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Devlin KL, Leach DT, Stratton KG, Lamichhane G, Lin VS, Beatty KE. Proteomic characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis subjected to carbon starvation. mSystems 2025; 10:e0153024. [PMID: 40231840 PMCID: PMC12090744 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01530-24] [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: 11/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2025] [Indexed: 04/16/2025] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), the leading cause of infectious disease-related deaths worldwide. TB infections present on a spectrum from active to latent disease. In the human host, Mtb faces hostile environments, such as nutrient deprivation, hypoxia, and low pH. Under these conditions, Mtb can enter a dormant, but viable, state characterized by a lack of cell replication and increased resistance to antibiotics. Dormant Mtb poses a major challenge to curing infections and eradicating TB globally. We subjected Mtb mc26020 (ΔlysA and ΔpanCD), a double auxotrophic strain, to carbon starvation (CS), a culture condition that induces growth stasis and mimics environmental conditions associated with dormancy in vivo. We provide a detailed analysis of the proteome in CS compared to replicating samples. We observed extensive proteomic reprogramming, with 36% of identified proteins significantly altered in CS. Many enzymes involved in oxidative phosphorylation and lipid metabolism were retained or more abundant in CS. The cell wall biosynthetic machinery was present in CS, although numerous changes in the abundance of peptidoglycan, arabinogalactan, and mycolic acid biosynthetic enzymes likely result in pronounced remodeling of the cell wall. Many clinically approved anti-TB drugs target cell wall biosynthesis, and we found that these enzymes were largely retained in CS. Lastly, we compared our results to those of other dormancy models and propose that CS produces a physiologically distinct state of stasis compared to hypoxia in Mtb.IMPORTANCETuberculosis is a devastating human disease that kills over 1.2 million people a year. This disease is caused by the bacterial pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Mtb excels at surviving in the human host by entering a non-replicating, dormant state. The current work investigated the proteomic changes that Mtb undergoes in response to carbon starvation, a culture condition that models dormancy. The authors found broad effects of carbon starvation on the proteome, with the relative abundance of 37% of proteins significantly altered. Protein changes related to cell wall biosynthesis, metabolism, and drug susceptibility are discussed. Proteins associated with a carbon starvation phenotype are identified, and results are compared to other dormancy models, including hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaylyn L. Devlin
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Damon T. Leach
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Kelly G. Stratton
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Gyanu Lamichhane
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Vivian S. Lin
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Kimberly E. Beatty
- Department of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
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2
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Xiao G, Cui Y, Zhou L, Niu C, Wang B, Wang J, Zhou S, Pan M, Chan CK, Xia Y, Xu L, Lu Y, Chen S. Identification of a phenyl ester covalent inhibitor of caseinolytic protease and analysis of the ClpP1P2 inhibition in mycobacteria. MLIFE 2025; 4:155-168. [PMID: 40313980 PMCID: PMC12042115 DOI: 10.1002/mlf2.12169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2024] [Revised: 10/28/2024] [Accepted: 12/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2025]
Abstract
The caseinolytic protease complex ClpP1P2 is crucial for protein homeostasis in mycobacteria and stress response and virulence of the pathogens. Its role as a potential drug target for combating tuberculosis (TB) has just begun to be substantiated in drug discovery research. We conducted a biochemical screening targeting the ClpP1P2 using a library of compounds phenotypically active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The screening identified a phenyl ester compound GDI-5755, inhibiting the growth of Mtb and M. bovis BCG, the model organism of mycobacteria. GDI-5755 covalently modified the active-site serine residue of ClpP1, rendering the peptidase inactive, which was delineated through protein mass spectrometry and kinetic analyses. GDI-5755 exerted antibacterial activity by inhibiting ClpP1P2 in the bacteria, which could be demonstrated through a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) shift assay with a clpP1 CRISPRi knockdown (clpP1-KD) mutant GH189. The knockdown also remarkably heightened the mutant's sensitivity to ethionamide and meropenem, but not to many other TB drugs. On the other hand, a comparative proteomic analysis of wild-type cells exposed to GDI-5755 revealed the dysregulated proteome, specifically showing changes in the expression levels of multiple TB drug targets, including EthA, LdtMt2, and PanD. Subsequent evaluation confirmed the synergistic activity of GDI-5755 when combined with the TB drugs to inhibit mycobacterial growth. Our findings indicate that small-molecule inhibitors targeting ClpP1P2, when used alongside existing TB medications, could represent novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genhui Xiao
- Global Health Drug Discovery InstituteBeijingChina
| | - Yumeng Cui
- Global Health Drug Discovery InstituteBeijingChina
| | | | - Chuya Niu
- Global Health Drug Discovery InstituteBeijingChina
| | - Bing Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Resistance Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, and Beijing Chest HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Jinglan Wang
- Global Health Drug Discovery InstituteBeijingChina
| | | | - Miaomiao Pan
- Global Health Drug Discovery InstituteBeijingChina
| | - Chi Kin Chan
- Global Health Drug Discovery InstituteBeijingChina
| | - Yan Xia
- Global Health Drug Discovery InstituteBeijingChina
| | - Lan Xu
- Global Health Drug Discovery InstituteBeijingChina
| | - Yu Lu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Resistance Tuberculosis Research, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, and Beijing Chest HospitalCapital Medical UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Shawn Chen
- Global Health Drug Discovery InstituteBeijingChina
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3
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Oluoch PO, Koh EI, Proulx MK, Reames CJ, Papavinasasundaram KG, Murphy KC, Zimmerman MD, Dartois V, Sassetti CM. Chemical genetic interactions elucidate pathways controlling tuberculosis antibiotic efficacy during infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2025; 122:e2417525122. [PMID: 39993187 PMCID: PMC11892619 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2417525122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2025] [Indexed: 02/26/2025] Open
Abstract
Successful tuberculosis therapy requires treatment with an unwieldy multidrug combination for several months. Thus, there is a growing need to identify novel genetic vulnerabilities that can be leveraged to develop new, more effective antitubercular drugs. Consequently, recent efforts to optimize tuberculosis (TB) therapy have exploited Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) chemical genetics to identify pathways influencing antibiotic efficacy, novel mechanisms of antibiotic action, and new targets for TB drug discovery. However, the influence of the complex host environment on these interactions remains largely unknown, leaving the therapeutic potential of the identified targets unclear. In this study, we leveraged a library of conditional mutants targeting 467 essential Mtb genes to characterize the chemical-genetic interactions (CGIs) with TB drugs directly in the mouse infection model. We found that these in vivo CGIs differ significantly from those identified in vitro. Both drug-specific and drug-agnostic effects were identified, and many were preserved during treatment with a multidrug combination, suggesting numerous strategies for enhancing therapy. This work also elucidated the complex effects of pyrazinamide (PZA), a drug that relies on aspects of the infection environment for efficacy. Specifically, our work supports the importance of coenzyme A synthesis- inhibition during infection, as well as the antagonistic effect of iron limitation on PZA activity. In addition, we found that inhibition of thiamine and purine synthesis increases PZA efficacy, suggesting additional therapeutically exploitable metabolic dependencies. Our findings present a map of the unique in vivo CGIs, characterizing the mechanism of PZA activity in vivo and identifying potential targets for TB drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter O. Oluoch
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Eun-Ik Koh
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Megan K. Proulx
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Charlotte J. Reames
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | | | - Kenan C. Murphy
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Matthew D. Zimmerman
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ07110
| | - Véronique Dartois
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ07110
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4
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Gupta VK, Vaishnavi VV, Arrieta-Ortiz ML, Abhirami P, Jyothsna K, Jeyasankar S, Raghunathan V, Baliga NS, Agarwal R. 3D Hydrogel Culture System Recapitulates Key Tuberculosis Phenotypes and Demonstrates Pyrazinamide Efficacy. Adv Healthc Mater 2025; 14:e2304299. [PMID: 38655817 PMCID: PMC7616495 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202304299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The mortality caused by tuberculosis (TB) infections is a global concern, and there is a need to improve understanding of the disease. Current in vitro infection models to study the disease have limitations such as short investigation durations and divergent transcriptional signatures. This study aims to overcome these limitations by developing a 3D collagen culture system that mimics the biomechanical and extracellular matrix (ECM) of lung microenvironment (collagen fibers, stiffness comparable to in vivo conditions) as the infection primarily manifests in the lungs. The system incorporates Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infected human THP-1 or primary monocytes/macrophages. Dual RNA sequencing reveals higher mammalian gene expression similarity with patient samples than 2D macrophage infections. Similarly, bacterial gene expression more accurately recapitulates in vivo gene expression patterns compared to bacteria in 2D infection models. Key phenotypes observed in humans, such as foamy macrophages and mycobacterial cords, are reproduced in the model. This biomaterial system overcomes challenges associated with traditional platforms by modulating immune cells and closely mimicking in vivo infection conditions, including showing efficacy with clinically relevant concentrations of anti-TB drug pyrazinamide, not seen in any other in vitro infection model, making it reliable and readily adoptable for tuberculosis studies and drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishal K. Gupta
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | | | | | - P.S. Abhirami
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - K.M. Jyothsna
- Department of Electrical Communication Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | | | - Varun Raghunathan
- Department of Electrical Communication Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | | | - Rachit Agarwal
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
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Ostrer L, Crooks TA, Howe MD, Vo S, Jia Z, Hegde P, Schacht N, Aldrich CC, Baughn AD. Mechanism of the Dual Action Self-Potentiating Antitubercular Drug Morphazinamide. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2024.10.08.617272. [PMID: 39416067 PMCID: PMC11482805 DOI: 10.1101/2024.10.08.617272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2024]
Abstract
Pyrazinamide (PZA) is a cornerstone of first-line antitubercular drug therapy and is unique in its ability to kill nongrowing populations of Mycobacterium tuberculosis through disruption of coenzyme A synthesis. Unlike other drugs, PZA action is conditional and requires potentiation by host-relevant environmental stressors, such as low pH and nutrient limitation. Despite its pivotal role in tuberculosis therapy, the durability of this crucial drug is challenged by the emergent spread of drug-resistance. To advance drug discovery efforts, we characterized the activity of a more potent PZA analog, morphazinamide (MZA). Here, we demonstrate that like PZA, MZA acts in part through impairment of coenzyme A synthesis. Unexpectedly, we find that, in contrast to PZA, MZA does not require potentiation and maintains bactericidal activity against PZA-resistant strains due to an additional mechanism involving aldehyde release. Further, we find that the principal mechanism for resistance to the aldehyde component is through promoter mutations that increase expression of the mycothiol oxidoreductase MscR. Our findings reveal a dual action synergistic mechanism of MZA that results in a faster kill rate and a higher barrier to resistance. These observations provide new insights for discovery of improved therapeutic approaches for addressing the growing problem of drug-resistant tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lev Ostrer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
| | - Taylor A. Crooks
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
| | - Michael D. Howe
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
| | - Sang Vo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
| | - Ziyi Jia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
| | - Pooja Hegde
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
| | - Nathan Schacht
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
| | - Courtney C. Aldrich
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
| | - Anthony D. Baughn
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
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6
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Dillon NA, Lamont EA, Rather MA, Baughn AD. Oxidative stress drives potent bactericidal activity of pyrazinamide against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.12.17.628853. [PMID: 39763714 PMCID: PMC11702753 DOI: 10.1101/2024.12.17.628853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2025]
Abstract
Pyrazinamide (PZA) is a critical component of tuberculosis first-line therapy due to its ability to kill both growing and non-replicating drug-tolerant populations of Mycobacterium tuberculosis within the host. Recent evidence indicates that PZA acts through disruption of coenzyme A synthesis under conditions that promote cellular stress. In contrast to its bactericidal action in vivo, PZA shows weak bacteriostatic activity against M. tuberculosis in axenic culture. While the basis for this striking difference between in vivo and in vitro PZA activity has yet to be resolved, recent studies have highlighted an important role for cell-mediated immunity in PZA efficacy. These observations suggest that host-derived antimicrobial activity may contribute to the bactericidal action of PZA within the host environment. In this study we show that the active form of PZA, pyrazinoic acid (POA), synergizes with the bactericidal activity of host-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS). We determined that POA can promote increased cellular oxidative damage and enhanced killing of M. tuberculosis. Further, we find that the thiol oxidant diamide is also able to potentiate PZA activity, implicating thiol oxidation as a key driver of PZA susceptibility. Using a macrophage infection model, we demonstrate the essentiality of interferon-γ induced ROS production for PZA mediated clearance of M. tuberculosis. Based on these observations, we propose that the in vivo sterilizing activity of PZA can be mediated through its synergistic interaction with the host oxidative burst leading to collateral disruption of coenzyme A metabolism. These findings will enable discovery efforts to identify novel host- and microbe-directed approaches to bolster PZA efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A. Dillon
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080
| | - Elise A. Lamont
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Muzafar A. Rather
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Anthony D. Baughn
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455
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7
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Zhang AY, Huang ZH, Du LH, Lin H, Xie HJ, Yan BL, Xue MM, Wang L, Shao WX, Fu GN, Luo XP. Pyrazine derivative synthesis in a continuous-flow system: a green synthesis of pyrazinamide from pyrazine esters and amines catalyzed by Lipozyme® TL IM from Thermomyces lanuginosus. RSC Adv 2024; 14:39560-39568. [PMID: 39687336 PMCID: PMC11648184 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra06761d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2024] [Accepted: 11/25/2024] [Indexed: 12/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Pyrazinamide derivatives have been extensively studied for their biological activities, such as anti-tuberculosis activity and antiviral activities. In this work, a continuous-flow system was developed for the synthesis of pyrazinamide derivatives from pyrazine esters and amines (aliphatic amine, benzylamines and morpholine) catalyzed by Lipozyme® TL IM from Thermomyces lanuginosus, which was used for the first time. The reaction parameters including solvent, substrate ratio, reaction temperature and reaction time/flow rate were also studied in detail. A total of 23 pyrazinamide derivatives can be obtained through this method in parallel. Compared with other works, this method can be conducted at 45 °C for 20 min in a greener tert-amyl alcohol solvent and maximum yield (91.6%) was obtained as well. In brief, a more efficient and greener method for the synthesis of pyrazinamide derivatives was developed with good scalability, various substrates including aliphatic amines, benzylamines and morpholines can be applied to this method and achieve a desirable yield. Through the construction and research of amide bonds, this method provides a greener and more efficient biocatalytic continuous technology for the development of pyrazine-derived drugs, and provides a basis for the rapid synthesis of pyrazine-derived drugs in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ao-Ying Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, ZheJiang University of Technology Zhejiang Hangzhou 310014 China +86-571-88320903 +86-189-690-693-99
| | - Zong-Hao Huang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, ZheJiang University of Technology Zhejiang Hangzhou 310014 China +86-571-88320903 +86-189-690-693-99
| | - Li-Hua Du
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, ZheJiang University of Technology Zhejiang Hangzhou 310014 China +86-571-88320903 +86-189-690-693-99
| | - Hang Lin
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, ZheJiang University of Technology Zhejiang Hangzhou 310014 China +86-571-88320903 +86-189-690-693-99
| | - Han-Jia Xie
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, ZheJiang University of Technology Zhejiang Hangzhou 310014 China +86-571-88320903 +86-189-690-693-99
| | - Bing-Lin Yan
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, ZheJiang University of Technology Zhejiang Hangzhou 310014 China +86-571-88320903 +86-189-690-693-99
| | - Miao Miao Xue
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, ZheJiang University of Technology Zhejiang Hangzhou 310014 China +86-571-88320903 +86-189-690-693-99
| | - Lin Wang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, ZheJiang University of Technology Zhejiang Hangzhou 310014 China +86-571-88320903 +86-189-690-693-99
| | - Wen-Xuan Shao
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, ZheJiang University of Technology Zhejiang Hangzhou 310014 China +86-571-88320903 +86-189-690-693-99
| | - Guo-Neng Fu
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, ZheJiang University of Technology Zhejiang Hangzhou 310014 China +86-571-88320903 +86-189-690-693-99
| | - Xi-Ping Luo
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Utilization of Forestry Biomass, Zhejiang A&F University Zhejiang Hangzhou 311300 China
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Devlin KL, Leach DT, Stratton KG, Lamichhane G, Lin VS, Beatty KE. Proteomic characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis subjected to carbon starvation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.11.12.623260. [PMID: 39605331 PMCID: PMC11601416 DOI: 10.1101/2024.11.12.623260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2024]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb ) is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), the leading cause of infectious-disease related deaths worldwide. TB infections present as a spectrum from active to latent disease. In the human host, Mtb faces hostile environments, such as nutrient deprivation, hypoxia, and low pH. Under these conditions, Mtb can enter a dormant, but viable, state characterized by a lack of cell replication and increased resistance to antibiotics. These dormant Mtb pose a major challenge to curing infections and eradicating TB globally. In the current study, we subjected Mtb to carbon starvation (CS), a culture condition that induces growth stasis and mimics nutrient-starved conditions associated with dormancy in vivo . We provide a detailed analysis of the proteome in CS compared to replicating samples. We observed extensive proteomic reprogramming, with 36% of identified proteins significantly altered in CS. Many enzymes involved in oxidative phosphorylation and lipid metabolism were retained or upregulated in CS. The cell wall biosynthetic machinery was present in CS, although numerous changes in the abundance of peptidoglycan, arabinogalactan, and mycolic acid biosynthetic enzymes likely result in pronounced remodeling of the cell wall. Many clinically approved anti-TB drugs target cell wall biosynthesis, and we found that these enzymes were largely retained in CS. Lastly, we compared our results to those of other dormancy models and propose that CS produces a physiologically-distinct state of stasis compared to hypoxia in Mtb .
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9
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Oluoch PO, Koh EI, Proulx MK, Reames CJ, Papavinasasundaram KG, Murphy KC, Zimmerman MD, Dartois V, Sassetti CM. Chemical genetic interactions elucidate pathways controlling tuberculosis antibiotic efficacy during infection. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.04.609063. [PMID: 39282290 PMCID: PMC11398305 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.04.609063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2025]
Abstract
Successful tuberculosis therapy requires treatment with an unwieldy multidrug combination for several months. Thus, there is a growing need to identify novel genetic vulnerabilities that can be leveraged to develop new, more effective antitubercular drugs. Consequently, recent efforts to optimize TB therapy have exploited Mtb chemical genetics to identify pathways influencing antibiotic efficacy, novel mechanisms of antibiotic action, and new targets for TB drug discovery. However, the influence of the complex host environment on these interactions remains largely unknown, leaving the therapeutic potential of the identified targets unclear. In this study, we leveraged a library of conditional mutants targeting 467 essential Mtb genes to characterize the chemical-genetic interactions (CGIs) with TB drugs directly in the mouse infection model. We found that these in vivo CGIs differ significantly from those identified in vitro . Both drug-specific and drug-agnostic effects were identified, and many were preserved during treatment with a multidrug combination, suggesting numerous strategies for enhancing therapy. This work also elucidated the complex effects of pyrazinamide (PZA), a drug that relies on aspects of the infection environment for efficacy. Specifically, our work supports the importance of coenzyme A synthesis inhibition during infection, as well as the antagonistic effect of iron limitation on PZA activity. In addition, we found that inhibition of thiamine and purine synthesis increases PZA efficacy, suggesting novel therapeutically exploitable metabolic dependencies. Our findings present a map of the unique in vivo CGIs, characterizing the mechanism of PZA activity in vivo and identifying novel targets for TB drug development. Significance The inevitable rise of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis underscores the urgent need for new TB drugs and novel drug targets while prioritizing synergistic drug combinations. Chemical-genetic interaction (CGI) studies have delineated bacterial pathways influencing antibiotic efficacy and uncovered druggable pathways that synergize with TB drugs. However, most studies are conducted in vitro , limiting our understanding of how the host environment influences drug-mutant interactions. Using an inducible mutant library targeting essential Mtb genes to characterize CGIs during infection, this study reveals that CGIs are both drug-specific and drug-agnostic and differ significantly from those observed in vitro . Synergistic CGIs comprised distinct metabolic pathways mediating antibiotic efficacy, revealing novel drug mechanisms of action, and defining potential drug targets that would synergize with frontline antitubercular drugs.
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Parkkinen J, Bhowmik R, Tolvanen M, Carta F, Supuran CT, Parkkila S, Aspatwar A. Mycobacterial β-carbonic anhydrases: Molecular biology, role in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis and inhibition studies. Enzymes 2024; 55:343-381. [PMID: 39222997 DOI: 10.1016/bs.enz.2024.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which causes tuberculosis (TB), is still a major global health problem. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), TB still causes more deaths worldwide than any other infectious agent. Drug-sensitive TB is treatable using first-line drugs; treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB requires second- and third-line drugs. However, due to the long duration of treatment, the noncompliance of patients with different levels of resistance of Mtb to these drugs has worsened the situation. Previously developed anti-TB drugs targeted the replication machinery, protein synthesis, and cell wall biosynthesis pathways of Mtb. Therefore, novel drugs targeting alternate pathways crucial for the survival and pathogenesis of Mtb in the human host are needed. The genome of Mtb encodes three β-carbonic anhydrases (CAs) that are fundamental for pH homeostasis, hypoxia, survival, and pathogenesis. Recently, several studies have shown that the β-CAs of Mtb could be inhibited both in vitro and in vivo using small chemical molecules, suggesting that these enzymes could be novel targets for developing anti-TB compounds that are devoid of resistance by Mtb. In addition, homologs of β-CAs are absent in humans; therefore, drugs developed to target these enzymes might have minimal off-target effects. In this work, we describe the roles of β-CAs in Mtb and discuss bioinformatics and cheminformatics tools used in development and discovery of novel inhibitors of these enzymes. In addition, we summarize the in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrating that the β-CAs of Mtb are indeed druggable targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Parkkinen
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Ratul Bhowmik
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | | | - Fabrizio Carta
- Neurofarba Department, Sezione di Chimica Farmaceutica e Nutraceutica, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Claudiu T Supuran
- Neurofarba Department, Sezione di Chimica Farmaceutica e Nutraceutica, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Seppo Parkkila
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland; Fimlab Ltd. and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Ashok Aspatwar
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
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11
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Niu H, Gu J, Zhang Y. Bacterial persisters: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic development. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:174. [PMID: 39013893 PMCID: PMC11252167 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01866-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Persisters refer to genetically drug susceptible quiescent (non-growing or slow growing) bacteria that survive in stress environments such as antibiotic exposure, acidic and starvation conditions. These cells can regrow after stress removal and remain susceptible to the same stress. Persisters are underlying the problems of treating chronic and persistent infections and relapse infections after treatment, drug resistance development, and biofilm infections, and pose significant challenges for effective treatments. Understanding the characteristics and the exact mechanisms of persister formation, especially the key molecules that affect the formation and survival of the persisters is critical to more effective treatment of chronic and persistent infections. Currently, genes related to persister formation and survival are being discovered and confirmed, but the mechanisms by which bacteria form persisters are very complex, and there are still many unanswered questions. This article comprehensively summarizes the historical background of bacterial persisters, details their complex characteristics and their relationship with antibiotic tolerant and resistant bacteria, systematically elucidates the interplay between various bacterial biological processes and the formation of persister cells, as well as consolidates the diverse anti-persister compounds and treatments. We hope to provide theoretical background for in-depth research on mechanisms of persisters and suggest new ideas for choosing strategies for more effective treatment of persistent infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxia Niu
- School of Basic Medical Science and Key Laboratory of Blood-stasis-toxin Syndrome of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiaying Gu
- School of Basic Medical Science and Key Laboratory of Blood-stasis-toxin Syndrome of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China.
- Jinan Microecological Biomedicine Shandong Laboratory, Jinan, 250022, Shandong, China.
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12
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Huang CK, Yu MC, Hung CS, Lin JC. Emerging insight of whole genome sequencing coupled with protein structure prediction into the pyrazinamide-resistance signature of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2024; 63:107053. [PMID: 38081550 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2023.107053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Pyrazinamide (PZA) is considered to be a pivotal drug to shorten the treatment of both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant tuberculosis, but its use is challenged by the reliability of drug-susceptibility testing (DST). PZA resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is relevant to the amino acid substitution of pyrazinamidase that is responsible for the conversion of PZA to active pyrazinoic acid (POA). The single nucleotide variants (SNVs) within ribosomal protein S1 (rpsA) or aspartate decarboxylase (panD), the binding targets of POA, has been reported to drive the PZA-resistance signature of MTB. In this study, whole genome sequencing (WGS) was used to identify SNVs within the pncA, rpsA and panD genes in 100 clinical MTB isolates associated with DST results for PZA. The potential influence of high-confidence, interim-confidence or emerging variants on the interplay between target genes and PZA or POA was simulated computationally, and predicted with a protein structure modelling approach. The DST results showed weak agreement with the identification of high-confidence variants within the pncA gene (Cohen's kappa coefficient=0.58), the analytic results of WGS coupled with protein structure modelling on pncA mutants (Cohen's kappa coefficient=0.524) or related genes (Cohen's kappa coefficient=0.504). Taken together, these results suggest the practicable application of a genotypic-coupled bioinformatic approach to manage PZA-containing regimens for patients with MTB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Kai Huang
- Ph.D. Program in Medical Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chih Yu
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Respiratory Therapy, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Pulmonary Research Centre, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Sheng Hung
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Chun Lin
- Ph.D. Program in Medical Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Pulmonary Research Centre, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; School of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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13
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Atasoy M, Álvarez Ordóñez A, Cenian A, Djukić-Vuković A, Lund PA, Ozogul F, Trček J, Ziv C, De Biase D. Exploitation of microbial activities at low pH to enhance planetary health. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2024; 48:fuad062. [PMID: 37985709 PMCID: PMC10963064 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuad062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Awareness is growing that human health cannot be considered in isolation but is inextricably woven with the health of the environment in which we live. It is, however, under-recognized that the sustainability of human activities strongly relies on preserving the equilibrium of the microbial communities living in/on/around us. Microbial metabolic activities are instrumental for production, functionalization, processing, and preservation of food. For circular economy, microbial metabolism would be exploited to produce building blocks for the chemical industry, to achieve effective crop protection, agri-food waste revalorization, or biofuel production, as well as in bioremediation and bioaugmentation of contaminated areas. Low pH is undoubtedly a key physical-chemical parameter that needs to be considered for exploiting the powerful microbial metabolic arsenal. Deviation from optimal pH conditions has profound effects on shaping the microbial communities responsible for carrying out essential processes. Furthermore, novel strategies to combat contaminations and infections by pathogens rely on microbial-derived acidic molecules that suppress/inhibit their growth. Herein, we present the state-of-the-art of the knowledge on the impact of acidic pH in many applied areas and how this knowledge can guide us to use the immense arsenal of microbial metabolic activities for their more impactful exploitation in a Planetary Health perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merve Atasoy
- UNLOCK, Wageningen University & Research and Technical University Delft, Droevendaalsesteeg 4, 6708 PB,Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Avelino Álvarez Ordóñez
- Department of Food Hygiene and Technology and Institute of Food Science and Technology, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Adam Cenian
- Institute of Fluid Flow Machinery, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Physical Aspects of Ecoenergy, 14 Fiszera St., 80-231 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Djukić-Vuković
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Karnegijeva 4, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Peter A Lund
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection,School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Fatih Ozogul
- Department of Seafood Processing and Technology, Faculty of Fisheries, Cukurova University, Balcali, 01330, Adana, Turkey
- Biotechnology Research and Application Center, Cukurova University, Balcali, 01330 Adana, Turkey
| | - Janja Trček
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, Koroška cesta 160, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Carmit Ziv
- Department of Postharvest Science, Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Center, 68 HaMaccabim Road , P.O.B 15159 Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
| | - Daniela De Biase
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Corso della Repubblica 79, 04100 Latina, Italy
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14
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Yang J, Zhang L, Qiao W, Luo Y. Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Pathogenesis and therapeutic targets. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e353. [PMID: 37674971 PMCID: PMC10477518 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health concern in the 21st century, especially due to drug resistance, coinfection with diseases like immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and coronavirus disease 2019, and the lengthy and costly treatment protocols. In this review, we summarize the pathogenesis of TB infection, therapeutic targets, and corresponding modulators, including first-line medications, current clinical trial drugs and molecules in preclinical assessment. Understanding the mechanisms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and important biological targets can lead to innovative treatments. While most antitubercular agents target pathogen-related processes, host-directed therapy (HDT) modalities addressing immune defense, survival mechanisms, and immunopathology also hold promise. Mtb's adaptation to the human host involves manipulating host cellular mechanisms, and HDT aims to disrupt this manipulation to enhance treatment effectiveness. Our review provides valuable insights for future anti-TB drug development efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxing Yang
- Center of Infectious Diseases and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Laiying Zhang
- Center of Infectious Diseases and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Wenliang Qiao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
- Lung Cancer Center, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Youfu Luo
- Center of Infectious Diseases and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
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15
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Zahra NUA, Vagiona AC, Uddin R, Andrade-Navarro MA. Selection of Multi-Drug Targets against Drug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis XDR1219 Using the Hyperbolic Mapping of the Protein Interaction Network. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14050. [PMID: 37762354 PMCID: PMC10530867 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis remains the leading cause of death from a single pathogen. On the other hand, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) makes it increasingly difficult to deal with this disease. We present the hyperbolic embedding of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein interaction network (mtbPIN) of resistant strain (MTB XDR1219) to determine the biological relevance of its latent geometry. In this hypermap, proteins with similar interacting partners occupy close positions. An analysis of the hypermap of available drug targets (DTs) and their direct and intermediate interactors was used to identify potentially useful drug combinations and drug targets. We identify rpsA and rpsL as close DTs targeted by different drugs (pyrazinamide and aminoglycosides, respectively) and propose that the combination of these drugs could have a synergistic effect. We also used the hypermap to explain the effects of drugs that affect multiple DTs, for example, forcing the bacteria to deal with multiple stresses like ethambutol, which affects the synthesis of both arabinogalactan and lipoarabinomannan. Our strategy uncovers novel potential DTs, such as dprE1 and dnaK proteins, which interact with two close DT pairs: arabinosyltransferases (embC and embB), Ser/Thr protein kinase (pknB) and RNA polymerase (rpoB), respectively. Our approach provides mechanistic explanations for existing drugs and suggests new DTs. This strategy can also be applied to the study of other resistant strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noor ul Ain Zahra
- Lab 103 PCMD ext., Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan;
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Hans-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Aimilia-Christina Vagiona
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Hans-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Reaz Uddin
- Lab 103 PCMD ext., Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan;
| | - Miguel A. Andrade-Navarro
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Hans-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
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16
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Darby EM, Trampari E, Siasat P, Gaya MS, Alav I, Webber MA, Blair JMA. Molecular mechanisms of antibiotic resistance revisited. Nat Rev Microbiol 2023; 21:280-295. [PMID: 36411397 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-022-00820-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 495] [Impact Index Per Article: 247.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a global health emergency, with resistance detected to all antibiotics currently in clinical use and only a few novel drugs in the pipeline. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that bacteria use to resist the action of antimicrobials is critical to recognize global patterns of resistance and to improve the use of current drugs, as well as for the design of new drugs less susceptible to resistance development and novel strategies to combat resistance. In this Review, we explore recent advances in understanding how resistance genes contribute to the biology of the host, new structural details of relevant molecular events underpinning resistance, the identification of new resistance gene families and the interactions between different resistance mechanisms. Finally, we discuss how we can use this information to develop the next generation of antimicrobial therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Darby
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | | | - Pauline Siasat
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | | | - Ilyas Alav
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Mark A Webber
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.
- Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.
| | - Jessica M A Blair
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
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17
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El Bakali J, Blaszczyk M, Evans JC, Boland JA, McCarthy WJ, Fathoni I, Dias MVB, Johnson EO, Coyne AG, Mizrahi V, Blundell TL, Abell C, Spry C. Chemical Validation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Phosphopantetheine Adenylyltransferase Using Fragment Linking and CRISPR Interference. ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 135:e202300221. [PMID: 38515507 PMCID: PMC10952327 DOI: 10.1002/ange.202300221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
The coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis pathway has attracted attention as a potential target for much-needed novel antimicrobial drugs, including for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB), the lethal disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Seeking to identify inhibitors of Mtb phosphopantetheine adenylyltransferase (MtbPPAT), the enzyme that catalyses the penultimate step in CoA biosynthesis, we performed a fragment screen. In doing so, we discovered three series of fragments that occupy distinct regions of the MtbPPAT active site, presenting a unique opportunity for fragment linking. Here we show how, guided by X-ray crystal structures, we could link weakly-binding fragments to produce an active site binder with a K D <20 μM and on-target anti-Mtb activity, as demonstrated using CRISPR interference. This study represents a big step toward validating MtbPPAT as a potential drug target and designing a MtbPPAT-targeting anti-TB drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamal El Bakali
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
- Present address: Univ. LilleInserm, CHU LilleUMR-S 1172-LiNC-Lille Neuroscience & Cognition59000LilleFrance
| | - Michal Blaszczyk
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of Cambridge80 Tennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1GAUK
- Present address: Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious DiseaseDepartment of MedicineUniversity of CambridgePuddicombe WayCB2 0AWCambridgeUK
| | - Joanna C. Evans
- MRC/NHLS/UCT Molecular Mycobacteriology Research UnitDST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research & Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in AfricaInstitute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine and Department of PathologyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownAnzio RoadCape Town, Observatory7925South Africa
- Systems Chemical Biology of Infection and Resistance LaboratoryThe Francis Crick Institute1 Midland RoadLondonNW1 1ATUK
| | - Jennifer A. Boland
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - William J. McCarthy
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
- Present address: Molecular Structure of Cell Signaling LaboratoryThe Francis Crick Institute1 Midland RoadLondonNW1 1ATUK
| | - Imam Fathoni
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityLinnaeus WayACT2601Australia
| | - Marcio V. B. Dias
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of Cambridge80 Tennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1GAUK
- Present addresses: Department of MicrobiologyInstitute of Biomedical ScienceUniversity of São Paulo (Brazil) and Department of ChemistryUniversity of WarwickUK
| | - Eachan O. Johnson
- Systems Chemical Biology of Infection and Resistance LaboratoryThe Francis Crick Institute1 Midland RoadLondonNW1 1ATUK
| | - Anthony G. Coyne
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - Valerie Mizrahi
- MRC/NHLS/UCT Molecular Mycobacteriology Research UnitDST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research & Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in AfricaInstitute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine and Department of PathologyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownAnzio RoadCape Town, Observatory7925South Africa
| | - Tom L. Blundell
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of Cambridge80 Tennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1GAUK
| | - Chris Abell
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - Christina Spry
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityLinnaeus WayACT2601Australia
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18
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El Bakali J, Blaszczyk M, Evans JC, Boland JA, McCarthy WJ, Fathoni I, Dias MVB, Johnson EO, Coyne AG, Mizrahi V, Blundell TL, Abell C, Spry C. Chemical Validation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Phosphopantetheine Adenylyltransferase Using Fragment Linking and CRISPR Interference. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202300221. [PMID: 36757665 PMCID: PMC10947119 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202300221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
The coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis pathway has attracted attention as a potential target for much-needed novel antimicrobial drugs, including for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB), the lethal disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Seeking to identify inhibitors of Mtb phosphopantetheine adenylyltransferase (MtbPPAT), the enzyme that catalyses the penultimate step in CoA biosynthesis, we performed a fragment screen. In doing so, we discovered three series of fragments that occupy distinct regions of the MtbPPAT active site, presenting a unique opportunity for fragment linking. Here we show how, guided by X-ray crystal structures, we could link weakly-binding fragments to produce an active site binder with a KD <20 μM and on-target anti-Mtb activity, as demonstrated using CRISPR interference. This study represents a big step toward validating MtbPPAT as a potential drug target and designing a MtbPPAT-targeting anti-TB drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamal El Bakali
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
- Present address: Univ. LilleInserm, CHU LilleUMR-S 1172-LiNC-Lille Neuroscience & Cognition59000LilleFrance
| | - Michal Blaszczyk
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of Cambridge80 Tennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1GAUK
- Present address: Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious DiseaseDepartment of MedicineUniversity of CambridgePuddicombe WayCB2 0AWCambridgeUK
| | - Joanna C. Evans
- MRC/NHLS/UCT Molecular Mycobacteriology Research UnitDST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research & Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in AfricaInstitute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine and Department of PathologyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownAnzio RoadCape Town, Observatory7925South Africa
- Systems Chemical Biology of Infection and Resistance LaboratoryThe Francis Crick Institute1 Midland RoadLondonNW1 1ATUK
| | - Jennifer A. Boland
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - William J. McCarthy
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
- Present address: Molecular Structure of Cell Signaling LaboratoryThe Francis Crick Institute1 Midland RoadLondonNW1 1ATUK
| | - Imam Fathoni
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityLinnaeus WayACT2601Australia
| | - Marcio V. B. Dias
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of Cambridge80 Tennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1GAUK
- Present addresses: Department of MicrobiologyInstitute of Biomedical ScienceUniversity of São Paulo (Brazil) and Department of ChemistryUniversity of WarwickUK
| | - Eachan O. Johnson
- Systems Chemical Biology of Infection and Resistance LaboratoryThe Francis Crick Institute1 Midland RoadLondonNW1 1ATUK
| | - Anthony G. Coyne
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - Valerie Mizrahi
- MRC/NHLS/UCT Molecular Mycobacteriology Research UnitDST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research & Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in AfricaInstitute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine and Department of PathologyFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownAnzio RoadCape Town, Observatory7925South Africa
| | - Tom L. Blundell
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of Cambridge80 Tennis Court RoadCambridgeCB2 1GAUK
| | - Chris Abell
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
| | - Christina Spry
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeLensfield RoadCambridgeCB2 1EWUK
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityLinnaeus WayACT2601Australia
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19
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Bi K, Cao D, Ding C, Lu S, Lu H, Zhang G, Zhang W, Li L, Xu K, Li L, Zhang Y. The past, present and future of tuberculosis treatment. Zhejiang Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban 2022; 51:657-668. [PMID: 36915970 PMCID: PMC10262004 DOI: 10.3724/zdxbyxb-2022-0454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is an ancient infectious disease. Before the availability of effective drug therapy, it had high morbidity and mortality. In the past 100 years, the discovery of revolutionary anti-TB drugs such as streptomycin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, ethambutol and rifampicin, along with drug combination treatment, has greatly improved TB control globally. As anti-TB drugs were widely used, multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis emerged due to acquired genetic mutations, and this now presents a major problem for effective treatment. Genes associated with drug resistance have been identified, including katG mutations in isoniazid resistance, rpoB mutations in rifampin resistance, pncA mutations in pyrazinamide resistance, and gyrA mutations in quinolone resistance. The major mechanisms of drug resistance include loss of enzyme activity in prodrug activation, drug target alteration, overexpression of drug target, and overexpression of the efflux pump. During the disease process, Mycobacterium tuberculosis may reside in different microenvironments where it is expose to acidic pH, low oxygen, reactive oxygen species and anti-TB drugs, which can facilitate the development of non-replicating persisters and promote bacterial survival. The mechanisms of persister formation may include toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules, DNA protection and repair, protein degradation such as trans-translation, efflux, and altered metabolism. In recent years, the use of new anti-TB drugs, repurposed drugs, and their drug combinations has greatly improved treatment outcomes in patients with both drug-susceptible TB and MDR/XDR-TB. The importance of developing more effective drugs targeting persisters of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is emphasized. In addition, host-directed therapeutics using both conventional drugs and herbal medicines for more effective TB treatment should also be explored. In this article, we review historical aspects of the research on anti-TB drugs and discuss the current understanding and treatments of drug resistant and persistent tuberculosis to inform future therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kefan Bi
- 1. The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou 310003,China
- 2. Jinan Microecological Biomedicine Shandong Laboratory, Jinan 250117, China
| | - Dan Cao
- 1. The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou 310003,China
- 2. Jinan Microecological Biomedicine Shandong Laboratory, Jinan 250117, China
| | - Cheng Ding
- 1. The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou 310003,China
| | - Shuihua Lu
- 3. Department for Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen 518000, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Hongzhou Lu
- 3. Department for Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen 518000, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Guangyu Zhang
- 4. Shulan (Hangzhou) Hospital Affiliated to Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou 310015, China
| | - Wenhong Zhang
- 5. Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Liang Li
- 6. Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101199, China
| | - Kaijin Xu
- 1. The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou 310003,China
| | - Lanjuan Li
- 1. The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou 310003,China
- 2. Jinan Microecological Biomedicine Shandong Laboratory, Jinan 250117, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- 1. The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou 310003,China
- 2. Jinan Microecological Biomedicine Shandong Laboratory, Jinan 250117, China
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20
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Hegde PV, Aragaw WW, Cole MS, Jachak G, Ragunathan P, Sharma S, Harikishore A, Grüber G, Dick T, Aldrich CC. Structure activity relationship of pyrazinoic acid analogs as potential antimycobacterial agents. Bioorg Med Chem 2022; 74:117046. [PMID: 36228522 PMCID: PMC10551889 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2022.117046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of infectious disease-related mortality and morbidity. Pyrazinamide (PZA) is a critical component of the first-line TB treatment regimen because of its sterilizing activity against non-replicating Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), but its mechanism of action has remained enigmatic. PZA is a prodrug converted by pyrazinamidase encoded by pncA within Mtb to the active moiety, pyrazinoic acid (POA) and PZA resistance is caused by loss-of-function mutations to pyrazinamidase. We have recently shown that POA induces targeted protein degradation of the enzyme PanD, a crucial component of the coenzyme A biosynthetic pathway essential in Mtb. Based on the newly identified mechanism of action of POA, along with the crystal structure of PanD bound to POA, we designed several POA analogs using structure for interpretation to improve potency and overcome PZA resistance. We prepared and tested ring and carboxylic acid bioisosteres as well as 3, 5, 6 substitutions on the ring to study the structure activity relationships of the POA scaffold. All the analogs were evaluated for their whole cell antimycobacterial activity, and a few representative molecules were evaluated for their binding affinity, towards PanD, through isothermal titration calorimetry. We report that analogs with ring and carboxylic acid bioisosteres did not significantly enhance the antimicrobial activity, whereas the alkylamino-group substitutions at the 3 and 5 position of POA were found to be up to 5 to 10-fold more potent than POA. Further development and mechanistic analysis of these analogs may lead to a next generation POA analog for treating TB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja V Hegde
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Wassihun W Aragaw
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, USA
| | - Malcolm S Cole
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Gorakhnath Jachak
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Priya Ragunathan
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Sachin Sharma
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Amaravadhi Harikishore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Gerhard Grüber
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Republic of Singapore.
| | - Thomas Dick
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, USA; Departmentof Medical Sciences, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, NJ, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Courtney C Aldrich
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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21
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Saw W, Leow CY, Harikishore A, Shin J, Cole MS, Aragaw WW, Ragunathan P, Hegde P, Aldrich CC, Dick T, Grüber G. Structural and Mechanistic Insights into Mycobacterium abscessus Aspartate Decarboxylase PanD and a Pyrazinoic Acid-Derived Inhibitor. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:1324-1335. [PMID: 35731701 PMCID: PMC10517418 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) aspartate decarboxylase PanD is required for biosynthesis of the essential cofactor coenzyme A and targeted by the first line drug pyrazinamide (PZA). PZA is a prodrug that is converted by a bacterial amidase into its bioactive form pyrazinoic acid (POA). Employing structure-function analyses we previously identified POA-based inhibitors of Mtb PanD showing much improved inhibitory activity against the enzyme. Here, we performed the first structure-function studies on PanD encoded by the nontuberculous mycobacterial lung pathogen Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab), shedding light on the differences and similarities of Mab and Mtb PanD. Solution X-ray scattering data provided the solution structure of the entire tetrameric Mab PanD, which in comparison to the structure of the derived C-terminal truncated Mab PanD1-114 mutant revealed the orientation of the four flexible C-termini relative to the catalytic core. Enzymatic studies of Mab PanD1-114 explored the essentiality of the C-terminus for catalysis. A library of recombinant Mab PanD mutants based on structural information and PZA/POA resistant PanD mutations in Mtb illuminated critical residues involved in the substrate tunnel and enzymatic activity. Using our library of POA analogues, we identified (3-(1-naphthamido)pyrazine-2-carboxylic acid) (analogue 2) as the first potent inhibitor of Mab PanD. The inhibitor shows mainly electrostatic- and hydrogen bonding interaction with the target enzyme as explored by isothermal titration calorimetry and confirmed by docking studies. The observed unfavorable entropy indicates that significant conformational changes are involved in the binding process of analogue 2 to Mab PanD. In contrast to PZA and POA, which are whole-cell inactive, analogue 2 exerts appreciable antibacterial activity against the three subspecies of Mab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wuan–Geok Saw
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Republic of Singapore
| | - Chen Yen Leow
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Republic of Singapore
| | - Amaravadhi Harikishore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Republic of Singapore
| | - Joon Shin
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Republic of Singapore
| | - Malcolm S. Cole
- University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry 8-101 Weaver-Densford Hall 308 Harvard St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Wassihun Wedajo Aragaw
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, USA
| | - Priya Ragunathan
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Republic of Singapore
| | - Pooja Hegde
- University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry 8-101 Weaver-Densford Hall 308 Harvard St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Courtney C. Aldrich
- University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry 8-101 Weaver-Densford Hall 308 Harvard St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Thomas Dick
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, USA
- Department of Medical Sciences, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, 123 Metro Boulevard, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University, 3900 Reservoir Road NW Medical-Dental Building, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Gerhard Grüber
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Republic of Singapore
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22
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Belete TM. Recent Progress in the Development of Novel Mycobacterium Cell Wall Inhibitor to Combat Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis. Microbiol Insights 2022; 15:11786361221099878. [PMID: 35645569 PMCID: PMC9131376 DOI: 10.1177/11786361221099878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of research in drug development against TB, it is still the leading cause of death due to infectious diseases. The long treatment duration, patient noncompliance coupled with the ability of the tuberculosis bacilli to resist the current drugs increases multidrug-resistant tuberculosis that exacerbates the situation. Identification of novel drug targets is important for the advancement of drug development against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The development of an effective treatment course that could help us eradicates TB. Hence, we require drugs that could eliminate the bacteria and shorten the treatment duration. This review briefly describes the available data on the peptidoglycan component structural characterization, identification of the metabolic pathway, and the key enzymes involved in the peptidoglycan synthesis, like N-Acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate uridyltransferase, mur enzyme, alanine racemase as well as their inhibition. Besides, this paper also provides studies on mycolic acid and arabinogalactan synthesis and the transport mechanisms that show considerable promise as new targets to develop a new product with their inhibiter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tafere Mulaw Belete
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
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23
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Santucci P, Aylan B, Botella L, Bernard EM, Bussi C, Pellegrino E, Athanasiadi N, Gutierrez MG. Visualizing Pyrazinamide Action by Live Single-Cell Imaging of Phagosome Acidification and Mycobacterium tuberculosis pH Homeostasis. mBio 2022; 13:e0011722. [PMID: 35323041 PMCID: PMC9040869 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00117-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis segregates within multiple subcellular niches with different biochemical and biophysical properties that, upon treatment, may impact antibiotic distribution, accumulation, and efficacy. However, it remains unclear whether fluctuating intracellular microenvironments alter mycobacterial homeostasis and contribute to antibiotic enrichment and efficacy. Here, we describe a live dual-imaging approach to monitor host subcellular acidification and M. tuberculosis intrabacterial pH. By combining this approach with pharmacological and genetic perturbations, we show that M. tuberculosis can maintain its intracellular pH independently of the surrounding pH in human macrophages. Importantly, unlike bedaquiline (BDQ), isoniazid (INH), or rifampicin (RIF), the drug pyrazinamide (PZA) displays antibacterial efficacy by disrupting M. tuberculosis intrabacterial pH homeostasis in cellulo. By using M. tuberculosis mutants, we confirmed that intracellular acidification is a prerequisite for PZA efficacy in cellulo. We anticipate this imaging approach will be useful to identify host cellular environments that affect antibiotic efficacy against intracellular pathogens. IMPORTANCE We still do not completely understand why tuberculosis (TB) treatment requires the combination of several antibiotics for up to 6 months. M. tuberculosis is a facultative intracellular pathogen, and it is still unknown whether heterogenous and dynamic intracellular populations of bacteria in different cellular environments affect antibiotic efficacy. By developing a dual live imaging approach to monitor mycobacterial pH homeostasis, host cell environment, and antibiotic action, we show here that intracellular localization of M. tuberculosis affects the efficacy of one first-line anti-TB drug. Our observations can be applicable to the treatment of other intracellular pathogens and help to inform the development of more effective combined therapies for tuberculosis that target heterogenous bacterial populations within the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Santucci
- Host-Pathogen Interactions in Tuberculosis Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Beren Aylan
- Host-Pathogen Interactions in Tuberculosis Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Laure Botella
- Host-Pathogen Interactions in Tuberculosis Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elliott M. Bernard
- Host-Pathogen Interactions in Tuberculosis Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Claudio Bussi
- Host-Pathogen Interactions in Tuberculosis Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Enrica Pellegrino
- Host-Pathogen Interactions in Tuberculosis Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Natalia Athanasiadi
- Host-Pathogen Interactions in Tuberculosis Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maximiliano G. Gutierrez
- Host-Pathogen Interactions in Tuberculosis Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
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24
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Urbaniec J, Xu Y, Hu Y, Hingley-Wilson S, McFadden J. Phenotypic heterogeneity in persisters: a novel 'hunker' theory of persistence. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:fuab042. [PMID: 34355746 PMCID: PMC8767447 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistence has been linked to treatment failure since its discovery over 70 years ago and understanding formation, nature and survival of this key antibiotic refractory subpopulation is crucial to enhancing treatment success and combatting the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The term 'persistence' is often used interchangeably with other terms such as tolerance or dormancy. In this review we focus on 'antibiotic persistence' which we broadly define as a feature of a subpopulation of bacterial cells that possesses the non-heritable character of surviving exposure to one or more antibiotics; and persisters as cells that possess this characteristic. We discuss novel molecular mechanisms involved in persister cell formation, as well as environmental factors which can contribute to increased antibiotic persistence in vivo, highlighting recent developments advanced by single-cell studies. We also aim to provide a comprehensive model of persistence, the 'hunker' theory which is grounded in intrinsic heterogeneity of bacterial populations and a myriad of 'hunkering down' mechanisms which can contribute to antibiotic survival of the persister subpopulation. Finally, we discuss antibiotic persistence as a 'stepping-stone' to AMR and stress the urgent need to develop effective anti-persister treatment regimes to treat this highly clinically relevant bacterial sub-population.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Urbaniec
- Department of Microbial Sciences and University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU27XH, UK
| | - Ye Xu
- Department of Microbial Sciences and University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU27XH, UK
| | - Y Hu
- Farnborough Sensonic limited, Farnborough road, GU14 7NA, UK
| | - S Hingley-Wilson
- Department of Microbial Sciences and University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU27XH, UK
| | - J McFadden
- Department of Microbial Sciences and University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU27XH, UK
- Quantum biology doctoral training centre, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU27XH, UK
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25
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An Outline of the Latest Crystallographic Studies on Inhibitor-Enzyme Complexes for the Design and Development of New Therapeutics against Tuberculosis. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26237082. [PMID: 34885662 PMCID: PMC8659263 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26237082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The elucidation of the structure of enzymes and their complexes with ligands continues to provide invaluable insights for the development of drugs against many diseases, including bacterial infections. After nearly three decades since the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of tuberculosis (TB) as a global health emergency, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) continues to claim millions of lives, remaining among the leading causes of death worldwide. In the last years, several efforts have been devoted to shortening and improving treatment outcomes, and to overcoming the increasing resistance phenomenon. The structural elucidation of enzyme-ligand complexes is fundamental to identify hot-spots, define possible interaction sites, and elaborate strategies to develop optimized molecules with high affinity. This review offers a critical and comprehensive overview of the most recent structural information on traditional and emerging mycobacterial enzymatic targets. A selection of more than twenty enzymes is here discussed, with a special emphasis on the analysis of their binding sites, the definition of the structure–activity relationships (SARs) of their inhibitors, and the study of their main intermolecular interactions. This work corroborates the potential of structural studies, substantiating their relevance in future anti-mycobacterial drug discovery and development efforts.
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26
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Santucci P, Greenwood DJ, Fearns A, Chen K, Jiang H, Gutierrez MG. Intracellular localisation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis affects efficacy of the antibiotic pyrazinamide. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3816. [PMID: 34155215 PMCID: PMC8217510 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24127-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
To be effective, chemotherapy against tuberculosis (TB) must kill the intracellular population of the pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, how host cell microenvironments affect antibiotic accumulation and efficacy remains unclear. Here, we use correlative light, electron, and ion microscopy to investigate how various microenvironments within human macrophages affect the activity of pyrazinamide (PZA), a key antibiotic against TB. We show that PZA accumulates heterogeneously among individual bacteria in multiple host cell environments. Crucially, PZA accumulation and efficacy is maximal within acidified phagosomes. Bedaquiline, another antibiotic commonly used in combined TB therapy, enhances PZA accumulation via a host cell-mediated mechanism. Thus, intracellular localisation and specific microenvironments affect PZA accumulation and efficacy. Our results may explain the potent in vivo efficacy of PZA, compared to its modest in vitro activity, and its critical contribution to TB combination chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Santucci
- Host-Pathogen Interactions in Tuberculosis Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Daniel J Greenwood
- Host-Pathogen Interactions in Tuberculosis Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.,Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Antony Fearns
- Host-Pathogen Interactions in Tuberculosis Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Kai Chen
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, AU, Australia
| | - Haibo Jiang
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, AU, Australia. .,Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Maximiliano G Gutierrez
- Host-Pathogen Interactions in Tuberculosis Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
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27
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Ragunathan P, Cole M, Latka C, Aragaw WW, Hegde P, Shin J, Subramanian Manimekalai MS, Rishikesan S, Aldrich CC, Dick T, Grüber G. Mycobacterium tuberculosis PanD Structure-Function Analysis and Identification of a Potent Pyrazinoic Acid-Derived Enzyme Inhibitor. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:1030-1039. [PMID: 33984234 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
A common strategy employed in antibacterial drug discovery is the targeting of biosynthetic processes that are essential and specific for the pathogen. Specificity in particular avoids undesirable interactions with potential enzymatic counterparts in the human host, and it ensures on-target toxicity. Synthesis of pantothenate (Vitamine B5), which is a precursor of the acyl carrier coenzyme A, is an example of such a pathway. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), pantothenate is formed by pantothenate synthase, utilizing D-pantoate and β-Ala as substrates. β-Ala is mainly formed by the decarboxylation of l-aspartate, generated by the decarboxylase PanD, which is a homo-oliogomer in solution. Pyrazinoic acid (POA), which is the bioactive form of the TB prodrug pyrazinamide, binds and inhibits PanD activity weakly. Here, we generated a library of recombinant Mtb PanD mutants based on structural information and PZA/POA resistance mutants. Alterations in oligomer formation, enzyme activity, and/or POA binding were observed in respective mutants, providing insights into essential amino acids for Mtb PanD's proper structural assembly, decarboxylation activity and drug interaction. This information provided the platform for the design of novel POA analogues with modifications at position 3 of the pyrazine ring. Analogue 2, which incorporates a bulky naphthamido group at this position, displayed a 1000-fold increase in enzyme inhibition, compared to POA, along with moderately improved antimycobacterial activity. The data demonstrate that an improved understanding of mechanistic and enzymatic features of key metabolic enzymes can stimulate design of more-potent PanD inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Ragunathan
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Republic of Singapore
| | - Malcolm Cole
- University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry 8-101 Weaver-Densford Hall 308 Harvard St. SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Chitra Latka
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Republic of Singapore
| | - Wassihun Wedajo Aragaw
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
| | - Pooja Hegde
- University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry 8-101 Weaver-Densford Hall 308 Harvard St. SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Joon Shin
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Republic of Singapore
| | | | - Sankaranarayanan Rishikesan
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Republic of Singapore
| | - Courtney C. Aldrich
- University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry 8-101 Weaver-Densford Hall 308 Harvard St. SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Thomas Dick
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, 111 Ideation Way, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
- Department of Medical Sciences, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, 123 Metro Boulevard, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University, 3900 Reservoir Road NW Medical-Dental Building, Washington, District of Columbia 20007, United States
| | - Gerhard Grüber
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Republic of Singapore
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28
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Lam C, Martinez E, Crighton T, Furlong C, Donnan E, Marais BJ, Sintchenko V. Value of routine whole genome sequencing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug resistance detection. Int J Infect Dis 2021; 113 Suppl 1:S48-S54. [PMID: 33753222 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Routine whole genome sequencing (WGS) of pathogens is becoming more feasible as sequencing costs decrease and access to benchtop sequencing equipment and bioinformatics pipelines increases. This study examined the added value gained from implementing routine WGS of all Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in New South Wales, Australia. Drug resistance markers inferred from WGS data were compared to commercial genotypic drug susceptibility testing (DST) assays and conventional phenotypic DST in all isolates sequenced between 2016 and 2019. Of the 1107 clinical M. tuberculosis isolates sequenced, 29 (2.6%) were multi-drug resistant (MDR); most belonged to Beijing (336; 30.4%) or East-African Indian (332; 30%) lineages. Compared with conventional phenotypic DST, WGS identified an additional 1% of isolates which were likely drug resistant, explained by mutations previously associated with treatment failure and mixed bacterial populations. However, WGS provided a 20% increase in drug resistance detection in comparison with commercial genotypic assays by identifying mutations outside of the classic resistance determining regions in rpoB, inhA, katG, pncA and embB genes. Gains in drug resistance detection were significant (p = 0.0137, paired t-test), but varied substantially for different phylogenetic lineages. In low incidence settings, routine WGS of M. tuberculosis provides better guidance for person-centered management of drug resistant tuberculosis than commercial genotypic assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connie Lam
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology-Public Health, Westmead Hospital, Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Elena Martinez
- NSW Mycobacterium Reference Laboratory, Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, NSW Health Pathology - Western, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Taryn Crighton
- NSW Mycobacterium Reference Laboratory, Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, NSW Health Pathology - Western, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Catriona Furlong
- New South Wales Tuberculosis Program, Health Protection NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ellen Donnan
- New South Wales Tuberculosis Program, Health Protection NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ben J Marais
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity and Centre for Research Excellence in Tuberculosis (TB-CRE), The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Vitali Sintchenko
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology-Public Health, Westmead Hospital, Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; NSW Mycobacterium Reference Laboratory, Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research, NSW Health Pathology - Western, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity and Centre for Research Excellence in Tuberculosis (TB-CRE), The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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29
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Yelamanchi SD, Surolia A. Targeting amino acid metabolism of Mycobacterium tuberculosis for developing inhibitors to curtail its survival. IUBMB Life 2021; 73:643-658. [PMID: 33624925 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Tuberculosis caused by the bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), continues to remain one of the most devastating infectious diseases afflicting humans. Although there are several drugs for treating tuberculosis available currently, the emergence of the drug resistant forms of this pathogen has made its treatment and eradication a challenging task. While the replication machinery, protein synthesis and cell wall biogenesis of Mtb have been targeted often for anti-tubercular drug development a number of essential metabolic pathways crucial to its survival have received relatively less attention. In this context a number of amino acid biosynthesis pathways have recently been shown to be essential for the survival and pathogenesis of Mtb. Many of these pathways and or their key enzymes homologs are absent in humans hence they could be harnessed for anti-tubercular drug development. In this review, we describe comprehensively the amino acid metabolic pathways essential in Mtb and the key enzymes involved therein that are being investigated for developing inhibitors that compromise the survival and pathogenesis caused by this pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Avadhesha Surolia
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
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30
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Thiede JM, Dillon NA, Howe MD, Aflakpui R, Modlin SJ, Hoffner SE, Valafar F, Minato Y, Baughn AD. Pyrazinamide Susceptibility Is Driven by Activation of the SigE-Dependent Cell Envelope Stress Response in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. mBio 2021; 13:e0043921. [PMID: 35100871 PMCID: PMC8805019 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00439-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Pyrazinamide (PZA) plays a crucial role in first-line tuberculosis drug therapy. Unlike other antimicrobial agents, PZA is active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis only at low pH. The basis for this conditional drug susceptibility remains undefined. In this study, we utilized a genome-wide approach to interrogate potentiation of PZA action. We found that mutations in numerous genes involved in central metabolism as well as cell envelope maintenance and stress response are associated with PZA resistance. Further, we demonstrate that constitutive activation of the cell envelope stress response can drive PZA susceptibility independent of environmental pH. Consequently, exposure to peptidoglycan synthesis inhibitors, such as beta-lactams and d-cycloserine, potentiate PZA action through triggering this response. These findings illuminate a regulatory mechanism for conditional PZA susceptibility and reveal new avenues for enhancing potency of this important drug through targeting activation of the cell envelope stress response. IMPORTANCE For decades, pyrazinamide has served as a cornerstone of tuberculosis therapy. Unlike any other antitubercular drug, pyrazinamide requires an acidic environment to exert its action. Despite its importance, the driver of this conditional susceptibility has remained unknown. In this study, a genome-wide approach revealed that pyrazinamide action is governed by the cell envelope stress response. This observation was validated by orthologous approaches that demonstrate that a central player of this response, SigE, is both necessary and sufficient for potentiation of pyrazinamide action. Moreover, constitutive activation of this response through deletion of the anti-sigma factor gene rseA or exposure of bacilli to drugs that target the cell wall was found to potently drive pyrazinamide susceptibility independent of environmental pH. These findings force a paradigm shift in our understanding of pyrazinamide action and open new avenues for improving diagnostic and therapeutic tools for tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M. Thiede
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Nicholas A. Dillon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Michael D. Howe
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ranee Aflakpui
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Samuel J. Modlin
- Laboratory for Pathogenesis of Clinical Drug Resistance and Persistence, Biomedical Informatics Research Center, Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Sven E. Hoffner
- Laboratory for Pathogenesis of Clinical Drug Resistance and Persistence, Biomedical Informatics Research Center, Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Faramarz Valafar
- Laboratory for Pathogenesis of Clinical Drug Resistance and Persistence, Biomedical Informatics Research Center, Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Yusuke Minato
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Anthony D. Baughn
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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31
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Hasenoehrl EJ, Wiggins TJ, Berney M. Bioenergetic Inhibitors: Antibiotic Efficacy and Mechanisms of Action in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 10:611683. [PMID: 33505923 PMCID: PMC7831573 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.611683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of novel anti-tuberculosis combination regimens that increase efficacy and reduce treatment timelines will improve patient compliance, limit side-effects, reduce costs, and enhance cure rates. Such advancements would significantly improve the global TB burden and reduce drug resistance acquisition. Bioenergetics has received considerable attention in recent years as a fertile area for anti-tuberculosis drug discovery. Targeting the electron transport chain (ETC) and oxidative phosphorylation machinery promises not only to kill growing cells but also metabolically dormant bacilli that are inherently more drug tolerant. Over the last two decades, a broad array of drugs targeting various ETC components have been developed. Here, we provide a focused review of the current state of art of bioenergetic inhibitors of Mtb with an in-depth analysis of the metabolic and bioenergetic disruptions caused by specific target inhibition as well as their synergistic and antagonistic interactions with other drugs. This foundation is then used to explore the reigning theories on the mechanisms of antibiotic-induced cell death and we discuss how bioenergetic inhibitors in particular fail to be adequately described by these models. These discussions lead us to develop a clear roadmap for new lines of investigation to better understand the mechanisms of action of these drugs with complex mechanisms as well as how to leverage that knowledge for the development of novel, rationally-designed combination therapies to cure TB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik J Hasenoehrl
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Thomas J Wiggins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Michael Berney
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
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Butman HS, Kotzé TJ, Dowd CS, Strauss E. Vitamin in the Crosshairs: Targeting Pantothenate and Coenzyme A Biosynthesis for New Antituberculosis Agents. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:605662. [PMID: 33384970 PMCID: PMC7770189 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.605662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of dedicated research, there remains a dire need for new drugs against tuberculosis (TB). Current therapies are generations old and problematic. Resistance to these existing therapies results in an ever-increasing burden of patients with disease that is difficult or impossible to treat. Novel chemical entities with new mechanisms of action are therefore earnestly required. The biosynthesis of coenzyme A (CoA) has long been known to be essential in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of TB. The pathway has been genetically validated by seminal studies in vitro and in vivo. In Mtb, the CoA biosynthetic pathway is comprised of nine enzymes: four to synthesize pantothenate (Pan) from l-aspartate and α-ketoisovalerate; five to synthesize CoA from Pan and pantetheine (PantSH). This review gathers literature reports on the structure/mechanism, inhibitors, and vulnerability of each enzyme in the CoA pathway. In addition to traditional inhibition of a single enzyme, the CoA pathway offers an antimetabolite strategy as a promising alternative. In this review, we provide our assessment of what appear to be the best targets, and, thus, which CoA pathway enzymes present the best opportunities for antitubercular drug discovery moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailey S. Butman
- Department of Chemistry, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Timothy J. Kotzé
- Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Cynthia S. Dowd
- Department of Chemistry, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Erick Strauss
- Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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Nawrot D, Suchánková E, Janďourek O, Konečná K, Bárta P, Doležal M, Zitko J. N-pyridinylbenzamides: an isosteric approach towards new antimycobacterial compounds. Chem Biol Drug Des 2020; 97:686-700. [PMID: 33068457 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
A series of N-pyridinylbenzamides was designed and prepared to investigate the influence of isosterism and positional isomerism on antimycobacterial activity. Comparison to previously published isosteric N-pyrazinylbenzamides was made as an attempt to draw structure-activity relationships in such type of compounds. In total, we prepared 44 different compounds, out of which fourteen had minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra below 31.25 µg/ml, most promising being N-(5-chloropyridin-2-yl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)benzamide (23) and N-(6-chloropyridin-2-yl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)benzamide (24) with MIC = 7.81 µg/ml (26 µm). Five compounds showed broad-spectrum antimycobacterial activity against M. tuberculosis H37Ra, M. smegmatis and M. aurum. N-(pyridin-2-yl)benzamides were generally more active than N-(pyridin-3-yl)benzamides, indicating that N-1 in the parental structure of N-pyrazinylbenzamides might be more important for antimycobacterial activity than N-4. Marginal antibacterial and antifungal activity was observed for title compounds. The hepatotoxicity of title compounds was assessed in vitro on hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2, and they may be considered non-toxic (22 compounds with IC50 over 200 µm).
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria Nawrot
- Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Eliška Suchánková
- Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Janďourek
- Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Klára Konečná
- Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Bárta
- Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Doležal
- Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Zitko
- Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
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Stepanova EE, Balandina SY, Drobkova VA, Dmitriev MV, Mashevskaya IV, Maslivets AN. Synthesis, in vitro antibacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and reverse docking-based target fishing of 1,4-benzoxazin-2-one derivatives. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2020; 354:e2000199. [PMID: 33617016 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202000199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Seventeen 1,4-benzoxazin-2-ones bearing the enaminone moiety and three of their analogs were tested for the antibacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (H37Rv). Minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) were determined after 41 days of incubation by BACTEC. 1,4-Benzoxazin-2-ones bearing the unsubstituted benzo moiety showed the most promising activities (MBC = 5.00 µg/ml). For most active compounds, antibacterial activities were determined daily during the 41 days. The most promising compound showed a bacteriostatic effect at a concentration of 0.31 µg/ml on Day 4 of incubation, 0.62 µg/ml on Day 6, 2.50 µg/ml on Day 9, and 5.00 µg/ml on Day 41. All studied compounds, along with some of their reported analogs, were docked to 35 proteins of M. tuberculosis to find their potent targets in these organisms. As a result of reverse docking, aspartate 1-decarboxylase, panD, was selected as the most appropriate target. Docking of the most active compounds to mutant panD from pyrazinamide-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis implies that they would not be active against these strains. Considering that most of pyrazinamide clinical resistance cases are due to loss-of-function mutations in pyrazinamidase, pncA, compounds from this study could be useful drugs for the treatment of some cases of pyrazinamide-resistant tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Vera A Drobkova
- Department of Chemistry, Perm State University, Perm, Russia
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Velappan AB, Datta D, Ma R, Rana S, Ghosh KS, Hari N, Franzblau SG, Debnath J. 2-Aryl benzazole derived new class of anti-tubercular compounds: Endowed to eradicate mycobacterium tuberculosis in replicating and non-replicating forms. Bioorg Chem 2020; 103:104170. [PMID: 32890990 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.104170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The high mortality rate and the increasing prevalence of Mtb resistance are the major concerns for the Tuberculosis (TB) treatment in this century. To counteract the prevalence of Mtb resistance, we have synthesized 2-aryl benzazole based dual targeted molecules. Compound 9m and 9n were found to be equally active against replicating and non-replicating form of Mtb (MIC(MABA) 1.98 and 1.66 μg/ml; MIC(LORA) 2.06 and 1.59 μg/ml respectively). They arrested the cell division (replicating Mtb) by inhibiting the GTPase activity of FtsZ with IC50 values 45 and 64 μM respectively. They were also capable of kill Mtb in non-replicating form by inhibiting the biosynthesis of menaquinone which was substantiated by the MenG inhibition (IC50 = 11.62 and 7.49 μM respectively) followed by the Vit-K2 rescue study and ATP production assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anand Babu Velappan
- Department of Chemistry, SCBT, SASTRA Deemed to be University, Tamilnadu 613401, India
| | - Dhrubajyoti Datta
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, Maharashtra 411008, India
| | - Rui Ma
- Institute for Tuberculosis Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 S. Wood St., Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Shiwani Rana
- Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh 177005, India
| | - Kalyan Sundar Ghosh
- Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh 177005, India
| | - Natarajan Hari
- NMR Laboratory, SCBT, SASTRA Deemed to be University, Tamilnadu 613401, India
| | - Scott G Franzblau
- Institute for Tuberculosis Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 S. Wood St., Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Joy Debnath
- Department of Chemistry, SCBT, SASTRA Deemed to be University, Tamilnadu 613401, India.
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Appetecchia F, Consalvi S, Scarpecci C, Biava M, Poce G. SAR Analysis of Small Molecules Interfering with Energy-Metabolism in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:E227. [PMID: 32878317 PMCID: PMC7557483 DOI: 10.3390/ph13090227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis remains the world's top infectious killer: it caused a total of 1.5 million deaths and 10 million people fell ill with TB in 2018. Thanks to TB diagnosis and treatment, mortality has been falling in recent years, with an estimated 58 million saved lives between 2000 and 2018. However, the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Mtb strains is a major concern that might reverse this progress. Therefore, the development of new drugs acting upon novel mechanisms of action is a high priority in the global health agenda. With the approval of bedaquiline, which targets mycobacterial energy production, and delamanid, which targets cell wall synthesis and energy production, the energy-metabolism in Mtb has received much attention in the last decade as a potential target to investigate and develop new antimycobacterial drugs. In this review, we describe potent anti-mycobacterial agents targeting the energy-metabolism at different steps with a special focus on structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies of the most advanced compound classes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Giovanna Poce
- Department of Chemistry and Technologies of Drug, Sapienza University of Rome, piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (F.A.); (S.C.); (C.S.); (M.B.)
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Supo-Escalante RR, Médico A, Gushiken E, Olivos-Ramírez GE, Quispe Y, Torres F, Zamudio M, Antiparra R, Amzel LM, Gilman RH, Sheen P, Zimic M. Prediction of Mycobacterium tuberculosis pyrazinamidase function based on structural stability, physicochemical and geometrical descriptors. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0235643. [PMID: 32735615 PMCID: PMC7394417 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pyrazinamide is an important drug against the latent stage of tuberculosis and is used in both first- and second-line treatment regimens. Pyrazinamide-susceptibility test usually takes a week to have a diagnosis to guide initial therapy, implying a delay in receiving appropriate therapy. The continued increase in multi-drug resistant tuberculosis and the prevalence of pyrazinamide resistance in several countries makes the development of assays for prompt identification of resistance necessary. The main cause of pyrazinamide resistance is the impairment of pyrazinamidase function attributed to mutations in the promoter and/or pncA coding gene. However, not all pncA mutations necessarily affect the pyrazinamidase function. OBJECTIVE To develop a methodology to predict pyrazinamidase function from detected mutations in the pncA gene. METHODS We measured the catalytic constant (kcat), KM, enzymatic efficiency, and enzymatic activity of 35 recombinant mutated pyrazinamidase and the wild type (Protein Data Bank ID = 3pl1). From all the 3D modeled structures, we extracted several predictors based on three categories: structural stability (estimated by normal mode analysis and molecular dynamics), physicochemical, and geometrical characteristics. We used a stepwise Akaike's information criterion forward multiple log-linear regression to model each kinetic parameter with each category of predictors. We also developed weighted models combining the three categories of predictive models for each kinetic parameter. We tested the robustness of the predictive ability of each model by 6-fold cross-validation against random models. RESULTS The stability, physicochemical, and geometrical descriptors explained most of the variability (R2) of the kinetic parameters. Our models are best suited to predict kcat, efficiency, and activity based on the root-mean-square error of prediction of the 6-fold cross-validation. CONCLUSIONS This study shows a quick approach to predict the pyrazinamidase function only from the pncA sequence when point mutations are present. This can be an important tool to detect pyrazinamide resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rydberg Roman Supo-Escalante
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Aldhair Médico
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Eduardo Gushiken
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Gustavo E. Olivos-Ramírez
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Yaneth Quispe
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Fiorella Torres
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Melissa Zamudio
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Ricardo Antiparra
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - L. Mario Amzel
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Robert H. Gilman
- International Health Department, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Patricia Sheen
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Mirko Zimic
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
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Juhás M, Kučerová L, Horáček O, Janďourek O, Kubíček V, Konečná K, Kučera R, Bárta P, Janoušek J, Paterová P, Kuneš J, Doležal M, Zitko J. N-Pyrazinoyl Substituted Amino Acids as Potential Antimycobacterial Agents-The Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Enantiomers. Molecules 2020; 25:E1518. [PMID: 32230728 PMCID: PMC7181131 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25071518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), each year causing millions of deaths. In this article, we present the synthesis and biological evaluations of new potential antimycobacterial compounds containing a fragment of the first-line antitubercular drug pyrazinamide (PZA), coupled with methyl or ethyl esters of selected amino acids. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated on a variety of (myco)bacterial strains, including Mtb H37Ra, M. smegmatis, M. aurum, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and fungal strains, including Candida albicans and Aspergillus flavus. Emphasis was placed on the comparison of enantiomer activities. None of the synthesized compounds showed any significant activity against fungal strains, and their antibacterial activities were also low, the best minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value was 31.25 µM. However, several compounds presented high activity against Mtb. Overall, higher activity was seen in derivatives containing ʟ-amino acids. Similarly, the activity seems tied to the more lipophilic compounds. The most active derivative contained phenylglycine moiety (PC-ᴅ/ʟ-Pgl-Me, MIC < 1.95 µg/mL). All active compounds possessed low cytotoxicity and good selectivity towards Mtb. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study comparing the activities of the ᴅ- and ʟ-amino acid derivatives of pyrazinamide as potential antimycobacterial compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Juhás
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; (L.K.); (O.H.); (O.J.); (V.K.); (K.K.); (R.K.); (P.B.); (J.J.); (J.K.); (M.D.)
| | - Lucie Kučerová
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; (L.K.); (O.H.); (O.J.); (V.K.); (K.K.); (R.K.); (P.B.); (J.J.); (J.K.); (M.D.)
| | - Ondřej Horáček
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; (L.K.); (O.H.); (O.J.); (V.K.); (K.K.); (R.K.); (P.B.); (J.J.); (J.K.); (M.D.)
| | - Ondřej Janďourek
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; (L.K.); (O.H.); (O.J.); (V.K.); (K.K.); (R.K.); (P.B.); (J.J.); (J.K.); (M.D.)
| | - Vladimír Kubíček
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; (L.K.); (O.H.); (O.J.); (V.K.); (K.K.); (R.K.); (P.B.); (J.J.); (J.K.); (M.D.)
| | - Klára Konečná
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; (L.K.); (O.H.); (O.J.); (V.K.); (K.K.); (R.K.); (P.B.); (J.J.); (J.K.); (M.D.)
| | - Radim Kučera
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; (L.K.); (O.H.); (O.J.); (V.K.); (K.K.); (R.K.); (P.B.); (J.J.); (J.K.); (M.D.)
| | - Pavel Bárta
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; (L.K.); (O.H.); (O.J.); (V.K.); (K.K.); (R.K.); (P.B.); (J.J.); (J.K.); (M.D.)
| | - Jiří Janoušek
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; (L.K.); (O.H.); (O.J.); (V.K.); (K.K.); (R.K.); (P.B.); (J.J.); (J.K.); (M.D.)
| | - Pavla Paterová
- University Hospital Hradec Králové, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Sokolská 581, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic;
| | - Jiří Kuneš
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; (L.K.); (O.H.); (O.J.); (V.K.); (K.K.); (R.K.); (P.B.); (J.J.); (J.K.); (M.D.)
| | - Martin Doležal
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; (L.K.); (O.H.); (O.J.); (V.K.); (K.K.); (R.K.); (P.B.); (J.J.); (J.K.); (M.D.)
| | - Jan Zitko
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; (L.K.); (O.H.); (O.J.); (V.K.); (K.K.); (R.K.); (P.B.); (J.J.); (J.K.); (M.D.)
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