Bacterial Cell Wall Analogues Research Articles

Bacterial Cell Wall Analogue Peptides Control the Oligomeric States and Activity of the Glycopeptide Antibiotic Eremomycin: Solution NMR and Antimicrobial Studies.

For some time, glycopeptide antibiotics have been considered the last line of defense against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, vancomycin resistance of Gram-positive bacteria is an increasingly emerging worldwide health problem. The mode of action of glycopeptide antibiotics is essentially the binding of peptidoglycan cell-wall fragments terminating in the d-Ala-d-Ala sequence to the carboxylate anion binding pocket of the antibiotic. Dimerization of these antibiotics in aqueous solution was shown to persist and even to enhance the antibacterial effect in a co-operative manner. Some works based on solid state (ss) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) studies questioned the presence of dimers under the conditions of ssNMR while in a few cases, higher-order oligomers associated with contiguous back-to-back and face-to-face dimers were observed in the crystal phase. However, it is not proved if such oligomers persist in aqueous solutions. With the aid of 15N-labelled eremomycin using 15N relaxation and diffusion NMR methods, we observed tetramers and octamers when the N-Ac-d-Ala-d-Ala dipeptide was added. To the contrary, the N-Ac-d-Ala or (N-Ac)2-l-Lys-d-Ala-d-Ala tripeptide did not induce higher-order oligomers. These observations are interesting examples of tailored supramolecular self-organization. New antimicrobial tests have also been carried out with these self-assemblies against MRSA and VRE (resistant) strains.

Molecular Interactions between Glycopeptide Vancomycin and Bacterial Cell Wall Peptide Analogues

The molecular interactions of the glycopeptide antibiotic vancomycin (Van) with bacterial cell wall analogues N,N'-diacetyl-L-Lys-D-Ala-D-Ala (Ac(2) KdAdA) and N,N'-diacetyl-L-Lys-D-Ala-D-Lac (Ac(2) KdAdL) were investigated in neat water, phosphate buffer and HEPES buffer by using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The FCS determined dissociation constants (k(d)) show that the intrinsic binding affinity between Van and the drug-sensitive peptide ligand Ac(2)KdAdA remains invariant when the solvent is changed from neat water to either PBS or HEPES buffer; this demonstrates that there are no obvious solvent effects on the association between Van and Ac(2)KdAdA due to the strong intermolecular interaction between the two moieties. When compared to Ac(2)KdAdA, a significantly larger k(d) value was observed for the binding between the drug-resistant peptide ligand Ac(2)KdAdL and Van. Furthermore, the k(d) increased by about 8- to 11-times when the solvent was changed from neat water to 10 mM phosphate/HEPES buffer. The stability of the Ac(2)KdAdL-Van complex was dependent on the concentration of the buffer and k(d) increases as the concentration of either phosphate ions or HEPES increased until an equilibrium was attained. Both FCS and MD simulation studies clearly showed that the components constituting the buffer solution (e.g., phosphate ions and HEPES) are involved in molecular interactions with the binding pocket of Van and they profoundly affect the intrinsic stability of the complex formed between the low-affinity Ac(2)KdAdL and Van. These results could help us to better understand the detailed structure and activity of glycopeptide antibiotic derivatives toward bacterial cell wall peptide analogues, and can further facilitate the development of new drug candidates against drug-resistant bacterial strains.

Noncovalent interactions: defining cooperativity. Ligand binding aided by reduced dynamic behavior of receptors. Binding of bacterial cell wall analogues to ristocetin A.

Changes in the relative populations of the monomer and asymmetric dimer forms of ristocetin A, upon binding of two molecules of ligand, suggest that ligand binding is negatively cooperative with respect to dimerization. However, strong hydrogen bonds formed in the binding sites of the ligands are reinforced in the dimer relative to the monomer, and the barrier to dissociation of the dimer is increased upon binding of the ligands. It is concluded that the interactions which are common in the binding of both ligands are made with positive cooperativity with respect to those involved in dimerization. The conclusions are relevant to the binding of ligands to proteins, where ligand binding energy can be derived from stabilization of the protein in its ligand-bound form.

Cooperative binding interactions of glycopeptide antibiotics.

Glycopeptide antibiotics of the vancomycin group bind to bacterial cell wall analogue precursors, and typically also form dimers. We have studied the interplay between these two sets of noncovalent bonds formed at separate interfaces. Indole-2-carboxylic acid (L) forms a set of hydrogen bonds to the glycopeptide antibiotic chloroeremomycin (CE) that are analogous to those formed by N-Ac-D-Ala. The ligand/CE dimer interactions (in L/CE/CE/L) are shown to occur with positive cooperativity and structural tightening at the dimer interface. From theoretical considerations and from other data, it is inferred, but not proven, that in the exercise of positive cooperativity, the interface that will be tightened to the greatest degree is the one that lies in the shallowest free energy well.

Aggregation, binding, and dimerisation studies of a teicoplanin aglycone analogue (LY154989)Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: tables of 1H NMR assignments. See http://www.rsc.org/suppdata/p2/b1/b108273f/

LY154989 is a vancomycin group antibiotic closely related in structure to teicoplanin aglycone. In view of the clinical importance of teicoplanin, the dimerisation, aggregation, and binding of bacterial cell wall analogues by LY154989 are of interest. These properties have been studied by proton NMR spectroscopy. LY154989 has been shown to form concentration-dependent aggregates in aqueous solution, similar to those of teicoplanin, even though it does not possess a C11 acyl chain, which was hitherto thought to be the cause of this aggregation. The aggregation can be disrupted by the addition of bacterial cell wall precursor analogues such as Ac2-KDADA, Ac-DADA or Ac-DA. Thus, growing bacteria may disrupt aggregates of teicoplanin and LY154989. LY154989 dimerises weakly in aqueous solution and the dimerisation is weakly cooperative with ligand binding.

The synthesis and binding of N-terminal derivatives of vancomycin to a bacterial cell wall analogue

We report the synthesis of novel derivatives of the glycopeptide antibiotic vancomycin, modified at the N-terminus. Binding constants were measured for the association of these derivatives with the tripeptide analogue N,N-diacetyl-L-lysyl-D-alanyl-D-alanine. Replacement of the sp3 centre of the leucine residue of vancomycin with an sp2 centre resulted in weaker binding in all cases. These findings contrast with the relatively strong binding of some of the analogous derivatives previously obtained from ristocetin A. The reduction in the binding affinities of the vancomycin derivatives is attributed to a conformational change in the antibiotic which is not possible in the analogous derivatives of the aglycone of ristocetin.

Investigation of complexes between some glycopeptide antibiotics and bacterial cell‐wall analogues by electrospray‐ and capillary zone electrophoresis/electrospray‐mass spectrometry

Complexation in aqueous solutions between vancomycin, ristocetin A, teicoplanin and two bacterial cell-wall analogues, Ac2-L-Lys-D-Ala-D-Ala (tripeptide) and Ac-D-Ala-D-Ala (dipeptide) has been examined by positive-ion electrospray mass spectrometry (ES-MS) and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE)/ES-MS. The ES-MS data demonstrate that as well as complexes between monomeric antibiotics and either peptide, the investigated solutions contained complexes ranging from the simple homodimer of the antibiotic to a more complex association giving ions of the type [2(antibiotic) + 3(tripeptide) + 3H]3+. The same data also demonstrate that the homodimers of the investigated antibiotics are significantly suppressed in the presence of the tripeptide. The use of CZE/ES-MS made it evident that the complexes between the antibiotic and the tripeptide were present in the solution prior to their introduction into the ion source. The two sets of data are compared with existing UV difference spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance data on complexation and dimerization.

INDUCTION AND REGULATION OF MONOCYTE PROCOAGULANT ACTIVITY

Monocyte (MO) procoagulant activity (PCA) is induced by various stimuli including allogeneic stimulation, immunocomplexes, and bacterial products. Antigen-antibody complex stimulation therefore represents a pathway for MO PCA induction. Activation of MO PCA has been demonstrated in immunocomplex disease and could represent a major pathology in transplanted immunocomplex disease patients. Stimulation of monocytes via their FcRI receptor has been demonstrated to induce TNF and PGE2. This report demonstrates that stimulation of the high-density FcRI receptor-bearing (FcRI+) MO by resetting with anti-Rh coated erythrocytes also induces significant PCA levels (P less than 0.001). Muramyl dipeptide (MDP), a Gram-positive bacterial cell wall analogue, further increased PCA levels in the FcRI stimulated MO subpopulation (P less than 0.003). Although increased PCA levels were also induced in the FcRI- MO subpopulation by MDP (P less than 0.003), the FcRI+ MO responded with much greater levels of PCA and PGE2 (P less than 0.001). Greater PCA levels in the FcRI-positive MO subpopulation may indicate that stimulation of MO through their FcRI represents a different pathway from allogenic PCA activation, which can be augmented by subsequent bacterial challenge. A novel inhibitory effect of IL-4 on MO PCA induction is also demonstrated. IL-4 downregulated MO PCA levels either after isolation stimulation (55 +/- 19%), FcRI stimulation (57 +/- 12%), or FcRI plus MDP stimulation (60 +/- 13%). PCA and PGE2 levels were concomitantly downregulated by IL-4 both in the FcRI-stimulated, FcRI+ and in the MDP-stimulated FcRI- MO subpopulations. Since indomethacin blocked MDP induced MO PGE2 production without affecting MO PCA levels, PGE2 production is not required for FcRI-stimulated PCA induction.

1H n.m.r. studies of the structure of ristocetin A and of its complexes with bacterial cell wall analogues in aqueous solution

The conformation of ristocetin A in aqueous solution is shown to be very similar to that previously found in dimethyl sulphoxide solution. In particular, there is a cleft on one face which binds the carboxylate anion of bacterial cell wall analogues, and which is not fully accessible to the solvent. Binding studies with the analogues N-acetyl-D-alanyl-D-alanine and N,N-diacetyl-L-lysyl-D-alanyl-D-alanine indicate that the structures of the complexes with ristocetin A are also very similar to those previously found in dimethyl sulphoxide solution; again, there is very unusual behaviour of some amide protons. Two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser effect studies in D2O show that the Iysyl side chain is in a different orientation in aqueous solution to that found in dimethyl sulphoxide.