scholarly journals A specific non-bisphosphonate inhibitor of the bifunctional farnesyl/geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase in malaria parasites

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jolyn E. Gisselberg ◽  
Zachary Herrera ◽  
Lindsey Orchard ◽  
Manuel Llinás ◽  
Ellen Yeh
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Physicochemical Properties ◽  
Small Molecule ◽  
Antimalarial Drug ◽  
Drug Target ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Geranylgeranyl Diphosphate Synthase ◽  
Geranylgeranyl Diphosphate ◽  
Malaria Parasites ◽  
Starting Point

SummaryIsoprenoid biosynthesis is essential for Plasmodium falciparum (malaria) parasites and contains multiple validated antimalarial drug targets, including a bifunctional farnesyl and geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS/GGPPS). We identified MMV019313 as an inhibitor of PfFPPS/GGPPS. Though PfFPPS/GGPPS is also inhibited by a class of bisphosphonate drugs, MMV019313 has significant advantages for antimalarial drug development. MMV019313 has superior physicochemical properties compared to charged bisphosphonates that have poor bioavailability and strong bone affinity. We also show that it is highly selective for PfFPPS/GGPPS and showed no activity against human FPPS or GGPPS. Inhibition of PfFPPS/GGPPS by MMV019313, but not bisphosphonates, was disrupted in an S228T variant, demonstrating that MMV019313 and bisphosphonates have distinct modes-of-inhibition against PfFPPS/GGPPS. Altogether MMV019313 is the first specific, non-bisphosphonate inhibitor of PfFPPS/GGPPS. Our findings uncover a new small molecule binding site in this important antimalarial drug target and provide a promising starting point for development of Plasmodium-specific FPPS/GGPPS inhibitors.

scholarly journals Plasmodium falciparum Niemann-Pick Type C1-Related Protein is a Druggable Target Required for Parasite Membrane Homeostasis

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva S. Istvan ◽  
Sudipta Das ◽  
Suyash Bhatnagar ◽  
Josh R. Beck ◽  
Edward Owen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Small Molecule ◽  
Antimalarial Drug ◽  
Drug Target ◽  
Related Protein ◽  
Immuno Electron Microscopy ◽  
Increased Sensitivity ◽  
Niemann Pick

AbstractPlasmodium parasites possess a protein with homology to Niemann-Pick Type C1 proteins (Plasmodium falciparum Niemann-Pick Type C1-Related protein, PfNCR1). We isolated parasites with resistance-conferring mutations in PfNCR1 during selections with three diverse small-molecule antimalarial compounds and show that the mutations are causative for compound resistance. PfNCR1 protein knockdown results in severely attenuated growth and confers hypersensitivity to the compounds. Compound treatment or protein knockdown leads to increased sensitivity of the parasite plasma membrane (PPM) to the amphipathic glycoside saponin and engenders digestive vacuoles (DVs) that are small and malformed. Immuno-electron microscopy and split-GFP experiments localize PfNCR1 to the PPM. Our experiments show that PfNCR1 activity is critically important for the composition of the PPM and is required for DV biogenesis, suggesting PfNCR1 as a novel antimalarial drug target.

scholarly journals In Silico Knockout Screening of Plasmodium falciparum Reactions and Prediction of Novel Essential Reactions by Analysing the Metabolic Network

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelili Oyelade ◽  
Itunuoluwa Isewon ◽  
Efosa Uwoghiren ◽  
Olufemi Aromolaran ◽  
Olufunke Oladipupo
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Metabolic Network ◽  
Antimalarial Drug ◽  
Drug Target ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Biological Evidence ◽  
Essential Reactions ◽  
Extensive List

Malaria is an infectious disease that affects close to half a million individuals every year and Plasmodium falciparum is a major cause of malaria. The treatment of this disease could be done effectively if the essential enzymes of this parasite are specifically targeted. Nevertheless, the development of the parasite in resisting existing drugs now makes discovering new drugs a core responsibility. In this study, a novel computational model that makes the prediction of new and validated antimalarial drug target cheaper, easier, and faster has been developed. We have identified new essential reactions as potential targets for drugs in the metabolic network of the parasite. Among the top seven (7) predicted essential reactions, four (4) have been previously identified in earlier studies with biological evidence and one (1) has been with computational evidence. The results from our study were compared with an extensive list of seventy-seven (77) essential reactions with biological evidence from a previous study. We present a list of thirty-one (31) potential candidates for drug targets in Plasmodium falciparum which includes twenty-four (24) new potential candidates for drug targets.

scholarly journals Identification of Plasmodium falciparum Mitochondrial Malate: Quinone Oxidoreductase Inhibitors from the Pathogen Box

Genes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinying Wang ◽  
Yukiko Miyazaki ◽  
Daniel Ken Inaoka ◽  
Endah Dwi Hartuti ◽  
Yoh-Ichi Watanabe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Antimalarial Drug ◽  
Drug Target ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle ◽  
Drug Resistant ◽  
Quinone Oxidoreductase ◽  
Mitochondrial Inner Membrane ◽  
Transport Chain ◽  
Urgent Task

Malaria is one of the three major global health threats. Drug development for malaria, especially for its most dangerous form caused by Plasmodium falciparum, remains an urgent task due to the emerging drug-resistant parasites. Exploration of novel antimalarial drug targets identified a trifunctional enzyme, malate quinone oxidoreductase (MQO), located in the mitochondrial inner membrane of P. falciparum (PfMQO). PfMQO is involved in the pathways of mitochondrial electron transport chain, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and fumarate cycle. Recent studies have shown that MQO is essential for P. falciparum survival in asexual stage and for the development of experiment cerebral malaria in the murine parasite P. berghei, providing genetic validation of MQO as a drug target. However, chemical validation of MQO, as a target, remains unexplored. In this study, we used active recombinant protein rPfMQO overexpressed in bacterial membrane fractions to screen a total of 400 compounds from the Pathogen Box, released by Medicines for Malaria Venture. The screening identified seven hit compounds targeting rPfMQO with an IC50 of under 5 μM. We tested the activity of hit compounds against the growth of 3D7 wildtype strain of P. falciparum, among which four compounds showed an IC50 from low to sub-micromolar concentrations, suggesting that PfMQO is indeed a potential antimalarial drug target.

Antimalarial Drug Targets and Drugs Targeting Dolichol Metabolic Pathway of Plasmodium falciparum

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 374-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tabish Qidwai ◽  
Avantika Priya ◽  
Nihal Khan ◽  
Himanshu Tripathi ◽  
Feroz Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Metabolic Pathway ◽  
Antimalarial Drug ◽  
Drug Targets

scholarly journals A Chemical Rescue Screen Identifies a Plasmodium falciparum Apicoplast Inhibitor Targeting MEP Isoprenoid Precursor Biosynthesis

2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 356-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wesley Wu ◽  
Zachary Herrera ◽  
Danny Ebert ◽  
Katie Baska ◽  
Seok H. Cho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
Antimalarial Drug ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Drug Candidate ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Chemical Rescue ◽  
Growth Inhibitory ◽  
Parasite Populations

ABSTRACTThe apicoplast is an essential plastid organelle found inPlasmodiumparasites which contains several clinically validated antimalarial-drug targets. A chemical rescue screen identified MMV-08138 from the “Malaria Box” library of growth-inhibitory antimalarial compounds as having specific activity against the apicoplast. MMV-08138 inhibition of blood-stagePlasmodium falciparumgrowth is stereospecific and potent, with the most active diastereomer demonstrating a 50% effective concentration (EC50) of 110 nM. Whole-genome sequencing of 3 drug-resistant parasite populations from two independent selections revealed E688Q and L244I mutations inP. falciparumIspD, an enzyme in the MEP (methyl-d-erythritol-4-phosphate) isoprenoid precursor biosynthesis pathway in the apicoplast. The active diastereomer of MMV-08138 directly inhibited PfIspD activityin vitrowith a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 7.0 nM. MMV-08138 is the first PfIspD inhibitor to be identified and, together with heterologously expressed PfIspD, provides the foundation for further development of this promising antimalarial drug candidate lead. Furthermore, this report validates the use of the apicoplast chemical rescue screen coupled with target elucidation as a discovery tool to identify specific apicoplast-targeting compounds with new mechanisms of action.

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