosphate glucose dehydrogenase

1978 ◽  
Vol 173 (2) ◽  
pp. 701-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
J S Franzen ◽  
P Marchetti ◽  
R Ishman ◽  
J Ashcom
Keyword(s):  
Catalytic Activity ◽  
Glucose Dehydrogenase ◽  
Bovine Liver ◽  
Thiol Group ◽  
Catalytic Site ◽  
Uridine Diphosphate ◽  
Thiol Groups ◽  
Irreversible Denaturation ◽  
Diphosphate Glucose ◽  
Uridine Diphosphate Glucose Dehydrogenase

6,6-Dithiodinicotinate shows half-of-the-sites reactivity towards the six catalytic-site thiol groups of bovine liver UDP-glucose dehydrogenase. The reagent introduces three intrasubunit disulphide linkages between catalytic-site thiol groups and non-catalytic-site thiol groups and abrogates 60% of the catalytic activity of the hexameric enzyme; excess 2-mercaptoethanol rapidly restores full catalytic activity. These results show the half-of-the-sites behaviour of the enzyme with the reagent and the presence of a non-catalytic-site thiol group capable of forming a disulphide linkage with a catalytic-site thiol group on the same subunit without irreversible denaturation.

scholarly journals Studies on glycogen synthesis in pigeon liver homogenates. Glycogen synthesis from glucose monophosphates and uridine diphosphate glucose

1967 ◽  
Vol 105 (2) ◽  
pp. 515-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. N. Nigam
Keyword(s):  
Time Course ◽  
Initial Rate ◽  
Glycogen Synthesis ◽  
Uridine Diphosphate ◽  
Cytoplasmic Fraction ◽  
Uridine Diphosphate Glucose ◽  
Diphosphate Glucose ◽  
Liver Homogenates ◽  
Pigeon Liver ◽  
Glycogen Formation

Comparative time-course studies of glycogen synthesis from glucose 6-phosphate, glucose 1-phosphate and UDP-glucose show that glucose 1-phosphate forms glycogen at an initial rate faster than that obtained with glucose 6-phosphate and UDP-glucose. After 5min. the rates from glucose monophosphates are considerably slower. 2,4-Dinitrophenol decreases glycogen synthesis from both glucose monophosphates, whereas arsenate and EDTA increase glycogen synthesis from glucose 1-phosphate and inhibit the reaction from glucose 6-phosphate, galactose and galactose 1-phosphate. Mitochondria-free pigeon liver cytoplasmic fraction forms less glycogen from glucose monophosphates than does the whole homogenate. 2-Deoxyglucose 6-phosphate inhibits glycogen synthesis from glucose monophosphates. Glycogen formation from UDP-glucose is relatively unaffected by dinitrophenol, by arsenate, by EDTA, by 2-deoxyglucose 6-phosphate and by the removal of mitochondria from the whole homogenate.

scholarly journals Comparisons of Mutants Lacking the Golgi UDP-Galactose or GDP-Mannose Transporters Establish that Phosphoglycans Are Important for Promastigote but Not Amastigote Virulence in Leishmania major

2007 ◽  
Vol 75 (9) ◽  
pp. 4629-4637 ◽  
Author(s):  
Althea A. Capul ◽  
Suzanne Hickerson ◽  
Tamara Barron ◽  
Salvatore J. Turco ◽  
Stephen M. Beverley
Keyword(s):  
Golgi Apparatus ◽  
Protective Immunity ◽  
Leishmania Major ◽  
Protozoan Parasite ◽  
Macrophage Infection ◽  
Nucleotide Sugar ◽  
Infectious Cycle ◽  
Null Mutants

ABSTRACT Abundant surface Leishmania phosphoglycans (PGs) containing [Gal(β1,4)Man(α1-PO4)]-derived repeating units are important at several points in the infectious cycle of this protozoan parasite. PG synthesis requires transport of activated nucleotide-sugar precursors from the cytoplasm to the Golgi apparatus. Correspondingly, null mutants of the L. major GDP-mannose transporter LPG2 lack PGs and are severely compromised in macrophage survival and induction of acute pathology in susceptible mice, yet they are able to persist indefinitely and induce protective immunity. However, lpg2 − L. mexicana amastigotes similarly lacking PGs but otherwise normal in known glycoconjugates remain able to induce acute pathology. To explore this further, we tested the infectivity of a new PG-null L. major mutant, which is inactivated in the two UDP-galactose transporter genes LPG5A and LPG5B. Surprisingly this mutant did not recapitulate the phenotype of L. major lpg2 −, instead resembling the L. major lipophosphoglycan-deficient lpg1 − mutant. Metacyclic lpg5A −/lpg5B − promastigotes showed strong defects in the initial steps of macrophage infection and survival. However, after a modest delay, the lpg5A − /lpg5B − mutant induced lesion pathology in infected mice, which thereafter progressed normally. Amastigotes recovered from these lesions were fully infective in mice and in macrophages despite the continued absence of PGs. This suggests that another LPG2-dependent metabolite is responsible for the L. major amastigote virulence defect, although further studies ruled out cytoplasmic mannans. These data thus resolve the distinct phenotypes seen among lpg2 − Leishmania species by emphasizing the role of glycoconjugates other than PGs in amastigote virulence, while providing further support for the role of PGs in metacyclic promastigote virulence.

scholarly journals Building a Better Fragment Library for De Novo Protein Structure Prediction

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. e0123998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saulo H. P. de Oliveira ◽  
Jiye Shi ◽  
Charlotte M. Deane
Keyword(s):  
Protein Structure ◽  
Protein Structure Prediction ◽  
Structure Prediction ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Fragment Library

scholarly journals Enzymic transfer of glucose and xylose from uridine diphosphate glucose and uridine diphosphate xylose to bilirubin by untreated and digitonin-activated preparations from rat liver

1972 ◽  
Vol 129 (3) ◽  
pp. 619-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Fevery ◽  
P. Leroy ◽  
K. P. M. Heirwegh
Keyword(s):  
Enzyme Activities ◽  
Metal Ion ◽  
Glucuronic Acid ◽  
Uridine Diphosphate ◽  
No Formation ◽  
Cell Extracts ◽  
Straight Line ◽  
Standard Assay ◽  
Diphosphate Glucose ◽  
Liver Homogenates

1. Digitonin-treated and untreated homogenates, cell extracts and washed microsomal preparations from liver of Wistar R rats are capable of transferring sugar from UDP-glucose or UDP-xylose to bilirubin. No formation of bilirubin glycosides occurred with UDP-galactose or d-glucose, d-xylose or d-glucuronic acid as the sources of sugar. 2. Procedures to assay digitonin-activated and unactivated bilirubin UDP-glucosyltransferase and bilirubin UDP-xylosyltransferase were developed. 3. In digitonin-activated microsomal preparations the transferring enzymes had the following properties. Both enzyme activities were increased 2.5-fold by pretreatment with digitonin. They were optimum at pH6.6–7.2. Michaelis–Menten kinetics were followed with respect to UDP-glucose. In contrast, double-reciprocal plots of enzyme activity against the concentration of UDP-xylose showed two intersecting straight-line sections corresponding to concentration ranges where either bilirubin monoxyloside was formed (at low UDP-xylose concentrations) or where mixtures of both the mono- and di-xyloside were synthesized (at high UDP-xylose concentrations). Both enzyme activities were stimulated by Mg2+; Ca2+ was slightly less, and Mn2+ slightly more, stimulatory than Mg2+. Of the activities found in standard assay systems containing Mg2+, 58–78% (substrate UDP-glucose) and 0–38% (substrate UDP-xylose) were independent of added bivalent metal ion. Double-reciprocal plots of the Mg2+-dependent activities against the concentration of added Mg2+ were linear. 4. In comparative experiments the relative activities of liver homogenates obtained with UDP-glucuronic acid, UDP-glucose and UDP-xylose were 1:1.5:2.7 for untreated preparations and 1:0.29:0.44 after activation with digitonin. 5. Bilirubin UDP-glucuronyltransferase was protected against denaturation by human serum albumin, whereas bilirubin UDP-xylosyltransferase was not. 6. Digitonin-treated and untreated liver homogenates from Gunn rats were inactive in transferring sugar to bilirubin from UDP-glucuronic acid (in agreement with the work of others), UDP-glucose or UDP-xylose.

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