L-amino acid oxidase activity present in fractions of Bothrops jararaca venom is responsible for the induction of programmed cell death in Trypanosoma cruzi.

Bothrops jararaca venom induces programmed cell death in epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi. Here we fractionated the venom and observed that the anti-T. cruzi activity was associated with fractions that present L-amino acid oxidase (L-AAO) activity. L-AAO produces H(2)O(2), which is highly toxic. The addition of catalase to the medium, a H(2)O(2) scavenger, reverted the killing capacity of venom fractions. The anti-T. cruzi activity was also abolished when parasites were cultured in a medium without hydrophobic amino acids that are essential for L-AAO activity. These results were confirmed with a commercial purified L-AAO. Treatment for 24 h with fractions that present L-AAO activity induced parasites cytoplasmic retraction, mitochondrial swelling and DNA fragmentation, all morphological characteristics of programmed cell death. Similar changes were also observed when parasites were treated with H(2)O(2). These results indicate that H(2)O(2), the product of L-AAO reaction, induces programmed cell death explaining the anti-T. cruzi activity of B. jararaca venom.

Synthesis and evaluation of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and antimicrobial activities of thiosemicarbazides, 4-thiazolidinones and 1,3,4-thiadiazoles.

In this work we reported the synthesis and evaluation of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and antimicrobial activities in vitro of three new compound series obtained from ethyl(5-methyl-1-H-imidazole-4-carboxylate): acylthiosemicarbazide analogues 3a-d, 4-thiazolidinone analogues 4a-d and 1,3,4-thiadiazole analogues 5a-d. All synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, (1)H, (13)C NMR and HRMS. The majority of the tested compounds show excellent anti-T. gondii activity when compared to hydroxyurea and sulfadiazine. In addition it was also shown that most of the compounds in this study have a better performance against intracellular tachyzoites. The results for antimicrobial activity evaluation showed weak antibacterial and antifungal activities for all the tested molecules, when compared with the standard drugs (chloramphenicol and rifampicin for antibacterial activity; nistatin and ketoconazole for antifungal activity).

Programmed cell death in Trypanosoma cruzi induced by Bothrops jararaca venom.

Cells die through a programmed process or accidental death, know as apoptosis or necrosis, respectively. Bothrops jararaca is a snake whose venom inhibits the growth of Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigote forms causing mitochondrion swelling and cell death. The aim of the present work was to determine the type of death induced in epimastigotes of T. cruzi by this venom. Parasite growth was inhibited after venom treatment, and 50% growth inhibition was obtained with 10 microg/ml. Ultrastructural observations confirmed mitochondrion swelling and kinetoplast disorganization. Furthermore, cytoplasmic condensation, loss of mitochondrion membrane potential, time-dependent increase in phosphatidylserine exposure at the outer leaflet plasma membrane followed by permeabilization, activation of caspase like protein and DNA fragmentation were observed in epimastigotes throughout a 24 h period of venom treatment. Taken together, these results indicate that the stress induced in epimastigote by this venom, triggers a programmed cell death process, similar to metazoan apoptosis, which leads to parasite death.

Programmed cell death in Trypanosoma cruzi induced by Bothrops jararaca venom

Cells die through a programmed process or accidental death, know as apoptosis or necrosis, respectively. Bothrops jararaca is a snake whose venom inhibits the growth of Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigote forms causing mitochondrion swelling and cell death. The aim of the present work was to determine the type of death induced in epimastigotes of T. cruzi by this venom. Parasite growth was inhibited after venom treatment, and 50 percent growth inhibition was obtained with 10 æg/ml. Ultrastructural observations confirmed mitochondrion swelling and kinetoplast disorganization. Furthermore, cytoplasmic condensation, loss of mitochondrion membrane potential, time-dependent increase in phosphatidylserine exposure at the outer leaflet plasma membrane followed by permeabilization, activation of caspase like protein and DNA fragmentation were observed in epimastigotes throughout a 24 h period of venom treatment. Taken together, these results indicate that the stress induced in epimastigote by this venom, triggers a programmed cell death process, similar to metazoan apoptosis, which leads to parasite death.

A 2S albumin-homologous protein from passion fruit seeds inhibits the fungal growth and acidification of the medium by Fusarium oxysporum.

Antimicrobial proteins have been isolated from a wide range of plant species. More recently, it has become increasingly clear that these types of proteins play an important role in the protection of plants. In this study, we investigate the presence of defense-related proteins from passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa) seeds. Initially, seed flour was extracted for 2h (at 4 degrees C) with phosphate buffer, pH 5.5. The precipitate obtained between 0 and 70% relative ammonium sulfate saturation was re-dissolved in distilled water and heated at 80 degrees C for 15 min. The resulting suspension was clarified by centrifugation and the supernatant (F/0-70) was extensively dialyzed. A Sephadex G-50 size exclusion column was employed for further separation of proteins. The fraction with antifungal activity was pooled and submitted to CM-Sepharose cation exchange. Two proteins, named Pf1 and Pf2, were eluted in 0.1 and 0.2M of salt, respectively, and submitted to reverse-phase chromatography in HPLC. This fraction inhibited the growth, in an in vitro assay, of the phytopathogenic fungi Fusarium oxysporum and colletotrichum lindemuthianum and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and strongly inhibited glucose-stimulated acidification of the medium by F. oxysporum in a dose-dependent manner. The molecular masses of these proteins, referred to now as Pf1-RP and Pf2-RP, were obtained by MALDI-TOF spectrometry and corresponded to 12,088 Da for Pf1-RP and 11,930 Da for Pf2-RP. These proteins were also subjected to automated N-terminal amino acid sequencing. Sequence comparisons for the heavy subunit of Pf2-RP showed the presence of a protein with a high degree of homology to storage 2S albumins.

Biochemical and biological properties of phospholipases A(2) from Bothrops atrox snake venom.

Phospholipases A(2) (PLA(2)s), of molecular mass 13-15kDa, are commonly isolated from snake venom. Two myotoxins with PLA(2) activity, BaPLA(2)I and BaPLA(2)III, with estimated molecular masses of 15kDa were isolated from the venom of Bothrops atrox using Sephacryl S-100-HR and reverse-phase chromatography. BaPLA(2)I was basic, with a pI of 9.1, while BaPLA(2)III was neutral with a pI of 6.9. On a molecular basis, BaPLA(2)III exhibited higher catalytic activity on synthetic substrates than BaPLA(2)I. Comparison of the N-terminal residues of BaPLA(2)I with other PLA(2) proteins from snake venoms showed that it has the highest homology (94%) with B. asper myotoxin II and homology with a PLA(2) Lys(49) from B. atrox (89%). In contrast, BaPLA(2)III demonstrated 75, 72, and 71% homology with PLA(2) from Vipera ammodytes meridionalis, B. jararacussu, and B. jararaca, respectively. BaPLA(2)I and BaPLA(2)III were capable, in vitro, of inducing mast cell degranulation and, in vivo, of causing creatine kinase release, edema, and myonecrosis typical of PLA(2)s from snake venoms, characterized by rapid disruption of the plasma membrane as indicated by clumping of myofilaments and necrosis of affected skeletal muscle cells. BaPLA(2)I- and BaPLA(2)III-specific monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, although incapable of neutralizing PLA(2) edematogenic activity, blocked myonecrosis efficiently in an in vivo neutralization assay. The results presented herein suggest that the biological active site responsible for edema induction by these two PLA(2) enzymes is distinct from the myonecrosis active site and is not dependent upon the catalytic activity of the PLA(2) enzyme.

Ultrastructural alterations and growth inhibition of Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania major induced by Bothrops jararaca venom.

Snake venom can affect the growth of Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. As new classes of therapeutic drugs against protozoan parasites could be derived from snake venom, alterations in the ultrastructure and growth of the epimastigotes, trypomastigotes and amastigotes of T. cruzi, as well as the promastigotes of Leishmania major, were analyzed after treatment with crude venom from Bothrops jararaca. Parasite growth (epimastigotes and promastigotes) of venom treated cultures showed a negative correlation between cell growth and venom concentration. No growth occurred at a dose of 100 microg/ml of venom, while 50% growth inhibition was obtained in the range 0.1-0.3 microg/ml. Ultrastructural observations of treated bloodstream trypomastigotes, intracellular amastigotes, as well as axenic cultures of epimastigotes and promastigotes, demonstrated mitochondrial swelling and kinetoplast disorganization. Our data show that B. jararaca venom effectively inhibited the growth of T. cruziand L. major parasites. Growth inhibition was probably related to mitochondrial impairment.