Commercial Herbicides Can Trigger the Oxidative Inactivation of Acetohydroxyacid Synthase

In search of herbistasis: COT-metsulfuron methyl displays rare herbistatic properties

Weed management is an essential intervention for maintaining food security and protecting biodiversity but is heavily reliant on chemical control measures (i.e., herbicides). Concerningly, only one herbicide has been developed with a new mode of action (MOA) since the 1980s. Therefore, alternative strategies for preventing weed growth need to be explored. The lesser-known concept of halting weed growth through herbistasis could be one strategy to alleviate the lack of success in obtaining new MOA leads, but this type of activity has rarely been investigated. Herein reported is a bioisosteric cyclooctatetraene (COT) for phenyl ring replacement tactic, using the commercial acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitor metsulfuron methyl, that has unearthed a rare agent displaying herbistatic properties against the weed, Cryptostegia grandiflora (rubber vine).

A Novel AHAS-Inhibiting Herbicide Candidate for Controlling Leptochloa chinensis: A Devastating Weedy Grass in Rice Fields

Given the prevalence of the malignant weed Chinese Sprangletop (Leptochloa chinensis (L.) Nees) in rice fields, the development of novel herbicides against this weed has aroused wide interest. Here, we report a novel diphenyl ether-pyrimidine hybrid, DEP-5, serving as a systematic pre/postemergence herbicide candidate for broad-spectrum weed control in rice fields, specifically for L. chinensis. Notably, DEP-5 exhibits over 80% herbicidal activity against the resistant biotypes even at 37.5 g a.i./ha under greenhouse conditions and has complete control of L. chinensis at 150 g a.i./ha in the rice fields. We uncover that DEP-5 acts as a noncompetitive inhibitor of acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) with an inhibition constant (Ki) of 39.4 μM. We propose that DEP-5 binds to AHAS in two hydrophobic-driven binding modes that differ from commercial AHAS inhibitors. Overall, these findings demonstrate that DEP-5 has great potential to be developed into a herbicide for L. chinensis control and inspire fresh concepts for novel AHAS-inhibiting herbicide design.

Structure-activity relationships of bensulfuron methyl and its derivatives as novel agents against drug-resistant Candida auris

With the emergence of the human pathogen Candida auris as a threat to human health, there is a strong demand to identify effective medicines to prevent the harm caused by such drug-tolerant human fungi. Herein, a series of 33 new derivatives of bensulfuron methyl (BSM) were synthesized and characterized by 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, and HRMS. Among the target compounds, 8a possessed the best Ki value of 1.015 μM against C. auris acetohydroxyacid synthase (CauAHAS) and an MIC value of 6.25 μM against CBS10913, a clinically isolated strain of C. auris. Taken together the structures of BSM and the synthesized compounds, it was found that methoxy groups at both meta-position of pyrimidine ring are likely to provide desirable antifungal activities. Quantum calculations and molecular dockings were performed to understand the structure-activity relationships. The present study has hence provided some interesting clues for the discovery of novel antibiotics with this distinct mode of action.

Crystal Structure of the Commercial Herbicide, Amidosulfuron, in Complex with Arabidopsis thaliana Acetohydroxyacid Synthase

Amidosulfuron (AS) is from the commercial sulfonylurea herbicide family. It is highly effective against dicot broad-leaf weeds. This herbicide targets acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS), the first enzyme in the branched chain amino acid biosynthesis pathway. Here, we have determined the crystal structure of AS in complex with wildtype Arabidopsis thaliana AHAS (AtAHAS) and with the resistance mutant, S653T. In both structures, the cofactor, ThDP, is modified to a peracetate adduct, consistent with time-dependent accumulative inhibition. Compared to other AHAS-inhibiting herbicides of the sulfonylurea family, AS lacks a second aromatic ring. The replacement is an aryl sulfonyl group with a reduced number of interactions with the enzyme and relatively low affinity (K_i = 4.2 μM vs low nM when two heteroaromatic rings are present). This study shows that effective herbicides can have a relatively high K_i for plant AHAS but can still be a potent herbicide provided accumulative inhibition also occurs.

Chemical preparation, degradation analysis, computational docking and biological activities of novel sulfonylureas with 2,5-disubstituted groups

Based on the previous finding that a substitution at 5-position of the benzene ring is favorable to enhance the degradation rates of sulfonylurea herbicides, a total of 16 novel 2,5-disubsituted sulfonylurea compounds were chemically synthesized and fully characterized by means of ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, HRMS and X-ray diffraction. By using HPLC analysis, the degradation behavior of M03, a compound belonging to this family, was studied and confirmed that chlorsulfuron itself is not a degraded product of the 2,5-disubstituted sulfonylureas. Inhibition constants against plant acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) were determined for selected compounds, among which SU3 showed seven times stronger activity against the mutant W574L enzyme than chlorsulfuron. Molecular docking suggested that the substituted group at 5-position of benzene ring is likely to interact with the surrounding residues Met200 and Asp376 of AtAHAS. From the greenhouse herbicidal assay and crop safety test, SU5 and SU6 are considered as herbicide candidates to control dicotyledon weeds in corn, while SU3 is likely to be a promising candidate to control dicotyledon weed species and barnyard grass in wheat. The present research has therefore provided some new insights to understand the structure-activity relationships of herbicidal sulfonylureas with di-substitutions at benzene ring.

Structural basis of resistance to herbicides that target acetohydroxyacid synthase

Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) is the target for more than 50 commercial herbicides; first applied to crops in the 1980s. Since then, 197 site-of-action resistance isolates have been identified in weeds, with mutations at P197 and W574 the most prevalent. Consequently, AHAS is at risk of not being a useful target for crop protection. To develop new herbicides, a functional understanding to explain the effect these mutations have on activity is required. Here, we show that these mutations can have two effects (i) to reduce binding affinity of the herbicides and (ii) to abolish time-dependent accumulative inhibition, critical to the exceptional effectiveness of this class of herbicide. In the two mutants, conformational changes occur resulting in a loss of accumulative inhibition by most herbicides. However, bispyribac, a bulky herbicide is able to counteract the detrimental effects of these mutations, explaining why no site-of-action resistance has yet been reported for this herbicide.

Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) is the target of more than 50 commercial herbicides, with many site-of-action resistance isolates identified in weeds. Here, the authors report the structural and kinetic characterizations to explain the effect AHAS mutations have on herbicide potency.

Triazolopyrimidine herbicides are potent inhibitors of Aspergillus fumigatus acetohydroxyacid synthase and potential antifungal drug leads

Aspergillus fumigatus is a fungal pathogen whose effects can be debilitating and potentially fatal in immunocompromised patients. Current drug treatment options for this infectious disease are limited to just a few choices (e.g. voriconazole and amphotericin B) and these themselves have limitations due to potentially adverse side effects. Furthermore, the likelihood of the development of resistance to these current drugs is ever present. Thus, new treatment options are needed for this infection. A new potential antifungal drug target is acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS; EC 2.2.1.6), the first enzyme in the branched chain amino acid biosynthesis pathway, and a target for many commercial herbicides. In this study, we have expressed, purified and characterised the catalytic subunit of AHAS from A. fumigatus and determined the inhibition constants for several known herbicides. The most potent of these, penoxsulam and metosulam, have K_i values of 1.8 ± 0.9 nM and 1.4 ± 0.2 nM, respectively. Molecular modelling shows that these compounds are likely to bind into the herbicide binding pocket in a mode similar to Candida albicans AHAS. We have also shown that these two compounds inhibit A. fumigatus growth at a concentration of 25 µg/mL. Thus, AHAS inhibitors are promising leads for the development of new anti-aspergillosis therapeutics.

Herbicides That Target Acetohydroxyacid Synthase Are Potent Inhibitors of the Growth of Drug-Resistant Candida auris

Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS, EC 2.2.1.6), the first enzyme in the branched chain amino acid biosynthesis pathway, is the target for more than 50 commercially available herbicides, and is a promising target for antimicrobial drug discovery. Herein, we have expressed and purified AHAS from Candida auris, a newly identified human invasive fungal pathogen. Thirteen AHAS inhibiting herbicides have K_i values of <2 μM for this enzyme, with the most potent having K_i values of <32 nM. Six of these compounds exhibited MIC₅₀ values of <1 μM against C. auris (CBS10913 strain) grown in culture, with bensulfuron methyl (BSM) being fungicidal and the most potent (MIC₅₀ of 0.090 μM) in defined minimal media. The MIC₅₀ value increases to 0.90 μM in media enriched by the addition of branched-chain amino acids at the expected concentration in the blood serum. The sessile MIC₅₀ for BSM is 0.6 μM. Thus, it is also an excellent inhibitor of the growth of C. auris biofilms. BSM is nontoxic in HEK-293 cells at concentrations >100 μM and thus possesses a therapeutic index of >100. These data suggest that targeting AHAS is a viable strategy for treating C. auris infections.

Structures of fungal and plant acetohydroxyacid synthases

Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS), also known as acetolactate synthase, is a flavin adenine dinucleotide-, thiamine diphosphate- and magnesium-dependent enzyme that catalyses the first step in the biosynthesis of branched-chain amino acids¹. It is the target for more than 50 commercial herbicides². AHAS requires both catalytic and regulatory subunits for maximal activity and functionality. Here we describe structures of the hexadecameric AHAS complexes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and dodecameric AHAS complexes of Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that the regulatory subunits of these AHAS complexes form a core to which the catalytic subunit dimers are attached, adopting the shape of a Maltese cross. The structures show how the catalytic and regulatory subunits communicate with each other to provide a pathway for activation and for feedback inhibition by branched-chain amino acids. We also show that the AHAS complex of Mycobacterium tuberculosis adopts a similar structure, thus demonstrating that the overall AHAS architecture is conserved across kingdoms.

Molecular architecture of the acetohydroxyacid synthase holoenzyme

The acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) holoenzyme catalyzes the first step of branch-chain amino acid biosynthesis and is essential for plants and bacteria. It consists of a regulatory subunit (RSU) and a catalytic subunit (CSU). The allosteric mechanism of the AHAS holoenzyme has remained elusive for decades. Here, we determined the crystal structure of the AHAS holoenzyme, revealing the association between the RSU and CSU in an A2B2 mode. Structural analysis in combination with mutational studies demonstrated that the RSU dimer forms extensive interactions with the CSU dimer, in which a conserved salt bridge between R32 and D120 may act as a trigger to open the activation loop of the CSU, resulting in the activation of the CSU by the RSU. Our study reveals the activation mechanism of the AHAS holoenzyme.

Research on the controllable degradation of N-methylamido and dialkylamino substituted at the 5th position of the benzene ring in chlorsulfuron in acidic soil

Owing to the lengthy residual problems associated with chlorsulfuron, metsulfuron-methyl, and ethametsulfuron, which prevents them from being used in the "annual multi-crop planting system", the application of these sulfonylurea herbicides (SU) has regrettably been terminated in China since 2014. In this field, we were the first to discover that the 5th position of the benzene ring in chlorsulfuron is a key point for influencing its degradation rate and the amino moiety at this position showed faster degradation rates and maintained their original potent bioactivity. In this study, we further elaborated on N-methylamido and dialkylamino substituents at the same position in chlorsulfuron to obtain 18 novel structures as M and N series. Their half-life degradation (DT50) values were faster, to varying degrees, than chlorsulfuron in acidic soil. It was found that most of the titled structures also retained their potent herbicidal activity and the crop safety of the M series towards corn greatly increased. Based on these data, a comprehensive graph describing the structure/degradation relationship was established first. Relating to the new molecules, their herbicidal activity (A), degradation rates (D), and crop safety (S) relationship were correlated and we used this approach to predict and explore the most preferable molecule, which coincided to the corresponding experimental data. The new concept of controllable degradation will provide us with more insight when searching for new ecological bioactive molecules in the future.

The mechanism of bensulfuron-methyl complexation with β-cyclodextrin and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin and effect on soil adsorption and bio-activity

In this work, the inclusion complexes of hydrophobic herbicide bensulfuron-methyl (BSM) with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and (2-hydroxypropyl)-β-CD (2-HP-β-CD) were prepared and characterized. Phase solubility study showed that both β-CD and 2-HP-β-CD increased the solubility of BSM. Three-dimensional structures of the inclusion complexes were simulated by the molecular docking method. The docking results indicated that guest BSM could enter into the cavities of host CDs, folded, and centrally aligned inside the inclusion complexes. The benzene ring of the guest molecule was close to the wide rim of the host molecules; the pyrimidine ring and side chains of the guest molecule were oriented toward the narrow rim of the host molecule. The inclusion complexes were successfully prepared by the coprecipitation method. The physiochemical characterization data of 1H NMR, FT-IR, XRD, and DSC showed that the guest and host molecules were well included. BSM had lower soil adsorption and higher herbicidal activity in the complexation form with β-CD or 2-HP-β-CD than in the pure form. The present study provides an approach to develop a novel CDs-based formulation for hydrophobic herbicides.

Chemical preparation, biological evaluation and 3D-QSAR of ethoxysulfuron derivatives as novel antifungal agents targeting acetohydroxyacid synthase

Accetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) is the first enzyme involved in the biosynthetic pathway of branched-chain amino acids. Earlier gene mutation of Candida albicans in a mouse model suggested that this enzyme is a promising target of antifungals. Recent studies have demonstrated that some commercial AHAS-inhibiting sulfonylurea herbicides exerted desirable antifungal activity. In this study, we have designed and synthesized 68 novel ethoxysulfulron (ES) derivatives and evaluated their inhibition constants (K_i) against C. albicans AHAS and cell based minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values. The target compounds 5-1, 5-10, 5-22, 5-31 and 5-37 displayed stronger AHAS inhibitions than ES did. Compound 5-1 had the best K_i of 6.7 nM against fungal AHAS and MIC values of 2.5 mg/L against Candida albicans and Candica parapsilosis after 72 h. A suitable nematode model was established here and the antifungal activity of 5-1 was further evaluated in vivo. A possible binding mode was simulated via molecular docking and a comparative field analysis (CoMFA) model was constructed to understand the structure-activity relationship. The current study has indicated that some ES derivatives should be considered as promising hits to develop antifungal drugs with novel biological target.

Commercial AHAS-inhibiting herbicides are promising drug leads for the treatment of human fungal pathogenic infections

The increased prevalence of drug-resistant human pathogenic fungal diseases poses a major threat to global human health. Thus, new drugs are urgently required to combat these infections. Here, we demonstrate that acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS), the first enzyme in the branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis pathway, is a promising new target for antifungal drug discovery. First, we show that several AHAS inhibitors developed as commercial herbicides are powerful accumulative inhibitors of Candida albicans AHAS (K _i values as low as 800 pM) and have determined high-resolution crystal structures of this enzyme in complex with several of these herbicides. In addition, we have demonstrated that chlorimuron ethyl (CE), a member of the sulfonylurea herbicide family, has potent antifungal activity against five different Candida species and Cryptococcus neoformans (with minimum inhibitory concentration, 50% values as low as 7 nM). Furthermore, in these assays, we have shown CE and itraconazole (a P450 inhibitor) can act synergistically to further improve potency. Finally, we show in Candida albicans-infected mice that CE is highly effective in clearing pathogenic fungal burden in the lungs, liver, and spleen, thus reducing overall mortality rates. Therefore, in view of their low toxicity to human cells, AHAS inhibitors represent a new class of antifungal drug candidates.

Structural insights into the mechanism of inhibition of AHAS by herbicides

Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS), the first enzyme in the branched amino acid biosynthesis pathway, is present only in plants and microorganisms, and it is the target of >50 commercial herbicides. Penoxsulam (PS), which is a highly effective broad-spectrum AHAS-inhibiting herbicide, is used extensively to control weed growth in rice crops. However, the molecular basis for its inhibition of AHAS is poorly understood. This is despite the availability of structural data for all other classes of AHAS-inhibiting herbicides. Here, crystallographic data for Saccharomyces cerevisiae AHAS (2.3 Å) and Arabidopsis thaliana AHAS (2.5 Å) in complex with PS reveal the extraordinary molecular mechanisms that underpin its inhibitory activity. The structures show that inhibition of AHAS by PS triggers expulsion of two molecules of oxygen bound in the active site, releasing them as substrates for an oxygenase side reaction of the enzyme. The structures also show that PS either stabilizes the thiamin diphosphate (ThDP)-peracetate adduct, a product of this oxygenase reaction, or traps within the active site an intact molecule of peracetate in the presence of a degraded form of ThDP: thiamine aminoethenethiol diphosphate. Kinetic analysis shows that PS inhibits AHAS by a combination of events involving FAD oxidation and chemical alteration of ThDP. With the emergence of increasing levels of resistance toward front-line herbicides and the need to optimize the use of arable land, these data suggest strategies for next generation herbicide design.

Comprehensive understanding of acetohydroxyacid synthase inhibition by different herbicide families

Five commercial herbicide families inhibit acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS, E.C. 2.2.1.6), which is the first enzyme in the branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis pathway. The popularity of these herbicides is due to their low application rates, high crop vs. weed selectivity, and low toxicity in animals. Here, we have determined the crystal structures of Arabidopsis thaliana AHAS in complex with two members of the pyrimidinyl-benzoate (PYB) and two members of the sulfonylamino-carbonyl-triazolinone (SCT) herbicide families, revealing the structural basis for their inhibitory activity. Bispyribac, a member of the PYBs, possesses three aromatic rings and these adopt a twisted "S"-shaped conformation when bound to A. thaliana AHAS (AtAHAS) with the pyrimidinyl group inserted deepest into the herbicide binding site. The SCTs bind such that the triazolinone ring is inserted deepest into the herbicide binding site. Both compound classes fill the channel that leads to the active site, thus preventing substrate binding. The crystal structures and mass spectrometry also show that when these herbicides bind, thiamine diphosphate (ThDP) is modified. When the PYBs bind, the thiazolium ring is cleaved, but when the SCTs bind, ThDP is modified to thiamine 2-thiazolone diphosphate. Kinetic studies show that these compounds not only trigger reversible accumulative inhibition of AHAS, but also can induce inhibition linked with ThDP degradation. Here, we describe the features that contribute to the extraordinarily powerful herbicidal activity exhibited by four classes of AHAS inhibitors.

The Role of a FAD Cofactor in the Regulation of Acetohydroxyacid Synthase by Redox Signaling Molecules

Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) catalyzes the first step of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) biosynthesis, a pathway essential to the lifecycle of plants and microorganisms. This enzyme is of high interest because its inhibition is at the base of the exceptional potency of herbicides and potentially a target for the discovery of new antimicrobial drugs. The enzyme has conserved attributes from its predicted ancestor, pyruvate oxidase, such as a ubiquinone-binding site and the requirement for FAD as cofactor. Here, we show that these requirements are linked to the regulation of AHAS, in relationship to its anabolic function. Using various soluble quinone derivatives (e.g. ubiquinones), we reveal a new path of down-regulation of AHAS activity involving inhibition by oxidized redox-signaling molecules. The inhibition process relies on two factors specific to AHAS: (i) the requirement of a reduced FAD cofactor for the enzyme to be active and (ii) a characteristic slow rate of FAD reduction by the pyruvate oxidase side reaction of the enzyme. The mechanism of inhibition involves the oxidation of the FAD cofactor, leading to a time-dependent inhibition of AHAS correlated with the slow process of FAD re-reduction. The existence and conservation of such a complex mechanism suggests that the redox level of the environment regulates the BCAA biosynthesis pathway. This mode of regulation appears to be the foundation of the inhibitory activity of many of the commercial herbicides that target AHAS.