Probing UDP-galactopyranose mutase binding pocket: a dramatic effect on substitution of the 6-position of UDP-galactofuranose

Identification of inhibitors of UDP-galactopyranose mutase via combinatorial in situ screening

An in situ screening assay for UDP-galactopyranose mutase (UGM, an essential enzyme of M. tuberculosis cell wall biosynthesis) has been developed to discover novel UGM inhibitors. The approach is based on the amide-forming reaction of an amino acid core with various cinnamic acids, followed by a direct fluorescence polarization assay to identify the best UGM binders without isolation and purification of the screened ligands. This assay allows us to perform one-pot high-throughput synthesis and screening of enzyme inhibitors in a 384-well plate format. UGM ligands were successfully identified by this technology and their inhibition levels were established from pure synthetic compounds in vitro and in a whole cell antibacterial assay. This study provides a blueprint for designing enamide structures as new UGM inhibitors and anti-mycobacterial agents.

Fluorinated carbohydrates as chemical probes for molecular recognition studies. Current status and perspectives

This review provides an extensive summary of the effects of carbohydrate fluorination with regard to changes in physical, chemical and biological properties with respect to regular saccharides. The specific structural, conformational, stability, reactivity and interaction features of fluorinated sugars are described, as well as their applications as probes and in chemical biology.

6-Deoxy-6-fluoro galactofuranosides: regioselective glycosylation, unexpected reactivity, and anti-leishmanial activity

Selective glycosylation of the C-6 fluorinated galactofuranosyl acceptor 2 was studied with four galactofuranosyl donors. It was highlighted that this electron-withdrawing atom strongly impacted the behavior of the acceptor, thus leading to unprecedented glycosylation pathways. Competition between expected glycosylation of 2, ring expansion of this acceptor and furanosylation, and intermolecular aglycon transfer was observed. Further investigation of the fluorinated synthetic compounds showed that the presence of fluorine atom contributed to increase the inhibition of the growth of Leishmania tarentolae, a non-pathogenic strain of Leishmania.

The LPG1x family from Leishmania major is constituted of rare eukaryotic galactofuranosyltransferases with unprecedented catalytic properties

Galactofuranosyltransferases are poorly described enzymes despite their crucial role in the virulence and the pathogenicity of numerous microorganisms. These enzymes are considered as potential targets for therapeutic action. In addition to the only well-characterised prokaryotic GlfT2 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, four putative genes in Leishmania major were previously described as potential galactofuranosyltransferases. In this study, we have cloned, over-expressed, purified and fully determined the kinetic parameters of these four eukaryotic enzymes, thus demonstrating their unique potency in catalysing the transfer of the galactofuranosyl moiety into acceptors. Their individual promiscuity revealed to be different, as some of them could efficiently use NDP-pyranoses as donor substrates in addition to the natural UDP-galactofuranose. Such results pave the way for the development of chemoenzymatic synthesis of furanosyl-containing glycoconjugates as well as the design of improved drugs against leishmaniasis.

Synthesis of Unprecedented Sulfonylated Phosphono-exo-Glycals Designed as Inhibitors of the Three Mycobacterial Galactofuranose Processing Enzymes

This study reports a new methodology to synthesize exo-glycals bearing both a sulfone and a phosphonate. This synthetic strategy provides a way to generate exo-glycals displaying two electron-withdrawing groups and was applied to eight different carbohydrates from the furanose and pyranose series. The Z/E configurations of these tetrasubstituted enol ethers could be ascertained using NMR spectroscopic techniques. Deprotection of an exo-glycal followed by an UMP (uridine monophosphate) coupling generated two new UDP (uridine diphosphate)-galactofuranose analogues. These two Z/E isomers were evaluated as inhibitors of UGM, GlfT1, and GlfT2, the three mycobacterial galactofuranose processing enzymes. Molecule 46-(E) is the first characterized inhibitor of GlfT1 reported to date and was also found to efficiently inhibit UGM in a reversible manner. Interestingly, GlfT2 showed a better affinity for the (Z) isomer. The three enzymes studied in the present work are not only interesting because, mechanistically, they are still the topic of intense investigations, but also because they constitute very important targets for the development of novel antimycobacterial agents.

Leishmania cell wall as a potent target for antiparasitic drugs. A focus on the glycoconjugates

Although leishmaniasis has been studied for over a century, the fight against cutaneous, mucocutaneous and visceral forms of the disease remains a hot topic. This review refers to the parasitic cell wall and more particularly to the constitutive glycoconjugates. The structures of the main glycolipids and glycoproteins, which are species-dependent, are described. The focus is on the disturbance of the lipid membrane by existing drugs and possible new ones, in order to develop future therapeutic agents.

Galactofuranose Biosynthesis: Discovery, Mechanisms and Therapeutic Relevance

Galactofuranose, the atypical and thermodynamically disfavored form of d-galactose, has in reality a very old history in chemistry and biochemistry. The purpose of this book chapter is to give an overview on the fundamental aspects of the galactofuranose biosynthesis, from the biological occurrence to the search of inhibitors.

Structural basis of ligand binding to UDP-galactopyranose mutase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis using substrate and tetrafluorinated substrate analogues

UDP-Galactopyranose mutase (UGM) is a flavin-containing enzyme that catalyzes the reversible conversion of UDP-galactopyranose (UDP-Galp) to UDP-galactofuranose (UDP-Galf) and plays a key role in the biosynthesis of the mycobacterial cell wall galactofuran. A soluble, active form of UGM from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtUGM) was obtained from a dual His6-MBP-tagged MtUGM construct. We present the first complex structures of MtUGM with bound substrate UDP-Galp (both oxidized flavin and reduced flavin). In addition, we have determined the complex structures of MtUGM with inhibitors (UDP and the dideoxy-tetrafluorinated analogues of both UDP-Galp (UDP-F4-Galp) and UDP-Galf (UDP-F4-Galf)), which represent the first complex structures of UGM with an analogue in the furanose form, as well as the first structures of dideoxy-tetrafluorinated sugar analogues bound to a protein. These structures provide detailed insight into ligand recognition by MtUGM and show an overall binding mode similar to those reported for other prokaryotic UGMs. The binding of the ligand induces conformational changes in the enzyme, allowing ligand binding and active-site closure. In addition, the complex structure of MtUGM with UDP-F4-Galf reveals the first detailed insight into how the furanose moiety binds to UGM. In particular, this study confirmed that the furanoside adopts a high-energy conformation ((4)E) within the catalytic pocket. Moreover, these investigations provide structural insights into the enhanced binding of the dideoxy-tetrafluorinated sugars compared to unmodified analogues. These results will help in the design of carbohydrate mimetics and drug development, and show the enormous possibilities for the use of polyfluorination in the design of carbohydrate mimetics.

Tetrafluorination of sugars as strategy for enhancing protein-carbohydrate affinity: application to UDP-Galp mutase inhibition

Tetrafluorinated analogues of both UDP-galactopyranose and UDP-galactofuranose have been synthesized and assayed against UDP-galactopyranose mutase, a key enzyme for Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell wall biosynthesis. Competition assays and STD-NMR spectroscopy techniques have evidenced not only the first unambiguous case of affinity enhancement through local sugar polyfluorination, but also showed that tetrafluorination can still have a beneficial effect on binding when monofluorination at the same position does not.

Tautomerization in the UDP-galactopyranose mutase mechanism: a DFT-cluster and QM/MM investigation

UDP-galactopyranose mutase (UGM) is a key flavoenzyme involved in cell wall biosynthesis of a variety of pathogenic bacteria and hence, integral to their survival. It catalyzes the interconversion of UDP-galactopyranose (UDP-Galp) and UDP-galactofuranose (UDP-Galf); interconversion of the galactose moieties six- and five-membered ring forms. We have synergistically applied both density functional theory (DFT)-cluster and ONIOM quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) hybrid calculations to elucidate the mechanism of this important enzyme and to provide insight into its uncommon mechanism. It is shown that the flavin must initially be in its fully reduced form. Furthermore, it requires an N5(FAD)-H proton, which, through a series of tautomerizations, is transferred onto the ring oxygen of the substrate's Galp moiety to facilitate ring-opening with concomitant Schiff base formation. Conversely, Galf formation is achieved via a series of tautomerizations involving proton transfer from the galactose's -O4(Gal)H group ultimately onto the flavin's N5(FAD) center. With the DFT-cluster model, the overall rate-limiting step with a barrier of 120.0 kJ mol(-1) is the interconversion of two Galf-flavin tautomers: one containing a C4(FAD)-OH group and the other a tetrahedral protonated-N5(FAD) center. In contrast, in the QM/MM model a considerably more extensive chemical model was used that included all of the residues surrounding the active site, and modeled both their steric and electrostatic effects. In this approach, the overall rate-limiting step with a barrier of 99.2 kJ mol(-1) occurs during conformational rearrangement of the Schiff base linear galactose-flavin complex. This appears due to the lack of suitable functional groups to facilitate the rearrangement.

Specific and non-specific enzymes for furanosyl-containing conjugates: biosynthesis, metabolism, and chemo-enzymatic synthesis

There is no doubt now that the synthesis of compounds of varying complexity such as saccharides and derivatives thereof continuously grows with enzymatic methods. This review focuses on recent basic knowledge on enzymes specifically involved in the biosynthesis and degradation of furanosyl-containing polysaccharides and conjugates. Moreover, and when possible, biocatalyzed approaches, alternative to standard synthesis, will be detailed in order to strengthen the high potential of these biocatalysts to go further with the preparation of rare furanosides. Interesting results will be also proposed with chemo-enzymatic processes based on nonfuranosyl-specific enzymes.

Chemical mechanism of UDP-galactopyranose mutase from Trypanosoma cruzi: a potential drug target against Chagas' disease

UDP-galactopyranose mutase (UGM) is a flavoenzyme that catalyzes the conversion of UDP-galactopyranose to UDP-galactofuranose, the precursor of galactofuranose (Galf). Galf is found in several pathogenic organisms, including the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease. Galf) is important for virulence and is not present in humans, making its biosynthetic pathway an attractive target for the development of new drugs against T. cruzi. Although UGMs catalyze a non-redox reaction, the flavin must be in the reduced state for activity and the exact role of the flavin in this reaction is controversial. The kinetic and chemical mechanism of TcUGM was probed using steady state kinetics, trapping of reaction intermediates, rapid reaction kinetics, and fluorescence anisotropy. It was shown for the first time that NADPH is an effective redox partner of TcUGM. The substrate, UDP-galactopyranose, protects the enzyme from reacting with molecular oxygen allowing TcUGM to turnover ∼1000 times for every NADPH oxidized. Spectral changes consistent with a flavin iminium ion, without the formation of a flavin semiquinone, were observed under rapid reaction conditions. These data support the proposal of the flavin acting as a nucleophile. In support of this role, a flavin-galactose adduct was isolated and characterized. A detailed kinetic and chemical mechanism for the unique non-redox reaction of UGM is presented.

Two-step synthesis of per-O-acetylfuranoses: optimization and rationalization

A simple two-step procedure yielding peracetylated furanoses directly from free aldoses was implemented. Key steps of the method are (i) highly selective formation of per-O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)furanoses and (ii) their clean conversion into acetyl ones without isomerization. This approach was easily applied to galactose and structurally related carbohydrates such as arabinose, fucose, methyl galacturonate and N-acetylgalactosamine to give the corresponding peracetylated targets. The success of this procedure relied on the control of at least three parameters: (i) the tautomeric equilibrium of the starting unprotected oses, (ii) the steric hindrance of both targeted furanoses and silylating agent, and finally, (iii) the reactivity of each soft nucleophile during the protecting group interconversion.

Identification of Novel Inhibitors of UDP-Galactopyranose Mutase by Structure-Based Virtual Screening

UDP-galactopyranose mutase (UGM) is a flavo-enzyme involved in the bacterial cell wall biosynthesis. UGM catalyzes the reversible isomerization of UDP-galactopyranose (UDP-Galp) to UDP-galactofuranose (UDP-Galf). UDP-Galf is the activated precursor of galactofuranose (Galf) residues that are essential components of the cell wall of certain pathogenic bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumoniae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Neither UGM nor Galf residues are found in humans, making Galf biosynthesis a potential drug target for developing antibacterial agents. We report the identification of novel inhibitors of UGM by in silico docking of the LeadQuest compound database against UGM from Escherichia coli. The 13 most promising inhibitors were then evaluated against K. pneumonia and M. tuberculosis UGMs by enzyme inhibition studies. Two inhibitors were identified with IC50 values of ∼1 µM and subsequently these compounds were docked into the recently solved X-ray structure of Deinococcus radiodurans UGM. The structure-activity relationships of the initial 13 compounds evaluated as inhibitors are discussed.

Studies of a furanoside as antimycobacterial agent loaded into a biodegradable PBAT/sodium caseinate support

An improved synthesis of n-octyl β-D-galactofuranoside was described using micro-wave activation. The resulting alkyl furanoside showed antibacterial activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis, a non-pathogenic model of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It was further incorporated into a biodegradable PBAT/sodium caseinate polymer. The resulting biomaterial loaded with 5% of the pharmacophore retained the mycobacteriostatic properties and developed a mycobactericidal activity on contact and at the periphery of the film.

Synthetic UDP-furanoses as potent inhibitors of mycobacterial galactan biogenesis

UDP-galactofuranose (UDP-Galf) is a substrate for two types of enzymes, UDP-galactopyranose mutase and galactofuranosyltransferases, which are present in many pathogenic organisms but absent from mammals. In particular, these enzymes are involved in the biosynthesis of cell wall galactan, a polymer essential for the survival of the causative agent of tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We describe here the synthesis of derivatives of UDP-Galf modified at C-5 and C-6 using a chemoenzymatic route. In cell-free assays, these compounds prevented the formation of mycobacterial galactan, via the production of short "dead-end" intermediates resulting from their incorporation into the growing oligosaccharide chain. Modified UDP-furanoses thus constitute novel probes for the study of the two classes of enzymes involved in mycobacterial galactan assembly, and studies with these compounds may ultimately facilitate the future development of new therapeutic agents against tuberculosis.

Synthetic UDP-furanoses inhibit the growth of the parasite Leishmania

The chemical synthesis of UDP-6-NHAc-6-deoxy-Galf was performed and it led to the isolation of both pure anomers. They were then evaluated together with the previously prepared UDP-furanoses for their anti-parasitic properties against Leishmania donovani promastigotes, one of the agents responsible for visceral leishmaniasis. Amongst them, the unnatural 1,2-trans UDP-6-NHAc-Galf demonstrated a high potency in inhibiting the growth of the parasite.

Methods to study the biosynthesis of bacterial furanosides

Carbohydrates in the thermodynamically disfavored furanose ring conformation are not present in mammalian glycoconjugates, but are widespread in the glycans produced by many bacterial pathogens. In bacteria, these furanose sugars are often found in cell surface glycoconjugates, and are essential for the viability or virulence of the organisms. As a result, the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of bacterial furanosides are attractive targets as potential selective antimicrobial chemotherapeutics. However, before such chemotherapeutics can be designed, synthesized, and evaluated, more information about the activity and specificity of these enzymes is required. This chapter describes assays that have been used to study enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of one of the most abundant naturally occurring furanose residues, galactofuranose (Galf). In particular, the focus is on UDP-galactopyranose mutase and galactofuranosyltransferases. The assays described in this chapter require UDP-galactofuranose (UDP-Galf); therefore, a procedure for the preparation of UDP-Galf, as well as various UDP-Galf derivatives, using a three-enzyme chemoenzymatic procedure, is also described.

Chemistry and biology of galactofuranose-containing polysaccharides

The thermodynamically less stable form of galactose-galactofuranose (Galf)-is essential for the viability of several pathogenic species of bacteria and protozoa but absent in this form in mammals, so the biochemical pathways by which Galf-containing glycans are assembled and catabolysed are attractive sites for drug action. This potential has led to increasing interest in the synthesis of molecules containing Galf residues, their subsequent use in studies directed towards understanding the enzymes that process these residues and the identification of potential inhibitors of these pathways. Major achievements of the past several years have included an in-depth understanding of the mechanism of UDP-galactopyranose mutase (UGM), the enzyme that produces UDP-Galf, which is the donor species for galactofuranosyltransferases. A number of methods for the synthesis of galactofuranosides have also been developed, and practitioners in the field now have many options for the initiation of a synthesis of glycoconjugates containing either alpha- or beta-Galf residues. UDP-Galf has also been prepared by a number of approaches, and it appears that a chemoenzymatic approach is currently the most viable method for producing multi-milligram amounts of this important intermediate. Recent advances both in the understanding of the mechanism of UGM and in the synthesis of galactofuranose and its derivatives are highlighted in this review.

Characterization of a bifunctional pyranose-furanose mutase from Campylobacter jejuni 11168

UDP-galactopyranose mutases (UGM) are the enzymes responsible for the synthesis of UDP-galactofuranose (UDP-Galf) from UDP-galactopyranose (UDP-Galp). The enzyme, encoded by the glf gene, is present in bacteria, parasites, and fungi that express Galf in their glycoconjugates. Recently, a UGM homologue encoded by the cj1439 gene has been identified in Campylobacter jejuni 11168, an organism possessing no Galf-containing glycoconjugates. However, the capsular polysaccharide from this strain contains a 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-galactofuranose (GalfNAc) moiety. Using an in vitro high performance liquid chromatography assay and complementation studies, we characterized the activity of this UGM homologue. The enzyme, which we have renamed UDP-N-acetylgalactopyranose mutase (UNGM), has relaxed specificity and can use either UDP-Gal or UDP-GalNAc as a substrate. Complementation studies of mutase knock-outs in C. jejuni 11168 and Escherichia coli W3110, the latter containing Galf residues in its lipopolysaccharide, demonstrated that the enzyme recognizes both UDP-Gal and UDP-GalNAc in vivo. A homology model of UNGM and site-directed mutagenesis led to the identification of two active site amino acid residues involved in the recognition of the UDP-GalNAc substrate. The specificity of UNGM was characterized using a two-substrate co-incubation assay, which demonstrated, surprisingly, that UDP-Gal is a better substrate than UDP-GalNAc.

Ligand binding and substrate discrimination by UDP-galactopyranose mutase

Galactofuranose (Galf) residues are present in cell wall glycoconjugates of numerous pathogenic microbes. Uridine 5'-diphosphate (UDP) Galf, the biosynthetic precursor of Galf-containing glycoconjugates, is produced from UDP-galactopyranose (UDP-Galp) by the flavoenzyme UDP-galactopyranose mutase (UGM). The gene encoding UGM (glf) is essential for the viability of pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and this finding underscores the need to understand how UGM functions. Considerable effort has been devoted to elucidating the catalytic mechanism of UGM, but progress has been hindered by a lack of structural data for an enzyme-substrate complex. Such data could reveal not only substrate binding interactions but how UGM can act preferentially on two very different substrates, UDP-Galp and UDP-Galf, yet avoid other structurally related UDP sugars present in the cell. Herein, we describe the first structure of a UGM-ligand complex, which provides insight into the catalytic mechanism and molecular basis for substrate selectivity. The structure of UGM from Klebsiella pneumoniae bound to the substrate analog UDP-glucose (UDP-Glc) was solved by X-ray crystallographic methods and refined to 2.5 A resolution. The ligand is proximal to the cofactor, a finding that is consistent with a proposed mechanism in which the reduced flavin engages in covalent catalysis. Despite this proximity, the glucose ring of the substrate analog is positioned such that it disfavors covalent catalysis. This orientation is consistent with data indicating that UDP-Glc is not a substrate for UGM. The relative binding orientations of UDP-Galp and UDP-Glc were compared using saturation transfer difference NMR. The results indicate that the uridine moiety occupies a similar location in both ligand complexes, and this relevant binding mode is defined by our structural data. In contrast, the orientations of the glucose and galactose sugar moieties differ. To understand the consequences of these differences, we derived a model for the productive UGM-substrate complex that highlights interactions that can contribute to catalysis and substrate discrimination.