Targeting the ERAD pathway via inhibition of signal peptide peptidase for antiparasitic therapeutic design.

Autor: Harbut MB; Department of Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA., Patel BA, Yeung BK, McNamara CW, Bright AT, Ballard J, Supek F, Golde TE, Winzeler EA, Diagana TT, Greenbaum DC
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A] 2012 Dec 26; Vol. 109 (52), pp. 21486-91. Date of Electronic Publication: 2012 Dec 11.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1216016110
Abstrakt: Early secretory and endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized proteins that are terminally misfolded or misassembled are degraded by a ubiquitin- and proteasome-mediated process known as ER-associated degradation (ERAD). Protozoan pathogens, including the causative agents of malaria, toxoplasmosis, trypanosomiasis, and leishmaniasis, contain a minimal ERAD network relative to higher eukaryotic cells, and, because of this, we observe that the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is highly sensitive to the inhibition of components of this protein quality control system. Inhibitors that specifically target a putative protease component of ERAD, signal peptide peptidase (SPP), have high selectivity and potency for P. falciparum. By using a variety of methodologies, we validate that SPP inhibitors target P. falciparum SPP in parasites, disrupt the protein's ability to facilitate degradation of unstable proteins, and inhibit its proteolytic activity. These compounds also show low nanomolar activity against liver-stage malaria parasites and are also equipotent against a panel of pathogenic protozoan parasites. Collectively, these data suggest ER quality control as a vulnerability of protozoan parasites, and that SPP inhibition may represent a suitable transmission blocking antimalarial strategy and potential pan-protozoan drug target.
Databáze: MEDLINE