1
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Zhang J, Xu J, Shen S, Ding L, Yang W, Tang C, Shi Q, Zhao H, Guo Y, Han R, Hu F. Comparison of three colloidal gold immunoassays and GeneXpert Carba-R for the detection of Klebsiella pneumoniae blaKPC-2 variants. J Clin Microbiol 2024:e0015424. [PMID: 38809033 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00154-24] [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: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The increasing use of ceftazidime-avibactam has led to the emergence of a wide range of ceftazidime-avibactam-resistant blaKPC-2 variants. Particularly, the conventional carbapenemase phenotypic assay exhibited a high false-negative rate for KPC-2 variants. In this study, three colloidal gold immunoassays, including the Gold Mountainriver CGI test, Dynamiker CGI test and NG-Test CARBA5, and GeneXpert Carba-R, were used to detect the presence of KPC-2 carbapenemase and its various variants in 42 Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. These strains covered blaKPC-2 (13/42) and 16 other blaKPC-2 variants including blaKPC-12 (1/42), blaKPC-23 (1/42), blaKPC-25 (1/42), blaKPC-33 (6/42), blaKPC-35 (1/42), blaKPC-44 (1/42), blaKPC-71 (1/42), blaKPC-76 (8/42), blaKPC-78 (1/42), blaKPC-79 (1/42), blaKPC-100 (1/42), blaKPC-127 (1/42), blaKPC-128 (1/42), blaKPC-144 (1/42), blaKPC-157 (2/42), and blaKPC-180 (1/42). For KPC-2 strains, all four assays showed 100% negative percentage agreement (NPA) and 100% positive percentage agreement (PPA) with sequencing results. For all 16 KPC-2 variants, GeneXpert Carba-R showed 100% NPA and 100% PPA, and the three colloidal gold immunoassays showed 100% NPA, while the PPAs of the Gold Mountainriver CGI test, Dynamiker CGI test, and NG-Test CARBA5 were 87.5%, 87.5%, and 68.8%, respectively. We also found a correlation between the mutation site in the amino acid of the variants and false-negative results by colloidal gold immunoassays. In conclusion, the GeneXpert Carba-R has been proven to be a reliable method in detecting KPC-2 and its variants, and the colloidal gold immunoassay tests offer a practical and cost-effective approach for their detection. For the sample with a negative result by a colloidal gold immunoassay test but not matching the drug-resistant phenotype, it is recommended to retest using another type of kit or the GeneXpert Carba-R assay, which can significantly improve the accuracy of detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghao Zhang
- Institute of Antibiotics, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Antibiotics, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China
- Joint Laboratory of Hospital & Enterprise for Pathogen Diagnosis of Drug-resistant Bacterial Infections and Innovative Drug R & D, Shanghai, China
| | - Jieli Xu
- Institute of Antibiotics, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Antibiotics, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China
- Joint Laboratory of Hospital & Enterprise for Pathogen Diagnosis of Drug-resistant Bacterial Infections and Innovative Drug R & D, Shanghai, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, GuiPing People's Hospital, Guangxi, China
| | - Siquan Shen
- Institute of Antibiotics, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Antibiotics, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China
- Joint Laboratory of Hospital & Enterprise for Pathogen Diagnosis of Drug-resistant Bacterial Infections and Innovative Drug R & D, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Ding
- Institute of Antibiotics, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Antibiotics, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China
- Joint Laboratory of Hospital & Enterprise for Pathogen Diagnosis of Drug-resistant Bacterial Infections and Innovative Drug R & D, Shanghai, China
| | - Weiwei Yang
- Institute of Antibiotics, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Antibiotics, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China
- Joint Laboratory of Hospital & Enterprise for Pathogen Diagnosis of Drug-resistant Bacterial Infections and Innovative Drug R & D, Shanghai, China
| | - Chengkang Tang
- Institute of Antibiotics, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Antibiotics, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China
- Joint Laboratory of Hospital & Enterprise for Pathogen Diagnosis of Drug-resistant Bacterial Infections and Innovative Drug R & D, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingyu Shi
- Institute of Antibiotics, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Antibiotics, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China
- Joint Laboratory of Hospital & Enterprise for Pathogen Diagnosis of Drug-resistant Bacterial Infections and Innovative Drug R & D, Shanghai, China
| | - Hu Zhao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Guo
- Institute of Antibiotics, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Antibiotics, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China
- Joint Laboratory of Hospital & Enterprise for Pathogen Diagnosis of Drug-resistant Bacterial Infections and Innovative Drug R & D, Shanghai, China
| | - Renru Han
- Institute of Antibiotics, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Antibiotics, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China
- Joint Laboratory of Hospital & Enterprise for Pathogen Diagnosis of Drug-resistant Bacterial Infections and Innovative Drug R & D, Shanghai, China
| | - Fupin Hu
- Institute of Antibiotics, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Antibiotics, Ministry of Health, Shanghai, China
- Joint Laboratory of Hospital & Enterprise for Pathogen Diagnosis of Drug-resistant Bacterial Infections and Innovative Drug R & D, Shanghai, China
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2
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Stewart NK, Toth M, Quan P, Buynak JD, Smith CA, Vakulenko SB. Restricted Rotational Flexibility of the C5α-Methyl-Substituted Carbapenem NA-1-157 Leads to Potent Inhibition of the GES-5 Carbapenemase. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:1232-1249. [PMID: 38511828 PMCID: PMC11160566 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00683] [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: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Carbapenem antibiotics are used as a last-resort treatment for infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. The wide spread of carbapenemases in Gram-negative bacteria has severely compromised the utility of these drugs and represents a serious public health threat. To combat carbapenemase-mediated resistance, new antimicrobials and inhibitors of these enzymes are urgently needed. Here, we describe the interaction of the atypically C5α-methyl-substituted carbapenem, NA-1-157, with the GES-5 carbapenemase. MICs of this compound against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii producing the enzyme were reduced 4-16-fold when compared to MICs of the commercial carbapenems, reaching clinically sensitive breakpoints. When NA-1-157 was combined with meropenem, a strong synergistic effect was observed. Kinetic and ESI-LC/MS studies demonstrated that NA-1-157 is a potent inhibitor of GES-5, with a high inactivation efficiency of (2.9 ± 0.9) × 105 M-1 s-1. Acylation of GES-5 by NA-1-157 was biphasic, with the fast phase completing within seconds, and the slow phase taking several hours and likely proceeding through a reversible tetrahedral intermediate. Deacylation was extremely slow (k3 = (2.4 ± 0.3) × 10-7 s-1), resulting in a residence time of 48 ± 6 days. MD simulation of the GES-5-meropenem and GES-5-NA-1-157 acyl-enzyme complexes revealed that the C5α-methyl group in NA-1-157 sterically restricts rotation of the 6α-hydroxyethyl group preventing ingress of the deacylating water into the vicinity of the scissile bond of the acyl-enzyme intermediate. These data demonstrate that NA-1-157 is a potent irreversible inhibitor of the GES-5 carbapenemase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nichole K. Stewart
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Marta Toth
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Pojun Quan
- Department of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275, USA
| | - John D. Buynak
- Department of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275, USA
| | - Clyde A. Smith
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sergei B. Vakulenko
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
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3
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Jacobs LMC, Consol P, Chen Y. Drug Discovery in the Field of β-Lactams: An Academic Perspective. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:59. [PMID: 38247618 PMCID: PMC10812508 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13010059] [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: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
β-Lactams are the most widely prescribed class of antibiotics that inhibit penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), particularly transpeptidases that function in peptidoglycan synthesis. A major mechanism of antibiotic resistance is the production of β-lactamase enzymes, which are capable of hydrolyzing β-lactam antibiotics. There have been many efforts to counter increasing bacterial resistance against β-lactams. These studies have mainly focused on three areas: discovering novel inhibitors against β-lactamases, developing new β-lactams less susceptible to existing resistance mechanisms, and identifying non-β-lactam inhibitors against cell wall transpeptidases. Drug discovery in the β-lactam field has afforded a range of research opportunities for academia. In this review, we summarize the recent new findings on both β-lactamases and cell wall transpeptidases because these two groups of enzymes are evolutionarily and functionally connected. Many efforts to develop new β-lactams have aimed to inhibit both transpeptidases and β-lactamases, while several promising novel β-lactamase inhibitors have shown the potential to be further developed into transpeptidase inhibitors. In addition, the drug discovery progress against each group of enzymes is presented in three aspects: understanding the targets, screening methodology, and new inhibitor chemotypes. This is to offer insights into not only the advancement in this field but also the challenges, opportunities, and resources for future research. In particular, cyclic boronate compounds are now capable of inhibiting all classes of β-lactamases, while the diazabicyclooctane (DBO) series of small molecules has led to not only new β-lactamase inhibitors but potentially a new class of antibiotics by directly targeting PBPs. With the cautiously optimistic successes of a number of new β-lactamase inhibitor chemotypes and many questions remaining to be answered about the structure and function of cell wall transpeptidases, non-β-lactam transpeptidase inhibitors may usher in the next exciting phase of drug discovery in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yu Chen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; (L.M.C.J.); (P.C.)
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4
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Oselusi SO, Sibuyi NRS, Meyer M, Madiehe AM. Ehretia Species Phytoconstituents as Potential Lead Compounds against Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase: A Computational Approach. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 2023:8022356. [PMID: 37869630 PMCID: PMC10586912 DOI: 10.1155/2023/8022356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of antibiotic-resistant carbapenemase has negatively impacted the management of critical healthcare-associated infections. K. pneumoniae carbapenemase-2- (KPC-2-) expressing bacteria have developed resistance to conventional therapeutic options, including those used as a last resort for life-threatening diseases. In this study, Ehretia species phytoconstituents were screened for their potential to inhibit KPC-2 protein using in silico approaches. Molecular docking was used to identify strong KPC-2 protein binding phytoconstituents retrieved from the literature. The best-docked conformation of the ligands was selected based on their glide energy and binding interactions. To determine their binding free energies, these hit compounds were subjected to molecular mechanics with generalized born and surface area (MM-GBSA) in the PRIME module. Pharmacological assessments of the ligands were performed to evaluate their drug-likeness. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were used to analyze the conformational stability of the selected druglike compounds within the active site of the KPC-2 protein. Overall, a total of 69 phytoconstituents were compiled from the literature. Fourteen of these compounds exhibited a stronger binding affinity for the protein target than the reference drugs. Four of these top hit compounds, DB09, DB12, DB28, and DB66, revealed the highest efficacy in terms of drug-likeness properties. The MD simulation established that among the druglike compounds, DB66 attained stable conformations after 150 ns simulation in the active site of the protein. We concluded that DB66 from Ehretia species could play a significant role in therapeutic efforts against KPC-2-expressing bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samson O. Oselusi
- Nanobiotechnology Research Group, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
- DSI/Mintek Nanotechnology Innovation Centre (NIC), Biolabels Research Node, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
| | - Nicole R. S. Sibuyi
- DSI/Mintek Nanotechnology Innovation Centre (NIC), Biolabels Research Node, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
| | - Mervin Meyer
- DSI/Mintek Nanotechnology Innovation Centre (NIC), Biolabels Research Node, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
| | - Abram M. Madiehe
- Nanobiotechnology Research Group, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
- DSI/Mintek Nanotechnology Innovation Centre (NIC), Biolabels Research Node, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
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5
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Corbella M, Pinto GP, Kamerlin SCL. Loop dynamics and the evolution of enzyme activity. Nat Rev Chem 2023; 7:536-547. [PMID: 37225920 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-023-00495-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
In the early 2000s, Tawfik presented his 'New View' on enzyme evolution, highlighting the role of conformational plasticity in expanding the functional diversity of limited repertoires of sequences. This view is gaining increasing traction with increasing evidence of the importance of conformational dynamics in both natural and laboratory evolution of enzymes. The past years have seen several elegant examples of harnessing conformational (particularly loop) dynamics to successfully manipulate protein function. This Review revisits flexible loops as critical participants in regulating enzyme activity. We showcase several systems of particular interest: triosephosphate isomerase barrel proteins, protein tyrosine phosphatases and β-lactamases, while briefly discussing other systems in which loop dynamics are important for selectivity and turnover. We then discuss the implications for engineering, presenting examples of successful loop manipulation in either improving catalytic efficiency, or changing selectivity completely. Overall, it is becoming clearer that mimicking nature by manipulating the conformational dynamics of key protein loops is a powerful method of tailoring enzyme activity, without needing to target active-site residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Corbella
- Department of Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gaspar P Pinto
- Department of Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Cortex Discovery GmbH, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Shina C L Kamerlin
- Department of Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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6
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Yin C, Song Z, Tian H, Palzkill T, Tao P. Unveiling the structural features that regulate carbapenem deacylation in KPC-2 through QM/MM and interpretable machine learning. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:1349-1362. [PMID: 36537692 PMCID: PMC11162551 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp03724f] [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] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Resistance to carbapenem β-lactams presents major clinical and economical challenges for the treatment of pathogen infections. The fast hydrolysis of carbapenems by carbapenemase-producing bacterial strains enables the effective deactivation of carbapenem antibiotics. In this study, we aim to unravel the structural features that distinguish the notable deacylation activity of carbapenemases. The deacylation reactions between imipenem (IPM) and the KPC-2 class A serine-based β-lactamases (ASβLs) are modeled with combined quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) minimum energy pathway (MEP) calculations and interpretable machine-learning (ML) methods. We first applied a dual-level computational protocol to achieve fast sampling of QM/MM MEPs. A tree-based ensemble ML model was employed to learn the MEP activation barriers from the conformational features of the KPC-2/IPM active site. The barrier-predicting model was then unboxed using the Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) importance attribution methods to derive mechanistic insights, which were also verified by additional QM/MM wavefunction analysis. Essentially, we show that potential hydrogen bonding interactions of the general base and the tautomerization states of the carbapenem pyrroline ring could concertedly regulate the activation barrier of KPC-2/IPM deacylation. Nonetheless, we demonstrate the efficacy of interpretable ML to assist the analysis of QM/MM simulation data for robust extraction of human-interpretable mechanistic insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Yin
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, 75205, USA.
| | - Zilin Song
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, 75205, USA.
| | - Hao Tian
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, 75205, USA.
| | - Timothy Palzkill
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Peng Tao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, 75205, USA.
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7
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Chudyk EI, Beer M, Limb MAL, Jones CA, Spencer J, van der Kamp MW, Mulholland AJ. QM/MM Simulations Reveal the Determinants of Carbapenemase Activity in Class A β-Lactamases. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:1521-1532. [PMID: 35877936 PMCID: PMC9379904 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00152] [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: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
β-lactam antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria, primarily caused by β-lactamase enzymes that hydrolyze the β-lactam ring, has become a serious clinical problem. Carbapenems were formerly considered "last resort" antibiotics because they escaped breakdown by most β-lactamases, due to slow deacylation of the acyl-enzyme intermediate. However, an increasing number of Gram-negative bacteria now produce β-lactamases with carbapenemase activity: these efficiently hydrolyze the carbapenem β-lactam ring, severely limiting the treatment of some bacterial infections. Here, we use quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) simulations of the deacylation reactions of acyl-enzyme complexes of eight β-lactamases of class A (the most widely distributed β-lactamase group) with the carbapenem meropenem to investigate differences between those inhibited by carbapenems (TEM-1, SHV-1, BlaC, and CTX-M-16) and those that hydrolyze them (SFC-1, KPC-2, NMC-A, and SME-1). QM/MM molecular dynamics simulations confirm the two enzyme groups to differ in the preferred acyl-enzyme orientation: carbapenem-inhibited enzymes favor hydrogen bonding of the carbapenem hydroxyethyl group to deacylating water (DW). QM/MM simulations of deacylation give activation free energies in good agreement with experimental hydrolysis rates, correctly distinguishing carbapenemases. For the carbapenem-inhibited enzymes, free energies for deacylation are significantly higher than for the carbapenemases, even when the hydroxyethyl group was restrained to prevent interaction with the DW. Analysis of these simulations, and additional simulations of mutant enzymes, shows how factors including the hydroxyethyl orientation, the active site volume, and architecture (conformations of Asn170 and Asn132; organization of the oxyanion hole; and the Cys69-Cys238 disulfide bond) collectively determine catalytic efficiency toward carbapenems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa I. Chudyk
- Centre
for Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Beer
- Centre
for Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom
- School
of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University
of Bristol Medical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom
| | - Michael A. L. Limb
- Centre
for Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom
| | - Charlotte A. Jones
- Centre
for Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom
| | - James Spencer
- School
of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University
of Bristol Medical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom
| | - Marc W. van der Kamp
- Centre
for Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom
- School
of Biochemistry, University of Bristol Medical
Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, United
Kingdom
| | - Adrian J. Mulholland
- Centre
for Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom
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8
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C6 Hydroxymethyl-Substituted Carbapenem MA-1-206 Inhibits the Major Acinetobacter baumannii Carbapenemase OXA-23 by Impeding Deacylation. mBio 2022; 13:e0036722. [PMID: 35420470 PMCID: PMC9239083 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00367-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii has become a major nosocomial pathogen, as it is often multidrug-resistant, which results in infections characterized by high mortality rates. The bacterium achieves high levels of resistance to β-lactam antibiotics by producing β-lactamases, enzymes which destroy these valuable agents. Historically, the carbapenem family of β-lactam antibiotics have been the drugs of choice for treating A. baumannii infections. However, their effectiveness has been significantly diminished due to the pathogen’s production of carbapenem-hydrolyzing class D β-lactamases (CHDLs); thus, new antibiotics and inhibitors of these enzymes are urgently needed. Here, we describe a new carbapenem antibiotic, MA-1-206, in which the canonical C6 hydroxyethyl group has been replaced with hydroxymethyl. The antimicrobial susceptibility studies presented here demonstrated that this compound is more potent than meropenem and imipenem against A. baumannii producing OXA-23, the most prevalent CHDL of this pathogen, and also against strains producing the CHDL OXA-24/40 and the class B metallo-β-lactamase VIM-2. Our kinetic and mass spectrometry studies revealed that this drug is a reversible inhibitor of OXA-23, where inhibition takes place through a branched pathway. X-ray crystallographic studies, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations of the OXA-23-MA-1-206 complex show that the C6 hydroxymethyl group forms a hydrogen bond with the carboxylated catalytic lysine of OXA-23, effectively preventing deacylation. These results provide a promising strategy for designing a new generation of CHDL-resistant carbapenems to restore their efficacy against deadly A. baumannii infections.
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9
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Olehnovics E, Yin J, Pérez A, De Fabritiis G, Bonomo RA, Bhowmik D, Haider S. The Role of Hydrophobic Nodes in the Dynamics of Class A β-Lactamases. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:720991. [PMID: 34621251 PMCID: PMC8490755 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.720991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Class A β-lactamases are known for being able to rapidly gain broad spectrum catalytic efficiency against most β-lactamase inhibitor combinations as a result of elusively minor point mutations. The evolution in class A β-lactamases occurs through optimisation of their dynamic phenotypes at different timescales. At long-timescales, certain conformations are more catalytically permissive than others while at the short timescales, fine-grained optimisation of free energy barriers can improve efficiency in ligand processing by the active site. Free energy barriers, which define all coordinated movements, depend on the flexibility of the secondary structural elements. The most highly conserved residues in class A β-lactamases are hydrophobic nodes that stabilize the core. To assess how the stable hydrophobic core is linked to the structural dynamics of the active site, we carried out adaptively sampled molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in four representative class A β-lactamases (KPC-2, SME-1, TEM-1, and SHV-1). Using Markov State Models (MSM) and unsupervised deep learning, we show that the dynamics of the hydrophobic nodes is used as a metastable relay of kinetic information within the core and is coupled with the catalytically permissive conformation of the active site environment. Our results collectively demonstrate that the class A enzymes described here, share several important dynamic similarities and the hydrophobic nodes comprise of an informative set of dynamic variables in representative class A β-lactamases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgar Olehnovics
- Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry, University College London School of Pharmacy, London, United Kingdom
| | - Junqi Yin
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, National Center for Computational Sciences, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Adrià Pérez
- Computational Science Laboratory, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gianni De Fabritiis
- Computational Science Laboratory, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Robert A. Bonomo
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- CWRU-Cleveland VAMC Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Epidemiology (Case VA CARES), Cleveland, OH, United States
- Veterans Affairs Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, Research Service, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Debsindhu Bhowmik
- Computer Sciences and Engineering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Shozeb Haider
- Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry, University College London School of Pharmacy, London, United Kingdom
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10
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The Role of Rigid Residues in Modulating TEM-1 β-Lactamase Function and Thermostability. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22062895. [PMID: 33809335 PMCID: PMC7999226 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22062895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between protein motions (i.e., dynamics) and enzymatic function has begun to be explored in β-lactamases as a way to advance our understanding of these proteins. In a recent study, we analyzed the dynamic profiles of TEM-1 (a ubiquitous class A β-lactamase) and several ancestrally reconstructed homologues. A chief finding of this work was that rigid residues that were allosterically coupled to the active site appeared to have profound effects on enzyme function, even when separated from the active site by many angstroms. In the present work, our aim was to further explore the implications of protein dynamics on β-lactamase function by altering the dynamic profile of TEM-1 using computational protein design methods. The Rosetta software suite was used to mutate amino acids surrounding either rigid residues that are highly coupled to the active site or to flexible residues with no apparent communication with the active site. Experimental characterization of ten designed proteins indicated that alteration of residues surrounding rigid, highly coupled residues, substantially affected both enzymatic activity and stability; in contrast, native-like activities and stabilities were maintained when flexible, uncoupled residues, were targeted. Our results provide additional insight into the structure-function relationship present in the TEM family of β-lactamases. Furthermore, the integration of computational protein design methods with analyses of protein dynamics represents a general approach that could be used to extend our understanding of the relationship between dynamics and function in other enzyme classes.
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Tooke CL, Hinchliffe P, Bonomo RA, Schofield CJ, Mulholland AJ, Spencer J. Natural variants modify Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) acyl-enzyme conformational dynamics to extend antibiotic resistance. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100126. [PMID: 33257320 PMCID: PMC7949053 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.016461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Class A serine β-lactamases (SBLs) are key antibiotic resistance determinants in Gram-negative bacteria. SBLs neutralize β-lactams via a hydrolytically labile covalent acyl-enzyme intermediate. Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) is a widespread SBL that hydrolyzes carbapenems, the most potent β-lactams; known KPC variants differ in turnover of expanded-spectrum oxyimino-cephalosporins (ESOCs), for example, cefotaxime and ceftazidime. Here, we compare ESOC hydrolysis by the parent enzyme KPC-2 and its clinically observed double variant (P104R/V240G) KPC-4. Kinetic analyses show that KPC-2 hydrolyzes cefotaxime more efficiently than the bulkier ceftazidime, with improved ESOC turnover by KPC-4 resulting from enhanced turnover (kcat), rather than altered KM values. High-resolution crystal structures of ESOC acyl-enzyme complexes with deacylation-deficient (E166Q) KPC-2 and KPC-4 mutants show that ceftazidime acylation causes rearrangement of three loops; the Ω, 240, and 270 loops, which border the active site. However, these rearrangements are less pronounced in the KPC-4 than the KPC-2 ceftazidime acyl-enzyme and are not observed in the KPC-2:cefotaxime acyl-enzyme. Molecular dynamics simulations of KPC:ceftazidime acyl-enyzmes reveal that the deacylation general base E166, located on the Ω loop, adopts two distinct conformations in KPC-2, either pointing "in" or "out" of the active site; with only the "in" form compatible with deacylation. The "out" conformation was not sampled in the KPC-4 acyl-enzyme, indicating that efficient ESOC breakdown is dependent upon the ordering and conformation of the KPC Ω loop. The results explain how point mutations expand the activity spectrum of the clinically important KPC SBLs to include ESOCs through their effects on the conformational dynamics of the acyl-enzyme intermediate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine L Tooke
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom; Centre for Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Philip Hinchliffe
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Robert A Bonomo
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Departments of Medicine, Pharmacology, Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Proteomics and Bioinformatics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; CWRU-Cleveland VAMC Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Epidemiology (Case VA CARES) Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Christopher J Schofield
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian J Mulholland
- Centre for Computational Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - James Spencer
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Biomedical Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
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Mehta SC, Furey IM, Pemberton OA, Boragine DM, Chen Y, Palzkill T. KPC-2 β-lactamase enables carbapenem antibiotic resistance through fast deacylation of the covalent intermediate. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100155. [PMID: 33273017 PMCID: PMC7895804 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.015050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Serine active-site β-lactamases hydrolyze β-lactam antibiotics through the formation of a covalent acyl-enzyme intermediate followed by deacylation via an activated water molecule. Carbapenem antibiotics are poorly hydrolyzed by most β-lactamases owing to slow hydrolysis of the acyl-enzyme intermediate. However, the emergence of the KPC-2 carbapenemase has resulted in widespread resistance to these drugs, suggesting it operates more efficiently. Here, we investigated the unusual features of KPC-2 that enable this resistance. We show that KPC-2 has a 20,000-fold increased deacylation rate compared with the common TEM-1 β-lactamase. Furthermore, kinetic analysis of active site alanine mutants indicates that carbapenem hydrolysis is a concerted effort involving multiple residues. Substitution of Asn170 greatly decreases the deacylation rate, but this residue is conserved in both KPC-2 and non-carbapenemase β-lactamases, suggesting it promotes carbapenem hydrolysis only in the context of KPC-2. X-ray structure determination of the N170A enzyme in complex with hydrolyzed imipenem suggests Asn170 may prevent the inactivation of the deacylating water by the 6α-hydroxyethyl substituent of carbapenems. In addition, the Thr235 residue, which interacts with the C3 carboxylate of carbapenems, also contributes strongly to the deacylation reaction. In contrast, mutation of the Arg220 and Thr237 residues decreases the acylation rate and, paradoxically, improves binding affinity for carbapenems. Thus, the role of these residues may be ground state destabilization of the enzyme-substrate complex or, alternatively, to ensure proper alignment of the substrate with key catalytic residues to facilitate acylation. These findings suggest modifications of the carbapenem scaffold to avoid hydrolysis by KPC-2 β-lactamase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shrenik C Mehta
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Ian M Furey
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Orville A Pemberton
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - David M Boragine
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Timothy Palzkill
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
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Can We Exploit β-Lactamases Intrinsic Dynamics for Designing More Effective Inhibitors? Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:antibiotics9110833. [PMID: 33233339 PMCID: PMC7700307 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9110833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
β-lactamases (BLs) represent the most frequent cause of antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. Despite the continuous efforts in the development of BL inhibitors (BLIs), new BLs able to hydrolyze the last developed antibiotics rapidly emerge. Moreover, the insurgence rate of effective mutations is far higher than the release of BLIs able to counteract them. This results in a shortage of antibiotics that is menacing the effective treating of infectious diseases. The situation is made even worse by the co-expression in bacteria of BLs with different mechanisms and hydrolysis spectra, and by the lack of inhibitors able to hit them all. Differently from other targets, BL flexibility has not been deeply exploited for drug design, possibly because of the small protein size, for their apparent rigidity and their high fold conservation. In this mini-review, we discuss the evidence for BL binding site dynamics being crucial for catalytic efficiency, mutation effect, and for the design of new inhibitors. Then, we report on identified allosteric sites in BLs and on possible allosteric inhibitors, as a strategy to overcome the frequent occurrence of mutations in BLs and the difficulty of competing efficaciously with substrates. Nevertheless, allosteric inhibitors could work synergistically with traditional inhibitors, increasing the chances of restoring bacterial susceptibility towards available antibiotics.
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Abstract
Infectious disease research spans scales from the molecular to the global—from specific mechanisms of pathogen drug resistance, virulence, and replication to the movement of people, animals, and pathogens around the world. All of these research areas have been impacted by the recent growth of large-scale data sources and data analytics. Some of these advances rely on data or analytic methods that are common to most biomedical data science, while others leverage the unique nature of infectious disease, namely its communicability. This review outlines major research progress in the past few years and highlights some remaining opportunities, focusing on data or methodological approaches particular to infectious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M. Kasson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Molecular Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, 752 37 Uppsala, Sweden
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Crean RM, Gardner JM, Kamerlin SCL. Harnessing Conformational Plasticity to Generate Designer Enzymes. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:11324-11342. [PMID: 32496764 PMCID: PMC7467679 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c04924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent years have witnessed an explosion of interest in understanding the role of conformational dynamics both in the evolution of new enzymatic activities from existing enzymes and in facilitating the emergence of enzymatic activity de novo on scaffolds that were previously non-catalytic. There are also an increasing number of examples in the literature of targeted engineering of conformational dynamics being successfully used to alter enzyme selectivity and activity. Despite the obvious importance of conformational dynamics to both enzyme function and evolvability, many (although not all) computational design approaches still focus either on pure sequence-based approaches or on using structures with limited flexibility to guide the design. However, there exist a wide variety of computational approaches that can be (re)purposed to introduce conformational dynamics as a key consideration in the design process. Coupled with laboratory evolution and more conventional existing sequence- and structure-based approaches, these techniques provide powerful tools for greatly expanding the protein engineering toolkit. This Perspective provides an overview of evolutionary studies that have dissected the role of conformational dynamics in facilitating the emergence of novel enzymes, as well as advances in computational approaches that allow one to target conformational dynamics as part of enzyme design. Harnessing conformational dynamics in engineering studies is a powerful paradigm with which to engineer the next generation of designer biocatalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory M. Crean
- Department of Chemistry -
BMC, Uppsala University, Box 576, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jasmine M. Gardner
- Department of Chemistry -
BMC, Uppsala University, Box 576, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Shina C. L. Kamerlin
- Department of Chemistry -
BMC, Uppsala University, Box 576, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
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Kozuch J, Schneider SH, Boxer SG. Biosynthetic Incorporation of Site-Specific Isotopes in β-Lactam Antibiotics Enables Biophysical Studies. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:1148-1153. [PMID: 32175720 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.9b01054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
A biophysical understanding of the mechanistic, chemical, and physical origins underlying antibiotic action and resistance is vital to the discovery of novel therapeutics and the development of strategies to combat the growing emergence of antibiotic resistance. The site-specific introduction of stable-isotope labels into chemically complex natural products is particularly important for techniques such as NMR, IR, mass spectrometry, imaging, and kinetic isotope effects. Toward this goal, we developed a biosynthetic strategy for the site-specific incorporation of 13C labels into the canonical β-lactam carbonyl of penicillin G and cefotaxime, the latter via cephalosporin C. This was achieved through sulfur-replacement with 1-13C-l-cysteine, resulting in high isotope incorporations and milligram-scale yields. Using 13C NMR and isotope-edited IR difference spectroscopy, we illustrate how these molecules can be used to interrogate interactions with their protein targets, e.g., TEM-1 β-lactamase. This method provides a feasible route to isotopically labeled penicillin and cephalosporin precursors for future biophysical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacek Kozuch
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5012, United States
| | - Samuel H. Schneider
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5012, United States
| | - Steven G. Boxer
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5012, United States
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17
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Shurina BA, Page RC. Influence of substrates and inhibitors on the structure of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-2. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2019; 244:1596-1604. [PMID: 31161945 DOI: 10.1177/1535370219854322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The hydrolysis of last resort carbapenem antibiotics by Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-2 (KPC-2) presents a significant danger to global health. Combined with horizontal gene transfer, the emergence KPC-2 threatens to quickly expand carbapenemase activity to ever increasing numbers of pathogens. Our understanding of KPC-2 has greatly increased over the past decade thanks, in great part, to 20 crystal structures solved by groups around the world. These include apo KPC-2 structures, along with structures featuring a library of 10 different inhibitors representing diverse structural and functional classes. Herein we focus on cataloging the available KPC-2 structures and presenting a discussion of key aspects of each structure and important relationships between structures. Although the available structures do not provide information on dynamic motions with KPC-2, and the family of structures indicates small conformational changes across a wide array of bound inhibitors, substrates, and products, the structures provide a strong foundation for additional studies in the coming years to discover new KPC-2 inhibitors. Impact statement The work herein is important to the field as it provides a clear and succinct accounting of available KPC-2 structures. The work advances the field by collecting and analyzing differences and similarities across the available structures. This work features new analyses and interpretations of the existing structures which will impact the field in a positive way by making structural insights more widely available among the beta-lactamase community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben A Shurina
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
| | - Richard C Page
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
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18
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Amirkulova DB, White AD. Recent advances in maximum entropy biasing techniques for molecular dynamics. MOLECULAR SIMULATION 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/08927022.2019.1608988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- D. B. Amirkulova
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - A. D. White
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
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Tooke CL, Hinchliffe P, Bragginton EC, Colenso CK, Hirvonen VHA, Takebayashi Y, Spencer J. β-Lactamases and β-Lactamase Inhibitors in the 21st Century. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:3472-3500. [PMID: 30959050 PMCID: PMC6723624 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 416] [Impact Index Per Article: 83.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The β-lactams retain a central place in the antibacterial armamentarium. In Gram-negative bacteria, β-lactamase enzymes that hydrolyze the amide bond of the four-membered β-lactam ring are the primary resistance mechanism, with multiple enzymes disseminating on mobile genetic elements across opportunistic pathogens such as Enterobacteriaceae (e.g., Escherichia coli) and non-fermenting organisms (e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa). β-Lactamases divide into four classes; the active-site serine β-lactamases (classes A, C and D) and the zinc-dependent or metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs; class B). Here we review recent advances in mechanistic understanding of each class, focusing upon how growing numbers of crystal structures, in particular for β-lactam complexes, and methods such as neutron diffraction and molecular simulations, have improved understanding of the biochemistry of β-lactam breakdown. A second focus is β-lactamase interactions with carbapenems, as carbapenem-resistant bacteria are of grave clinical concern and carbapenem-hydrolyzing enzymes such as KPC (class A) NDM (class B) and OXA-48 (class D) are proliferating worldwide. An overview is provided of the changing landscape of β-lactamase inhibitors, exemplified by the introduction to the clinic of combinations of β-lactams with diazabicyclooctanone and cyclic boronate serine β-lactamase inhibitors, and of progress and strategies toward clinically useful MBL inhibitors. Despite the long history of β-lactamase research, we contend that issues including continuing unresolved questions around mechanism; opportunities afforded by new technologies such as serial femtosecond crystallography; the need for new inhibitors, particularly for MBLs; the likely impact of new β-lactam:inhibitor combinations and the continuing clinical importance of β-lactams mean that this remains a rewarding research area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine L Tooke
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom
| | - Philip Hinchliffe
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom
| | - Eilis C Bragginton
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom
| | - Charlotte K Colenso
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom
| | - Viivi H A Hirvonen
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom
| | - Yuiko Takebayashi
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom
| | - James Spencer
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol Biomedical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom.
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Cortina GA, Kasson PM. Predicting allostery and microbial drug resistance with molecular simulations. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2018; 52:80-86. [PMID: 30243041 PMCID: PMC6296865 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2018] [Revised: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Beta-lactamase enzymes mediate the most common forms of gram-negative antibiotic resistance affecting clinical treatment. They also constitute an excellent model system for the difficult problem of understanding how allosteric mutations can augment catalytic activity of already-competent enzymes. Multiple allosteric mutations have been identified that alter catalytic activity or drug-resistance spectrum in class A beta lactamases, but predicting these in advance continues to be challenging. Here, we review computational techniques based on structure and/or molecular simulation to predict such mutations. Structure-based techniques have been particularly helpful in developing graph algorithms for analyzing critical residues in beta-lactamase function, while classical molecular simulation has recently shown the ability to prospectively predict allosteric mutations increasing beta-lactamase activity and drug resistance. These will ultimately achieve the greatest power when combined with simulation methods that model reactive chemistry to calculate activation free energies directly.
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Affiliation(s)
- George A Cortina
- Departments of Molecular Physiology and of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, United States
| | - Peter M Kasson
- Departments of Molecular Physiology and of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, United States; Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75146, Sweden.
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21
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Kasson PM, Jha S. Adaptive ensemble simulations of biomolecules. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2018; 52:87-94. [PMID: 30265901 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2018.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in both theory and computational power have created opportunities to simulate biomolecular processes more efficiently using adaptive ensemble simulations. Ensemble simulations are now widely used to compute a number of individual simulation trajectories and analyze statistics across them. Adaptive ensemble simulations offer a further level of sophistication and flexibility by enabling high-level algorithms to control simulations-based on intermediate results. We review some of the adaptive ensemble algorithms and software infrastructure currently in use and outline where the complexities of implementing adaptive simulation have limited algorithmic innovation to date. We describe an adaptive ensemble API to overcome some of these barriers and more flexibly and simply express adaptive simulation algorithms to help realize the power of this type of simulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Kasson
- Departments of Molecular Physiology and of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, United States; Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75146, Sweden.
| | - Shantenu Jha
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States; Center for Data-Driven Discovery, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11793, United States.
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