A Far-Red Molecular Rotor Fluorogenic Trehalose Probe for Live Mycobacteria Detection and Drug-Susceptibility Testing.

Increasing the speed, specificity, sensitivity, and accessibility of mycobacteria detection tools are important challenges for tuberculosis (TB) research and diagnosis. In this regard, previously reported fluorogenic trehalose analogues have shown potential, but their green-emitting dyes may limit sensitivity and applications in complex settings. Here, we describe a trehalose-based fluorogenic probe featuring a molecular rotor turn-on fluorophore with bright far-red emission (RMR-Tre).

A Bifunctional Chemical Reporter for in Situ Analysis of Cell Envelope Glycan Recycling in Mycobacteria.

In mycobacteria, the glucose-based disaccharide trehalose cycles between the cytoplasm, where it is a stress protectant and carbon source, and the cell envelope, where it is released as a byproduct of outer mycomembrane glycan biosynthesis and turnover. Trehalose recycling via the LpqY-SugABC transporter promotes virulence, antibiotic recalcitrance, and efficient adaptation to nutrient deprivation. The source(s) of trehalose and the regulation of recycling under these and other stressors are unclear.

A FRET-Based Fluorogenic Trehalose Dimycolate Analogue for Probing Mycomembrane-Remodeling Enzymes of Mycobacteria.

The mycobacterial outer membrane, or mycomembrane, is essential for the viability and virulence of and related pathogens. The mycomembrane is a dynamic structure, whose chemical composition and biophysical properties can change during stress to give an advantage to the bacterium. However, the mechanisms that govern mycomembrane remodeling and their significance to mycobacterial pathogenesis are still not well characterized.