Gyrase Poisoning Research Articles

A novel high-throughput screening assay to discover bacterial DNA gyrase poisons

A novel high-throughput screening assay to discover bacterial DNA gyrase poisons

Evolution of YacG to safeguard DNA gyrase from external perturbation

Cells have evolved strategies to safeguard their genome integrity. We describe a mechanism to counter double strand breaks in the chromosome that involves the protection of an essential housekeeping enzyme from external agents. YacG is a DNA gyrase inhibitory protein from Escherichia coli that protects the bacterium from the cytotoxic effects of catalytic inhibitors as well as cleavage-complex stabilizers of DNA gyrase. By virtue of blocking the primary DNA binding site of the enzyme, YacG prevents the accumulation of double strand breaks induced by gyrase poisons. It also enables the bacterium to resist the growth-inhibitory property of novobiocin. Gyrase poison-induced oxidative stress upregulates YacG production, probably as a cellular response to counter DNA damage. YacG-mediated protection of the genome is specific for gyrase targeting agents as the protection is not observed from the action of general DNA damaging agents. YacG also intensifies the transcription stress induced by rifampicin substantiating the importance of gyrase activity during transcription. Although essential for bacterial survival, DNA gyrase often gets entrapped by external inhibitors and poisons, resulting in cell death. The existence of YacG to specifically protect an essential housekeeping enzyme might be a strategy adopted by bacteria for competitive fitness advantage.

Transcription activation by the resistance protein AlbA as a tool to evaluate derivatives of the antibiotic albicidin.

The rising numbers of fatal infections with resistant pathogens emphasizes the urgent need for new antibiotics. Ideally, new antibiotics should be able to evade or overcome existing resistance mechanisms. The peptide antibiotic albicidin is a highly potent antibacterial compound with a broad activity spectrum but also with several known resistance mechanisms. In order to assess the effectiveness of novel albicidin derivatives in the presence of the binding protein and transcription regulator AlbA, a resistance mechanism against albicidin identified in Klebsiella oxytoca, we designed a transcription reporter assay. In addition, by screening shorter albicidin fragments, as well as various DNA-binders and gyrase poisons, we were able to gain insights into the AlbA target spectrum. We analysed the effect of mutations in the binding domain of AlbA on albicidin sequestration and transcription activation, and found that the signal transduction mechanism is complex but can be evaded. Further demonstrating AlbA's high level of specificity, we find clues for the logical design of molecules capable of avoiding the resistance mechanism.

Novel and Structurally Diversified Bacterial DNA Gyrase Inhibitors Discovered through a Fluorescence-Based High-Throughput Screening Assay.

Bacterial DNA gyrase, a type IIA DNA topoisomerase that plays an essential role in bacterial DNA replication and transcription, is a clinically validated target for discovering and developing new antibiotics. In this article, based on a supercoiling-dependent fluorescence quenching (SDFQ) method, we developed a high-throughput screening (HTS) assay to identify inhibitors targeting bacterial DNA gyrase and screened the National Institutes of Health's Molecular Libraries Small Molecule Repository library containing 370,620 compounds in which 2891 potential gyrase inhibitors have been identified. According to these screening results, we acquired 235 compounds to analyze their inhibition activities against bacterial DNA gyrase using gel- and SDFQ-based DNA gyrase inhibition assays and discovered 155 new bacterial DNA gyrase inhibitors with a wide structural diversity. Several of them have potent antibacterial activities. These newly discovered gyrase inhibitors include several DNA gyrase poisons that stabilize the gyrase-DNA cleavage complexes and provide new chemical scaffolds for the design and synthesis of bacterial DNA gyrase inhibitors that may be used to combat multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens. Additionally, this HTS assay can be applied to screen inhibitors against other DNA topoisomerases.

Structure-Activity Relationship of Anti-Mycobacterium abscessus Piperidine-4-carboxamides, a New Class of NBTI DNA Gyrase Inhibitors.

Mycobacterium abscessus causes difficult-to-cure pulmonary infections. The bacterium is resistant to most anti-infective agents, including first line antituberculosis (anti-TB) drugs. MMV688844 (844) is a piperidine-4-carboxamide (P4C) with bactericidal properties against M. abscessus. We recently identified DNA gyrase as the molecular target of 844. Here, we present in silico docking and genetic evidence suggesting that P4Cs display a similar binding mode to DNA gyrase as gepotidacin. Gepotidacin is a member of the Novel Bacterial Topoisomerase Inhibitors (NBTIs), a new class of nonfluoroquinolone DNA gyrase poisons. Thus, our work suggests that P4Cs present a novel structural subclass of NBTI. We describe structure-activity relationship studies of 844 leading to analogues showing increased antibacterial activity. Selected derivatives were tested for their inhibitory activity against recombinant M. abscessus DNA gyrase. Further optimization of the lead structures led to improved stability in mouse plasma and increased oral bioavailability.

Towards Conformation-Sensitive Inhibition of Gyrase: Implications of Mechanistic Insight for the Identification and Improvement of Inhibitors.

Gyrase is a bacterial type IIA topoisomerase that catalyzes negative supercoiling of DNA. The enzyme is essential in bacteria and is a validated drug target in the treatment of bacterial infections. Inhibition of gyrase activity is achieved by competitive inhibitors that interfere with ATP- or DNA-binding, or by gyrase poisons that stabilize cleavage complexes of gyrase covalently bound to the DNA, leading to double-strand breaks and cell death. Many of the current inhibitors suffer from severe side effects, while others rapidly lose their antibiotic activity due to resistance mutations, generating an unmet medical need for novel, improved gyrase inhibitors. DNA supercoiling by gyrase is associated with a series of nucleotide- and DNA-induced conformational changes, yet the full potential of interfering with these conformational changes as a strategy to identify novel, improved gyrase inhibitors has not been explored so far. This review highlights recent insights into the mechanism of DNA supercoiling by gyrase and illustrates the implications for the identification and development of conformation-sensitive and allosteric inhibitors.

New fluoroquinolones/nitric oxide donor hybrids: design, synthesis and antitubercular activity

New nitric oxide (NO) donating fluoroquinolones/nitrate ester hybrids were prepared and their structures were characterized by various spectroscopic and analytical tools. The release of NO from the prepared nitrate esters was measured using the modified Griess colorimetric method. Evaluation of antitubercular activity showed that most of tested compounds exhibited comparable or higher activity than the parent fluoroquinolones. Compounds 2b, 3a, 4a, 5a, and 2d showed better activity than ciprofloxacin. Nevertheless, none of the new compounds were superior to the parent fluoroquinolones in terms of DNA cleavage stimulation in mycobacteria. The additional growth inhibition effect that is distinct from gyrase poisoning may be due to release of NO or enhancement of lipophilicity. These data are augmented by docking results where the docked compounds did not exert additional significant bindings over the parent fluoroquinolones.

Mechanism of Action of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Gyrase Inhibitors: A Novel Class of Gyrase Poisons.

Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of morbidity worldwide, and the incidences of drug resistance and intolerance are prevalent. Thus, there is a desperate need for the development of new antitubercular drugs. Mycobacterium tuberculosis gyrase inhibitors (MGIs) are napthyridone/aminopiperidine-based drugs that display activity against M. tuberculosis cells and tuberculosis in mouse models [Blanco, D., et al. (2015) Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 59, 1868-1875]. Genetic and mutagenesis studies suggest that gyrase, which is the target for fluoroquinolone antibacterials, is also the target for MGIs. However, little is known regarding the interaction of these drugs with the bacterial type II enzyme. Therefore, we examined the effects of two MGIs, GSK000 and GSK325, on M. tuberculosis gyrase. MGIs greatly enhanced DNA cleavage mediated by the bacterial enzyme. In contrast to fluoroquinolones (which induce primarily double-stranded breaks), MGIs induced only single-stranded DNA breaks under a variety of conditions. MGIs work by stabilizing covalent gyrase-cleaved DNA complexes and appear to suppress the ability of the enzyme to induce double-stranded breaks. The drugs displayed little activity against type II topoisomerases from several other bacterial species, suggesting that these drugs display specificity for M. tuberculosis gyrase. Furthermore, MGIs maintained activity against M. tuberuclosis gyrase enzymes that contained the three most common fluoroquinolone resistance mutations seen in the clinic and displayed no activity against human topoisomerase IIα. These findings suggest that MGIs have potential as antitubercular drugs, especially in the case of fluoroquinolone-resistant disease.

A new class of antibacterials, the imidazopyrazinones, reveal structural transitions involved in DNA gyrase poisoning and mechanisms of resistance.

Imidazopyrazinones (IPYs) are a new class of compounds that target bacterial topoisomerases as a basis for their antibacterial activity. We have characterized the mechanism of these compounds through structural/mechanistic studies showing they bind and stabilize a cleavage complex between DNA gyrase and DNA (‘poisoning’) in an analogous fashion to fluoroquinolones, but without the requirement for the water–metal–ion bridge. Biochemical experiments and structural studies of cleavage complexes of IPYs compared with an uncleaved gyrase–DNA complex, reveal conformational transitions coupled to DNA cleavage at the DNA gate. These involve movement at the GyrA interface and tilting of the TOPRIM domains toward the scissile phosphate coupled to capture of the catalytic metal ion. Our experiments show that these structural transitions are involved generally in poisoning of gyrase by therapeutic compounds and resemble those undergone by the enzyme during its adenosine triphosphate-coupled strand-passage cycle. In addition to resistance mutations affecting residues that directly interact with the compounds, we characterized a mutant (D82N) that inhibits formation of the cleavage complex by the unpoisoned enzyme. The D82N mutant appears to act by stabilizing the binary conformation of DNA gyrase with uncleaved DNA without direct interaction with the compounds. This provides general insight into the resistance mechanisms to antibiotics targeting bacterial type II topoisomerases.

A new class of antibacterials, the imidazopyrazinones, reveal structural transitions involved in DNA gyrase poisoning and mechanisms of resistance.

Imidazopyrazinones (IPYs) are a new class of compounds that target bacterial topoisomerases as a basis for their antibacterial activity. We have characterized the mechanism of these compounds through structural/mechanistic studies showing they bind and stabilize a cleavage complex between DNA gyrase and DNA (‘poisoning’) in an analogous fashion to fluoroquinolones, but without the requirement for the water–metal–ion bridge. Biochemical experiments and structural studies of cleavage complexes of IPYs compared with an uncleaved gyrase–DNA complex, reveal conformational transitions coupled to DNA cleavage at the DNA gate. These involve movement at the GyrA interface and tilting of the TOPRIM domains toward the scissile phosphate coupled to capture of the catalytic metal ion. Our experiments show that these structural transitions are involved generally in poisoning of gyrase by therapeutic compounds and resemble those undergone by the enzyme during its adenosine triphosphate-coupled strand-passage cycle. In addition to resistance mutations affecting residues that directly interact with the compounds, we characterized a mutant (D82N) that inhibits formation of the cleavage complex by the unpoisoned enzyme. The D82N mutant appears to act by stabilizing the binary conformation of DNA gyrase with uncleaved DNA without direct interaction with the compounds. This provides general insight into the resistance mechanisms to antibiotics targeting bacterial type II topoisomerases.

Targeting the gyrase of Plasmodium falciparum with topoisomerase poisons

Drug-resistant malaria poses a major public health problem throughout the world and the need for new antimalarial drugs is growing. The apicoplast, a chloroplast-like organelle essential for malaria parasite survival and with no counterpart in humans, offers an attractive target for selectively toxic new therapies. The apicoplast genome (plDNA) is a 35kb circular DNA that is served by gyrase, a prokaryotic type II topoisomerase. Gyrase is poisoned by fluoroquinolone antibacterials that stabilize a catalytically inert ternary complex of enzyme, its plDNA substrate, and inhibitor. We used fluoroquinolones to study the gyrase and plDNA of Plasmodium falciparum. New methods for isolating and separating plDNA reveal four topologically different forms and permit a quantitative exam of perturbations that result from gyrase poisoning. In keeping with its role in DNA replication, gyrase is most abundant in late stages of the parasite lifecycle, but several lines of evidence indicate that even in these cells the enzyme is present in relatively low abundance: about 1 enzyme for every two plDNAs or a ratio of 1 gyrase: 70kb DNA. For a spectrum of quinolones, correlation was generally good between antimalarial activity and gyrase poisoning, the putative molecular mechanism of drug action. However, in P. falciparum there is evidence for off-target toxicity, particularly for ciprofloxacin. These studies highlight the utility of the new methods and of fluoroquinolones as a tool for studying the in situ workings of gyrase and its plDNA substrate.

Synthesis of full length and truncated microcin B17 analogues as DNA gyrase poisons

Microcin B17 (MccB17) is a post-translationally modified peptide containing thiazole and oxazole heterocycles that interrupt the peptide backbone. MccB17 is capable of poisoning DNA gyrase through stabilization of the gyrase-DNA cleavage complex and has therefore attracted significant attention. Using a combination of Fmoc-strategy solid-phase peptide synthesis and solution-phase fragment assembly we have prepared a library of full-length and truncated MccB17 analogues to investigate key structural requirements for gyrase-poisoning activity. Synthetic peptides lacking the glycine-rich N-terminal portion of the full-length sequence showed strong stabilization of the gyrase-DNA cleavage complex with increased potency relative to the full-length sequences. This truncation, however, led to a decrease in antibacterial activity of these analogues relative to their full-length counterparts indicating a potential role of the N-terminal region of the natural product for cellular uptake.

Fragments of the Bacterial Toxin Microcin B17 as Gyrase Poisons

Fluoroquinolones are very important drugs in the clinical antibacterial arsenal; their success is principally due to their mode of action: the stabilisation of a gyrase-DNA intermediate (the cleavage complex), which triggers a chain of events leading to cell death. Microcin B17 (MccB17) is a modified peptide bacterial toxin that acts by a similar mode of action, but is unfortunately unsuitable as a therapeutic drug. However, its structure and mechanism could inspire the design of new antibacterial compounds that are needed to circumvent the rise in bacterial resistance to current antibiotics. Here we describe the investigation of the structural features responsible for MccB17 activity and the identification of fragments of the toxin that retain the ability to stabilise the cleavage complex.

Alternative interactions define gyrase specificity in the CcdB family

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules are small operons associated with stress response of bacteria. F-plasmid CcdB(F) was the first TA toxin for which its target, gyrase, was identified. Plasmidic and chromosomal CcdBs belong to distinct families. Conserved residues crucial for gyrase poisoning activity of plasmidic CcdBs are not conserved among these families. Here we show that the chromosomal CcdB(Vfi) from Vibrio fischeri is an active gyrase poison that interacts with its target via an alternative energetic mechanism. Changes in the GyrA14-binding surface of the Vibrio and F-plasmid CcdB family members illustrate neutral drift where alternative interactions can be used to achieve the same functionality. Differences in affinity between V. fischeri and F-plasmid CcdB for gyrase and their corresponding CcdA antitoxin possibly reflect distinct roles for TA modules located on plasmids and chromosomes.

Vibrio cholerae ParE2 Poisons DNA Gyrase via a Mechanism Distinct from Other Gyrase Inhibitors

DNA gyrase is an essential bacterial enzyme required for the maintenance of chromosomal DNA topology. This enzyme is the target of several protein toxins encoded in toxin-antitoxin (TA) loci as well as of man-made antibiotics such as quinolones. The genome of Vibrio cholerae, the cause of cholera, contains three putative TA loci that exhibit modest similarity to the RK2 plasmid-borne parDE TA locus, which is thought to target gyrase although its mechanism of action is uncharacterized. Here we investigated the V. cholerae parDE2 locus. We found that this locus encodes a functional proteic TA pair that is active in Escherichia coli as well as V. cholerae. ParD2 co-purified with ParE2 and interacted with it directly. Unlike many other antitoxins, ParD2 could prevent but not reverse ParE2 toxicity. ParE2, like the unrelated F-encoded toxin CcdB and quinolones, targeted the GyrA subunit and stalled the DNA-gyrase cleavage complex. However, in contrast to other gyrase poisons, ParE2 toxicity required ATP, and it interfered with gyrase-dependent DNA supercoiling but not DNA relaxation. ParE2 did not bind GyrA fragments bound by CcdB and quinolones, and a set of strains resistant to a variety of known gyrase inhibitors all exhibited sensitivity to ParE2. Together, our findings suggest that ParE2 and presumably its many plasmid- and chromosome-encoded homologues inhibit gyrase in a different manner than previously described agents.

Antimicrobial effects of H4‐(86–100), histogranin and related compounds – possible involvement of DNA gyrase

Histone-derived antimicrobial peptides have been identified in various organisms from plants to humans. The rat histone H4 mRNA variants, H4-v.1 and rat histogranin (HNr) mRNAs, were recently reported to be involved in the synthesis of H4-(86-100) and its related peptide HNr, respectively. Herein, the two peptides were investigated for putative antimicrobial activity and found to inhibit growth of gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria. Their inhibitory potencies in E. coli (LD(50): 3.48 and 4.34 microg x mL(-1)) are comparable to that of the antimicrobial peptide LL-37 (LD(50): 4.10 microg x mL(-1)). The antimicrobial activities of H4-(86-100) and HNr depend upon the integrity of the molecules, as precursors [H4-(84-102), pro-HNr] and fragments [bovine histogranin (HNb)-(1-13), HNb-(3-13), H4-(89-102) or OGP] are at least five times less potent than the parent peptides. Among various HN-like compounds, cyclo-(-Gly-pCl-Phe-Tyr-D-Arg) (compound 3) and N-5-guanidino pentanamide-(2R)-yl-2-N-(p-hydroxyphenylacetyl)-4-(p-chlorobenzoyl)-phenylene diamine (compound 8) display antimicrobial activities comparable to that of HNr. Interestingly, the antimicrobial activities of H4-(86-100), HNr and compound 3, like those of quinolone antibiotics acting as DNA gyrase poisons, are potentiated by ATP (1 mM) and coumermycin A1 (a DNA gyrase-linked ATPase inhibitor) and blocked by 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP, an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation) and fluoroacetic acid (a metabolic poison). Finally, in vitro experiments indicate that H4-(86-100), HNr, compound 3 and compound 8, but not HNb-(1-13) or HNb-(3-13), inhibit DNA gyrase-mediated supercoiling of pBR322 DNA. These data indicate that the naturally occurring H4-(86-100) and HNr display antimicrobial effects that involve a modulation of ATP-dependent DNA gyrase.

Gyrase inhibitors induce an oxidative damage cellular death pathway in Escherichia coli

Modulation of bacterial chromosomal supercoiling is a function of DNA gyrase-catalyzed strand breakage and rejoining. This reaction is exploited by both antibiotic and proteic gyrase inhibitors, which trap the gyrase molecule at the DNA cleavage stage. Owing to this interaction, double-stranded DNA breaks are introduced and replication machinery is arrested at blocked replication forks. This immediately results in bacteriostasis and ultimately induces cell death. Here we demonstrate, through a series of phenotypic and gene expression analyses, that superoxide and hydroxyl radical oxidative species are generated following gyrase poisoning and play an important role in cell killing by gyrase inhibitors. We show that superoxide-mediated oxidation of iron–sulfur clusters promotes a breakdown of iron regulatory dynamics; in turn, iron misregulation drives the generation of highly destructive hydroxyl radicals via the Fenton reaction. Importantly, our data reveal that blockage of hydroxyl radical formation increases the survival of gyrase-poisoned cells. Together, this series of biochemical reactions appears to compose a maladaptive response, that serves to amplify the primary effect of gyrase inhibition by oxidatively damaging DNA, proteins and lipids.

Molecular Basis of Gyrase Poisoning by the Addiction Toxin CcdB

Gyrase is an ubiquitous bacterial enzyme that is responsible for disentangling DNA during DNA replication and transcription. It is the target of the toxin CcdB, a paradigm for plasmid addiction systems and related bacterial toxin-antitoxin systems. The crystal structure of CcdB and the dimerization domain of the A subunit of gyrase (GyrA14) dictates an open conformation for the catalytic domain of gyrase when CcdB is bound. The action of CcdB is one of a wedge that stabilizes a dead-end covalent gyrase:DNA adduct. Although CcdB and GyrA14 form a globally symmetric complex where the two 2-fold axes of both dimers align, the complex is asymmetric in its details. At the centre of the interaction site, the Trp99 pair of CcdB stacks with the Arg462 pair of GyrA14, explaining why the Arg462Cys mutation in the A subunit of gyrase confers resistance to CcdB. Overexpression of GyrA14 protects Escherichia coli cells against CcdB, mimicking the action of the antidote CcdA.

Mg2+-mediated binding of 6-Substituted quinolones to DNA: relevance to biological activity

The interaction of a number of novel 6-substituted quinolone derivatives with DNA in the presence/absence of magnesium ions has been investigated by fluorometric techniques. The drug-single-stranded nucleic acid interaction is invariantly mediated by the metal ion. In all cases optimal complex formation is found at physiological Mg2+ concentration. From titrations at different [Mg2+] the binding constant for the ternary drug–DNA–Mg2+ complex (KT) has been evaluated. Interestingly, a good relationship is found between KT and gyrase poisoning activity of the test quinolones (IC50), which confirms that DNA-affinity of the quinolone, modulated by Mg2+, plays an important role in poisoning the cleavable gyrase–DNA complex and, consequently, in eliciting antibacterial activity in this family of drugs. The results obtained with different 6-substituted compounds supports the idea that position 6 of the drug, besides playing a pharmacokinetic role, is involved in recognition of the enzyme pocket. Our data do not support a mechanism of action based upon quinolone intercalation into B-DNA.

Modulation of gyrase-mediated DNA cleavage and cell killing by ATP.

An uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation, 2,4-dinitrophenol, and an aconitase inhibitor, fluoroacetic acid, both of which are known to lower the cellular ATP pool, protected Escherichia coli cells from the bactericidal actions of gyrase poisons including quinolone antibiotics, nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin, and the epipodophyllotoxins VP-16 and VM-26. Using purified E. coli DNA gyrase, we examined the effect of ATP on gyrase-mediated DNA cleavage in the presence of these gyrase poisons. ATP was shown to stimulate gyrase-mediated DNA cleavage from 10- to more than 100-fold in the presence of these gyrase poisons. ADP antagonized the stimulatory effect of ATP. Consequently, gyrase-mediated DNA cleavage induced by gyrase poisons is modulated by the ATP concentration/ADP concentration ([ATP]/[ADP]) ratio. Coumermycin A1, an inhibitor of the ATPase subunit of DNA gyrase, like ADP, also effectively antagonized the stimulatory effect of ATP on gyrase-mediated DNA cleavage induced by gyrase poisons. Furthermore, coumermycin A1, like DNP and fluoroacetic acid, also protected cells from the bactericidal action of gyrase poisons. In the aggregate, our results are consistent with the notion that the [ATP]/[ADP] ratio, through its modulatory effect on the gyrase-mediated DNA cleavage, is an important determinant of cellular susceptibility to gyrase poisons.