Falciparum Glutathione Reductase Research Articles

Analysis of the interaction of antimalarial agents with Plasmodium falciparum glutathione reductase through molecular mechanical calculations.

Malaria remains a significant global health challenge with emerging resistance to current treatments. Plasmodium falciparum glutathione reductase (PfGR) plays a critical role in the defense mechanisms of malaria parasites against oxidative stress. In this study, we investigate the potential of targeting PfGR with conventional antimalarials and dual drugs combining aminoquinoline derivatives with GR inhibitors, which reveal promising interactions between PfGR and studied drugs. The naphthoquinone Atovaquone demonstrated particularly high affinity and potential dual-mode binding with the enzyme active site and cavity. Furthermore, dual drugs exhibit enhanced binding affinity, suggesting their efficacy in inhibiting PfGR, where the aliphatic ester bond (linker) is essential for effective binding with the enzyme's active site. Overall, this research provides important insights into the interactions between antimalarial agents and PfGR and encourages further exploration of its role in the mechanisms of action of antimalarials, including dual drugs, to enhance antiparasitic efficacy. The drugs were tested as PfGR potential inhibitors via molecular docking on AutoDock 4, which was performed based on the preoptimized structures in HF/3-21G-PCM level of theory on ORCA 5. Drug-receptor systems with the most promising binding affinities were then studied with a molecular dynamic's simulation on AMBER 16. The molecular dynamics simulations were performed with a 100ns NPT ensemble employing GAFF2 forcefield in the temperature of 310K, integration time step of 2fs, and non-bond cutoff distance of 6.0Å.

Rational Optimization of Dihydropyrimidinone-Quinoline Hybrids as Plasmodium falciparum Glutathione Reductase Inhibitors.

A series of dihydropyrimidinone-based antimalarial compounds were designed and synthesised based on the previously identified amide-based quinoline hybrids which showed good resistance reversal ability against the resistant strain of Plasmodium falciparum. The aromatic ring on the dihydropyrimidinone of the original hits was exchanged for a methyl group to bring the molecular weights below 500 Da and also determine the effect of the aromatic ring count on the resistance reversal ability of the hybrids. Apart from the previously used amide bond, the hybrid linker was also extended to the triazole linker. Although the triazole linker is synthetically easier to access, the use of an amide linker seems to have an activity advantage. The synthesised compounds in addition to the previously identified hits were subjected to molecular docking particularly targeting the orthosteric site of Plasmodium falciparum glutathione reductase (PfGR) protein. The ligand with the best binding interaction was rationally optimised to increase its suitability as a competitive inhibitor against the cofactor of the PfGR. Two of the optimised ligands showed better binding affinities than the cofactor while one of the two ligands displayed hydrophobically packed correlated hydrogen-bond which is very important in maintaining the ligand stability within the protein. In silico ADME predictions of the synthesised compounds indicate that these compounds possess good pharmacokinetic properties.

Antiplasmodial Activity of Nitroaromatic Compounds: Correlation with Their Reduction Potential and Inhibitory Action on Plasmodium falciparum Glutathione Reductase.

With the aim to clarify the mechanism(s) of action of nitroaromatic compounds against the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, we examined the single-electron reduction by P. falciparum ferredoxin:NADP+ oxidoreductase (PfFNR) of a series of nitrofurans and nitrobenzenes (n = 23), and their ability to inhibit P. falciparum glutathione reductase (PfGR). The reactivity of nitroaromatics in PfFNR-catalyzed reactions increased with their single-electron reduction midpoint potential (E17). Nitroaromatic compounds acted as non- or uncompetitive inhibitors towards PfGR with respect to NADPH and glutathione substrates. Using multiparameter regression analysis, we found that the in vitro activity of these compounds against P. falciparum strain FcB1 increased with their E17 values, octanol/water distribution coefficients at pH 7.0 (log D), and their activity as PfGR inhibitors. Our data demonstrate that both factors, the ease of reductive activation and the inhibition of PfGR, are important in the antiplasmodial in vitro activity of nitroaromatics. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first quantitative demonstration of this kind of relationship. No correlation between antiplasmodial activity and ability to inhibit human erythrocyte GR was detected in tested nitroaromatics. Our data suggest that the efficacy of prooxidant antiparasitic agents may be achieved through their combined action, namely inhibition of antioxidant NADPH:disulfide reductases, and the rapid reduction by single-electron transferring dehydrogenases-electrontransferases.

Targeting the intersubunit cavity of Plasmodium falciparum glutathione reductase by a novel natural inhibitor: Computational and experimental evidence

Glutathione reductase (GR), a homodimeric FAD-dependent disulfide reductase, is essential for redox homeostasis of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and has been proposed as an antimalarial drug target. In this study we performed a virtual screening against PfGR, using the structures of about 170,000 natural compounds. Analysis of the two top-scoring molecules, TTB and EPB, indicated that these ligands are likely to interact with the homodimer intersubunit cavity of PfGR with high binding energy scores of −9.67 and −9.60kcal/mol, respectively. Both compounds had a lower affinity for human GR due to differences in structure and electrostatic properties. In order to assess the putative interactions in motion, molecular dynamics simulations were carried out for 30ns, resulting in TTB being more dynamically and structurally favored than EPB. A closely related compound MDPI 21618 was tested on recombinant PfGR and hGR, resulting in IC50 values of 11.3±2.5μM and 10.2±1.7μM, respectively. Kinetic characterization of MDPI 21618 on PfGR revealed a mixed-type inhibition with respect to glutathione disulfide (Ki=9.7±2.3μM) and an uncompetitive inhibition with respect to NADPH. Furthermore, MDPI 21618 was found to inhibit the growth of the chloroquine-sensitive P. falciparum strain 3D7 with an IC50 of 3.2±1.9μM and the chloroquine-resistant Dd2 strain with an IC50 of 3.2+1.6μM. In drug combination assays with chloroquine, artemisinin, or mefloquine MDPI 21618 showed an antagonistic action, which might suggest partially overlapping routes of action. This study further substantiates research on PfGR as a potential antimalarial drug target.

Ligand-based 3D-QSAR analysis and virtual screening in exploration of new scaffolds as Plasmodium falciparum glutathione reductase inhibitors

Plasmodium falciparum glutathione reductases involved in redox homeostasis pathway of parasite are found to be the most emerging target in the treatment of malaria. In the present study, a 3D-QSAR pharmacophore model was developed, based on twenty-three 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives reported previously with marked inhibition against glutathione reductase (GR). The pharmacophore model development and 3D-QSAR analysis was carried out by PHASE program. The hypothesis with best survival score was found to be AAHRR. Thus the resulting pharmacophore model contained two aromatic rings, a hydrophobic and two hydrogen-bond acceptor sites. A statistically reliable model with good predictive power (r 2 = 0.8155, q 2 = 0.7054, average r m 2 = 0.745) was obtained. Using these pharmacophore features, we screened a library of 214,029 compounds (Asinex Database) to find potential ligands that could inhibit the PFGR protein. The compounds then subjected to a number of filters of virtual screening workflow of Schrodinger software. Here, we report the best seven compounds based on their docking scores and mode of interactions. The aromatic ring, hydrophobic group and hydrogen-bond acceptor effects contribute to the inhibitory activity. Binding interaction of the inhibitors can further provide the information regarding the role of different features in ligands responsible for linkage with receptor. Both compound 1 and screened hit with highest docking score (lead-1) found to interact with ASN 278, LYS 32, GLU 31, GLU 277, ASP 275, THR 38, LYS 151 within same binding pocket of PFGR enzyme. The backbone structural scaffolds of these seven lead compounds obtained after screening could serve as building blocks when designing drug-like molecules for inhibition of P. falciparum GR.

Antiplasmodial activity of quinones: Roles of aziridinyl substituents and the inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum glutathione reductase

Although quinones have been the subject of great interest as possible antimalarial agents, the mechanism of their antimalarial activity is poorly understood. Flavoenzyme electrontransferase-catalyzed redox cycling of quinones, and their inhibition of the antioxidant flavoenzyme glutathione reductase (GR, EC 1.8.1.7) have been proposed as possible mechanisms. Here, we have examined the activity of a number of quinones, including the novel antitumor agent RH1, against the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum strain FcB1 in vitro, their single-electron reduction rates by P. falciparum ferredoxin:NADP + reductase ( PfFNR, EC 1.18.1.2), and their ability to inhibit P. falciparum GR . The multiparameter statistical analysis of our data implies, that the antiplasmodial activity of fully-substituted quinones ( n = 15) is relatively independent from their one-electron reduction potential ( E 7 1 ). The presence of aziridinyl groups in quinone ring increased their antiplasmodial activity. Since aziridinyl-substituted quinones do not possess enhanced redox cycling activity towards PfFNR, we propose that they could act as as DNA-alkylating agents after their net two-electron reduction into aziridinyl-hydroquinones. We found that under the partial anaerobiosis, i.e., at the oxygen concentration below 40–50 μM, this reaction may be carried out by single-electron transferring flavoenzymes present in P. falciparum, like PfFNR. Another parameter increasing the antiplasmodial activity of fully-substituted quinones is an increase in their potency as P. falciparum GR inhibitors, which was revealed using multiparameter regression analysis. To our knowledge, this is the first quantitative demonstration of a link between the antiplasmodial activity of compounds and GR inhibition.

Methylene blue for malaria in Africa: results from a dose-finding study in combination with chloroquine

The development of safe, effective and affordable drug combinations against malaria in Africa is a public health priority. Methylene blue (MB) has a similar mode of action as chloroquine (CQ) and has moreover been shown to selectively inhibit the Plasmodium falciparum glutathione reductase. In 2004, an uncontrolled dose-finding study on the combination MB-CQ was performed in 435 young children with uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Burkina Faso (CQ monotherapy had a > 50% clinical failure rate in this area in 2003). Three serious adverse events (SAE) occurred of which one was probably attributable to the study medication. In the per protocol safety analysis, there were no dose specific effects. The overall clinical and parasitological failure rates by day 14 were 10% [95% CI (7.5%, 14.0%)] and 24% [95% CI (19.4%, 28.3%)], respectively. MB appears to have efficacy against malaria, but the combination of CQ-MB is clearly not effective in the treatment of malaria in Africa.

Docking studies and development of novel 5-heteroarylamino-2,4-diamino-8-chloropyrimido-[4,5-b]quinolines as potential antimalarials

MOE-Dock (Docking software) was used to predict the binding modes of 10 novel and potent 5-substituted amino-2,4-diamino-8-chloropyrimido-[4,5-b]quinolines (compounds I–X) as part of our antimalarial drug development programme. This was done by analyzing the interaction of these compounds with the active sites of 11 enzymes present in Plasmodium falciparum and based on this, effective binding was observed to enzyme P. falciparum glutathione reductase (PfGR). The binding scores for compounds I–X with PfGR were also congruent with their antimalarial activity. Three additional analogs were then designed and synthesized based on the above docking study and the pharmacophoric requirements for this class.

Methylene blue as an antimalarial agent

Methylene blue has intrinsic antimalarial activity and it can act as a chloroquine sensitizer. In addition, methylene blue must be considered for preventing methemoglobinemia, a serious complication of malarial anemia. As an antiparasitic agent, methylene blue is pleiotropic: it interferes with hemoglobin and heme metabolism in digestive organelles, and it is a selective inhibitor of Plasmodium falciparum glutathione reductase. The latter effect results in glutathione depletion which sensitizes the parasite for chloroquine action. At the Centre de Recherche en Santé de Nouna in Burkina Faso, we study the combination of chloroquine with methylene blue (BlueCQ) as a possible medication for malaria in endemic regions. A pilot study with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase-sufficient adult patients has been conducted recently.

Glutathione--functions and metabolism in the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

When present as a trophozoite in human erythrocytes, the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum exhibits an intense glutathione metabolism. Glutathione plays a role not only in antioxidative defense and in maintaining the reducing environment of the cytosol. Many of the known glutathione-dependent processes are directly related to the specific lifestyle of the parasite. Reduced glutathione (GSH) supports rapid cell growth by providing electrons for deoxyribonucleotide synthesis and it takes part in detoxifying heme, a product of hemoglobin digestion. Free radicals generated in the parasite can be scavenged in reaction sequences involving the thiyl radical GS* as well as the thiolate GS-. As a substrate of glutathione S-transferase, glutathione is conjugated to non-degradable compounds including antimalarial drugs. Furthermore, it is the coenzyme of the glyoxalase system which detoxifies methylglyoxal, a byproduct of the intense glycolysis taking place in the trophozoite. Proteins involved in GSH-dependent processes include glutathione reductase, glutaredoxins, glyoxalase I and II, glutathione S-transferases, and thioredoxins. These proteins, as well as the ATP-dependent enzymes of glutathione synthesis, are studied as factors in the pathophysiology of malaria but also as potential drug targets. Methylene blue, an inhibitor of the structurally known P. falciparum glutathione reductase, appears to be a promising antimalarial medication when given in combination with chloroquine.

Crystal Structure of the Antioxidant Enzyme Glutathione Reductase Inactivated by Peroxynitrite

As part of our studies on the nitric oxide-related pathology of cerebral malaria, we show that the antioxidative enzyme glutathione reductase (GR) is inactivated by peroxynitrite, with GR from the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum being more sensitive than human GR. The crystal structure of modified human GR at 1.9-A resolution provides the first picture of protein inactivation by peroxynitrite and reveals that this is due to the exclusive nitration of 2 Tyr residues (residues 106 and 114) at the glutathione disulfide-binding site. The selective nitration explains the impairment of binding the peptide substrate and thus the nearly 1000-fold decrease in catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(m)) of glutathione reductase observed at physiologic pH. By oxidizing the catalytic dithiol to a disulfide, peroxynitrite itself can act as a substrate of unmodified and bisnitrated P. falciparum glutathione reductase.

Recombinant Plasmodium falciparum glutathione reductase is inhibited by the antimalarial dye methylene blue

Plasmodium falciparum glutathione reductase (PfGR) has emerged as a drug target against tropical malaria. Here we report the expression of PfGR in Escherichia coli SG5(DE3) and isolation procedures for this protein. Recombinant PfGR does not differ from the authentic enzyme in its enzymic properties, the turnover number being 9900 min −1. The dimeric flavoenzyme exhibits redox-dependent absorption spectra; the single tryptophan residue (per 57.2 kDa subunit) is strongly fluorescent. PfGR can be inhibited by the antimalarial drug methylene blue at therapeutic concentrations; the K i for non-competitive inhibition is 6.4 μM. The sensitivity to methylene blue is observed also at high ionic strength so that, by analogy to human GR, analysis of crystalline enzyme-drug complexes can be envisaged.

Plasmodium falciparum glutathione reductase exhibits sequence similarities with the human host enzyme in the core structure but differs at the ligand-binding sites

The homodimeric flavoenzyme glutathione reductase (GR) which catalyzes the reduction of glutathione disulfide is a cornerstone of the malaria parasite antioxidant defense and repair mechanisms. Here we report on the identification of the GR gene from Plasmodium falciparum. A 1.4-kb fragment of the gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Using this PCR fragment as a probe a full length cDNA clone (2085 bp) was isolated from a P. falciparum gametocyte library. The deduced amino acid sequence of 541 residues shows an overall identity of 35% when compared to the human enzyme. Most amino acids of known function are identical. However, notable differences between human and parasite protein occur in the glutathione-binding pocket (for instance, Glu374 instead of the expected basic residue) and at the intersubunit contact area. These regions are of particular interest since they represent binding sites of known GR inhibitors. Consequently, parasite GR can serve as a target structure for the design of antimalarial drugs.