Functional and structural studies of the enzymes related to the NADPH production in trypanosomatids

• Grant number: 13/03983-5
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2013
• End date: January 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Chemistry of Macromolecules
• Principal Investigator: Artur Torres Cordeiro
• Grantee: Artur Torres Cordeiro
• Host Institution: Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The NADPH acts as the cofactor for enzymes that participate in several processes essential for the cellular homeostasis, like: lipid and cholesterol biosynthesis, production and neutralization of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. The enzymes glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), 6-phophogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH), isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) and malic enzyme (ME) are related to the maintenance of the NADPH cellular level. The enzymes G6PDH and 6PGDH belongs to the oxidative branch of the pentose's pathway, while the enzymes IDH and ME oxide the intermediates of the citric acid cycle to reduce the NADP+ to NADPH. Both the enzymes IDH and ME have distinct isoforms, localized in the mitochondrium and cytosol of the parasites. The occurrence of those enzymes in the cytosol represents alternative routes to the NADPH production when cells do not have access to sufficient glucose to sustain a metabolic flux through the pentose´s pathway.The G6PDHs from parasites and humans have being studied at our group already for some years with the purpose to develop new drugs against neglected parasitic diseases, more specifically, trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis. Recently, we established an collaboration with the research group of Dra. Cristina Nowicki (at the Inst. de Química y Fisicoquímica-biológica da Univ. de Buenos Aires, Argentina) to explore the others NADPH producing enzymes from T. cruzi, more specifically the TcME and TcIDH.The main objectives of this project are: identification of new inhibitors of TcIDH and TCME, crystallographic structure determination of TcIDH and TcME and to map the binding site of new inhibitors in the crystallographic structures of TcIDH and TcME. (AU)

Scientific publications

(4)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MERCALDI, GUSTAVO F.; DAWSON, ALICE; HUNTER, WILLIAN N.; CORDEIRO, ARTUR T.. The structure of a Trypanosoma cruzi glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase reveals differences from the mammalian enzyme. FEBS Letters, v. 590, n. 16, p. 2776-2786, AUG 2016. (13/03983-5, 14/07533-7)

RANZANI, AMERICO T.; NOWICKI, CRISTINA; WILKINSON, SHANE R.; CORDEIRO, ARTUR T.. Identification of Specific Inhibitors of Trypanosoma cruzi Malic Enzyme Isoforms by Target-Based HTS. SLAS DISCOVERY, v. 22, n. 9, p. 1150-1161, OCT 2017. (15/03336-5, 13/03983-5)

MERCALDI, GUSTAVO F.; EUFRASIO, AMANDA G.; RANZANI, AMERICO T.; FARIA, JESSICA DO NASCIMENTO; MOTA, SABRINA G. R.; FAGUNDES, MICHELLE; BRUDER, MARJORIE; CORDEIRO, ARTUR T.. Trypanosoma cruzi Malic Enzyme Is the Target for Sulfonamide Hits from the GSK Chagas Box. ACS INFECTIOUS DISEASES, v. 7, n. 8, p. 2455-2471, AUG 13 2021. (15/03336-5, 13/03983-5, 14/15590-0, 18/22202-8, 16/19141-1, 12/23682-7)

MERCALDI, GUSTAVO F.; RANZANI, AMERICO T.; CORDEIRO, ARTUR T.. Discovery of New Uncompetitive Inhibitors of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase. JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR SCREENING, v. 19, n. 10, p. 1362-1371, DEC 2014. (13/03983-5, 10/17849-0, 12/23682-7)