A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Newly identified properties of known pharmaceuticals and myxobacterial small molecules revealed by screening for autophagy modulators
Authors: Fichtner, Janine; Beer, Yan Yan; Ramm, HG Mauricio; Mühlen, Sabrina; Surup, Frank; Herrmann, Jennifer; Meister, Toni Luise; Pfaender, Stephanie; Bilitewski, Ursula; Brönstrup, Mark; Müller, Roft; Wirth, Manfred; Eskelinen, Eeva-Liisa; Schmitz, Ingo
Publication year: 2025
Journal: FEBS Journal
Journal name in source: The FEBS journal
Journal acronym: FEBS J
ISSN: 1742-464X
eISSN: 1742-4658
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.70243
Web address : https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/febs.70243
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/499666954
Autophagy is a cellular degradation and recycling process important for maintaining cellular health and function. It is constitutively active at a low level in eukaryotic cells and can be induced by conditions of cellular stress, such as nutrient starvation. Moreover, autophagy plays an important role in diverse processes such as immunobiology, pathogen infection, ageing, and neurodegenerative and other diseases. Using a high-content fluorescence assay for microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta (LC3B), a major player in the autophagic pathway, we screened a library of commercial drugs and natural products for activators and inhibitors of LC3B-positive vesicle accumulation. Positive hits for known autophagy modulators included anisomycin, amphotericin B, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) and cytochalasin D. Importantly, we identified several new autophagy modulators, such as aciclovir and myxobacterial vioprolides. Anisomycin, aciclovir and vioprolides promoted intracellular growth of Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that is known to be a target of autophagy. In contrast, anisomycin strongly inhibited influenza A virus and SARS-CoV-2 replication. Subsequently, we investigated the influence of these autophagy modulators in a cellular disease model of neuronal vacuolation and spinocerebellar degeneration (NVSD), which is associated with cysteine protease ATG4D mutations. We provide evidence that anisomycin and famciclovir, an aciclovir analogue, can normalise the elevated amount of LC3-positive vesicles in mutant fibroblasts, highlighting their potential for the treatment of NVSD. Thus, the screening method enabled the identification of autophagy-modulating compounds with therapeutic potential.
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Funding information in the publication:
This work was supported by the Innovationsfonds der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft (Pre-4D, 001/2019) to MW and IS, and by the Faculty of Medicine and Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, to HGMR and E-LE. TLM is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation—project number: 542328175) and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF, TTU 01.719). TLM is associated with the DFG collaborative research centre 1648 (SFB 1648/1 2024 – 512741711). SP is supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation – 462165342) and associated with the DFG collaborative research centre 1648 (SFB 1648/1 2024 – 512741711). Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.
