1. The repositioning of epigenetic probes/inhibitors identifies new anti-schistosomal lead compounds and chemotherapeutic targets
- Author
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Kezia C. L. Whatley, Helen Whiteland, Kathrin K. Geyer, Karl F. Hoffmann, Andrea Brancale, Iain W. Chalmers, Josephine Forde-Thomas, Benjamin J. Hulme, Gilda Padalino, and Salvatore Ferla
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Male ,Models, Molecular ,Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases ,Schistosoma Mansoni ,Oviposition ,RC955-962 ,Biochemistry ,Epigenesis, Genetic ,Histones ,Database and Informatics Methods ,RNA interference ,0302 clinical medicine ,Schistosomatidae ,Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine ,Histone methylation ,Schistosomiasis ,Amino Acids ,Anthelmintics ,0303 health sciences ,Epigenetic Process ,biology ,Organic Compounds ,Eukaryota ,Genomics ,Hep G2 Cells ,3. Good health ,Nucleic acids ,Molecular Docking Simulation ,Chemistry ,Infectious Diseases ,Histone ,Genetic interference ,Histone methyltransferase ,Physical Sciences ,Schistosoma ,Epigenetics ,Female ,Schistosoma mansoni ,Basic Amino Acids ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 ,Sequence Analysis ,Research Article ,Multiple Alignment Calculation ,Bioinformatics ,030231 tropical medicine ,Research and Analysis Methods ,03 medical and health sciences ,Helminths ,DNA-binding proteins ,Computational Techniques ,parasitic diseases ,Genetics ,Animals ,Humans ,030304 developmental biology ,Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ,Lysine ,Organic Chemistry ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Organisms ,Chemical Compounds ,Drug Repositioning ,Biology and Life Sciences ,Proteins ,Computational Biology ,Benzazepines ,biology.organism_classification ,Invertebrates ,Split-Decomposition Method ,Schistosomiasis mansoni ,030104 developmental biology ,Pyrimidines ,Lead ,biology.protein ,Cancer research ,RNA ,Demethylase ,Gene expression ,Sequence Alignment - Abstract
Background Praziquantel represents the frontline chemotherapy used to treat schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by infection with macro-parasitic blood fluke schistosomes. While this drug is safe, its inability to kill all schistosome lifecycle stages within the human host often requires repeat treatments. This limitation, amongst others, has led to the search for novel anti-schistosome replacement or combinatorial chemotherapies. Here, we describe a repositioning strategy to assess the anthelmintic activity of epigenetic probes/inhibitors obtained from the Structural Genomics Consortium. Methodology/Principle findings Thirty-seven epigenetic probes/inhibitors targeting histone readers, writers and erasers were initially screened against Schistosoma mansoni schistosomula using the high-throughput Roboworm platform. At 10 μM, 14 of these 37 compounds (38%) negatively affected schistosomula motility and phenotype after 72 hours of continuous co-incubation. Subsequent dose-response titrations against schistosomula and adult worms revealed epigenetic probes targeting one reader (NVS-CECR2-1), one writer (LLY-507 and BAY-598) and one eraser (GSK-J4) to be particularly active. As LLY-507/BAY-598 (SMYD2 histone methyltransferase inhibitors) and GSK-J4 (a JMJD3 histone demethylase inhibitor) regulate an epigenetic process (protein methylation) known to be critical for schistosome development, further characterisation of these compounds/putative targets was performed. RNA interference (RNAi) of one putative LLY-507/BAY-598 S. mansoni target (Smp_000700) in adult worms replicated the compound-mediated motility and egg production defects. Furthermore, H3K36me2, a known product catalysed by SMYD2 activity, was also reduced by LLY-507 (25%), BAY-598 (23%) and siSmp_000700 (15%) treatment of adult worms. Oviposition and packaging of vitelline cells into in vitro laid eggs was also significantly affected by GSK-J4 (putative cell permeable prodrug inhibitor of Smp_034000), but not by the related structural analogue GSK-J1 (cell impermeable inhibitor). Conclusion/Significance Collectively, these results provide further support for the development of next-generation drugs targeting schistosome epigenetic pathway components. In particular, the progression of histone methylation/demethylation modulators presents a tractable strategy for anti-schistosomal control., Author summary Human schistosomiasis is caused by infection with parasitic blood fluke worms. Global control of this NTD is currently facilitated by administration of a single drug, praziquantel (PZQ). This mono-chemotherapeutic strategy of schistosomiasis control presents challenges as PZQ is not active against all human-dwelling schistosome lifecycle stages and the evolution of PZQ resistant parasites remains a threat. Therefore, new drugs to be used in combination with or in replacement of PZQ are urgently needed. Here, continuing our studies on Schistosoma mansoni epigenetic processes, we performed anthelmintic screening of 37 epigenetic probes/epigenetic inhibitors obtained from the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC). The results of these studies highlighted that schistosome protein methylation/demethylation processes are acutely vulnerable. In particular, compounds affecting schistosome SMYD (LLY-507, BAY-598) or JMJD (GSK-J4) homologues are especially active on schistosomula and adult worms during in vitro phenotypic drug screens. The active epigenetic probes identified here as well as their corresponding S. mansoni protein targets offers new starting points for the development of next-generation anti-schistosomals.
- Published
- 2019
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