Effect of sulfhydryl reagents on the ribosomes of Bacillus subtilis

Inhibitors of VIM-2 by screening pharmacologically active and click-chemistry compound libraries

VIM-2 is an Ambler class B metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) capable of hydrolyzing a broad-spectrum of beta-lactam antibiotics. Although the discovery and development of MBL inhibitors continue to be an area of active research, an array of potent, small molecule inhibitors is yet to be fully characterized for VIM-2. In the presented research, a compound library screening approach was used to identify and characterize VIM-2 inhibitors from a library of pharmacologically active compounds as well as a focused 'click' chemistry library. The four most potent VIM-2 inhibitors resulting from a VIM-2 screen were characterized by kinetic studies in order to determine K(i) and mechanism of enzyme inhibition. As a result, two previously described pharmacologic agents, mitoxantrone (1,4-dihydroxy-5,8-bis([2-([2-hydroxyethyl]amino)ethyl]amino)-9,10-anthracenedione) and 4-chloromercuribenzoic acid (pCMB) were found to be active, the former as a non-competitive inhibitor (K(i)=K(i)(')=1.5+/-0.2microM) and the latter as a slowly reversible or irreversible inhibitor. Additionally, two novel sulfonyl-triazole analogs from the click library were identified as potent, competitive VIM-2 inhibitors: N-((4-((but-3-ynyloxy)methyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-5-yl)methyl)-4-iodobenzenesulfonamide (1, K(i)=0.41+/-0.03microM) and 4-iodo-N-((4-(methoxymethyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-5-yl)methyl)benzenesulfonamide (2, K(i)=1.4+/-0.10microM). Mitoxantrone and pCMB were also found to potentiate imipenem efficacy in MIC and synergy assays employing Escherichia coli. Taken together, all four compounds represent useful chemical probes to further investigate mechanisms of VIM-2 inhibition in biochemical and microbiology-based assays.

Binding of rat liver and hepatoma polyribosomes to stripped rough endoplasmic reticulum in vitro. Biological or an artifact?

Exposed thiol groups do not appear to be related to the binding of (32)P-labelled polyribosomes to stripped rough endoplasmic reticulum in vitro. Treating stripped rough endoplasmic reticulum with GSSG did not diminish binding of polyribosomes, suggesting that binding in vitro has no correlation with the inhibition of protein synthesis in vitro reported by Kosower et al. (1971). Thiol reagents, which are known to dissociate ribosomes, did not significantly decrease binding of (32)P-labelled polyribosomes to stripped rough endoplasmic reticulum. Denaturing the protein of (32)P-labelled polyribosomes or stripped rough endoplasmic reticulum of liver or hepatoma with heat, trichloroacetic acid, or HClO(4) did not alter the binding in vitro. Therefore, the practice of measuring the binding of (32)P-labelled polyribosomes to stripped rough endoplasmic reticulum in vitro (Shires et al., 1971b) is an unsuitable indicator of biological significance in the intact cell.

Evidence for specific inhibition of translocation of aminoacyl-transfer ribonucleic acid by the pretreatment of ribosomes of Bacillus subtilis with p-chloromercuribenzoate

The biological activities of Bacillus subtilis ribosomes pretreated with 0.5, 1, or 2 mmp-chloromercuribenzoate (PCMB) were examined. The ribosomes treated with 1 or 2 mm PCMB lost their capacity to synthesize polyphenylalanine as well as the capacity to bind phenylalanyl-transfer ribonucleic acid. On the other hand, approximately 70% of the polyphenylalanine synthesis capacity was lost with ribosomes pretreated with 0.5 mm PCMB. This inhibition was found to be due to a specific inhibition of the translocation step. The effect of 0.5 mm PCMB was reversed by 20 mm Mg(2+) without the loss of PCMB bound to ribosomes, while beta-mercaptoethanol partially reversed the inhibitory effect with concomitant loss of bound PCMB.