Discovery of Novel Inhibitors of Uridine Diphosphate-N-Acetylenolpyruvylglucosamine Reductase (MurB) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an Opportunistic Infectious Agent Causing Death in Cystic Fibrosis Patients

Fragment-to-Lead Medicinal Chemistry Publications in 2022

This Perspective is the eighth in an annual series that summarizes successful fragment-to-lead (F2L) case studies published each year. A tabulated summary of relevant articles published in 2022 is provided, and features such as target class, screening methods, and ligand efficiency are discussed both for the 2022 examples and for the combined examples over the years 2015-2022. In addition, trends and new developments in the field are summarized. In 2022, 18 publications described successful fragment-to-lead studies, including the development of three clinical compounds (MTRX1719, MK-8189, and BI-823911).

Combined proteomic and transcriptomic analysis of the antimicrobial mechanism of tannic acid against Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is a zoonotic opportunistic pathogen that represents a significant threat to public health. Previous studies have shown that tannic acid (TA) has an inhibitory effect on a variety of bacteria. In this study, the proteome and transcriptome of S. aureus were analyzed to comprehensively assess changes in genes and proteins induced by TA. Initial observations of morphological changes revealed that TA damaged the integrity of the cell membrane. Next, proteomic and genetic analyses showed that exposure to TA altered the expression levels of 651 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs, 283 upregulated and 368 downregulated) and 503 differentially expressed genes (DEGs, 191 upregulated and 312 downregulated). Analysis of the identified DEPs and DEGs suggested that TA damages the integrity of the cell envelope by decreasing the expression and protein abundance of enzymes involved in the synthesis of peptidoglycans, teichoic acids and fatty acids, such as murB, murQ, murG, fmhX and tagA. After treatment with TA, the assembly of ribosomes in S. aureus was severely impaired by significant reductions in available ribosome components, and thus protein synthesis was hindered. The levels of genes and proteins associated with amino acids and purine synthesis were remarkably decreased, which further reduced bacterial viability. In addition, ABC transporters, which are involved in amino acid and ion transport, were also badly affected. Our results reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of TA on S. aureus and provide a theoretical basis for the application of TA as an antibacterial chemotherapeutic agent.

Breaking down the cell wall: Still an attractive antibacterial strategy

Since the advent of penicillin, humans have known about and explored the phenomenon of bacterial inhibition via antibiotics. However, with changes in the global environment and the abuse of antibiotics, resistance mechanisms have been selected in bacteria, presenting huge threats and challenges to the global medical and health system. Thus, the study and development of new antimicrobials is of unprecedented urgency and difficulty. Bacteria surround themselves with a cell wall to maintain cell rigidity and protect against environmental insults. Humans have taken advantage of antibiotics to target the bacterial cell wall, yielding some of the most widely used antibiotics to date. The cell wall is essential for bacterial growth and virulence but is absent from humans, remaining a high-priority target for antibiotic screening throughout the antibiotic era. Here, we review the extensively studied targets, i.e., MurA, MurB, MurC, MurD, MurE, MurF, Alr, Ddl, MurI, MurG, lipid A, and BamA in the cell wall, starting from the very beginning to the latest developments to elucidate antimicrobial screening. Furthermore, recent advances, including MraY and MsbA in peptidoglycan and lipopolysaccharide, and tagO, LtaS, LspA, Lgt, Lnt, Tol-Pal, MntC, and OspA in teichoic acid and lipoprotein, have also been profoundly discussed. The review further highlights that the application of new methods such as macromolecular labeling, compound libraries construction, and structure-based drug design will inspire researchers to screen ideal antibiotics.