title: Identification of Plasmodium falciparum specific translation inhibitors from the MMV Malaria Box using a high throughput in vitro translation screen.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A major goal in the search for new anti-malarial compounds is to identify new mechanisms of action or new molecular targets. While cell-based, growth inhibition-based screening have enjoyed tremendous success, an alternative approach is to specifically assay a given pathway or essential cellular process.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here, this work describes the development of a plate-based, in vitro luciferase assay to probe for inhibitors specific to protein synthesis in Plasmodium falciparum through the use of an in vitro translation system derived from the parasite.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using the Medicines for Malaria Venture's Malaria Box as a pilot, 400 bioactive compounds with minimal human cytotoxicity profiles were screened, identifying eight compounds that displayed greater potency against the P. falciparum translation machinery relative to a mammalian translation system. Dose-response curves were determined in both translation systems to further characterize the top hit compound (MMV008270).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This assay will be useful not only in future anti-malarial screening efforts but also in the investigation of P. falciparum protein synthesis and essential processes in P. falciparum biology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Vida
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ahyong
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Christine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Sheridan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kristoffer E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Leon
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Witchley
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Diep
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. joe@derisilab.ucsf.edu.|Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA. joe@derisilab.ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Joseph L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: DeRisi
mesh_terms: D000962:Antimalarials / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques / Q000379:methods; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials
keywords: Anti-malarials; MMV; Malaria Box; Plasmodium falciparum; Ribosome; Screen; Translation