Mutations Reducing In Vitro Susceptibility to Novel LpxC Inhibitors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Interplay of Efflux and Nonefflux Mechanisms.

Upregulated expression of efflux pumps, lpxC target mutations, LpxC protein overexpression, and mutations in fabG were previously shown to mediate single-step resistance to the LpxC inhibitor CHIR-090 in P. aeruginosa Single-step selection experiments using three recently described LpxC inhibitors (compounds 2, 3, and 4) and mutant characterization showed that these mechanisms affect susceptibility to additional novel LpxC inhibitors. Serial passaging of P. aeruginosa wild-type and efflux pump-defective strains using the LpxC inhibitor CHIR-090 or compound 1 generated substantial shifts in susceptibility and underscored the interplay of efflux and nonefflux mechanisms. Whole-genome sequencing of CHIR-090 passage mutants identified efflux pump overexpression, fabG mutations, and novel mutations in fabF1 and in PA4465 as determinants of reduced susceptibility. Two new lpxC mutations, encoding A214V and G208S, that reduce susceptibility to certain LpxC inhibitors were identified in these studies, and we show that these and other target mutations differentially affect different LpxC inhibitor scaffolds. Lastly, the combination of target alteration (LpxCA214V) and upregulated expression of LpxC was shown to be tolerated in P. aeruginosa and could mediate significant decreases in susceptibility.

Identification and evaluation of novel acetolactate synthase inhibitors as antifungal agents.

High-throughput phenotypic screening against the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae revealed a series of triazolopyrimidine-sulfonamide compounds with broad-spectrum antifungal activity, no significant cytotoxicity, and low protein binding. To elucidate the target of this series, we have applied a chemogenomic profiling approach using the S. cerevisiae deletion collection. All compounds of the series yielded highly similar profiles that suggested acetolactate synthase (Ilv2p, which catalyzes the first common step in branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis) as a possible target. The high correlation with profiles of known Ilv2p inhibitors like chlorimuron-ethyl provided further evidence for a similar mechanism of action. Genome-wide mutagenesis in S. cerevisiae identified 13 resistant clones with 3 different mutations in the catalytic subunit of acetolactate synthase that also conferred cross-resistance to established Ilv2p inhibitors. Mapping of the mutations into the published Ilv2p crystal structure outlined the chlorimuron-ethyl binding cavity, and it was possible to dock the triazolopyrimidine-sulfonamide compound into this pocket in silico. However, fungal growth inhibition could be bypassed through supplementation with exogenous branched-chain amino acids or by the addition of serum to the medium in all of the fungal organisms tested except for Aspergillus fumigatus. Thus, these data support the identification of the triazolopyrimidine-sulfonamide compounds as inhibitors of acetolactate synthase but suggest that targeting may be compromised due to the possibility of nutrient bypass in vivo.

Topoisomerase Inhibitors Addressing Fluoroquinolone Resistance in Gram-Negative Bacteria.

Since their discovery over 5 decades ago, quinolone antibiotics have found enormous success as broad spectrum agents that exert their activity through dual inhibition of bacterial DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV. Increasing rates of resistance, driven largely by target-based mutations in the GyrA/ParC quinolone resistance determining region, have eroded the utility and threaten the future use of this vital class of antibiotics. Herein we describe the discovery and optimization of a series of 4-(aminomethyl)quinolin-2(1H)-ones, exemplified by 34, that inhibit bacterial DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV and display potent activity against ciprofloxacin-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. X-ray crystallography reveals that 34 occupies the classical quinolone binding site in the topoisomerase IV-DNA cleavage complex but does not form significant contacts with residues in the quinolone resistance determining region.

Molecular Probes for the Determination of Subcellular Compound Exposure Profiles in Gram-Negative Bacteria.

The Gram-negative cell envelope presents a formidable barrier to xenobiotics, and achieving sufficient compound exposure inside the cell is a key challenge for the discovery of new antibiotics. To provide insight on the molecular determinants governing compound exposure in Gram-negative bacteria, we developed a methodology leveraging a cyclooctyne-based bioorthogonal probe to assess compartment-specific compound exposure. This probe can be selectively localized to the periplasmic or cytoplasmic compartments of Gram-negative bacteria. Once localized, the probe is used to test azide-containing compounds for exposure within each compartment by quantifying the formation of click-reaction products by mass spectrometry. We demonstrate this approach is an accurate and sensitive method of determining compartment-specific compound exposure profiles. We then apply this technology to study the compartment-specific exposure profiles of a small panel of azide-bearing compounds with known permeability characteristics in Gram-negative bacteria, demonstrating the utility of the system and the insight it is able to provide regarding compound exposure within intact bacteria.