SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND IN VITRO ANTIMALARIAL ACTIVITY OF DIHYDROXYLATION DERIVATIVES OF TRICLOSAN

Objective: The emergence of malaria as a global health problem over the past few decades, accompanied by the rise of chemoresistant strains ofPlasmodium falciparum, has emphasized the need for the discovery of new therapeutic drugs against this disease. In this study, enantiomericallyenriched (enantioenriched) analogs of triclosan were synthesized and evaluated for antimalarial activity against P. falciparum cultures.Methods: Enantioselective dihydroxylation of the olefin in amide seven was performed efficiently using chiral quinine ligand (DHQ)2PHAL to yieldenantioenriched dihydroxy propionamide derivative (+)-1 in moderate yields. In a similar way, the chiral quinidine ligand (DHQD)2PHAL was used asstereoselectivity agent yielded the desired enantioenriched (−)-1. The enantioenriched products were used for further in vitro assay, and accordingly thepercent enantiomeric excess (% ee) was not determined. The structures of compounds were proven by spectral data (1H NMR, 13C NMR, and mass spectra).Results: The phenol moiety at the C1 position of triclosan was chemically substituted with a methoxy group, in conjunction with an introducedstereocenter in a 2,3-dihydroxy-propionamide group at C2’ position. Unmodified triclosan inhibited the P. falciparum cultures with an IC50 value of27.2 μM. By contrast, the triclosan analogs, compounds (+)-1 and (−)-1, inhibited the P. falciparum cultures with IC50 values of 0.034 and 0.028 μM,respectively.Conclusion: Collectively, our preliminary in vitro results suggest that these triclosan analogs have potent antimalarial activity and represent apromising new treatment strategy on further development.

Host Cytoskeleton Remodeling throughout the Blood Stages ofPlasmodium falciparum

SUMMARYThe asexual intraerythrocytic development ofPlasmodium falciparum, causing the most severe form of human malaria, is marked by extensive host cell remodeling. Throughout the processes of invasion, intracellular development, and egress, the erythrocyte membrane skeleton is remodeled by the parasite as required for each specific developmental stage. The remodeling is facilitated by a plethora of exported parasite proteins, and the erythrocyte membrane skeleton is the interface of most of the observed interactions between the parasite and host cell proteins. Host cell remodeling has been extensively described and there is a vast body of information on protein export or the description of parasite-induced structures such as Maurer’s clefts or knobs on the host cell surface. Here we specifically review the molecular level of each host cell-remodeling step at each stage of the intraerythrocytic development ofP. falciparum. We describe key events, such as invasion, knob formation, and egress, and identify the interactions between exported parasite proteins and the host cell cytoskeleton. We discuss each remodeling step with respect to time and specific requirement of the developing parasite to explain host cell remodeling in a stage-specific manner. Thus, we highlight the interaction with the host membrane skeleton as a key event in parasite survival.

Photo-Induced Electron Transfer Real-Time PCR for Detection ofPlasmodium falciparum plasmepsin 2Gene Copy Number

ABSTRACTPiperaquine is an important partner drug used in artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs). An increase in theplasmepsin 2and3gene copy numbers has been associated with decreased susceptibility ofPlasmodium falciparumto piperaquine in Cambodia. Here, we developed a photo-induced electron transfer real-time PCR (PET-PCR) assay to quantify the copy number of theP. falciparumplasmepsin 2gene (PfPM2) that can be used in countries whereP. falciparumis endemic to enhance molecular surveillance.