Radial spoke protein 9 is necessary for axoneme assembly in <i>Plasmodium</i> but not in trypanosomatid parasites

Flagella are important for eukaryote cell motility, including in sperm, and are vital for life cycle progression of many unicellular eukaryotic pathogens. The ‘9+2’ axoneme in most motile flagella comprises nine outer doublet and two central-pair singlet microtubules. T-shaped radial spokes protrude from the outer doublets towards the central pair and are necessary for effective beating. We asked whether there were radial spoke adaptations associated with parasite lineage-specific properties in apicomplexans and trypanosomatids. Following an orthologue search for experimentally uncharacterised radial spoke proteins (RSPs), we identified and analysed RSP9. Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania mexicana have an extensive RSP complement, including two divergent RSP9 orthologues, necessary for flagellar beating and swimming. Detailed structural analysis showed that neither orthologue is needed for axoneme assembly in Leishmania. In contrast, Plasmodium has a reduced set of RSPs including a single RSP9 orthologue, deletion of which in Plasmodium berghei leads to failure of axoneme formation, failed male gamete release, greatly reduced fertilisation and inefficient life cycle progression in the mosquito. This indicates contrasting selection pressures on axoneme complexity, likely linked to the different mode of assembly of trypanosomatid versus Plasmodium flagella

Biodereplication of antiplasmodial extracts: application of the amazonian medicinal plant piper coruscans kunth

Improved methodological tools to hasten antimalarial drug discovery remain of interest, especially when considering natural products as a source of drug candidates. We propose a biodereplication method combining the classical dereplication approach with the early detection of potential antiplasmodial compounds in crude extracts. Heme binding is used as a surrogate of the antiplasmodial activity and is monitored by mass spectrometry in a biomimetic assay. Molecular networking and automated annotation of targeted mass through data mining were followed by mass-guided compound isolation by taking advantage of the versatility and finely tunable selectivity offered by centrifugal partition chromatography. This biodereplication workflow was applied to an ethanolic extract of the Amazonian medicinal plant Piper coruscans Kunth (Piperaceae) showing an IC50 of 1.36 ug/mL on the 3D7 Plasmodium falciparum strain. It resulted in the isolation of twelve compounds designated as potential antiplasmodial compounds by the biodereplication workflow. Two chalcones, aurentiacin (1) and cardamonin (3), with IC50 values of 2.25 and 5.5 uM, respectively, can be considered to bear the antiplasmodial activity of the extract, with the latter not relying on a heme-binding mechanism. This biodereplication method constitutes a rapid, efficient, and robust technique to identify potential antimalarial compounds in complex extracts such as plant extracts

Caractérisation moléculaire et biochimique de la protéine disulfure isomérase de Plasmodium falciparum, agent du paludisme

Le composé antiplasmodial DS61 a servi de ligand pour purifier par chromatographie d'affinité une protéine de 52 kDa (Pf52) dont le gène a été cloné, permettant d'identifier Pf52 comme la protéine disulfure isomérase de P. falciparum (PfPDI). Une protéine recombinante et un immunsérum spécifique anti- PfPDI ont été produits, et PfPDI a été localisée principalement dans le réticulum endoplasmique du parasite. La protéine recombinante rPfPDI présente des activités d'oxydase/isomérase, de réductase et de chaperone identiques à celles de la PDI humaine. Pourtant, le composé DS61 inhibe l'activité oxydase/isomérase de PfPDI, mais pas celle de la PDI humaine, laissant suggérer des différences structurales entre les 2 enzymes. Les possibilités d'interactions de PfPDI avec 2 autres protéines du RE, PfBIP et PfERC, ainsi que la régulation de l'expression de PfPDI sont discutées, afin de préciser le rôle physiologique de PfPDI, et sa potentialité à représenter une nouvelle cible chimiothérapeutiqueThe antiplasmodial compound DS61 was used as ligand to purify by affinity chromatography a 52 kDa protein, which was identified as the plasmodial homologue of protein disulfide isomerase (PfPDI). A recombinant protein (rPfPDI) and a specific anti-PfPDI antiserum were synthetized that permit to show a main co-localization of PfPDI in the endoplasmic reticulum. The recombinant PfPDI demonstrated oxidase/isomerase, reductase activities and a chaperone behavior,. similar to those of the human PDI, but the antiplasmodial DS61 inhibits the PfPDI oxidase/isomerase activity, but not the human one, which suggests structural discrepancies between the two enzymes. The possibilities of relationships between PfPDI and two other ER resident proteins, PfBIP and PfERC, as well as the regulation of PfPDI expression by environmental factors were analyzed, to precise the biological role of PfPDI, and to discuss about its potential as a new chemiotherapeutic targetPARIS-Museum Hist.Naturelle (751052304) / SudocSudocFranceF

The Traditional Medicine Spilanthes acmella, and the Alkylamides Spilanthol and Undeca-2E-ene-8,10-diynoic Acid Isobutylamide, Demonstrate In Vitro and In Vivo Antimalarial Activity

International audienceSpilanthes spp. are used as traditional herbal medicines in Africa and India to treat malaria. Yet, to date, there is no data on active constituents or most effective extraction methods for this indication. The isolated alkylamides, spilanthol and undeca-2E-ene-8,10-diynoic acid isobutylamide, found in S. acmella Murr., were shown to have IC50s of 16.5 μg/mL and 41.4 μg/ mL on Plasmodium falciparum strain PFB and IC50s of 5.8 μg/mL and 16.3 μg/mL for the chloroquine resistant P. falciparum K1 strain, respectively. Further investigations revealed that at relatively low concentrations, spilanthol and the water extract of S. acmella reduced the parasitemia 59% and 53% in mice infected with P. yoelii yoelii 17XNL at 5 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg, respectively. Unexpectedly, the 95% ethanol extract of S. acmella was less effective (36% reduction in parasitemia) at 50 mg/kg. These results provide the first evidence supporting S. acmella against malaria and demonstrating active constituents in S. acmella against P. falciparum

Synthesis and antimalarial activity of carbamate and amide derivatives of 4-anilinoquinoline

International audienc

Selective inhibition of PfA-M1, over PfA-M17, by an amino-benzosuberone derivative blocks malaria parasites development in vitro and in vivo

Abstract Background Plasmodium falciparum M1 family aminopeptidase is currently considered as a promising target for anti-malarial chemotherapy. Several series of inhibitors developed by various research groups display IC50/Ki values down to nM range on native PfA-M1 or recombinant forms and block the parasite development in culture at µM to sub-µM concentrations. A handful of these inhibitors has been tested on murine models of malaria and has shown anti plasmodial in vivo activity. However, most of these inhibitors do also target the other neutral malarial aminopeptidase, PfA-M17, often with lower Ki values, which questions the relative involvement and importance of each enzyme in the parasite biology. Results An amino-benzosuberone derivative from a previously published collection of chemicals targeting specifically the M1-aminopeptidases has been identified; it is highly potent on PfA-M1 (Ki = 50 nM) and devoid of inhibitory activity on PfA-M17 (no inhibition up to 100 µM). This amino-benzosuberone derivative (T5) inhibits, in the µM range, the in vitro growth of two P. falciparum strains, 3D7 and FcB1, respectively chloroquino-sensitive and resistant. Evaluated in vivo, on the murine non-lethal model of malaria Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi, this amino-benzosuberone derivative was able to reduce the parasite burden by 44 and 40% in a typical 4-day Peters assay at a daily dose of 12 and 24 mg/kg by intraperitoneal route of administration. Conclusions The evaluation of a highly selective inhibitor of PfA-M1, over PfA-M17, active on Plasmodium parasites in vitro and in vivo, highlights the relevance of PfA-M1 in the biological development of the parasite as well as in the list of promising anti-malarial targets to be considered in combination with current or future anti-malarial drugs

Programmed multiple C-H bond functionalization of the privileged 4hydroxyquinoline template

International audienceThe introduction of substituents on bare heterocyclic scaffolds can selectively be achieved by directed C-H functionalisation. However, such methods have only occasionally been used, in an iterative manner, to decorate various positions of a medicinal scaffold to build chemical libraries. We herein report the multiple, site selective, metal-catalyzed C-H functionalisation of a "programmed" 4-hydroxyquinoline. This medicinally privileged template indeed possesses multiple reactive sites for diversity-oriented functionalisation, of which four were targeted. The C-2 and C-8 decorations were directed by an N-oxide, before taking benefit of an O-carbamoyl protection at C-4 to perform a Fries rearrangement and install a carboxamide at C-3. This also released the carbonyl group of 4-quinolones, the ultimate directing group to functionalise position 5. Our study highlights the power of multiple C-H functionalisation to generate diversity in a biologically relevant library, after showing its strong antimalarial potential

Activity of Ocimum basilicum, Ocimum canum, and Cymbopogon citratus essential oils against Plasmodium falciparum and mature-stage larvae of Anopheles funestus s.s.

International audienceThe biological activities of essential oils from three plants grown in Cameroon: Ocimum basilicum, Ocimum canum, and Cymbopogon citratus were tested against Plasmodium falciparum and mature-stage larvae of Anopheles funestus. Gas chromatography and gas chromatography - mass spectrometry analyses showed that the main compounds are geranial, 1,8-cineole and linalool in C. citratus, O. canum and O. basilicum, respectively. Larvicidal tests carried out according to the protocol recommended by the World Health Organization showed that the essential oil of leaves of C. citratus is the most active against larvae of An. funestus (LC50 values = 35.5 ppm and 34.6 ppm, respectively, for larval stages III and IV after 6 h of exposure). Besides, the in vitro anti-plasmodial activity evaluated by the radioisotopic method showed that the C. citratus oil is the most active against P. falciparum, with an IC 50 value of 4.2 ± 0.5 μg/mL compared with O. canum (20.6 ± 3.4 μg/mL) and O. basilicum (21 ± 4.6 μg/mL). These essential oils can be recommended for the development of natural biocides for fighting the larvae of malaria vectors and for the isolation of natural products with anti-malarial activity

Synthesis and antimalarial evaluation of new N1-(7-chloro-4-quinolyl)-1,4-bis(3-aminopropyl)piperazine derivatives

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Activity of Ocimum basilicum, Ocimum canum, and Cymbopogon citratus essential oils against Plasmodium falciparum and mature-stage larvae of Anopheles funestus s.s.

The biological activities of essential oils from three plants grown in Cameroon: Ocimum basilicum, Ocimum canum, and Cymbopogon citratus were tested against Plasmodium falciparum and mature-stage larvae of Anopheles funestus. Gas chromatography and gas chromatography – mass spectrometry analyses showed that the main compounds are geranial, 1,8-cineole and linalool in C. citratus, O. canum and O. basilicum, respectively. Larvicidal tests carried out according to the protocol recommended by the World Health Organization showed that the essential oil of leaves of C. citratus is the most active against larvae of An. funestus (LC50 values = 35.5 ppm and 34.6 ppm, respectively, for larval stages III and IV after 6 h of exposure). Besides, the in vitro anti-plasmodial activity evaluated by the radioisotopic method showed that the C. citratus oil is the most active against P. falciparum, with an IC50 value of 4.2 ± 0.5 μg/mL compared with O. canum (20.6 ± 3.4 μg/mL) and O. basilicum (21 ± 4.6 μg/mL). These essential oils can be recommended for the development of natural biocides for fighting the larvae of malaria vectors and for the isolation of natural products with anti-malarial activity