Project description:Understanding the mechanism of photosynthate transfer at symbiotic interface by fungal monosaccharide transporter is of substantial importance. The carbohydrate uptake at the apoplast by the fungus is facilitated by PiHXT5 hexose transporter in root endophytic fungus Piriformospora indica. The putative PiHXT5 belongs to MFS superfamily with 12 predicted transmembrane helices. It possess sugar transporter PFAM motif (PF0083) and MFS superfamily domain (PS50850). It contains the signature tags related to glucose transporter GLUT1 of human erythrocyte. PiHXT5 is regulated in response to mutualism as well as glucose concentration. We have functionally characterized PiHXT5 by complementation of hxt-null mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae EBY.VW4000. It is involved in transport of multiple sugars ranging from D-glucose, D-fructose, D-xylose, D-mannose, D-galactose with decreasing affinity. The uncoupling experiments indicate that it functions as H(+)/glucose co-transporter. Further, pH dependence analysis suggests that it functions maximum between pH 5 and 6. The expression of PiHXT5 is dependent on glucose concentration and was found to be expressed at low glucose levels (1 mM) which indicate its role as a high affinity glucose transporter. Our study on this sugar transporter will help in better understanding of carbon metabolism and flow in this agro-friendly fungus.
Project description:Plasmodium vivax is the second most common species of malaria parasite and causes up to 80 million episodes of infection each year. New drug targets are urgently needed because of emerging resistance to current treatments. To study new potential targets, we have functionally characterized two natural variants of the hexose transporter of P. vivax (PvHT) after heterologous expression in Xenopus oocytes. We show that PvHT transports both glucose and fructose. Differences in the affinity for fructose between the two variants of PvHT establishes that sequence variation is associated with phenotypic plasticity. Mutation of a single glutamine residue, Gln(167), predicted to lie in transmembrane helix 5, abolishes fructose transport by PvHT, although glucose uptake is preserved. In contrast, the exofacial site located between predicted helices 5 and 6 of PvHT is not an important determinant of substrate specificity, despite exhibiting sequence polymorphisms between hexose transporters of different Plasmodium spp. Indeed, replacement of twelve residues located within this region of PvHT by those found in the orthologous Plasmodium falciparum sequence (PfHT) is functionally silent with respect to affinity for hexoses. All PvHT variants are inhibited by compound 3361, a long-chain O-3 derivative of D-glucose effective against PfHT. Furthermore, compound 3361 kills short term cultures of P. vivax isolated from patients. These data provide unique insights into the function of hexose transporters of Plasmodium spp. as well as further evidence that they could be targeted by drugs.
Project description:We identified in the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha (syn. Pichia angusta) a novel hexose transporter homologue gene, HXS1 (hexose sensor), involved in transcriptional regulation in response to hexoses, and a regular hexose carrier gene, HXT1 (hexose transporter). The Hxs1 protein exhibits the highest degree of primary sequence similarity to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae transporter-like glucose sensors, Snf3 and Rgt2. When heterologously overexpressed in an S. cerevisiae hexose transporter-less mutant, Hxt1, but not Hxs1, restores growth on glucose or fructose, suggesting that Hxs1 is nonfunctional as a carrier. In its native host, HXS1 is expressed at moderately low level and is required for glucose induction of the H. polymorpha functional low-affinity glucose transporter Hxt1. Similarly to other yeast sensors, one conserved amino acid substitution in the Hxs1 sequence (R203K) converts the protein into a constitutively signaling form and the C-terminal region of Hxs1 is essential for its function in hexose sensing. Hxs1 is not required for glucose repression or catabolite inactivation that involves autophagic degradation of peroxisomes. However, HXS1 deficiency leads to significantly impaired transient transcriptional repression in response to fructose, probably due to the stronger defect in transport of this hexose in the hxs1Delta deletion strain. Our combined results suggest that in the Crabtree-negative yeast H. polymorpha, the single transporter-like sensor Hxs1 mediates signaling in the hexose induction pathway, whereas the rate of hexose uptake affects the strength of catabolite repression.
Project description:Despite intense elimination efforts, human malaria, caused by the infection of five Plasmodium species, remains the deadliest parasitic disease in the world. Even worse, with the emergence and spreading of the first-line drug-resistant Plasmodium parasites, therapeutic interventions based on novel plasmodial drug targets are more necessary than ever. Given that the blood-stage parasites primarily rely on glycolysis for their energy supply, blocking glucose uptake, the rate-limiting step of ATP generation, was considered a promising approach to kill these parasites. To achieve this goal, characterization of the plasmodial hexose transporter and development of selective inhibitors have been pursued for decades. Here, we review the identification and characterization of the Plasmodium falciparum hexose transporter (PfHT1) and summarize current advances in its inhibitor development.
Project description:Chemotherapy of malaria parasites is limited by established drug resistance and lack of novel targets. Intraerythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum are wholly dependent on host glucose for energy. Glucose uptake is mediated by a parasite-encoded facilitative hexose transporter (PfHT). We report that O-3 hexose derivatives inhibit uptake of glucose and fructose by PfHT when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Selectivity of these derivatives for PfHT is confirmed by lack of inhibition of hexose transport by the major mammalian glucose and fructose transporters (Gluts) 1 and 5. A long chain O-3 hexose derivative is the most effective inhibitor of PfHT and also kills P. falciparum when it is cultured in medium containing either glucose or fructose as a carbon source. To extend our observations to the second most important human malarial pathogen, we have cloned and expressed the Plasmodium vivax orthologue of PfHT, and demonstrate inhibition of glucose uptake by the long chain O-3 hexose derivative. Furthermore, multiplication of Plasmodium berghei in a mouse model is significantly reduced by the O-3 derivative. Our robust expression system conclusively validates PfHT as a novel drug target and is an important step in the development of novel antimalarials directed against membrane transport proteins.
Project description:Despite Plasmodium vivax being the main offender in the majority of malarial infections, very little information is available about its adaptation and development in humans. Its capability for activating relapsing infections through its dormant liver stage and resistance to antimalarial drugs makes it as one of the major challenges in eradicating malaria. Noting the immediate necessity for the availability of a comprehensive and reliable structural and functional repository for P. vivax proteome, here we developed a web resource for the new reference genome, PvP01, furnishing information on sequence, structure, functions, active sites and metabolic pathways compiled and predicted using some of the state-of-the-art methods in respective fields. The PvP01 web resource comprises organized data on the soluble proteome consisting of 3664 proteins in blood and liver stages of malarial cycle. The current public resources represent only 163 proteins of soluble proteome of PvP01, with complete information about their molecular function, biological process and cellular components. Also, only 46 proteins of P. vivax have experimentally determined structures. In this milieu of extreme scarcity of structural and functional information, PvP01 web resource offers meticulously validated structures of 3664 soluble proteins. The sequence and structure-based functional characterization led to a quantum leap from 163 proteins available presently to whole soluble proteome offered through PvP01 web resource. We believe PvP01 web resource will serve the researchers in identifying novel protein drug targets and in accelerating the development of structure-based new drug candidates to combat malaria. Database Availability: http://www.scfbio-iitd.res.in/PvP01.
Project description:Plasmodium vivax invasion of reticulocytes relies on distinct receptor-ligand interactions between the parasite and host erythrocytes. Engagement of the highly polymorphic domain II of the P. vivax Duffy-binding protein (DBPII) with the erythrocyte's Duffy Ag receptor for chemokines (DARC) is essential. Some P. vivax-exposed individuals acquired Abs to DBPII that block DBPII-DARC interaction and inhibit P. vivax reticulocyte invasion, and Ab levels correlate with protection against P. vivax malaria. To better understand the functional characteristics and fine specificity of protective human Abs to DBPII, we sorted single DBPII-specific IgG+ memory B cells from three individuals with high blocking activity to DBPII. We identified 12 DBPII-specific human mAbs from distinct lineages that blocked DBPII-DARC binding. All mAbs were P. vivax strain transcending and targeted known binding motifs of DBPII with DARC. Eleven mAbs competed with each other for binding, indicating recognition of the same or overlapping epitopes. Naturally acquired blocking Abs to DBPII from individuals with high levels residing in different P. vivax-endemic areas worldwide competed with mAbs, suggesting broadly shared recognition sites. We also found that mAbs inhibited P. vivax entry into reticulocytes in vitro. These findings suggest that IgG+ memory B cell activity in individuals with P. vivax strain-transcending Abs to DBPII display a limited clonal response with inhibitory blocking directed against a distinct region of the molecule.
Project description:The incidence and global distribution of chloroquine resistant (CR) Plasmodium vivax infection has increased since emerging in 1989. The mechanism of resistance in CR P. vivax has not been defined. The resistance likely relates to the formation and disposition of hemozoin as chloroquine's primary mechanism of action involves disruption of hemozoin formation. CR P. berghei strains, like CR P. vivax strains, are confined to reticulocyte host cells and reportedly they do not accumulate appreciable intraerythrocytic hemozoin. Reports comparing hemozoin production between P. vivax strains and CR to chloroquine sensitive (CS) P. berghei are absent. Here we compare in vivo patterns of hemozoin formation and distribution in blood, spleen and liver tissue of male Swiss mice infected with CS or CR P. berghei not treated with chloroquine and CR P. berghei also treated with chloroquine. Light microscopy, laser desorption mass spectrometry and a colorimetric hemozoin assay detect trace hemozoin in the blood of CR P. berghei infected mice but significant hemozoin accumulation in liver and spleen tissue. Field emission in lens scanning electron microscopy reveals CR P. berghei hemozoin crystals are morphologically smaller but similar to those formed by CS parasites. CR P. berghei produces approximately five-fold less total hemozoin than CS strain. Lipid analysis of CS and CR P. berghei sucrose gradient purified bloodstage hemozoin indicates a similar lipid environment around the isolated hemozoin, predominately monopalmitic glycerol and monostearic glycerol. In contrast to CR and CS P. berghei, colorimetric hemozoin analysis of P. vivax strains indicates similar amounts of hemozoin are produced despite differing chloroquine sensitivities. These results suggest CR P. berghei forms significant hemozoin which accumulates in liver and spleen tissues and that the P. vivax chloroquine resistance mechanism differs from P. berghei.
Project description:GLUT9 is a novel, facilitative glucose transporter isoform that exists as two alternative splice variants encoding two proteins that differ in their NH(2)-terminal sequence (GLUT9a and GLUT9b). Both forms of GLUT9 protein and mRNA are expressed in the epithelia of various tissues; however, the two splice variants are expressed differentially within polarized cells, with GLUT9a localized predominantly on the basolateral surfaces and GLUT9b expressed on apical surfaces. Protein expression of GLUT9 drops under conditions of starvation but increases with addition of glucose and under hyperglycemic conditions. The substrate specificity of GLUT9 is unique since, in addition to transporting hexose sugars, it also is a high-capacity uric acid transporter. Several recent large-scale human genetic studies show a correlation between SNPs mapped to GLUT9 and the serum uric acid levels in several different cohorts. The relationship between GLUT9 and uric acid is highly clinically significant. Elevated uric acid levels have been associated with metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and chronic renal failure. Although some believe uric acid is elevated as a result of these diseases, there is now evidence that uric acid may play a role in the pathogenesis of these diseases. It is also known that GLUT9 is expressed in articular cartilage and is a uric acid transporter, and thus it is possible that GLUT9 plays a role in gout, a disease of uric acid deposition in the joints. In addition, some studies have suggested that intake of fructose plays an important role in causing elevated serum uric acid levels, especially in diabetes and obesity. It is possible that GLUT9, which seems to be both a fructose and a uric acid transporter, plays an important role in these conditions associated with hyperuricemia.