Sains Malaysiana 49(4)(2020): 755-764

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2020-4904-04

 Molecular Characterisation of Eimeria tenella Porin, a Potential Anticoccidial Drug Target

(Pencirian Molekul Eimeria tenella Porin, Sasaran Dadah Antikoksidia yang Berpotensi)

XIN-WEI LEE¹, SU DATT LAM^1,2, MOHD FIRDAUS-RAIH^1,2 & KIEW-LIAN WAN^1,3*

¹School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

²Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

³Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Received: 25 September 2019/Accepted: 20 December 2019

Abstract

Eimeria tenella is an apicomplexan parasite that causes the economically important disease coccidiosis in chickens. An estimated loss over $3 billion USD per annum has been reported. Control of coccidiosis relies on chemotherapy and vaccination, but drug resistance is common and live vaccines are relatively expensive. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new drugs to control Eimeria infections. Recent studies have shown that the pore forming structures of porin play important roles in many eukaryotic organisms. In this study, we generated and characterised a putative porin cDNA sequence from E. tenella that we have named Etporin. Sequence alignments showed that Etporin is 47 % similar to the putative porin sequence of Toxoplasma gondii, while a search against the Conserved Domain Database (CDD) shows that Etporin contains the Porin3 superfamily domain. Multiple sequence alignment with porin sequences from various eukaryotic organisms showed that the conserved VKXKX and GLK/STK motifs are present in Etporin. Analysis of the predicted Etporin 3D structure showed a classic beta barrel structure consisting of 19 beta-strands. Taken together, these results suggested Etporin has the potential to be developed into an anticoccidial drug target.

Keywords: Coccidiosis; drug target; protein structure

ABSTRAK

Eimeria tenella adalah parasit apikompleksa yang menyebabkan penyakit koksidiosis pada ayam. Anggaran kerugian ekonomi melebihi USD $3 bilion setahun telah dilaporkan. Pengawalan penyakit ini bergantung kepada kemoterapi dan pemvaksinan, namun kerintangan dadah adalah berleluasa dan vaksin hidup adalah mahal secara relatifnya. Oleh itu, terdapat keperluan yang mendesak untuk membangunkan dadah baru bagi mengawal jangkitanEimeria. Kajian terkini menunjukkan bahawa struktur porin yang terlibat dalam pembentukan liang memainkan peranan penting dalam kebanyakan organisma eukariot. Dalam kajian ini, kami telah menjana dan mencirikan jujukan cDNA porin putatif daripadaE. tenella, yang telah dinamakan Etporin. Penjajaran jujukan berbilang menunjukkan bahawa Etporin mempunyai 47% keserupaan dengan jujukan porin putatifToxoplasma gondii, sementara pencarian terhadap Pangkalan Data Domain Terpelihara (CDD) menunjukkan bahawa Etporin mengandungi domain superfamili Porin3. Penjajaran jujukan berbilang dengan jujukan porin daripada pelbagai organisma eukariot turut menunjukkan bahawa motif terpelihara VKXKX dan GLK/STK hadir pada Etporin. Analisis struktur ramalan 3D Etporinmenunjukkan struktur tong beta klasik yang terdiri daripada 19 bebenang-beta. Secara keseluruhannya, hasil kajian ini mencadangkan potensi Etporin untuk dibangunkan sebagai sasaran dadah antikoksidia.

Kata kunci: Koksidiosis; sasaran dadah; struktur protein

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*Corresponding author; email: klwan@ukm.edu.my