title: The effects of phosphanegold(I) thiolates on the biological properties of Acanthamoeba castellanii belonging to the T4 genotype.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gold compounds have shown promise in the treatment of non-communicable diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and cancer, and are considered of value as anti-microbial agents against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, and have anti-parasitic properties against Schistosoma mansoni, Trypanosoma brucei, Plasmodium falciparum, Leishmania infantinum, Giardia lamblia, and Entamoeba histolytica. They are known to affect enzymatic activities that are required for the cellular respiration processes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anti-amoebic effects of phosphanegold(I) thiolates were tested against clinical isolate of A. castellanii belonging to the T4 genotype by employing viability assays, growth inhibition assays, encystation assays, excystation assays, and zymographic assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The treatment of A. castellanii with the phosphanegold(I) thiolates tested (i) had no effect on the viability of A. castellanii as determined by Trypan blue exclusion test, (ii) did not affect amoebae growth using PYG growth medium, (iii) did not inhibit cellular differentiation, and (iv) had no effect on the extracellular proteolytic activities of A. castellanii.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Being free-living amoeba, A. castellanii is a versatile respirator and possesses respiratory mechanisms that adapt to various aerobic and anaerobic environments to avoid toxic threats and adverse conditions. For the first time, our findings showed that A. castellanii exhibits resistance to the toxic effects of gold compounds and could prove to be an attractive model to study mechanisms of metal resistance in eukaryotic cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sunway University, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Ruqaiyyah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Siddiqui
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sunway University, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Farhat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abjani
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Crystalline Materials, Sunway University, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Chien Ing
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Yeo
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Crystalline Materials, Sunway University, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Edward R T
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Tiekink
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sunway University, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia. naveed5438@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Naveed Ahmed
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D048248:Acanthamoeba castellanii / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005838:Genotype; D017612:Gold Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000069289:Parasite Encystment / Q000187:drug effects; D059748:Proteolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053058:Trophozoites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D017612:Gold Compounds; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds
keywords: Acanthamoeba; Cytotoxicity assays; Encystation; Excystation; Gold compounds; Zymography