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Yildirim O, Barman D, Chung M, Stone S, Geißen R, Boby ML, Sherborne BS, Tan DS. Design and synthesis of a library of C8-substituted sulfamidoadenosines to probe bacterial permeability. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2024; 110:129844. [PMID: 38851357 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2024.129844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria pose a major challenge in antibiotic drug discovery because their cell envelope presents a permeability barrier that affords high intrinsic resistance to small-molecule drugs. The identification of correlations between chemical structure and Gram-negative permeability would thus enable development of predictive tools to facilitate antibiotic discovery. Toward this end, have advanced a library design paradigm in which various chemical scaffolds are functionalized at different regioisomeric positions using a uniform reagent set. This design enables decoupling of scaffold, regiochemistry, and substituent effects upon Gram-negative permeability of these molecules. Building upon our recent synthesis of a library of C2-substituted sulfamidoadenosines, we have now developed an efficient synthetic route to an analogous library of regioisomeric C8-substituted congeners. The C8 library samples a region of antibiotic-relevant chemical space that is similar to that addressed by the C2 library, but distinct from that sampled by a library of analogously substituted oxazolidinones. Selected molecules were tested for accumulation in Escherichia coli in a pilot analysis, setting the stage for full comparative evaluation of these libraries in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Okan Yildirim
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Dipti Barman
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Mia Chung
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Samantha Stone
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Raphael Geißen
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; Doctoral Program, Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Melissa L Boby
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; Pharmacology Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | - Derek S Tan
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; Pharmacology Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; Tri-Institutional Research Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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2
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Butler MS, Vollmer W, Goodall ECA, Capon RJ, Henderson IR, Blaskovich MAT. A Review of Antibacterial Candidates with New Modes of Action. ACS Infect Dis 2024. [PMID: 39018341 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
There is a lack of new antibiotics to combat drug-resistant bacterial infections that increasingly threaten global health. The current pipeline of clinical-stage antimicrobials is primarily populated by "new and improved" versions of existing antibiotic classes, supplemented by several novel chemical scaffolds that act on traditional targets. The lack of fresh chemotypes acting on previously unexploited targets (the "holy grail" for new antimicrobials due to their scarcity) is particularly unfortunate as these offer the greatest opportunity for innovative breakthroughs to overcome existing resistance. In recognition of their potential, this review focuses on this subset of high value antibiotics, providing chemical structures where available. This review focuses on candidates that have progressed to clinical trials, as well as selected examples of promising pioneering approaches in advanced stages of development, in order to stimulate additional research aimed at combating drug-resistant infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark S Butler
- Centre for Superbug Solutions and ARC Training Centre for Environmental and Agricultural Solutions to Antimicrobial Resistance, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Waldemar Vollmer
- Centre for Superbug Solutions and ARC Training Centre for Environmental and Agricultural Solutions to Antimicrobial Resistance, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Emily C A Goodall
- Centre for Superbug Solutions and ARC Training Centre for Environmental and Agricultural Solutions to Antimicrobial Resistance, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Robert J Capon
- Centre for Superbug Solutions and ARC Training Centre for Environmental and Agricultural Solutions to Antimicrobial Resistance, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Ian R Henderson
- Centre for Superbug Solutions and ARC Training Centre for Environmental and Agricultural Solutions to Antimicrobial Resistance, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Mark A T Blaskovich
- Centre for Superbug Solutions and ARC Training Centre for Environmental and Agricultural Solutions to Antimicrobial Resistance, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
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3
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Parkhill SL, Johnson EO. Integrating bacterial molecular genetics with chemical biology for renewed antibacterial drug discovery. Biochem J 2024; 481:839-864. [PMID: 38958473 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
The application of dyes to understanding the aetiology of infection inspired antimicrobial chemotherapy and the first wave of antibacterial drugs. The second wave of antibacterial drug discovery was driven by rapid discovery of natural products, now making up 69% of current antibacterial drugs. But now with the most prevalent natural products already discovered, ∼107 new soil-dwelling bacterial species must be screened to discover one new class of natural product. Therefore, instead of a third wave of antibacterial drug discovery, there is now a discovery bottleneck. Unlike natural products which are curated by billions of years of microbial antagonism, the vast synthetic chemical space still requires artificial curation through the therapeutics science of antibacterial drugs - a systematic understanding of how small molecules interact with bacterial physiology, effect desired phenotypes, and benefit the host. Bacterial molecular genetics can elucidate pathogen biology relevant to therapeutics development, but it can also be applied directly to understanding mechanisms and liabilities of new chemical agents with new mechanisms of action. Therefore, the next phase of antibacterial drug discovery could be enabled by integrating chemical expertise with systematic dissection of bacterial infection biology. Facing the ambitious endeavour to find new molecules from nature or new-to-nature which cure bacterial infections, the capabilities furnished by modern chemical biology and molecular genetics can be applied to prospecting for chemical modulators of new targets which circumvent prevalent resistance mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susannah L Parkhill
- Systems Chemical Biology of Infection and Resistance Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, U.K
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University College London, London, U.K
| | - Eachan O Johnson
- Systems Chemical Biology of Infection and Resistance Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, U.K
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University College London, London, U.K
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College, London, U.K
- Department of Chemistry, King's College London, London, U.K
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4
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Aslan H, Renzi G, Angeli A, D'Agostino I, Ronca R, Massardi ML, Tavani C, Carradori S, Ferraroni M, Governa P, Manetti F, Carta F, Supuran CT. Benzenesulfonamide decorated dihydropyrimidin(thi)ones: carbonic anhydrase profiling and antiproliferative activity. RSC Med Chem 2024; 15:1929-1941. [PMID: 38911163 PMCID: PMC11187566 DOI: 10.1039/d4md00101j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
In the last decades, carbonic anhydrases (CAs) have become the top investigated innovative pharmacological targets and, in particular, isoforms IX and XII have been widely studied due to the evidence of their overexpression in hypoxic tumors. The frantic race to find new anticancer agents places the quick preparation of large libraries of putative bioactive compounds as the basis of a successful drug discovery and development programme. In this context, multi-component and, in general, one-step reactions are becoming very popular and, among them, Biginelli's reaction gave clean and easy-to-isolate products. Thus, we synthesized a series of Biginelli's products (10-17a-b) and similar derivatives (20-21) bearing the benzenesulfonamide moiety, which is known to inhibit CA enzymes. Through the stopped-flow technique, we were able to assess their ability to inhibit the targeted CAs IX and XII in the nanomolar range with promising selectivity over the physiologically relevant isoforms I and II. Crystallography studies and docking simulations helped us to gain insight into the interaction patterns established in the enzyme-inhibitor complex. From a chemical similarity-based screening of in-house libraries of compounds, a diphenylpyrimidine (23) emerged. The surprisingly potent inhibitory activity of 23 for CAs IX and XII along with its strong antiproliferative effect on two (triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 and glioblastoma U87MG) cell lines laid the foundation for further investigation, again confirming the key role of CAs in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hakan Aslan
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Arts, Sinop University Sinop Turkey
- NEUROFARBA Department, Sezione di Scienze Farmaceutiche, University of Florence Sesto Fiorentino Florence 50019 Italy
| | - Gioele Renzi
- NEUROFARBA Department, Sezione di Scienze Farmaceutiche, University of Florence Sesto Fiorentino Florence 50019 Italy
| | - Andrea Angeli
- NEUROFARBA Department, Sezione di Scienze Farmaceutiche, University of Florence Sesto Fiorentino Florence 50019 Italy
| | - Ilaria D'Agostino
- NEUROFARBA Department, Sezione di Scienze Farmaceutiche, University of Florence Sesto Fiorentino Florence 50019 Italy
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa 56126 Pisa Italy
| | - Roberto Ronca
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia 25123 Brescia Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Massardi
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia 25123 Brescia Italy
| | - Camilla Tavani
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia 25123 Brescia Italy
| | - Simone Carradori
- Department of Pharmacy, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara 66100 Chieti Italy
| | - Marta Ferraroni
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence Sesto Fiorentino Florence 50019 Italy
| | - Paolo Governa
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena 53100 Siena Italy
| | - Fabrizio Manetti
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena 53100 Siena Italy
| | - Fabrizio Carta
- NEUROFARBA Department, Sezione di Scienze Farmaceutiche, University of Florence Sesto Fiorentino Florence 50019 Italy
| | - Claudiu T Supuran
- NEUROFARBA Department, Sezione di Scienze Farmaceutiche, University of Florence Sesto Fiorentino Florence 50019 Italy
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5
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Rivera M, Ayon OS, Diaconescu-Grabari S, Pottel J, Moitessier N, Mittermaier A, McKeague M. A sensitive and scalable fluorescence anisotropy single stranded RNA targeting approach for monitoring riboswitch conformational states. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:3164-3179. [PMID: 38375901 PMCID: PMC11014391 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The capacity of riboswitches to undergo conformational changes in response to binding their native ligands is closely tied to their functional roles and is an attractive target for antimicrobial drug design. Here, we established a probe-based fluorescence anisotropy assay to monitor riboswitch conformational switching with high sensitivity and throughput. Using the Bacillus subtillis yitJ S-Box (SAM-I), Fusobacterium nucleatum impX RFN element of (FMN) and class-I cyclic-di-GMP from Vibrio cholerae riboswitches as model systems, we developed short fluorescent DNA probes that specifically recognize either ligand-free or -bound riboswitch conformational states. We showed that increasing concentrations of native ligands cause measurable and reproducible changes in fluorescence anisotropy that correlate with riboswitch conformational changes observed by native gel analysis. Furthermore, we applied our assay to several ligand analogues and confirmed that it can discriminate between ligands that bind, triggering the native conformational change, from those that bind without causing the conformational change. This new platform opens the possibility of high-throughput screening compound libraries to identify potential new antibiotics that specifically target functional conformational changes in riboswitches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maira Rivera
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Omma S Ayon
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | | | - Joshua Pottel
- Molecular Forecaster Inc. 910-2075 Robert Bourassa, Montreal, QC H3A 2L1, Canada
| | - Nicolas Moitessier
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
- Molecular Forecaster Inc. 910-2075 Robert Bourassa, Montreal, QC H3A 2L1, Canada
| | - Anthony Mittermaier
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Maureen McKeague
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8, Canada
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y6, Canada
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6
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Cain BN, Hergenrother PJ. Using permeation guidelines to design new antibiotics-A PASsagE into Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Clin Transl Med 2024; 14:e1600. [PMID: 38426413 PMCID: PMC10905542 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brett N. Cain
- Department of Chemistry and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic BiologyUniversity of IllinoisUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Paul J. Hergenrother
- Department of Chemistry and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic BiologyUniversity of IllinoisUrbanaIllinoisUSA
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7
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Johnson RM, Li K, Chen X, Morgan GL, Aubé J, Li B. The Hybrid Antibiotic Thiomarinol A Overcomes Intrinsic Resistance in Escherichia coli Using a Privileged Dithiolopyrrolone Moiety. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:582-593. [PMID: 38226592 PMCID: PMC11235417 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
An impermeable outer membrane and multidrug efflux pumps work in concert to provide Gram-negative bacteria with intrinsic resistance against many antibiotics. These resistance mechanisms reduce the intracellular concentrations of antibiotics and render them ineffective. The natural product thiomarinol A combines holothin, a dithiolopyrrolone antibiotic, with marinolic acid A, a close analogue of mupirocin. The hybridity of thiomarinol A converts the mupirocin scaffold from inhibiting Gram-positive bacteria to inhibiting both Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. We found that thiomarinol A accumulates significantly more than mupirocin within the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli, likely contributing to its broad-spectrum activity. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of E. coli mutants reveals that thiomarinol A overcomes the intrinsic resistance mechanisms that render mupirocin inactive. Structure-activity relationship studies suggest that the dithiolopyrrolone is a privileged moiety for improving the accumulation and antibiotic activity of the mupirocin scaffold without compromising binding to isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase. These studies also highlight that accumulation is required but not sufficient for antibiotic activity. Our work reveals a role of the dithiolopyrrolone moiety in overcoming intrinsic mupirocin resistance in E. coli and provides a starting point for designing dual-acting and high-accumulating hybrid antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M Johnson
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Kelin Li
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Xiaoyan Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Gina L Morgan
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Jeffrey Aubé
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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8
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Stoorza AM, Duerfeldt AS. Guiding the Way: Traditional Medicinal Chemistry Inspiration for Rational Gram-Negative Drug Design. J Med Chem 2024; 67:65-80. [PMID: 38134355 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
The discovery and development of small-molecule therapeutics effective against Gram-negative pathogens are highly challenging tasks. Most compounds that are active in biochemical settings fail to exhibit whole-cell activity. The major reason for this lack of activity is the effectiveness of bacterial cell envelopes as permeability barriers. These barriers originate from the nutrient-selective outer membranes, which act synergistically with polyspecific efflux pumps. Guiding principles to enable rational optimization of small molecules for efficient penetration and intracellular accumulation in Gram-negative bacteria would have a transformative impact on the discovery and design of chemical probes and therapeutics. In this Perspective, we draw on inspiration from traditional medicinal chemistry approaches for eukaryotic drug design to present a broader call for action in developing comparable approaches for Gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis M Stoorza
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414, United States
| | - Adam S Duerfeldt
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414, United States
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9
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Bu F, Lin X, Liao W, Lu Z, He Y, Luo Y, Peng X, Li M, Huang Y, Chen X, Xiao B, Jiang J, Deng J, Huang J, Lin T, Miao Z, Huang L. Ribocentre-switch: a database of riboswitches. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:D265-D272. [PMID: 37855663 PMCID: PMC10767811 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are regulatory elements found in the untranslated regions (UTRs) of certain mRNA molecules. They typically comprise two distinct domains: an aptamer domain that can bind to specific small molecules, and an expression platform that controls gene expression. Riboswitches work by undergoing a conformational change upon binding to their specific ligand, thus activating or repressing the genes downstream. This mechanism allows gene expression regulation in response to metabolites or small molecules. To systematically summarise riboswitch structures and their related ligand binding functions, we present Ribocentre-switch, a comprehensive database of riboswitches, including the information as follows: sequences, structures, functions, ligand binding pockets and biological applications. It encompasses 56 riboswitches and 26 orphan riboswitches from over 430 references, with a total of 89 591 sequences. It serves as a good resource for comparing different riboswitches and facilitating the identification of potential riboswitch candidates. Therefore, it may facilitate the understanding of RNA structural conformational changes in response to ligand signaling. The database is publicly available at https://riboswitch.ribocentre.org.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Bu
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
- GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Sciences, The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Laboratory for Cell Fate Regulation and Diseases,Guangzhou National Laboratory, Medical University, Guangzhou 510180, China
| | - Xiaowei Lin
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Wenjian Liao
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Zhizhong Lu
- School of Life Sciences and Biopharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yuanlin He
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Yuhang Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Xuemei Peng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Mengxiao Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Yuanyin Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Xiaoxue Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Bowen Xiao
- GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Sciences, The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Laboratory for Cell Fate Regulation and Diseases,Guangzhou National Laboratory, Medical University, Guangzhou 510180, China
| | - Jiuhong Jiang
- GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Sciences, The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Laboratory for Cell Fate Regulation and Diseases,Guangzhou National Laboratory, Medical University, Guangzhou 510180, China
| | - Jie Deng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Jian Huang
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Tianxin Lin
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Zhichao Miao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Brain Functional Modulation, Clinical Research Center for Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200434, China
- GMU-GIBH Joint School of Life Sciences, The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Laboratory for Cell Fate Regulation and Diseases,Guangzhou National Laboratory, Medical University, Guangzhou 510180, China
| | - Lin Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
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10
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Zhao S, Maceren J, Chung M, Stone S, Geißen R, Boby ML, Sherborne BS, Tan DS. Design and synthesis of a library of C2-substituted sulfamidoadenosines to probe bacterial permeability. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2024; 97:129486. [PMID: 37734424 PMCID: PMC10842738 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2023.129486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a major threat to public health, and Gram-negative bacteria pose a particular challenge due to their combination of a low permeability cell envelope and efflux pumps. Our limited understanding of the chemical rules for overcoming these barriers represents a major obstacle in antibacterial drug discovery. Several recent efforts to address this problem have involved screening compound libraries for accumulation in bacteria in order to understand the structural properties required for Gram-negative permeability. Toward this end, we used cheminformatic analysis to design a library of sulfamidoadenosines (AMSN) having diverse substituents at the adenine C2 position. An efficient synthetic route was developed with installation of a uniform cross-coupling reagent set using Sonogashira and Suzuki reactions of a C2-iodide. The potential utility of these compounds was demonstrated by pilot analysis of selected analogues for accumulation in Escherichia coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shibin Zhao
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Julian Maceren
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Mia Chung
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Samantha Stone
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | - Raphael Geißen
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA; Doctoral Program, Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg,79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Melissa L Boby
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA; Pharmacology Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA
| | | | - Derek S Tan
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA; Pharmacology Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA; Tri-Institutional Research Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10065, USA.
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11
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Acharya A, Jana K, Kleinekathöfer U. Antibiotic Charge Profile Determines the Extent of L3 Dynamics in OmpF: An Expedited Passage for Molecules with a Positive Charge. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:10766-10777. [PMID: 38064341 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c04557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
Efficient permeation into Gram-negative bacterial cells is a much-desired property in the design of antibacterial agents. The goal is to arrive at one or more chemical modifications of molecules that improve their uptake into the cell while maintaining a good binding affinity to the intracellular target. Previously, we proposed a mechanistic rationale for the fast permeation of bulky antibiotics that involves induced conformational dynamics in the constriction loop L3 of the OmpF channel. This flexibility is caused by the perturbation of a hydrogen bond network stabilizing the L3 loop due to the strong interactions of the positively charged moiety on the antibiotic with the residues of the L3 loop. In the present work, we examine how differences in the charge profile of antibiotic molecules can affect the permeation process, in particular, the L3 dynamics. To this end, we have performed all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to study the permeation process of molecules with differences in the net charge through the Escherichia coli OmpF channel. The results from these simulations suggest that a positively charged moiety on the antibiotic is responsible for strong interactions with the negatively charged residues of the L3 loop, promoting conformational dynamics in the L3 loop. In contrast, antibiotics without a positively charged moiety are unable to initiate such a dynamic response in the L3 loop. This distinct behavior of the L3 loop in the presence of molecules with different charge characteristics provides a plausible mechanism whereby large molecules with an appropriate charge distribution can leverage an L3 dynamic-dependent pathway to permeate efficiently. The results are relevant to the structure-based design of molecules with improved uptake properties achieved through systematic chemical modifications that effectively engage the L3 loop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Acharya
- School of Science, Constructor University, Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany
| | - Kalyanashis Jana
- School of Science, Constructor University, Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany
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12
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Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria are intrinsically resistant to many antibiotics, due in large part to the permeability barrier formed by their cell envelope. The complex and synergistic interplay of the two Gram-negative membranes and active efflux prevents the accumulation of a diverse range of compounds that are effective against Gram-positive bacteria. A lack of detailed information on how components of the cell envelope contribute to this has been identified as a key barrier to the rational development of new antibiotics with efficacy against Gram-negative species. This review describes the current understanding of the role of the different components of the Gram-negative cell envelope in preventing compound accumulation and the state of efforts to describe properties that allow compounds to overcome this barrier and apply them to the development of new broad-spectrum antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Maher
- College of Engineering, Science and Environment, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Karl A. Hassan
- College of Engineering, Science and Environment, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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13
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Geddes EJ, Gugger MK, Garcia A, Chavez MG, Lee MR, Perlmutter SJ, Bieniossek C, Guasch L, Hergenrother PJ. Porin-independent accumulation in Pseudomonas enables antibiotic discovery. Nature 2023; 624:145-153. [PMID: 37993720 PMCID: PMC11254092 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06760-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Gram-negative antibiotic development has been hindered by a poor understanding of the types of compounds that can accumulate within these bacteria1,2. The presence of efflux pumps and substrate-specific outer-membrane porins in Pseudomonas aeruginosa renders this pathogen particularly challenging3. As a result, there are few antibiotic options for P. aeruginosa infections4 and its many porins have made the prospect of discovering general accumulation guidelines seem unlikely5. Here we assess the whole-cell accumulation of 345 diverse compounds in P. aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Although certain positively charged compounds permeate both bacterial species, P. aeruginosa is more restrictive compared to E. coli. Computational analysis identified distinct physicochemical properties of small molecules that specifically correlate with P. aeruginosa accumulation, such as formal charge, positive polar surface area and hydrogen bond donor surface area. Mode of uptake studies revealed that most small molecules permeate P. aeruginosa using a porin-independent pathway, thus enabling discovery of general P. aeruginosa accumulation trends with important implications for future antibiotic development. Retrospective antibiotic examples confirmed these trends and these discoveries were then applied to expand the spectrum of activity of a gram-positive-only antibiotic, fusidic acid, into a version that demonstrates a dramatic improvement in antibacterial activity against P. aeruginosa. We anticipate that these discoveries will facilitate the design and development of high-permeating antipseudomonals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Geddes
- Department of Chemistry and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Morgan K Gugger
- Department of Chemistry and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Alfredo Garcia
- Department of Chemistry and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Martin Garcia Chavez
- Department of Chemistry and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Myung Ryul Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Sarah J Perlmutter
- Department of Chemistry and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Christoph Bieniossek
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Laura Guasch
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Paul J Hergenrother
- Department of Chemistry and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA.
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14
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Theuretzbacher U, Blasco B, Duffey M, Piddock LJV. Unrealized targets in the discovery of antibiotics for Gram-negative bacterial infections. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:957-975. [PMID: 37833553 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00791-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Advances in areas that include genomics, systems biology, protein structure determination and artificial intelligence provide new opportunities for target-based antibacterial drug discovery. The selection of a 'good' new target for direct-acting antibacterial compounds is the first decision, for which multiple criteria must be explored, integrated and re-evaluated as drug discovery programmes progress. Criteria include essentiality of the target for bacterial survival, its conservation across different strains of the same species, bacterial species and growth conditions (which determines the spectrum of activity of a potential antibiotic) and the level of homology with human genes (which influences the potential for selective inhibition). Additionally, a bacterial target should have the potential to bind to drug-like molecules, and its subcellular location will govern the need for inhibitors to penetrate one or two bacterial membranes, which is a key challenge in targeting Gram-negative bacteria. The risk of the emergence of target-based drug resistance for drugs with single targets also requires consideration. This Review describes promising but as-yet-unrealized targets for antibacterial drugs against Gram-negative bacteria and examples of cognate inhibitors, and highlights lessons learned from past drug discovery programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin Blasco
- Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maëlle Duffey
- Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Laura J V Piddock
- Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP), Geneva, Switzerland.
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15
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Jaroensuk J, Chuaboon L, Kesornpun C, Chaiyen P. Enzymes in riboflavin biosynthesis: Potential antibiotic drug targets. Arch Biochem Biophys 2023; 748:109762. [PMID: 37739114 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2023.109762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
The rapid resistance of pathogens to antibiotics has emerged as a major threat to global health. Identification of new antibiotic targets is thus needed for developing alternative drugs. Genes encoding enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of riboflavin and flavin cofactors (FMN/FAD) are attractive targets because these enzymatic reactions are necessary for most bacteria to synthesize flavin cofactors for use in their central metabolic reactions. Moreover, humans lack most of these enzymes because we uptake riboflavin from our diet. This review discusses the current knowledge of enzymes involved in bacterial biosynthesis of riboflavin and other flavin cofactors, as well as the functions of the FMN riboswitch. Here, we highlight recent progress in the structural and mechanistic characterization, and inhibition of GTP cyclohydrolase II (GCH II), lumazine synthase (LS), riboflavin synthase (RFS), FAD synthetase (FADS), and FMN riboswitch, which have been identified as plausible antibiotic targets. As the structures and functions of these enzymes and regulatory systems are not completely understood, they are attractive as subjects for future in-depth biochemical and biophysical analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juthamas Jaroensuk
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley, Wangchan, Rayong, 21210, Thailand
| | - Litavadee Chuaboon
- School of Pharmacy and Biomass and Oil Palm Center of Excellence, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand
| | - Chatchai Kesornpun
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley, Wangchan, Rayong, 21210, Thailand
| | - Pimchai Chaiyen
- School of Biomolecular Science and Engineering, Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Wangchan Valley, Wangchan, Rayong, 21210, Thailand.
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16
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Ropponen HK, Diamanti E, Johannsen S, Illarionov B, Hamid R, Jaki M, Sass P, Fischer M, Haupenthal J, Hirsch AKH. Exploring the Translational Gap of a Novel Class of Escherichia coli IspE Inhibitors. ChemMedChem 2023; 18:e202300346. [PMID: 37718320 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Discovery of novel antibiotics needs multidisciplinary approaches to gain target enzyme and bacterial activities while aiming for selectivity over mammalian cells. Here, we report a multiparameter optimisation of a fragment-like hit that was identified through a structure-based virtual-screening campaign on Escherichia coli IspE crystal structure. Subsequent medicinal-chemistry design resulted in a novel class of E. coli IspE inhibitors, exhibiting activity also against the more pathogenic bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. While cytotoxicity remains a challenge for the series, it provides new insights on the molecular properties for balancing enzymatic target and bacterial activities simultaneously as well as new starting points for the development of IspE inhibitors with a predicted new mode of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henni-Karoliina Ropponen
- Drug Discovery and Optimization, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus Building E8.1, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Saarland University, Department of Pharmacy, Campus Building E8.1, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Current address: AMR Action Fund GP GmbH, Messeplatz 10, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Eleonora Diamanti
- Drug Discovery and Optimization, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus Building E8.1, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Sandra Johannsen
- Drug Discovery and Optimization, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus Building E8.1, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Saarland University, Department of Pharmacy, Campus Building E8.1, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Boris Illarionov
- Hamburg School of Food Science, Institute of Food Chemistry, Grindelallee 117, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Rawia Hamid
- Drug Discovery and Optimization, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus Building E8.1, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Saarland University, Department of Pharmacy, Campus Building E8.1, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Miriam Jaki
- Drug Discovery and Optimization, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus Building E8.1, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Saarland University, Department of Pharmacy, Campus Building E8.1, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Current address: University of Freiburg, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutics, Sonnenstraße 5, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Peter Sass
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Universität Tubingen
| | - Markus Fischer
- Hamburg School of Food Science, Institute of Food Chemistry, Grindelallee 117, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Haupenthal
- Drug Discovery and Optimization, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus Building E8.1, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Anna K H Hirsch
- Drug Discovery and Optimization, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus Building E8.1, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Saarland University, Department of Pharmacy, Campus Building E8.1, 66123, Saarbrücken, Germany
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17
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Almolhim H, Elhassanny AEM, Abutaleb NS, Abdelsattar AS, Seleem MN, Carlier PR. Substituted salicylic acid analogs offer improved potency against multidrug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae and good selectivity against commensal vaginal bacteria. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14468. [PMID: 37660222 PMCID: PMC10475031 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41442-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae represents a major threat to public health; without new effective antibiotics, untreatable gonococcal infections loom as a real possibility. In a previous drug-repurposing study, we reported that salicylic acid had good potency against azithromycin-resistant N. gonorrhoeae. We now report that the anti-gonococcal activity in this scaffold is easily lost by inopportune substitution, but that select substituted naphthyl analogs (3b, 3o and 3p) have superior activity to salicylic acid itself. Furthermore, these compounds retained potency against multiple ceftriaxone- and azithromycin-resistant strains, exhibited rapid bactericidal activity against N. gonorrhoeae, and showed high tolerability to mammalian cells (CC50 > 128 µg/mL). Promisingly, these compounds also show very weak growth inhibition of commensal vaginal bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanan Almolhim
- Department of Chemistry and Virginia Tech Center for Drug Discovery, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Ahmed E M Elhassanny
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
- Center for One Health Research, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Nader S Abutaleb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
- Center for One Health Research, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Abdallah S Abdelsattar
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
- Center for One Health Research, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Mohamed N Seleem
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
- Center for One Health Research, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Paul R Carlier
- Department of Chemistry and Virginia Tech Center for Drug Discovery, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, 833 S Wood St, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
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18
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Acharya A, Jana K, Gurvic D, Zachariae U, Kleinekathöfer U. Fast prediction of antibiotic permeability through membrane channels using Brownian dynamics. Biophys J 2023; 122:2996-3007. [PMID: 36992560 PMCID: PMC10398345 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The efficient permeation across the Gram-negative bacterial membrane is an important step in the overall process of antibacterial action of a molecule and the one that has posed a significant hurdle on the way toward approved antibiotics. Predicting the permeability for a large library of molecules and assessing the effect of different molecular transformations on permeation rates of a given molecule is critical to the development of effective antibiotics. We present a computational approach for obtaining estimates of molecular permeability through a porin channel in a matter of hours using a Brownian dynamics approach. The fast sampling using a temperature acceleration scheme enables the approximate estimation of permeability using the inhomogeneous solubility diffusion model. Although the method is a significant approximation to similar all-atom approaches tested previously, we show that the present approach predicts permeabilities that correlate fairly well with the respective experimental permeation rates from liposome swelling experiments and accumulation rates from antibiotic accumulation assays, and is significantly, i.e., about 14 times, faster compared with a previously reported approach. The possible applications of the scheme in high-throughput screening for fast permeators are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dominik Gurvic
- School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Ulrich Zachariae
- School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
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19
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Schroeder GM, Akinyemi O, Malik J, Focht CM, Pritchett E, Baker C, McSally JP, Jenkins JL, Mathews D, Wedekind J. A riboswitch separated from its ribosome-binding site still regulates translation. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:2464-2484. [PMID: 36762498 PMCID: PMC10018353 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches regulate downstream gene expression by binding cellular metabolites. Regulation of translation initiation by riboswitches is posited to occur by metabolite-mediated sequestration of the Shine-Dalgarno sequence (SDS), causing bypass by the ribosome. Recently, we solved a co-crystal structure of a prequeuosine1-sensing riboswitch from Carnobacterium antarcticum that binds two metabolites in a single pocket. The structure revealed that the second nucleotide within the gene-regulatory SDS, G34, engages in a crystal contact, obscuring the molecular basis of gene regulation. Here, we report a co-crystal structure wherein C10 pairs with G34. However, molecular dynamics simulations reveal quick dissolution of the pair, which fails to reform. Functional and chemical probing assays inside live bacterial cells corroborate the dispensability of the C10-G34 pair in gene regulation, leading to the hypothesis that the compact pseudoknot fold is sufficient for translation attenuation. Remarkably, the C. antarcticum aptamer retained significant gene-regulatory activity when uncoupled from the SDS using unstructured spacers up to 10 nucleotides away from the riboswitch-akin to steric-blocking employed by sRNAs. Accordingly, our work reveals that the RNA fold regulates translation without SDS sequestration, expanding known riboswitch-mediated gene-regulatory mechanisms. The results infer that riboswitches exist wherein the SDS is not embedded inside a stable fold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Griffin M Schroeder
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Olayinka Akinyemi
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Jeffrey Malik
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Caroline M Focht
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and the Institute of Biomolecular Design and Discovery, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Pritchett
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Cameron D Baker
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - James P McSally
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Jermaine L Jenkins
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - David H Mathews
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Joseph E Wedekind
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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20
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Kavita K, Breaker RR. Discovering riboswitches: the past and the future. Trends Biochem Sci 2023; 48:119-141. [PMID: 36150954 PMCID: PMC10043782 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2022.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Riboswitches are structured noncoding RNA domains used by many bacteria to monitor the concentrations of target ligands and regulate gene expression accordingly. In the past 20 years over 55 distinct classes of natural riboswitches have been discovered that selectively sense small molecules or elemental ions, and thousands more are predicted to exist. Evidence suggests that some riboswitches might be direct descendants of the RNA-based sensors and switches that were likely present in ancient organisms before the evolutionary emergence of proteins. We provide an overview of the current state of riboswitch research, focusing primarily on the discovery of riboswitches, and speculate on the major challenges facing researchers in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumari Kavita
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8103, USA
| | - Ronald R Breaker
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8103, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8103, USA; Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8103, USA.
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21
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Ellinger E, Chauvier A, Romero RA, Liu Y, Ray S, Walter NG. Riboswitches as therapeutic targets: promise of a new era of antibiotics. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2023; 27:433-445. [PMID: 37364239 PMCID: PMC10527229 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2023.2230363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The growth of antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens is an impending global threat that can only be averted through the development of novel antibacterial drugs. A promising answer could be the targeting of riboswitches, structured RNA elements found almost exclusively in bacteria. AREAS COVERED This review examines the potential of riboswitches as novel antibacterial drug targets. The limited mechanisms of action of currently available antibiotics are summarized, followed by a delineation of the functional mechanisms of riboswitches. We then discuss the potential for developing novel approaches that target paradigmatic riboswitches in the context of their bacterial gene expression machinery. EXPERT OPINION We highlight potential advantages of targeting riboswitches in their functional form, embedded within gene expression complexes critical for bacterial survival. We emphasize the benefits of this approach, including potentially higher species specificity and lower side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Ellinger
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Adrien Chauvier
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Rosa A. Romero
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yichen Liu
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sujay Ray
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Nils G. Walter
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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22
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Zhou Y, Huang W, Lei E, Yang A, Li Y, Wen K, Wang M, Li L, Chen Z, Zhou C, Bai S, Han J, Song W, Ren X, Zeng X, Pu H, Wan M, Feng X. Cooperative Membrane Damage as a Mechanism for Pentamidine-Antibiotic Mutual Sensitization. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:3178-3190. [PMID: 36269311 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Most Gram-positive-selective antibiotics have low activity against Gram-negative bacteria due to the presence of an outer membrane barrier. There is, therefore, interest in developing combination therapies that can penetrate the outer membrane (OM) with known antibiotics coupled with membrane-active sensitizing adjuvants. However, two unanswered questions hinder the development of such combination therapies: the sensitization spectrum of the sensitizer and the mechanism of antibiotic-sensitizer mutual potentiation. Here, with pentamidine as an example, we screened a library of 170 FDA-approved antibiotics in combination with pentamidine, a compound known to disturb the OM of Gram-negative bacteria. We found that four antibiotics, minocycline, linezolid, valnemulin, and nadifloxacin, displaced enhanced activity in combination with pentamidine against several multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Through a descriptor-based structural-activity analysis and multiple cell-based biochemical assays, we found that hydrophobicity, partial charge, rigidity, and surface rugosity were key factors that affected sensitization via a cooperative membrane damage mechanism in which lipopolysaccharides and phospholipids were identified as sites of synergy. Finally, in vitro experiments showed that the linezolid-pentamidine combination slowed the generation of drug resistance, and there was also potent activity in in vivo experiments. Overall, our results highlight the importance of the physicochemical properties of antibiotics and cooperative membrane damage for synergistic pentamidine-antibiotic drug combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhou
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Wei Huang
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - E Lei
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Anming Yang
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Youzhi Li
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Kang Wen
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Min Wang
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Lanxin Li
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Zheng Chen
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Cailing Zhou
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China.,College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Silei Bai
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Jingyu Han
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Wenwen Song
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China.,College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Xuanbai Ren
- College of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Xiangxiang Zeng
- College of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Huangsheng Pu
- College of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410073, China
| | - Muyang Wan
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Virology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China.,College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Xinxin Feng
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
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23
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Hu Z, Leus IV, Chandar B, Sherborne BS, Avila QP, Rybenkov VV, Zgurskaya HI, Duerfeldt AS. Structure-Uptake Relationship Studies of Oxazolidinones in Gram-Negative ESKAPE Pathogens. J Med Chem 2022; 65:14144-14179. [PMID: 36257060 PMCID: PMC9942527 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The clinical success of linezolid for treating Gram-positive infections paired with the high conservation of bacterial ribosomes predicts that if oxazolidinones were engineered to accumulate in Gram-negative bacteria, then this pharmacological class would find broad utility in eradicating infections. Here, we report an investigative study of a strategically designed library of oxazolidinones to determine the effects of molecular structure on accumulation and biological activity. Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains with varying degrees of compromise (in efflux and outer membrane) were used to identify motifs that hinder permeation across the outer membrane and/or enhance efflux susceptibility broadly and specifically between species. The results illustrate that small changes in molecular structure are enough to overcome the efflux and/or permeation issues of this scaffold. Three oxazolidinone analogues (3e, 8d, and 8o) were identified that exhibit activity against all three pathogens assessed, a biological profile not observed for linezolid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziwei Hu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414, United States
| | - Inga V Leus
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Brinda Chandar
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | | | - Quentin P Avila
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Valentin V Rybenkov
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Helen I Zgurskaya
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Adam S Duerfeldt
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414, United States
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24
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Giarimoglou N, Kouvela A, Maniatis A, Papakyriakou A, Zhang J, Stamatopoulou V, Stathopoulos C. A Riboswitch-Driven Era of New Antibacterials. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11091243. [PMID: 36140022 PMCID: PMC9495366 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11091243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are structured non-coding RNAs found in the 5′ UTR of important genes for bacterial metabolism, virulence and survival. Upon the binding of specific ligands that can vary from simple ions to complex molecules such as nucleotides and tRNAs, riboswitches change their local and global mRNA conformations to affect downstream transcription or translation. Due to their dynamic nature and central regulatory role in bacterial metabolism, riboswitches have been exploited as novel RNA-based targets for the development of new generation antibacterials that can overcome drug-resistance problems. During recent years, several important riboswitch structures from many bacterial representatives, including several prominent human pathogens, have shown that riboswitches are ideal RNA targets for new compounds that can interfere with their structure and function, exhibiting much reduced resistance over time. Most interestingly, mainstream antibiotics that target the ribosome have been shown to effectively modulate the regulatory behavior and capacity of several riboswitches, both in vivo and in vitro, emphasizing the need for more in-depth studies and biological evaluation of new antibiotics. Herein, we summarize the currently known compounds that target several main riboswitches and discuss the role of mainstream antibiotics as modulators of T-box riboswitches, in the dawn of an era of novel inhibitors that target important bacterial regulatory RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikoleta Giarimoglou
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
| | - Adamantia Kouvela
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
| | - Alexandros Maniatis
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
| | - Athanasios Papakyriakou
- Institute of Biosciences & Applications, National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Ag. Paraskevi, 15341 Athens, Greece
| | - Jinwei Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | - Constantinos Stathopoulos
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +30-2610-997932
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25
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Dan W, Gao J, Qi X, Wang J, Dai J. Antibacterial quaternary ammonium agents: Chemical diversity and biological mechanism. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 243:114765. [PMID: 36116235 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial infections have seriously threatened public health especially with the increasing resistance and the cliff-like decline of the number of newly approved antibacterial agents. Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) possess potent medicinal properties with 95 successfully marketed drugs, which also have a long history as antibacterial agents. In this review, we summarize the chemical diversity of antibacterial QACs, divided into chain-like and aromatic ring, reported over the past decade (2012 to mid-2022). Additionally, the structure-activity relationships, mainly covering hydrophobicity, charges and skeleton features, are discussed. In the cases where sufficient information is available, antibacterial mechanisms including biofilm, cell membrane, and intracellular targets are presented. It is hoped that this review will provide sufficient information for medicinal chemists to discover the new generation of antibacterial agents based on QACs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjia Dan
- School of Life Science and Technology, Weifang Medical University, Shandong, China
| | - Jixiang Gao
- School of Life Science and Technology, Weifang Medical University, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaohui Qi
- School of Life Science and Technology, Weifang Medical University, Shandong, China
| | - Junru Wang
- College of Chemistry & Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Jiangkun Dai
- School of Life Science and Technology, Weifang Medical University, Shandong, China.
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26
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Craggs PD, de Carvalho LPS. Bottlenecks and opportunities in antibiotic discovery against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 69:102191. [PMID: 35970040 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) persists as a major global health issue and a leading cause of death by a single infectious agent. The global burden of TB is further exacerbated by the continuing emergence and dissemination of strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to multiple antibiotics. The need for novel drugs that can be used to shorten the course for current TB drug regimens as well as combat the persistent threat of antibiotic resistance has never been greater. There have been significant advances in the discovery of de novo TB treatments, with the first TB-specific drugs in 45 years approved for use. However, there are still issues that restrict the pipeline of new antitubercular chemotherapies. The rate of failure of TB drug candidates in clinical trials remains high, while the validation of new TB drug targets and subsequent identification of novel inhibitors remains modest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Craggs
- Mycobacterial Metabolism and Antibiotic Research Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom; GSK-Francis Crick Institute Linklabs, Medicinal Science and Technology, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage SG1 2NY, United Kingdom
| | - Luiz Pedro S de Carvalho
- Mycobacterial Metabolism and Antibiotic Research Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom.
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27
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Lei E, Tao H, Jiao S, Yang A, Zhou Y, Wang M, Wen K, Wang Y, Chen Z, Chen X, Song J, Zhou C, Huang W, Xu L, Guan D, Tan C, Liu H, Cai Q, Zhou K, Modica J, Huang SY, Huang W, Feng X. Potentiation of Vancomycin: Creating Cooperative Membrane Lysis through a "Derivatization-for-Sensitization" Approach. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:10622-10639. [PMID: 35657057 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c03784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria, especially the ones with multidrug resistance, post dire challenges to antibiotic treatments due to the presence of the outer membrane (OM), which blocks the entry of many antibiotics. Current solutions for such permeability issues, namely lipophilic-cationic derivatization of antibiotics and sensitization with membrane-active agents, cannot effectively potentiate the large, globular, and hydrophilic antibiotics such as vancomycin, due to ineffective disruption of the OM. Here, we present our solution for high-degree OM binding of vancomycin via a hybrid "derivatization-for-sensitization" approach, which features a combination of LPS-targeting lipo-cationic modifications on vancomycin and OM disruption activity from a sensitizing adjuvant. 106- to 107-fold potentiation of vancomycin and 20-fold increase of the sensitizer's effectiveness were achieved with a combination of a vancomycin derivative and its sensitizer. Such potentiation is the result of direct membrane lysis through cooperative membrane binding for the sensitizer-antibiotic complex, which strongly promotes the uptake of vancomycin and adds to the extensive antiresistance effectiveness. The potential of such derivatization-for-sensitization approach was also supported by the combination's potent in vivo antimicrobial efficacy in mouse model studies, and the expanded application of such strategy on other antibiotics and sensitizer structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Lei
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Huanyu Tao
- School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Shang Jiao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Center for Biotherapeutics Discovery Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Anming Yang
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Min Wang
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Kang Wen
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China.,School of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, China, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Zhiyong Chen
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Xianhui Chen
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Junfeng Song
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Cailing Zhou
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China.,School of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, 410082, China, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Wei Huang
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Lili Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Center for Biotherapeutics Discovery Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Dongliang Guan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Center for Biotherapeutics Discovery Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Cuiyan Tan
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong 519000, China
| | - Haoran Liu
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Qingyun Cai
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Kai Zhou
- Shenzhen Institute of Respiratory Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology (Shenzhen People's Hospital), Shenzhen, Guangdong 518020, China
| | - Justin Modica
- Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Sheng-You Huang
- School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Wei Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Center for Biotherapeutics Discovery Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xinxin Feng
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecular Chemical Biology, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
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28
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Acharya A, Prajapati JD, Kleinekathöfer U. Atomistic Simulation of Molecules Interacting with Biological Nanopores: From Current Understanding to Future Directions. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:3995-4008. [PMID: 35616602 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c01173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Biological nanopores have been at the focus of numerous studies due to their role in many biological processes as well as their (prospective) technological applications. Among many other topics, recent studies on nanopores have addressed two key areas: antibiotic permeation through bacterial channels and sensing of analytes. Although the two areas are quite far apart in terms of their objectives, in both cases atomistic simulations attempt to understand the solute dynamics and the solute-protein interactions within the channel lumen. While decades of studies on various channels have culminated in an improved understanding of the key molecular factors and led to practical applications in some cases, successful utilization is limited. In this Perspective we summarize recent progress in understanding key issues in molecular simulations of antibiotic translocation and in the development of nanopore sensors. Moreover, we comment on possible advancements in computational algorithms that can potentially resolve some of the issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Acharya
- Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, Jacobs University Bremen, 28759 Bremen, Germany
| | | | - Ulrich Kleinekathöfer
- Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, Jacobs University Bremen, 28759 Bremen, Germany
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29
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Caraway HE, Lau JZ, Maron B, Oh MW, Belo Y, Brill A, Malach E, Ismail N, Hayouka Z, Lau GW. Antimicrobial Random Peptide Mixtures Eradicate Acinetobacter baumannii Biofilms and Inhibit Mouse Models of Infection. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11030413. [PMID: 35326876 PMCID: PMC8944503 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11030413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest crises in human medicine. Increased incidents of antibiotic resistance are linked to clinical overuse and overreliance on antibiotics. Among the ESKAPE pathogens, Acinetobacter baumannii, especially carbapenem-resistant isolates, has emerged as a significant threat in the context of blood, urinary tract, lung, and wound infections. Therefore, new approaches that limit the emergence of antibiotic resistant A. baumannii are urgently needed. Recently, we have shown that random peptide mixtures (RPMs) are an attractive alternative class of drugs to antibiotics with strong safety and pharmacokinetic profiles. RPMs are antimicrobial peptide mixtures produced by incorporating two amino acids at each coupling step, rendering them extremely diverse but still defined in their overall composition, chain length, and stereochemistry. The extreme diversity of RPMs may prevent bacteria from evolving resistance rapidly. Here, we demonstrated that RPMs rapidly and efficiently kill different strains of A. baumannii, inhibit biofilm formation, and disrupt mature biofilms. Importantly, RPMs attenuated bacterial burden in mouse models of acute pneumonia and soft tissue infection and significantly reduced mouse mortality during sepsis. Collectively, our results demonstrate RPMs have the potential to be used as powerful therapeutics against antibiotic-resistant A. baumannii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E. Caraway
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA; (H.E.C.); (J.Z.L.); (M.W.O.)
| | - Jonathan Z. Lau
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA; (H.E.C.); (J.Z.L.); (M.W.O.)
| | - Bar Maron
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel; (B.M.); (Y.B.); (A.B.); (E.M.)
| | - Myung Whan Oh
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA; (H.E.C.); (J.Z.L.); (M.W.O.)
| | - Yael Belo
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel; (B.M.); (Y.B.); (A.B.); (E.M.)
| | - Aya Brill
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel; (B.M.); (Y.B.); (A.B.); (E.M.)
| | - Einav Malach
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel; (B.M.); (Y.B.); (A.B.); (E.M.)
| | - Nahed Ismail
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 South Wood Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA;
| | - Zvi Hayouka
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel; (B.M.); (Y.B.); (A.B.); (E.M.)
- Correspondence: (Z.H.); (G.W.L.)
| | - Gee W. Lau
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA; (H.E.C.); (J.Z.L.); (M.W.O.)
- Correspondence: (Z.H.); (G.W.L.)
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30
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Schumacher CE, Rausch M, Greven T, Neudörfl JM, Schneider T, Schmalz HG. Total Synthesis and Antibiotic Properties of Amino‐Functionalized Aromatic Terpenoids Related to Erogorgiaene and the Pseudopterosins. European J Org Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.202200058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marvin Rausch
- University of Bonn: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat Bonn Pharmaceutical Microbiology GERMANY
| | - Tobias Greven
- University of Cologne: Universitat zu Koln Chemistry GERMANY
| | | | - Tanja Schneider
- University of Bonn: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat Bonn Pharmaceutical Biology GERMANY
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31
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Wakchaure PD, Ganguly B. Deciphering the mechanism of action of 5FDQD and the design of new neutral analogues for the FMN riboswitch: a well-tempered metadynamics simulation study. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:817-828. [PMID: 34928280 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp01348c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The FMN riboswitch is a novel drug target for the design of new antibiotics, and efforts have been made to design new charged and uncharged ligands. Uncharged ligands have shown advantages of not requiring any transporter for intracellular transport or proteins for their phosphorylation. 5FDQD (5-(3-(4-fluorophenyl)butyl)-7,8-dimethylpyrido(3,4-b)quinoxaline-1,3(2H,5H)-dione) is a recently reported neutral ligand for the FMN riboswitch active against Clostridium difficile infection in mice. However, the crystal structure of the 5FDQD bound FMN riboswitch is not available, and the mechanism of ligand binding and triggering the function of the riboswitch is not well understood. We have examined 5FDQD for its binding affinity with the FMN riboswitch using the well-tempered metadynamics (WT-MtD) simulation technique. The crystal structure of the FMN riboswitch shows that the FMN interacts with the J4/5 region through the phosphate group with G62; however, the uncharged ligands take advantage of π-π stacking interactions with the same residue of the riboswitch observed from the WT-MtD simulation results. The simulation results show that the presence of fluorine on the phenyl ring in 5FDQD is important to enhance the binding affinity of the neutral ligands with the FMN riboswitch. The WT-MtD results showed that the 1,2-difluoro substitution on the phenyl ring in 5FDQD (FMN-difluoro2) and the 1,3 positions in the phenyl ring (FMN-difluoro1) showed weaker binding energy with the FMN riboswitch compared to 5FDQD. The substitution of another fluorine atom at the 5-position of the phenyl ring (FMN-trifluoro) showed a comparable binding affinity (∼-31.4 kcal mol-1) to 5FDQD. Electron-donating substitution on the phenyl ring such as the amino group also lowered the binding affinity (-28.8 kcal mol-1) with the riboswitch compared to 5FDQD. The computed results suggest that the position and nature of substitution in the phenyl ring of the uncharged ligands affect the overall binding and such a delicate balance is important to achieve superior binding affinity with the FMN riboswitch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Padmaja D Wakchaure
- Computation and Simulation Unit (Analytical Discipline and Centralized Instrument Facility), CSIR-Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Bhavnagar-364002, Gujarat, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh-201 002, India.
| | - Bishwajit Ganguly
- Computation and Simulation Unit (Analytical Discipline and Centralized Instrument Facility), CSIR-Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Bhavnagar-364002, Gujarat, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh-201 002, India.
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32
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Chen Q, Li Y, Lin C, Chen L, Luo H, Xia S, Liu C, Cheng X, Liu C, Li J, Dou D. OUP accepted manuscript. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:e67. [PMID: 35288754 PMCID: PMC9262588 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA-encoded library (DEL) technology is a powerful tool for small molecule identification in drug discovery, yet the reported DEL selection strategies were applied primarily on protein targets in either purified form or in cellular context. To expand the application of this technology, we employed DEL selection on an RNA target HIV-1 TAR (trans-acting responsive region), but found that the majority of signals were resulted from false positive DNA–RNA binding. We thus developed an optimized selection strategy utilizing RNA patches and competitive elution to minimize unwanted DNA binding, followed by k-mer analysis and motif search to differentiate false positive signal. This optimized strategy resulted in a very clean background in a DEL selection against Escherichia coli FMN Riboswitch, and the enriched compounds were determined with double digit nanomolar binding affinity, as well as similar potency in functional FMN competition assay. These results demonstrated the feasibility of small molecule identification against RNA targets using DEL selection. The developed experimental and computational strategy provided a promising opportunity for RNA ligand screening and expanded the application of DEL selection to a much wider context in drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Liu Chen
- HitGen Inc., Shuangliu District, Chengdu, China
| | - Hao Luo
- HitGen Inc., Shuangliu District, Chengdu, China
| | - Shuai Xia
- HitGen Inc., Shuangliu District, Chengdu, China
| | - Chuan Liu
- HitGen Inc., Shuangliu District, Chengdu, China
| | | | | | - Jin Li
- HitGen Inc., Shuangliu District, Chengdu, China
| | - Dengfeng Dou
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +86 28 85197385 8700;
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Haloi N, Vasan AK, Geddes EJ, Prasanna A, Wen PC, Metcalf WW, Hergenrother PJ, Tajkhorshid E. Rationalizing the generation of broad spectrum antibiotics with the addition of a positive charge. Chem Sci 2021; 12:15028-15044. [PMID: 34909143 PMCID: PMC8612397 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc04445a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance of Gram-negative bacteria is largely attributed to the low permeability of their outer membrane (OM). Recently, we disclosed the eNTRy rules, a key lesson of which is that the introduction of a primary amine enhances OM permeation in certain contexts. To understand the molecular basis for this finding, we perform an extensive set of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and free energy calculations comparing the permeation of aminated and amine-free antibiotic derivatives through the most abundant OM porin of E. coli, OmpF. To improve sampling of conformationally flexible drugs in MD simulations, we developed a novel, Monte Carlo and graph theory based algorithm to probe more efficiently the rotational and translational degrees of freedom visited during the permeation of the antibiotic molecule through OmpF. The resulting pathways were then used for free-energy calculations, revealing a lower barrier against the permeation of the aminated compound, substantiating its greater OM permeability. Further analysis revealed that the amine facilitates permeation by enabling the antibiotic to align its dipole to the luminal electric field of the porin and form favorable electrostatic interactions with specific, highly-conserved charged residues. The importance of these interactions in permeation was further validated with experimental mutagenesis and whole cell accumulation assays. Overall, this study provides insights on the importance of the primary amine for antibiotic permeation into Gram-negative pathogens that could help the design of future antibiotics. We also offer a new computational approach for calculating free-energy of processes where relevant molecular conformations cannot be efficiently captured.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandan Haloi
- Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - Archit Kumar Vasan
- Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - Emily J Geddes
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana IL 61801 USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - Arjun Prasanna
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana IL 61801 USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - Po-Chao Wen
- Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - William W Metcalf
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana IL 61801 USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - Paul J Hergenrother
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana IL 61801 USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana IL 61801 USA
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Geddes EJ, Li Z, Hergenrother PJ. An LC-MS/MS assay and complementary web-based tool to quantify and predict compound accumulation in E. coli. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:4833-4854. [PMID: 34480129 PMCID: PMC8715754 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00598-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Novel classes of broad-spectrum antibiotics have been extremely difficult to discover, largely due to the impermeability of the Gram-negative membranes coupled with a poor understanding of the physicochemical properties a compound should possess to promote its accumulation inside the cell. To address this challenge, numerous methodologies for assessing intracellular compound accumulation in Gram-negative bacteria have been established, including classic radiometric and fluorescence-based methods. The recent development of accumulation assays that utilize liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) have circumvented the requirement for labeled compounds, enabling assessment of a substantially broader range of small molecules. Our unbiased study of accumulation trends in Escherichia coli using an LC-MS/MS-based assay led to the development of the eNTRy rules, which stipulate that a compound is most likely to accumulate in E. coli if it has an ionizable Nitrogen, has low Three-dimensionality and is relatively Rigid. To aid in the implementation of the eNTRy rules, we developed a complementary web tool, eNTRyway, which calculates relevant properties and predicts compound accumulation. Here we provide a comprehensive protocol for analysis and prediction of intracellular accumulation of small molecules in E. coli using an LC-MS/MS-based assay (which takes ~2 d) and eNTRyway, a workflow that is readily adoptable by any microbiology, biochemistry or chemical biology laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Geddes
- Roger Adams Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Zhong Li
- Metabolomics Lab, Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Paul J Hergenrother
- Roger Adams Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA.
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Abstract
To resolve the growing problem of drug resistance in the treatment of bacterial and fungal pathogens, specific cellular targets and pathways can be used as targets for new antimicrobial agents. Endogenous riboflavin biosynthesis is a conserved pathway that exists in most bacteria and fungi. In this review, the roles of endogenous and exogenous riboflavin in infectious disease as well as several antibacterial agents, which act as analogues of the riboflavin biosynthesis pathway, are summarized. In addition, the effects of exogenous riboflavin on immune cells, cytokines, and heat shock proteins are described. Moreover, the immune response of endogenous riboflavin metabolites in infectious diseases, recognized by MHC-related protein-1, and then presented to mucosal associated invariant T cells, is highlighted. This information will provide a strategy to identify novel drug targets as well as highlight the possible clinical use of riboflavin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junwen Lei
- Molecular Biotechnology Platform, Public Center of Experimental Technology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Caiyan Xin
- Molecular Biotechnology Platform, Public Center of Experimental Technology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Xiao
- Molecular Biotechnology Platform, Public Center of Experimental Technology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Wenbi Chen
- Molecular Biotechnology Platform, Public Center of Experimental Technology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Zhangyong Song
- Molecular Biotechnology Platform, Public Center of Experimental Technology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou People's Republic of China
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36
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Bush JA, Williams CC, Meyer SM, Tong Y, Haniff HS, Childs-Disney JL, Disney MD. Systematically Studying the Effect of Small Molecules Interacting with RNA in Cellular and Preclinical Models. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:1111-1127. [PMID: 34166593 PMCID: PMC8867596 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The interrogation and manipulation of biological systems by small molecules is a powerful approach in chemical biology. Ideal compounds selectively engage a target and mediate a downstream phenotypic response. Although historically small molecule drug discovery has focused on proteins and enzymes, targeting RNA is an attractive therapeutic alternative, as many disease-causing or -associated RNAs have been identified through genome-wide association studies. As the field of RNA chemical biology emerges, the systematic evaluation of target validation and modulation of target-associated pathways is of paramount importance. In this Review, through an examination of case studies, we outline the experimental characterization, including methods and tools, to evaluate comprehensively the impact of small molecules that target RNA on cellular phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Bush
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Christopher C Williams
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Samantha M Meyer
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Yuquan Tong
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Hafeez S Haniff
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Jessica L Childs-Disney
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Matthew D Disney
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, 130 Scripps Way, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
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37
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Ropponen HK, Diamanti E, Siemens A, Illarionov B, Haupenthal J, Fischer M, Rottmann M, Witschel M, Hirsch AKH. Assessment of the rules related to gaining activity against Gram-negative bacteria. RSC Med Chem 2021; 12:593-601. [PMID: 34046630 PMCID: PMC8128065 DOI: 10.1039/d0md00409j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the search for new antibacterial compounds, we repositioned an antimalarial compound class by derivatising it based on the so-called "eNTRy" rules for enhanced accumulation into Gram-negative bacteria. We designed, synthesised and evaluated a small library of amino acid modified compounds together with the respective Boc-protected analogues, leading to no substantial improvement in antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli wild-type K12, whereas more distinct activity differences were observed in E. coli mutant strains ΔtolC, D22, ΔacrB and BL21(DE3)omp8. A comparison of the activity results of the E. coli mutants with respect to the known rules related to enhanced activity against Gram-negative bacteria revealed that applicability of the rules is not always ensured. Out of the four amino acids used in this study, glycine derivatives showed highest antibacterial activity, although still suffering from efflux issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henni-Karoliina Ropponen
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) - Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) Campus Building E8.1 66123 Saarbrücken Germany
- Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University Campus Building E8.1 66123 Saarbrücken Germany
| | - Eleonora Diamanti
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) - Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) Campus Building E8.1 66123 Saarbrücken Germany
| | - Alexandra Siemens
- Hamburg School of Food Science, University of Hamburg Grindelallee 117 20146 Hamburg Germany
| | - Boris Illarionov
- Hamburg School of Food Science, University of Hamburg Grindelallee 117 20146 Hamburg Germany
| | - Jörg Haupenthal
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) - Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) Campus Building E8.1 66123 Saarbrücken Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Hamburg School of Food Science, University of Hamburg Grindelallee 117 20146 Hamburg Germany
| | - Matthias Rottmann
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute Socinstrasse 57 4002 Basel Switzerland
- Universität Basel Petersplatz 1 4003 Basel Switzerland
| | | | - Anna K H Hirsch
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) - Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) Campus Building E8.1 66123 Saarbrücken Germany
- Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University Campus Building E8.1 66123 Saarbrücken Germany
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38
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Yang H, Kundra S, Chojnacki M, Liu K, Fuse MA, Abouelhassan Y, Kallifidas D, Zhang P, Huang G, Jin S, Ding Y, Luesch H, Rohde KH, Dunman PM, Lemos JA, Huigens RW. A Modular Synthetic Route Involving N-Aryl-2-nitrosoaniline Intermediates Leads to a New Series of 3-Substituted Halogenated Phenazine Antibacterial Agents. J Med Chem 2021; 64:7275-7295. [PMID: 33881312 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria demonstrate incredible abilities to evade conventional antibiotics through the development of resistance and formation of dormant, surface-attached biofilms. Therefore, agents that target and eradicate planktonic and biofilm bacteria are of significant interest. We explored a new series of halogenated phenazines (HP) through the use of N-aryl-2-nitrosoaniline synthetic intermediates that enabled functionalization of the 3-position of this scaffold. Several HPs demonstrated potent antibacterial and biofilm-killing activities (e.g., HP 29, against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: MIC = 0.075 μM; MBEC = 2.35 μM), and transcriptional analysis revealed that HPs 3, 28, and 29 induce rapid iron starvation in MRSA biofilms. Several HPs demonstrated excellent activities against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (HP 34, MIC = 0.80 μM against CDC1551). This work established new SAR insights, and HP 29 demonstrated efficacy in dorsal wound infection models in mice. Encouraged by these findings, we believe that HPs could lead to significant advances in the treatment of challenging infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongfen Yang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3), College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - Shivani Kundra
- Department of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - Michaelle Chojnacki
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | - Ke Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3), College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - Marisa A Fuse
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32827, United States
| | - Yasmeen Abouelhassan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3), College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - Dimitris Kallifidas
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3), College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - Peilan Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3), College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - Guangtao Huang
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville Florida 32610, United States
| | - Shouguang Jin
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville Florida 32610, United States
| | - Yousong Ding
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3), College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - Hendrik Luesch
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3), College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - Kyle H Rohde
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida 32827, United States
| | - Paul M Dunman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | - José A Lemos
- Department of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - Robert W Huigens
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3), College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
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Zafferani M, Hargrove AE. Small molecule targeting of biologically relevant RNA tertiary and quaternary structures. Cell Chem Biol 2021; 28:594-609. [PMID: 33823146 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2021.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Initial successes in developing small molecule ligands for non-coding RNAs have underscored their potential as therapeutic targets. More recently, these successes have been aided by advances in biophysical and structural techniques for identification and characterization of more complex RNA structures; these higher-level folds present protein-like binding pockets that offer opportunities to design small molecules that could achieve a degree of selectivity often hard to obtain at the primary and secondary structure level. More specifically, identification and small molecule targeting of RNA tertiary and quaternary structures have allowed researchers to probe several human diseases and have resulted in promising clinical candidates. In this review we highlight a selection of diverse and exciting successes and the experimental approaches that led to their discovery. These studies include examples of recent developments in RNA-centric assays and ligands that provide insight into the features responsible for the affinity and biological outcome of RNA-targeted chemical probes. This report highlights the potential and emerging opportunities to selectively target RNA tertiary and quaternary structures as a route to better understand and, ultimately, treat many diseases.
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40
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Eberl M, Oldfield E, Herrmann T. Immuno-antibiotics: targeting microbial metabolic pathways sensed by unconventional T cells. IMMUNOTHERAPY ADVANCES 2021; 1:ltab005. [PMID: 35919736 PMCID: PMC9327107 DOI: 10.1093/immadv/ltab005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Human Vγ9/Vδ2 T cells, mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, and other unconventional T cells are specialised in detecting microbial metabolic pathway intermediates that are absent in humans. The recognition by such semi-invariant innate-like T cells of compounds like (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMB-PP), the penultimate metabolite in the MEP isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway, and intermediates of the riboflavin biosynthesis pathway and their metabolites allows the immune system to rapidly sense pathogen-associated molecular patterns that are shared by a wide range of micro-organisms. Given the essential nature of these metabolic pathways for microbial viability, they have emerged as promising targets for the development of novel antibiotics. Here, we review recent findings that link enzymatic inhibition of microbial metabolism with alterations in the levels of unconventional T cell ligands produced by treated micro-organisms that have given rise to the concept of 'immuno-antibiotics': combining direct antimicrobial activity with an immunotherapeutic effect via modulation of unconventional T cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Eberl
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK,Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK,Correspondence: Matthias Eberl, Division of Infection and Immunity, Henry Wellcome Building, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, Wales, UK. Tel: +44-29206-87011;
| | - Eric Oldfield
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Thomas Herrmann
- Institut für Virologie und Immunbiologie, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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41
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Muñoz KA, Hergenrother PJ. Facilitating Compound Entry as a Means to Discover Antibiotics for Gram-Negative Bacteria. Acc Chem Res 2021; 54:1322-1333. [PMID: 33635073 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.0c00895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
It has been over half a century since the last class of antibiotics active against the most problematic Gram-negative bacteria was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The major challenge with developing antibiotics to treat these infections is not drug-target engagement but rather the inability of most small molecules to traverse the Gram-negative membranes, be retained, and accumulate within the cell. Despite an abundance of lead compounds, limited understanding of the physicochemical properties needed for compound accumulation (or avoidance of efflux) in Gram-negative bacteria has precluded a generalizable approach for developing Gram-negative antibiotics. Indeed, in many instances, despite years of intensive derivatization efforts and the synthesis of hundreds of compounds aimed at building in Gram-negative activity, little or no progress has been made in expanding the spectrum of activity for many Gram-positive-only antibiotics. In this Account, we describe the discovery and successful applications of a promising strategy for enhancing the accumulation of Gram-positive-only antibiotics as a means of imbuing compounds with broad-spectrum activity.Utilizing a prospective approach examining the accumulation in Escherichia coli for more than 180 diverse compounds, we found that small molecules have an increased likelihood to accumulate in E. coli when they contain an ionizable Nitrogen, have low Three-dimensionality, and are Rigid. Implementing these guidelines, codified as the "eNTRy rules" and assisted by web application www.entry-way.org, we have facilitated compound entry and systematically built Gram-negative activity into Gram-positive-only antibiotics. Though each antibiotic will have case-specific considerations, we describe a set of important criteria to consider when selecting candidate Gram-positive-only antibiotics for conversion to Gram-negative-active versions via the eNTRy rules. As detailed herein, using this blueprint the spectrum of activity was expanded for three antibiotic classes that engage three different biological targets: DNA gyrase inhibitor 6DNM, FabI inhibitor Debio-1452, and FMN riboswitch inhibitor Ribocil C. In each scenario, the eNTRy rules guided the synthesis of key analogues predisposed to accumulate in Gram-negative bacteria leading to compounds that display antibiotic activity (minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ≤8 μg mL-1) against E. coli and other Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens. While the eNTRy rules will continue to be refined and enhanced as more accumulation data is gathered, on the basis of these collective results and on other examples not covered herein it is clear that the eNTRy rules are actionable for the development of novel broad-spectrum antibiotics from Gram-positive-only compounds. By enabling the prediction of compound accumulation, the eNTRy rules should facilitate the process of discovering and developing novel antibiotics active against Gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen A. Muñoz
- Department of Chemistry Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Paul J. Hergenrother
- Department of Chemistry Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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42
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Perlmutter SJ, Geddes EJ, Drown BS, Motika SE, Lee MR, Hergenrother PJ. Compound Uptake into E. coli Can Be Facilitated by N-Alkyl Guanidiniums and Pyridiniums. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:162-173. [PMID: 33228356 PMCID: PMC7796962 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections are on the rise, and with no FDA approvals for new classes of broad-spectrum antibiotics in over 50 years, these infections constitute a major threat to human health. A significant challenge is the inability of most compounds to accumulate in Gram-negative bacteria. Recently developed predictive guidelines show that appending a primary amine to an appropriately shaped compound can enhance Gram-negative accumulation. Here, we report that other positively charged nitrogen functional groups, namely, N-alkyl guanidiniums and pyridiniums, can also facilitate compound uptake into Gram-negative bacteria. The accumulation of a set of 60 nonantibiotic compounds, consisting of 20 primary amines and their corresponding guanidiniums and pyridiniums, was assessed in Escherichia coli. We also installed these alternate functional groups onto antibiotic scaffolds and assessed their accumulation and antibacterial activity in Gram-negative bacteria. The results suggest that other positively-charged, nitrogen-containing functional groups should be considered when designing antibiotics with Gram-negative activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Perlmutter
- Roger Adams Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Emily J Geddes
- Roger Adams Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Bryon S Drown
- Roger Adams Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Stephen E Motika
- Roger Adams Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Myung Ryul Lee
- Roger Adams Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Paul J Hergenrother
- Roger Adams Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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43
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Panchal V, Brenk R. Riboswitches as Drug Targets for Antibiotics. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:45. [PMID: 33466288 PMCID: PMC7824784 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10010045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches reside in the untranslated region of RNA and regulate genes involved in the biosynthesis of essential metabolites through binding of small molecules. Since their discovery at the beginning of this century, riboswitches have been regarded as potential antibacterial targets. Using fragment screening, high-throughput screening and rational ligand design guided by X-ray crystallography, lead compounds against various riboswitches have been identified. Here, we review the current status and suitability of the thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP), flavin mononucleotide (FMN), glmS, guanine, and other riboswitches as antibacterial targets and discuss them in a biological context. Further, we highlight challenges in riboswitch drug discovery and emphasis the need to develop riboswitch specific high-throughput screening methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vipul Panchal
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Ruth Brenk
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5020 Bergen, Norway
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Zhao S, Adamiak JW, Bonifay V, Mehla J, Zgurskaya HI, Tan DS. Defining new chemical space for drug penetration into Gram-negative bacteria. Nat Chem Biol 2020; 16:1293-1302. [PMID: 33199906 PMCID: PMC7897441 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-020-00674-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
We live in the era of antibiotic resistance, and this problem will progressively worsen if no new solutions emerge. In particular, Gram-negative pathogens present both biological and chemical challenges that hinder the discovery of new antibacterial drugs. First, these bacteria are protected from a variety of structurally diverse drugs by a low-permeability barrier composed of two membranes with distinct permeability properties, in addition to active drug efflux, making this cell envelope impermeable to most compounds. Second, chemical libraries currently used in drug discovery contain few compounds that can penetrate Gram-negative bacteria. As a result of these challenges, intensive screening campaigns have led to few successes, highlighting the need for new approaches to identify regions of chemical space that are specifically relevant to antibacterial drug discovery. Herein we provide an overview of emerging insights into this problem and outline a general approach to addressing it using prospective analysis of chemical libraries for the ability of compounds to accumulate in Gram-negative bacteria. The overall goal is to develop robust cheminformatic tools to predict Gram-negative permeation and efflux, which can then be used to guide medicinal chemistry campaigns and the design of antibacterial discovery libraries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shibin Zhao
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Justyna W Adamiak
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Vincent Bonifay
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Jitender Mehla
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Helen I Zgurskaya
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA.
| | - Derek S Tan
- Chemical Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Tri-Institutional Research Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
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Parallel Discovery Strategies Provide a Basis for Riboswitch Ligand Design. Cell Chem Biol 2020; 27:1241-1249.e4. [PMID: 32795418 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Riboswitches are mRNA domains that make gene-regulatory decisions upon binding their cognate ligands. Bacterial riboswitches that specifically recognize 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside 5'-monophosphate (ZMP) and 5'-triphosphate (ZTP) regulate genes involved in folate and purine metabolism. Now, we have developed synthetic ligands targeting ZTP riboswitches by replacing the sugar-phosphate moiety of ZMP with various functional groups, including simple heterocycles. Despite losing hydrogen bonds from ZMP, these analogs bind ZTP riboswitches with similar affinities as the natural ligand, and activate transcription more strongly than ZMP in vitro. The most active ligand stimulates gene expression ∼3 times more than ZMP in a live Escherichia coli reporter. Co-crystal structures of the Fusobacterium ulcerans ZTP riboswitch bound to synthetic ligands suggest stacking of their pyridine moieties on a conserved RNA nucleobase primarily determines their higher activity. Altogether, these findings guide future design of improved riboswitch activators and yield insights into how RNA-targeted ligand discovery may proceed.
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Baca JT. Following the rules to foil Gram-negative infections. Sci Transl Med 2020. [DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abc8938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Molecular design principles increase accumulation of an antibiotic in multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin T. Baca
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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