Functional expression of Francisella tularensis FabH and FabI, potential antibacterial targets

QSAR based therapeutic management of M. tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is responsible for severe mortality and morbidity worldwide but, under-developed and developing countries are more prone to infection. In search of effective and wide-spectrum anti-tubercular agents, interdisciplinary approaches are being explored. Of the several approaches used, computer based quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) have gained momentum. Structure-based drug design and discovery implies a combined knowledge of accurate prediction of ligand poses with the good prediction and interpretation of statistically validated models derived from the 3D-QSAR approach. The validated models are generally used to screen a small combinatorial library of potential synthetic candidates to identify hits which further subjected to docking to filter out compounds as novel potential emerging drug molecules to address multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Several newer models are integrated to QSAR methods which include different types of chemical and biological data, and simultaneous prediction of pharmacological activities including toxicities and/or other safety profiles to get new compounds with desired activity. In the process, several newer molecules have been identified which are now being assessed for their clinical efficacy. Present review deals with the advances made in the field highlighting overall future prospects of the development of anti-tuberculosis drugs.

A spontaneous mutation in kdsD, a biosynthesis gene for 3 Deoxy-D-manno-Octulosonic Acid, occurred in a ciprofloxacin resistant strain of Francisella tularensis and caused a high level of attenuation in murine models of tularemia

Francisella tularensis, a gram-negative facultative intracellular bacterial pathogen, is the causative agent of tularemia and able to infect many mammalian species, including humans. Because of its ability to cause a lethal infection, low infectious dose, and aerosolizable nature, F. tularensis subspecies tularensis is considered a potential biowarfare agent. Due to its in vitro efficacy, ciprofloxacin is one of the antibiotics recommended for post-exposure prophylaxis of tularemia. In order to identify therapeutics that will be efficacious against infections caused by drug resistant select-agents and to better understand the threat, we sought to characterize an existing ciprofloxacin resistant (CipR) mutant in the Schu S4 strain of F. tularensis by determining its phenotypic characteristics and sequencing the chromosome to identify additional genetic alterations that may have occurred during the selection process. In addition to the previously described genetic alterations, the sequence of the CipR mutant strain revealed several additional mutations. Of particular interest was a frameshift mutation within kdsD which encodes for an enzyme necessary for the production of 3-Deoxy-D-manno-Octulosonic Acid (KDO), an integral component of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A kdsD mutant was constructed in the Schu S4 strain. Although it was not resistant to ciprofloxacin, the kdsD mutant shared many phenotypic characteristics with the CipR mutant, including growth defects under different conditions, sensitivity to hydrophobic agents, altered LPS profiles, and attenuation in multiple models of murine tularemia. This study demonstrates that the KdsD enzyme is essential for Francisella virulence and may be an attractive therapeutic target for developing novel medical countermeasures.

Structural and dynamical aspects of Streptococcus gordonii FabH through molecular docking and MD simulations

β-Ketoacyl-ACP-synthase III (FabH or KAS III) has become an attractive target for the development of new antibacterial agents which can overcome the multidrug resistance. Unraveling the fatty acid biosynthesis (FAB) metabolic pathway and understanding structural coordinates of FabH will provide valuable insights to target Streptococcus gordonii for curing oral infection. In this study, we designed inhibitors against therapeutic target FabH, in order to block the FAB pathway. As compared to other targets, FabH has more interactions with other proteins, located on the leading strand with higher codon adaptation index value and associated with lipid metabolism category of COG. Current study aims to gain in silico insights into the structural and dynamical aspect of S. gordonii FabH via molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The FabH protein is catalytically active in dimerization while it can lock in monomeric state. Current study highlights two residues Pro88 and Leu315 that are close to each other by dimerization. The active site of FabH is composed of the catalytic triad formed by residues Cys112, His249, and Asn279 in which Cys112 is involved in acetyl transfer, while His249 and Asn279 play an active role in decarboxylation. Docking analysis revealed that among the studied compounds, methyl-CoA disulfide has highest GOLD score (82.75), binding affinity (-11 kcal/mol) and exhibited consistently better interactions. During MD simulations, the FabH structure remained stable with the average RMSD value of 1.7 Å and 1.6 Å for undocked protein and docked complex, respectively. Further, crucial hydrogen bonding of the conserved catalytic triad for exhibiting high affinity between the FabH protein and ligand is observed by RDF analysis. The MD simulation results clearly demonstrated that binding of the inhibitor with S. gordonii FabH enhanced the structure and stabilized the dimeric FabH protein. Therefore, the inhibitor has the potential to become a lead compound.

Elucidating the structural basis of diphenyl ether derivatives as highly potent enoyl-ACP reductase inhibitors through molecular dynamics simulations and 3D-QSAR study

Diphenyl ether derivatives are good candidates for anti-tuberculosis agents that display a promising potency for inhibition of InhA, an essential enoyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) reductase involved in fatty acid biosynthesis pathways in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In this work, key structural features for the inhibition were identified by 3D-QSAR CoMSIA models, constructed based on available experimental binding properties of diphenyl ether inhibitors, and a set of four representative compounds was subjected to MD simulations of inhibitor-InhA complexes for the calculation of binding free energies. The results show that bulky groups are required for the R1 substituent on the phenyl A ring of the inhibitors to favor a hydrophobic pocket formed by residues Phe149, Met155, Pro156, Ala157, Tyr158, Pro193, Met199, Val203, Leu207, Ile215, and Leu218. Small substituents with a hydrophilic property are required at the R3 and R4 positions of the inhibitor phenyl B rings to form hydrogen bonds with the backbones of Gly96 and Met98, respectively. For the R2 substituent, small substituents with simultaneous hydrophilic or hydrophobic properties are required to favor the interaction with the pyrophosphate moiety of NAD(+) and the methyl side chain of Ala198, respectively. The reported data provide structural guidance for the design of new and potent diphenyl ether-based inhibitors with high inhibitory activities against M. tuberculosis InhA.

Metabolism-directed structure optimization of benzimidazole-based Francisella tularensis enoyl-reductase (FabI) inhibitors

1. FabI is a potential antibiotic target against Francisella tularensis, which has been classified as a Category A biowarfare agent of high risk to public health. Our previous work demonstrated that N-benzyl benzimidazole compounds possess promising FabI inhibitory activity, but their druggability properties, including metabolic stability, are unknown. 2. The objective of this study was to characterize structure-metabolism relationships of a series of N-benzyl benzimidazole compounds to guide chemical optimization for better metabolic stability. To this end, metabolic stability data were obtained for 22 initial lead compounds using mouse hepatic microsomes. 3. Metabolic hotspots on the benzimidazole core structure as well as the benzyl ring were identified and verified by metabolite identification studies of four model compounds. Interestingly, the proposed structure-metabolism relationships did not apply to nine newly synthesized cyclopentane or oxacyclopentane derivatives of N-benzyl benzimidazole. 4. Subsequently, in silico quantitative structure-property relationship models were developed. Four molecular descriptors representing molecular polarity/polarisability, symmetry and size were identified to best explain variability in metabolic stability of different compounds. Multi-linear and non-linear regression models based on the selected molecular descriptors were developed and validated. 5. The structure-metabolism relationships for N-benzyl benzimidazole compounds should help optimization of N-benzyl benzimidazole compounds for better pharmacokinetic behavior.

Rational design of InhA inhibitors in the class of diphenyl ether derivatives as potential anti-tubercular agents using molecular dynamics simulations

A series of diphenyl ether derivatives were developed and showed promising potency for inhibiting InhA, an essential enoyl acyl carrier protein reductase involved in mycolic acid biosynthesis, leading to the lysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. To understand the structural basis of diphenyl ether derivatives for designing more potent inhibitors, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed. Based on the obtained results, the dynamic behaviour in terms of flexibility, binding free energy, binding energy decomposition, conformation, and the inhibitor-enzyme interaction of diphenyl ether inhibitors were elucidated. Phe149, Tyr158, Met161, Met199, Val203 and NAD+ are the key residues for binding of diphenyl ether inhibitors in the InhA binding pocket. Our results could provide the structural concept to design new diphenyl ether inhibitors with better enzyme inhibitory activity against M. tuberculosis InhA. The present work facilitates the design of new and potentially more effective anti-tuberculosis agents.

3-substituted indole inhibitors against Francisella tularensis FabI identified by structure-based virtual screening

In this study, we describe novel inhibitors against Francisella tularensis SchuS4 FabI identified from structure-based in silico screening with integrated molecular dynamics simulations to account for induced fit of a flexible loop crucial for inhibitor binding. Two 3-substituted indoles, 54 and 57, preferentially bound the NAD(+) form of the enzyme and inhibited growth of F. tularensis SchuS4 at concentrations near that of their measured Ki. While 57 was species-specific, 54 showed a broader spectrum of growth inhibition against F. tularensis , Bacillus anthracis , and Staphylococcus aureus . Binding interaction analysis in conjunction with site-directed mutagenesis revealed key residues and elements that contribute to inhibitor binding and species specificity. Mutation of Arg-96, a poorly conserved residue opposite the loop, was unexpectedly found to enhance inhibitor binding in the R96G and R96M variants. This residue may affect the stability and closure of the flexible loop to enhance inhibitor (or substrate) binding.

Discovery of a novel and potent class of F. tularensis enoyl-reductase (FabI) inhibitors by molecular shape and electrostatic matching

Enoyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) reductase, FabI, is a key enzyme in the bacterial fatty acid biosynthesis pathway (FAS II). FabI is an NADH-dependent oxidoreductase that acts to reduce enoyl-ACP substrates in a final step of the pathway. The absence of this enzyme in humans makes it an attractive target for the development of new antibacterial agents. FabI is known to be unresponsive to structure-based design efforts due to a high degree of induced fit and a mobile flexible loop encompassing the active site. Here we discuss the development, validation, and careful application of a ligand-based virtual screen used for the identification of novel inhibitors of the Francisella tularensis FabI target. In this study, four known classes of FabI inhibitors were used as templates for virtual screens that involved molecular shape and electrostatic matching. The program ROCS was used to search a high-throughput screening library for compounds that matched any of the four molecular shape queries. Matching compounds were further refined using the program EON, which compares and scores compounds by matching electrostatic properties. Using these techniques, 50 compounds were selected, ordered, and tested. The tested compounds possessed novel chemical scaffolds when compared to the input query compounds. Several hits with low micromolar activity were identified and follow-up scaffold-based searches resulted in the identification of a lead series with submicromolar enzyme inhibition, high ligand efficiency, and a novel scaffold. Additionally, one of the most active compounds showed promising whole-cell antibacterial activity against several Gram-positive and Gram-negative species, including the target pathogen. The results of a preliminary structure-activity relationship analysis are presented.

Structure of the Francisella tularensis enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase (FabI) in complex with NAD(+) and triclosan

Enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase (FabI) catalyzes the last rate-limiting step in the elongation cycle of the fatty-acid biosynthesis pathway and has been validated as a potential antimicrobial drug target in Francisella tularensis. The development of new antibiotic therapies is important both to combat potential drug-resistant bioweapons and to address the broader societal problem of increasing antibiotic resistance among many pathogenic bacteria. The crystal structure of FabI from F. tularensis (FtuFabI) in complex with the inhibitor triclosan and the cofactor NAD(+) has been solved to a resolution of 2.1 Å. Triclosan is known to effectively inhibit FabI from different organisms. Precise characterization of the mode of triclosan binding is required to develop highly specific inhibitors. Comparison of our structure with the previously determined FtuFabI structure (PDB code 2jjy) which is bound to only NAD(+) reveals the conformation of the substrate-binding loop, electron density for which was missing in the earlier structure, and demonstrates a shift in the conformation of the NAD(+) cofactor. This shift in the position of the phosphate groups allows more room in the active site for substrate or inhibitor to bind and be better accommodated. This information will be crucial for virtual screening studies to identify novel scaffolds for development into new active inhibitors.