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Niu H, Gu J, Zhang Y. Bacterial persisters: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic development. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:174. [PMID: 39013893 PMCID: PMC11252167 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01866-5] [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: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Persisters refer to genetically drug susceptible quiescent (non-growing or slow growing) bacteria that survive in stress environments such as antibiotic exposure, acidic and starvation conditions. These cells can regrow after stress removal and remain susceptible to the same stress. Persisters are underlying the problems of treating chronic and persistent infections and relapse infections after treatment, drug resistance development, and biofilm infections, and pose significant challenges for effective treatments. Understanding the characteristics and the exact mechanisms of persister formation, especially the key molecules that affect the formation and survival of the persisters is critical to more effective treatment of chronic and persistent infections. Currently, genes related to persister formation and survival are being discovered and confirmed, but the mechanisms by which bacteria form persisters are very complex, and there are still many unanswered questions. This article comprehensively summarizes the historical background of bacterial persisters, details their complex characteristics and their relationship with antibiotic tolerant and resistant bacteria, systematically elucidates the interplay between various bacterial biological processes and the formation of persister cells, as well as consolidates the diverse anti-persister compounds and treatments. We hope to provide theoretical background for in-depth research on mechanisms of persisters and suggest new ideas for choosing strategies for more effective treatment of persistent infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxia Niu
- School of Basic Medical Science and Key Laboratory of Blood-stasis-toxin Syndrome of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiaying Gu
- School of Basic Medical Science and Key Laboratory of Blood-stasis-toxin Syndrome of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China.
- Jinan Microecological Biomedicine Shandong Laboratory, Jinan, 250022, Shandong, China.
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Xu M, Liu M, Liu T, Pan X, Ren Q, Han T, Gou L. HigA2 (Rv2021c) Is a Transcriptional Regulator with Multiple Regulatory Targets in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1244. [PMID: 38930627 PMCID: PMC11205783 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are the major mechanism for persister formation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Previous studies found that HigBA2 (Rv2022c-Rv2021c), a predicted type II TA system of Mtb, could be activated for transcription in response to multiple stresses such as anti-tuberculosis drugs, nutrient starvation, endure hypoxia, acidic pH, etc. In this study, we determined the binding site of HigA2 (Rv2021c), which is located in the coding region of the upstream gene higB2 (Rv2022c), and the conserved recognition motif of HigA2 was characterized via oligonucleotide mutation. Eight binding sites of HigA2 were further found in the Mtb genome according to the conserved motif. RT-PCR showed that HigA2 can regulate the transcription level of all eight of these genes and three adjacent downstream genes. DNA pull-down experiments showed that twelve functional regulators sense external regulatory signals and may regulate the transcription of the HigBA2 system. Of these, Rv0903c, Rv0744c, Rv0474, Rv3124, Rv2603c, and Rv3583c may be involved in the regulation of external stress signals. In general, we identified the downstream target genes and possible upstream regulatory genes of HigA2, which paved the way for the illustration of the persistence establishment mechanism in Mtb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyan Xu
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Health and Safety for Coal Industry, School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China; (M.X.); (M.L.); (T.L.); (X.P.); (Q.R.)
| | - Meikun Liu
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Health and Safety for Coal Industry, School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China; (M.X.); (M.L.); (T.L.); (X.P.); (Q.R.)
| | - Tong Liu
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Health and Safety for Coal Industry, School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China; (M.X.); (M.L.); (T.L.); (X.P.); (Q.R.)
| | - Xuemei Pan
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Health and Safety for Coal Industry, School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China; (M.X.); (M.L.); (T.L.); (X.P.); (Q.R.)
| | - Qi Ren
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Health and Safety for Coal Industry, School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China; (M.X.); (M.L.); (T.L.); (X.P.); (Q.R.)
| | - Tiesheng Han
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Health and Safety for Coal Industry, School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China; (M.X.); (M.L.); (T.L.); (X.P.); (Q.R.)
| | - Lixia Gou
- School of Life Science, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China
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Yeshwante SB, Hanafin P, Miller BK, Rank L, Murcia S, Xander C, Annis A, Baxter VK, Anderson EJ, Jermain B, Konicki R, Schmalstig AA, Stewart I, Braunstein M, Hickey AJ, Rao GG. Pharmacokinetic Considerations for Optimizing Inhaled Spray-Dried Pyrazinoic Acid Formulations. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:4491-4504. [PMID: 37590399 PMCID: PMC10868345 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00199] [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: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), remains a leading cause of death with 1.6 million deaths worldwide reported in 2021. Oral pyrazinamide (PZA) is an integral part of anti-TB regimens, but its prolonged use has the potential to drive the development of PZA-resistant Mtb. PZA is converted to the active moiety pyrazinoic acid (POA) by the Mtb pyrazinamidase encoded by pncA, and mutations in pncA are associated with the majority of PZA resistance. Conventional oral and parenteral therapies may result in subtherapeutic exposure in the lung; hence, direct pulmonary administration of POA may provide an approach to rescue PZA efficacy for treating pncA-mutant PZA-resistant Mtb. The objectives of the current study were to (i) develop novel dry powder POA formulations, (ii) assess their feasibility for pulmonary delivery using physicochemical characterization, (iii) evaluate their pharmacokinetics (PK) in the guinea pig model, and (iv) develop a mechanism-based pharmacokinetic model (MBM) using in vivo PK data to select a formulation providing adequate exposure in epithelial lining fluid (ELF) and lung tissue. We developed three POA formulations for pulmonary delivery and characterized their PK in plasma, ELF, and lung tissue following passive inhalation in guinea pigs. Additionally, the PK of POA following oral, intravenous, and intratracheal administration was characterized in guinea pigs. The MBM was used to simultaneously model PK data following administration of POA and its formulations via the different routes. The MBM described POA PK well in plasma, ELF, and lung tissue. Physicochemical analyses and MBM predictions suggested that POA maltodextrin was the best among the three formulations and an excellent candidate for further development as it has: (i) the highest ELF-to-plasma exposure ratio (203) and lung tissue-to-plasma exposure ratio (30.4) compared with POA maltodextrin and leucine (75.7/16.2) and POA leucine salt (64.2/19.3) and (ii) the highest concentration in ELF (CmaxELF: 171 nM) within 15.5 min, correlating with a fast transfer into ELF after pulmonary administration (KPM: 22.6 1/h). The data from the guinea pig allowed scaling, using the MBM to a human dose of POA maltodextrin powder demonstrating the potential feasibility of an inhaled product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shekhar B Yeshwante
- Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Patrick Hanafin
- Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Brittany K Miller
- Department of Microbiology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Laura Rank
- Department of Microbiology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Sebastian Murcia
- Department of Microbiology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Christian Xander
- Department of Microbiology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Ayano Annis
- Department of Microbiology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Victoria K Baxter
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Elizabeth J Anderson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Brian Jermain
- Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Robyn Konicki
- Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Alan A Schmalstig
- Department of Microbiology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Ian Stewart
- Technology Advancement and Commercialization, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Miriam Braunstein
- Department of Microbiology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Anthony J Hickey
- Technology Advancement and Commercialization, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
- Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Gauri G Rao
- Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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Progress Report: Antimicrobial Drug Discovery in the Resistance Era. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15040413. [PMID: 35455410 PMCID: PMC9030565 DOI: 10.3390/ph15040413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance continues to be a most serious threat to public health. This situation demands that the scientific community increase their efforts for the discovery of alternative strategies to circumvent the problems associated with conventional small molecule therapeutics. The Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) Report (published in June 2021) discloses the rapidly increasing number of bacterial infections that are mainly caused by antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. These concerns have initiated various government agencies and other organizations to educate the public regarding the appropriate use of antibiotics. This review discusses a brief highlight on the timeline of antimicrobial drug discovery with a special emphasis on the historical development of antimicrobial resistance. In addition, new antimicrobial targets and approaches, recent developments in drug screening, design, and delivery were covered. This review also discusses the emergence and roles of various antibiotic adjuvants and combination therapies while shedding light on current challenges and future perspectives. Overall, the emergence of resistant microbial strains has challenged drug discovery but their efforts to develop alternative technologies such as nanomaterials seem to be promising for the future.
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Abekura F, Park J, Lim H, Kim H, Choi H, Lee M, Kim C. Mycobacterium tuberculosis
glycolipoprotein LprG inhibits inflammation through NF‐κB signaling of ERK1/2 and JNK in LPS‐induced murine macrophage cells. J Cell Biochem 2022; 123:772-781. [DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fukushi Abekura
- Department of Biological Sciences SungKyunKwan University Suwon Kyunggi‐Do Republic of Korea
| | - Junyoung Park
- Department of Biological Sciences SungKyunKwan University Suwon Kyunggi‐Do Republic of Korea
| | - Hakseong Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences SungKyunKwan University Suwon Kyunggi‐Do Republic of Korea
| | - Hee‐Do Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences SungKyunKwan University Suwon Kyunggi‐Do Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunju Choi
- Department of Biological Sciences SungKyunKwan University Suwon Kyunggi‐Do Republic of Korea
| | - Moon‐Jo Lee
- Department of Herb Science Dong‐Eui Institute of Technology Busan Republic of Korea
| | - Cheorl‐Ho Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences SungKyunKwan University Suwon Kyunggi‐Do Republic of Korea
- Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology (SAIHST), Samsung Medical Center Seoul South Korea
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Structure-Aware Mycobacterium tuberculosis Functional Annotation Uncloaks Resistance, Metabolic, and Virulence Genes. mSystems 2021; 6:e0067321. [PMID: 34726489 PMCID: PMC8562490 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00673-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate and timely functional genome annotation is essential for translating basic pathogen research into clinically impactful advances. Here, through literature curation and structure-function inference, we systematically update the functional genome annotation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulent type strain H37Rv. First, we systematically curated annotations for 589 genes from 662 publications, including 282 gene products absent from leading databases. Second, we modeled 1,711 underannotated proteins and developed a semiautomated pipeline that captured shared function between 400 protein models and structural matches of known function on Protein Data Bank, including drug efflux proteins, metabolic enzymes, and virulence factors. In aggregate, these structure- and literature-derived annotations update 940/1,725 underannotated H37Rv genes and generate hundreds of functional hypotheses. Retrospectively applying the annotation to a recent whole-genome transposon mutant screen provided missing function for 48% (13/27) of underannotated genes altering antibiotic efficacy and 33% (23/69) required for persistence during mouse tuberculosis (TB) infection. Prospective application of the protein models enabled us to functionally interpret novel laboratory generated pyrazinamide (PZA)-resistant mutants of unknown function, which implicated the emerging coenzyme A depletion model of PZA action in the mutants’ PZA resistance. Our findings demonstrate the functional insight gained by integrating structural modeling and systematic literature curation, even for widely studied microorganisms. Functional annotations and protein structure models are available at https://tuberculosis.sdsu.edu/H37Rv in human- and machine-readable formats. IMPORTANCEMycobacterium tuberculosis, the primary causative agent of tuberculosis, kills more humans than any other infectious bacterium. Yet 40% of its genome is functionally uncharacterized, leaving much about the genetic basis of its resistance to antibiotics, capacity to withstand host immunity, and basic metabolism yet undiscovered. Irregular literature curation for functional annotation contributes to this gap. We systematically curated functions from literature and structural similarity for over half of poorly characterized genes, expanding the functionally annotated Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteome. Applying this updated annotation to recent in vivo functional screens added functional information to dozens of clinically pertinent proteins described as having unknown function. Integrating the annotations with a prospective functional screen identified new mutants resistant to a first-line TB drug, supporting an emerging hypothesis for its mode of action. These improvements in functional interpretation of clinically informative studies underscore the translational value of this functional knowledge. Structure-derived annotations identify hundreds of high-confidence candidates for mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, virulence factors, and basic metabolism and other functions key in clinical and basic tuberculosis research. More broadly, they provide a systematic framework for improving prokaryotic reference annotations.
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Shi W. Activity of Pyrazinamide against Mycobacterium tuberculosis at Neutral pH in PZA-S1 Minimal Medium. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:909. [PMID: 34438959 PMCID: PMC8388709 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10080909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Susceptibility testing of tuberculosis (TB) drugs on Mycobacterium tuberculosis is essential for the rapid detection of strains resistant to the drugs, providing the patient with effective treatment, and preventing the spread of drug-resistant TB strains. Pyrazinamide (PZA) is one of the first-line agents used for the treatment of TB. However, current phenotypic PZA susceptibility testing is unreliable due to its performance in acidic pH conditions. The aims of this study were to develop minimal media to determine the activity of PZA at a neutral pH at 37 °C to avoid problems caused by an acidic pH, which is currently used in PZA susceptibility tests, and to identify PZA-resistant M. tuberculosis in media with reproducibility and accuracy. Different minimal media were used to determine the activity of PZA using the broth microdilution method with M. tuberculosis H37Ra as the reference strain. The PZA-S1 minimal medium was proposed as the most suitable medium. PZA inhibited the growth of M. tuberculosis in PZA-S1 at a neutral pH of 6.8, which is the optimal pH for M. tuberculosis growth. Moreover, PZA showed activity at a neutral pH on a PZA-S1 agar plate when using the disk diffusion method. PZA-resistant M. tuberculosis could be identified at a neutral pH in PZA-S1 minimal medium. This study establishes valuable information regarding the testing of PZA's susceptibility in relation to M. tuberculosis at a neutral pH of 6.8 with reliability and accuracy in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanliang Shi
- PZA Innovation LLC, 2401 West Belvedere Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21215, USA
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Li K, Yang Z, Gu J, Luo M, Deng J, Chen Y. Characterization of pncA Mutations and Prediction of PZA Resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Clinical Isolates From Chongqing, China. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:594171. [PMID: 33505367 PMCID: PMC7832174 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.594171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Pyrazinamide (PZA) is widely used to treat drug-sensitive or multidrug resistance tuberculosis. However, conventional PZA susceptibility tests of clinical isolates are rather difficult because of the requirement of acid pH. Since resistance to pyrazinamide is primary mediated by mutation of pncA, an alternative way of PZA susceptibility test is to analyze the pyrazinamidase activities of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates. Therefore, a database containing the full spectrum of pncA mutations along with pyrazinamidase activities will be beneficial. To characterize mutations of pncA in M. tuberculosis from Chongqing, China, the pncA gene was sequenced and analyzed in 465 clinical isolates. A total of 124 types of mutations were identified in 424 drug-resistant isolates, while no mutation was identified in the 31 pan-susceptible isolates. Ninety-four of the 124 mutations had previously been reported, and 30 new mutations were identified. Based on reported literatures, 294 isolates could be predicted resistant to pyrazinamide. Furthermore, pyrazinamidase activities of the 30 new mutations were tested using the Escherichia coli pncA gene knockout strain. The results showed that 24 of these new mutations (28 isolates) led to loss of pyrazinamidase activity and six (8 isolates) of them did not. Taken together, 322 isolates with pncA mutations could be predicted to be PZA resistant among the 424 drug-resistant isolates tested. Analysis of pncA mutations and their effects on pyrazinamidase activity will not only enrich our knowledge of comprehensive pncA mutations related with PZA resistance but also facilitate rapid molecular diagnosis of pyrazinamide resistance in M. tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Central Laboratory, Chongqing Public Health Medical Center, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhongping Yang
- Central Laboratory, Chongqing Public Health Medical Center, Chongqing, China
| | - Jing Gu
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Ming Luo
- Central Laboratory, Chongqing Public Health Medical Center, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiaoyu Deng
- Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Yaokai Chen
- Central Laboratory, Chongqing Public Health Medical Center, Chongqing, China
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Abstract
The control of tuberculosis (TB) is hampered by the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) strains, defined as resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampin, the two bactericidal drugs essential for the treatment of the disease. Due to the worldwide estimate of almost half a million incident cases of MDR/rifampin-resistant TB, it is important to continuously update the knowledge on the mechanisms involved in the development of this phenomenon. Clinical, biological and microbiological reasons account for the generation of resistance, including: (i) nonadherence of patients to their therapy, and/or errors of physicians in therapy management, (ii) complexity and poor vascularization of granulomatous lesions, which obstruct drug distribution to some sites, resulting in resistance development, (iii) intrinsic drug resistance of tubercle bacilli, (iv) formation of non-replicating, drug-tolerant bacilli inside the granulomas, (v) development of mutations in Mtb genes, which are the most important molecular mechanisms of resistance. This review provides a comprehensive overview of these issues, and releases up-dated information on the therapeutic strategies recently endorsed and recommended by the World Health Organization to facilitate the clinical and microbiological management of drug-resistant TB at the global level, with attention also to the most recent diagnostic methods.
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Abstract
Pyrazinamide (PZA) is a cornerstone antimicrobial drug used exclusively for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Due to its ability to shorten drug therapy by 3 months and reduce disease relapse rates, PZA is considered an irreplaceable component of standard first-line short-course therapy for drug-susceptible TB and second-line treatment regimens for multidrug-resistant TB. Despite over 60 years of research on PZA and its crucial role in current and future TB treatment regimens, the mode of action of this unique drug remains unclear. Defining the mode of action for PZA will open new avenues for rational design of novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of TB. In this review, we discuss the four prevailing models for PZA action, recent developments in modulation of PZA susceptibility and resistance, and outlooks for future research and drug development.
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Hameed HA, Tan Y, Islam MM, Lu Z, Chhotaray C, Wang S, Liu Z, Fang C, Tan S, Yew WW, Zhong N, Liu J, Zhang T. Detection of Novel Gene Mutations Associated with Pyrazinamide Resistance in Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Clinical Isolates in Southern China. Infect Drug Resist 2020; 13:217-227. [PMID: 32158237 PMCID: PMC6986415 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s230774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Pyrazinamide (PZA) is a cornerstone of modern tuberculosis regimens. This study aimed to investigate the performance of genotypic testing of pncA + upstream region, rpsA, panD, Rv2783c, and clpC1 genes to add insights for more accurate molecular diagnosis of PZA-resistant (R) Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Methods Drug susceptibility testing, sequencing analysis of PZA-related genes including the entire operon of pncA (Rv2044c-pncA-Rv2042c) and PZase assay were performed for 448 M. tuberculosis clinical isolates. Results Our data showed that among 448 M. tuberculosis clinical isolates, 113 were MDR, 195 pre-XDR and 70 XDR TB, while the remaining 70 strains had other combinations of drug-resistance. A total of 60.04% (269/448) M. tuberculosis clinical isolates were resistant to PZA, of which 78/113 were MDR, 119/195 pre-XDR and 29/70 XDR TB strains. PZAR isolates have predominance (83.3%) of Beijing genotype. Genotypic characterization of Rv2044c-pncA-Rv2042c revealed novel nonsynonymous mutations in Rv2044c with negative PZase activity which led to confer PZAR. Compared with phenotypic data, 84.38% (227/269) PZAR strains with mutations in pncA + upstream region exhibited 83.64% sensitivity but the combined evaluation of the mutations in rpsA 2.60% (7/269), panD 1.48% (4/269), Rv2783c 1.11% (3/269) and Rv2044c 0.74% (2/269) increased the sensitivity to 89.59%. Fifty-seven novel mutations were identified in this study. Interestingly, a frameshift deletion (C-114del) in upstream of pncAwt nullified the effect of A-11G mutation and induced positive PZase activity, divergent from five PZase negative A-11G PZAR mutants. Twenty-six PZAR strains having wild-type-sequenced genes with positive or negative PZase suggest the existence of unknown resistance mechanisms. Conclusion Our study revealed that PZAR rate in MDR and pre-XDR TB was markedly higher in southern China. The concomitant evaluation of pncA + UFR, rpsA, panD, Rv2783c, and Rv2044c provides more dependable genotypic results of PZA resistance. Fifty-seven novel mutations/indels in this study may play a vital role as diagnostic markers. The upstream region of pncA and PZase regulation are valuable to explore the unknown mechanism of PZA-resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hm Adnan Hameed
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaoju Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Chest Hospital, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Md Mahmudul Islam
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhili Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Chiranjibi Chhotaray
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiyong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Cuiting Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shouyong Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Chest Hospital, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Wing Wai Yew
- Stanley Ho Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Nanshan Zhong
- National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianxiong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Chest Hospital, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, People's Republic of China.,National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
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Gopal P, Grüber G, Dartois V, Dick T. Pharmacological and Molecular Mechanisms Behind the Sterilizing Activity of Pyrazinamide. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2019; 40:930-940. [PMID: 31704175 PMCID: PMC6884696 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2019.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Inclusion of pyrazinamide (PZA) in the tuberculosis (TB) drug regimen during the 1970s enabled a reduction in treatment duration from 12 to 6 months. PZA has this remarkable effect in patients despite displaying poor potency against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in vitro. The pharmacological basis for the in vivo sterilizing activity of the drug has remained obscure and its bacterial target controversial. Recently it was shown that PZA penetrates necrotic caseous TB lung lesions and kills nongrowing, drug-tolerant bacilli. Furthermore, it was uncovered that PZA inhibits bacterial Coenzyme A biosynthesis. It may block this pathway by triggering degradation of its target, aspartate decarboxylase. The elucidation of the pharmacological and molecular mechanisms of PZA provides the basis for the rational discovery of the next-generation PZA with improved in vitro potency while maintaining attractive pharmacological properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Gopal
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Republic of Singapore; Current address: MSD Translational Medicine Research Centre, Merck Research Laboratories, 8 Biomedical Grove, Singapore 138665, Republic of Singapore.
| | - Gerhard Grüber
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Republic of Singapore
| | - Véronique Dartois
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, 340 Kingsland Street Building 102, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA; Department of Medical Sciences, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University, 340 Kingsland Street, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
| | - Thomas Dick
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, 340 Kingsland Street Building 102, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA; Department of Medical Sciences, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University, 340 Kingsland Street, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore 117599, Republic of Singapore
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Iwamoto T, Murase Y, Yoshida S, Aono A, Kuroda M, Sekizuka T, Yamashita A, Kato K, Takii T, Arikawa K, Kato S, Mitarai S. Overcoming the pitfalls of automatic interpretation of whole genome sequencing data by online tools for the prediction of pyrazinamide resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212798. [PMID: 30817803 PMCID: PMC6394917 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Automated online software tools that analyse whole genome sequencing (WGS) data without the need for bioinformatics expertise can motivate the implementation of WGS-based molecular drug susceptibility testing (DST) in routine diagnostic settings for tuberculosis (TB). Pyrazinamide (PZA) is a key drug for current and future TB treatment regimens; however, it was reported that predictive power for PZA resistance by the available tools is low. Therefore, this low predictive power may make users hesitant to use the tools. This study aimed to elucidate why and to uncover the real performance of the tools when taking into account their variation calling lists (manual inspection), not just their automated reporting system (default setting) that was evaluated by previous studies. METHODS WGS data from 191 datasets comprising 108 PZA-resistant and 83 susceptible strains were used to evaluate the potential performance of the available online tools (TB Profiler, TGS-TB, PhyResSE, and CASTB) for predicting phenotypic PZA resistance. RESULTS When taking into consideration the variation calling lists, 73 variants in total (47 non-synonymous mutations and 26 indels) in pncA were detected by TGS-TB and PhyResSE, covering all mutations for the 108 PZA-resistant strains. The 73 variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. TB Profiler also detected all but three complete loss, two large deletion at the 3'-end, and one relatively large insertion of pncA. On the other hand, many of the 73 variants were lacking in the automated reporting systems except by TGS-TB; of these variants, CASTB detected only 20. By applying the 'non-wild type sequence' approach for predicting PZA resistance, accuracy of the results significantly improved compared with that of the automated results obtained by each tool. CONCLUSION Users can obtain more accurate predictions for PZA resistance than previously reported by manually checking the results and applying the 'non-wild type sequence' approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomotada Iwamoto
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kobe Institute of Health, Kobe City, Japan
- * E-mail: (TI); (SM)
| | - Yoshiro Murase
- Bacteriology Division, Department of Mycobacterium Reference and Research, Research Institute of Tuberculosis, Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association, Kiyose City, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shiomi Yoshida
- Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Kinki-chuo Chest Medical Center, Sakai City, Osaka, Japan
| | - Akio Aono
- Bacteriology Division, Department of Mycobacterium Reference and Research, Research Institute of Tuberculosis, Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association, Kiyose City, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Makoto Kuroda
- Pathogen Genomics Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Sekizuka
- Pathogen Genomics Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akifumi Yamashita
- Pathogen Genomics Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kengo Kato
- Pathogen Genomics Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takemasa Takii
- Molecular Epidemiology Division, Research Institute of Tuberculosis, Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association, Kiyose City, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kentaro Arikawa
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kobe Institute of Health, Kobe City, Japan
| | - Seiya Kato
- Research Institute of Tuberculosis, Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association, Kiyose City, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Mitarai
- Bacteriology Division, Department of Mycobacterium Reference and Research, Research Institute of Tuberculosis, Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association, Kiyose City, Tokyo, Japan
- Basic Mycobacteriosis, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki, Japan
- * E-mail: (TI); (SM)
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Larsen EM, Johnson RJ. Microbial esterases and ester prodrugs: An unlikely marriage for combating antibiotic resistance. Drug Dev Res 2018; 80:33-47. [PMID: 30302779 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The rise of antibiotic resistance necessitates the search for new platforms for drug development. Prodrugs are common tools for overcoming drawbacks typically associated with drug formulation and delivery, with ester prodrugs providing a classic strategy for masking polar alcohol and carboxylic acid functionalities and improving cell permeability. Ester prodrugs are normally designed to have simple ester groups, as they are expected to be cleaved and reactivated by a wide spectrum of cellular esterases. However, a number of pathogenic and commensal microbial esterases have been found to possess significant substrate specificity and can play an unexpected role in drug metabolism. Ester protection can also introduce antimicrobial properties into previously nontoxic drugs through alterations in cell permeability or solubility. Finally, mutation to microbial esterases is a novel mechanism for the development of antibiotic resistance. In this review, we highlight the important pathogenic and xenobiotic functions of microbial esterases and discuss the development and application of ester prodrugs for targeting microbial infections and combating antibiotic resistance. Esterases are often overlooked as therapeutic targets. Yet, with the growing need to develop new antibiotics, a thorough understanding of the specificity and function of microbial esterases and their combined action with ester prodrug antibiotics will support the design of future therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik M Larsen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
| | - R Jeremy Johnson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana
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Miotto P, Zhang Y, Cirillo DM, Yam WC. Drug resistance mechanisms and drug susceptibility testing for tuberculosis. Respirology 2018; 23:1098-1113. [PMID: 30189463 DOI: 10.1111/resp.13393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is the deadliest infectious disease and the associated global threat has worsened with the emergence of drug resistance, in particular multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB). Although the World Health Organization (WHO) End-TB Strategy advocates for universal access to antimicrobial susceptibility testing, this is not widely available and/or it is still underused. The majority of drug resistance in clinical MTB strains is attributed to chromosomal mutations. Resistance-related mutations could also exert certain fitness cost to the drug-resistant MTB strains and growth fitness could be restored by the presence of compensatory mutations. Understanding these underlying mechanisms could provide an important insight into TB pathogenesis and predict the future trend of MDR-TB global pandemic. This review covers the mechanisms of resistance in MTB and provides a comprehensive overview of current phenotypic and molecular approaches for drug susceptibility testing, with particular attention to the methods endorsed and recommended by the WHO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Miotto
- Emerging Bacterial Pathogens Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Daniela Maria Cirillo
- Emerging Bacterial Pathogens Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
| | - Wing Cheong Yam
- Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital Compound, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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