Validation of drug-like inhibitors against Mycobacterium tuberculosis L-aspartate α-decarboxylase using nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR)

PLoS One. 2012;7(9):e45947. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045947. Epub 2012 Sep 28.

Abstract

The catalytic activity of L-aspartate α-decarboxylase (ADC) is essential for the growth of several micro-organisms, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), and has triggered efforts for the development of pharmaceutically active compounds against tuberculosis. The present study is a continuation of our recent chemoinformatics-based design approach for identifying potential drug-like inhibitors against MtbADC. We report an NMR-based protocol that allows label-free and direct monitoring of enzymatic conversion, which we have combined with a systematic testing of reported and newly identified potential inhibitors against MtbADC. Quantification of enzymatic conversion in the absence and presence of inhibitors allowed for a relative measure of the inhibitory effect (k(rel)). Among the newly identified compounds, D-tartrate, L-tartrate, and 2,4-dihydroxypyrimidine-5-carboxylate were found to inhibit the enzyme with k(rel) values of 0.36, 0.38, and 0.54, respectively. In addition to the identification of potential building blocks for the development of therapeutic agents, the current study highlights the importance of electrostatic interactions governing enzyme-inhibitor binding.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antitubercular Agents / chemistry*
  • Antitubercular Agents / pharmacology*
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Glutamate Decarboxylase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Glutamate Decarboxylase / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / drug effects*
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / enzymology*
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Tuberculosis / drug therapy
  • Tuberculosis / enzymology
  • Tuberculosis / microbiology

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • aspartate-alpha-decarboxylase
  • Glutamate Decarboxylase

Grants and funding

KS acknowledges the funding support of the Ministry of Education (Grants R154-000-439-112 and R154-000-491-112) and the Biomedical Research Council (Grant R154-000-424-305) of Singapore. The graduate research scholarship for RS is provided by National University of Singapore. MF and WMN acknowledge the support from the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie (doctoral stipend for MF) and Jacobs University Bremen. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.