Partial protection against P. vivax infection diminishes hypnozoite burden and blood-stage relapses

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Structural insights into the activation of P. vivax plasmepsin

The malarial aspartic proteinases (plasmepsins) have been discovered in several species of Plasmodium, including all four of the human malarial pathogens. In P.falciparum, plasmepsins I, II, IV and HAP have been directly implicated in hemoglobin degradation during malaria infection, and are now considered targets for anti-malarial drug design. The plasmepsins are produced from inactive zymogens, proplasmepsins, having unusually long N-terminal prosegments of more than 120 amino acids. Structural and biochemical evidence suggests that the conversion process of proplasmepsins to plasmepsins differs substantially from the gastric and plant aspartic proteinases. Instead of blocking substrate access to a pre-formed active site, the prosegment enforces a conformation in which proplasmepsin cannot form a functional active site. We have determined crystal structures of plasmepsin and proplasmepsin from P.vivax. The three-dimensional structure of P.vivax plasmepsin is typical of the monomeric aspartic proteinases, and the structure of P.vivax proplasmepsin is similar to that of P.falciparum proplasmepsin II. A dramatic refolding of the mature N terminus and a large (18 degrees ) reorientation of the N-domain between P.vivax proplasmepsin and plasmepsin results in a severe distortion of the active site region of the zymogen relative to that of the mature enzyme. The present structures confirm that the mode of inactivation observed originally in P.falciparum proplasmepsin II, i.e. an incompletely formed active site, is a true structural feature and likely represents the general mode of inactivation of the related proplasmepsins.     

Characterisation of hydrazides and hydrazine derivatives as novel aspartic protease inhibitors

Virtual screening of an in-house virtual library of synthetic compounds using FlexX, followed by enzyme inhibition, identified hydrazide and hydrazine derivatives as novel aspartic protease inhibitors. These compounds inhibited human cathepsin D and Plasmodium falciparum plasmepsin-II with low micromolar concentrations (IC₅₀?=?1-2.5 μM). Modelling studies with plasmepsin-II predicted binding of ligands at the centre of the extended substrate-binding cleft, where hydrazide/hydrazine parts of the inhibitors acted as the transition state mimic by forming electrostatic interactions with catalytic aspartates.     

Study of the antimalarial properties of hydroxyethylamine derivatives using green fluorescent protein transformed Plasmodium berghei

A rapid decrease in parasitaemia remains the major goal for new antimalarial drugs and thus, in vivo models must provide precise results concerning parasitaemia modulation. Hydroxyethylamine comprise an important group of alkanolamine compounds that exhibit pharmacological properties as proteases inhibitors that has already been proposed as a new class of antimalarial drugs. Herein, it was tested the antimalarial property of new nine different hydroxyethylamine derivatives using the green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing Plasmodium berghei strain. By comparing flow cytometry and microscopic analysis to evaluate parasitaemia recrudescence, it was observed that flow cytometry was a more sensitive methodology. The nine hydroxyethylamine derivatives were obtained by inserting one of the following radical in the para position: H, 4Cl, 4-Br, 4-F, 4-CH3, 4-OCH3, 4-NO2, 4-NH2 and 3-Br. The antimalarial test showed that the compound that received the methyl group (4-CH3) inhibited 70% of parasite growth. Our results suggest that GFP-transfected P. berghei is a useful tool to study the recrudescence of novel antimalarial drugs through parasitaemia examination by flow cytometry. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the insertion of a methyl group at the para position of the sulfonamide ring appears to be critical for the antimalarial activity of this class of compounds.     

Selective inhibitors of plasmepsin II of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plasmodium falciparum</Emphasis> on the basis of pepstatin

A number of new inhibitors of plasmepsin II (PlmII) Plasmodium falciparum, which was one of the key factors of survival of malarial parasite, was synthesized. The inhibitors were analogues of pepstatin with different substitutions for the alanine residue. Effects of the inhibitors on human PlmII and cathepsin D were studied. Inhibition of PlmII by the substrate was found. This discovery required modification of the Henderson method for determination of inhibition constants. Two synthesized inhibitors were shown to exhibit a pronounced selectivity to PlmII (K _i = 5.5 and 5 nM) in comparison with that of cathepsin D (K _i = 230 and 3000 nM, respectively).     

A multifunctional serine protease primes the malaria parasite for red blood cell invasion

The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum replicates within an intraerythrocytic parasitophorous vacuole (PV). Rupture of the host cell allows release (egress) of daughter merozoites, which invade fresh erythrocytes. We previously showed that a subtilisin-like protease called PfSUB1 regulates egress by being discharged into the PV in the final stages of merozoite development to proteolytically modify the SERA family of papain-like proteins. Here, we report that PfSUB1 has a further role in ‘priming' the merozoite prior to invasion. The major protein complex on the merozoite surface comprises three proteins called merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1), MSP6 and MSP7. We show that just before egress, all undergo proteolytic maturation by PfSUB1. Inhibition of PfSUB1 activity results in the accumulation of unprocessed MSPs on the merozoite surface, and erythrocyte invasion is significantly reduced. We propose that PfSUB1 is a multifunctional processing protease with an essential role in both egress of the malaria merozoite and remodelling of its surface in preparation for erythrocyte invasion.     

Saccharide anions as inhibitors of the malaria parasite

The asexual erythrocytic stage of Plasmodium falciparum was grown in culture in the presence or absence of glycoconjugate polyanions of varying structure, size and substitutions. Heparin, dextran sulfate, fucoidan and pentosan polysulfate had antimalarial IC50 values between one and 11 μg ml−1. Constituent heparin disaccharides were ineffective against the malaria parasite and desulfation from either the O- or N-substitution sites of heparin or reduction of the uronic acid carboxyl group neutralized the antimalarial response to varying degrees. Immobilization of heparin onto agarose beads still permitted antimalarial activity suggesting that parasite uptake of the glycoconjugate is not required for inhibition. Accordingly, it is concluded that invasion of free parasites into the erythrocytes was inhibited rather than parasite maturation within the red cell. Merozoite surface antigen-1 was apparently prevented from binding to human erythrocytes in the presence of highly sulfated polyanions and, in a dose-dependent fashion, heparin. Abbreviations: MSA-1, merozoite surface antigen-1 This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

恶性疟裂殖子表面蛋白1合成基因在毕赤酵母中的表达

恶性疟原虫裂殖子表面蛋白1是当今疟疾疫苗主要的候选抗原。由于天然MSP1基因AT含量异常高(为74%),使得克隆全长天然基因无法实现。本文已全合成了msp1基因(4940bp),解决了该天然基因在异源系统中不稳定的问题。为制备大量msp1重组蛋白进行疫苗有效性试验,本研究建立了msp1基因在毕赤酵母中的表达,将合成的msp1基因克隆到毕赤酵母胞内表达载体pPIC3.5,构建了重组质粒pPIC3.5/msp1,用电击转化毕赤酵母得到重组转化子,经PCR证实msp1基因已整合于毕赤酵母染色体中。含有重组表达质粒的毕赤酵母菌经甲醇诱导后表达出全长msp1重组蛋白。表达产物能与识别MSP1分子二硫键依赖构象表位的特异性单抗发生很强的反应,表明msp1重组蛋白至少在该表位构象上与天然蛋白一致。从毕赤酵母中分离得到大量msp1为开展该蛋白的结构与功能,特别是测定其疟疾保护性免疫提供可能。     

Malaria: an evaluation of the current state of research on pathogenesis and antimalarial drugs

This brief review provides an overview of the pathogenesis of malaria, the human immune response to malaria, current methodology for malaria diagnosis, and current antimalarial drug regimens. The review also provides a critical evaluation of the research directions in the areas of drug design and vaccine design.     

Resonance Raman spectroscopy in malaria research

In recent years, the field of Raman spectroscopy has witnessed a surge in technological development, with the incorporation of ultrasensitive, charge-coupled devices, improved laser sources and precision Rayleigh-filter systems. This has led to the development of sensitive confocal micro-Raman spectrometers and imaging spectrometers that are capable of obtaining high spatial-resolution spectra and images of subcellular components within single living cells. This review reports on the application of resonance micro-Raman spectroscopy to the study of malaria pigment (hemozoin), a by-product of hemoglobin catabolization by the malaria parasite, which is an important target site for antimalarial drugs. The review aims to briefly describe recent studies on the application of this technology, elucidate molecular and electronic properties of the malaria pigment and its synthetic analog β-hematin, provide insight into the mechanism of hemozoin formation within the food vacuole of the parasite, and comment on developing strategies for using this technology in drug-screening protocols.