New Therapeutic Candidates for the Treatment of Malassezia pachydermatis -Associated Infections.

The opportunistic pathogen Malassezia pachydermatis causes bloodstream infections in preterm infants or individuals with immunodeficiency disorders and has been associated with a broad spectrum of diseases in animals such as seborrheic dermatitis, external otitis and fungemia. The current approaches to treat these infections are failing as a consequence of their adverse effects, changes in susceptibility and antifungal resistance. Thus, the identification of novel therapeutic targets against M. pachydermatis infections are highly relevant. Here, Gene Essentiality Analysis and Flux Variability Analysis was applied to a previously reported M. pachydermatis metabolic network to identify enzymes that, when absent, negatively affect biomass production. Three novel therapeutic targets (i.e., homoserine dehydrogenase (MpHSD), homocitrate synthase (MpHCS) and saccharopine dehydrogenase (MpSDH)) were identified that are absent in humans. Notably, L-lysine was shown to be an inhibitor of the enzymatic activity of MpHCS and MpSDH at concentrations of 1 mM and 75 mM, respectively, while L-threonine (1 mM) inhibited MpHSD. Interestingly, L- lysine was also shown to inhibit M. pachydermatis growth during in vitro assays with reference strains and canine isolates, while it had a negligible cytotoxic activity on HEKa cells. Together, our findings form the bases for the development of novel treatments against M. pachydermatis infections.

Role of pipecolic acid in the biosynthesis of lysine in Rhodotorula glutinis.

The role of pipecolic acid in the biosynthesis of lysine was investigated in Rhodotorula glutinis, an aerobic red yeast. Supplementation of pipecolic acid in the minimal medium supported the growth of mutants lys2, lys3, and lys5; alpha-aminoadipic acid supported the growth of lys5; but neither alpha-aminoadipic acid nor pipecolic acid supported the growth of mutants MNNG42 and MNNG37. During the growth of the appropriate mutants, pipecolic acid was removed from the growth medium and the intracellular pool. In tracer experiments, radioactivity from [(14)C]pipecolic acid was selectively incorporated into the cellular lysine of lys5 and the wild-type strain. l-Pipecolic acid-dependent enzyme activity did not require any cofactor and was inhibited by mercuric chloride and potassium cyanide. This activity was present in the wild-type strain and all of the mutants tested and was repressed in mutant lys5 when grown in the presence of higher concentration of lysine. The reaction product of pipecolic acid was converted to saccharopine by lys5 enzyme in the presence of glutamate and reduced nicotin-amide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. Mutant MNNG37 lacked the saccharopine dehydrogenase activity, indicating that this step is involved in the conversion of alpha-aminoadipic acid and pipecolic acid to lysine. Mutants MNNG37 and MNNG42 accumulated a p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde-reacting product in the culture supernatant and in the intracellular pool. Chromatographic properties of the p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde adduct and that of the pipecolic acid-dependent reaction product were similar. The reaction product and the accumulation product were characterized on the basis of mass and absorption spectra as alpha-aminoadipic-semialdehyde, which in solution remains in equilibrium with Delta(1)-piperideine-6-carboxylic acid. Since alpha-aminoadipic-semialdehyde is a known intermediate of the alpha-aminoadipic acid pathway for the biosynthesis of lysine, it is concluded that pipecolic acid is converted to lysine in R. glutinis via alpha-aminoadipic-semialdehyde and saccharopine.