Targeting host syntaxin-5 preferentially blocks Leishmania parasitophorous vacuole development in infected cells and limits experimental Leishmania infections.

Our previous observations established a role for syntaxin-5 in the development of Leishmania parasitophorous vacuoles (LPVs). In this study, we took advantage of the recent identification of Retro-2, a small organic molecule that can cause the redistribution of syntaxin-5; we show herein that Retro-2 blocks LPV development within 2 hours of adding it to cells infected with Leishmania amazonensis. In infected cells incubated for 48 hours with Retro-2, LPV development was significantly limited; furthermore, infected cells harbored four to five times fewer parasites than infected cells incubated in vehicle alone. In vivo studies revealed that Retro-2 curbed experimental L. amazonensis infections in a dose-dependent manner. Retro-2 did not have any appreciable effect on the host cell physiological characteristics; furthermore, it had no apparent toxicity in experimental animals. An unexpected, but welcome, finding was that Retro-2 inhibited the replication of Leishmania parasites in axenic cultures. This study is significant because it identifies an endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi SNARE as a potential target for the control of Leishmania infections; moreover, it suggests that small organic molecules can be identified that can selectively disrupt the vesicle fusion machinery that promotes the development of pathogen-containing compartments without exerting toxic effects on the host.