N-Acetyl-1-D-myo-inosityl-2-amino-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranoside deacetylase (MshB) is a key enzyme in mycothiol biosynthesis

Properties and biotechnological applications of microbial deacetylase

Deacetylases, a class of enzymes that can catalyze the hydrolysis of acetylated substrates to remove the acetyl group, used in producing various products with high qualities, are one of the most influential industrial enzymes. These enzymes are highly specific, non-toxic, sustainable, and eco-friendly biocatalysts. Deacetylases and deacetylated compounds have been widely applicated in pharmaceuticals, medicine, food, and the environment. This review synthetically summarizes deacetylases' sources, characterizations, classifications, and applications. Moreover, the typical structural characteristics of deacetylases from different microbial sources are summarized. We also reviewed the deacetylase-catalyzed reactions for producing various deacetylated compounds, such as chitosan-oligosaccharide (COS), mycothiol, 7-aminocephalosporanic acid (7-ACA), glucosamines, amino acids, and polyamines. It is aimed to expound on the advantages and challenges of deacetylases in industrial applications. Moreover, it also serves perspectives on obtaining promising and innovative biocatalysts for enzymatic deacetylation. KEYPOINTS: • The fundamental properties of microbial deacetylases of various microorganisms are presented. • The biochemical characterizations, structures, and catalyzation mechanisms of microbial deacetylases are summarized. • The applications of microbial deacetylases in food, pharmaceutical, medicine, and the environment were discussed.

Redox and Thiols in Archaea

Low molecular weight (LMW) thiols have many functions in bacteria and eukarya, ranging from redox homeostasis to acting as cofactors in numerous reactions, including detoxification of xenobiotic compounds. The LMW thiol, glutathione (GSH), is found in eukaryotes and many species of bacteria. Analogues of GSH include the structurally different LMW thiols: bacillithiol, mycothiol, ergothioneine, and coenzyme A. Many advances have been made in understanding the diverse and multiple functions of GSH and GSH analogues in bacteria but much less is known about distribution and functions of GSH and its analogues in archaea, which constitute the third domain of life, occupying many niches, including those in extreme environments. Archaea are able to use many energy sources and have many unique metabolic reactions and as a result are major contributors to geochemical cycles. As LMW thiols are major players in cells, this review explores the distribution of thiols and their biochemistry in archaea.

GlcNAc De-N-Acetylase from the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus

Sulfolobus solfataricus is an aerobic crenarchaeal hyperthermophile with optimum growth at temperatures greater than 80°C and pH 2 to 4. Within the crenarchaeal group of Sulfolobales, N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) has been shown to be a component of exopolysaccharides, forming their biofilms, and of the N-glycan decorating some proteins. The metabolism of GlcNAc is still poorly understood in Archaea, and one approach to gaining additional information is through the identification and functional characterization of carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) involved in the modification of GlcNAc. The screening of S. solfataricus extracts allowed the detection of a novel α-N-acetylglucosaminidase (α-GlcNAcase) activity, which has never been identified in Archaea Mass spectrometry analysis of the purified activity showed a protein encoded by the sso2901 gene. Interestingly, the purified recombinant enzyme, which was characterized in detail, revealed a novel de-N-acetylase activity specific for GlcNAc and derivatives. Thus, assays to identify an α-GlcNAcase found a GlcNAc de-N-acetylase instead. The α-GlcNAcase activity observed in S. solfataricus extracts did occur when SSO2901 was used in combination with an α-glucosidase. Furthermore, the inspection of the genomic context and the preliminary characterization of a putative glycosyltransferase immediately upstream of sso2901 (sso2900) suggest the involvement of these enzymes in the GlcNAc metabolism in S. solfataricus IMPORTANCE In this study, a preliminary screening of cellular extracts of S. solfataricus allowed the identification of an α-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity. However, the characterization of the corresponding recombinant enzyme revealed a novel GlcNAc de-N-acetylase, which, in cooperation with the α-glucosidase, catalyzed the hydrolysis of O-α-GlcNAc glycosides. In addition, we show that the product of a gene flanking the one encoding the de-N-acetylase is a putative glycosyltransferase, suggesting the involvement of the two enzymes in the metabolism of GlcNAc. The discovery and functional analysis of novel enzymatic activities involved in the modification of this essential sugar represent a powerful strategy to shed light on the physiology and metabolism of Archaea.

Biochemical studies of inositol N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase involved in mycothiol biosynthesis in Corynebacterium diphtheria

First-time expression, isolation, biochemical characterization, and mutagenesis studies of a MshA from Corynebacterium diphtheria involved in its mycothiol biosynthesis.

Automated docking studies provide insights into molecular determinants of ligand recognition by N-acetyl-1-D-myo-inosityl-2-amino-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranoside deacetylase (MshB)

The metal-dependent deacetylase N-acetyl-1-D-myo-inosityl-2-amino-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranoside deacetylase (MshB) catalyzes the deacetylation of N-acetyl-1-D-myo-inosityl-2-amino-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranoside (GlcNAc-Ins), the committed step in mycothiol (MSH) biosynthesis. MSH is the thiol redox buffer used by mycobacteria to protect against oxidative damage and is involved in the detoxification of xenobiotics. As such, MshB is a target for the discovery of new drugs to treat tuberculosis (TB). While MshB substrate specificity and inhibitor activity have been probed extensively using enzyme kinetics, information regarding the molecular basis for the observed differences in substrate specificity and inhibitor activity is lacking. Herein we begin to examine the molecular determinants of MshB substrate specificity using automated docking studies with a set of known MshB substrates. Results from these studies offer insights into molecular recognition by MshB via identification of side chains and dynamic loops that may play roles in ligand binding. Additionally, results from these studies suggest that a hydrophobic cavity adjacent to the active site may be one important determinant of MshB substrate specificity. Importantly, this hydrophobic cavity may be advantageous for the design of MshB inhibitors with high affinity and specificity as potential TB drugs.

Biosynthesis of mercapturic acid derivative of the labdane-type diterpene, cyslabdan that potentiates imipenem activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: cyslabdan is generated by mycothiol-mediated xenobiotic detoxification

Genome mining of cyslabdan-producing Streptomyces cyslabdanicus K04-0144 revealed that a set of four genes, cldA, cldB, cldC, and cldD (the cld cluster), which formed a single transcriptional unit, were involved in the biosynthesis of cyslabdan that potentiates imipenem activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Experimental studies supported the heterologous expression of the cld cluster of S. cyslabdanicus K04-0144 in S. avermitilis SUKA22, and transformants carrying the cld cluster produced not only cyslabdan A (1), but also its new derivatives, 17-hydroxyl-1 (2) and 2-hydroxyl-1 (3), in the culture broth. An analysis of diterpene metabolites in the mycelia showed that a large amount of a novel intermediate had accumulated and its structure was elucidated as (7S, 8S, 12E)-8,17-epoxy-7-hydroxylabda-12,14-diene (4). The cld-like cluster (rmn cluster) was also detected in the genome of S. anulatus GM95 by searching our in-house genome databases, and the heterologous expression of the rmn cluster in S. avermitilis SUAK22 demonstrated that the rmn cluster was involved in the biosynthesis of the labdane-type bicyclic diterpene, raimonol (7). CldA/RmnA catalyzed the generation of geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) from dimethylallyl diphosphate and isopentenyl diphosphate. CldB/RmnB converted GGPP to (+)-copalyl diphosphate, and CldD/RmnD generated labda-8(17),12(E),14-triene (5). CldC introduced two oxygen atoms at C-7 and C-8,17 to generate 4, while RmnC hydroxylated 5 at C-7 to generate 7. The heterologous expression of the cld cluster suggested that four gene products catalyzed to generate 4, but not 1. The deletion mutant of the gene encoding the mycothiol (MSH)-S-conjugate amidase (mca) of S. avermitilis SUKA22 carrying the cld cluster failed to produce 1, but accumulated 4 in the mycelia, whereas S. avermitilis SUKA22 and its mca-deletion mutant carrying the cld cluster both produced the MSH-S-conjugate of 4. The intermediate 4 was converted into the MSH-S-conjugate with MSH, which was achieved through a non-enzymatic nucleophilic reaction. The MSH-S-conjugate of 4 generated was further hydrolyzed to generate the mercapturic acid derivative, 1, by MSH-S-conjugate amidase and 1 was excreted from the mycelia.

Bacterial GCN5-Related N-Acetyltransferases: From Resistance to Regulation

The GCN5-related N-acetyltransferases family (GNAT) is an important family of proteins that includes more than 100000 members among eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Acetylation appears as a major regulatory post-translational modification and is as widespread as phosphorylation. N-Acetyltransferases transfer an acetyl group from acetyl-CoA to a large array of substrates, from small molecules such as aminoglycoside antibiotics to macromolecules. Acetylation of proteins can occur at two different positions, either at the amino-terminal end (αN-acetylation) or at the ε-amino group (εN-acetylation) of an internal lysine residue. GNAT members have been classified into different groups on the basis of their substrate specificity, and in spite of a very low primary sequence identity, GNAT proteins display a common and conserved fold. This Current Topic reviews the different classes of bacterial GNAT proteins, their functions, their structural characteristics, and their mechanism of action.

Bacillithiol: a key protective thiol in Staphylococcus aureus

Bacillithiol is a low-molecular-weight thiol analogous to glutathione and is found in several Firmicutes, including Staphylococcus aureus. Since its discovery in 2009, bacillithiol has been a topic of interest because it has been found to contribute to resistance during oxidative stress and detoxification of electrophiles, such as the antibiotic fosfomycin, in S. aureus. The rapid increase in resistance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to available therapeutic agents is a great health concern, and many research efforts are focused on identifying new drugs and targets to combat this organism. This review describes the discovery of bacillithiol, studies that have elucidated the physiological roles of this molecule in S. aureus and other Bacilli, and the contribution of bacillithiol to S. aureus fitness during pathogenesis. Additionally, the bacillithiol biosynthesis pathway is evaluated as a novel drug target that can be utilized in combination with existing therapies to treat S. aureus infections.

Efficient Calculation of Enzyme Reaction Free Energy Profiles Using a Hybrid Differential Relaxation Algorithm: Application to Mycobacterial Zinc Hydrolases

Determination of the free energy profile for an enzyme reaction mechanism is of primordial relevance, paving the way for our understanding of the enzyme's catalytic power at the molecular level. Although hybrid, mostly DFT-based, QM/MM methods have been extensively applied to this type of studies, achieving accurate and statistically converged results at a moderate computational cost is still an open challenge. Recently, we have shown that accurate results can be achieved in less computational time, combining Jarzynski's relationship with a hybrid differential relaxation algorithm (HyDRA), which allows partial relaxation of the solvent during the nonequilibrium steering of the reaction. In this work, we have applied this strategy to study two mycobacterial zinc hydrolases. Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections are still a worldwide problem and thus characterization and validation of new drug targets is an intense field of research. Among possible drug targets, recently two essential zinc hydrolases, MshB (Rv1170) and MA-amidase (Rv3717), have been proposed and structurally characterized. Although possible mechanisms have been proposed by analogy to the widely studied human Zn hydrolases, several key issues, particularly those related to Zn coordination sphere and its role in catalysis, remained unanswered. Our results show that mycobacterial Zn hydrolases share a basic two-step mechanism. First, the attacking water becomes deprotonated by the conserved base and establishes the new C-O bond leading to a tetrahedral intermediate. The intermediate requires moderate reorganization to allow for proton transfer to the amide N and C-N bond breaking to occur in the second step. Zn ion plays a key role in stabilizing the tetrahedral intermediate and balancing the negative charge of the substrate during hydroxide ion attack. Finally, comparative analysis of other Zn hydrolases points to a convergent mechanistic evolution.

Lipid metabolism and Type VII secretion systems dominate the genome scale virulence profile of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in human dendritic cells

Background

Mycobacterium tuberculosis continues to kill more people than any other bacterium. Although its archetypal host cell is the macrophage, it also enters, and survives within, dendritic cells (DCs). By modulating the behaviour of the DC, M. tuberculosis is able to manipulate the host’s immune response and establish an infection. To identify the M. tuberculosis genes required for survival within DCs we infected primary human DCs with an M. tuberculosis transposon library and identified mutations with a reduced ability to survive.

Results

Parallel sequencing of the transposon inserts of the surviving mutants identified a large number of genes as being required for optimal intracellular fitness in DCs. Loci whose mutation attenuated intracellular survival included those involved in synthesising cell wall lipids, not only the well-established virulence factors, pDIM and cord factor, but also sulfolipids and PGL, which have not previously been identified as having a direct virulence role in cells. Other attenuated loci included the secretion systems ESX-1, ESX-2 and ESX-4, alongside many PPE genes, implicating a role for ESX-5. In contrast the canonical ESAT-6 family of ESX substrates did not have intra-DC fitness costs suggesting an alternative ESX-1 associated virulence mechanism. With the aid of a gene-nutrient interaction model, metabolic processes such as cholesterol side chain catabolism, nitrate reductase and cysteine-methionine metabolism were also identified as important for survival in DCs.

Conclusion

We conclude that many of the virulence factors required for survival in DC are shared with macrophages, but that survival in DCs also requires several additional functions, such as cysteine-methionine metabolism, PGLs, sulfolipids, ESX systems and PPE genes.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1569-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Functional characterization of Corynebacterium glutamicum mycothiol S-conjugate amidase

The present study focuses on the genetic and biochemical characterization of mycothiol S-conjugate amidase (Mca) of Corynebacterium glutamicum. Recombinant C. glutamicum Mca was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to apparent homogeneity. The molecular weight of native Mca protein determined by gel filtration chromatography was 35 kDa, indicating that Mca exists as monomers in the purification condition. Mca showed amidase activity with mycothiol S-conjugate of monobromobimane (MSmB) in vivo while mca mutant lost the ability to cleave MSmB. In addition, Mca showed limited deacetylase activity with N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) as substrate. Optimum pH for amidase activity was between 7.5 and 8.5, while the highest activity in the presence of Zn²⁺ confirmed Mca as a zinc metalloprotein. Amino acid residues conserved among Mca family members were located in C. glutamicum Mca and site-directed mutagenesis of these residues indicated that Asp14, Tyr137, His139 and Asp141 were important for activity. The mca deletion mutant showed decreased resistance to antibiotics, alkylating agents, oxidants and heavy metals, and these sensitive phenotypes were recovered in the complementary strain to a great extent. The physiological roles of Mca in resistance to various toxins were further supported by the induced expression of Mca in C. glutamicum under various stress conditions, directly under the control of the stress-responsive extracytoplasmic function-sigma (ECF-σ) factor SigH.

The Physiology and Genetics of Oxidative Stress in Mycobacteria

During infection, Mycobacterium tuberculosis is exposed to a diverse array of microenvironments in the human host, each with its own unique set of redox conditions. Imbalances in the redox environment of the bacillus or the host environment serve as stimuli, which could regulate virulence. The ability of M. tuberculosis to evade the host immune response and cause disease is largely owing to the capacity of the mycobacterium to sense changes in its environment, such as host-generated gases, carbon sources, and pathological conditions, and alter its metabolism and redox balance accordingly for survival. In this article we discuss the redox sensors that are, to date, known to be present in M. tuberculosis , such as the Dos dormancy regulon, WhiB family, anti-σ factors, and MosR, in addition to the strategies present in the bacillus to neutralize free radicals, such as superoxide dismutases, catalase-peroxidase, thioredoxins, and methionine sulfoxide reductases, among others. M. tuberculosis is peculiar in that it appears to have a hierarchy of redox buffers, namely, mycothiol and ergothioneine. We discuss the current knowledge of their biosynthesis, function, and regulation. Ergothioneine is still an enigma, although it appears to have distinct and overlapping functions with mycothiol, which enable it to protect against a wide range of toxic metabolites and free radicals generated by the host. Developing approaches to quantify the intracellular redox status of the mycobacterium will enable us to determine how the redox balance is altered in response to signals and environments that mimic those encountered in the host.

A putative de-N-acetylase of the PIG-L superfamily affects fluoroquinolone tolerance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

A major cause of treatment failure of infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the presence of antibiotic-insensitive persister cells. The mechanism of persister formation in P. aeruginosa is largely unknown, and so far, only few genetic determinants have been linked to P. aeruginosa persistence. Based on a previous high-throughput screening, we here present dnpA (de-N-acetylase involved in persistence; gene locus PA14_66140/PA5002) as a new gene involved in noninherited fluoroquinolone tolerance in P. aeruginosa. Fluoroquinolone tolerance of a dnpA mutant is strongly reduced both in planktonic culture and in a biofilm model, whereas overexpression of dnpA in the wild-type strain increases the persister fraction. In addition, the susceptibility of the dnpA mutant to different classes of antibiotics is not affected. dnpA is part of the conserved LPS core oligosaccharide biosynthesis gene cluster. Based on primary sequence analysis, we predict that DnpA is a de-N-acetylase, acting on an unidentified substrate. Site-directed mutagenesis suggests that this enzymatic activity is essential for DnpA-mediated persistence. A transcriptome analysis indicates that DnpA primarily affects the expression of genes involved in surface-associated processes. We discuss the implications of these findings for future antipersister therapies targeted at chronic P. aeruginosa infections.

Mycothiol: a promising antitubercular target

Tuberculosis (TB) is the world's second commonest cause of death next to HIV/AIDS. The increasing emergence of multi drug resistance and the recalcitrant nature of persistent infections pose an additional challenge for the treatment of TB. Due to the development of resistance to conventional antibiotics there is a need for new therapeutic strategies to combat M. tuberculosis. One such target is Mycothiol (MSH), a major low molecular-mass thiol in mycobacteria, an important cellular anti-oxidant. MSH is present only in actinomycetes and hence is a good target. This review explores mycothiol as a potential target against tuberculosis and various research ongoing worldwide.

New targets and inhibitors of mycobacterial sulfur metabolism

The identification of new antibacterial targets is urgently needed to address multidrug resistant and latent tuberculosis infection. Sulfur metabolic pathways are essential for survival and the expression of virulence in many pathogenic bacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In addition, microbial sulfur metabolic pathways are largely absent in humans and therefore, represent unique targets for therapeutic intervention. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the enzymes associated with the production of sulfated and reduced sulfur-containing metabolites in Mycobacteria. Small molecule inhibitors of these catalysts represent valuable chemical tools that can be used to investigate the role of sulfur metabolism throughout the Mycobacterial lifecycle and may also represent new leads for drug development. In this light, we also summarize recent progress made in the development of inhibitors of sulfur metabolism enzymes.

Glutathione analogs in prokaryotes

BACKGROUND

Oxygen is both essential and toxic to all forms of aerobic life and the chemical versatility and reactivity of thiols play a key role in both aspects. Cysteine thiol groups have key catalytic functions in enzymes but are readily damaged by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Low-molecular-weight thiols provide protective buffers against the hazards of ROS toxicity. Glutathione is the small protective thiol in nearly all eukaryotes but in prokaryotes the situation is far more complex.

SCOPE OF REVIEW

This review provides an introduction to the diversity of low-molecular-weight thiol protective systems in bacteria. The topics covered include the limitations of cysteine as a protector, the multiple origins and distribution of glutathione biosynthesis, mycothiol biosynthesis and function in Actinobacteria, recent discoveries involving bacillithiol found in Firmicutes, new insights on the biosynthesis and distribution of ergothioneine, and the potential protective roles played by coenzyme A and other thiols.

MAJOR CONCLUSIONS

Bacteria have evolved a diverse collection of low-molecular-weight protective thiols to deal with oxygen toxicity and environmental challenges. Our understanding of how many of these thiols are produced and utilized is still at an early stage.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

Extensive diversity existed among prokaryotes prior to evolution of the cyanobacteria and the development of an oxidizing atmosphere. Bacteria that managed to adapt to life under oxygen evolved, or acquired, the ability to produce a variety of small thiols for protection against the hazards of aerobic metabolism. Many pathogenic prokaryotes depend upon novel thiol protection systems that may provide targets for new antibacterial agents. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Cellular functions of glutathione.

An enzyme-initiated Smiles rearrangement enables the development of an assay of MshB, the GlcNAc-Ins deacetylase of mycothiol biosynthesis

MshB is the N-acetyl-1-D-myo-inosityl-2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranoside (GlcNAc-Ins) deacetylase active as one of the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of mycothiol (MSH), a protective low molecular weight thiol present only in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other actinomycetes. In this study, structural analogues of GlcNAc-Ins in which the inosityl moiety is replaced by a chromophore were synthesized and evaluated as alternate substrates of MshB, with the goal of identifying a compound that would be useful in high-throughput assays of the enzyme. In an unexpected and surprising finding one of the GlcNAc-Ins analogues is shown to undergo a Smiles rearrangement upon MshB-mediated deacetylation, uncovering a free thiol group. We demonstrate that this chemistry can be exploited for the development of the first continuous assay of MshB activity based on the detection of thiol formation by DTNB (Ellman's reagent); such an assay should be ideally suited for the identification of MshB inhibitors by means of high-throughput screens in microplates.

Examination of mechanism of N-acetyl-1-D-myo-inosityl-2-amino-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranoside deacetylase (MshB) reveals unexpected role for dynamic tyrosine

Actinomycetes are a group of gram-positive bacteria that includes pathogenic mycobacterial species, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These organisms do not have glutathione and instead utilize the small molecule mycothiol (MSH) as their primary reducing agent and for the detoxification of xenobiotics. Due to these important functions, enzymes involved in MSH biosynthesis and MSH-dependent detoxification are targets for drug development. The metal-dependent deacetylase N-acetyl-1-D-myo-inosityl-2-amino-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranoside deacetylase (MshB) catalyzes the hydrolysis of N-acetyl-1-D-myo-inosityl-2-amino-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranoside to form 1-D-myo-inosityl-2-amino-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranoside and acetate in MSH biosynthesis. Herein we examine the chemical mechanism of MshB. We demonstrate that the side chains of Asp-15, Tyr-142, His-144, and Asp-146 are important for catalytic activity. We show that NaF is an uncompetitive inhibitor of MshB, consistent with a metal-water/hydroxide functioning as the reactive nucleophile in the catalytic mechanism. We have previously shown that MshB activity has a bell-shaped dependence on pH with pK(a) values of ∼7.3 and 10.5 (Huang, X., Kocabas, E. and Hernick, M. (2011) J. Biol. Chem. 286, 20275-20282). Mutagenesis experiments indicate that the observed pK(a) values reflect ionization of Asp-15 and Tyr-142, respectively. Together, findings from our studies suggest that MshB functions through a general acid-base pair mechanism with the side chain of Asp-15 functioning as the general base catalyst and His-144 serving as the general acid catalyst, whereas the side chain of Tyr-142 probably assists in polarizing substrate/stabilizing the oxyanion intermediate. Additionally, our results indicate that Tyr-142 is a dynamic side chain that plays key roles in catalysis, modulating substrate binding, chemistry, and product release.

Redox homeostasis in mycobacteria: the key to tuberculosis control?

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is a metabolically flexible pathogen that has the extraordinary ability to sense and adapt to the continuously changing host environment experienced during decades of persistent infection. Mtb is continually exposed to endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) as part of normal aerobic respiration, as well as exogenous ROS and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) generated by the host immune system in response to infection. The magnitude of tuberculosis (TB) disease is further amplified by exposure to xenobiotics from the environment such as cigarette smoke and air pollution, causing disruption of the intracellular prooxidant–antioxidant balance. Both oxidative and reductive stresses induce redox cascades that alter Mtb signal transduction, DNA and RNA synthesis, protein synthesis and antimycobacterial drug resistance. As reviewed in this article, Mtb has evolved specific mechanisms to protect itself against endogenously produced oxidants, as well as defend against host and environmental oxidants and reductants found specifically within the microenvironments of the lung. Maintaining an appropriate redox balance is critical to the clinical outcome because several antimycobacterial prodrugs are only effective upon bioreductive activation. Proper homeostasis of oxido-reductive systems is essential for Mtb survival, persistence and subsequent reactivation. The progress and remaining deficiencies in understanding Mtb redox homeostasis are also discussed.

Evaluation of NTF1836 as an inhibitor of the mycothiol biosynthetic enzyme MshC in growing and non-replicating Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The mycothiol biosynthesis enzyme MshC catalyzes the ligation of cysteine with the pseudodisaccharide GlcN-Ins and has been identified as an essential enzyme in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We now report on the development of NTF1836 as a micromolar inhibitor of MshC. Using commercial libraries, we conducted preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies on NTF1836. Based on this data, NTF1836 and five structurally related compounds showed similar activity towards clinical strains of M. tuberculosis. A gram scale synthesis was developed to provide ample material for biological studies. Using this material, we determined that inhibition of M. tuberculosis growth by NTF1836 was accompanied by a fall in mycothiol and an increase in GlcN-Ins consistent with the targeting of MshC. We also determined that NTF1836 kills non-replicating M. tuberculosis in the carbon starvation model of latency.

The activity and cofactor preferences of N-acetyl-1-D-myo-inosityl-2-amino-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranoside deacetylase (MshB) change depending on environmental conditions

Actinomycetes, such as Mycobacterium species, are Gram-positive bacteria that utilize the small molecule mycothiol (MSH) as their primary reducing agent. Consequently, the enzymes involved in MSH biosynthesis are targets for drug development. The metal-dependent enzyme N-acetyl-1-D-myo-inosityl-2-amino-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranoside deacetylase (MshB) catalyzes the hydrolysis of N-acetyl-1-D-myo-inosityl-2-amino-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranoside to form 1-D-myo-inosityl-2-amino-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranoside and acetate, the fourth overall step in MSH biosynthesis. Inhibitors of metalloenzymes typically contain a group that binds to the active site metal ion; thus, a comprehensive understanding of the native cofactor(s) of metalloenzymes is critical for the development of biologically effective inhibitors. Herein, we examined the effect of metal ions on the overall activity of MshB and probed the identity of the native cofactor. We found that the activity of MshB follows the trend Fe(2+) > Co(2+) > Zn(2+) > Mn(2+) and Ni(2+). Additionally, our results show that the identity of the cofactor bound to purified MshB is highly dependent on the purification conditions used (aerobic versus anaerobic), as well as the metal ion content of the medium during protein expression. MshB prefers Fe(2+) under anaerobic conditions regardless of the metal ion content of the medium and switches between Fe(2+) and Zn(2+) under aerobic conditions as the metal content of the medium is altered. These results indicate that the cofactor bound to MshB under biological conditions is dependent on environmental conditions, suggesting that MshB may be a cambialistic metallohydrolase that contains a dynamic cofactor. Consequently, biologically effective inhibitors will likely need to dually target Fe(2+)-MshB and Zn(2+)-MshB.

Precise null deletion mutations of the mycothiol synthesis genes reveal their role in isoniazid and ethionamide resistance in Mycobacterium smegmatis

Mycothiol (MSH; AcCys-GlcN-Ins) is the glutathione analogue for mycobacteria. Mutations in MSH biosynthetic genes have been associated with resistance to isoniazid (INH) and ethionamide (ETH) in mycobacteria, but rigorous genetic studies are lacking, and those that have been conducted have yielded different results. In this study, we constructed independent null deletion mutants for all four genes involved in the MSH biosynthesis pathway (mshA, mshB, mshC, and mshD) in Mycobacterium smegmatis and made complementing constructs in integrating plasmids. The resulting set of strains was analyzed for levels of MSH, INH resistance, and ETH resistance. The mshA and mshC single deletion mutants were devoid of MSH production and resistant to INH, whereas the mshB deletion mutant produced decreased levels of MSH yet was sensitive to INH, suggesting that MSH biosynthesis is essential for INH susceptibility in M. smegmatis. Further evidence supporting this conclusion was generated by deleting the gene encoding the MSH S-conjugate amidase (mca) from the ΔmshB null mutant. This double mutant, ΔmshB Δmca, completely abolished MSH production and was resistant to INH. The mshA, mshC, and mshB single deletion mutants were also resistant to ETH, indicating that ETH resistance is modulated by the level of MSH in M. smegmatis. Surprisingly, the mshD deletion mutant lacked MSH production but was sensitive to both INH and ETH. The drug sensitivity was likely mediated by the compensated synthesis of N-formyl-Cys-GlcN-Ins, previously demonstrated to substitute for MSH in an mshD mutant of M. smegmatis. We conclude that MSH or N-formyl-Cys-GlcN-Ins is required for susceptibility to INH or ETH in M. smegmatis.

A fluorescence-based assay for measuring N-acetyl-1-D-myo-inosityl-2-amino-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranoside deacetylase activity

Here we report a new fluorescence-based assay for measuring MshB (N-acetyl-1-d-myo-inosityl-2-amino-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranoside deacetylase) activity. The current assay for measuring MshB activity requires the fluorescent labeling of reaction mixtures and subsequent analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), resulting in a significant amount of processing time per sample. Here we describe a more rapid fluorescnce-based assay for the measurement of MshB activity that does not require HPLC analysis and can be carried out in multiwell plates. This fluorescamine (FSA)-based assay was used to determine the steady-state parameters for the deacetylation of N-acetyl-glucosamine (GlcNAc) by MshB, and the results from these experiments support the hypothesis that the inositol moiety primarily contributes to the affinity of GlcNAc-Ins (N-acetyl-1-d-myo-inosityl-2-amino-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranoside) for MshB. The rapid nature of this assay will aid efforts toward a more detailed biochemical characterization of MshB. Furthermore, because this assay relies on the formation of a primary amine, it could be adapted to measure the activity of mycothiol-S-conjugate amidase, a metal-dependent amidase that is a potential drug target involved in the mycothiol detoxification pathway.

Reductive stress in microbes: implications for understanding Mycobacterium tuberculosis disease and persistence

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is a remarkably successful pathogen that is capable of persisting in host tissues for decades without causing disease. Years after initial infection, the bacilli may resume growth, the outcome of which is active tuberculosis (TB). In order to establish infection, resist host defences and re-emerge, Mtb must coordinate its metabolism with the in vivo environmental conditions and nutrient availability within the primary site of infection, the lung. Maintaining metabolic homeostasis for an intracellular pathogen such as Mtb requires a carefully orchestrated series of oxidation-reduction reactions, which, if unbalanced, generate oxidative or reductive stress. The importance of oxidative stress in microbial pathogenesis has been appreciated and well studied over the past several decades. However, the role of its counterpart, reductive stress, has been largely ignored. Reductive stress is defined as an aberrant increase in reducing equivalents, the magnitude and identity of which is determined by host carbon source utilisation and influenced by the presence of host-generated gases (e.g. NO, CO, O(2) and CO(2)). This increased reductive power must be dissipated for bacterial survival. To recycle reducing equivalents, microbes have evolved unique electron 'sinks' that are distinct for their particular environmental niche. In this review, we describe the specific mechanisms that some microbes have evolved to dispel reductive stress. The intention of this review is to introduce the concept of reductive stress, in tuberculosis research in particular, in the hope of stimulating new avenues of investigation.

Organic hydroperoxide resistance protein and ergothioneine compensate for loss of mycothiol in Mycobacterium smegmatis mutants

The mshA::Tn5 mutant of Mycobacterium smegmatis does not produce mycothiol (MSH) and was found to markedly overproduce both ergothioneine and an ~15-kDa protein determined to be organic hydroperoxide resistance protein (Ohr). An mshA(G32D) mutant lacking MSH overproduced ergothioneine but not Ohr. Comparison of the mutant phenotypes with those of the wild-type strain indicated the following: Ohr protects against organic hydroperoxide toxicity, whereas ergothioneine does not; an additional MSH-dependent organic hydroperoxide peroxidase exists; and elevated isoniazid resistance in the mutant is associated with both Ohr and the absence of MSH. Purified Ohr showed high activity with linoleic acid hydroperoxide, indicating lipid hydroperoxides as the likely physiologic targets. The reduction of oxidized Ohr by NADH was shown to be catalyzed by lipoamide dehydrogenase and either lipoamide or DlaT (SucB). Since free lipoamide and lipoic acid levels were shown to be undetectable in M. smegmatis, the bound lipoyl residues of DlaT are the likely source of the physiological dithiol reductant for Ohr. The pattern of occurrence of homologs of Ohr among bacteria suggests that the ohr gene has been distributed by lateral transfer. The finding of multiple Ohr homologs with various sequence identities in some bacterial genomes indicates that there may be multiple physiologic targets for Ohr proteins.

Biosynthetic origin of the galactosamine substituent of Arabinogalactan in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The arabinogalactan (AG) of slow growing pathogenic Mycobacterium spp. is characterized by the presence of galactosamine (GalN) modifying some of the interior branched arabinosyl residues. The biosynthetic origin of this substituent and its role(s) in the physiology and/or pathogenicity of mycobacteria are not known. We report on the discovery of a polyprenyl-phospho-N-acetylgalactosaminyl synthase (PpgS) and the glycosyltransferase Rv3779 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis required, respectively, for providing and transferring the GalN substrate for the modification of AG. Disruption of either ppgS (Rv3631) or Rv3779 totally abolished the synthesis of the GalN substituent of AG in M. tuberculosis H37Rv. Conversely, expression of ppgS in Mycobacterium smegmatis conferred upon this species otherwise devoid of ppgS ortholog and any detectable polyprenyl-phospho-N-acetylgalactosaminyl synthase activity the ability to synthesize polyprenyl-phospho-N-acetylgalactosamine (polyprenyl-P-GalNAc) from polyprenyl-P and UDP-GalNAc. Interestingly, this catalytic activity was increased 40-50-fold by co-expressing Rv3632, the encoding gene of a small membrane protein apparently co-transcribed with ppgS in M. tuberculosis H37Rv. The discovery of this novel lipid-linked sugar donor and the involvement of a the glycosyltransferase C-type glycosyltransferase in its transfer onto its final acceptor suggest that pathogenic mycobacteria modify AG on the periplasmic side of the plasma membrane. The availability of a ppgS knock-out mutant of M. tuberculosis provides unique opportunities to investigate the physiological function of the GalN substituent and the potential impact it may have on host-pathogen interactions.

Intramolecular alpha-glucosaminidation: synthesis of mycothiol

A protected cyclitol aglycon was tethered to an (N-arylsulfonyl)glucosamine donor by a methylene linker; the exclusively alpha-selective intramolecular glycosylation reaction was then initiated by electrophilic activation of the thioglycoside donor portion. Further transformations of the glycosylation product to give the M. tuberculosis detoxifier mycothiol and its oxidized congener, the disulfide mycothione, are detailed.

Chapter 2: Biogenesis of the cell wall and other glycoconjugates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The re-emergence of tuberculosis in its present-day manifestations - single, multiple and extensive drug-resistant forms and as HIV-TB coinfections - has resulted in renewed research on fundamental questions such as the nature of the organism itself, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the molecular basis of its pathogenesis, definition of the immunological response in animal models and humans, and development of new intervention strategies such as vaccines and drugs. Foremost among these developments has been the precise chemical definition of the complex and distinctive cell wall of M. tuberculosis, elucidation of the relevant pathways and underlying genetics responsible for the synthesis of the hallmark moieties of the tubercle bacillus such as the mycolic acid-arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex, the phthiocerol- and trehalose-containing effector lipids, the phosphatidylinositol-containing mannosides, lipomannosides and lipoarabinomannosides, major immunomodulators, and others. In this review, the laboratory personnel who have been the focal point of some to these developments review recent progress towards a comprehensive understanding of the basic physiology and functions of the cell wall of M. tuberculosis.

Structures and mechanisms of the mycothiol biosynthetic enzymes

In the past decade, the genes encoding all four enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of mycothiol in Mycobacterium tuberculosis have been identified. Orthologs of each of these have been stably expressed and structurally characterized. The chemical mechanisms of all the four have also been studied. Because of the unique phylogenetic distribution of mycothiol, and the enzymes responsible for its biosynthesis, these enzymes represent interesting potential targets for antimycobacterial agents.

Biosynthesis and functions of mycothiol, the unique protective thiol of Actinobacteria

Mycothiol (MSH; AcCys-GlcN-Ins) is the major thiol found in Actinobacteria and has many of the functions of glutathione, which is the dominant thiol in other bacteria and eukaryotes but is absent in Actinobacteria. MSH functions as a protected reserve of cysteine and in the detoxification of alkylating agents, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, and antibiotics. MSH also acts as a thiol buffer which is important in maintaining the highly reducing environment within the cell and protecting against disulfide stress. The pathway of MSH biosynthesis involves production of GlcNAc-Ins-P by MSH glycosyltransferase (MshA), dephosphorylation by the MSH phosphatase MshA2 (not yet identified), deacetylation by MshB to produce GlcN-Ins, linkage to Cys by the MSH ligase MshC, and acetylation by MSH synthase (MshD), yielding MSH. Studies of MSH mutants have shown that the MSH glycosyltransferase MshA and the MSH ligase MshC are required for MSH production, whereas mutants in the MSH deacetylase MshB and the acetyltransferase (MSH synthase) MshD produce some MSH and/or a closely related thiol. Current evidence indicates that MSH biosynthesis is controlled by transcriptional regulation mediated by sigma(B) and sigma(R) in Streptomyces coelicolor. Identified enzymes of MSH metabolism include mycothione reductase (disulfide reductase; Mtr), the S-nitrosomycothiol reductase MscR, the MSH S-conjugate amidase Mca, and an MSH-dependent maleylpyruvate isomerase. Mca cleaves MSH S-conjugates to generate mercapturic acids (AcCySR), excreted from the cell, and GlcN-Ins, used for resynthesis of MSH. The phenotypes of MSH-deficient mutants indicate the occurrence of one or more MSH-dependent S-transferases, peroxidases, and mycoredoxins, which are important targets for future studies. Current evidence suggests that several MSH biosynthetic and metabolic enzymes are potential targets for drugs against tuberculosis. The functions of MSH in antibiotic-producing streptomycetes and in bioremediation are areas for future study.

An N-acyl homolog of mycothiol is produced in marine actinomycetes

Marine actinomycetes have generated much recent interest as a potentially valuable source of novel antibiotics. Like terrestrial actinomycetes the marine actinomycetes are shown here to produce mycothiol as their protective thiol. However, a novel thiol, U25, was produced by MAR2 strain CNQ703 upon progression into stationary phase when secondary metabolite production occurred and became the dominant thiol. MSH and U25 were maintained in a reduced state during early stationary phase, but become significantly oxidized after 10 days in culture. Isolation and structural analysis of the monobromobimane derivative identified U25 as a homolog of mycothiol in which the acetyl group attached to the nitrogen of cysteine is replaced by a propionyl residue. This N-propionyl-desacetyl-mycothiol was present in 13 of the 17 strains of marine actinomycetes examined, including five strains of Salinispora and representatives of the MAR2, MAR3, MAR4 and MAR6 groups. Mycothiol and its precursor, the pseudodisaccharide 1-O-(2-amino-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl)-D-myo-inositol, were found in all strains. High levels of mycothiol S-conjugate amidase activity, a key enzyme in mycothiol-dependent detoxification, were found in most strains. The results demonstrate that major thiol/disulfide changes accompany secondary metabolite production and suggest that mycothiol-dependent detoxification is important at this developmental stage.

Mycothiol: synthesis, biosynthesis and biological functions of the major low molecular weight thiol in actinomycetes

Actinomycetes produce mycothiol as their major low molecular weight thiol, which parallels the functions of glutathione found in prokaryotes and most Gram-negative bacteria. This review covers progress that has so far been made in terms of its distribution, biosynthesis and metabolic functions, as well as chemical syntheses of mycothiol and alternative substrates and inhibitors of mycothiol biosynthesis and mycothiol-dependent enzymes. 152 references are cited.

Crystal structures of lipoglycopeptide antibiotic deacetylases: implications for the biosynthesis of A40926 and teicoplanin

The lipoglycopeptide antibiotics teicoplanin and A40926 have proven efficacy against Gram-positive pathogens. These drugs are distinguished from glycopeptide antibiotics by N-linked long chain acyl-D-glucosamine decorations that contribute to antibacterial efficacy. During the biosynthesis of lipoglycopeptides, tailoring glycosyltransferases attach an N-acetyl-D-glucosamine to the aglycone, and this N-acetyl-glucosaminyl pseudoaglycone is deacetylated prior to long chain hydrocarbon attachment. Here we present several high-resolution crystal structures of the pseudoaglycone deacetylases from the biosynthetic pathways of teicoplanin and A40926. The cocrystal structure of the teicoplanin pseudoaglycone deacetylase with a fatty acid product provides further insights into the roles of active-site residues, and suggests mechanistic similarities with structurally distinct zinc deacetylases, such as peptidoglycan deacetylase and LpxC. A unique, structurally mobile capping lid, located at the apex of these pseudoaglycone deacetylases, likely serves as a determinant of substrate specificity.

Mycothiol biosynthesis is essential for ethionamide susceptibility in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Spontaneous mutants of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that were resistant to the anti-tuberculosis drugs ethionamide and isoniazid were isolated and found to map to mshA, a gene encoding the first enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of mycothiol, a major low-molecular-weight thiol in M. tuberculosis. Seven independent missense or frameshift mutations within mshA were identified and characterized. Precise null deletion mutations of the mshA gene were generated by specialized transduction in three different strains of M. tuberculosis. The mshA deletion mutants were defective in mycothiol biosynthesis, were only ethionamide-resistant and required catalase to grow. Biochemical studies suggested that the mechanism of ethionamide resistance in mshA mutants was likely due to a defect in ethionamide activation. In vivo, a mycothiol-deficient strain grew normally in immunodeficient mice, but was slightly defective for growth in immunocompetent mice. Mutations in mshA demonstrate the non-essentiality of mycothiol for growth in vitro and in vivo, and provide a novel mechanism of ethionamide resistance in M. tuberculosis.

Structural and enzymatic analysis of MshA from Corynebacterium glutamicum: substrate-assisted catalysis

The glycosyltransferase termed MshA catalyzes the transfer of N-acetylglucosamine from UDP-N-acetylglucosamine to 1-L-myo-inositol-1-phosphate in the first committed step of mycothiol biosynthesis. The structure of MshA from Corynebacterium glutamicum was determined both in the absence of substrates and in a complex with UDP and 1-L-myo-inositol-1-phosphate. MshA belongs to the GT-B structural family whose members have a two-domain structure with both domains exhibiting a Rossman-type fold. Binding of the donor sugar to the C-terminal domain produces a 97 degrees rotational reorientation of the N-terminal domain relative to the C-terminal domain, clamping down on UDP and generating the binding site for 1-L-myo-inositol-1-phosphate. The structure highlights the residues important in binding of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine and 1-L-myo-inositol-1-phosphate. Molecular models of the ternary complex suggest a mechanism in which the beta-phosphate of the substrate, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, promotes the nucleophilic attack of the 3-hydroxyl group of 1-L-myo-inositol-1-phosphate while at the same time promoting the cleavage of the sugar nucleotide bond.

Redox control in actinobacteria

As most actinobacteria are obligate aerobes, they have to cope with endogenously generated reactive oxygen species, and actinobacterial pathogens have to resist oxidative attack by phagocytes. Actinobacteria also have to survive long periods under low oxygen tension; for example, Mycobacterium tuberculosis can persist in the host for years under apparently hypoxic conditions in a latent, non-replicative state. Here we focus on the regulatory switches that control actinobacterial responses to peroxide stress, disulfide stress and low oxygen tension. Other unique aspects of their redox biology will be highlighted, including the use of the pseudodisaccharide mycothiol as their major low-molecular-weight thiol buffer, and the [4Fe-4S]-containing WhiB-like proteins, which play diverse, important roles in actinobacterial biology, but whose biochemical role is still controversial.

Comparative analysis of mutants in the mycothiol biosynthesis pathway in Mycobacterium smegmatis

The role of mycothiol in mycobacteria was examined by comparative analysis of mutants disrupted in the four known genes encoding the protein machinery needed for mycothiol biosynthesis. These mutants were sensitive to acid stress, antibiotic stress, alkylating stress, and oxidative stress indicating that mycothiol and mycothiol-dependent enzymes protect the mycobacterial cell against attack from various different types of stresses and toxic agents.

Structural genomics as an approach towards understanding the biology of tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a devastating disease of worldwide importance. The availability of the genome sequence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent, has stimulated a large variety of genome-scale initiatives. These include international structural genomics efforts which have the dual aim of characterising potential new drug targets and addressing key aspects of the biology of Mtb. This review highlights the various ways in which structural analysis has illuminated the biological activities of Mtb gene products, which were previously of unknown or uncertain function. Key information comes from the protein fold, from bound ligands, solvent molecules, ions etc. or from unexpectedly modified amino acid residues. Most importantly, the three dimensional structure of a protein permits the integration of data from many sources, both bioinformatic and experimental, to develop testable functional hypotheses. This has led to many new insights into TB biology.

Drug targets in mycobacterial sulfur metabolism

The identification of new antibacterial targets is urgently needed to address multidrug resistant and latent tuberculosis infection. Sulfur metabolic pathways are essential for survival and the expression of virulence in many pathogenic bacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In addition, microbial sulfur metabolic pathways are largely absent in humans and therefore, represent unique targets for therapeutic intervention. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the enzymes associated with the production of sulfated and reduced sulfur-containing metabolites in Mycobacteria. Small molecule inhibitors of these catalysts represent valuable chemical tools that can be used to investigate the role of sulfur metabolism throughout the Mycobacterial lifecycle and may also represent new leads for drug development. In this light, we also summarize recent progress in the development of inhibitors of sulfur metabolism enzymes.

Crystal structure of the BcZBP, a zinc-binding protein from Bacillus cereus

Bacillus cereus is an opportunistic pathogenic bacterium closely related to Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax in mammals. A significant portion of the B. cereus chromosomal genes are common to B. anthracis, including genes which in B. anthracis code for putative virulence and surface proteins. B. cereus thus provides a convenient model organism for studying proteins potentially associated with the pathogenicity of the highly infectious B. anthracis. The zinc-binding protein of B. cereus, BcZBP, is encoded from the bc1534 gene which has three homologues to B. anthracis. The protein exhibits deacetylase activity with the N-acetyl moiety of the N-acetylglucosamine and the diacetylchitobiose and triacetylchitotriose. However, neither the specific substrate of the BcZBP nor the biochemical pathway have been conclusively identified. Here, we present the crystal structure of BcZBP at 1.8 A resolution. The N-terminal part of the 234 amino acid protein adopts a Rossmann fold whereas the C-terminal part consists of two beta-strands and two alpha-helices. In the crystal, the protein forms a compact hexamer, in agreement with solution data. A zinc binding site and a potential active site have been identified in each monomer. These sites have extensive similarities to those found in two known zinc-dependent hydrolases with deacetylase activity, MshB and LpxC, despite a low degree of amino acid sequence identity. The functional implications and a possible catalytic mechanism are discussed.