RHNO1: at the crossroads of DNA replication stress, DNA repair, and cancer.

The DNA replication stress (DRS) response is a crucial homeostatic mechanism for maintaining genome integrity in the face of intrinsic and extrinsic barriers to DNA replication. Importantly, DRS is often significantly increased in tumor cells, making tumors dependent on the cellular DRS response for growth and survival. Rad9-Hus1-Rad1 Interacting Nuclear Orphan 1 (RHNO1), a protein involved in the DRS response, has recently emerged as a potential therapeutic target in cancer. RHNO1 interacts with the 9-1-1 checkpoint clamp and TopBP1 to activate the ATR/Chk1 signaling pathway, the crucial mediator of the DRS response. Moreover, RHNO1 was also recently identified as a key facilitator of theta-mediated end joining (TMEJ), a DNA repair mechanism implicated in cancer progression and chemoresistance. In this literature review, we provide an overview of our current understanding of RHNO1, including its structure, function in the DRS response, and role in DNA repair, and discuss its potential as a cancer therapeutic target. Therapeutic targeting of RHNO1 holds promise for tumors with elevated DRS as well as tumors with DNA repair deficiencies, including homologous recombination DNA repair deficient (HRD) tumors. Further investigation into RHNO1 function in cancer, and development of approaches to target RHNO1, are expected to yield novel strategies for cancer treatment.

A novel phosphodiesterase inhibitor for the treatment of chronic liver injury and metabolic diseases.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Chronic liver disease leads to ~2 million deaths annually. Cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling has long been studied in liver injury, particularly in the regulation of fatty acid (FA) ß-oxidation and pro-inflammatory polarization of tissue-resident lymphocytes. Phosphodiesterase 4B inhibition has been explored as a therapeutic modality, but these drugs have had limited success and are known to cause significant adverse effects. The PDE4 inhibitor 2-(4-([2-(5-Chlorothiophen-2-yl)-5-ethyl-6-methylpyrimidin-4-yl]amino)phenyl)acetic acid) (known as A-33) has yet to be explored for the treatment of metabolic diseases. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Herein, we evaluated the efficacy of A-33 in the treatment of animal models of alcohol-associated liver disease and steatotic liver disease. We demonstrated that A-33 effectively ameliorated the signs and symptoms of chronic liver disease, resulting in significant decreases in serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, decreased overall fat and collagen deposition in the liver, decreased intrahepatic triglyceride concentrations, and normalized expression of genes related to ß-oxidation of fatty acids, inflammation, and extracellular matrix deposition. We also designed and synthesized a novel analog of A-33, termed MDL3, which inhibited both phosphodiesterase 4B and PDE5A and was more effective in ameliorating pathophysiological signs and symptoms of liver injury and inflammation. In addition, MDL3 re-sensitized obese mice to glucose and significantly inhibited the pathological remodeling of adipose tissue, which was not observed with A-33 administration. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, we synthesized and demonstrated that MDL3, a novel phosphodiesterase 4B and PDE5A inhibitor, presents a promising avenue of exploration for treating chronic liver disease.

Targeting Mycobacterium tuberculosis Persistence through Inhibition of the Trehalose Catalytic Shift.

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is the leading cause of death worldwide by infectious disease. Treatment of Mtb infection requires a six-month course of multiple antibiotics, an extremely challenging regimen necessitated by Mtb's ability to form drug-tolerant persister cells. Mtb persister formation is dependent on the trehalose catalytic shift, a stress-responsive metabolic remodeling mechanism in which the disaccharide trehalose is liberated from cell surface glycolipids and repurposed as an internal carbon source to meet energy and redox demands. Here, using a biofilm-persister model, metabolomics, and cryo-electron microscopy (EM), we found that azidodeoxy- and aminodeoxy-d-trehalose analogues block the Mtb trehalose catalytic shift through inhibition of trehalose synthase TreS (Rv0126), which catalyzes the isomerization of trehalose to maltose. Out of a focused eight-member compound panel constructed by chemoenzymatic synthesis, the natural product 2-trehalosamine exhibited the highest potency and significantly potentiated first- and second-line TB drugs in broth culture and macrophage infection assays. We also report the first structure of TreS bound to a substrate analogue inhibitor, obtained via cryo-EM, which revealed conformational changes likely essential for catalysis and inhibitor binding that can potentially be exploited for future therapeutic development. Our results demonstrate that inhibition of the trehalose catalytic shift is a viable strategy to target Mtb persisters and advance trehalose analogues as tools and potential adjunctive therapeutics for investigating and targeting mycobacterial persistence.

Staphylococcus aureus counters organic acid anion-mediated inhibition of peptidoglycan cross-linking through robust alanine racemase activity.

Weak organic acids are commonly found in host niches colonized by bacteria, and they can inhibit bacterial growth as the environment becomes acidic. This inhibition is often attributed to the toxicity resulting from the accumulation of high concentrations of organic anions in the cytosol, which disrupts cellular homeostasis. However, the precise cellular targets that organic anions poison and the mechanisms used to counter organic anion intoxication in bacteria have not been elucidated. Here, we utilize acetic acid, a weak organic acid abundantly found in the gut to investigate its impact on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus . We demonstrate that acetate anions bind to and inhibit D-alanyl-D-alanine ligase (Ddl) activity in S. aureus . Ddl inhibition reduces intracellular D-alanyl-D-alanine (D-Ala-D-Ala) levels, compromising staphylococcal peptidoglycan cross-linking and cell wall integrity. To overcome the effects of acetate-mediated Ddl inhibition, S. aureus maintains a substantial intracellular D-Ala pool through alanine racemase (Alr1) activity and additionally limits the flux of D-Ala to D-glutamate by controlling D-alanine aminotransferase (Dat) activity. Surprisingly, the modus operandi of acetate intoxication in S. aureus is common to multiple biologically relevant weak organic acids indicating that Ddl is a conserved target of small organic anions. These findings suggest that S. aureus may have evolved to maintain high intracellular D-Ala concentrations, partly to counter organic anion intoxication. Significance: Under mildly acidic conditions, weak organic acids like acetic acid accumulate to high concentrations within the cytosol as organic anions. However, the physiological consequence of organic anion accumulation is poorly defined. Here we investigate how the acetate anion impacts S. aureus . We show that acetate anions directly bind Ddl and inhibit its activity. The resulting decrease in intracellular D-Ala-D-Ala pools impacts peptidoglycan integrity. Since acetate is a weak inhibitor of Ddl, mechanisms that maintain a high intracellular D-Ala pools are sufficient to counter the effect of acetate-mediated Ddl inhibition in S. aureus .

Chemical remodeling of the mycomembrane with chain-truncated lipids sensitizes mycobacteria to rifampicin.

The outer mycomembrane of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related pathogens is a robust permeability barrier that protects against antibiotic treatment. Here, we demonstrate that synthetic analogues of the mycomembrane biosynthetic precursor trehalose monomycolate bearing truncated lipid chains increase permeability of Mycobacterium smegmatis cells and sensitize them to treatment with the first-line anti-tubercular drug rifampicin. The reported strategy may be useful for enhancing entry of drugs and other molecules to mycobacterial cells, and represents a new way to study mycomembrane structure and function.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis CitA activity is modulated by cysteine oxidation and pyruvate binding.

As an adaptation for survival during infection, Mycobacterium tuberculosis becomes dormant, reducing its metabolism and growth. Two types of citrate synthases have been identified in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, GltA2 and CitA. Previous work shows that overexpression of CitA, the secondary citrate synthase, stimulates the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis under hypoxic conditions without showing accumulation of triacylglycerols and makes mycobacteria more sensitive to antibiotics, suggesting that CitA may play a role as a metabolic switch during infection and may be an interesting TB drug target. To assess the druggability and possible mechanisms of targeting CitA with small-molecule compounds, the CitA crystal structure was solved to 2.1 Å by X-ray crystallography. The solved structure shows that CitA lacks an NADH binding site that would afford allosteric regulation, which is atypical of most citrate synthases. However, a pyruvate molecule is observed within the analogous domain, suggesting pyruvate may instead be the allosteric regulator for CitA. The R149 and R153 residues forming the charged portion of the pyruvate binding pocket were mutated to glutamate and methionine, respectively, to assess the effect of mutations on activity. Protein thermal shift assay shows thermal stabilization of CitA in the presence of pyruvate compared to the two CitA variants designed to decrease pyruvate affinity. Solved crystal structures of both variants show no significant structural changes. However, the catalytic efficiency of the R153M variant increases by 2.6-fold. Additionally, we show that covalent modification of C143 of CitA by Ebselen completely arrests enzyme activity. Similar inhibition is observed using two spirocyclic Michael acceptor containing compounds, which inhibit CitA with ICapp50 values of 6.6 and 10.9 µM. A crystal structure of CitA modified by Ebselen was solved, but significant structural changes were lacking. Considering that covalent modification of C143 inactivates CitA and the proximity of C143 to the pyruvate binding site, this suggests that structural and/or chemical changes in this sub-domain are responsible for regulating CitA enzymatic activity.

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis mycothiol S-transferase is divalent metal-dependent for mycothiol binding and transfer.

Mycothiol S-transferase (MST) (encoded by the rv0443 gene) was previously identified as the enzyme responsible for the transfer of Mycothiol (MSH) to xenobiotic acceptors in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) during xenobiotic stress. To further characterize the functionality of MST in vitro and the possible roles in vivo, X-ray crystallographic, metal-dependent enzyme kinetics, thermal denaturation studies, and antibiotic MIC determination in rv0433 knockout strain were performed. The binding of MSH and Zn2+ increases the melting temperature by 12.9 °C as a consequence of the cooperative stabilization of MST by both MSH and metal. The co-crystal structure of MST in complex with MSH and Zn2+ to 1.45 Å resolution supports the specific utilization of MSH as a substrate as well as affording insights into the structural requirements of MSH binding and the metal-assisted catalytic mechanism of MST. Contrary to the well-defined role of MSH in mycobacterial xenobiotic responses and the ability of MST to bind MSH, cell-based studies with an M.tb rv0443 knockout strain failed to provide evidence for a role of MST in processing of rifampicin or isoniazid. These studies suggest the necessity of a new direction to identify acceptors of the enzyme and better define the biological role of MST in mycobacteria.

Structural and Functional Characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Homoserine Transacetylase.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) lacking functional homoserine transacetylase (HTA) is compromised in methionine biosynthesis, protein synthesis, and in the activity of multiple essential S-adenosyl-l-methionine-dependent enzymes. Additionally, deficient mutants are further disarmed by the toxic accumulation of lysine due to a redirection of the metabolic flux toward the lysine biosynthetic pathway. Studies with deletion mutants and crystallographic studies of the apoenzyme have, respectively, validated Mtb HTA as an essential enzyme and revealed a ligandable binding site. Seeking a mechanistic characterization of this enzyme, we report crucial structural details and comprehensive functional characterization of Mtb HTA. Crystallographic and mass spectral observation of the acetylated HTA intermediate and initial velocity studies were consistent with a ping-pong kinetic mechanism. Wild-type HTA and its site-directed mutants were kinetically characterized with a panel of natural and alternative substrates to understand substrate specificity and identify critical residues for catalysis. Titration experiments using fluorescence quenching showed that both substrates─acetyl-CoA and l-homoserine─engage in a strong and weak binding interaction with HTA. Additionally, substrate inhibition by acetyl-CoA and product inhibition by CoA and O-acetyl-l-homoserine were proposed to form the basis of a feedback regulation mechanism. By furnishing key mechanistic and structural information, these studies provide a foundation for structure-based design efforts around this attractive Mtb target.

Targeting BRD4 and PI3K signaling pathways for the treatment of medulloblastoma.

Medulloblastoma (MB) is a malignant pediatric brain tumor which shows upregulation of MYC and sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling. SHH inhibitors face acquired resistance, which is a major cause of relapse. Further, direct MYC oncogene inhibition is challenging, inhibition of MYC upstream insulin-like growth factor/ phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (IGF/PI3K) is a promising alternative. While PI3K inhibition activates resistance mechanisms, simultaneous inhibition of bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) and PI3K can overcome resistance. We synthesized a new molecule 8-(2,3-dihydrobenzo[b] [1, 4] dioxin-6-yl)-2-morpholino-4H-chromen-4-one (MDP5) that targets both BRD4 and PI3K pathways. We used X-ray crystal structures and a molecular modeling approach to confirm the interactions between MDP5 with bromo domains (BDs) from both BRD2 and BRD4, and molecular modeling for PI3K binding. MDP5 was shown to inhibit target pathways and MB cell growth in vitro and in vivo. MDP5 showed higher potency in DAOY cells (IC50 5.5 µM) compared to SF2523 (IC50 12.6 µM), and its IC50 values in HD-MB03 cells were like SF2523. Treatment of MB cells with MDP5 significantly decreased colony formation, increased apoptosis, and halted cell cycle progression. Further, MDP5 was well tolerated in NSG mice bearing either xenograft or orthotopic MB tumors at the dose of 20 mg/kg, and significantly reduced tumor growth and prolonged animal survival.

Synthesis of C7/C8-cyclitols and C7N-aminocyclitols from maltose and X-ray crystal structure of Streptomyces coelicolor GlgEI V279S in a complex with an amylostatin GXG-like derivative.

C7/C8-cyclitols and C7N-aminocyclitols find applications in the pharmaceutical sector as α-glucosidase inhibitors and in the agricultural sector as fungicides and insecticides. In this study, we identified C7/C8-cyclitols and C7N-aminocyclitols as potential inhibitors of Streptomyces coelicolor (Sco) GlgEI-V279S based on the docking scores. The protein and the ligand (targets 11, 12, and 13) were prepared, the states were generated at pH 7.0 ± 2.0, and the ligands were docked into the active sites of the receptor via Glide™. The synthetic route to these targets was similar to our previously reported route used to obtain 4-⍺-glucoside of valienamine (AGV), except the protecting group for target 12 was a p-bromobenzyl (PBB) ether to preserve the alkene upon deprotection. While compounds 11-13 did not inhibit Sco GlgEI-V279S at the concentrations evaluated, an X-ray crystal structure of the Sco GlgE1-V279S/13 complex was solved to a resolution of 2.73 Å. This structure allowed assessment differences and commonality with our previously reported inhibitors and was useful for identifying enzyme-compound interactions that may be important for future inhibitor development. The Asp 394 nucleophile formed a bidentate hydrogen bond interaction with the exocyclic oxygen atoms (C(3)-OH and C(7)-OH) similar to the observed interactions with the Sco GlgEI-V279S in a complex with AGV (PDB:7MGY). In addition, the data suggest replacing the cyclohexyl group with more isosteric and hydrogen bond-donating groups to increase binding interactions in the + 1 binding site.

Inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis EgtD target both substrate binding sites to limit hercynine production.

Ergothioneine (EGT) is a low molecular weight histidine betaine essential in all domains of life but only synthesized by selected few organisms. Synthesis of EGT by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) is critical for maintaining bioenergetic homeostasis and protecting the bacterium from alkylating agents, oxidative stress, and anti-tubercular drugs. EgtD, an S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferase (AdoMet), catalyzes the trimethylation of L-Histidine to initiate EGT biosynthesis and this reaction has been shown to be essential for EGT production in mycobacteria and for long-term infection of murine macrophages by M. tb. In this work, library screening and structure-guided strategies identified multiple classes of M. tb EgtD inhibitors that bind in various regions of the enzyme active site. X-ray crystal structures of EgtD-inhibitor complexes confirm that L-Histidine analogs bind solely to the L-Histidine binding site while drug-like inhibitors, such as TGX-221, and S-Glycyl-H-1152 span both the L-Histidine and AdoMet binding sites. These enzyme-inhibitor complexes provide detailed structural information of compound scaffolds useful for developing more potent inhibitors that could shorten Tuberculosis treatment regimens by weakening important bacterial defenses.

Total Synthesis of Tetrahydrolipstatin, Its Derivatives, and Evaluation of Their Ability to Potentiate Multiple Antibiotic Classes against Mycobacterium Species.

Tetrahydrolipstatin (THL, 1a) has been shown to inhibit both mammalian and bacterial α/ß hydrolases. In the case of bacterial systems, THL is a known inhibitor of several Mycobacterium tuberculosis hydrolases involved in mycomembrane biosynthesis. Herein we report a highly efficient eight-step asymmetric synthesis of THL using a route that allows modification of the THL α-chain substituent to afford compounds 1a through 1e. The key transformation in the synthesis was use of a (TPP)CrCl/Co2(CO)8-catalyzed regioselective and stereospecific carbonylation on an advanced epoxide intermediate to yield a trans-ß-lactone. These compounds are modest inhibitors of Ag85A and Ag85C, two α/ß hydrolases of M. tuberculosis involved in the biosynthesis of the mycomembrane. Among these compounds, 10d showed the highest inhibitory effect on Ag85A (34 ± 22 µM) and Ag85C (66 ± 8 µM), and its X-ray structure was solved in complex with Ag85C to 2.5 Å resolution. In contrast, compound 1e exhibited the best-in-class MICs of 50 µM (25 µg/mL) and 16 µM (8.4 µg/mL) against M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis H37Ra, respectively, using a microtiter assay plate. Combination of 1e with 13 well-established antibiotics synergistically enhanced the potency of few of these antibiotics in M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis H37Ra. Compound 1e applied at concentrations 4-fold lower than its MIC enhanced the MIC of the synergistic antibiotic by 2-256-fold. In addition to observing synergy with first-line drugs, rifamycin and isoniazid, the MIC of vancomycin against M. tuberculosis H37Ra was 65 µg/mL; however, the MIC was lowered to 0.25 µg/mL in the presence of 2.1 µg/mL 1e demonstrating the potential of targeting mycobacterial hydrolases involved in mycomembrane and peptidoglycan biosynthesis.

Stereoselective synthesis of a 4-⍺-glucoside of valienamine and its X-ray structure in complex with Streptomyces coelicolor GlgE1-V279S.

Glycoside hydrolases (GH) are a large family of hydrolytic enzymes found in all domains of life. As such, they control a plethora of normal and pathogenic biological functions. Thus, understanding selective inhibition of GH enzymes at the atomic level can lead to the identification of new classes of therapeutics. In these studies, we identified a 4-⍺-glucoside of valienamine (8) as an inhibitor of Streptomyces coelicolor (Sco) GlgE1-V279S which belongs to the GH13 Carbohydrate Active EnZyme family. The results obtained from the dose-response experiments show that 8 at a concentration of 1000 µM reduced the enzyme activity of Sco GlgE1-V279S by 65%. The synthetic route to 8 and a closely related 4-⍺-glucoside of validamine (7) was achieved starting from readily available D-maltose. A key step in the synthesis was a chelation-controlled addition of vinylmagnesium bromide to a maltose-derived enone intermediate. X-ray structures of both 7 and 8 in complex with Sco GlgE1-V279S were solved to resolutions of 1.75 and 1.83 Å, respectively. Structural analysis revealed the valienamine derivative 8 binds the enzyme in an E2 conformation for the cyclohexene fragment. Also, the cyclohexene fragment shows a new hydrogen-bonding contact from the pseudo-diaxial C(3)-OH to the catalytic nucleophile Asp 394 at the enzyme active site. Asp 394, in fact, forms a bidentate interaction with both the C(3)-OH and C(7)-OH of the inhibitor. In contrast, compound 7 disrupts the catalytic sidechain interaction network of Sco GlgE1-V279S via steric interactions resulting in a conformation change in Asp 394. These findings will have implications for the design other aminocarbasugar-based GH13-inhibitors and will be useful for identifying more potent and selective inhibitors.

Targeted Amino Acid Substitution Overcomes Scale-Up Challenges with the Human C5a-Derived Decapeptide Immunostimulant EP67.

EP67 is a second-generation, human C5a-derived decapeptide agonist of C5a receptor 1 (C5aR1/CD88) that selectively activates mononuclear phagocytes over neutrophils to potentiate protective innate and adaptive immune responses while potentially minimizing neutrophil-mediated toxicity. Pro7 and N-methyl-Leu8 (Me-Leu8) amino acid residues within EP67 likely induce backbone structural changes that increase potency and selective activation of mononuclear phagocytes over neutrophils versus first-generation EP54. The low coupling efficiency between Pro7 and Me-Leu8 and challenging purification by HPLC, however, greatly increase scale-up costs of EP67 for clinical use. Thus, the goal of this study was to determine whether replacing Pro7 and/or Me-Leu8 with large-scale amenable amino acid residues predicted to induce similar structural changes (cyclohexylalanine7 and/or leucine8) sufficiently preserves EP67 activity in primary human mononuclear phagocytes and neutrophils. We found that EP67 analogues had similar potency, efficacy, and selective activation of mononuclear phagocytes over neutrophils. Thus, replacing Pro7 and/or Me-Leu8 with large-scale amenable amino acid residues predicted to induce similar structural changes is a suitable strategy to overcome scale-up challenges with EP67.

Biochemical and microbiological evaluation of N-aryl urea derivatives against mycobacteria and mycobacterial hydrolases.

A focused library of 24 N-aryl urea derivatives was prepared and evaluated against serine esterases of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) Rv3802c and Mtb Ag85C. The members of the library were evaluated for both selectivity and mode of inhibition. Furan-based urea derivative 6c was found to be the most potent non-covalent inhibitor of Rv3802c with a K i value of 5.2 ± 0.7 µM. On the other hand, triazole-based ureas 10a and 10b selectively inhibited Ag85C irreversibly with a k inact/K i value of 2.3 ± 0.3 and 5.5 ± 0.4 × 10-3 µM-1 min-1, respectively. The library was also evaluated for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against two strains of Mtb, Mycobacterium smegmatis, and Mycobacterium abscessus. Compounds 4a and 4c were active against Mtb H37Rv mc26206 with MIC values of 3.12 and 1.5 µM, respectively. Closely related 4e showed similar activity against Mtb H37Rv mc26206 but also possessed activity against Mtb H37Ra, Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium abscessus. Compounds 4a, 4c, and 4e all contained a common 1-(cyclohexylmethyl)-3-phenylurea motif. In summary, we identified a selective non-covalent inhibitor of Rv3802c and covalently irreversible inhibitors of Ag85C as well as the 1-(cyclohexylmethyl)-3-phenylurea motif which showed activity against a variety of mycobacteria.

A FRET-Based Fluorogenic Trehalose Dimycolate Analogue for Probing Mycomembrane-Remodeling Enzymes of Mycobacteria.

The mycobacterial outer membrane, or mycomembrane, is essential for the viability and virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related pathogens. The mycomembrane is a dynamic structure, whose chemical composition and biophysical properties can change during stress to give an advantage to the bacterium. However, the mechanisms that govern mycomembrane remodeling and their significance to mycobacterial pathogenesis are still not well characterized. Recent studies have shown that trehalose dimycolate (TDM), a major glycolipid of the mycomembrane, is broken down by the mycobacteria-specific enzyme TDM hydrolase (Tdmh) in response to nutrient deprivation, a process which appears to modulate the mycomembrane to increase nutrient acquisition, but at the expense of stress tolerance. Tdmh activity thus balances the growth of M. tuberculosis during infection in a manner that is contingent upon host immunity. Current methods to probe Tdmh activity are limited, impeding the development of inhibitors and the investigation of the role of Tdmh in bacterial growth and persistence. Here, we describe the synthesis and evaluation of FRET-TDM, which is a fluorescence-quenched analogue of TDM that is designed to fluoresce upon hydrolysis by Tdmh and potentially other trehalose ester-degrading hydrolases involved in mycomembrane remodeling. We found that FRET-TDM was efficiently activated in vitro by recombinant Tdmh, generating a 100-fold increase in fluorescence. FRET-TDM was also efficiently activated in the presence of whole cells of Mycobacterium smegmatis and M. tuberculosis, but the observed signal was predominantly Tdmh-independent, suggesting that physiological levels of Tdmh are low and that other mycobacterial enzymes also hydrolyze the probe. The latter notion was confirmed by employing a native protein gel-based fluorescence assay to profile FRET-TDM-activating enzymes from M. smegmatis lysates. On the other hand, FRET-TDM was capable of detecting the activity of Tdmh in cells when it was overexpressed. Together, our data demonstrate that FRET-TDM is a convenient and sensitive in vitro probe of Tdmh activity, which will be beneficial for Tdmh enzymatic characterization and inhibitor screening. In more complex samples, for example, live cells or cell lysates, FRET-TDM can serve as a tool to probe Tdmh activity at elevated enzyme levels, and it may facilitate the identification and characterization of related hydrolases that are involved in mycomembrane remodeling. Our study also provides insights as to how the structure of FRET-TDM or related fluorogenic probes can be optimized to achieve improved specificity and sensitivity for detecting mycobacteria.

Synthesis and in Vitro Characterization of Trehalose-Based Inhibitors of Mycobacterial Trehalose 6-Phosphate Phosphatases.

α,α'-Trehalose plays roles in the synthesis of several cell wall components involved in pathogenic mycobacteria virulence. Its absence in mammalian biochemistry makes trehalose-related biochemical processes potential targets for chemotherapy. The trehalose 6-phosphate synthase (TPS)/trehalose 6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP) pathway, also known as the OtsA/OtsB2 pathway, is the major pathway involved in the production of trehalose in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). In addition, TPP is essential for Mtb survival. We describe the synthesis of α,α'-trehalose derivatives in the forms of the 6-phosphonic acid 4 (TMP), the 6-methylenephosphonic acid 5 (TEP), and the 6-N-phosphonamide 6 (TNP). These non-hydrolyzable substrate analogues of TPP were examined as inhibitors of Mtb, Mycobacterium lentiflavum (Mlt), and Mycobacterium triplex (Mtx) TPP. In all cases the compounds were most effective in inhibiting Mtx TPP, with TMP [IC50 =(288±32) µm] acting most strongly, followed by TNP [IC50 =(421±24) µm] and TEP [IC50 =(1959±261) µm]. The results also indicate significant differences in the analogue binding profile when comparing Mtb TPP, Mlt TPP, and Mtx TPP homologues.

Reduction of Feedback Inhibition in Homoserine Kinase (ThrB) of Corynebacterium glutamicum Enhances l-Threonine Biosynthesis.

l-Threonine is an important supplement in the food industry. It is currently produced through fermentation of Escherichia coli but requires additional purification steps to remove E. coli endotoxin. To avoid these steps, it is desirable to use Corynebacterium glutamicum, a microorganism generally regarded as safe. Engineering of C. glutamicum to increase production of l-threonine has mainly focused on gene regulation as well as l-threonine export or carbon flux depletion. In this study, we focus on the negative feedback inhibition produced by l-threonine on the enzyme homoserine kinase (ThrB). Although l-threonine binds to allosteric sites of aspartate kinase (LysC) and homoserine dehydrogenase (Hom), serving as a noncompetitive inhibitor, it acts as a competitive inhibitor on ThrB. This is problematic when attempting to engineer enzymes that are nonresponsive to increasing cellular concentrations of l-threonine. Using primary structure alignment as well as analysis of the Methanocaldococcus jannaschii ThrB (MjaThrB) active site in complex with l-threonine (inhibitor of ThrB) and l-homoserine (substrate of ThrB), a conserved active-site alanine residue (A20) in C. glutamicum ThrB (CglThrB) was predicted to be important for differential interactions with l-threonine and l-homoserine. Through site-directed mutagenesis, we show that one variant of C. glutamicum ThrB, CglThrB-A20G, retains wild-type enzymatic activity, with dramatically decreased feedback inhibition by l-threonine. Additionally, by solving the first Corynebacterium X-ray crystal structure of homoserine kinase, we can confirm that the changes in l-threonine affinity to the CglThrB-A20G active site derive from loss of van der Waals interactions.

Characterization of Tetrahydrolipstatin and Stereoderivatives on the Inhibition of Essential Mycobacterium tuberculosis Lipid Esterases.

Tetrahydrolipstatin (THL) is a covalent inhibitor of many serine esterases. In mycobacteria, THL has been found to covalently react with 261 lipid esterases upon treatment of Mycobacterium bovis cell lysate. However, the covalent adduct is considered unstable in some cases because of the hydrolysis of the enzyme-linked THL adduct resulting in catalytic turnover. In this study, a library of THL stereoderivatives was tested against three essential Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipid esterases of interest for drug development to assess how the stereochemistry of THL affects respective enzyme inhibition and allows for cross enzyme inhibition. The mycolyltransferase Antigen 85C (Ag85C) was found to be stereospecific with regard to THL; covalent inhibition occurs within minutes and was previously shown to be irreversible. Conversely, the Rv3802 phospholipase A/thioesterase was more accepting of a variety of THL configurations and uses these compounds as alternative substrates. The reaction of the THL stereoderivatives with the thioesterase domain of polyketide synthase 13 (Pks13-TE) also leads to hydrolytic turnover and is nonstereospecific but occurs on a slower, multihour time scale. Our findings suggest the stereochemistry of the ß-lactone ring of THL is important for cross enzyme reactivity, while the two stereocenters of the peptidyl arm can affect enzyme specificity and the catalytic hydrolysis of the ß-lactone ring. The observed kinetic data for all three target enzymes are supported by recently published X-ray crystal structures of Ag85C, Rv3802, and Pks13-TE. Insights from this study provide a molecular basis for the kinetic modulation of three essential M. tuberculosis lipid esterases by THL and can be applied to increase potency and enzyme residence times and enhance the specificity of the THL scaffold.