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Hookworms remain a major health burden in the developing world, with hundreds of millions currently afflicted by these blood-feeding parasites. There exists a vital need for the discovery of novel drugs and identification of parasite drug targets for the development of chemotherapies. New drug development requires the identification of compounds that target molecules essential to parasite survival and preclinical testing in robust, standardized animal models of human disease. This process can prove costly and time consuming using conventional, low-throughput methods. We have developed a novel high-throughput screen (HTS) to identify anthelmintics for the treatment of soil-transmitted helminths. Our high-throughput, plate reader-based assay was used to rapidly assess compound toxicity to Ancylostoma ceylanicum L1 larva. Using this method, we screened 39,568 compounds from several small molecule screening libraries at 10 μM and identified 830 bioactive compounds that inhibit egg hatching of the human hookworm A. ceylanicum by >50%. Of these, 132 compounds inhibited hookworm egg hatching by >90% compared to controls. The nematicidal activities of 268 compounds were verified by retesting in the egg hatching assay and were also tested for toxicity against the human HeLa cell line at 10 μM. Fifty-nine compounds were verified to inhibit A. ceylanicum egg hatching by >80% and were <20% toxic to HeLa cells. Half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were determined for the 59 hit compounds and ranged from 0.05–8.94 μM. This stringent advancement of compounds was designed to 1) systematically assess the nematicidal activity of novel compounds against the egg stage of A. ceylanicum hookworms in culture and 2) define their chemotherapeutic potential in vivo by evaluating their toxicity to human cells. Information gained from these experiments may directly contribute to the development of new drugs for the treatment of human hookworm disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetylation of lysine residues is an important post-translational protein modification. Lysine acetylation in histones and its crosstalk with other post-translational modifications in histone and non-histone proteins are crucial to DNA replication, DNA repair, and transcriptional regulation. We incorporated acetyl-lysine (AcK) and the non-hydrolyzable thioacetyl-lysine (ThioAcK) into full-length proteins in vitro, mediated by flexizyme. ThioAcK and AcK were site-specifically incorporated at different lysine positions into human histone H3, either individually or in pairs. We demonstrate that the thioacetyl group in histone H3 could not be removed by the histone deacetylase sirtuin type 1. This method provides a powerful tool to study protein acetylation and its role in crosstalk between post-translational modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Advances in genetic code expansion have enabled the production of proteins containing site-specific, authentic post-translational modifications. Here, we use a recoded bacterial strain with an expanded genetic code to encode phosphoserine into a human kinase protein. We directly encode phosphoserine into WNK1 (with-no-lysine [K] 1) or WNK4 kinases at multiple, distinct sites, which produced activated, phosphorylated WNK that phosphorylated and activated SPAK/OSR kinases, thereby synthetically activating this human kinase network in recoded bacteria. We used this approach to identify biochemical properties of WNK kinases, a motif for SPAK substrates, and small-molecule kinase inhibitors for phosphorylated SPAK. We show that the kinase inhibitors modulate SPAK substrates in cells, alter cell volume, and reduce migration of glioblastoma cells. Our work establishes a protein-engineering platform technology that demonstrates that synthetically active WNK kinase networks can accurately model cellular systems and can be used more broadly to target networks of phosphorylated proteins for research and discovery. [Display omitted] • Bacterial strain with expanded genetic code incorporates phosphoserine into WNK1 • Synthetically phosphorylated WNK1 activates SPAK and enables substrate discovery • Active WNK1/SPAK pathway yields a screen for small-molecule kinase inhibitors • Inhibitors modulate WNK/SPAK control of cell volume and reduce GBM migration Schiapparelli et al. describe a protein-engineering platform technology to synthetically activate the WNK/SPAK/OSR1 kinase network. Using this approach, they identify biochemical properties of WNK and SPAK kinases along with small-molecule inhibitors for SPAK. Cellular systems, both in vitro and in vivo , translate findings from the engineered kinase network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli (MDRGNB) are emerging as a challenging cause of hospital-acquired infections and represent a critical need for innovative antibacterial development. New oxopyrazole agents targeting penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) based on a non-β-lactam core and incorporating a siderophore moiety (Figure 1) which facilitates transport to the periplasm are being developed that show promise against Gram-negative organisms including multidrug-resistant strains of E. coli, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa. Methods YU253434, an example of this new class of antibacterials, was investigated in vitro. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by broth microdilution against a representative panel comprising 15 strains each of E. coli, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa , which contain extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and/or carbapenemases genes.All studies were performed according to current Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines using iron-depleted media. Ceftazidime breakpoints were arbitrability chosen as a reference for YU253434 (susceptibilities ≤4 μg/mL for Enterobacteriaceae and ≤8 μg/mL for P. aeruginosa). Results MIC testing (Figures 2–4) against E. coli showed 11 strains were YU253434 susceptible (compared with 6 for ceftazidime, and 3 for imipenem); against K. pneumoniae 13 strains were YU253434 susceptible (compared with 2 for ceftazidime and 6 for imipenem); against P. aeruginosa 10 strains were YU253434 susceptible (compared with 0 for both ceftazidime and imipenem). There appeared to be no correlation between YU253434 resistance and the presence of specific lactamase genes. Conclusion YU253434, a new generation oxopyrazole antibiotic, demonstrated promising in vitro potency against a panel of E. coli , K. pneumonia , and P. aeruginosa strains which contain ESBL and/or carbapenemases genes. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Acinetobacter spp. resistant to common antibiotics have become a worrying cause of hospital-acquired infections and represent a critical need for innovative antibacterial development. New oxopyrazole agents targeting penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) based on a non-β-lactam core and incorporating a siderophore moiety (figure) which facilitates transport to the periplasm are being developed which show promise against Gram-negative organisms including Acinetobacter spp. Methods YU253911, an example of this new class of antibacterials, was characterized in vitro. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by broth microdilution against a collection of 200 previously described (whole-genome sequencing) Acinetobacter isolates including 98 carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains. YU253911's antimicrobial activity was also evaluated in combination with complementary PBP agents and β-lactamase inhibitors by MIC and disc diffusion testing. All studies were performed according to current Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines using iron-depleted media. Breakpoints for ceftazidime were arbitrarily chosen as reference. Results Using ceftazidime (breakpoint ≤8 μg/mL) as a comparator, 175 of the 200 Acinetobacter isolates were susceptible to YU253911, which possessed an MIC50 of 0.5 μg/mL and an MIC90 of 16 μg/mL. This compared favorably to all previously tested β-lactams including penicillins, cephalosporins, monobactams and carbapenems (MIC50s 2 to >16 μg/mL). Against the subset of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii isolates, YU253911's potency was similar with an MIC50 of 1 μg/mL. Genetic analysis showed β-lactamase genes, including OXA-23 and other carbapenemases, were common in both YU253911-resistant and susceptible strains. Conclusion YU253911 demonstrates promising in vitro potency against a collection of Acinetobacter isolates and compares favorably to β-lactam antibiotics. Understanding interactions with PBP agents and β lactamase inhibitors is being explored as well as further studies on the mechanism of resistance. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]