Cripowellins Pause Plasmodium falciparum Intraerythrocytic Development at the Ring Stage

Joshua H. Butler, Heather J. Painter, Emily K. Bremers, Priscilla Krai, Manuel Llinás, Maria B. Cassera

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cripowellins from Crinum erubescens are known pesticidal and have potent antiplasmodial activity. To gain mechanistic insights to this class of natural products, studies to determine the timing of action of cripowellins within the asexual intraerythrocytic cycle of Plasmodium falciparum were performed and led to the observation that this class of natural products induced reversible cytostasis in the ring stage within the first 24 h of treatment. The transcriptional program necessary for P. falciparum to progress through the asexual intraerythrocytic life cycle is well characterized. Whole transcriptome abundance analysis showed that cripowellin B “pauses” the transcriptional program necessary to progress through the intraerythrocytic life cycle coinciding with the lack of morphological progression of drug treated parasites. In addition, cripowellin B-treated parasites re-enter transcriptional progression after treatment was removed. This study highlights the use of cripowellins as chemical probes to reveal new aspects of cell cycle progression of the asexual ring stage of P. falciparum which could be leveraged for the generation of future antimalarial therapeutics.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number2600
JournalMolecules
Volume28
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2023

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Chemistry (miscellaneous)
  • Molecular Medicine
  • Pharmaceutical Science
  • Drug Discovery
  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
  • Organic Chemistry

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Cripowellins Pause Plasmodium falciparum Intraerythrocytic Development at the Ring Stage'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this