06 Mar 16:24
by Liang Guo
Microb Pathog. 2023 Feb 20:106036. doi: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106036. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a food bacterium with strong pathogenicity which causes infections via the gastrointestinal tract. Mechanisms by which gut microbiota (GM) resist microbial infections have received little attention. Eight-week-old mice were orally inoculated with wild-type Lm EGD-e and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) employed. GM richness and diversity of infected mice changed rapidly within 24h. Firmicutes class decreased and Bacteroidetes, Tenericutes and Ruminococcaceae increased significantly. Coprococcus, Blautia and Eubacterium also increased on the 3rd day post-infection. Moreover, GM transplanted from healthy mice reduced mortality of infected mice by approximately 32%. FMT treatment decreased production of TNFα, IFN-γ, IL-1β and IL-6 relative to PBS treatment. In summary, FMT has potential as a treatment against Lm infection and may be used for bacterial resistance management. Further work is required to elucidate the key GM effector molecules.
PMID:36813004 | DOI:10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106036
06 Mar 16:24
by Sunita Muduli
Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj. 2023 Feb 20:130320. doi: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2023.130320. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance is a global health issue that requires immediate attention in terms of new antibiotics and new antibiotic targets. The l-lysine biosynthesis pathway (LBP) is a promising avenue for drug discovery as it is essential for bacterial growth and survival and is not required by human beings.
SCOPE OF REVIEW: The LBP involves a coordinated action of fourteen different enzymes distributed over four distinct sub-pathways. The enzymes involved in this pathway belong to different classes, such as aspartokinase, dehydrogenase, aminotransferase, epimerase, etc. This review provides a comprehensive account of the secondary and tertiary structure, conformational dynamics, active site architecture, mechanism of catalytic action, and inhibitors of all enzymes involved in LBP of different bacterial species.
MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: LBP offers a wide scope for novel antibiotic targets. The enzymology of a majority of the LBP enzymes is well understood, although these enzymes are less widely studied in the critical pathogens (according to the 2017 WHO report) that require immediate attention. In particular, the enzymes in the acetylase pathway, DapAT, DapDH, and Aspartokinase in critical pathogens have received little attention. High throughput screening for inhibitor design against the enzymes of lysine biosynthetic pathway is rather limited, both in number and in the extent of success.
GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: This review can serve as a guide for the enzymology of LBP and help in identifying new drug targets and designing potential inhibitors.
PMID:36813209 | DOI:10.1016/j.bbagen.2023.130320
03 Mar 22:57
by Liang Zhang, Kangjing Qi, Jie Xu, Yan Xing, Xuejian Wang, Ling Tong, Zengguo He, Wenfang Xu, Xiaoyang Li, and Yuqi Jiang

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00006
03 Mar 22:57
by Xiao Jin, Xuanyu Hu, Shangjun Jiang, Ting Zhao, Yanmei Zha, Shuangshuang Wei, Jianguo Zhao, Manchuriga Wang, and Yingxia Zhang

ACS Infectious Diseases
DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00544
02 Mar 17:29
by Carly K. Schissel, Charlotte E. Farquhar, Andrei Loas, Annika B. Malmberg, and Bradley L. Pentelute

ACS Chemical Biology
DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00920
02 Mar 17:27
by Wei Niu,
Jiantao Guo
Protein posttranslational modifications (PTMs) regulate every aspect of cellular function with profound implications in biology and health. To facilitate study of PTMs, genetic code expansion (GCE) has emerged as a powerful tool to synthesize proteins with homogeneous and stoichiometric PTMs or their analogs. This Concept paper summarizes several common PTMs that are successfully installed through GCE and discusses their applications in biological studies.
Abstract
Protein posttranslational modifications (PTMs) play critical roles in regulating cellular activities. Here we provide a survey of genetic code expansion (GCE) methods that were applied in the co-translational installation and studies of PTMs through noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) mutagenesis. We begin by reviewing types of PTM that have been installed by GCE with a focus on modifications of tyrosine, serine, threonine, lysine, and arginine residues. We also discuss examples of applying these methods in biological studies. Finally, we end the piece with a short discussion on the challenges and the opportunities of the field.
02 Mar 17:26
New research in mice shows bacteria hijack communication between nerve and immune cells in the meninges -- the protective layers that shield the brain from infection. The experiments detail step by step how bacteria activate pain receptors and initiate a signaling cascade that disables immune cells and culminates in bacterial invasion of the brain. The findings provide much-needed understanding into a critical window during the early stages of bacterial invasion when intervention could halt the spread of infection. The results point to therapeutic pathways for new treatments of bacterial meningitis, an often-fatal disease that can leave survivors with serious neurologic damage.
02 Mar 17:24
by Katherine R Hummels
Nature. 2023 Mar;615(7951):300-304. doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-05750-0. Epub 2023 Mar 1.
ABSTRACT
Gram-negative bacteria surround their cytoplasmic membrane with a peptidoglycan (PG) cell wall and an outer membrane (OM) with an outer leaflet composed of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)1. This complex envelope presents a formidable barrier to drug entry and is a major determinant of the intrinsic antibiotic resistance of these organisms2. The biogenesis pathways that build the surface are also targets of many of our most effective antibacterial therapies3. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the assembly of the Gram-negative envelope therefore promises to aid the development of new treatments effective against the growing problem of drug-resistant infections. Although the individual pathways for PG and OM synthesis and assembly are well characterized, almost nothing is known about how the biogenesis of these essential surface layers is coordinated. Here we report the discovery of a regulatory interaction between the committed enzymes for the PG and LPS synthesis pathways in the Gram-negative pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We show that the PG synthesis enzyme MurA interacts directly and specifically with the LPS synthesis enzyme LpxC. Moreover, MurA was shown to stimulate LpxC activity in cells and in a purified system. Our results support a model in which the assembly of the PG and OM layers in many proteobacterial species is coordinated by linking the activities of the committed enzymes in their respective synthesis pathways.
PMID:36859542 | PMC:PMC9995270 | DOI:10.1038/s41586-023-05750-0
02 Mar 17:21
by Thomas Laval
STAR Protoc. 2023 Jan 24;4(1):102062. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102062. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) hijacks host-derived fatty acids (FAs) to sustain its intracellular growth inside host cells. Here, we present a click-chemistry-based protocol to assess FA import by Mtb in axenic culture or inside mouse macrophages. We describe the use of alkyne analogs of natural FAs as an alternative to structurally altered fluorescent derivatives or hazardous radiolabeled FAs. We also detail quantitative analyses of FA uptake at single bacterial or host cell level by flow cytometry and confocal fluorescence microscopy. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Laval et al. (2021).1.
PMID:36853675 | PMC:PMC9881404 | DOI:10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102062
27 Feb 17:07
by Komal Umashankar Rao
Pharmaceutics. 2023 Feb 6;15(2):540. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020540.
ABSTRACT
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR) continues to pose a threat to public health. Previously, we identified a cationic host defense peptide with activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vivo and with a bactericidal effect against MDR M. tuberculosis at therapeutic concentrations. To understand the mechanisms of this peptide, we investigated its interactions with live M. tuberculosis and liposomes as a model. Peptide interactions with M. tuberculosis inner membranes induced tube-shaped membranous structures and massive vesicle formation, thus leading to bubbling cell death and ghost cell formation. Liposomal studies revealed that peptide insertion into inner membranes induced changes in the peptides' secondary structure and that the membranes were pulled such that they aggregated without permeabilization, suggesting that the peptide has a strong inner membrane affinity. Finally, the peptide targeted essential proteins in M. tuberculosis, such as 60 kDa chaperonins and elongation factor Tu, that are involved in mycolic acid synthesis and protein folding, which had an impact on bacterial proliferation. The observed multifaceted targeting provides additional support for the therapeutic potential of this peptide.
PMID:36839864 | PMC:PMC9958537 | DOI:10.3390/pharmaceutics15020540
27 Feb 13:54
by Xuan Tran
Cells. 2023 Feb 9;12(4):563. doi: 10.3390/cells12040563.
ABSTRACT
Plastids in plants are assumed to have evolved from cyanobacteria as they have maintained several bacterial features. Recently, peptidoglycans, as bacterial cell wall components, have been shown to exist in the envelopes of moss chloroplasts. Phylogenomic comparisons of bacterial and plant genomes have raised the question of whether such structures are also part of chloroplasts in angiosperms. To address this question, we visualized canonical amino acids of peptidoglycan around chloroplasts of Arabidopsis and Nicotiana via click chemistry and fluorescence microscopy. Additional detection by different peptidoglycan-binding proteins from bacteria and animals supported this observation. Further Arabidopsis experiments with D-cycloserine and AtMurE knock-out lines, both affecting putative peptidoglycan biosynthesis, revealed a central role of this pathway in plastid genesis and division. Taken together, these results indicate that peptidoglycans are integral parts of plastids in the whole plant lineage. Elucidating their biosynthesis and further roles in the function of these organelles is yet to be achieved.
PMID:36831230 | PMC:PMC9954125 | DOI:10.3390/cells12040563
27 Feb 13:53
by Philip Nikolic
Microorganisms. 2023 Jan 19;11(2):259. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11020259.
ABSTRACT
Antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria are a serious threat to human health. With increasing antibiotic resistance in common human pathogens, fewer antibiotics remain effective against infectious diseases. Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogenic bacterium of particular concern to human health as it has developed resistance to many of the currently used antibiotics leaving very few remaining as effective treatment. Alternatives to conventional antibiotics are needed for treating resistant bacterial infections. A deeper understanding of the cellular characteristics of resistant bacteria beyond well characterized resistance mechanisms can allow for increased ability to properly treat them and to potentially identify targetable changes. This review looks at antibiotic resistance in S aureus in relation to its cellular components, the cell wall, cell membrane and virulence factors. Methicillin resistant S aureus bacteria are resistant to most antibiotics and some strains have even developed resistance to the last resort antibiotics vancomycin and daptomycin. Modifications in cell wall peptidoglycan and teichoic acids are noted in antibiotic resistant bacteria. Alterations in cell membrane lipids affect susceptibility to antibiotics through surface charge, permeability, fluidity, and stability of the bacterial membrane. Virulence factors such as adhesins, toxins and immunomodulators serve versatile pathogenic functions in S aureus. New antimicrobial strategies can target cell membrane lipids and virulence factors including anti-virulence treatment as an adjuvant to traditional antibiotic therapy.
PMID:36838224 | PMC:PMC9965861 | DOI:10.3390/microorganisms11020259
27 Feb 13:44
by Yujeong Moon
Pharmaceutics. 2023 Jan 26;15(2):411. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020411.
ABSTRACT
Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are rapidly emerging as a potential therapeutic strategy for cancer therapy by inducing the degradation of tumor-overexpressing oncogenic proteins. They can specifically catalyze the degradation of target oncogenic proteins by recruiting E3 ligases and utilizing the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Since their mode of action is universal, irreversible, recyclable, long-lasting, and applicable to 'undruggable' proteins, PROTACs are gradually replacing the role of conventional small molecular inhibitors. Moreover, their application areas are being expanded to cancer immunotherapy as various types of oncogenic proteins that are involved in immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments. However, poor water solubility and low cell permeability considerably restrict the pharmacokinetic (PK) property, which necessitates the use of appropriate delivery systems for cancer immunotherapy. In this review, the general characteristics, developmental status, and PK of PROTACs are first briefly covered. Next, recent studies on the application of various types of passive or active targeting delivery systems for PROTACs are introduced, and their effects on the PK and tumor-targeting ability of PROTACs are described. Finally, recent drug delivery systems of PROTACs for cancer immunotherapy are summarized. The adoption of an adequate delivery system for PROTAC is expected to accelerate the clinical translation of PROTACs, as well as improve its efficacy for cancer therapy.
PMID:36839734 | PMC:PMC9965039 | DOI:10.3390/pharmaceutics15020411
24 Feb 13:32
by Alessandro Colombano
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2023 Feb 23:e202215979. doi: 10.1002/anie.202215979. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Aromatic prenyltransferases from cyanobactin biosynthetic pathways catalyse the chemoselective and regioselective intramolecular transfer of prenyl/geranyl groups from isoprene donors to an electron-rich position in these macrocyclic and linear peptides. These enzymes often demonstrate relaxed substrate specificity and are considered useful biocatalysts for structural diversification of peptides. Here, we assess the isoprene donor specificity of the N1-tryptophan prenyltransferase AcyF from anacyclamide A8P pathway, using a library of 22 synthetic alkyl-pyrophosphate analogues, of which, many display reactive groups that are amenable to additional functionalisation. We further used AcyF to introduce a reactive moiety in a tryptophan-containing cyclic peptide and subsequently used click chemistry to fluorescently label the enzymatically modified peptide. This chemoenzymatic strategy allows late-stage modification of peptides and is highly useful for many applications.
PMID:36815722 | DOI:10.1002/anie.202215979
24 Feb 13:31
by Vasanthanathan Poongavanam
ACS Omega. 2023 Feb 1;8(6):5901-5916. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.2c07717. eCollection 2023 Feb 14.
ABSTRACT
Approaches for predicting proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) cell permeability are of major interest to reduce resource-demanding synthesis and testing of low-permeable PROTACs. We report a comprehensive investigation of the scope and limitations of machine learning-based binary classification models developed using 17 simple descriptors for large and structurally diverse sets of cereblon (CRBN) and von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) PROTACs. For the VHL PROTAC set, kappa nearest neighbor and random forest models performed best and predicted the permeability of a blinded test set with >80% accuracy (k ≥ 0.57). Models retrained by combining the original training and the blinded test set performed equally well for a second blinded VHL set. However, models for CRBN PROTACs were less successful, mainly due to the imbalanced nature of the CRBN datasets. All descriptors contributed to the models, but size and lipophilicity were the most important. We conclude that properly trained machine learning models can be integrated as effective filters in the PROTAC design process.
PMID:36816707 | PMC:PMC9933238 | DOI:10.1021/acsomega.2c07717
22 Feb 14:55
by Wenxiao K. Yue, Tianxia Zhang, Rekha Shandre Mugan, Nicholas Barlow, David K. Chalmers, Colin W. Pouton, and Philip E. Thompson

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01587
22 Feb 14:55
by Jenniffer Linares, Monica Varese, Anna Sallent-Aragay, Ana Méndez, Sergio Palomo-Ponce, Mar Iglesias, Eduard Batlle, Jorge Pisonero, Clara Montagut, Ernest Giralt&, Daniele Lo Re, and Alexandre Calon

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01717
22 Feb 14:08
by Dmitrii Y Travin
mBio. 2023 Feb 21:e0021723. doi: 10.1128/mbio.00217-23. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Phazolicin (PHZ) is a peptide antibiotic exhibiting narrow-spectrum activity against rhizobia closely related to its producer, Rhizobium sp. strain Pop5. Here, we show that the frequency of spontaneous PHZ-resistant mutants in Sinorhizobium meliloti is below the detection limit. We find that PHZ can enter S. meliloti cells through two distinct promiscuous peptide transporters, BacA and YejABEF, which belong to the SLiPT (SbmA-like peptide transporter) and ABC (ATP-binding cassette) transporter families, respectively. The dual-uptake mode explains the lack of observed resistance acquisition because the simultaneous inactivation of both transporters is necessary for resistance to PHZ. Since both BacA and YejABEF are essential for the development of functional symbiosis of S. meliloti with leguminous plants, the unlikely acquisition of PHZ resistance via the inactivation of these transporters is further disfavored. A whole-genome transposon sequencing screen did not reveal additional genes that can provide strong PHZ resistance when inactivated. However, it was found that the capsular polysaccharide KPS, the novel putative envelope polysaccharide PPP (PHZ-protecting polysaccharide), as well as the peptidoglycan layer jointly contribute to the sensitivity of S. meliloti to PHZ, most likely serving as barriers that reduce the amount of PHZ transported inside the cell. IMPORTANCE Many bacteria produce antimicrobial peptides to eliminate competitors and create an exclusive niche. These peptides act either by membrane disruption or by inhibiting essential intracellular processes. The Achilles' heel of the latter type of antimicrobials is their dependence on transporters to enter susceptible cells. Transporter inactivation results in resistance. Here, we show that a rhizobial ribosome-targeting peptide, phazolicin (PHZ), uses two different transporters, BacA and YejABEF, to enter the cells of a symbiotic bacterium, Sinorhizobium meliloti. This dual-entry mode dramatically reduces the probability of the appearance of PHZ-resistant mutants. Since these transporters are also crucial for S. meliloti symbiotic associations with host plants, their inactivation in natural settings is strongly disfavored, making PHZ an attractive lead for the development of biocontrol agents for agriculture.
PMID:36802165 | DOI:10.1128/mbio.00217-23
22 Feb 14:07
by Ya Gao
J Chem Inf Model. 2023 Feb 20. doi: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00072. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Capsule is one of the common virulence factors in Gram-negative bacteria protecting pathogens from host defenses and consists of long-chain capsular polysaccharides (CPS) anchored in the outer membrane (OM). Elucidating structural properties of CPS is important to understand its biological functions as well as the OM properties. However, the outer leaflet of the OM in current simulation studies is represented exclusively by LPS due to the complexity and diversity of CPS. In this work, representative Escherichia coli CPS, KLPS (a lipid A-linked form) and KPG (a phosphatidylglycerol-linked form), are modeled and incorporated into various symmetric bilayers with co-existing LPS in different ratios. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations of these systems have been conducted to characterize various bilayer properties. Incorporation of KLPS makes the acyl chains of LPS more rigid and ordered, while incorporation of KPG makes them less ordered and flexible. These results are consistent with the calculated area per lipid (APL) of LPS, in which the APL of LPS becomes smaller when KLPS is incorporated, whereas it gets larger when KPG is included. Torsional analysis reveals that the influence of the CPS presence on the conformational distributions of the glycosidic linkages of LPS is small, and minor differences are also detected for the inner and outer regions of the CPS. Combined with previously modeled enterobacterial common antigens (ECAs) in the form of mixed bilayers, this work provides more realistic OM models as well as the basis for characterization of interactions between the OM and OM proteins.
PMID:36802606 | DOI:10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00072
22 Feb 14:07
by Inga V Leus
Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2023 Feb 16;67(2):e0137722. doi: 10.1128/aac.01377-22. Epub 2023 Jan 30.
ABSTRACT
Gram-negative bacteria are notoriously more resistant to antibiotics than Gram-positive bacteria, primarily due to the presence of the outer membrane and a plethora of active efflux pumps. However, the potency of antibiotics also varies dramatically between different Gram-negative pathogens, suggesting major mechanistic differences in how antibiotics penetrate permeability barriers. Two approaches are used broadly to analyze how permeability barriers affect intracellular accumulation of antibiotics. One compares the antibacterial activities of compounds, while the other measures the total intracellular concentrations of compounds in nongrowing cells, with both approaches using strains harboring wild-type or genetically modified efflux systems and permeability barriers. Whether the two assays provide similar mechanistic insights remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed the intracellular accumulation and antibacterial activities of antibiotics representative of major clinical classes in three Gram-negative pathogens of high clinical importance, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Acinetobacter baumannii. We found that both assays are informative about properties of permeability barriers, but there is no quantitative agreement between the assays. Our results show that the three pathogens differ dramatically in their permeability barriers, with the outer membrane playing the dominant role in E. coli and P. aeruginosa but efflux dominating in A. baumannii. However, even compounds of the same chemotype may use different permeation pathways depending on small chemical modifications. Accordingly, a classification analysis revealed limited conservation of molecular properties that define compound penetration into the three bacteria.
PMID:36715507 | PMC:PMC9933635 | DOI:10.1128/aac.01377-22
20 Feb 14:04
by Xuan Fu
Org Lett. 2023 Mar 3;25(8):1310-1314. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.3c00232. Epub 2023 Feb 17.
ABSTRACT
Seven d-amino acid derivatives having reactive side chains have been activated to afford their respective 3,5-dinitrobenzyl esters using the Mitsunobu reaction. This esterification was found to be difficult using traditional methods involving 3,5-dinitrobenzyl chloride under alkaline conditions. The conversion of a tRNA to the respective d-glutaminyl-tRNA using d-glutamine 3,5-dinitrobenzyl ester was catalyzed by a flexizyme, followed by purification to remove all the unacylated tRNAs and other byproducts. Both d- and l-glutamine were incorporated from their aminoacyl-tRNAs into a model peptide structurally related to IFN-β.
PMID:36800493 | DOI:10.1021/acs.orglett.3c00232
20 Feb 14:04
by Jia Xin Yee
J Microbiol. 2023 Feb 17. doi: 10.1007/s12275-023-00024-w. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Antibiotic treatment failure threatens our ability to control bacterial infections that can cause chronic diseases. Persister bacteria are a subpopulation of physiological variants that becomes highly tolerant to antibiotics. Membrane proteins play crucial roles in all living organisms to regulate cellular physiology. Although a diverse membrane component involved in persistence can result in antibiotic treatment failure, the regulations of antibiotic persistence by membrane proteins has not been fully understood. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in our understanding with regards to membrane proteins in Gram-negative bacteria as a regulator for antibiotic persistence, highlighting various physiological mechanisms in bacteria.
PMID:36800168 | DOI:10.1007/s12275-023-00024-w
20 Feb 14:03
by Yiwu Zheng
ACS Catal. 2022 Nov 18;12(22):14006-14014. doi: 10.1021/acscatal.2c04681. Epub 2022 Oct 31.
ABSTRACT
N-methylation of peptide backbones has often been utilized as a strategy towards the development of peptidic drugs. However, difficulties in the chemical synthesis, high cost of enantiopure N-methyl building blocks, and subsequent coupling inefficiencies have hampered larger-scale medicinal chemical efforts. Here, we present a chemoenzymatic strategy for backbone N-methylation by bioconjugation of peptides of interest to the catalytic scaffold of a borosin-type methyltransferase. Crystal structures of a substrate tolerant enzyme from Mycena rosella guided the design of a decoupled catalytic scaffold that can be linked via a heterobifunctional crosslinker to any peptide substrate of choice. Peptides linked to the scaffold, including those with non-proteinogenic residues, show robust backbone N-methylation. Various crosslinking strategies were tested to facilitate substrate disassembly, which enabled a reversible bioconjugation approach that efficiently released modified peptide. Our results provide general framework for the backbone N-methylation on any peptide of interest and may facilitate the production of large libraries of N-methylated peptides.
PMID:36793448 | PMC:PMC9928189 | DOI:10.1021/acscatal.2c04681
17 Feb 14:20
by Alam García-Heredia
aDepartment of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Journal of Bacteriology,
Volume 205, Issue 3, March 2023.
17 Feb 14:19
by Gregory A Harrison
bioRxiv. 2023 Feb 7:2023.02.06.527416. doi: 10.1101/2023.02.06.527416. Preprint.
ABSTRACT
Of the approximately 10 million cases of Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb ) infections each year, over 10% are resistant to the frontline antibiotic isoniazid (INH). INH resistance is predominantly caused by mutations that decrease the activity of the bacterial enzyme KatG, which mediates conversion of the pro-drug INH to its active form INH-NAD. We previously discovered an inhibitor of Mtb respiration, C10, that enhances the bactericidal activity of INH, prevents the emergence of INH-resistant mutants, and re-sensitizes a collection of INH-resistant mutants to INH through an unknown mechanism. To investigate the mechanism of action of C10, we exploited the toxicity of high concentrations of C10 to select for resistant mutants. We discovered two mutations that confer resistance to the disruption of energy metabolism and allow for growth of Mtb in high C10 concentrations, indicating that growth inhibition by C10 is associated with inhibition of respiration. Using these mutants as well as direct inhibitors of the Mtb electron transport chain, we provide evidence that inhibition of energy metabolism by C10 is neither sufficient nor necessary to potentiate killing by INH. Instead, we find that C10 acts downstream of INH-NAD synthesis, causing Mtb to become particularly sensitive to inhibition of the INH-NAD target, InhA, without changing the concentration of INH-NAD or the activity of InhA, the two predominant mechanisms of potentiating INH. Our studies revealed that there exists a vulnerability in Mtb that can be exploited to render Mtb sensitive to otherwise subinhibitory concentrations of InhA inhibitor.
SIGNIFICANCE: Isoniazid (INH) is a critical frontline antibiotic to treat Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb ) infections. INH efficacy is limited by its suboptimal penetration of the Mtb -containing lesion and by the prevalence of clinical INH-resistance. We previously discovered a compound, C10, that enhances the bactericidal activity of INH, prevents the emergence of INH-resistant mutants, and re-sensitizes a set of INH-resistant mutants to INH. Resistance is typically mediated by katG mutations that decrease the activation of INH, which is required for INH to inhibit the essential enzyme InhA. Our current work demonstrates that C10 re-sensitizes INH-resistant katG -hypomorphs without enhancing the activation of INH. We furthermore show that C10 causes Mtb to become particularly vulnerable to InhA inhibition without compromising InhA activity on its own. Therefore, C10 represents a novel strategy to curtail the development of INH resistance and to sensitize Mtb to sub-lethal doses of INH, such as those achieved at the infection site.
PMID:36798348 | PMC:PMC9934558 | DOI:10.1101/2023.02.06.527416
16 Feb 15:37
by Yiwu Zheng
ACS Catal. 2022 Nov 18;12(22):14006-14014. doi: 10.1021/acscatal.2c04681. Epub 2022 Oct 31.
ABSTRACT
N-methylation of peptide backbones has often been utilized as a strategy towards the development of peptidic drugs. However, difficulties in the chemical synthesis, high cost of enantiopure N-methyl building blocks, and subsequent coupling inefficiencies have hampered larger-scale medicinal chemical efforts. Here, we present a chemoenzymatic strategy for backbone N-methylation by bioconjugation of peptides of interest to the catalytic scaffold of a borosin-type methyltransferase. Crystal structures of a substrate tolerant enzyme from Mycena rosella guided the design of a decoupled catalytic scaffold that can be linked via a heterobifunctional crosslinker to any peptide substrate of choice. Peptides linked to the scaffold, including those with non-proteinogenic residues, show robust backbone N-methylation. Various crosslinking strategies were tested to facilitate substrate disassembly, which enabled a reversible bioconjugation approach that efficiently released modified peptide. Our results provide general framework for the backbone N-methylation on any peptide of interest and may facilitate the production of large libraries of N-methylated peptides.
PMID:36793448 | PMC:PMC9928189 | DOI:10.1021/acscatal.2c04681
15 Feb 20:18
by Ali Javed, Cornelis J. Slingerland, Thomas M. Wood, Nathaniel I. Martin, Femke Broere, Markus H. Weingarth, and Edwin J. A. Veldhuizen

ACS Infectious Diseases
DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00518
15 Feb 14:37
by Kenneth L Lutz
15 Feb 13:40
by Dhanushka Weerakoon
15 Feb 13:40
by Iain P S Smith