scholarly journals Bicyclic azetidines kill the diarrheal pathogen Cryptosporidium in mice by inhibiting parasite phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (563) ◽  
pp. eaba8412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumiti Vinayak ◽  
Rajiv S. Jumani ◽  
Peter Miller ◽  
Muhammad M. Hasan ◽  
Briana I. McLeod ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
Drug Repositioning ◽  
Protozoan Parasite ◽  
Trna Synthetase ◽  
Cryptosporidium Hominis ◽  
Once Daily ◽  
Series Introduction ◽  
Pharmacodynamic Profile ◽  
Chemical Studies

Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite and a leading cause of diarrheal disease and mortality in young children. Currently, there are no fully effective treatments available to cure infection with this diarrheal pathogen. In this study, we report a broad drug repositioning effort that led to the identification of bicyclic azetidines as a new anticryptosporidial series. Members of this series blocked growth in in vitro culture of three Cryptosporidium parvum isolates with EC50’s in 1% serum of <0.4 to 96 nM, had comparable potencies against Cryptosporidium hominis and C. parvum, and was effective in three of four highly susceptible immunosuppressed mice with once-daily dosing administered for 4 days beginning 2 weeks after infection. Comprehensive genetic, biochemical, and chemical studies demonstrated inhibition of C. parvum phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (CpPheRS) as the mode of action of this new lead series. Introduction of mutations directly into the C. parvum pheRS gene by CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing resulted in parasites showing high degrees of compound resistance. In vitro, bicyclic azetidines potently inhibited the aminoacylation activity of recombinant ChPheRS. Medicinal chemistry optimization led to the identification of an optimal pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic profile for this series. Collectively, these data demonstrate that bicyclic azetidines are a promising series for anticryptosporidial drug development and establish a broad framework to enable target-based drug discovery for this infectious disease.

scholarly journals New Method for the Orthogonal Labeling and Purification of Toxoplasma gondii Proteins While Inside the Host Cell

mBio ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory M. Wier ◽  
Erica M. McGreevy ◽  
Mark J. Brown ◽  
Jon P. Boyle
Keyword(s):  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Click Reaction ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Protozoan Parasite ◽  
Trna Synthetase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fluorescent Tags

ABSTRACTToxoplasma gondiiis an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that is capable of causing severe disease in immunocompromised humans. How T. gondii is able to modulate the host cell to support itself is still poorly understood. Knowledge pertaining to the host-parasite interaction could be bolstered by developing a system to specifically label parasite proteins while the parasite grows inside the host cell. For this purpose, we have created a strain of T. gondii that expresses a mutant Escherichia coli methionyl-tRNA synthetase (MetRSNLL) that allows methionine tRNA to be loaded with the azide-containing methionine analog azidonorleucine (Anl). Anl-containing proteins are susceptible to a copper-catalyzed “click” reaction to attach affinity tags for purification or fluorescent tags for visualization. The MetRSNLL-Anl system labels nascent T. gondii proteins in an orthogonal fashion, labeling proteins only in MetRSNLL-expressing parasites. This system should be useful for nonradioactive pulse-chase studies and purification of nascently translated proteins. Although this approach allows labeling of a diverse array of parasite proteins, secreted parasite proteins appear to be only minimally labeled in MetRSNLL-expressing T. gondii. The minimal labeling of secreted proteins is likely a consequence of the selective charging of the initiator tRNA (and not the elongator methionine tRNA) by the heterologously expressed bacterial MetRS.IMPORTANCEStudying how T. gondii modifies the host cell to permit its survival is complicated by the complex protein environment of the host cell. The approach presented in this article provides the first method for specific labeling of T. gondii proteins while the parasite grows inside the host cell. We show that this approach is useful for pulse-chase labeling of parasite proteins duringin vitrogrowth. It should also be applicable duringin vivoinfections and in other apicomplexan parasites, including Plasmodium spp.

scholarly journals Leishmania donovani Parasites Are Inhibited by the Benzoxaborole AN2690 Targeting Leucyl-tRNA Synthetase

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reetika Manhas ◽  
Smriti Tandon ◽  
Shib Sankar Sen ◽  
Neha Tiwari ◽  
Manoj Munde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Fungal Pathogens ◽  
Leishmania Donovani ◽  
Protozoan Parasite ◽  
Gene Replacement ◽  
Trna Synthetase ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACT Visceral leishmaniasis is an important public health threat in parts of India. It is caused by a protozoan parasite, Leishmania donovani. Currently available drugs manifest severe side effects. Hence, there is a need to identify new drug targets and drugs. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, required for protein synthesis, are known drug targets for bacterial and fungal pathogens. The aim of the present study was to obtain essentiality data for Leishmania donovani leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LdLRS) by gene replacement. Gene replacement studies indicate that this enzyme plays an essential role in the viability of this pathogenic organism and appears to be indispensable for its survival in vitro. The heterozygous mutant parasites demonstrated a growth deficit and reduced infectivity in mouse macrophages compared to the wild-type cells. We also report that Leishmania donovani recombinant LRS displayed aminoacylation activity and that the protein localized to both the cytosol and the mitochondrion. A broad-spectrum antifungal, 5-fluoro-1,3-dihydro-1-hydroxy-2,1-benzoxaborole (AN2690), was found to inhibit parasite growth in both the promastigote and amastigote stages in vitro as well as in vivo in BALB/c mice. This compound exhibited low toxicity to mammalian cells. AN2690 was effective in inhibiting the aminoacylation activity of the recombinant LdLRS. We provide preliminary chemical validation of LdLRS as a drug target by showing that AN2690 is an inhibitor both of L. donovani LRS and of L. donovani cell growth.

scholarly journals Defining Stage-Specific Activity of Potent New Inhibitors of Cryptosporidium parvum Growth In Vitro

mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa J. Funkhouser-Jones ◽  
Soumya Ravindran ◽  
L. David Sibley
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Cryptosporidium Parvum ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Trna Synthetase ◽  
Mechanisms Of Action ◽  
Cryptosporidium Hominis ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACT Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis have emerged as major enteric pathogens of infants in the developing world, in addition to their known importance in immunocompromised adults. Although there has been recent progress in identifying new small molecules that inhibit Cryptosporidium sp. growth in vitro or in animal models, we lack information about their mechanism of action, potency across the life cycle, and cidal versus static activities. Here, we explored four potent classes of compounds that include inhibitors that likely target phosphatidylinositol 4 kinase (PI4K), phenylalanine-tRNA synthetase (PheRS), and several potent inhibitors with unknown mechanisms of action. We utilized monoclonal antibodies and gene expression probes for staging life cycle development to define the timing of when inhibitors were active during the life cycle of Cryptosporidium parvum grown in vitro. These different classes of inhibitors targeted different stages of the life cycle, including compounds that blocked replication (PheRS inhibitors), prevented the segmentation of daughter cells and thus blocked egress (PI4K inhibitors), or affected sexual-stage development (a piperazine compound of unknown mechanism). Long-term cultivation of C. parvum in epithelial cell monolayers derived from intestinal stem cells was used to distinguish between cidal and static activities based on the ability of parasites to recover from treatment. Collectively, these approaches should aid in identifying mechanisms of action and for designing in vivo efficacy studies based on time-dependent concentrations needed to achieve cidal activity. IMPORTANCE Currently, nitazoxanide is the only FDA-approved treatment for cryptosporidiosis; unfortunately, it is ineffective in immunocompromised patients, has varied efficacy in immunocompetent individuals, and is not approved in infants under 1 year of age. Identifying new inhibitors for the treatment of cryptosporidiosis requires standardized and quantifiable in vitro assays for assessing potency, selectivity, timing of activity, and reversibility. Here, we provide new protocols for defining which stages of the life cycle are susceptible to four highly active compound classes that likely inhibit different targets in the parasite. We also utilize a newly developed long-term culture system to define assays for monitoring reversibility as a means of defining cidal activity as a function of concentration and time of treatment. These assays should provide valuable in vitro parameters to establish conditions for efficacious in vivo treatment.

scholarly journals Mediation of Cryptosporidium parvumInfection In Vitro by Mucin-Like Glycoproteins Defined by a Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibody

2000 ◽  
Vol 68 (9) ◽  
pp. 5167-5175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana María Cevallos ◽  
Najma Bhat ◽  
Renaud Verdon ◽  
Davidson H. Hamer ◽  
Barry Stein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
Intestinal Epithelial Cells ◽  
Protozoan Parasite ◽  
Gliding Motility ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Apical Region ◽  
Intestinal Epithelial ◽  
Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibody

ABSTRACT The protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum is a significant cause of diarrheal disease worldwide. Attachment to and invasion of host intestinal epithelial cells by C. parvumsporozoites are crucial steps in the pathogenesis of cryptosporidiosis. The molecular basis of these initial interactions is unknown. In order to identify putative C. parvum adhesion- and invasion-specific proteins, we raised monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to sporozoites and evaluated them for inhibition of attachment and invasion in vitro. Using this approach, we identified two glycoproteins recognized by 4E9, a MAb which neutralized C. parvuminfection and inhibited sporozoite attachment to intestinal epithelial cells in vitro. 4E9 recognized a 40-kDa glycoprotein named gp40 and a second, >220-kDa protein which was identified as GP900, a previously described mucin-like glycoprotein. Glycoproteins recognized by 4E9 are localized to the surface and apical region of invasive stages and are shed in trails from the parasite during gliding motility. The epitope recognized by 4E9 contains α-N-acetylgalactosamine residues, which are present in a mucin-type O-glycosidic linkage. Lectins specific for these glycans bind to the surface and apical region of sporozoites and block attachment to host cells. The surface and apical localization of these glycoproteins and the neutralizing effect of the MAb and α-N-acetylgalactosamine-specific lectins strongly implicate these proteins and their glycotopes as playing a role in C. parvum-host cell interactions.

Effect of coating method on release of Glimepiride from porosity osmotic pump tablets (POPTs)

2020 ◽  
pp. 37-45
Keyword(s):  
In Vitro Release ◽  
Osmotic Pump ◽  
Release Time ◽  
Once Daily ◽  
Coating Solution ◽  
Continuous Release ◽  
Red Color ◽  
Coating Method ◽  
Osmotic Agent

In this study, once-daily porosity osmotic pump tablets (POPTs) of Glimepiride were prepared using HPMC K100M (61%), osmotic agent (30% NaCl) coated using two different coating techniques spraying and dipping methods. The coating solution composed of ethyl cellulose (7.5%) w\w in ethanol (90%), castor oil (2%) as water-insoluble plasticizer and Gingo red color (0.5% w\w). In both techniques, the coating level was adjusted to give a 10% increase in the weight of the tablets. The effect of the coating by dipping technique with an increase in the weight of tablet (10 %, 20% & 50%) was also investigated to see the effect coating level on the percentage of drug release from POPTs. The results of the in vitro release of Glimepiride from tablets coated by the spraying method showed longer release time (24 hrs) than those coated with dipping method. On the other hand, increasing the coating level by dipping method retarded the release of the drug from tablets. However, the same retardation effect on release as shown with the spraying technique was only obtained by increasing the coating level with a 50% increase in the weight of the tablet. Thus, coating by spraying is more efficient to prepare POPTs to give a continuous release of Glimepiride from once daily table with the lowest increase in the total weight of the tablet.

scholarly journals Pomegranate Peel Extract Is a Potential Alternative Therapeutic for Giardiasis

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 705
Author(s):  
Asmaa M. El-Kady ◽  
Iman A. M. Abdel-Rahman ◽  
Samer S. Fouad ◽  
Khaled S. Allemailem ◽  
Taghrid Istivan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
Apoptotic Cell ◽  
In Vitro Study ◽  
Ethanolic Extract ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Pomegranate Peel ◽  
Pomegranate Peel Extract ◽  
Multiple Drugs ◽  
Peel Extract

Giardiasis is a major diarrheal disease affecting approximately 2.5 million children annually in developing countries. Several studies have reported the resistance of Giardia lamblia (G. lamblia) to multiple drugs. Therefore, identifying an effective drug for giardiasis is a necessity. This study examined the antiparasitic effect of Punica granatum (pomegranate) and evaluated its therapeutic efficacy in rats infected with G. lamblia. In vitro study showed high efficacy of pomegranate peel ethanolic extract in killing G. lamblia cysts as demonstrated by eosin vital staining. We showed that treating infected rats with pomegranate extract resulted in a marked reduction in the mean number of G. lamblia cysts and trophozoites in feces and intestine respectively. Interestingly, the number of G. lamblia trophozoites and cysts were significantly lower in the pomegranate extract-treated group compared to the metronidazole-positive control group. Moreover, pomegranate extract treatment significantly induced nitric oxide (NO) and reduced serum IL-6 and TNF-α, compared to infected untreated rats. Histological and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination of the jejunum and duodenum of pomegranate extract-treated animals confirmed the antiparasitic effect of the extract, and demonstrated the restoration of villi structure with reduction of villi atrophy, decreased infiltration of lymphocytes, and protection of intestinal cells from apoptotic cell death. In conclusion, our data show that the pomegranate peel extract is effective in controlling G. lamblia infections, which suggests that it could be a viable treatment option for giardiasis.

scholarly journals A Prospective Open-Label Multicentre Trial on the Use of 1 G, Once Daily Ceftriaxone in Lower Respiratory Tract Infections

1994 ◽  
Vol 5 (suppl c) ◽  
pp. 3C-8C ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald E Low ◽  
Lionel A Mandell
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Treatment Failure ◽  
Lower Respiratory Tract ◽  
Study Drug ◽  
Open Label ◽  
In Vitro Susceptibility ◽  
Once Daily ◽  
Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations ◽  
Tract Infections

This prospective. single open-label sludy was conducted in 14 Canadian centres to assess lhe efncacy of I g, once a day intravenous ceftriaxone treatment administered for a minimum of three days in patients with lower respiratory tract infection. There were 137 patients enrolled. Age varied between 19 and 95 years (mean 68 years). Mosl patients (91 %) were diagnosed with community acquired pneumonia without bacteremia. Most of the cases (82%) were defined as modcralc or severe. Patients received ceftriaxone treatment for an average or five days. Macrolidcs or metronidazole were administered concomitantly wilh ceftriaxone in 34 patienls (25%). After a minimum of three days of ceftriaxone treatment. 59 palicnls (43%) were switched to oral antibiotics. Favourable treatment outcome was found in 92.9% and treatment failure (including relapse of infection) in 7.1 % o lpalicnls. Evaluable patients accounted for 91 % of patients enrolled in the study. Clinical cure and clinical improvement were achieved in 64.6 and 28.3% of the evaluable patients. respectively. Relapse of infection occurred in two patients (1.8%). and treatment failure was recorded in six cases (5.3%). Twelve patients (8.8%) died clue to reasons unrelated to the sludy treatment. Three adverse event (hives, diarrhea and phlebitis at the injection site) were possibly related to the study drug. A cross-Canada in vitro susceptibility surveillance study of bacterial pathogens. frequently the cause of pneumonia. found ceftriaxone to have minimal inhibitory concentrations in 90% of isolates that would support such a dosing regimen. with the exception of Enterobacter species. These rcsults support the use of 1 g, once daily ceftriaxone for the empirical treatment of pneumonia in those patients requiring hospitalization.

scholarly journals High Diversity of Cryptosporidium Species and Subtypes Identified in Cryptosporidiosis Acquired in Sweden and Abroad

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 523
Author(s):  
Marianne Lebbad ◽  
Jadwiga Winiecka-Krusnell ◽  
Christen Rune Stensvold ◽  
Jessica Beser
Keyword(s):  
Cryptosporidium Parvum ◽  
Ribosomal Rna ◽  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
Protozoan Parasite ◽  
Small Subunit ◽  
Cryptosporidium Species ◽  
Intestinal Protozoan ◽  
Genotype I ◽  
Glycoprotein Gene ◽  
High Diversity

The intestinal protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium is an important cause of diarrheal disease worldwide. The aim of this study was to expand the knowledge on the molecular epidemiology of human cryptosporidiosis in Sweden to better understand transmission patterns and potential zoonotic sources. Cryptosporidium-positive fecal samples were collected between January 2013 and December 2014 from 12 regional clinical microbiology laboratories in Sweden. Species and subtype determination was achieved using small subunit ribosomal RNA and 60 kDa glycoprotein gene analysis. Samples were available for 398 patients, of whom 250 (63%) and 138 (35%) had acquired the infection in Sweden and abroad, respectively. Species identification was successful for 95% (379/398) of the samples, revealing 12 species/genotypes: Cryptosporidium parvum (n = 299), C. hominis (n = 49), C. meleagridis (n = 8), C. cuniculus (n = 5), Cryptosporidium chipmunk genotype I (n = 5), C. felis (n = 4), C. erinacei (n = 2), C. ubiquitum (n = 2), and one each of C. suis, C. viatorum, C. ditrichi, and Cryptosporidium horse genotype. One patient was co-infected with C. parvum and C. hominis. Subtyping was successful for all species/genotypes, except for C. ditrichi, and revealed large diversity, with 29 subtype families (including 4 novel ones: C. parvum IIr, IIs, IIt, and Cryptosporidium horse genotype VIc) and 81 different subtypes. The most common subtype families were IIa (n = 164) and IId (n = 118) for C. parvum and Ib (n = 26) and Ia (n = 12) for C. hominis. Infections caused by the zoonotic C. parvum subtype families IIa and IId dominated both in patients infected in Sweden and abroad, while most C. hominis cases were travel-related. Infections caused by non-hominis and non-parvum species were quite common (8%) and equally represented in cases infected in Sweden and abroad.

scholarly journals Bio-Guided Isolation of Antimalarial Metabolites from the Coculture of Two Red Sea Sponge-Derived Actinokineospora and Rhodococcus spp.

Marine Drugs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Hani A. Alhadrami ◽  
Bathini Thissera ◽  
Marwa H. A. Hassan ◽  
Fathy A. Behery ◽  
Che Julius Ngwa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Red Sea ◽  
Antimalarial Activity ◽  
Axenic Culture ◽  
Trna Synthetase ◽  
Structural Motif ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Signalling Molecules ◽  
Chemical Signalling ◽  
Axenic Conditions

Coculture is a productive technique to trigger microbes’ biosynthetic capacity by mimicking the natural habitats’ features principally by competition for food and space and interspecies cross-talks. Mixed cultivation of two Red Sea-derived actinobacteria, Actinokineospora spheciospongiae strain EG49 and Rhodococcus sp. UR59, resulted in the induction of several non-traced metabolites in their axenic cultures, which were detected using LC–HRMS metabolomics analysis. Antimalarial guided isolation of the cocultured fermentation led to the isolation of the angucyclines actinosporins E (1), H (2), G (3), tetragulol (5) and the anthraquinone capillasterquinone B (6), which were not reported under axenic conditions. Interestingly, actinosporins were previously induced when the axenic culture of the Actinokineospora spheciospongiae strain EG49 was treated with signalling molecule N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (GluNAc); this finding confirmed the effectiveness of coculture in the discovery of microbial metabolites yet to be discovered in the axenic fermentation with the potential that could be comparable to adding chemical signalling molecules in the fermentation flask. The isolated angucycline and anthraquinone compounds exhibited in vitro antimalarial activity and good biding affinity against lysyl-tRNA synthetase (PfKRS1), highlighting their potential developability as new antimalarial structural motif.

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