Project description:In a phenotypic screening approach of novel molecules composed of a synergistic combination of phthalimide, benzimidazole, and triazole scaffolds we discovered compounds with potent anti-leishmanial activity. The resulting early-lead compound PHT-39, which contains a trifluoromethyl substitution, demonstrated the highest efficacy in a Leishmania infantum intramacrophage assay, with an EC50 of 1.2+/- 3.2 μM.Cytotoxicity testing of PHT-39 in Hep-G2 cells indicated high selectivity of over 90-fold. To investigate the mechanism of action we carried out experiments in Trypanosoma brucei, which is also sensitive to PHT-39. Here we used a genome-wide RNAi library approach (PMID: 22278056; PMID: 21363968) to detect sensitivity determinants. This high-throughput phenotyping approach identified sensitivity determinants for PHT-39, which included a P-type ATPase that is crucial for the uptake of miltefosine and amphotericin, strongly indicating a shared route for cellular entry.
Project description:A direct comparison of RNAi in vitro with RNAi in vivo is being performed using RNA interference (RNAi) target sequencing (RIT-Seq) of Trypanosoma brucei to identify all genes specifically required for growth in vivo (the infectome). Assembly of the bloodstream-form T. brucei RNAi library and the RNAi target sequencing (RIT-seq) approach in African trypanosomes were reported previously in Alsford, S. et al. High-throughput phenotyping using parallel sequencing of RNA interference targets in the African trypanosome. Genome Res 21, 915-924, 264 doi:gr.115089.110 [pii] 265 10.1101/gr.115089.110 (2011) and Alsford,S et al. High-throughput decoding of antitrypanosomal drug efficacy and resistance. Nature 482, 232236 doi:10.1038/nature10771 (2012). This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/
Project description:Trypanosoma brucei gambiense is the causative agent of the fatal human disease African sleeping sickness. Using Digital Gene Expression we have compared the transcriptome of a group 1 T.b.gambiense (Eliane) and a T.b.brucei (STIB 247).
Project description:The host range of African trypanosomes is influenced by innate protective molecules in the blood of primates. A subfraction of human high-density lipoprotein (HDL) containing apolipoprotein A-I, apolipoprotein L-I, and haptoglobin-related protein is toxic to Trypanosoma brucei brucei but not the human sleeping sickness parasite Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. It is thought that T. b. rhodesiense evolved from a T. b. brucei-like ancestor and expresses a defense protein that ablates the antitrypanosomal activity of human HDL. To directly investigate this possibility, we developed an in vitro selection to generate human HDL-resistant T. b. brucei. Here we show that conversion of T. b. brucei from human HDL sensitive to resistant correlates with changes in the expression of the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) and abolished uptake of the cytotoxic human HDLs. Complete transcriptome analysis of the HDL-susceptible and -resistant trypanosomes confirmed that VSG switching had occurred but failed to reveal the expression of other genes specifically associated with human HDL resistance, including the serum resistance-associated gene (SRA) of T. b. rhodesiense. In addition, we found that while the original active expression site was still utilized, expression of three expression site-associated genes (ESAG) was altered in the HDL-resistant trypanosomes. These findings demonstrate that resistance to human HDLs can be acquired by T. b. brucei. Keywords: Trypanosoma, VSG, antigenic switching, HDL-resistance
Project description:In a phenotypic screening approach of novel molecules composed of a synergistic combination of phthalimide, benzimidazole, and triazole scaffolds we discovered compounds with potent anti-leishmanial activity. The resulting early-lead compound PHT-39, which contains a trifluoromethyl substitution, demonstrated the highest efficacy in a Leishmania infantum intramacrophage assay, with an EC50 of 1.2 +/- 3.2 μM.Cytotoxicity testing of PHT-39 in Hep-G2 cells indicated high selectivity of over 90-fold. To investigate the mechanism of action we carried out experiments in Trypanosoma brucei, which is also sensitive to PHT-39. Here we used liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MSMS) to quantify the effects of PH-39 exposure on the global protein landscape in T. brucei.