Molecular insights into the aspartate protease Plasmepsin II activity inhibition by fluoroquinolones: A pathway to antimalarial drug development

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Plasmepsin II (PlmII) belongs to the aspartate proteases and is involved in hemoglobin degradation in Plasmodium falciparum. Due to its critical role in the survival of the Plasmodium, PlmII is considered as a potent drug target for antimalarial therapy. We have done recombinant protein production of pro-plasmepsin II (Pro-plmII). Pro-PlmII was further activated to mature form (mPlmII) and its activity was confirmed by enzyme kinetics studies. The fluorescence spectroscopic and isothermal titration calorimetric studies show that fluoroquinolone-based antibiotic drugs norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and sparfloxacin bind with mPlmII. Molecular docking results show that only norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin are able to bind at the active site of mPlmII via hydrogen binding and hydrophobic interactions. Enzyme kinetics analysis reveals that norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin effectively inhibit mPlmII activity, while sparfloxacin does not exhibit any inhibitory effect on the enzyme's catalytic function. The two methyl groups on the 3rd and 5th carbon atoms of the piperazine ring make sparfloxacin unable to go inside mPlmII and bind at its active site. Overall, the results here suggested that fluoroquinolone-based antibiotic drugs norfloxacin, and ciprofloxacin, can be repurposed as antimalarial inhibitors targeting aspartic proteases. These findings contribute to pave the way for potential therapeutic interventions targeted at malaria.