scholarly journals Human Peptides α-Defensin-1 and -5 Inhibit Pertussis Toxin

Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 480
Author(s):  
Carolin Kling ◽  
Arto T. Pulliainen ◽  
Holger Barth ◽  
Katharina Ernst

Bordetella pertussis causes the severe childhood disease whooping cough, by releasing several toxins, including pertussis toxin (PT) as a major virulence factor. PT is an AB5-type toxin, and consists of the enzymatic A-subunit PTS1 and five B-subunits, which facilitate binding to cells and transport of PTS1 into the cytosol. PTS1 ADP-ribosylates α-subunits of inhibitory G-proteins (Gαi) in the cytosol, which leads to disturbed cAMP signaling. Since PT is crucial for causing severe courses of disease, our aim is to identify new inhibitors against PT, to provide starting points for novel therapeutic approaches. Here, we investigated the effect of human antimicrobial peptides of the defensin family on PT. We demonstrated that PTS1 enzyme activity in vitro was inhibited by α-defensin-1 and -5, but not β-defensin-1. The amount of ADP-ribosylated Gαi was significantly reduced in PT-treated cells, in the presence of α-defensin-1 and -5. Moreover, both α-defensins decreased PT-mediated effects on cAMP signaling in the living cell-based interference in the Gαi-mediated signal transduction (iGIST) assay. Taken together, we identified the human peptides α-defensin-1 and -5 as inhibitors of PT activity, suggesting that these human peptides bear potential for developing novel therapeutic strategies against whooping cough.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina Ernst ◽  
Ann-Katrin Mittler ◽  
Veronika Winkelmann ◽  
Carolin Kling ◽  
Nina Eberhardt ◽  
...  

AbstractWhooping cough is caused by Bordetella pertussis that releases pertussis toxin (PT) which comprises enzyme A-subunit PTS1 and binding/transport B-subunit. After receptor-mediated endocytosis, PT reaches the endoplasmic reticulum from where unfolded PTS1 is transported to the cytosol. PTS1 ADP-ribosylates G-protein α-subunits resulting in increased cAMP signaling. Here, a role of target cell chaperones Hsp90, Hsp70, cyclophilins and FK506-binding proteins for cytosolic PTS1-uptake is demonstrated. PTS1 specifically and directly interacts with chaperones in vitro and in cells. Specific pharmacological chaperone inhibition protects CHO-K1, human primary airway basal cells and a fully differentiated airway epithelium from PT-intoxication by reducing intracellular PTS1-amounts without affecting cell binding or enzyme activity. PT is internalized by human airway epithelium secretory but not ciliated cells and leads to increase of apical surface liquid. Cyclophilin-inhibitors reduced leukocytosis in infant mouse model of pertussis, indicating their promising potential for developing novel therapeutic strategies against whooping cough.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina Ernst ◽  
Ann-Katrin Mittler ◽  
Veronika Winkelmann ◽  
Nina Eberhardt ◽  
Anna Anastasia ◽  
...  

AbstractWhooping cough is caused by Bordetella pertussis that releases pertussis toxin (PT) which comprises enzyme A-subunit PTS1 and binding/transport B-subunit. After receptor-mediated endocytosis, PT reaches the endoplasmic reticulum from where unfolded PTS1 is transported to the cytosol. PTS1 ADP-ribosylates G-protein α-subunits resulting in increased cAMP signaling. Here, the role of target cell chaperones Hsp90, Hsp70, cyclophilins and FK506-binding proteins for cytosolic PTS1-uptake is characterized in detail. PTS1 specifically and directly interacts with chaperones in vitro and in cells. Specific pharmacological chaperone inhibition protects CHO-K1, human primary airway basal cells and a fully differentiated airway epithelium from PT-intoxication by reducing cytosolic PTS1-amounts without affecting cell binding or enzyme activity. PT is internalized by human airway epithelium secretory but not ciliated cells and leads to increase of apical surface liquid. Cyclophilin-inhibitors reduced leukocytosis in infant mouse model of pertussis, indicating their promising potential for developing novel therapeutic strategies against whooping cough.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii406-iii406
Author(s):  
Kübra Taban ◽  
David Pauck ◽  
Mara Maue ◽  
Viktoria Marquardt ◽  
Hua Yu ◽  
...  

Abstract Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant brain tumor in children and is frequently metastatic at diagnosis. Treatment with surgery, radiation and multi-agent chemotherapy may leave survivors of these brain tumors with long-term deficits as a consequence. One of the four consensus molecular subgroups of MB is the MYC-driven group 3 MB, which is the most malignant type and has a poor prognosis under current therapy. Thus, it is important to discover more effective targeted therapeutic approaches. We conducted a high-throughput drug screening to identify novel compounds showing efficiency in group 3 MB using both clinically established inhibitors (n=196) and clinically-applicable compounds (n=464). More than 20 compounds demonstrated a significantly higher anti-tumoral effect in MYChigh (n=7) compared to MYClow (n=4) MB cell models. Among these compounds, Navitoclax and Clofarabine showed the strongest effect in inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MYChigh MB models. Furthermore, we show that Navitoclax, an orally bioavailable and blood-brain barrier passing anti-cancer drug, inhibits specifically Bcl-xL proteins. In line, we found a significant correlation between BCL-xL and MYC mRNA levels in 763 primary MB patient samples (Data source: “R2 https://hgserver1.amc.nl”). In addition, Navitoclax and Clofarabine have been tested in cells obtained from MB patient-derived-xenografts, which confirmed their specific efficacy in MYChigh versus MYClow MB. In summary, our approach has identified promising new drugs that significantly reduce cell viability in MYChigh compared to MYClow MB cell models. Our findings point to novel therapeutic vulnerabilities for MB that need to be further validated in vitro and in vivo.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Geiger ◽  
Guido Papa ◽  
William E. Arter ◽  
Julia Acker ◽  
Kadi L. Saar ◽  
...  

AbstractRNA viruses induce formation of subcellular organelles that provide microenvironments conducive to their replication. Here we show that replication factories of rotaviruses represent protein-RNA condensates that are formed via liquid-liquid phase separation. We demonstrate that rotavirus proteins NSP5 and NSP2 undergo phase separation in vitro and form RNA-rich condensates in vivo that can be reversibly dissolved by aliphatic diols. During infection, these RNA-protein condensates became less dynamic and impervious to aliphatic diols, indicating a transition from a liquid to solid state. Some aspects of assembly of rotavirus replication factories mirror the formation of cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein granules, while the selective enrichment of viral transcripts appears to be a unique feature of these condensates. Such complex RNA-protein condensates that underlie replication of RNA viruses represent an attractive target for developing novel therapeutic approaches.


2007 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 2946-2953 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoë E. V. Worthington ◽  
Nicholas H. Carbonetti

ABSTRACT Pertussis toxin (PT) is an important virulence factor produced by Bordetella pertussis. PT holotoxin comprises one enzymatically active A subunit (S1), associated with a pentamer of B subunits. PT is an ADP-ribosyltransferase that modifies several mammalian heterotrimeric G proteins. Some bacterial toxins are believed to undergo retrograde intracellular transport through the Golgi apparatus to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The ER-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway involves the removal of misfolded proteins from the ER and degradation upon their return to the cytosol; this pathway may be exploited by PT and other toxins. In the cytosol, ERAD substrates are ubiquitinated at lysine residues, targeting them to the proteasome for degradation. We hypothesize that S1 avoids ubiquitination and proteasome degradation due to its lack of lysine residues. We predicted that the addition of lysine residues would reduce PT toxicity by allowing ubiquitination and degradation to occur. Variant forms of PT were engineered, replacing one, two, or three arginines with lysines in a variety of locations on S1. Several variants were identified with wild-type in vitro enzymatic activity but reduced cellular activity, consistent with our hypothesis. Significant recovery of the cellular activity of these variants was observed when CHO cells were pretreated with a proteasome inhibitor. We concluded that the replacement of arginine residues with lysine in the S1 subunit of PT renders the toxin subject to proteasomal degradation, suggesting that wild-type PT avoids proteasome degradation due to an absence of lysine residues.


Sarcoma ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Austin Proudfit ◽  
Nabanita Bhunia ◽  
Debasis Pore ◽  
Yvonne Parker ◽  
Daniel Lindner ◽  
...  

Intermediate and high-risk rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) patients have poor prognosis with available treatment options, highlighting a clear unmet need for identification of novel therapeutic strategies. Ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) family members are membrane-cytoskeleton linker proteins with well-defined roles in tumor metastasis, growth, and survival. ERM protein activity is regulated by dynamic changes in the phosphorylation at a conserved threonine residue in their C-terminal actin-binding domain. Interestingly, ERM family member, ezrin, has elevated expression in the RMS tissue. Despite this, the translational scope of targeting ERM family proteins in these tumors through pharmacological inhibition has never been considered. This study investigates the inhibition of ERM phosphorylation using a small molecule pharmacophore NSC668394 as a potential strategy against RMS. Upon in vitro treatment with NSC668394, RMS cells exhibit a dose-dependent decrease in cell viability and proliferation, with induction of caspase-3 cleavage and apoptosis. siRNA-mediated knockdown of individual ERM protein expression revealed that each regulates RMS survival to a different degree. In vivo administration of NSC668394 in RMS xenografts causes significant decrease in tumor growth, with no adverse effect on body weight. Collectively, this study highlights the importance of the active conformation of ERM proteins in RMS progression and survival and supports pharmacologic inhibition of these proteins as a novel therapeutic approach.


Author(s):  
Arianna Manini ◽  
Leonardo Pantoni

AbstractCerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a monogenic disease caused by NOTCH3 mutations and characterized by typical clinical, neuroradiological, and pathological features. NOTCH3 belongs to a family of highly conserved transmembrane receptors rich of epidermal growth factor repeats, mostly expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells and pericytes, which perform essential developmental functions and are involved in tissues maintenance and renewal. To date, no therapeutic option for CADASIL is available except for few symptomatic treatments. Novel in vitro and in vivo models are continuously explored with the aim to investigate underlying pathogenic mechanisms and to test novel therapeutic approaches. In this scenario, knock-out, knock-in, and transgenic mice studies have generated a large amount of information on molecular and biological aspects of CADASIL, despite that they incompletely reproduce the human phenotype. Moreover, the field of in vitro models has been revolutionized in the last two decades by the introduction of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) technology. As a consequence, novel therapeutic approaches, including immunotherapy, growth factors administration, and antisense oligonucleotides, are currently under investigation. While waiting that further studies confirm the promising results obtained, the data reviewed suggest that our therapeutic approach to the disease could be transformed, generating new hope for the future.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minmin Xiang ◽  
Long Liang ◽  
Xinwei Kuang ◽  
Zuozhong Xie ◽  
Jing Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Melanoma is a highly aggressive type of skin cancer. Due to the development of diverse resistance mechanisms and severe adverse side effects, significantly limits the efficiency of current therapeutic approaches. Identification of the new therapeutic targets involved in the pathogenesis will benefit to develop novel therapeutic strategies. The deubiquitinase USP7(ubiquitin-specific protease-7) is deregulated in serval cancer types, as a potential target for cancer treatment, but its role in melanoma is still unclear. Here, we investigated the role of USP7 and its inhibitor P22077 in melanoma treatment.Methods: To explore the role of USP7 and the anti-tuomr effect of P22077 in melanma progression and metastasis, a series of cell biological, molecular and biochemical approaches were used for in vitro and in vivo investigations.These methods included RT-qPCR, Western blot assay, cell transfection, CCK8 assay, flow cytometry, scratch test, Transwell assay, mouse xenograft,TUNEL staining.Results:The USP7 inhibitor P22077 suppressed the growth of melanoma in vitro and in vivo. additionally, P22077 induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis via ROS(reactive oxygen species) accumulation-induced DNA damage. Furthermore, inhibition of USP7 also prevented migration and invasion of melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo by decrease the Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway. Conclusion: Our data indicated that USP7 acts as an oncogene involved in melanoma cell proliferation and metastasis and may provide a novel therapeutic target for melanoma treatment.


2018 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. e00004-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edith Acquaye-Seedah ◽  
Elizabeth E. Reczek ◽  
Hugh H. Russell ◽  
Andrea M. DiVenere ◽  
Sara O. Sandman ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTDespite high vaccination rates, the incidence of whooping cough has steadily been increasing in developing countries for several decades. The current acellular pertussis (aP) vaccines all include the major protective antigen pertussis toxin (PTx) and are safer, but they appear to be less protective than infection or older, whole-cell vaccines. To better understand the attributes of individual antibodies stimulated by aP, we isolated plasmablast clones recognizing PTx after booster immunization of two donors. Five unique antibody sequences recognizing native PTx were recovered and expressed as recombinant human IgG1 antibodies. The antibodies all bind different epitopes on the PTx S1 subunit, B oligomer, or S1-B subunit interface, and just one clone neutralized PTx in anin vitroassay. To better understand the epitopes bound by the nonneutralizing S1-subunit antibodies, comprehensive mutagenesis with yeast display provided a detailed map of the epitope recognized by antibodies A8 and E12. Residue R76 is required for antibody A8 binding and is present on the S1 surface but is only partially exposed in the holotoxin, providing a structural explanation for A8's inability to neutralize holotoxin. The B-subunit-specific antibody D8 inhibited PTx binding to a model receptor and neutralized PTxin vitroas well as in anin vivoleukocytosis assay. This is the first study, to our knowledge, to identify individual human antibodies stimulated by the acellular pertussis vaccine and demonstrates the feasibility of using these approaches to address outstanding issues in pertussis vaccinology, including mechanisms of accelerated waning of protective immunity despite repeated aP immunization.


2005 ◽  
Vol 51 (12) ◽  
pp. 1015-1020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco A Medeiros ◽  
Geraldo R.G Armôa ◽  
Odir A Dellagostin ◽  
Douglas McIntosh

Two recombinant Mycobacterium bovis BCG (rBCG) vaccine strains were developed for the expression of cytoplasmically located S1 subunit of pertussis toxin, with expression driven by the hsp60 promoter of M. bovis (rBCG/pPB10) or the pAN promoter of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis (rBCG/pPB12). Both strains showed stable expression of equivalent levels of recombinant S1 in vitro and induced long-term (up to 8 months) humoral immune responses in BALB/c mice, although these responses differed quantitatively and qualitatively. Specifically, rBCG/pPB12 induced markedly higher levels of IgG1 than did rBCG/pPB10, and mice immunized with the former strain developed specific long-term memory to S1, as indicated by the production of high levels of S1-specific IgG in response to a sublethal challenge with pertussis toxin 15 months after initial immunization. When considered in combination with previous studies, our data encourage further evaluation of rBCG as a potential means of developing a low-cost whooping cough vaccine based on defined antigens.Key words: recombinant BCG, humoral immune response, B. pertussis.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document