Uridine-based inhibitors as new leads for antibiotics targeting Escherichia coli LpxC.

The UDP-3-O-(R-3-hydroxyacyl)-N-acetylglucosamine deacetylase LpxC catalyzes the committed reaction of lipid A (endotoxin) biosynthesis in Gram-negative bacteria and is a validated antibiotic target. Although several previously described compounds bind to the unique acyl chain binding passage of LpxC with high affinity, strategies to target the enzyme's UDP-binding site have not been reported. Here the identification of a series of uridine-based LpxC inhibitors is presented. The most potent examined, 1-68A, is a pH-dependent, two-step, covalent inhibitor of Escherichia coli LpxC that competes with UDP to bind the enzyme in the first step of inhibition. Compound 1-68A exhibits a K(I) of 54 muM and a maximal rate of inactivation (k(inact)) of 1.7 min(-1) at pH 7.4. Dithiothreitol, glutathione and the C207A mutant of E. coli LpxC prevent the formation of a covalent complex by 1-68A, suggesting a role for Cys-207 in inhibition. The inhibitory activity of 1-68A and a panel of synthetic analogues identified moieties necessary for inhibition. 1-68A and a 2-dehydroxy analogue, 1-68Aa, inhibit several purified LpxC orthologues. These compounds may provide new scaffolds for extension of existing LpxC-inhibiting antibiotics to target the UDP binding pocket.

A high-throughput assay for O-GlcNAc transferase detects primary sequence preferences in peptide substrates.

O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) catalyzes the addition of N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) onto a diverse array of intracellular proteins. Although hundreds of proteins are known to be modified by O-GlcNAc, a strict amino acid consensus sequence for OGT has not been identified. In this study, we describe the development of a high-throughput assay for OGT and use it to profile the specificity of the enzyme among a panel of peptide substrates.

The first example of a nitrile hydratase model complex that reversibly binds nitriles.

Nitrile hydratase (NHase) is an iron-containing metalloenzyme that converts nitriles to amides. The mechanism by which this biochemical reaction occurs is unknown. One mechanism that has been proposed involves nucleophilic attack of an Fe-bound nitrile by water (or hydroxide). Reported herein is a five-coordinate model compound ([Fe(III)(S(2)(Me2)N(3)(Et,Pr))](+)) containing Fe(III) in an environment resembling that of NHase, which reversibly binds a variety of nitriles, alcohols, amines, and thiocyanate. XAS shows that five-coordinate [Fe(III)(S(2)(Me2)N(3)(Et,Pr))](+) reacts with both methanol and acetonitrile to afford a six-coordinate solvent-bound complex. Competitive binding studies demonstrate that MeCN preferentially binds over ROH, suggesting that nitriles would be capable of displacing the H(2)O coordinated to the iron site of NHase. Thermodynamic parameters were determined for acetonitrile (DeltaH = -6.2(+/-0.2) kcal/mol, DeltaS = -29.4(+/-0.8) eu), benzonitrile (-4.2(+/-0.6) kcal/mol, DeltaS = -18(+/-3) eu), and pyridine (DeltaH = -8(+/-1) kcal/mol, DeltaS = -41(+/-6) eu) binding to [Fe(III)(S(2)(Me2)N(3)(Et,Pr))](+) using variable-temperature electronic absorption spectroscopy. Ligand exchange kinetics were examined for acetonitrile, iso-propylnitrile, benzonitrile, and 4-tert-butylpyridine using (13)C NMR line-broadening analysis, at a variety of temperatures. Activation parameters for ligand exchange were determined to be DeltaH(+ +) = 7.1(+/-0.8) kcal/mol, DeltaS(+ +) = -10(+/-1) eu (acetonitrile), DeltaH(+ +) = 5.4(+/-0.6) kcal/mol, DeltaS(+ +) = -17(+/-2) eu (iso-propionitrile), DeltaH(+ +) = 4.9(+/-0.8) kcal/mol, DeltaS(+ +) = -20(+/-3) eu (benzonitrile), and DeltaH(+ +) = 4.7(+/-1.4) kcal/mol DeltaS(+ +) = -18(+/-2) eu (4-tert-butylpyridine). The thermodynamic parameters for pyridine binding to a related complex, [Fe(III)(S(2)(Me2)N(3)(Pr,Pr))](+) (DeltaH = -5.9(+/-0.8) kcal/mol, DeltaS = -24(+/-3) eu), are also reported, as well as kinetic parameters for 4-tert-butylpyridine exchange (DeltaH(+ +) = 3.1(+/-0.8) kcal/mol, DeltaS(+ +) = -25(+/-3) eu). These data show for the first time that, when it is contained in a ligand environment similar to that of NHase, Fe(III) is capable of forming a stable complex with nitriles. Also, the rates of ligand exchange demonstrate that low-spin Fe(III) in this ligand environment is more labile than expected. Furthermore, comparison of [Fe(III)(S(2)(Me2)N(3)(Et,Pr))](+) and [Fe(III)(S(2)(Me2)N(3)(Pr,Pr))](+) demonstrates how minor distortions induced by ligand constraints can dramatically alter the reactivity of a metal complex.