Carbohydrate-Templated Syntheses of Trifluoromethyl-Substituted MEP Analogues for the Study of the Methylerythritol Phosphate Pathway.

Trifluoromethyl analogues of methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) and 2-C-methyl-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate (MEcPP), natural substrates of key enzymes from the MEP pathway, were prepared starting from d-glucose as the chiral template to secure absolute configurations. The obligate trifluoromethyl group was inserted with complete diastereoselectivity using the Ruppert-Prakash nucleophile. Target compounds were assayed against the corresponding enzymes showing that trifluoro-MEP did not disrupt IspD activity, whereas trifluoro-MEcPP induced 40% inhibition of IspG at 1 mM.

Irreversible Inhibition of IspG, a Target for the Development of New Antimicrobials, by a 2-Vinyl Analogue of its MEcPP Substrate.

IspG (also called GcpE) is an oxygen-sensitive [4Fe-4S] enzyme catalyzing the penultimate step of the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway, a validated target for drug development. It converts 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol-2,4-cyclo-diphosphate (MEcPP) into (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl-1-diphosphate (HMBPP). The reaction, assimilated to a reductive dehydration, involves redox partners responsible for the formal transfer of two electrons to substrate MEcPP. The 2-vinyl analogue of MEcPP was designed to generate conjugated species during enzyme catalysis, with the aim of providing new reactive centers to be covalently trapped by neighboring amino acid residues. The synthesized substrate analogue displayed irreversible inhibition towards IspG. Furthermore, we have shown that electron transfer occurs prior to inhibition; this might designate conjugated intermediates as probable affinity tags through covalent interaction at the catalytic site. This is the first report of an irreversible inhibitor of the IspG metalloenzyme.

The Reductive Dehydroxylation Catalyzed by IspH, a Source of Inspiration for the Development of Novel Anti-Infectives.

The non-mevalonate or also called MEP pathway is an essential route for the biosynthesis of isoprenoid precursors in most bacteria and in microorganisms belonging to the Apicomplexa phylum, such as the parasite responsible for malaria. The absence of this pathway in mammalians makes it an interesting target for the discovery of novel anti-infectives. As last enzyme of this pathway, IspH is an oxygen sensitive [4Fe-4S] metalloenzyme that catalyzes 2H+/2e- reductions and a water elimination by involving non-conventional bioinorganic and bioorganometallic intermediates. After a detailed description of the discovery of the [4Fe-4S] cluster of IspH, this review focuses on the IspH mechanism discussing the results that have been obtained in the last decades using an approach combining chemistry, enzymology, crystallography, spectroscopies, and docking calculations. Considering the interesting druggability of this enzyme, a section about the inhibitors of IspH discovered up to now is reported as well. The presented results constitute a useful and rational help to inaugurate the design and development of new potential chemotherapeutics against pathogenic organisms.

Methylerythritol Phosphate Pathway: Enzymatic Evidence for a Rotation in the LytB/IspH-Catalyzed Reaction.

IspH/LytB, an oxygen-sensitive [4Fe-4S] enzyme, catalyzes the last step of the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway, a target for the development of new antimicrobial agents. This metalloenzyme converts (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate (HMBPP) into the two isoprenoid precursors: isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). Here, the synthesis of (S)-[4-2 H1 ]HMBPP and (R)-[4-2 H1 ]HMBPP is reported together with a detailed NMR analysis of the products formed after their respective incubation with E. coli IspH/LytB in the presence of the biological reduction system used by E. coli to reduce the [4Fe-4S] center. (S)-[4-2 H1 ]HMBPP was converted into [4-2 H1 ]DMAPP and (E)-[4-2 H1 ]IPP, whereas (R)-[4-2 H1 ]HMBPP yielded [4-2 H1 ]DMAPP and (Z)-[4-2 H1 ]IPP, hence providing the direct enzymatic evidence that the mechanism catalyzed by IspH/LytB involves a rotation of the CH2 OH group of the substrate to display it away from the [4Fe-4S].

Further Insight into Crystal Structures of Escherichia coli IspH/LytB in Complex with Two Potent Inhibitors of the MEP Pathway: A Starting Point for Rational Design of New Antimicrobials.

IspH, also called LytB, a protein involved in the biosynthesis of isoprenoids through the methylerythritol phosphate pathway, is an attractive target for the development of new antimicrobial drugs. Here, we report crystal structures of Escherichia coli IspH in complex with the two most potent inhibitors: (E)-4-mercapto-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate (TMBPP) and (E)-4-amino-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate (AMBPP) at 1.95 and 1.7 Šresolution, respectively. The structure of the E. coli IspH:TMBPP complex exhibited two conformers of the inhibitor. This unexpected feature was exploited to design and evolve new antimicrobial candidates in silico.

Isoprenoid Biosynthesis in Pathogenic Bacteria: Nuclear Resonance Vibrational Spectroscopy Provides Insight into the Unusual [4Fe-4S] Cluster of the E.†coli LytB/IspH Protein.

The LytB/IspH protein catalyzes the last step of the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway which is used for the biosynthesis of essential terpenoids in most pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, the MEP pathway is a target for the development of new antimicrobial agents as it is essential for microorganisms, yet absent in humans. Substrate-free LytB has a special [4Fe-4S](2+) cluster with a yet unsolved structure. This motivated us to use synchrotron-based nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) in combination with quantum chemical-molecular mechanical (QM/MM) calculations to gain more insight into the structure of substrate-free LytB. The apical iron atom of the [4Fe-4S](2+) is clearly linked to three water molecules. We additionally present NRVS data of LytB bound to its natural substrate, (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate (HMBPP) and to the inhibitors (E)-4-amino-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate and (E)-4-mercapto-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate.

pZMO7-Derived shuttle vectors for heterologous protein expression and proteomic applications in the ethanol-producing bacterium Zymomonas mobilis.

BACKGROUND: The ethanol-producing bacterium Zymomonas mobilis has attracted considerable scientific and commercial interest due to its exceptional physiological properties. Shuttle vectors derived from native plasmids have previously been successfully used for heterologous gene expression in this bacterium for a variety of purposes, most notably for metabolic engineering applications. RESULTS: A quantitative PCR (qPCR) approach was used to determine the copy numbers of two endogenous double stranded DNA plasmids: pZMO1A (1,647 bp) and pZMO7 (pZA1003; 4,551 bp) within the NCIMB 11163 strain of Z. mobilis. Data indicated pZMO1A and pZMO7 were present at ca. 3-5 and ca. 1-2 copies per cell, respectively. A ca. 1,900 bp fragment from plasmid pZMO7 was used to construct two Escherichia coli - Z. mobilis shuttle vectors (pZ7C and pZ7-184). The intracellular stabilities and copy numbers of pZ7C and pZ7-184 were characterized within the NCIMB 11163, ATCC 29191 and (ATCC 10988-derived) CU1 Rif2 strains of Z. mobilis. Both shuttle vectors could be stably maintained within the ATCC 29191 strain (ca. 20-40 copies per cell), and the CU1 Rif2 strain (ca. 2-3 copies per cell), for more than 50 generations in the absence of an antibiotic selectable marker. A selectable marker was required for shuttle vector maintenance in the parental NCIMB 11163 strain; most probably due to competition for replication with the endogenous pZMO7 plasmid molecules. N-terminal glutathione S-transferase (GST)-fusions of four endogenous proteins, namely the acyl-carrier protein (AcpP); 2-dehydro-3-deoxyphosphooctonate aldolase (KdsA); DNA polymerase III chi subunit (HolC); and the RNA chaperone protein Hfq; were successfully expressed from pZ7C-derived shuttle vectors, and their protein-protein binding interactions were analyzed in Z. mobilis ATCC 29191. Using this approach, proteins that co-purified with AcpP and KdsA were identified. CONCLUSIONS: We show that a shuttle vector-based protein affinity 'pull-down' approach can be used to probe protein interaction networks in Z. mobilis cells. Our results demonstrate that protein expression plasmids derived from pZMO7 have significant potential for use in future biological or biotechnological applications within Z. mobilis.

Inhibition of IspH, a [4Fe-4S]2+ enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of isoprenoids via the methylerythritol phosphate pathway.

The MEP pathway, which is absent in animals but present in most pathogenic bacteria, in the parasite responsible for malaria and in plant plastids, is a target for the development of antimicrobial drugs. IspH, an oxygen-sensitive [4Fe-4S] enzyme, catalyzes the last step of this pathway and converts (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate (HMBPP) into the two isoprenoid precursors: isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). A crucial step in the mechanism of this enzyme is the binding of the C4 hydroxyl of HMBPP to the unique fourth iron site in the [4Fe-4S](2+) moiety. Here, we report the synthesis and the kinetic investigations of two new extremely potent inhibitors of E. coli IspH where the OH group of HMBPP is replaced by an amino and a thiol group. (E)-4-Mercapto-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate is a reversible tight-binding inhibitor of IspH with K(i) = 20 ± 2 nM. A detailed kinetic analysis revealed that (E)-4-amino-3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl diphosphate is a reversible slow-binding inhibitor of IspH with K(i) = 54 ± 19 nM. The slow binding behavior of this inhibitor is best described by a one-step mechanism with the slow step consisting of the formation of the enzyme-inhibitor (EI) complex.

Measurement of carbon flux through the MEP pathway for isoprenoid synthesis by (31)P-NMR spectroscopy after specific inhibition of 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate reductase. Effect of light and temperature.

The methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) and the mevalonate pathways are the unique synthesis routes for the precursors of all isoprenoids. An original mean to measure the carbon flux through the MEP pathway in plants is proposed by using cadmium as a total short-term inhibitor of 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate (MEcDP) reductase (GcpE) and measuring the accumulation rate of its substrate MEcDP by (31) P-NMR spectroscopy. The MEP pathway metabolic flux was determined in spinach (Spinacia oleracea), pea (Pisum sativum), Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) and boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) leaves. In spinach, flux values were compared with the synthesis rate of major isoprenoids. The flux increases with light intensity (fourfold in the 200-1200 µmol m(-2) s(-1) PPFR range) and temperature (sevenfold in the 25-37 °C range). The relationship with the light and the temperature dependency of isoprenoid production downstream of the MEP pathway is discussed.

The bacterial protective armor against stress: The cis-trans isomerase of unsaturated fatty acids, a cytochrome-c type enzyme.

Bacteria have evolved several outstanding strategies to resist to compounds or factors that compromise their survival. The first line of defense of the cell against environmental stresses is the membrane with fatty acids as fundamental building blocks of phospholipids. In this review, we focus on a periplasmic heme enzyme that catalyzes the cis-trans isomerization of unsaturated fatty acids to trigger a decrease in the fluidity of the membrane in order to rapidly counteract the danger. We particularly detailed the occurrence of such cis-trans isomerase in Nature, the different stresses that are at the origin of the double bond isomerization, the first steps in the elucidation of the mechanism of this peculiar metalloenzyme and some aspects of its regulation.

Towards the sustainable discovery and development of new antibiotics.

An ever-increasing demand for novel antimicrobials to treat life-threatening infections caused by the global spread of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens stands in stark contrast to the current level of investment in their development, particularly in the fields of natural-product-derived and synthetic small molecules. New agents displaying innovative chemistry and modes of action are desperately needed worldwide to tackle the public health menace posed by antimicrobial resistance. Here, our consortium presents a strategic blueprint to substantially improve our ability to discover and develop new antibiotics. We propose both short-term and long-term solutions to overcome the most urgent limitations in the various sectors of research and funding, aiming to bridge the gap between academic, industrial and political stakeholders, and to unite interdisciplinary expertise in order to efficiently fuel the translational pipeline for the benefit of future generations.

Towards the sustainable discovery and development of new antibiotics.

An ever-increasing demand for novel antimicrobials to treat life-threatening infections caused by the global spread of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens stands in stark contrast to the current level of investment in their development, particularly in the fields of natural-product-derived and synthetic small molecules. New agents displaying innovative chemistry and modes of action are desperately needed worldwide to tackle the public health menace posed by antimicrobial resistance. Here, our consortium presents a strategic blueprint to substantially improve our ability to discover and develop new antibiotics. We propose both short-term and long-term solutions to overcome the most urgent limitations in the various sectors of research and funding, aiming to bridge the gap between academic, industrial and political stakeholders, and to unite interdisciplinary expertise in order to efficiently fuel the translational pipeline for the benefit of future generations.

Isoprenoid biosynthesis via the MEP pathway: in vivo Mössbauer spectroscopy identifies a [4Fe-4S]2+ center with unusual coordination sphere in the LytB protein.

The MEP pathway for the biosynthesis of isoprene units is present in most pathogenic bacteria, in the parasite responsible for malaria, and in plant plastids. This pathway is absent in animals and is accordingly a target for the development of antimicrobial drugs. LytB, also called IspH, the last enzyme of this pathway catalyzes the conversion of (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl diphosphate (HMBPP) into a mixture of isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) using an oxygen sensitive iron sulfur cluster. The exact nature of this iron sulfur cluster is still a matter of debate. We have used (57)Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy to investigate the LytB cluster in whole E. coli cells and in the anaerobically purified enzyme: In LytB an unusual [4Fe-4S](2+) cluster is attached to the protein by three conserved cysteines and contains a hexacoordinated iron linked to three sulfurs of the cluster and three additional oxygen or nitrogen ligands.

Accumulation of 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate in illuminated plant leaves at supraoptimal temperatures reveals a bottleneck of the prokaryotic methylerythritol 4-phosphate pathway of isoprenoid biosynthesis.

Metabolic profiling using phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance ((31)P-NMR) revealed that the leaves of different herbs and trees accumulate 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate (MEcDP), an intermediate of the methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway, during bright and hot days. In spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves, its accumulation closely depended on irradiance and temperature. MEcDP was the only (31)P-NMR-detected MEP pathway intermediate. It remained in chloroplasts and was a sink for phosphate. The accumulation of MEcDP suggested that its conversion rate into 4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl diphosphate, catalysed by (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl diphosphate synthase (GcpE), was limiting under oxidative stress. Indeed, O(2) and ROS produced by photosynthesis damage this O(2)-hypersensitive [4Fe-4S]-protein. Nevertheless, as isoprenoid synthesis was not inhibited, damages were supposed to be continuously repaired. On the contrary, in the presence of cadmium that reinforced MEcDP accumulation, the MEP pathway was blocked. In vitro studies showed that Cd(2+) does not react directly with fully assembled GcpE, but interferes with its reconstitution from recombinant GcpE apoprotein and prosthetic group. Our results suggest that MEcDP accumulation in leaves may originate from both GcpE sensitivity to oxidative environment and limitations of its repair. We propose a model wherein GcpE turnover represents a bottleneck of the MEP pathway in plant leaves simultaneously exposed to high irradiance and hot temperature.

Synthesis and Kinetic evaluation of an azido analogue of methylerythritol phosphate: a Novel Inhibitor of E. coli YgbP/IspD.

As multidrug resistant pathogenic microorganisms are a serious health menace, it is crucial to continuously develop novel medicines in order to overcome the emerging resistance. The methylerythritol phosphate pathway (MEP) is an ideal target for antimicrobial development as it is absent in humans but present in most bacteria and in the parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Here, we report the synthesis and the steady-state kinetics of a novel potent inhibitor (MEPN3) of Escherichia coli YgbP/IspD, the third enzyme of the MEP pathway. MEPN3 inhibits E. coli YgbP/IspD in mixed type mode regarding both substrates. Interestingly, MEPN3 shows the highest inhibitory activity when compared to known inhibitors of E. coli YgbP/IspD. The mechanism of this enzyme was also studied by steady-state kinetic analysis and it was found that the substrates add to the enzyme in sequential manner.

Isoprenoid biosynthesis in plant chloroplasts via the MEP pathway: direct thylakoid/ferredoxin-dependent photoreduction of GcpE/IspG.

In the methylerythritol phosphate pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis, the GcpE/IspG enzyme catalyzes the conversion of 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 2,4-cyclodiphosphate into (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl diphosphate. This reaction requires a double one-electron transfer involving a [4Fe-4S] cluster. A thylakoid preparation from spinach chloroplasts was capable in the presence of light to act as sole electron donor for the plant GcpE Arabidopsis thaliana in the absence of any pyridine nucleotide. This is in sharp contrast with the bacterial Escherichia coli GcpE, which requires flavodoxin/flavodoxin reductase and NADPH as reducing system and represents the first proof that the electron flow from photosynthesis can directly act in phototrophic organisms as reducer in the 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol 4-phosphate pathway, most probably via ferredoxin, in the absence of any reducing cofactor. In the dark, the plant GcpE catalysis requires in addition of ferredoxin NADP(+)/ferredoxin oxido-reductase and NADPH as electron shuttle.

Isoprenoid biosynthesis via the methylerythritol phosphate pathway: the (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl diphosphate reductase (LytB/IspH) from Escherichia coli is a [4Fe-4S] protein.

The last enzyme (LytB) of the methylerythritol phosphate pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis catalyzes the reduction of (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl diphosphate into isopentenyl diphosphate and dimethylallyl diphosphate. This enzyme possesses a dioxygen-sensitive [4Fe-4S] cluster. This prosthetic group was characterized in the Escherichia coli enzyme by UV/visible and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy after reconstitution of the purified protein. Enzymatic activity required the presence of a reducing system such as flavodoxin/flavodoxin reductase/reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate or the photoreduced deazaflavin radical.

Isoprenoid biosynthesis as a novel target for antibacterial and antiparasitic drugs.

The mevalonate-independent methylerythritol phosphate pathway is a long overlooked metabolic pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis. It is present in most bacteria, including pathogens and opportunistic pathogens, in some unicellular eukaryotes, including the parasite responsible for malaria, and in the chloroplasts of all phototrophic organisms. It represents an alternative to the mevalonate pathway, which is only present in animals, fungi, the plant cytoplasm, archaebacteria and some eubacteria. This biosynthetic pathway is thus a potential target for antibacterial and antiparasitic drugs. An isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase that differs from the previously known isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase found in all other organisms, including animals, was discovered in several Gram-positive bacteria possessing the mevalonate pathway, adding another target related to isoprenoid biosynthesis.