Biology subjects

Sanz, O.

Publications and source records attributed to Sanz, O..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

GSK2556286 is a novel antitubercular drug candidate effective in vivo with the potential to shorten tuberculosis treatment

As a result of a high-throughput compound screening campaign of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infected macrophages, a new preclinical drug candidate for the treatment of tuberculosis has been identified. GSK2556286 inhibits growth within human macrophages (IC50 = 0.07 {micro}M), is active against extracellular bacteria in cholesterol-containing culture media and exhibits no cross-resistance with known antitubercular drugs. In addition, it has shown efficacy in different mouse models of tuberculosis (TB) and has an adequate safety profile in two preclinical species. These features indicate a compound with a novel mode of action, although still not fully defined, that is effective against both multidrug or extensively-resistant (M/XDR) and drug-sensitive (DS) M. tuberculosis with the potential to shorten the duration of treatment in novel combination drug regimens. One Sentence SummaryGSK2556286 is a novel preclinical drug candidate for the treatment of tuberculosis with a new mode of action potentially able to contribute to the shortening of TB chemotherapy.

pharmacology and toxicology↗

bioRxiv2020

A multipass membrane protein interacts with the cGMP-dependent protein kinase to regulate critical calcium signals in malaria parasites

In malaria parasites, all cGMP-dependent signalling is mediated through a single cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), a major function of which is to control essential calcium signals. However, how PKG transmits these signals in the absence of known second messenger-dependent calcium channels or scaffolding proteins is unknown. Here we identify a polytopic membrane protein, ICM1, with homology to transporters and calcium channels that is tightly-associated with PKG in both Plasmodium falciparum asexual blood stages and P. berghei gametocytes. Phosphoproteomic analyses in both Plasmodium species reveal multiple ICM1 phosphorylation events dependent upon PKG activity. Stage-specific depletion of P. berghei ICM1 blocks gametogenesis due to the inability of mutant parasites to mobilise intracellular calcium upon PKG activation, whilst conditional loss of P. falciparum ICM1 results in reduced calcium mobilisation, defective egress and lack of invasion. Our findings provide new insights into atypical calcium homeostasis in malaria parasites essential for pathology and disease transmission.

microbiology↗