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Babii S, Li W, Yang L, Grzegorzewicz AE, Jackson M, Gumbart JC, Zgurskaya HI. Allosteric coupling of substrate binding and proton translocation in MmpL3 transporter from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. mBio 2024; 15:e0218324. [PMID: 39212407 PMCID: PMC11481577 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02183-24] [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: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Infections caused by Mycobacterium spp. are very challenging to treat, and multidrug-resistant strains rapidly spread in human populations. Major contributing factors include the unique physiological features of these bacteria, drug efflux, and the low permeability barrier of their outer membrane. Here, we focus on MmpL3 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an essential inner membrane transporter of the resistance-nodulation-division superfamily required for the translocation of mycolic acids in the form of trehalose monomycolates (TMM) from the cytoplasm or plasma membrane to the periplasm or outer membrane. The MmpL3-dependent transport of TMM is essential for the growth of M. tuberculosis in vitro, inside macrophages, and in M. tuberculosis-infected mice. MmpL3 is also a validated target for several recently identified anti-mycobacterial agents. In this study, we reconstituted the lipid transport activity of the purified MmpL3 using a two-lipid vesicle system and established the ability of MmpL3 to actively extract phospholipids from the outer leaflet of a lipid bilayer. In contrast, we found that MmpL3 lacks the ability to translocate the same phospholipid substrate across the plasma membrane indicating that it is not an energy-dependent flippase. The lipid extraction activity was modulated by substitutions in critical charged and polar residues of the periplasmic substrate-binding pocket of MmpL3, coupled to the proton transfer activity of MmpL3 and inhibited by a small molecule inhibitor SQ109. Based on the results, we propose a mechanism of allosteric coupling wherein substrate translocation by MmpL3 is coupled to the energy provided by the downhill transfer of protons. The reconstituted activities will facilitate understanding the mechanism of MmpL3-dependent transport of lipids and the discovery of new therapeutic options for Mycobacterium spp. infections.IMPORTANCEMmpL3 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an essential transporter involved in the assembly of the mycobacterial outer membrane. It is also an important target in undergoing efforts to discover new anti-tuberculosis drugs effective against multidrug-resistant strains spreading in human populations. The recent breakthrough structural studies uncovered features of MmpL3 that suggested a possible lipid transport mechanism. In this study, we reconstituted and characterized the lipid transport activity of MmpL3 and demonstrated that this activity is blocked by MmpL3 inhibitors and substrate mimics. We further uncovered the mechanism of how the binding of a substrate in the periplasmic domain is communicated to the transmembrane proton relay of MmpL3. The uncovered mechanism and the developed assays provide new opportunities for mechanistic analyses of MmpL3 function and its inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svitlana Babii
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Lixinhao Yang
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Anna E. Grzegorzewicz
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Mary Jackson
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - James C. Gumbart
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Helen I. Zgurskaya
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
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Zhao L, Liu B, Tong HHY, Yao X, Liu H, Zhang Q. Inhibitor binding and disruption of coupled motions in MmpL3 protein: Unraveling the mechanism of trehalose monomycolate transport. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e5166. [PMID: 39291929 PMCID: PMC11409367 DOI: 10.1002/pro.5166] [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: 05/07/2024] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/24/2024] [Indexed: 09/19/2024]
Abstract
Mycobacterial membrane protein Large 3 (MmpL3) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is crucial for the translocation of trehalose monomycolate (TMM) across the inner bacterial cell membrane, making it a promising target for anti-tuberculosis (TB) drug development. While several structural, microbiological, and in vitro studies have provided significant insights, the precise mechanisms underlying TMM transport by MmpL3 and its inhibition remain incompletely understood at the atomic level. In this study, molecular dynamic (MD) simulations for the apo form and seven inhibitor-bound forms of Mtb MmpL3 were carried out to obtain a thorough comprehension of the protein's dynamics and function. MD simulations revealed that the seven inhibitors in this work stably bind to the central channel of the transmembrane domain and primarily forming hydrogen bonds with ASP251, ASP640, or both residues. Through dynamical cross-correlation matrix and principal component analysis analyses, several types of coupled motions between different domains were observed in the apo state, and distinct conformational states were identified using Markov state model analysis. These coupled motions and varied conformational states likely contribute to the transport of TMM. However, simulations of inhibitor-bound MmpL3 showed an enlargement of the proton channel, potentially disrupting coupled motions. This indicates that inhibitors may impair MmpL3's transport function by directly blocking the proton channel, thereby hindering coordinated domain movements and indirectly affecting TMM translocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Likun Zhao
- Centre for Artificial Intelligence Driven Drug Discovery, Faculty of Applied SciencesMacao Polytechnic UniversityMacaoChina
| | - Bo Liu
- Centre for Artificial Intelligence Driven Drug Discovery, Faculty of Applied SciencesMacao Polytechnic UniversityMacaoChina
| | - Henry H. Y. Tong
- Centre for Artificial Intelligence Driven Drug Discovery, Faculty of Applied SciencesMacao Polytechnic UniversityMacaoChina
| | - Xiaojun Yao
- Centre for Artificial Intelligence Driven Drug Discovery, Faculty of Applied SciencesMacao Polytechnic UniversityMacaoChina
| | - Huanxiang Liu
- Centre for Artificial Intelligence Driven Drug Discovery, Faculty of Applied SciencesMacao Polytechnic UniversityMacaoChina
| | - Qianqian Zhang
- Centre for Artificial Intelligence Driven Drug Discovery, Faculty of Applied SciencesMacao Polytechnic UniversityMacaoChina
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Jing W, Zhang F, Shang Y, Shi W, Yao C, Zhang X, Chu N, Lu J, Yuan J. Deciphering the possible role of MmpL7 efflux pump in SQ109 resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob 2024; 23:87. [PMID: 39342331 PMCID: PMC11439249 DOI: 10.1186/s12941-024-00746-8] [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: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 09/20/2024] [Indexed: 10/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND SQ109 is a promising candidate drug for the treatment of patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). The purpose of this study was to investigate the activity of SQ109 against clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) from patients with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and pre-extensively drug-resistant TB (pre-XDR-TB), and to explore new drug-resistant mechanisms of SQ109. METHODS We evaluated the in vitro activity of SQ109 against clinical isolates from patients with MDR-TB and pre-XDR-TB using minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay. The drug-resistant gene, mmpL3 of SQ109-resistant strains was sequenced, and a quantitative real-time PCR assay was used to analyze 28 efflux pump genes in SQ109-resistant strains without mmpL3 mutations. The role of candidate efflux pumps mmpL5 and mmpL7 on the MIC of SQ109 was evaluated using recombinantly cloned MmpL5 and MmpL7 expressed in Mycobacterium smegmatis. RESULTS The MIC90, MIC95 and MIC99 values of SQ109 for 225 clinical isolates of MTB were 0.25 mg/L, 0.5 mg/L and 1.0 mg/L, respectively. Among the pre-XDR strains, six showed resistance to SQ109 despite the absence of gene mutations in mmpL3. In six resistant pre-XDR strains, the MIC of SQ109 decreased with the use of an efflux pump inhibitor, and there was significant upregulation of mmpL5 and mmpL7 in two strains after exposure to SQ109. The presence of MmpL7 in Mycobacterium smegmatis resulted in decreased susceptibility to SQ109, with the MIC increasing from 16 mg/L to 32 mg/L. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrated that SQ109 exhibited excellent levels of in vitro activity against MTB. MmpL7 may be a potential gene for MTB resistance to SQ109, providing a useful target for detecting SQ109 resistance in MTB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Jing
- Department of Tuberculosis, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, No. 9, Beiguan Street, Tongzhou District, Beijing, 101149, PR China
| | - Fuzhen Zhang
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis & Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, No. 9, Beiguan Street, Tongzhou District, Beijing, 101149, PR China
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, PR China
| | - Yuanyuan Shang
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis & Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, No. 9, Beiguan Street, Tongzhou District, Beijing, 101149, PR China
| | - Wenhui Shi
- Department of Tuberculosis, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, No. 9, Beiguan Street, Tongzhou District, Beijing, 101149, PR China
| | - Cong Yao
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis & Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, No. 9, Beiguan Street, Tongzhou District, Beijing, 101149, PR China
| | - Xuxia Zhang
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis & Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, No. 9, Beiguan Street, Tongzhou District, Beijing, 101149, PR China
| | - Naihui Chu
- Department of Tuberculosis, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, No. 9, Beiguan Street, Tongzhou District, Beijing, 101149, PR China.
| | - Jie Lu
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Pediatric Diseases of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, 101149, PR China.
| | - Jinfeng Yuan
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis & Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, No. 9, Beiguan Street, Tongzhou District, Beijing, 101149, PR China.
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Eoh H, Lee JJ, Swanson D, Lee SK, Dihardjo S, Lee GY, Sree G, Maskill E, Taylor Z, Van Nieuwenhze M, Singh A, Lee JS, Eum SY, Cho SN, Swarts B. Trehalose catalytic shift is an intrinsic factor in Mycobacterium tuberculosis that enhances phenotypic heterogeneity and multidrug resistance. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4999164. [PMID: 39315249 PMCID: PMC11419184 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4999164/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
Drug-resistance (DR) in many bacterial pathogens often arises from the repetitive formation of drug-tolerant bacilli, known as persisters. However, it is unclear whether Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB), undergoes a similar phenotypic transition. Recent metabolomics studies have identified that a change in trehalose metabolism is necessary for Mtb to develop persisters and plays a crucial role in metabolic networks of DR-TB strains. The present study used Mtb mutants lacking the trehalose catalytic shift and showed that the mutants exhibited a significantly lower frequency of the emergence of DR mutants compared to wildtype, due to reduced persister formation. The trehalose catalytic shift enables Mtb persisters to survive under bactericidal antibiotics by increasing metabolic heterogeneity and drug tolerance, ultimately leading to development of DR. Intriguingly, rifampicin (RIF)-resistant bacilli exhibit cross-resistance to a second antibiotic, due to a high trehalose catalytic shift activity. This phenomenon explains how the development of multidrug resistance (MDR) is facilitated by the acquisition of RIF resistance. In this context, the heightened risk of MDR-TB in the lineage 4 HN878 W-Beijing strain can be attributed to its greater trehalose catalytic shift. Genetic and pharmacological inactivation of the trehalose catalytic shift significantly reduced persister formation, subsequently decreasing the incidence of MDR-TB in HN878 W-Beijing strain. Collectively, the trehalose catalytic shift serves as an intrinsic factor of Mtb responsible for persister formation, cross-resistance to multiple antibiotics, and the emergence of MDR-TB. This study aids in the discovery of new TB therapeutics by targeting the trehalose catalytic shift of Mtb.
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Recio-Balsells AI, Carlucci R, Giovannuzzi S, Carta F, Supuran CT, Tekwani BL, Morbidoni HR, Labadie GR. Repurposing antiparasitic N,N'-aliphatic diamine derivatives as promising antimycobacterial agents. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2024:e2400597. [PMID: 39263819 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202400597] [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: 07/21/2024] [Revised: 08/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
In previous studies, we demonstrated the potent activity of a library of 25 N,N'-disubstituted diamines (NNDDA) toward Trypanosomatid and Apicomplexa parasites. Considering the structure similarity between this collection and SQ109, an antituberculosis compound, and its compelling antiparasitic properties, we aimed to repurpose this library for tuberculosis treatment. We assayed this collection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and M. avium, obtaining several compounds with MIC values below 10 µM. The most active analogs were also evaluated against M. smegmatis, a non-pathogenic species, and the non-tuberculosis mycobacteria M. abscessus, M. kansasii, and M. fortuitum. 3c stands out as the lead mycobacterial compound of the collection, with potent activity against M. tuberculosis (minimal inhibitory concentration [MIC] = 3.4 µM) and moderate activity against M. smegmatis, M. kansasii, and M. fortuitum (all with MIC values of 26.8 µM). To unravel the mechanism of action, we employed the web-based platform Polypharmacology Browser 2 (PPB2), obtaining carbonic anhydrases as potential drug targets. Nevertheless, none of the compounds displayed experimental inhibition. In summary, our study confirms the validity of the repurposing approach and underscores the antimycobacterial potential of NNDDA compounds, especially the analog 3c, setting a stepping stone for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Renzo Carlucci
- Instituto de Química Rosario (IQUIR-CONICET), Rosario, Argentina
| | - Simone Giovannuzzi
- NEUROFARBA Department, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Section, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Carta
- NEUROFARBA Department, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Section, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Claudiu T Supuran
- NEUROFARBA Department, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Section, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Babu L Tekwani
- National Center for Natural Products Research & Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, USA
| | - Héctor R Morbidoni
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
- Consejo de Investigaciones, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Guillermo R Labadie
- Instituto de Química Rosario (IQUIR-CONICET), Rosario, Argentina
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
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6
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Kandel SE, Tooker BC, Lampe JN. Drug metabolism of ciprofloxacin, ivacaftor, and raloxifene by Pseudomonas aeruginosa cytochrome P450 CYP107S1. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107594. [PMID: 39032655 PMCID: PMC11382314 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107594] [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: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Drug metabolism is one of the main processes governing the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of drugs via their chemical biotransformation and elimination. In humans, the liver, enriched with cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, plays a major metabolic and detoxification role. The gut microbiome and its complex community of microorganisms can also contribute to some extent to drug metabolism. However, during an infection when pathogenic microorganisms invade the host, our knowledge of the impact on drug metabolism by this pathobiome remains limited. The intrinsic resistance mechanisms and rapid metabolic adaptation to new environments often allow the human bacterial pathogens to persist, despite the many antibiotic therapies available. Here, we demonstrate that a bacterial CYP enzyme, CYP107S1, from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a predominant bacterial pathogen in cystic fibrosis patients, can metabolize multiple drugs from different classes. CYP107S1 demonstrated high substrate promiscuity and allosteric properties much like human hepatic CYP3A4. Our findings demonstrated binding and metabolism by the recombinant CYP107S1 of fluoroquinolone antibiotics (ciprofloxacin and fleroxacin), a cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator potentiator (ivacaftor), and a selective estrogen receptor modulator antimicrobial adjuvant (raloxifene). Our in vitro metabolism data were further corroborated by molecular docking of each drug to the heme active site using a CYP107S1 homology model. Our findings raise the potential for microbial pathogens modulating drug concentrations locally at the site of infection, if not systemically, via CYP-mediated biotransformation reactions. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a CYP enzyme from a known bacterial pathogen that is capable of metabolizing clinically utilized drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie E Kandel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Brian C Tooker
- Pulmonary Division, Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Jed N Lampe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
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7
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Jowsey WJ, Cook GM, McNeil MB. Antibiotic resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis alters tolerance to cell wall-targeting inhibitors. JAC Antimicrob Resist 2024; 6:dlae086. [PMID: 38836195 PMCID: PMC11148391 DOI: 10.1093/jacamr/dlae086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background A limited ability to eliminate drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a major contributor to the morbidity of TB. Complicating this problem, little is known about how drug resistance-conferring mutations alter the ability of M. tuberculosis to tolerate antibiotic killing. Here, we investigated if drug-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis have an altered ability to tolerate killing by cell wall-targeting inhibitors. Methods Bacterial killing and MIC assays were used to test for antibiotic tolerance and synergy against a panel of drug-resistant M. tuberculosis strains. Results Our results demonstrate that vancomycin and thioacetazone exhibit increased killing of diverse drug-resistant strains. Mutations in mmaA4 and mmpL3 increased vancomycin killing, which was consistent with vancomycin synergizing with thioacetazone and MmpL3-targeting inhibitors. In contrast, mutations in the mce1 operon conferred tolerance to vancomycin. Conclusions Overall, this work demonstrates how drug-resistant strains experience perturbations in cell-wall production that alters their tolerance to killing by cell wall-targeting inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Jowsey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Gregory M Cook
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Matthew B McNeil
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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8
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Hart EM, Lyerly E, Bernhardt TG. The conserved σD envelope stress response monitors multiple aspects of envelope integrity in corynebacteria. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011127. [PMID: 38829907 PMCID: PMC11175481 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011127] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The cell envelope fortifies bacterial cells against antibiotics and other insults. Species in the Mycobacteriales order have a complex envelope that includes an outer layer of mycolic acids called the mycomembrane (MM) and a cell wall composed of peptidoglycan and arabinogalactan. This envelope architecture is unique among bacteria and contributes significantly to the virulence of pathogenic Mycobacteriales like Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Characterization of pathways that govern envelope biogenesis in these organisms is therefore critical in understanding their biology and for identifying new antibiotic targets. To better understand MM biogenesis, we developed a cell sorting-based screen for mutants defective in the surface exposure of a porin normally embedded in the MM of the model organism Corynebacterium glutamicum. The results revealed a requirement for the conserved σD envelope stress response in porin export and identified MarP as the site-1 protease, respectively, that activate the response by cleaving the membrane-embedded anti-sigma factor. A reporter system revealed that the σD pathway responds to defects in mycolic acid and arabinogalactan biosynthesis, suggesting that the stress response has the unusual property of being induced by activating signals that arise from defects in the assembly of two distinct envelope layers. Our results thus provide new insights into how C. glutamicum and related bacteria monitor envelope integrity and suggest a potential role for members of the σD regulon in protein export to the MM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M. Hart
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Evan Lyerly
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Thomas G. Bernhardt
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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9
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Yuliani Y, Ilmi AFN, Petsong S, Sawatpanich A, Chirakul S, Chatsuwan T, Palaga T, Rotcheewaphan S. CRISPR Interference-Mediated Silencing of the mmpL3 Gene in Mycobacterium smegmatis and Its Impact on Antimicrobial Susceptibility. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:483. [PMID: 38927150 PMCID: PMC11200583 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13060483] [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: 04/28/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The discovery of novel therapeutic agents, especially those targeting mycobacterial membrane protein large 3 (mmpL3), has shown promise. In this study, the CRISPR interference-Streptococcus thermophilus nuclease-deactivated Cas9 (CRISPRi-dCas9Sth1) system was utilized to suppress mmpL3 expression in Mycobacterium smegmatis, and its impacts on susceptibility to antimicrobial agents were evaluated. METHODS The repression of the mmpL3 gene was confirmed by RT-qPCR. The essentiality, growth curve, viability, and antimicrobial susceptibility of the mmpL3 knockdown strain were investigated. RESULTS mmpL3 silencing was achieved by utilizing 0.5 and 1 ng/mL anhydrotetracycline (ATc), resulting in reductions in the expression of 60.4% and 74.4%, respectively. mmpL3 silencing led to a significant decrease in bacterial viability when combined with one-half of the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of rifampicin, rifabutin, ceftriaxone, or isoniazid, along with 0.1 or 0.5 ng/mL ATc (p < 0.05). However, no significant difference was observed for clarithromycin or amikacin. CONCLUSIONS The downregulation of the mmpL3 gene in mycobacteria was achieved through the use of CRISPRi-dCas9Sth1, resulting in growth deficiencies and resensitization to certain antimicrobial agents. The impact was dependent upon the level of gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonita Yuliani
- Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; (Y.Y.); (A.F.N.I.)
| | - Azizah Fitriana Nurul Ilmi
- Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; (Y.Y.); (A.F.N.I.)
| | - Suthidee Petsong
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; (S.P.); (A.S.); (S.C.); (T.C.)
| | - Ajcharaporn Sawatpanich
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; (S.P.); (A.S.); (S.C.); (T.C.)
| | - Sunisa Chirakul
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; (S.P.); (A.S.); (S.C.); (T.C.)
- Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Stewardship, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Tanittha Chatsuwan
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; (S.P.); (A.S.); (S.C.); (T.C.)
- Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Stewardship, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Tanapat Palaga
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand;
| | - Suwatchareeporn Rotcheewaphan
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; (S.P.); (A.S.); (S.C.); (T.C.)
- Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Stewardship, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
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10
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Won HI, Zinga S, Kandror O, Akopian T, Wolf ID, Schweber JTP, Schmid EW, Chao MC, Waldor M, Rubin EJ, Zhu J. Targeted protein degradation in mycobacteria uncovers antibacterial effects and potentiates antibiotic efficacy. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4065. [PMID: 38744895 PMCID: PMC11094019 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48506-8] [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: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) represent a new therapeutic modality involving selectively directing disease-causing proteins for degradation through proteolytic systems. Our ability to exploit targeted protein degradation (TPD) for antibiotic development remains nascent due to our limited understanding of which bacterial proteins are amenable to a TPD strategy. Here, we use a genetic system to model chemically-induced proximity and degradation to screen essential proteins in Mycobacterium smegmatis (Msm), a model for the human pathogen M. tuberculosis (Mtb). By integrating experimental screening of 72 protein candidates and machine learning, we find that drug-induced proximity to the bacterial ClpC1P1P2 proteolytic complex leads to the degradation of many endogenous proteins, especially those with disordered termini. Additionally, TPD of essential Msm proteins inhibits bacterial growth and potentiates the effects of existing antimicrobial compounds. Together, our results provide biological principles to select and evaluate attractive targets for future Mtb PROTAC development, as both standalone antibiotics and potentiators of existing antibiotic efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harim I Won
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Samuel Zinga
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Olga Kandror
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Tatos Akopian
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Ian D Wolf
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jessica T P Schweber
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Ernst W Schmid
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Blavatnik Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Michael C Chao
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Maya Waldor
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Eric J Rubin
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Junhao Zhu
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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11
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Choksi H, Carbone J, Paradis NJ, Bennett L, Bui-Linh C, Wu C. Novel Inhibitors to MmpL3 Transporter of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by Structure-Based High-Throughput Virtual Screening and Molecular Dynamics Simulations. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:13782-13796. [PMID: 38559933 PMCID: PMC10976370 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c08401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB)-causing bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) utilizes mycolic acids for building the mycobacterial cell wall, which is critical in providing defense against external factors and resisting antibiotic action. MmpL3 is a secondary resistance nodulation division transporter that facilitates the coupled transport of mycolic acid precursor into the periplasm using the proton motive force, thus making it an attractive drug target for TB infection. In 2019, X-ray crystal structures of MmpL3 from M. smegmatis were solved with a promising inhibitor SQ109, which showed promise against drug-resistant TB in Phase II clinical trials. Still, there is a pressing need to discover more effective MmpL3 inhibitors to counteract rising antibiotic resistance. In this study, structure-based high-throughput virtual screening combined with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations identified potential novel MmpL3 inhibitors. Approximately 17 million compounds from the ZINC15 database were screened against the SQ109 binding site on the MmpL3 protein using drug property filters and glide XP docking scores. From this, the top nine compounds and the MmpL3-SQ109 crystal complex structure each underwent 2 × 200 ns MD simulations to probe the inhibitor binding energetics to MmpL3. Four of the nine compounds exhibited stable binding properties and favorable drug properties, suggesting these four compounds could be potential novel inhibitors of MmpL3 for M. tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nicholas J. Paradis
- Department of Molecular &
Cellular Biosciences, College of Science and Mathematics, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey 08028, United States
| | - Lucas Bennett
- Department of Molecular &
Cellular Biosciences, College of Science and Mathematics, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey 08028, United States
| | - Candice Bui-Linh
- Department of Molecular &
Cellular Biosciences, College of Science and Mathematics, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey 08028, United States
| | - Chun Wu
- Department of Molecular &
Cellular Biosciences, College of Science and Mathematics, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey 08028, United States
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12
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Cui Y, Lanne A, Peng X, Browne E, Bhatt A, Coltman NJ, Craven P, Cox LR, Cundy NJ, Dale K, Feula A, Frampton J, Fung M, Morton M, Goff A, Salih M, Lang X, Li X, Moon C, Pascoe J, Portman V, Press C, Schulz-Utermoehl T, Lee S, Tortorella MD, Tu Z, Underwood ZE, Wang C, Yoshizawa A, Zhang T, Waddell SJ, Bacon J, Alderwick L, Fossey JS, Neagoie C. Azetidines Kill Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis without Detectable Resistance by Blocking Mycolate Assembly. J Med Chem 2024; 67:2529-2548. [PMID: 38331432 PMCID: PMC10895678 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01643] [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: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of global morbidity and mortality resulting from infectious disease, with over 10.6 million new cases and 1.4 million deaths in 2021. This global emergency is exacerbated by the emergence of multidrug-resistant MDR-TB and extensively drug-resistant XDR-TB; therefore, new drugs and new drug targets are urgently required. From a whole cell phenotypic screen, a series of azetidines derivatives termed BGAz, which elicit potent bactericidal activity with MIC99 values <10 μM against drug-sensitive Mycobacterium tuberculosis and MDR-TB, were identified. These compounds demonstrate no detectable drug resistance. The mode of action and target deconvolution studies suggest that these compounds inhibit mycobacterial growth by interfering with cell envelope biogenesis, specifically late-stage mycolic acid biosynthesis. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrates that the BGAz compounds tested display a mode of action distinct from the existing mycobacterial cell wall inhibitors. In addition, the compounds tested exhibit toxicological and PK/PD profiles that pave the way for their development as antitubercular chemotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixin Cui
- School
of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands B15 2TT, U.K.
| | - Alice Lanne
- Institute
of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West
Midlands B15 2TT, U.K.
| | - Xudan Peng
- State
Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory
on Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and
Health, Chinese Academy of Science, 190 Kai Yuan Avenue, Science Park, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Edward Browne
- Sygnature
Discovery, The Discovery Building, BioCity, Pennyfoot Street, Nottingham NG1 1GR, U.K.
| | - Apoorva Bhatt
- Institute
of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West
Midlands B15 2TT, U.K.
| | - Nicholas J. Coltman
- School
of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands B15 2TT, U.K.
| | - Philip Craven
- School
of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands B15 2TT, U.K.
| | - Liam R. Cox
- School
of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands B15 2TT, U.K.
| | - Nicholas J. Cundy
- School
of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands B15 2TT, U.K.
| | - Katie Dale
- Institute
of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West
Midlands B15 2TT, U.K.
| | - Antonio Feula
- School
of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands B15 2TT, U.K.
| | - Jon Frampton
- College of
Medical and Dental Sciences, University
of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West
Midlands B15 2TT, U.K.
| | - Martin Fung
- Centre
for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science
& Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Science Park West Avenue NT, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Michael Morton
- ApconiX
Ltd, BIOHUB at Alderly Park, Nether Alderly, Cheshire SK10 4TG, U.K.
| | - Aaron Goff
- Department
of Global Health and Infection, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Falmer BN1 9PX, U.K.
| | - Mariwan Salih
- School
of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands B15 2TT, U.K.
| | - Xingfen Lang
- State
Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory
on Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and
Health, Chinese Academy of Science, 190 Kai Yuan Avenue, Science Park, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Xingjian Li
- School
of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands B15 2TT, U.K.
- State
Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory
on Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and
Health, Chinese Academy of Science, 190 Kai Yuan Avenue, Science Park, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Chris Moon
- TB
Research Group, National Infection Service, Public Health England (UKHSA), Manor Farm Road, Porton, Salisbury SP4 0JG, U.K.
| | - Jordan Pascoe
- TB
Research Group, National Infection Service, Public Health England (UKHSA), Manor Farm Road, Porton, Salisbury SP4 0JG, U.K.
| | - Vanessa Portman
- Sygnature
Discovery, The Discovery Building, BioCity, Pennyfoot Street, Nottingham NG1 1GR, U.K.
| | - Cara Press
- Institute
of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West
Midlands B15 2TT, U.K.
| | - Timothy Schulz-Utermoehl
- Sygnature
Discovery, The Discovery Building, BioCity, Pennyfoot Street, Nottingham NG1 1GR, U.K.
| | - Suki Lee
- Centre
for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science
& Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Science Park West Avenue NT, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Micky D. Tortorella
- State
Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory
on Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and
Health, Chinese Academy of Science, 190 Kai Yuan Avenue, Science Park, Guangzhou 510530, China
- Centre
for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science
& Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Science Park West Avenue NT, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Zhengchao Tu
- State
Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory
on Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and
Health, Chinese Academy of Science, 190 Kai Yuan Avenue, Science Park, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Zoe E. Underwood
- TB
Research Group, National Infection Service, Public Health England (UKHSA), Manor Farm Road, Porton, Salisbury SP4 0JG, U.K.
| | - Changwei Wang
- State
Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory
on Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and
Health, Chinese Academy of Science, 190 Kai Yuan Avenue, Science Park, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Akina Yoshizawa
- School
of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands B15 2TT, U.K.
| | - Tianyu Zhang
- State
Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory
on Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and
Health, Chinese Academy of Science, 190 Kai Yuan Avenue, Science Park, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Simon J. Waddell
- Department
of Global Health and Infection, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Falmer BN1 9PX, U.K.
| | - Joanna Bacon
- TB
Research Group, National Infection Service, Public Health England (UKHSA), Manor Farm Road, Porton, Salisbury SP4 0JG, U.K.
| | - Luke Alderwick
- Institute
of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West
Midlands B15 2TT, U.K.
- Discovery
Sciences, Charles River Laboratories, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, U.K.
| | - John S. Fossey
- School
of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands B15 2TT, U.K.
| | - Cleopatra Neagoie
- State
Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory
on Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and
Health, Chinese Academy of Science, 190 Kai Yuan Avenue, Science Park, Guangzhou 510530, China
- Centre
for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science
& Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 15 Science Park West Avenue NT, Hong Kong SAR
- Visiting
Scientist, School of Chemistry, University
of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West
Midlands B15 2TT, U.K.
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13
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Shyam M, Kumar S, Singh V. Unlocking Opportunities for Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium ulcerans. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:251-269. [PMID: 38295025 PMCID: PMC10862552 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00371] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
In the recent decade, scientific communities have toiled to tackle the emerging burden of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) and rapidly growing opportunistic nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Among these, two neglected mycobacteria species of the Acinetobacter family, Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium ulcerans, are the etiological agents of leprosy and Buruli ulcer infections, respectively, and fall under the broad umbrella of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Unfortunately, lackluster drug discovery efforts have been made against these pathogenic bacteria in the recent decade, resulting in the discovery of only a few countable hits and majorly repurposing anti-TB drug candidates such as telacebec (Q203), P218, and TB47 for current therapeutic interventions. Major ignorance in drug candidate identification might aggravate the dramatic consequences of rapidly spreading mycobacterial NTDs in the coming days. Therefore, this Review focuses on an up-to-date account of drug discovery efforts targeting selected druggable targets from both bacilli, including the accompanying challenges that have been identified and are responsible for the slow drug discovery. Furthermore, a succinct discussion of the all-new possibilities that could be alternative solutions to mitigate the neglected mycobacterial NTD burden and subsequently accelerate the drug discovery effort is also included. We anticipate that the state-of-the-art strategies discussed here may attract major attention from the scientific community to navigate and expand the roadmap for the discovery of next-generation therapeutics against these NTDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mousumi Shyam
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Technology, Birla Institute of Technology, Mersa, Ranchi, Jharkhand 835215, India
| | - Sumit Kumar
- Holistic
Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Centre, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Vinayak Singh
- Holistic
Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Centre, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
- South
African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research
Unit, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
- Institute
of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM), University of Cape Town, Observatory 7925, Cape Town, South Africa
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14
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Singh P, Kumar A, Sharma P, Chugh S, Kumar A, Sharma N, Gupta S, Singh M, Kidwai S, Sankar J, Taneja N, Kumar Y, Dhiman R, Mahajan D, Singh R. Identification and optimization of pyridine carboxamide-based scaffold as a drug lead for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2024; 68:e0076623. [PMID: 38193667 PMCID: PMC10848774 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00766-23] [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: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
New drugs with novel mechanisms of action are urgently needed to tackle the issue of drug-resistant tuberculosis. Here, we have performed phenotypic screening using the Pathogen Box library obtained from the Medicines for Malaria Venture against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro. We have identified a pyridine carboxamide derivative, MMV687254, as a promising hit. This molecule is specifically active against M. tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (M. bovis BCG) but inactive against Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumanii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli pathogens. We demonstrate that MMV687254 inhibits M. tuberculosis growth in liquid cultures in a bacteriostatic manner. Surprisingly, MMV687254 was as active as isoniazid in macrophages and inhibited M. tuberculosis growth in a bactericidal manner. Mechanistic studies revealed that MMV687254 is a prodrug and that its anti-mycobacterial activity requires AmiC-dependent hydrolysis. We further demonstrate that MMV687254 inhibits M. tuberculosis growth in macrophages by inducing autophagy. In the present study, we have also carried out a detailed structure-activity relationship study and identified a promising novel lead candidate. The identified novel series of compounds also showed activity against drug-resistant M. bovis BCG and M. tuberculosis clinical strains. Finally, we demonstrate that in contrast to MMV687254, the lead molecule was able to inhibit M. tuberculosis growth in a chronic mouse model of infection. Taken together, we have identified a novel lead molecule with a dual mechanism of action that can be further optimized to design more potent anti-tubercular agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Padam Singh
- Translational Health Sciences and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Arun Kumar
- Translational Health Sciences and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Pankaj Sharma
- Translational Health Sciences and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Saurabh Chugh
- Translational Health Sciences and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Ashish Kumar
- Department of Life Science, Laboratory of Mycobacterial Immunology, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, India
| | - Nidhi Sharma
- Translational Health Sciences and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Sonu Gupta
- Translational Health Sciences and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Manisha Singh
- Translational Health Sciences and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Saqib Kidwai
- Translational Health Sciences and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Jishnu Sankar
- Translational Health Sciences and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Neha Taneja
- Translational Health Sciences and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Yashwant Kumar
- Translational Health Sciences and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Rohan Dhiman
- Department of Life Science, Laboratory of Mycobacterial Immunology, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, India
| | - Dinesh Mahajan
- Translational Health Sciences and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Ramandeep Singh
- Translational Health Sciences and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
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15
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Ge Y, Luo Q, Liu L, Shi Q, Zhang Z, Yue X, Tang L, Liang L, Hu J, Ouyang W. S288T mutation altering MmpL3 periplasmic domain channel and H-bond network: a novel dual drug resistance mechanism. J Mol Model 2024; 30:39. [PMID: 38224406 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-023-05814-y] [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: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
CONTEXT Mycobacterial membrane proteins Large 3 (MmpL3) is responsible for the transport of mycobacterial acids out of cell membrane to form cell wall, which is essential for the survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and has become a potent anti-tuberculosis target. SQ109 is an ethambutol (EMB) analogue, as a novel anti-tuberculosis drug, can effectively inhibit MmpL3, and has completed phase 2b-3 clinical trials. Drug resistance has always been the bottleneck problem in clinical treatment of tuberculosis. The S288T mutant of MmpL3 shows significant resistance to the inhibitor SQ109, while the specific action mechanism remains unclear. The results show that MmpL3 S288T mutation causes local conformational change with little effect on the global structure. With MmpL3 bound by SQ109 inhibitor, the distance between D710 and R715 increases resulting in H-bond destruction, but their interactions and proton transfer function are still restored. In addition, the rotation of Y44 in the S288T mutant leads to an obvious bend in the periplasmic domain channel and an increased number of contact residues, reducing substrate transport efficiency. This work not only provides a possible dual drug resistance mechanism of MmpL3 S288T mutant but also aids the development of novel anti-tuberculosis inhibitors. METHODS In this work, molecular dynamics (MD) and quantum mechanics (QM) simulations both were performed to compare inhibitor (i.e., SQ109) recognition, motion characteristics, and H-bond energy change of MmpL3 after S288T mutation. In addition, the WT_SQ109 complex structure was obtained by molecular docking program (Autodock 4.2); Molecular Mechanics/ Poisson Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) and Solvated Interaction Energy (SIE) methods were used to calculate the binding free energies (∆Gbind); Geometric criteria were used to analyze the changes of hydrogen bond networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutong Ge
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal and Edible Plants Resources Development of Sichuan Education Department, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China
| | - Qing Luo
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao, 999078, China
| | - Ling Liu
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal and Edible Plants Resources Development of Sichuan Education Department, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China
| | - Quanshan Shi
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal and Edible Plants Resources Development of Sichuan Education Department, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China
| | - Zhigang Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xinru Yue
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal and Edible Plants Resources Development of Sichuan Education Department, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China
| | - Lingkai Tang
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal and Edible Plants Resources Development of Sichuan Education Department, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China
| | - Li Liang
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal and Edible Plants Resources Development of Sichuan Education Department, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China
| | - Jianping Hu
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal and Edible Plants Resources Development of Sichuan Education Department, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China.
| | - Weiwei Ouyang
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.
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16
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Williams JT, Giletto M, Haiderer ER, Aleiwi B, Krieger-Burke T, Ellsworth E, Abramovitch RB. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis MmpL3 inhibitor MSU-43085 is active in a mouse model of infection. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0367723. [PMID: 38078724 PMCID: PMC10783087 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03677-23] [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: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE MmpL3 is a protein that is required for the survival of bacteria that cause tuberculosis (TB) and nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections. This report describes the discovery and characterization of a new small molecule, MSU-43085, that targets MmpL3 and is a potent inhibitor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and M. abscessus survival. MSU-43085 is shown to be orally bioavailable and efficacious in an acute model of Mtb infection. However, the analog is inactive against Mtb in chronically infected mice. Pharmacokinetic and metabolite identification studies identified in vivo metabolism of MSU-43085, leading to a short half-life in treated mice. These proof-of-concept studies will guide further development of the MSU-43085 series for the treatment of TB or NTM infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- John T. Williams
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Matthew Giletto
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Elizabeth R. Haiderer
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Bilal Aleiwi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Teresa Krieger-Burke
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Edmund Ellsworth
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Robert B. Abramovitch
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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17
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Amandy FV, Neri GLL, Manzano JAH, Go AD, Macabeo APG. Polypharmacology-Driven Discovery and Design of Highly Selective, Dual and Multitargeting Inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis - A Review. Curr Drug Targets 2024; 25:620-634. [PMID: 38859782 DOI: 10.2174/0113894501306302240526160804] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
The increasing demand for novel antitubercular agents has been the main 'force' of many TB research efforts due to the uncontrolled growing number of drug-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis in the clinical setting. Many strategies have been employed to address the drug-resistant issue, including a trend that is gaining attention, which is the design and discovery of Mtb inhibitors that are either dual- or multitargeting. The multiple-target design concept is not new in medicinal chemistry. With a growing number of newly discovered Mtb proteins, numerous targets are now available for developing new biochemical/cell-based assays and computer-aided drug design (CADD) protocols. To describe the achievements and overarching picture of this field in anti- infective drug discovery, we provide in this review small molecules that exhibit profound inhibitory activity against the tubercle bacilli and are identified to trace two or more Mtb targets. This review also presents emerging design methodologies for developing new anti-TB agents, particularly tailored to structure-based CADD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franklin V Amandy
- The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, España Blvd., Manila 1015, Philippines
- Laboratory for Organic Reactivity, Discovery and Synthesis (Rm. 410), Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Espana Blvd., Manila 1015, Philippines
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Adamson University, San Marcelino St., Ermita, Manila 1000, Philippines
| | - Gabriel L L Neri
- Laboratory for Organic Reactivity, Discovery and Synthesis (Rm. 410), Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Espana Blvd., Manila 1015, Philippines
| | - Joe A H Manzano
- The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, España Blvd., Manila 1015, Philippines
- Laboratory for Organic Reactivity, Discovery and Synthesis (Rm. 410), Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Espana Blvd., Manila 1015, Philippines
| | - Adrian D Go
- Laboratory for Organic Reactivity, Discovery and Synthesis (Rm. 410), Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Espana Blvd., Manila 1015, Philippines
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Adamson University, San Marcelino St., Ermita, Manila 1000, Philippines
| | - Allan P G Macabeo
- Laboratory for Organic Reactivity, Discovery and Synthesis (Rm. 410), Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Espana Blvd., Manila 1015, Philippines
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18
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Brown T, Chavent M, Im W. Molecular Modeling and Simulation of the Mycobacterial Cell Envelope: From Individual Components to Cell Envelope Assemblies. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:10941-10949. [PMID: 38091517 PMCID: PMC10758119 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c06136] [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: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Unlike typical Gram-positive bacteria, the cell envelope of mycobacteria is unique and composed of a mycobacterial outer membrane, also known as the mycomembrane, a peptidoglycan layer, and a mycobacterial inner membrane, which is analogous to that of Gram-negative bacteria. Despite its importance, however, our understanding of this complex cell envelope is rudimentary at best. Thus, molecular modeling and simulation of such an envelope can benefit the scientific community by proposing new hypotheses about the biophysical properties of its different layers. In this Perspective, we present recent advances in molecular modeling and simulation of the mycobacterial cell envelope from individual components to cell envelope assemblies. We also show how modeling other types of cell envelopes, such as that of Escherichia coli, may help modeling part of the mycobacterial envelopes. We hope that the studies presented here are just the beginning of the road and more and more new modeling and simulation studies help us to understand crucial questions related to mycobacteria such as antibiotic resistance or bacterial survival in the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Turner Brown
- Department
of Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Matthieu Chavent
- Institut
de Pharmacologie et Biologie Structurale, CNRS, Université
de Toulouse, 205 Route de Narbonne, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Wonpil Im
- Department
of Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
- Departments
of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Lehigh
University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
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19
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Zmyslia M, Fröhlich K, Dao T, Schmidt A, Jessen-Trefzer C. Deep Proteomic Investigation of Metabolic Adaptation in Mycobacteria under Different Growth Conditions. Proteomes 2023; 11:39. [PMID: 38133153 PMCID: PMC10747050 DOI: 10.3390/proteomes11040039] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the complex mechanisms of mycobacterial pathophysiology and adaptive responses presents challenges that can hinder drug development. However, employing physiologically relevant conditions, such as those found in human macrophages or simulating physiological growth conditions, holds promise for more effective drug screening. A valuable tool in this pursuit is proteomics, which allows for a comprehensive analysis of adaptive responses. In our study, we focused on Mycobacterium smegmatis, a model organism closely related to the pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis, to investigate the impact of various carbon sources on mycobacterial growth. To facilitate this research, we developed a cost-effective, straightforward, and high-quality pipeline for proteome analysis and compared six different carbon source conditions. Additionally, we have created an online tool to present and analyze our data, making it easily accessible to the community. This user-friendly platform allows researchers and interested parties to explore and interpret the results effectively. Our findings shed light on mycobacterial adaptive physiology and present potential targets for drug development, contributing to the fight against tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariia Zmyslia
- Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Freiburg, Albertstrasse 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (M.Z.); (T.D.)
| | - Klemens Fröhlich
- Proteomics Core Facility, Biozentrum Basel, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056 Basel, Switzerland; (K.F.); (A.S.)
| | - Trinh Dao
- Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Freiburg, Albertstrasse 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (M.Z.); (T.D.)
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), University of Freiburg, Albertstrasse 19A, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- The Center for Integrative Biological Signaling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Schmidt
- Proteomics Core Facility, Biozentrum Basel, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056 Basel, Switzerland; (K.F.); (A.S.)
| | - Claudia Jessen-Trefzer
- Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Freiburg, Albertstrasse 21, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (M.Z.); (T.D.)
- The Center for Integrative Biological Signaling Studies, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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20
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Salini S, Muralikrishnan B, Bhat SG, Ghate SD, Rao RSP, Kumar RA, Kurthkoti K. Overexpression of a membrane transport system MSMEG_1381 and MSMEG_1382 confers multidrug resistance in Mycobacterium smegmatis. Microb Pathog 2023; 185:106384. [PMID: 37838146 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106384] [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: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a leading cause of human mortality worldwide, and the emergence of drug-resistant strains demands the discovery of new classes of antimycobacterial that can be employed in the therapeutic pipeline. Previously, a secondary metabolite, chrysomycin A, isolated from Streptomyces sp. OA161 displayed potent bactericidal activity against drug-resistant clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis and different species of mycobacteria. The antibiotic inhibits mycobacterial topoisomerase I and DNA gyrase, leading to bacterial death, but the mechanisms that could cause resistance to this antibiotic are currently unknown. To further understand the resistance mechanism, using M. smegmatis as a model, spontaneous resistance mutants were isolated and subjected to whole-genome sequencing. Mutation in a TetR family transcriptional regulator MSMEG_1380 was identified in the resistant isolates wherein the gene was adjacent to an operon encoding membrane proteins MSMEG_1381 and MSMEG_1382. Sequence analysis and modeling studies indicated that MSMEG_1381 and MSMEG_1382 are components of the Mmp family of efflux pumps and over-expression of either the operon or individual genes conferred resistance to chrysomycin A, isoniazid, and ethambutol. Our study highlights the role of membrane transporter proteins in conferring multiple drug resistance and the utility of recombinant strains overexpressing membrane transporters in the drug screening pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Salini
- Mycobacterium Research Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram 695014, India
| | - Balaji Muralikrishnan
- Mycobacterium Research Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram 695014, India; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Tirupati, 517507, India
| | - Sinchana G Bhat
- Mycobacterium Research Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram 695014, India
| | - Sudeep D Ghate
- Center for Bioinformatics, NITTE Deemed to be University, Mangaluru 575018, India
| | - R Shyama Prasad Rao
- Center for Bioinformatics, NITTE Deemed to be University, Mangaluru 575018, India
| | - R Ajay Kumar
- Mycobacterium Research Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram 695014, India
| | - Krishna Kurthkoti
- Mycobacterium Research Laboratory, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram 695014, India.
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21
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Dhulap A, Banerjee P. Pharmacophore based virtual screening & molecular docking approach for identification of mycobacterial membrane protein large 3 (MmpL3) inhibitors. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:11062-11077. [PMID: 36571432 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2159876] [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: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) disease continues to remain one of the global threats for mankind. Till date many antibacterial compounds have been identified to target mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). However, the mutating nature of the mycobacteria has always posed a challenge for designing newer drugs which can target both the non-mutating and mutating forms of TB. In this process, Mycobacterial membrane protein Large 3 (MmpL3) transporter was identified as one of the key targets for inhibiting tuberculosis. Herein we have made an effort to find potential inhibitors against MmpL3 by using a pharmacophore-based virtual screening workflow, followed by molecular docking studies and molecular dynamic simulations. Based on a set of 220 compounds showing anti-tubercular activity proposed to target MmpL3 transporter with MIC values ranging from 0.003 to 737 μM, a 5-point pharmacophore ADHHR_2 model possessing one hydrogen acceptor, one hydrogen donor, two hydrophobic groups and an aromatic ring system was generated. The model validated by enrichment study was used to screen Asinex and DrugBank database to identify a potential lead compound such as DrugBank_6059 that was found to show better binding affinity (-11.36) and hydrophobic interactions with target protein in comparison to standard drug SQ109.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhijeet Dhulap
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR- Human Resource Development Centre, (CSIR-HRDC) Campus, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
- CSIR Unit for Research and Development of Information Products, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Paromita Banerjee
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR- Human Resource Development Centre, (CSIR-HRDC) Campus, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
- CSIR Unit for Research and Development of Information Products, Pune, Maharashtra, India
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22
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Couston J, Guo Z, Wang K, Gourdon P, Blaise M. Cryo-EM structure of the trehalose monomycolate transporter, MmpL3, reconstituted into peptidiscs. Curr Res Struct Biol 2023; 6:100109. [PMID: 38034087 PMCID: PMC10682824 DOI: 10.1016/j.crstbi.2023.100109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycobacteria have an atypical thick and waxy cell wall. One of the major building blocks of such mycomembrane is trehalose monomycolate (TMM). TMM is a mycolic acid ester of trehalose that possesses long acyl chains with up to 90 carbon atoms. TMM represents an essential component of mycobacteria and is synthesized in the cytoplasm, and then flipped over the plasma membrane by a specific transporter known as MmpL3. Over the last decade, MmpL3 has emerged as an attractive drug target to combat mycobacterial infections. Recent three-dimensional structures of MmpL3 determined by X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM have increased our understanding of the TMM transport, and the mode of action of inhibiting compounds. These structures were obtained in the presence of detergent and/or in a lipidic environment. In this study, we demonstrate the possibility of obtaining a high-quality cryo-EM structure of MmpL3 without any presence of detergent through the reconstitution of the protein into peptidiscs. The structure was determined at an overall resolution of 3.2 Å and demonstrates that the overall structure of MmpL3 is preserved as compared to previous structures. Further, the study identified a new structural arrangement of the linker that fuses the two subdomains of the transmembrane domain, suggesting the feature may serve a role in the transport process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Couston
- IRIM, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Zongxin Guo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Kaituo Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Pontus Gourdon
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, SE-22100, Lund, Sweden
| | - Mickaël Blaise
- IRIM, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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23
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Chebaiki M, Delfourne E, Tamhaev R, Danoun S, Rodriguez F, Hoffmann P, Grosjean E, Goncalves F, Azéma-Despeyroux J, Pál A, Korduláková J, Preuilh N, Britton S, Constant P, Marrakchi H, Maveyraud L, Mourey L, Lherbet C. Discovery of new diaryl ether inhibitors against Mycobacterium tuberculosis targeting the minor portal of InhA. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 259:115646. [PMID: 37482022 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) affects 10 million people each year and the emergence of resistant TB augurs for a growing incidence. In the last 60 years, only three new drugs were approved for TB treatment, for which resistances are already emerging. Therefore, there is a crucial need for new chemotherapeutic agents capable of eradicating TB. Enzymes belonging to the type II fatty acid synthase system (FAS-II) are involved in the biosynthesis of mycolic acids, cell envelope components essential for mycobacterial survival. Among them, InhA is the primary target of isoniazid (INH), one of the most effective compounds to treat TB. INH acts as a prodrug requiring activation by the catalase-peroxidase KatG, whose mutations are the major cause for INH resistance. Herein, a new series of direct InhA inhibitors were designed based on a molecular hybridization approach. They exhibit potent inhibitory activities of InhA and, for some of them, good antitubercular activities. Moreover, they display a low toxicity on human cells. A study of the mechanism of action of the most effective molecules shows that they inhibit the biosynthesis of mycolic acids. The X-ray structures of two InhA/NAD+/inhibitor complexes have been obtained showing a binding mode of a part of the molecule in the minor portal, rarely seen in the InhA structures reported so far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélina Chebaiki
- Synthèse et Physico-Chimie de Molécules d'Intérêt Biologique (LSPCMIB), UMR 5068, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France; Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
| | - Evelyne Delfourne
- Synthèse et Physico-Chimie de Molécules d'Intérêt Biologique (LSPCMIB), UMR 5068, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
| | - Rasoul Tamhaev
- Synthèse et Physico-Chimie de Molécules d'Intérêt Biologique (LSPCMIB), UMR 5068, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France; Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
| | - Saïda Danoun
- Synthèse et Physico-Chimie de Molécules d'Intérêt Biologique (LSPCMIB), UMR 5068, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
| | - Frédéric Rodriguez
- Synthèse et Physico-Chimie de Molécules d'Intérêt Biologique (LSPCMIB), UMR 5068, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
| | - Pascal Hoffmann
- Synthèse et Physico-Chimie de Molécules d'Intérêt Biologique (LSPCMIB), UMR 5068, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
| | - Emeline Grosjean
- Synthèse et Physico-Chimie de Molécules d'Intérêt Biologique (LSPCMIB), UMR 5068, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
| | - Fernanda Goncalves
- Synthèse et Physico-Chimie de Molécules d'Intérêt Biologique (LSPCMIB), UMR 5068, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
| | - Joëlle Azéma-Despeyroux
- Synthèse et Physico-Chimie de Molécules d'Intérêt Biologique (LSPCMIB), UMR 5068, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
| | - Adrián Pál
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina, Ilkovičova 6, 84215, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jana Korduláková
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina, Ilkovičova 6, 84215, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Nadège Preuilh
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
| | - Sébastien Britton
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
| | - Patricia Constant
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
| | - Hedia Marrakchi
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France
| | - Laurent Maveyraud
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France.
| | - Lionel Mourey
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale (IPBS), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France.
| | - Christian Lherbet
- Synthèse et Physico-Chimie de Molécules d'Intérêt Biologique (LSPCMIB), UMR 5068, CNRS, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France.
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24
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Kim H, Shin SJ. Revolutionizing control strategies against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection through selected targeting of lipid metabolism. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:291. [PMID: 37704889 PMCID: PMC11072447 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04914-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Lipid species play a critical role in the growth and virulence expression of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB). During Mtb infection, foamy macrophages accumulate lipids in granulomas, providing metabolic adaptation and survival strategies for Mtb against multiple stresses. Host-derived lipid species, including triacylglycerol and cholesterol, can also contribute to the development of drug-tolerant Mtb, leading to reduced efficacy of antibiotics targeting the bacterial cell wall or transcription. Transcriptional and metabolic analyses indicate that lipid metabolism-associated factors of Mtb are highly regulated by antibiotics and ultimately affect treatment outcomes. Despite the well-known association between major antibiotics and lipid metabolites in TB treatment, a comprehensive understanding of how altered lipid metabolites in both host and Mtb influence treatment outcomes in a drug-specific manner is necessary to overcome drug tolerance. The current review explores the controversies and correlations between lipids and drug efficacy in various Mtb infection models and proposes novel approaches to enhance the efficacy of anti-TB drugs. Moreover, the review provides insights into the efficacious control of Mtb infection by elucidating the impact of lipids on drug efficacy. This review aims to improve the effectiveness of current anti-TB drugs and facilitate the development of innovative therapeutic strategies against Mtb infection by making reverse use of Mtb-favoring lipid species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagyu Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Immunology and Immunological Disease, Graduate School of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 Project, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sung Jae Shin
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Immunology and Immunological Disease, Graduate School of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 Project, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
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25
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Carbone J, Paradis NJ, Bennet L, Alesiani MC, Hausman KR, Wu C. Inhibition Mechanism of Anti-TB Drug SQ109: Allosteric Inhibition of TMM Translocation of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis MmpL3 Transporter. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:5356-5374. [PMID: 37589273 PMCID: PMC10466384 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00616] [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: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
The mycolic acid transporter MmpL3 is driven by proton motive forces (PMF) and functions via an antiport mechanism. Although the crystal structures of the Mycobacterium smegmatis MmpL3 transporter alone and in complex with a trehalose monomycolate (TMM) substrate and an antituberculosis drug candidate SQ109 under Phase 2b-3 Clinical Trials are available, no water and no conformational change in MmpL3 were observed in these structures to explain SQ109's inhibition mechanism of proton and TMM transportation. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations of both apo form and inhibitor-bound MmpL3 in an explicit membrane were used to decipher the inhibition mechanism of SQ109. In the apo system, the close-open motion of the two TM domains, likely driven by the proton translocation, drives the close-open motion of the two PD domains, presumably allowing for TMM translocation. In contrast, in the holo system, the two PD domains are locked in a closed state, and the two TM domains are locked in an off pathway wider open state due to the binding of the inhibitor. Consistent with the close-open motion of the two PD domains, TMM entry size changes in the apo system, likely loading and moving the TMM, but does not vary much in the holo system and probably impair the movement of the TMM. Furthermore, we observed that water molecules passed through the central channel of the MmpL3 transporter to the cytoplasmic side in the apo system but not in the holo system, with a mean passing time of ∼135 ns. Because water wires play an essential role in transporting protons, our findings shed light on the importance of PMF in driving the close-open motion of the two TM domains. Interestingly, the key channel residues involved in water passage display considerable overlap with conserved residues within the MmpL protein family, supporting their critical function role.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mark C. Alesiani
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry,
College of Science and Mathematics, Rowan
University, Glassboro, New Jersey 08028, United States
| | - Katherine R. Hausman
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry,
College of Science and Mathematics, Rowan
University, Glassboro, New Jersey 08028, United States
| | - Chun Wu
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry,
College of Science and Mathematics, Rowan
University, Glassboro, New Jersey 08028, United States
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26
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van der Heijden YF, Maruri F, Blackman A, Morrison R, Guo Y, Sterling TR. Mycobacterium tuberculosis Gene Expression Associated With Fluoroquinolone Resistance and Efflux Pump Inhibition. J Infect Dis 2023; 228:469-478. [PMID: 37079382 PMCID: PMC10428193 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad112] [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: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We evaluated the relationship between response to efflux pump inhibition in fluoroquinolone-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) isolates and differences in gene expression and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL). METHODS We determined ofloxacin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for ofloxacin-resistant and -susceptible Mtb isolates without and with the efflux pump inhibitor verapamil. We performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), whole genome sequencing (WGS), and eQTL analysis, focusing on efflux pump, transport, and secretion-associated genes. RESULTS Of 42 ofloxacin-resistant Mtb isolates, 27 had adequate WGS coverage and acceptable RNA-seq quality. Of these 27, 7 had >2-fold reduction in ofloxacin MIC with verapamil; 6 had 2-fold reduction, and 14 had <2-fold reduction. Five genes (including Rv0191) had significantly increased expression in the MIC fold change >2 compared to <2 groups. Among regulated genes, 31 eQTLs (without ofloxacin) and 35 eQTLs (with ofloxacin) had significant allele frequency differences between MIC fold change >2 and <2 groups. Of these, Rv1410c, Rv2459, and Rv3756c (without ofloxacin) and Rv0191 and Rv3756c (with ofloxacin) have previously been associated with antituberculosis drug resistance. CONCLUSIONS In this first reported eQTL analysis in Mtb, Rv0191 had increased gene expression and significance in eQTL analysis, making it a candidate for functional evaluation of efflux-mediated fluoroquinolone resistance in Mtb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri F van der Heijden
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt Tuberculosis Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- The Aurum Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Fernanda Maruri
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt Tuberculosis Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Amondrea Blackman
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt Tuberculosis Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Robert Morrison
- Pathogenesis and Immunity Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yan Guo
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Timothy R Sterling
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt Tuberculosis Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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27
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Wen Y, Lun S, Jiao Y, Zhang W, Liu T, Yang F, Tang J, Bishai WR, Yu LF. Structure-directed identification of pyridine-2-methylamine derivatives as MmpL3 inhibitors for use as antitubercular agents. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 255:115351. [PMID: 37116266 PMCID: PMC10239758 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Mycobacterial membrane protein Large 3 (MmpL3), an inner membrane protein, plays a crucial role in the transport of mycolic acids that are essential for the viability of M. tuberculosis and has been a promising therapeutic target for new anti-TB agents. Herein, we report the discovery of pyridine-2-methylamine antitubercular compounds using a structure-based drug design strategy. Compound 62 stands out as the most potent compound with high activity against M. tb strain H37Rv (MIC = 0.016 μg/mL) as well as the clinically isolated strains of MDR/XDR-TB (MIC = 0.0039-0.0625 μg/mL), low Vero cell toxicity (IC50 ≥ 16 μg/mL), and moderate liver microsomal stability (CLint = 28 μL/min/mg). Furthermore, the resistant mutant of S288T due to single nucleotide polymorphism in mmpL3 was resistant to pyridine-2-methylamine 62, demonstrating compound 62 is likely target to MmpL3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wen
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Shichun Lun
- Center for Tuberculosis Research, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21231-1044, United States
| | - Yuxue Jiao
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Ting Liu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China.
| | - Jie Tang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Chemical Process, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - William R Bishai
- Center for Tuberculosis Research, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21231-1044, United States.
| | - Li-Fang Yu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, 200062, China.
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28
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North EJ, Schwartz CP, Zgurskaya HI, Jackson M. Recent advances in mycobacterial membrane protein large 3 inhibitor drug design for mycobacterial infections. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2023; 18:707-724. [PMID: 37226498 PMCID: PMC10330604 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2218082] [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: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacterial infections are notoriously difficult to treat, requiring long-courses of intensive multi-drug therapies associated with adverse side effects. To identify better therapeutics, whole cell screens have identified novel pharmacophores, a surprisingly high number of which target an essential lipid transporter known as MmpL3. AREAS COVERED This paper summarizes what is known about MmpL3, its mechanism of lipid transport and therapeutic potential, and provides an overview of the different classes of MmpL3 inhibitors currently under development. It further describes the assays available to study MmpL3 inhibition by these compounds. EXPERT OPINION MmpL3 has emerged as a target of high therapeutic value. Accordingly, several classes of MmpL3 inhibitors are currently under development with one drug candidate (SQ109) having undergone a Phase 2b clinical study. The hydrophobic character of most MmpL3 series identified to date seems to drive antimycobacterial potency resulting in poor bioavailability, which is a significant impediment to their development. There is also a need for more high-throughput and informative assays to elucidate the precise mechanism of action of MmpL3 inhibitors and drive the rational optimization of analogues.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Jeffrey North
- Department of Pharmacy Sciences, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA
| | - Chris P. Schwartz
- Department of Pharmacy Sciences, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA
| | - Helen I. Zgurskaya
- University of Oklahoma, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Mary Jackson
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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29
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Li Y, Acharya A, Yang L, Liu J, Tajkhorshid E, Zgurskaya HI, Jackson M, Gumbart JC. Insights into substrate transport and water permeation in the mycobacterial transporter MmpL3. Biophys J 2023; 122:2342-2352. [PMID: 36926696 PMCID: PMC10257117 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.03.018] [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: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycobacteria, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, are characterized by a uniquely thick and waxy cell envelope that consists of two membranes, with a variety of mycolates comprising their outer membrane (OM). The protein Mycobacterial membrane protein Large 3 (MmpL3) is responsible for the transport of a primary OM component, trehalose monomycolate (TMM), from the inner (cytoplasmic) membrane (IM) to the periplasmic space, a process driven by the proton gradient. Although multiple structures of MmpL3 with bound substrates have been solved, the exact pathway(s) for TMM or proton transport remains elusive. Here, employing molecular dynamics simulations we investigate putative pathways for either transport species. We hypothesized that MmpL3 will cycle through similar conformational states as the related transporter AcrB, which we used as targets for modeling the conformation of MmpL3. A continuous water pathway through the transmembrane region was found in one of these states, illustrating a putative pathway for protons. Additional equilibrium simulations revealed that TMM can diffuse from the membrane into a binding pocket in MmpL3 spontaneously. We also found that acetylation of TMM, which is required for transport, makes it more stable within MmpL3's periplasmic cavity compared with the unacetylated form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yupeng Li
- Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, NIH Resource for Macromolecular Modeling and Visualization, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Atanu Acharya
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Lixinhao Yang
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jinchan Liu
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry (MB&B), Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, NIH Resource for Macromolecular Modeling and Visualization, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Helen I Zgurskaya
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
| | - Mary Jackson
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - James C Gumbart
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia; School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia.
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30
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Malwal SR, Mazurek B, Ko J, Xie P, Barnes C, Varvitsiotis C, Zimmerman MD, Olatunji S, Lee J, Xie M, Sarathy J, Caffrey M, Strynadka NCJ, Dartois V, Dick T, Lee BNR, Russell DG, Oldfield E. Investigation into the Mechanism of Action of the Tuberculosis Drug Candidate SQ109 and Its Metabolites and Analogues in Mycobacteria. J Med Chem 2023. [PMID: 37235809 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
We tested a series of SQ109 analogues against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. smegmatis, in addition to determining their uncoupling activity. We then investigated potential protein targets, involved in quinone and cell wall biosynthesis, using "rescue" experiments. There was little effect of menaquinone on growth inhibition by SQ109, but there were large increases in the IC50 of SQ109 and its analogues (up to 20×) on addition of undecaprenyl phosphate (Up), a homologue of the mycobacterial decaprenyl (C50) diphosphate. Inhibition of an undecaprenyl diphosphate phosphatase, an ortholog of the mycobacterial phosphatase, correlated with cell growth inhibition, and we found that M. smegmatis cell growth inhibition could be well predicted by using uncoupler and Up-rescue results. We also investigated whether SQ109 was metabolized inside Mycobacterium tuberculosis, finding only a single metabolite, previously shown to be inactive. The results are of general interest since they help explain the mechanism of SQ109 in mycobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satish R Malwal
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Ben Mazurek
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Jihee Ko
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Pujun Xie
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Chikako Barnes
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Christine Varvitsiotis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Matthew D Zimmerman
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
| | - Samir Olatunji
- Schools of Medicine and Biochemistry & Immunology, Trinity College, Dublin D02 R590, Ireland
| | - Jaeyong Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Min Xie
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
| | - Jansy Sarathy
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
| | - Martin Caffrey
- Schools of Medicine and Biochemistry & Immunology, Trinity College, Dublin D02 R590, Ireland
| | - Natalie C J Strynadka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Centre for Blood Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Véronique Dartois
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
- Department of Medical Sciences, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
| | - Thomas Dick
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
- Department of Medical Sciences, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia 20007, United States
| | - Bom Nae Rin Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - David G Russell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Eric Oldfield
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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31
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Kapp E, Calitz H, Streicher EM, Dippenaar A, Egieyeh S, Jordaan A, Warner DF, Joubert J, Malan SF, Sampson SL. Discovery and biological evaluation of an adamantyl-amide derivative with likely MmpL3 inhibitory activity. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2023; 141:102350. [PMID: 37244249 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2023.102350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
A series of molecules containing bulky lipophilic scaffolds was screened for activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and a number of compounds with antimycobacterial activity were identified. The most active compound, (2E)-N-(adamantan-1-yl)-3-phenylprop-2-enamide (C1), has a low micromolar minimum inhibitory concentration, low cytotoxicity (therapeutic index = 32.26), low mutation frequency and is active against intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Whole genome sequencing of mutants resistant to C1 showed a mutation in mmpL3 which may point to the involvement of MmpL3 in the antimycobacterial activity of the compound. In silico mutagenesis and molecular modelling studies were performed to better understand the binding of C1 within MmpL3 and the role that the specific mutation may play in the interaction at protein level. These analyses revealed that the mutation increases the energy required for binding of C1 within the protein translocation channel of MmpL3. The mutation also decreases the solvation energy of the protein, suggesting that the mutant protein might be more solvent-accessible, thereby restricting its interaction with other molecules. The results reported here describe a new molecule that may interact with the MmpL3 protein, providing insights into the effect of mutations on protein-ligand interactions and enhancing our understanding of this essential protein as a priority drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Kapp
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa; University of the Western Cape, Private Bag x17, Bellville, 7535, South Africa.
| | - Hanri Calitz
- DSI/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research/South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, P.O. Box 241, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa.
| | - Elizabeth M Streicher
- DSI/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research/South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, P.O. Box 241, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa.
| | - Anzaan Dippenaar
- DSI/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research/South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, P.O. Box 241, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa; Global Health Institute, Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; Gouverneur Kinsbergencentrum, Doornstraat 331, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Samuel Egieyeh
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa; University of the Western Cape, Private Bag x17, Bellville, 7535, South Africa.
| | - Audrey Jordaan
- Molecular Mycobacteriology Research Unit, DSI/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, Department of Pathology and Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Digby F Warner
- Molecular Mycobacteriology Research Unit, DSI/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, Department of Pathology and Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Jacques Joubert
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa; University of the Western Cape, Private Bag x17, Bellville, 7535, South Africa.
| | - Sarel F Malan
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa; University of the Western Cape, Private Bag x17, Bellville, 7535, South Africa.
| | - Samantha L Sampson
- DSI/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research/South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, P.O. Box 241, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa.
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32
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Stampolaki M, Stylianakis I, Zgurskaya HI, Kolocouris A. Study of SQ109 analogs binding to mycobacterium MmpL3 transporter using MD simulations and alchemical relative binding free energy calculations. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2023; 37:245-264. [PMID: 37129848 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-023-00504-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
N-geranyl-N΄-(2-adamantyl)ethane-1,2-diamine (SQ109) is a tuberculosis drug that has high potency against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and may function by blocking cell wall biosynthesis. After the crystal structure of MmpL3 from Mycobacterium smegmatis in complex with SQ109 became available, it was suggested that SQ109 inhibits Mmpl3 mycolic acid transporter. Here, we showed using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations that the binding profile of nine SQ109 analogs with inhibitory potency against Mtb and alkyl or aryl adducts at C-2 or C-1 adamantyl carbon to MmpL3 was consistent with the X-ray structure of MmpL3 - SQ109 complex. We showed that rotation of SQ109 around carbon-carbon bond in the monoprotonated ethylenediamine unit favors two gauche conformations as minima in water and lipophilic solvent using DFT calculations as well as inside the transporter's binding area using MD simulations. The binding assays in micelles suggested that the binding affinity of the SQ109 analogs was increased for the larger, more hydrophobic adducts, which was consistent with our results from MD simulations of the SQ109 analogues suggesting that sizeable C-2 adamantyl adducts of SQ109 can fill a lipophilic region between Y257, Y646, F260 and F649 in MmpL3. This was confirmed quantitatively by our calculations of the relative binding free energies using the thermodynamic integration coupled with MD simulations method with a mean assigned error of 0.74 kcal mol-1 compared to the experimental values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Stampolaki
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Section of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
- Department of NMR-Based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Am Faßberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ioannis Stylianakis
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Section of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - Helen I Zgurskaya
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Norman, OK, 73019-5251, USA
| | - Antonios Kolocouris
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Section of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece.
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Hailu E, Cantillon D, Madrazo C, Rose G, Wheeler PR, Golby P, Adnew B, Gagneux S, Aseffa A, Gordon SV, Comas I, Young DB, Waddell SJ, Larrouy-Maumus G, Berg S. Lack of methoxy-mycolates characterizes the geographically restricted lineage 7 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Microb Genom 2023; 9:mgen001011. [PMID: 37171244 PMCID: PMC10272862 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001011] [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: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Lineage 7 (L7) emerged in the phylogeny of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) subsequent to the branching of 'ancient' lineage 1 and prior to the Eurasian dispersal of 'modern' lineages 2, 3 and 4. In contrast to the major MTBC lineages, the current epidemiology suggests that prevalence of L7 is highly confined to the Ethiopian population, or when identified outside of Ethiopia, it has mainly been in patients of Ethiopian origin. To search for microbiological factors that may contribute to its restricted distribution, we compared the genome of L7 to the genomes of globally dispersed MTBC lineages. The frequency of predicted functional mutations in L7 was similar to that documented in other lineages. These include mutations characteristic of modern lineages - such as constitutive expression of nitrate reductase - as well as mutations in the VirS locus that are commonly found in ancient lineages. We also identified and characterized multiple lineage-specific mutations in L7 in biosynthesis pathways of cell wall lipids, including confirmed deficiency of methoxy-mycolic acids due to a stop-gain mutation in the mmaA3 gene that encodes a methoxy-mycolic acid synthase. We show that the abolished biosynthesis of methoxy-mycolates of L7 alters the cell structure and colony morphology on selected growth media and impacts biofilm formation. The loss of these mycolic acid moieties may change the host-pathogen dynamic for L7 isolates, explaining the limited geographical distribution of L7 and contributing to further understanding the spread of MTBC lineages across the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Hailu
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Daire Cantillon
- Brighton and Sussex Centre for Global Health Research, Department of Global Health and Infection, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK
- Present address: Department of Tropical Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Carlos Madrazo
- Biomedicine Institute of Valencia, Spanish Research Council (IBV-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | - Graham Rose
- Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Present address: North Thames Genomic Laboratory Hub, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
| | | | - Paul Golby
- Animal and Plant Health Agency, Weybridge, UK
| | | | - Sebastien Gagneux
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Abraham Aseffa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Stephen V. Gordon
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Iñaki Comas
- Biomedicine Institute of Valencia, Spanish Research Council (IBV-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | - Douglas B. Young
- Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Simon J. Waddell
- Brighton and Sussex Centre for Global Health Research, Department of Global Health and Infection, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK
| | - Gerald Larrouy-Maumus
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Stefan Berg
- Animal and Plant Health Agency, Weybridge, UK
- Present address: Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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Gaglani P, Dwivedi M, Upadhyay TK, Kaushal RS, Ahmad I, Saeed M. A pro-oxidant property of vitamin C to overcome the burden of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection: A cross-talk review with Fenton reaction. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1152269. [PMID: 37153159 PMCID: PMC10155705 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1152269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB), caused by the bacillus M. tuberculosis, is one of the deadliest infectious illnesses of our day, along with HIV and malaria.Chemotherapy, the cornerstone of TB control efforts, is jeopardized by the advent of M. tuberculosis strains resistant to many, if not all, of the existing medications.Isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RIF), pyrazinamide, and ethambutol are used to treat drug-susceptible TB for two months, followed by four months of INH and RIF, but chemotherapy with potentially harmful side effects is sometimes needed to treat multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB for up to two years. Chemotherapy might be greatly shortened by drugs that kill M. tuberculosis more quickly while simultaneously limiting the emergence of drug resistance.Regardless of their intended target, bactericidal medicines commonly kill pathogenic bacteria (gram-negative and gram-positive) by producing hydroxyl radicals via the Fenton reaction.Researchers have concentrated on vitamins with bactericidal properties to address the rising cases globally and have discovered that these vitamins are effective when given along with first-line drugs. The presence of elevated iron content, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and DNA damage all contributed to VC's sterilizing action on M. tb in vitro. Moreover, it has a pleiotropic effect on a variety of biological processes such as detoxification, protein folding - chaperons, cell wall processes, information pathways, regulatory, virulence, metabolism etc.In this review report, the authors extensively discussed the effects of VC on M. tb., such as the generation of free radicals and bactericidal mechanisms with existing treatments, and their further drug development based on ROS production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratikkumar Gaglani
- Department of Life Sciences, Parul Institute of Applied Sciences and Biophysics and Structural Biology Laboratory, Center of Research for Development, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India
| | - Manish Dwivedi
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Tarun Kumar Upadhyay
- Department of Life Sciences, Parul Institute of Applied Sciences and Animal Cell Culture and Immunobiochemistry Lab, Center of Research for Development, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India
| | - Radhey Shyam Kaushal
- Department of Life Sciences, Parul Institute of Applied Sciences and Biophysics and Structural Biology Laboratory, Center of Research for Development, Parul University, Vadodara, Gujarat, India
| | - Irfan Ahmad
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohd Saeed
- Department of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia
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35
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Mishra A, Das A, Banerjee T. Designing New Magic Bullets to Penetrate the Mycobacterial Shield: An Arduous Quest for Promising Therapeutic Candidates. Microb Drug Resist 2023; 29:213-227. [PMID: 37015080 DOI: 10.1089/mdr.2021.0441] [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: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium spp. intimidated mankind since time immemorial. The triumph over this organism was anticipated with the introduction of potent antimicrobials in the mid-20th century. However, the emergence of drug resistance in mycobacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, in particular, caused great concern for the treatment. With the enemy growing stronger, there is an immediate need to equip the therapeutic arsenal with novel and potent chemotherapeutic agents. The task seems intricating as our understanding of the dynamic nature of the mycobacteria requires intense experimentation and research. Targeting the mycobacterial cell envelope appears promising, but its versatility allows it to escape the lethal effect of the molecules acting on it. The unique ability of hiding (inactivity during latency) also assists the bacterium to survive in a drug-rich environment. The drug delivery systems also require upgradation to allow better bioavailability and tolerance in patients. Although the resistance to the novel drugs is inevitable, our commitment to the research in this area will ensure the discovery of effective weapons against this formidable opponent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anwita Mishra
- Department of Microbiology, Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Cancer Centre and Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital, Varanasi, India
| | - Arghya Das
- Department of Microbiology, National Cancer Institute, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Tuhina Banerjee
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, India
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36
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Waller NJE, Cheung CY, Cook GM, McNeil MB. The evolution of antibiotic resistance is associated with collateral drug phenotypes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1517. [PMID: 36934122 PMCID: PMC10024696 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37184-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The increasing incidence of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis has diminished the efficacy of almost all available antibiotics, complicating efforts to combat the spread of this global health burden. Alongside the development of new drugs, optimised drug combinations are needed to improve treatment success and prevent the further spread of antibiotic resistance. Typically, antibiotic resistance leads to reduced sensitivity, yet in some cases the evolution of drug resistance can lead to enhanced sensitivity to unrelated drugs. This phenomenon of collateral sensitivity is largely unexplored in M. tuberculosis but has the potential to identify alternative therapeutic strategies to combat drug-resistant strains that are unresponsive to current treatments. Here, by using drug susceptibility profiling, genomics and evolutionary studies we provide evidence for the existence of collateral drug sensitivities in an isogenic collection M. tuberculosis drug-resistant strains. Furthermore, in proof-of-concept studies, we demonstrate how collateral drug phenotypes can be exploited to select against and prevent the emergence of drug-resistant strains. This study highlights that the evolution of drug resistance in M. tuberculosis leads to collateral drug responses that can be exploited to design improved drug regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie J E Waller
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Chen-Yi Cheung
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Gregory M Cook
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Matthew B McNeil
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
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37
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Zhang Y, Xiao P, Pan D, Zhou X. New Insights into the Modification of the Non-Core Metabolic Pathway of Steroids in Mycolicibacterium and the Application of Fermentation Biotechnology in C-19 Steroid Production. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065236. [PMID: 36982310 PMCID: PMC10049677 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065236] [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: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Androsta-4-ene-3,17-dione (AD), androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione (ADD), and 9α-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,17-dione (9-OHAD), which belong to C-19 steroids, are critical steroid-based drug intermediates. The biotransformation of phytosterols into C-19 steroids by Mycolicibacterium cell factories is the core step in the synthesis of steroid-based drugs. The production performance of engineered mycolicibacterial strains has been effectively enhanced by sterol core metabolic modification. In recent years, research on the non-core metabolic pathway of steroids (NCMS) in mycolicibacterial strains has made significant progress. This review discusses the molecular mechanisms and metabolic modifications of NCMS for accelerating sterol uptake, regulating coenzyme I balance, promoting propionyl-CoA metabolism, reducing reactive oxygen species, and regulating energy metabolism. In addition, the recent applications of biotechnology in steroid intermediate production are summarized and compared, and the future development trend of NCMS research is discussed. This review provides powerful theoretical support for metabolic regulation in the biotransformation of phytosterols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhang
- School of Life Science, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China
| | - Peiyao Xiao
- School of Life Science, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China
| | - Delong Pan
- School of Life Science, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China
| | - Xiuling Zhou
- School of Life Science, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China
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Alsayed SSR, Gunosewoyo H. Tuberculosis: Pathogenesis, Current Treatment Regimens and New Drug Targets. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065202. [PMID: 36982277 PMCID: PMC10049048 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb), the causative agent of TB, is a recalcitrant pathogen that is rife around the world, latently infecting approximately a quarter of the worldwide population. The asymptomatic status of the dormant bacteria escalates to the transmissible, active form when the host's immune system becomes debilitated. The current front-line treatment regimen for drug-sensitive (DS) M. tb strains is a 6-month protocol involving four different drugs that requires stringent adherence to avoid relapse and resistance. Poverty, difficulty to access proper treatment, and lack of patient compliance contributed to the emergence of more sinister drug-resistant (DR) strains, which demand a longer duration of treatment with more toxic and more expensive drugs compared to the first-line regimen. Only three new drugs, bedaquiline (BDQ) and the two nitroimidazole derivatives delamanid (DLM) and pretomanid (PMD) were approved in the last decade for treatment of TB-the first anti-TB drugs with novel mode of actions to be introduced to the market in more than 50 years-reflecting the attrition rates in the development and approval of new anti-TB drugs. Herein, we will discuss the M. tb pathogenesis, current treatment protocols and challenges to the TB control efforts. This review also aims to highlight several small molecules that have recently been identified as promising preclinical and clinical anti-TB drug candidates that inhibit new protein targets in M. tb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahinda S R Alsayed
- Curtin Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Hendra Gunosewoyo
- Curtin Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
- Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
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Kumar G, Kapoor S. Targeting mycobacterial membranes and membrane proteins: Progress and limitations. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 81:117212. [PMID: 36804747 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Abstract
Among the various bacterial infections, tuberculosis continues to hold center stage. Its causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, possesses robust defense mechanisms against most front-line antibiotic drugs and host responses due to their complex cell membranes with unique lipid molecules. It is now well-established that bacteria change their membrane composition to optimize their environment to survive and elude drug action. Thus targeting membrane or membrane components is a promising avenue for exploiting the chemical space focussed on developing novel membrane-centric anti-bacterial small molecules. These approaches are more effective, non-toxic, and can attenuate resistance phenotype. We present the relevance of targeting the mycobacterial membrane as a practical therapeutic approach. The review highlights the direct and indirect targeting of membrane structure and function. Direct membrane targeting agents cause perturbation in the membrane potential and can cause leakage of the cytoplasmic contents. In contrast, indirect membrane targeting agents disrupt the function of membrane-associated proteins involved in cell wall biosynthesis or energy production. We discuss the chronological chemical improvements in various scaffolds targeting specific membrane-associated protein targets, their clinical evaluation, and up-to-date account of their ''mechanisms of action, potency, selectivity'' and limitations. The sources of anti-TB drugs/inhibitors discussed in this work have emerged from target-based identification, cell-based phenotypic screening, drug repurposing, and natural products. We believe this review will inspire the exploration of uncharted chemical space for informing the development of new scaffolds that can inhibit novel mycobacterial membrane targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gautam Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India; Departemnt of Natural Products, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research-Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500037, India.
| | - Shobhna Kapoor
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India; Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan.
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40
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Williams JT, Abramovitch RB. Molecular Mechanisms of MmpL3 Function and Inhibition. Microb Drug Resist 2023; 29:190-212. [PMID: 36809064 PMCID: PMC10171966 DOI: 10.1089/mdr.2021.0424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycobacteria species include a large number of pathogenic organisms such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium leprae, and various non-tuberculous mycobacteria. Mycobacterial membrane protein large 3 (MmpL3) is an essential mycolic acid and lipid transporter required for growth and cell viability. In the last decade, numerous studies have characterized MmpL3 with respect to protein function, localization, regulation, and substrate/inhibitor interactions. This review summarizes new findings in the field and seeks to assess future areas of research in our rapidly expanding understanding of MmpL3 as a drug target. An atlas of known MmpL3 mutations that provide resistance to inhibitors is presented, which maps amino acid substitutions to specific structural domains of MmpL3. In addition, chemical features of distinct classes of Mmpl3 inhibitors are compared to provide insights into shared and unique features of varied MmpL3 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- John T Williams
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Robert B Abramovitch
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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Stampolaki M, Malwal SR, Alvarez-Cabrera N, Gao Z, Moniruzzaman M, Babii SO, Naziris N, Rey-Cibati A, Valladares-Delgado M, Turcu AL, Baek KH, Phan TN, Lee H, Alcaraz M, Watson S, van der Watt M, Coertzen D, Efstathiou N, Chountoulesi M, Shoen CM, Papanastasiou IP, Brea J, Cynamon MH, Birkholtz LM, Kremer L, No JH, Vázquez S, Benaim G, Demetzos C, Zgurskaya HI, Dick T, Oldfield E, D. Kolocouris A. Synthesis and Testing of Analogs of the Tuberculosis Drug Candidate SQ109 against Bacteria and Protozoa: Identification of Lead Compounds against Mycobacterium abscessus and Malaria Parasites. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:342-364. [PMID: 36706233 PMCID: PMC10615177 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00537] [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: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
SQ109 is a tuberculosis drug candidate that has high potency against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is thought to function at least in part by blocking cell wall biosynthesis by inhibiting the MmpL3 transporter. It also has activity against bacteria and protozoan parasites that lack MmpL3, where it can act as an uncoupler, targeting lipid membranes and Ca2+ homeostasis. Here, we synthesized 18 analogs of SQ109 and tested them against M. smegmatis, M. tuberculosis, M. abscessus, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli, as well as against the protozoan parasites Trypanosoma brucei, T. cruzi, Leishmania donovani, L. mexicana, and Plasmodium falciparum. Activity against the mycobacteria was generally less than with SQ109 and was reduced by increasing the size of the alkyl adduct, but two analogs were ∼4-8-fold more active than SQ109 against M. abscessus, including a highly drug-resistant strain harboring an A309P mutation in MmpL3. There was also better activity than found with SQ109 with other bacteria and protozoa. Of particular interest, we found that the adamantyl C-2 ethyl, butyl, phenyl, and benzyl analogs had 4-10× increased activity against P. falciparum asexual blood stages, together with low toxicity to a human HepG2 cell line, making them of interest as new antimalarial drug leads. We also used surface plasmon resonance to investigate the binding of inhibitors to MmpL3 and differential scanning calorimetry to investigate binding to lipid membranes. There was no correlation between MmpL3 binding and M. tuberculosis or M. smegmatis cell activity, suggesting that MmpL3 is not a major target in mycobacteria. However, some of the more active species decreased lipid phase transition temperatures, indicating increased accumulation in membranes, which is expected to lead to enhanced uncoupler activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Stampolaki
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Section of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, Athens 15771, Greece
| | - Satish R. Malwal
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | | | - Zijun Gao
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Mohammad Moniruzzaman
- University of Oklahoma, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Norman, OK 73019-5251, USA
| | - Svitlana O. Babii
- University of Oklahoma, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Norman, OK 73019-5251, USA
| | - Nikolaos Naziris
- Section of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, Athens 15771, Greece
| | - André Rey-Cibati
- Instituto de Estudios Avanzados, Caracas, Venezuela Instituto de Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Mariana Valladares-Delgado
- Instituto de Estudios Avanzados, Caracas, Venezuela Instituto de Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Andreea L. Turcu
- Laboratori de Química Farmacèutica (Unitat Associada al CSIC), Departament de Farmacologia, Toxicologia i Química Terapèutica, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII, 27-31, Barcelona, E-08028, Spain
| | - Kyung-Hwa Baek
- Host-Parasite Research Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Trong-Nhat Phan
- Host-Parasite Research Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeryon Lee
- Host-Parasite Research Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Mattheo Alcaraz
- Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier, CNRS UMR9004, Université de Montpellier, 1919 route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier, France
| | - Savannah Watson
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Mariette van der Watt
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Dina Coertzen
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Natasa Efstathiou
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Section of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, Athens 15771, Greece
| | - Maria Chountoulesi
- Section of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, Athens 15771, Greece
| | - Carolyn M. Shoen
- Central New York Research Corporation, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Syracuse, NY 13210, U
| | - Ioannis P. Papanastasiou
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Section of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, Athens 15771, Greece
| | - Jose Brea
- Drug Screening Platform/Biofarma Research Group, CIMUS Research Center, Departamento de Farmacoloxía, Farmacia e Tecnoloxía Farmacéutica, University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Michael H. Cynamon
- Central New York Research Corporation, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Syracuse, NY 13210, U
| | - Lyn-Marié Birkholtz
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Laurent Kremer
- Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier, CNRS UMR9004, Université de Montpellier, 1919 route de Mende, 34293, Montpellier, France
- INSERM, IRIM, Montpellier, France
| | - Joo Hwan No
- Host-Parasite Research Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Santiago Vázquez
- Laboratori de Química Farmacèutica (Unitat Associada al CSIC), Departament de Farmacologia, Toxicologia i Química Terapèutica, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII, 27-31, Barcelona, E-08028, Spain
| | - Gustavo Benaim
- Instituto de Estudios Avanzados, Caracas, Venezuela Instituto de Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Costas Demetzos
- Section of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, Athens 15771, Greece
| | - Helen I. Zgurskaya
- University of Oklahoma, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Stephenson Life Sciences Research Center, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Norman, OK 73019-5251, USA
| | - Thomas Dick
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
- Department of Medical Sciences, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Eric Oldfield
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Antonios D. Kolocouris
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Section of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, Athens 15771, Greece
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42
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Computational design of MmpL3 inhibitors for tuberculosis therapy. Mol Divers 2023; 27:357-369. [PMID: 35477825 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-022-10436-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Tuberculosis is a chronic communicable disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and spreads from lungs to lymphatic system. The cell wall of mycobacterium plays a prominent role in maintaining the virulence and pathogenicity and also acts as prime target for drug discovery. Hence, this study has put into emphasis with target MmpLs (Mycobacterial membrane proteins Large) which are significant for the growth and survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. MmpLs belongs to the resistance, nodulation and division (RND) protein superfamily. MmpL3 is the only MmpL deemed essential for the replication and viability of mycobacterial cells. For the study, we have selected SQ109 derivatives as Mmpl3 inhibitor, which holds non-covalent property. Structure-based pharmacophore model of MmpL3 target protein with SQ109 as co-crystallized ligand (PDB: 6AJG) was generated to screen the ligand database. Compounds with decent fitness score and pharmacophoric features were compared with standard drug and taken for molecular docking studies. Further prime molecular mechanics-Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM-GBSA) and induced fit calculations identified potential molecules for further drug-likeness screening. Overall computational calculations identified ZINC000000016638 and ZINC000000003594 as potential in silico MmpL3 inhibitors. Molecular dynamics simulations integrated with MM-PBSA free energy calculations identified that MmpL3-ZINC000000016638 complex was more stable. Study can be further extended for synthesis and biological evaluation, derivatization of active compound to identify potential and safe lead compounds for effective tuberculosis therapy.
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43
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Ochsner UA, De Groote MA, Jarvis TC, Liu H, Youmans T, Hoang T, Ribble W, Day J, Li W, Pearce C, Walz A, Panthi CM, Rimal B, Stevens CM, Zgurskaya HI, Jackson M, Ordway D, Gonzalez-Juarrero M, Sun X, Lamichhane G, Mason C. Microbiological profile, preclinical pharmacokinetics and efficacy of CRS0393, a novel antimycobacterial agent targeting MmpL3. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2023; 138:102288. [PMID: 36470124 PMCID: PMC9892229 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2022.102288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The benzothiazole amide CRS0393 demonstrated excellent in vitro activity against nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), including M. abscessus isolates from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of ≤0.03-0.5 μg/mL. The essential transport protein MmpL3 was confirmed as the target via analysis of spontaneous resistant mutants and further biological profiling. In mouse pharmacokinetic studies, intratracheal instillation of a single dose of CRS0393 resulted in high concentrations of drug in epithelial lining fluid (ELF) and lung tissue, which remained above the M. abscessus MIC for at least 9 hours post-dose. This exposure resulted in a penetration ratio of 261 for ELF and 54 for lung tissue relative to plasma. CRS0393 showed good oral bioavailability, particularly when formulated in kolliphor oil, with a lung-to-plasma penetration ratio ranging from 0.5 to 4. CRS0393 demonstrated concentration-dependent reduction of intracellular M. abscessus in a THP-1 macrophage infection model. CRS0393 was well tolerated following intranasal administration (8 mg/kg) or oral dosing (25 mg/kg) once daily for 28 days in dexamethasone-treated C3HeB/FeJ mice. Efficacy against M. abscessus strain 103 was achieved via the intranasal route, while oral dosing will need further optimization. CRS0393 holds promise for development as a novel agent with broad antimycobacterial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Hang Liu
- Crestone, Inc., 6075 Longbow Dr, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | - Teresa Hoang
- Crestone, Inc., 6075 Longbow Dr, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Wendy Ribble
- Crestone, Inc., 6075 Longbow Dr, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Joshua Day
- Crestone, Inc., 6075 Longbow Dr, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, 200 West Lake Street, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Camron Pearce
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, 200 West Lake Street, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Amanda Walz
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, 200 West Lake Street, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Chandra M Panthi
- Johns Hopkins University, 1550 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Binayak Rimal
- Johns Hopkins University, 1550 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Casey M Stevens
- University of Oklahoma, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Helen I Zgurskaya
- University of Oklahoma, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 101 Stephenson Parkway, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Mary Jackson
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, 200 West Lake Street, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Diane Ordway
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, 200 West Lake Street, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Mercedes Gonzalez-Juarrero
- Mycobacteria Research Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, 200 West Lake Street, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Xicheng Sun
- Crestone, Inc., 6075 Longbow Dr, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Gyanu Lamichhane
- Johns Hopkins University, 1550 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Yan W, Zheng Y, Dou C, Zhang G, Arnaout T, Cheng W. The pathogenic mechanism of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: implication for new drug development. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2022; 3:48. [PMID: 36547804 PMCID: PMC9780415 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-022-00106-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), is a tenacious pathogen that has latently infected one third of the world's population. However, conventional TB treatment regimens are no longer sufficient to tackle the growing threat of drug resistance, stimulating the development of innovative anti-tuberculosis agents, with special emphasis on new protein targets. The Mtb genome encodes ~4000 predicted proteins, among which many enzymes participate in various cellular metabolisms. For example, more than 200 proteins are involved in fatty acid biosynthesis, which assists in the construction of the cell envelope, and is closely related to the pathogenesis and resistance of mycobacteria. Here we review several essential enzymes responsible for fatty acid and nucleotide biosynthesis, cellular metabolism of lipids or amino acids, energy utilization, and metal uptake. These include InhA, MmpL3, MmaA4, PcaA, CmaA1, CmaA2, isocitrate lyases (ICLs), pantothenate synthase (PS), Lysine-ε amino transferase (LAT), LeuD, IdeR, KatG, Rv1098c, and PyrG. In addition, we summarize the role of the transcriptional regulator PhoP which may regulate the expression of more than 110 genes, and the essential biosynthesis enzyme glutamine synthetase (GlnA1). All these enzymes are either validated drug targets or promising target candidates, with drugs targeting ICLs and LAT expected to solve the problem of persistent TB infection. To better understand how anti-tuberculosis drugs act on these proteins, their structures and the structure-based drug/inhibitor designs are discussed. Overall, this investigation should provide guidance and support for current and future pharmaceutical development efforts against mycobacterial pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizhu Yan
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Yanhui Zheng
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Chao Dou
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Guixiang Zhang
- grid.13291.380000 0001 0807 1581Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of General Surgery and Gastric Cancer center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37. Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Toufic Arnaout
- Kappa Crystals Ltd., Dublin, Ireland ,MSD Dunboyne BioNX, Co. Meath, Ireland
| | - Wei Cheng
- grid.412901.f0000 0004 1770 1022Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
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45
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Singh P, Rawat S, Agrahari AK, Singh M, Chugh S, Gurcha S, Singh A, Abrahams K, Besra GS, Asthana S, Rawat DS, Singh R. NSC19723, a Thiacetazone-Like Benzaldehyde Thiosemicarbazone Improves the Efficacy of TB Drugs In Vitro and In Vivo. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0259222. [PMID: 36314972 PMCID: PMC9769743 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02592-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The complexity and duration of tuberculosis (TB) treatment contributes to the emergence of drug resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) and drug-associated side effects. Alternate chemotherapeutic agents are needed to shorten the time and improve efficacy of current treatment. In this study, we have assessed the antitubercular activity of NSC19723, a benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone molecule. NSC19723 is structurally similar to thiacetazone (TAC), a second-line anti-TB drug used to treat individuals with DR-TB. NSC19723 displayed better MIC values than TAC against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis BCG. In our checkerboard experiments, NSC19723 displayed better profiles than TAC in combination with known first-line and recently approved drugs. Mechanistic studies revealed that NSC19723 inhibits mycolic acid biosynthesis by targeting the HadABC complex. Computational studies revealed that the binding pocket of HadAB is similarly occupied by NSC19723 and TAC. NSC19723 also improved the efficacy of isoniazid in macrophages and mouse models of infection. Cumulatively, we have identified a benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone scaffold that improved the activity of TB drugs in liquid cultures, macrophages, and mice. IMPORTANCE Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB is among the leading causes of death among infectious diseases in humans. This situation has worsened due to the failure of BCG vaccines and the increased number of cases with HIV-TB coinfections and drug-resistant strains. Another challenge in the field is the lengthy duration of therapy for drug-sensitive and -resistant TB. Here, we have deciphered the mechanism of action of NSC19723, benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone. We show that NSC19723 targets HadABC complex and inhibits mycolic acid biosynthesis. We also show that NSC19723 enhances the activity of known drugs in liquid cultures, macrophages, and mice. We have also performed molecular docking studies to identify the interacting residues of HadAB with NSC19723. Taken together, we demonstrate that NSC19723, a benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone, has better antitubercular activity than thiacetazone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Padam Singh
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Srishti Rawat
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Ashish Kumar Agrahari
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Manisha Singh
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Saurabh Chugh
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Sudagar Gurcha
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Albel Singh
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine Abrahams
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Gurdyal S. Besra
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Shailendra Asthana
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Diwan S. Rawat
- Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Ramandeep Singh
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana, India
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Xu X, Dong B, Peng L, Gao C, He Z, Wang C, Zeng J. Anti-tuberculosis drug development via targeting the cell envelope of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1056608. [PMID: 36620019 PMCID: PMC9810820 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1056608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis possesses a dynamic cell envelope, which consists of a peptidoglycan layer, a mycolic acid layer, and an arabinogalactan polysaccharide. This envelope possesses a highly complex and unique structure representing a barrier that protects and assists the growth of M. tuberculosis and allows its adaptation to the host. It regulates the immune response of the host cells, causing their damage. Therefore, the cell envelope of M. tuberculosis is an attractive target for vaccine and drug development. The emergence of multidrug-resistant as well as extensively drug resistant tuberculosis and co-infection with HIV prevented an effective control of this disease. Thus, the discovery and development of new drugs is a major keystone for TB treatment and control. This review mainly summarizes the development of drug enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of the cell wall in M. tuberculosis, and other potential drug targets in this pathway, to provide more effective strategies for the development of new drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Xu
- West China-PUMC CC Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Baoyu Dong
- West China-PUMC CC Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lijun Peng
- West China-PUMC CC Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chao Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Laboratory of Human Diseases and Immunotherapies, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhiqun He
- West China-PUMC CC Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chuan Wang
- West China-PUMC CC Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jumei Zeng
- West China-PUMC CC Chen Institute of Health, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Mycobacterium tuberculosis Dormancy: How to Fight a Hidden Danger. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10122334. [PMID: 36557586 PMCID: PMC9784227 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10122334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Both latent and active TB infections are caused by a heterogeneous population of mycobacteria, which includes actively replicating and dormant bacilli in different proportions. Dormancy substantially affects M. tuberculosis drug tolerance and TB clinical management due to a significant decrease in the metabolic activity of bacilli, which leads to the complexity of both the diagnosis and the eradication of bacilli. Most diagnostic approaches to latent infection deal with a subpopulation of active M. tuberculosis, underestimating the contribution of dormant bacilli and leading to limited success in the fight against latent TB. Moreover, active TB appears not only as a primary form of infection but can also develop from latent TB, when resuscitation from dormancy is followed by bacterial multiplication, leading to disease progression. To win against latent infection, the identification of the Achilles' heel of dormant M. tuberculosis is urgently needed. Regulatory mechanisms and metabolic adaptation to growth arrest should be studied using in vitro and in vivo models that adequately imitate latent TB infection in macroorganisms. Understanding the mechanisms underlying M. tuberculosis dormancy and resuscitation may provide clues to help control latent infection, reduce disease severity in patients, and prevent pathogen transmission in the population.
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A Hydrazine-Hydrazone Adamantine Compound Shows Antimycobacterial Activity and Is a Probable Inhibitor of MmpL3. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27207130. [PMID: 36296721 PMCID: PMC9610904 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27207130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Tuberculosis remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Notably, an important number of multi drug resistant cases is an increasing concern. This problem points to an urgent need for novel compounds with antimycobacterial properties and to improve existing therapies. Whole-cell-based screening for compounds with activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex strains in the presence of linezolid was performed in this study. A set of 15 bioactive compounds with antimycobacterial activity in vitro were identified with a minimal inhibitory concentration of less than 2 µg/mL. Among them, compound 1 is a small molecule with a chemical structure consisting of an adamantane moiety and a hydrazide–hydrazone moiety. Whole genome sequencing of spontaneous mutants resistant to the compounds suggested compound 1 to be a new inhibitor of MmpL3. This compound binds to the same pocket as other already published MmpL3 inhibitors, without disturbing the proton motive force of M. bovis BCG and M. smegmatis. Compound 1 showed a strong activity against a panel ofclinical strains of M. tuberculosis in vitro. This compound showed no toxicity against mammalian cells and protected Galleria mellonella larvae against M. bovis BCG infection. These results suggest that compound 1 is a promising anti-TB agent with the potential to improve TB treatment in combination with standard TB therapies.
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Acyldepsipeptide Analogues: A Future Generation Antibiotics for Tuberculosis Treatment. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14091956. [PMID: 36145704 PMCID: PMC9502522 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14091956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Acyldepsipeptides (ADEPs) are a new class of emerging antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which are currently explored for treatment of pathogenic infections, including tuberculosis (TB). These cyclic hydrophobic peptides have a unique bacterial target to the conventional anti-TB drugs, and present a therapeutic window to overcome Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (M. tb) drug resistance. ADEPs exerts their antibacterial activity on M. tb strains through activation of the protein homeostatic regulatory protease, the caseinolytic protease (ClpP1P2). ClpP1P2 is normally regulated and activated by the ClpP-ATPases to degrade misfolded and toxic peptides and/or short proteins. ADEPs bind and dysregulate all the homeostatic capabilities of ClpP1P2 while inducing non-selective proteolysis. The uncontrolled proteolysis leads to M. tb cell death within the host. ADEPs analogues that have been tested possess cytotoxicity and poor pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. However, these can be improved by drug design techniques. Moreover, the use of nanomaterial in conjunction with ADEPs would yield effective synergistic effect. This new mode of action has potential to combat and eradicate the extensive multi-drug resistance (MDR) problem that is currently faced by the public health pertaining bacterial infections, especially TB.
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Togre NS, Vargas AM, Bhargavi G, Mallakuntla MK, Tiwari S. Fragment-Based Drug Discovery against Mycobacteria: The Success and Challenges. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:10669. [PMID: 36142582 PMCID: PMC9500838 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of drug-resistant mycobacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), poses an increasing global threat that urgently demands the development of new potent anti-mycobacterial drugs. One of the approaches toward the identification of new drugs is fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD), which is the most ingenious among other drug discovery models, such as structure-based drug design (SBDD) and high-throughput screening. Specialized techniques, such as X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and many others, are part of the drug discovery approach to combat the Mtb and NTM global menaces. Moreover, the primary drawbacks of traditional methods, such as the limited measurement of biomolecular toxicity and uncertain bioavailability evaluation, are successfully overcome by the FBDD approach. The current review focuses on the recognition of fragment-based drug discovery as a popular approach using virtual, computational, and biophysical methods to identify potent fragment molecules. FBDD focuses on designing optimal inhibitors against potential therapeutic targets of NTM and Mtb (PurC, ArgB, MmpL3, and TrmD). Additionally, we have elaborated on the challenges associated with the FBDD approach in the identification and development of novel compounds. Insights into the applications and overcoming the challenges of FBDD approaches will aid in the identification of potential therapeutic compounds to treat drug-sensitive and drug-resistant NTMs and Mtb infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Sangeeta Tiwari
- Department of Biological Sciences & Border Biomedical Research Centre, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
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