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Tuberculosis is an infectious disease associated with significant mortality and morbidity worldwide, particularly in developing countries. The rise of antibiotic resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) urgently demands the development of new drug leads to tackle resistant strains. Fragment-based methods have recently emerged at the forefront of pharmaceutical development as a means to generate more effective lead structures, via the identification of fragment molecules that form weak but high quality interactions with the target biomolecule and subsequent fragment optimization. This review highlights a number of novel inhibitors of Mtb targets that have been developed through fragment-based approaches in recent years.

D-cycloserine is an antibiotic which targets sequential bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan biosynthesis enzymes: alanine racemase and D-alanine:D-alanine ligase. By a combination of structural, chemical and mechanistic studies here we show that the inhibition of D-alanine:D-alanine ligase by the antibiotic D-cycloserine proceeds via a distinct phosphorylated form of the drug. This mechanistic insight reveals a bimodal mechanism of action for a single antibiotic on different enzyme targets and has significance for the design of future inhibitor molecules based on this chemical structure.

We have purified a novel enzyme from eel white muscle which catalyzes the syntheses of imidazole dipeptides, such as carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine), anserine (beta-alanyl-pi-methyl-L-histidine), and balenine (ophidine; beta-alanyl-tau-methyl-L-histidine), directly from their precursors. The enzyme was purified 1130-fold from eel muscle by a series of column chromatographies. Although eel muscle contains a large amount of carnosine and only trace amounts of anserine and balenine, the anserine synthesizing activity was by far the highest. From gel permeation chromatography, the molecular mass of the enzyme was calculated to be 275kDa. SDS-PAGE of the purified enzyme represented a band around 43kDa, suggesting that the native enzyme is a hexamer or heptamer. The optimal pH and temperature were around 9.5 and 60 degrees C, respectively. K(m) values for beta-alanine and pi-methyl-L-histidine were 44 and 89mM, respectively. The enzyme was greatly activated by Zn(2+) and inhibited by EDTA. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of 25 residues of the purified enzyme showed 52% amino acid identity to 38-62 residues of zebrafish haptoglobin precursor. The purified enzyme also exhibited hydrolytic activity against these imidazole dipeptides.

A CCRF-CEM mutant, CEM-p, has been shown to exhibit resistance to methotrexate due to decreased methotrexate polyglutamate accumulation. To ascertain the mechanism(s) responsible for this phenotype, we analyzed FPGS and SLC19A1 mRNA expression, examined FPGS promoter activity, and determined nucleotide sequence of the FPGS promoter and full length cDNA from CCRF-CEM and CEM-p cells. We identified in FPGS from CEM-p cells three amino acid substitutions that altered the ATP binding P-loop, glutamate/folate binding, and a conserved domain located at the carboxyl-terminal. Our data demonstrated for the first time the importance of the highly conserved domain (VTGSLHLVGGV) located at the carboxyl-terminal for FPGS activity.

Recent characterization of chlamydial genes encoding functional peptidoglycan (PG)-synthesis proteins suggests that the Chlamydiaceae possess the ability to synthesize PG yet biochemical evidence for the synthesis of PG has yet to be demonstrated. The presence of D-amino acids in PG is a hallmark of bacteria. Chlamydiaceae do not appear to encode amino acid racemases however, a D-alanyl-D-alanine (D-Ala-D-Ala) ligase homologue (Ddl) is encoded in the genome. Thus, we undertook a genetics-based approach to demonstrate and characterize the D-Ala-D-Ala ligase activity of chlamydial Ddl, a protein encoded as a fusion with MurC. The full-length murC-ddl fusion gene from Chlamydia trachomatis serovar L2 was cloned and placed under the control of the arabinose-inducible ara promoter and transformed into a D-Ala-D-Ala ligase auxotroph of Escherichia coli possessing deletions of both the ddlA and ddlB genes. Viability of the E. coliDeltaddlADeltaddlB mutant in the absence of exogenous D-Ala-D-Ala dipeptide became dependent on the expression of the chlamydial murC-ddl thus demonstrating functional ligase activity. Domain mapping of the full-length fusion protein and site-directed mutagenesis of the MurC domain revealed that the structure of the full fusion protein but not MurC enzymatic activity was required for ligase activity in vivo. Recombinant MurC-Ddl exhibited substrate specificity for D-Ala. Chlamydia growth is inhibited by D-cycloserine (DCS) and in vitro analysis provided evidence for the chlamydial MurC-Ddl as the target for DCS sensitivity. In vivo sensitivity to DCS could be reversed by addition of exogenous D-Ala and D-Ala-D-Ala. Together, these findings further support our hypothesis that PG is synthesized by members of the Chlamydiaceae family and suggest that D-amino acids, specifically D-Ala, are present in chlamydial PG.

Background: The HE2 gene encodes a group of isoforms with similarities to the antimicrobial beta-defensins. We demonstrated earlier that the antimicrobial activity of HE2 proteins and peptides is salt resistant and structure dependent and involves permeabilization of bacterial membranes. In this study, we further characterize the antimicrobial properties of HE2 peptides in terms of the structural changes induced in E. coli and the inhibition of macromolecular synthesis., Methods: E. coli treated with 50 microg/ml of HE2alpha, HE2beta1 or HE2beta2 peptides for 30 and 60 min were visualized using transmission and scanning electron microscopy to investigate the impact of these peptides on bacterial internal and external structure. The effects of HE2alpha, HE2beta1 and HE2beta2 on E. coli macromolecular synthesis was assayed by incubating the bacteria with 2, 10 and 25 microg/ml of the individual peptides for 0-60 min and measuring the incorporation of the radioactive precursors [methyl-3H]thymidine, [5-3H]uridine and L-[4,5-3H(N)]leucine into DNA, RNA and protein. Statistical analyses using Student's t-test were performed using Sigma Plot software. Values shown are Mean +/- S.D., Results: E. coli treated with HE2alpha, HE2beta1 and HE2beta2 peptides as visualized by transmission electron microscopy showed extensive damage characterized by membrane blebbing, thickening of the membrane, highly granulated cytoplasm and appearance of vacuoles in contrast to the smooth and continuous membrane structure of the untreated bacteria. Similarly, bacteria observed by scanning electron microscopy after treating with HE2alpha, HE2beta1 or HE2beta2 peptides exhibited membrane blebbing and wrinkling, leakage of cellular contents, especially at the dividing septa, and external accumulation of fibrous materials. In addition, HE2alpha, HE2beta1 and HE2beta2 peptides inhibited E. coli DNA, RNA and protein synthesis., Conclusions: The morphological changes observed in E. coli treated with epididymal HE2 peptides provide further evidence for their membrane dependent mechanism of antibacterial action. HE2 C-terminal peptides can inhibit E. coli macromolecular synthesis, suggesting an additional mechanism of bacterial killing supplementary to membrane permeabilization.

A synthetic gene specifying a putative 3,4-dihydroxy-2-butanone 4-phosphate synthase of Candida albicans directed the synthesis of a 22.5 kDa peptide in a recombinant Escherichia coli strain. The recombinant protein was purified to apparent homogeneity by two chromatographic steps and was shown to catalyze the formation of L-3,4-dihydroxy-2-butanone 4-phosphate from ribulose 5-phosphate at a rate of 332 nmol mg(-1) min(-1). Hydrodynamic studies indicated a native molecular mass of 41 kDa in line with a homodimer structure. The protein was crystallized in its apoform. Soaking yielded crystals in complex with the substrate ribulose 5-phosphate. The structures were solved at resolutions of 1.6 and 1.7 angstroms, respectively, using 3,4-dihydroxy-2-butanone 4-phosphate synthase of E. coli for molecular replacement. Structural comparison with the orthologs of Magnaporthe grisea and Methanococcus jannaschii revealed a hitherto unknown conformation of the essential acidic active-site loop., (Copyright 2004 Elsevier Ltd.)

D-Cycloserine (DCS) targets the peptidoglycan biosynthetic enzymes D-alanine racemase (Alr) and D-alanine:D-alanine ligase (Ddl). Previously, we demonstrated that the overproduction of Alr in Mycobacterium smegmatis determines a DCS resistance phenotype. In this study, we investigated the roles of both Alr and Ddl in the mechanisms of action of and resistance to DCS in M. smegmatis. We found that the overexpression of either the M. smegmatis or the Mycobacterium tuberculosis ddl gene in M. smegmatis confers resistance to DCS, but at lower levels than the overexpression of the alr gene. Furthermore, a strain overexpressing both the alr and ddl genes displayed an eightfold-higher level of resistance. To test the hypothesis that inhibition of Alr by DCS decreases the intracellular pool of D-alanine, we determined the alanine pools in M. smegmatis wild-type and recombinant strains with or without DCS treatment. Alr-overproducing strain GPM14 cells not exposed to DCS displayed almost equimolar amounts of L- and D-alanine in the steady state. The wild-type strain and Ddl-overproducing strains contained a twofold excess of L- over D-alanine. In all strains, DCS treatment led to a significant accumulation of L-alanine and a concomitant decease of D-alanine, with approximately a 20-fold excess of L-alanine in the Ddl-overproducing strains. These data suggest that Ddl is not significantly inhibited by DCS at concentrations that inhibit Alr. This study is of significance for the identification of the lethal target(s) of DCS and the development of novel drugs targeting the D-alanine branch of mycobacterial peptidoglycan biosynthesis.

Screening and development of new antibiotic activities to counteract the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) human pathogenic bacteria has once again become a priority in human chemotherapy. Here we describe a novel mammalian cell culture-based screening platform for the detection of streptogramin antibiotics. Quinupristin-dalfopristin (Synercid), a synthetically modified streptogramin, is presently the sole effective agent in the treatment of some MDR nosocomial infections. A Streptomyces coelicolor transcriptional regulator (Pip) has been adapted to modulate reporter gene expression (SEAP, secreted alkaline phosphatase) in Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO) in response to streptogramin antibiotics. This CHO cell-based technology was more sensitive in detecting the production of the model streptogramin pristinamycin, from Streptomyces pristinaespiralis, than antibiogram tests using a variety of human pathogenic bacteria as indicator strains. The reporter system was able to detect pristinamycin compound produced by a single S. pristinaespiralis colony. The assay was rapid (17 hours) and could be carried out in a high-throughput 96-well plate assay format or a 24-well transwell set-up. This novel mammalian cell-based antibiotic screening concept enables detection of bioavailable and non-cytotoxic representatives of a particular class of antibiotics in a single assay and represents a promising alternative to traditional antibiogram-based screening programs.

The boundaries of the structural domains in peptide synthetases and the conformational changes related to catalysis were investigated by limited proteolysis of tyrocidine synthetase 1 (TY1). Four regions sensitive to proteolysis were detected (cleavage site at Arg13, Arg424, Arg509 and Arg602) that, in addition to an N-terminal extension, accurately delineate the domain boundaries of the adenylate-forming domain, the aminoacyl carrier domain, and the epimerisation domain. Limited proteolysis of an active N-terminal truncated deletion mutant, His6DeltaTY1, generated two stable and structurally independent subunits, corresponding to the subdomains of the adenylation domain. The structural integrity of the carrier domain was substantiated by its resistance to proteolytic degradation. Evidence is provided that the C-terminal "spacer" region with epimerising and/or condensing activity folds into an autonomous domain stable against degradation by limited proteoly sis. In the presence of substrates, reduced susceptibility to proteolysis was observed in the linker region connecting the subdomains of the adenylation domain, and corresponding to a peptide stretch of low electron density in the X-ray structure of the homologous firefly luciferase. Sequence analysis has shown that the respective linker contains conserved residues, whereas the linker regions connecting the structural domains are of low homology with a significant content of Pro, Ala, Glu and polar residues. A combination of kinetic and proteolytic studies using ATP analogues with substitutions in the phosphate chain, AMP-PcP, AMP-PNP and AMP-cPP, strongly suggests that the generation of a productive complex is associated with the ability of the beta, gamma-pyrophosphate moiety of ATP to adopt the proper active-site conformation. These data substantiate the observation that peptide synthetases undergo a series of conformational changes in the process of adenylate formation and product release., (Copyright 1999 Academic Press.)

The de novo purine synthesis inhibitor 5,10-dideazatetrahydrofolate (DDATHF) has previously been shown to inhibit the growth of mouse L1210 and human CCRF-CEM leukemia cells. The present study demonstrates that both the 6R and 6S diastereomers of DDATHF are also cytotoxic to mammalian cells in a stereospecific manner. The cytotoxic potency of (6R)-DDATHF (also known as Lometrexol) towards different cell lines varied by approximately 14-fold and that of (6S)-DDATHF by as much as 156-fold. Compared to (6R)-DDATHF, (6S)-DDATHF was 6.0- and 7.2-fold more cytotoxic to human WiDr colon adenocarcinoma and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, respectively, and only 1.5- and 2.0-fold more cytotoxic to human T24 bladder carcinoma and mouse L1210 leukemia cells, respectively. However, compared to (6S)-DDATHF, (6R)-DDATHF was 8.7- and 6.9-fold more cytotoxic to C3H/10T1/2 clone 8 and clone 16 mouse fibroblasts, respectively. Weak inhibition of aminoimidazolecarboximide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (AICARFT, EC 2.1.2.3) appeared to have little role in the cytotoxicity of DDATHF diastereomers to WiDr cells during a 24-h exposure. Although glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GARFT, EC 2.1.21) is the main biochemical target of DDATHF, DDATHF stereoisomers' cytotoxic potency showed no clear negative correlation with cellular GARFT levels. However, cellular folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS, EC 6.3.2.17) levels correlated with cytotoxic potency in a positive manner. Surprisingly, two enzyme-dose/DDATHF LD90-response curves were observed for FPGS corresponding to differences in (6R) and (6S)-DDATHF cytotoxic potency among the six cell lines studied.

Two successive steps in de novo purine biosynthesis are catalyzed by the enzymes 5-aminoimidazole ribonucleotide (AIR) carboxylase and 4-[(N-succinylamino)carbonyl]-5-aminoimidazole ribonucleotide (SAICAR) synthetase. Amino acid sequence alignments of the proteins from various sources suggested that several unusual differences exist within the structure and function of these enzymes. In vertebrates, a bifunctional enzyme (PurCE) catalyzes successive carboxylation and aspartylation steps of AIR to form SAICAR. This is in contrast to the three proteins, PurK, PurE, and PurC, from Escherichia coli which have recently been shown to require 2 equiv of ATP for the AIR to SAICAR conversion in the presence of physiological HCO3- concentrations (Meyer et al., 1992). A comparative study of these proteins has been initiated using a high-production, heterologous expression system for the Gallus gallus AIR carboxylase-SAICAR synthetase and yields purified enzyme following a two-step procedure. Selective assays have been developed for all the enzymatic activities of the bifunctional protein. The G. gallus AIR carboxylase has no ATP dependence and displays a Km for HCO3- that is 10-fold lower than that for the related PurE protein from E. coli, supporting the hypothesis that the two enzymes require different substrates. No common cofactors or metals are required for catalysis. Each catalytic activity has been shown to be independent by selective inactivation of SAICAR synthetase with the affinity agent 5'-[4-(fluorosulfonyl)benzoyl]-adenosine (FSBA) and inhibition of AIR carboxylase with a tight-binding inhibitor 4-nitro-5-aminoimidazole ribonucleotide (NAIR). The native protein aggregates, and limited proteolysis indicates that the global structure of the protein involves two independent folding domains, each containing a different catalytic site.