Anti-parasitic activity of depudecin on Neospora caninum via the inhibition of histone deacetylase

Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan parasite associated with abortion in cattle worldwide. Apicidin, histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, has shown a broad spectrum of anti-protozoal activity against apicomplexan parasites. Cultured vero cells infected with N. caninum tachyzoites were treated with 0.5 microg/ml of depudecin, another known natural product isolated from Altermaria brassiciicola with anti-histone deacetylase activity, to examine the efficacy of depudecin against intracellular multiplication of N. caninum tachyzoite, using 15 ng/ml of apicidin as the control. Depudecin significantly inhibited the intracellular multiplication of N. caninum at a level similar to that of apicidin without exerting any cytotoxicity on the host vero cells. Acid/urea/Triton gel electrophoresis analysis show anti-parasitic activity of depudecin appears to be due to the inhibition of protozoal histone deacetylase, which induces hyperacetylation of histones in N. caninum.