Design, Synthesis, and X-ray Crystallographic Studies of alpha-Aryl Substituted Fosmidomycin Analogues as Inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis 1-Deoxy-D-xylulose 5-Phosphate Reductoisomerase

• The natural antibiotic fosmidomycin acts via inhibition of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR), an essential enzyme in the non-mevalonate pathway of isoprenoid biosynthesis. Fosmidomycin is active on Mycobacterium tuberculosis DXR (MtDXR), but it lacks antibacterial activity probably because of poor uptake. alpha-Aryl substituted fosmidomycin analogues have more favorable physicochemical properties and are also more active in inhibiting malaria parasite growth. We have solved crystal structures of MtDXR in complex with 3,4-dichlorophenyl substituted fosmidomycin analogues; these show important differences compared to our previously described forsmidomycin-DXR complex. Our best inhibitor has an IC(50) = 0.15 mu M on MtDXR but still lacked activity in a mycobacterial growth assay (MIC > 32 mu g/mL). The combined results, however, provide insights into how DXR accommodates the new inhibitors and serve as an excellent starting point for the design of other novel and more potent inhibitors, particularly against pathogens where uptake is less of a problem, such as the malaria parasite.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Biokemi och molekylärbiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Andra medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Other Basic Medicine (hsv//eng)

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Veterinärmedicin -- Medicinsk biovetenskap (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Veterinary Science -- Medical Bioscience (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Cell and molecular biology

Cell- och molekylärbiologi

Chemistry

Kemi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)