Panacea within a Pandora's box: the antiparasitic effects of phospholipases A(2) (PLA(2)s) from snake venoms

Author(s)

Teixeira, Samuel Cota ^[1] ; da Silva, Marcelo Santos ^[2] ; Gomes, Antoniel Augusto Severo ^[3] ; Moretti, Nilmar Silvio ^[4] ; Lopes, Daiana Silva ^[5] ; Ferro, Eloisa Amalia Vieira ^[1] ; Rodrigues, Veridiana de Melo ^[6]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Uberlandia, Uberlandia UFU, Inst Biomed Sci, Dept Immunol, Uberlandia, MG - Brazil

^[2] Sao Paulo State Univ UNESP, Dept Chem & Biol Sci, DNA Replicat & Repair Lab DRRL, Biosci Inst, Botucatu, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Montpellier, ENSCM Fac Pharm, CNRS, IBMM, Montpellier - France

^[4] Univ Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, Escola Paulista Med, Lab Biol Mol Patogenos LBMP, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[5] Fed Univ Bahia UFBA, Multidisciplinary Inst Hlth, Anisio Teixeira Campus, Vitoria Da Conquista, BA - Brazil

^[6] Fed Univ Uberlandia UFU, Inst Biotechnol, Lab Biochem & Anim Toxins, Uberlandia, MG - Brazil

• Document type: Review article
• Source: Trends in Parasitology; v. 38, n. 1, p. 80-94, JAN 2022.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Parasitic diseases affect millions of individuals worldwide, mainly in low-income regions. There is no cure for most of these diseases, and the treatment relies on drugs that have side effects and lead to drug resistance, emphasizing the urgency to find new treatments. Snake venom has been gaining prominence as a rich source of molecules with antiparasitic potentials, such as phospholipases A(2) (PLA(2)s). Here, we compile the findings involving PLA(2)s with antiparasitic activities against helminths, Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, and trypanosomatids. We indicate their molecular features, highlighting the possible antiparasitic mechanisms of action of these proteins. We also demonstrate interactions between PLA(2)s and some parasite membrane components, shedding light on potential targets for drug design that may provide better treatment for the illnesses caused by parasites. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/09948-0 - Study of protein acetylation in Leishmania
• Grantee: Nilmar Silvio Moretti
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 19/10753-2 - Investigation on the role of inositol pyrophosphates (PP-IPs) in DNA repair pathways and telomere dynamics using trypanosomatids as a model
• Grantee: Marcelo Santos da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• FAPESP's process: 20/10277-3 - Investigation of the role of inositol pyrophosphates (PP-IPs) in DNA repair pathways and telomere dynamics using trypanosomatids as a model
• Grantee: Marcelo Santos da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Young Researchers