Inverse heavy enzyme isotope effects in methylthioadenosine nucleosidases.

Heavy enzyme isotope effects occur in proteins substituted with H-, C-, and N-enriched amino acids. Mass alterations perturb femtosecond protein motions and have been used to study the linkage between fast motions and transition-state barrier crossing. Heavy enzymes typically show slower rates for their chemical steps.

Genetic resistance to purine nucleoside phosphorylase inhibition in .

causes the most lethal form of human malaria and is a global health concern. The parasite responds to antimalarial therapies by developing drug resistance. The continuous development of new antimalarials with novel mechanisms of action is a priority for drug combination therapies.

Transition State Analogue Inhibitors of 5'-Deoxyadenosine/5'-Methylthioadenosine Nucleosidase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis 5'-deoxyadenosine/5'-methylthioadenosine nucleosidase (Rv0091) catalyzes the N-riboside hydrolysis of its substrates 5'-methylthioadenosine (MTA) and 5'-deoxyadenosine (5'-dAdo). 5'-dAdo is the preferred substrate, a product of radical S-adenosylmethionine-dependent enzyme reactions. Rv0091 is characterized by a ribocation-like transition state, with low N-ribosidic bond order, an N7-protonated adenine leaving group, and an activated but weakly bonded water nucleophile.

Dual inhibitors of the human blood-brain barrier drug efflux transporters P-glycoprotein and ABCG2 based on the antiviral azidothymidine.

The brain provides a sanctuary site for HIV due, in part, to poor penetration of antiretroviral agents at the blood-brain barrier. This lack of penetration is partially attributed to drug efflux transporters such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and ABCG2. Inhibition of both ABCG2 and P-gp is critical for enhancing drug accumulation into the brain.

Transition State Structure and Inhibition of Rv0091, a 5'-Deoxyadenosine/5'-methylthioadenosine Nucleosidase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

5'-Methylthioadenosine/S-adenosylhomocysteine nucleosidase (MTAN) is a bacterial enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of the N-ribosidic bond in 5'-methylthioadenosine (MTA) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH). MTAN activity has been linked to quorum sensing pathways, polyamine biosynthesis, and adenine salvage. Previously, the coding sequence of Rv0091 was annotated as a putative MTAN in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Binding Isotope Effects for para-Aminobenzoic Acid with Dihydropteroate Synthase from Staphylococcus aureus and Plasmodium falciparum.

Dihydropteroate synthase is a key enzyme in folate biosynthesis and is the target of the sulfonamide class of antimicrobials. Equilibrium binding isotope effects and density functional theory calculations indicate that the substrate binding sites for para-aminobenzoic acid on the dihydropteroate synthase enzymes from Staphylococcus aureus and Plasmodium falciparum present distinct chemical environments. Specifically, we show that para-aminobenzoic acid occupies a more sterically constrained vibrational environment when bound to dihydropteroate synthase from P.

Transition-state inhibitors of purine salvage and other prospective enzyme targets in malaria.

Malaria is a leading cause of human death within the tropics. The gradual generation of drug resistance imposes an urgent need for the development of new and selective antimalarial agents. Kinetic isotope effects coupled to computational chemistry have provided the relevant details on geometry and charge of enzymatic transition states to facilitate the design of transition-state analogs.