Lucile Moynié

Molecular Basis of Filtering Carbapenems by Porins from β-Lactam-resistant Clinical Strains of Escherichia coli

Integral membrane proteins known as porins are the major pathway by which hydrophilic antibiotics cross the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. Single point mutations in porins can decrease the permeability of an antibiotic, either by reduction of channel size or modification of electrostatics in the channel, and thereby confer clinical resistance. Here, we investigate four mutant OmpC proteins from four different clinical isolates of Escherichia coli obtained sequentially from a single patient during a course of antimicrobial chemotherapy. OmpC porin from the first isolate (OmpC20) undergoes three consecutive and additive substitutions giving rise to OmpC26, OmpC28, and finally OmpC33. The permeability of two zwitterionic carbapenems, imipenem and meropenem, measured using liposome permeation assays and single channel electrophysiology differs significantly between OmpC20 and OmpC33. Molecular dynamic simulations show that the antibiotics must pass through the constriction zone of porins with a specific orientation, where the antibiotic dipole is aligned along the electric field inside the porin. We identify that changes in the vector of the electric field in the mutated porin, OmpC33, create an additional barrier by “trapping” the antibiotic in an unfavorable orientation in the constriction zone that suffers steric hindrance for the reorientation needed for its onward translocation. Identification and understanding the underlying molecular details of such a barrier to translocation will aid in the design of new antibiotics with improved permeation properties in Gram-negative bacteria.

Structural Insights into the Mechanism and Inhibition of the β-Hydroxydecanoyl-Acyl Carrier Protein Dehydratase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Fatty acid biosynthesis is an essential component of metabolism in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. The fatty acid biosynthetic pathway of Gram-negative bacteria is an established therapeutic target. Two homologous enzymes FabA and FabZ catalyze a key step in fatty acid biosynthesis; both dehydrate hydroxyacyl fatty acids that are coupled via a phosphopantetheine to an acyl carrier protein (ACP). The resulting trans-2-enoyl-ACP is further polymerized in a processive manner. FabA, however, carries out a second reaction involving isomerization of trans-2-enoyl fatty acid to cis-3-enoyl fatty acid. We have solved the structure of Pseudomonas aeruginosa FabA with a substrate allowing detailed molecular insight into the interactions of the active site. This has allowed a detailed examination of the factors governing the second catalytic step. We have also determined the structure of FabA in complex with small molecules (so-called fragments). These small molecules occupy distinct regions of the active site and form the basis for a rational inhibitor design program.

Discovery of an Allosteric Inhibitor Binding Site in 3-Oxo-Acyl-Acp Reductase from Pseudomonas Aeruginosa

3-Oxo-acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) reductase (FabG) plays a key role in the bacterial fatty acid synthesis II system in pathogenic microorganisms, which has been recognized as a potential drug target. FabG catalyzes reduction of a 3-oxo-acyl-ACP intermediate during the elongation cycle of fatty acid biosynthesis. Here, we report gene deletion experiments that support the essentiality of this gene in P. aeruginosa and the identification of a number of small molecule FabG inhibitors with IC50 values in the nanomolar to low micromolar range and good physicochemical properties. Structural characterization of 16 FabG-inhibitor complexes by X-ray crystallography revealed that the compounds bind at a novel allosteric site located at the FabG subunit–subunit interface. Inhibitor binding relies primarily on hydrophobic interactions, but specific hydrogen bonds are also observed. Importantly, the binding cavity is formed upon complex formation and therefore would not be recognized by virtual screening approaches. The structure analysis further reveals that the inhibitors act by inducing conformational changes that propagate to the active site, resulting in a displacement of the catalytic triad and the inability to bind NADPH.

MOMP from Campylobacter jejuni is a trimer of 18-stranded β–barrel monomers with a Ca2+ ion bound at the constriction zone

The Gram-negative organism Campylobacter jejuni is the major cause of food poisoning. Unlike Escherichia coli, which has two major porins, OmpC and OmpF, C. jejuni has one, termed major outer membrane protein (MOMP) through which nutrients and antibiotics transit. We report the 2.1-Å crystal structure of C. jejuni MOMP expressed in E. coli and a lower resolution but otherwise identical structure purified directly from C. jejuni. The 2.1-Å resolution structure of recombinant MOMP showed that although the protein has timeric arrangement similar to OmpC, it is an 18-stranded, not 16-stranded, β-barrel. The structure has identified a Ca2 + bound at the constriction zone, which is functionally significant as suggested by molecular dynamics and single-channel experiments. The water-filled channel of MOMP has a narrow constriction zone, and single-molecule studies show a monomeric conductivity of 0.7 ± 0.2 nS and a trimeric conductance of 2.2 ± 0.2 nS. The ion neutralizes negative charges at the constriction zone, reducing the transverse electric field and reversing ion selectivity. Modeling of the transit of ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic of choice for treating Campylobacter infection, through the pore of MOMP reveals a trajectory that is dependent upon the presence metal ion.

Structure and Function of the PiuA and PirA Siderophore-Drug Receptors from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii.

ABSTRACT The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria presents an efficient barrier to the permeation of antimicrobial molecules. One strategy pursued to circumvent this obstacle is to hijack transport systems for essential nutrients, such as iron. BAL30072 and MC-1 are two monobactams conjugated to a dihydroxypyridone siderophore that are active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. Here, we investigated the mechanism of action of these molecules in A. baumannii. We identified two novel TonB-dependent receptors, termed Ab-PiuA and Ab-PirA, that are required for the antimicrobial activity of both agents. Deletion of either piuA or pirA in A. baumannii resulted in 4- to 8-fold-decreased susceptibility, while their overexpression in the heterologous host P. aeruginosa increased susceptibility to the two siderophore-drug conjugates by 4- to 32-fold. The crystal structures of PiuA and PirA from A. baumannii and their orthologues from P. aeruginosa were determined. The structures revealed similar architectures; however, structural differences between PirA and PiuA point to potential differences between their cognate siderophore ligands. Spontaneous mutants, selected upon exposure to BAL30072, harbored frameshift mutations in either the ExbD3 or the TonB3 protein of A. baumannii, forming the cytoplasmic-membrane complex providing the energy for the siderophore translocation process. The results of this study provide insight for the rational design of novel siderophore-drug conjugates against problematic Gram-negative pathogens.

Using the pimeloyl-CoA synthetase adenylation fold to synthesize fatty acid thioesters

Biotin is an essential vitamin in plants and mammals, functioning as the carbon dioxide carrier within central lipid metabolism. Bacterial pimeloyl-CoA synthetase (BioW) acts as a highly specific substrate-selection gate, ensuring the integrity of the carbon chain in biotin synthesis. BioW catalyzes the condensation of pimelic acid (C7 dicarboxylic acid) with CoASH in an ATP-dependent manner to form pimeloyl-CoA, the first dedicated biotin building block. Multiple structures of Bacillus subtilis BioW together capture all three substrates, as well as the intermediate pimeloyl-adenylate and product pyrophosphate (PPi), indicating that the enzyme uses an internal ruler to select the correct dicarboxylic acid substrate. Both the catalytic mechanism and the surprising stability of the adenylate intermediate were rationalized through site-directed mutagenesis. Building on this understanding, BioW was engineered to synthesize high-value heptanoyl (C7) and octanoyl (C8) monocarboxylic acid-CoA and C8 dicarboxylic-CoA products, highlighting the enzymes synthetic potential.

The TonB-receptor repertoire of Pseudomonas aeruginosa for the uptake of siderophore-drug conjugates

ABSTRACT The conjugation of siderophores to antimicrobial molecules is an attractive strategy to overcome the low outer membrane permeability of Gram-negative bacteria. In this Trojan horse approach, the transport of drug conjugates is redirected via TonB-dependent receptors (TBDR), which are involved in the uptake of essential nutrients, including iron. Previous reports have demonstrated the involvement of the TBDRs PiuA and PirA from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and their orthologues in Acinetobacter baumannii in the uptake of siderophore-beta-lactam drug conjugates. By in silico screening, we further identified a PiuA orthologue, termed PiuD, present in clinical isolates, including strain LESB58. The piuD gene in LESB58 is located at the same genetic locus as piuA in strain PAO1. PiuD has a similar crystal structure as PiuA and is involved in the transport of the siderophore-drug conjugates BAL30072, MC-1, and cefiderocol in strain LESB58. To screen for additional siderophore-drug uptake systems, we overexpressed 28 of the 34 TBDRs of strain PAO1 and identified PfuA, OptE, OptJ, and the pyochelin receptor FptA as novel TBDRs conferring increased susceptibility to siderophore-drug conjugates. The existence of a TBDR repertoire in P. aeruginosa able to transport siderophore-drug molecules potentially decreases the likelihood of resistance emergence during therapy.

A key role for the periplasmic PfeE esterase in iron acquisition via the siderophore Enterobactin in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Enterobactin (ENT) is a siderophore (iron-chelating compound) produced by Escherichia coli to gain access to iron, an indispensable nutrient for bacterial growth. ENT is used as an exosiderophore by Pseudomonas aeruginosa with transport of ferri-ENT across the outer membrane by the PfeA transporter. Next to the pfeA gene on the chromosome is localized a gene encoding for an esterase, PfeE, whose transcription is regulated, as for pfeA, by the presence of ENT in bacterial environment. Purified PfeE hydrolyzed ferri-ENT into three molecules of 2,3-DHBS (2,3-dihydroxybenzoylserine) still complexed with ferric iron, and complete dissociation of iron from ENT chelating groups was only possible in the presence of both PfeE and an iron reducer, such as DTT. The crystal structure of PfeE and an inactive PfeE mutant complexed with ferri-ENT or a nonhydrolyzable ferri-catechol complex allowed identification of the enzyme binding site and the catalytic triad. Finally, cell fractionation and fluorescence microscopy showed periplasmic localization of PfeE in P. aeruginosa cells. Thus, the molecular mechanism of iron dissociation from ENT in P. aeruginosa differs from that previously described in E. coli. In P. aeruginosa, siderophore hydrolysis occurs in the periplasm, with ENT never reaching the bacterial cytoplasm. In E. coli, ferri-ENT crosses the inner membrane via the ABC transporter FepBCD and ferri-ENT is hydrolyzed by the esterase Fes only once it is in the cytoplasm.

A Substrate Mimic Allows High-Throughput Assay of the FabA Protein and Consequently the Identification of a Novel Inhibitor of Pseudomonas aeruginosa FabA

Eukaryotes and prokaryotes possess fatty acid synthase (FAS) biosynthetic pathways that comprise iterative chain elongation, reduction, and dehydration reactions. The bacterial FASII pathway differs significantly from human FAS pathways and is a long-standing target for antibiotic development against Gram-negative bacteria due to differences from the human FAS, and several existing antibacterial agents are known to inhibit FASII enzymes. N-Acetylcysteamine (NAC) fatty acid thioesters have been used as mimics of the natural acyl carrier protein pathway intermediates to assay FASII enzymes, and we now report an assay of FabV from Pseudomonas aeruginosa using (E)-2-decenoyl-NAC. In addition, we have converted an existing UV absorbance assay for FabA, the bifunctional dehydration/epimerization enzyme and key target in the FASII pathway, into a high-throughput enzyme coupled fluorescence assay that has been employed to screen a library of diverse small molecules. With this approach, N-(4-chlorobenzyl)-3-(2-furyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-amine (N42FTA) was found to competitively inhibit (pIC50 = 5.7 ± 0.2) the processing of 3-hydroxydecanoyl-NAC by P. aeruginosa FabA. N42FTA was shown to be potent in blocking crosslinking of Escherichia coli acyl carrier protein and FabA, a direct mimic of the biological process. The co-complex structure of N42FTA with P. aeruginosa FabA protein rationalises affinity and suggests future design opportunities. Employing NAC fatty acid mimics to develop further high-throughput assays for individual enzymes in the FASII pathway should aid in the discovery of new antimicrobials.

Structural studies of proteins involved in the activity of novel antibiotics

The emergence of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria such as P. aeruginosa has become a growing challenge for developing new drugs. One of the strategies recently used to improve the efficacy of the antibiotics is to increase their uptake by exploiting bacterial transport systems such as the siderophore-mediated iron acquisition system. BAL30072, a new monosulfactam conjugated to a siderophore moiety has been shown to have potent activity against many Gram-negative bacteria [1]. Several proteins affecting susceptibility to this antibiotic have been identified in Pseudomonas aeruginosa [2]. As part of the Translocation project (Innovative Medicines Initiative), we have undertaken structural studies of these proteins and have solved the three dimensional structures of two of these targets. The structure of PiuA, a TonB-dependent siderophore transporter involved in the uptake of siderophore antibiotics across the outer membrane [2,3] has been solved to a resolution of 1.9 Å. The structure of PiuC, an Fe(II)/α-ketoglutaratedependent dioxygenase, has been solved to a resolution of 2.6 Å. The structural and biochemical studies of these proteins will help us to understand the mode of action of these novel antibiotics and subsequently help to design new drugs acting against multidrugresistant bacteria.