Parasite FEN Inhibitors


This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 843245.

Kinetoplastida Parasites Flap Endonucleases (KFENs)


Leishmania tarentolae

The Class I parasite used for screening. 

Protein crystals

X-Ray diffraction of protein crystals is used for structure determination.

KFEN in complex with DNA

DNA is the natural substrate of flap Endonucleases.

KFEN in complex with an inhibitor

An inhibitor is buried in a cryptic pocket of a KFEN.

 

This early-stage drug discovery project aimed to establish test-tube screening materials and methods, followed by library screening and hit expansion, to produce inhibitors of our targets that could be used in later stage drug discovery efforts. Our target enzymes are Flap EndoNucleases (FENs) which process the branched DNA structures (5 flaps) arising during DNA replication. FENs are found as independent globular proteins in eukaryotes including parasites, the subject of this study. Knockouts of genes encoding FEN enzymes have proved lethal in all organisms tested to date. Thus, identifying specific inhibitors of parasite FEN proteins with good pharmacological properties, i.e. not toxic to humans, cheap to produce and with good bioavailability in vivo, could  potentially lead to the development of a new class of anti-parasite drugs.

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Interested in FENs in general? Read more here.

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