Structural basis of DNA gyrase inhibition by antibacterial QPT-1, anticancer drug etoposide and moxifloxacin.

New antibacterials are needed to tackle antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Type IIA topoisomerases (topo2As), the targets of fluoroquinolones, regulate DNA topology by creating transient double-strand DNA breaks. Here we report the first co-crystal structures of the antibacterial QPT-1 and the anticancer drug etoposide with Staphylococcus aureus DNA gyrase, showing binding at the same sites in the cleaved DNA as the fluoroquinolone moxifloxacin.

Crystallization and initial crystallographic analysis of covalent DNA-cleavage complexes of Staphyloccocus aureus DNA gyrase with QPT-1, moxifloxacin and etoposide.

Fluoroquinolone drugs such as moxifloxacin kill bacteria by stabilizing the normally transient double-stranded DNA breaks created by bacterial type IIA topoisomerases. Previous crystal structures of Staphylococcus aureus DNA gyrase with asymmetric DNAs have had static disorder (with the DNA duplex observed in two orientations related by the pseudo-twofold axis of the complex). Here, 20-base-pair DNA homoduplexes were used to obtain crystals of covalent DNA-cleavage complexes of S.

Discovery and biochemical characterization of Plasmodium thioredoxin reductase inhibitors from an antimalarial set.

Plasmodium falciparum is the most prevalent and deadly species of the human malaria parasites, and thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) is an enzyme involved in the redox response to oxidative stress. Essential for P. falciparum survival, the enzyme has been highlighted as a promising target for novel antimalarial drugs.

Lead discovery for microsomal prostaglandin E synthase using a combination of high-throughput fluorescent-based assays and RapidFire mass spectrometry.

Microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) represents an attractive target for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and pain, being upregulated in response to inflammatory stimuli. Biochemical assays for prostaglandin E synthase activity are complicated by the instability of the substrate (PGH(2)) and the challenge of detection of the product (PGE(2)). A coupled fluorescent assay is described for mPGES-1 where PGH(2) is generated in situ using the action of cyclooxygenase 2 (Cox-2) on arachidonic acid.

Type IIA topoisomerase inhibition by a new class of antibacterial agents.

Despite the success of genomics in identifying new essential bacterial genes, there is a lack of sustainable leads in antibacterial drug discovery to address increasing multidrug resistance. Type IIA topoisomerases cleave and religate DNA to regulate DNA topology and are a major class of antibacterial and anticancer drug targets, yet there is no well developed structural basis for understanding drug action. Here we report the 2.

Development of an insect-cell-based assay for detection of kinase inhibition using NF-kappaB-inducing kinase as a paradigm.

Identification of small-molecule inhibitors by high-throughput screening necessitates the development of robust, reproducible and cost-effective assays. The assay approach adopted may utilize isolated proteins or whole cells containing the target of interest. To enable protein-based assays, the baculovirus expression system is commonly used for generation and isolation of recombinant proteins.

Discovery and optimisation of potent, selective, ethanolamine inhibitors of bacterial phenylalanyl tRNA synthetase.

High throughput screening of Staphylococcus aureus phenylalanyl tRNA synthetase (FRS) identified ethanolamine 1 as a sub-micromolar hit. Optimisation studies led to the enantiospecific lead 64, a single-figure nanomolar inhibitor. The inhibitor series shows selectivity with respect to the mammalian enzyme and the potential for broad spectrum bacterial FRS inhibition.

The antimicrobial natural product chuangxinmycin and some synthetic analogues are potent and selective inhibitors of bacterial tryptophanyl tRNA synthetase.

The antimicrobial natural product chuangxinmycin has been found to be a potent and selective inhibitor of bacterial tryptophanyl tRNA synthetase (WRS). A number of analogues have been synthesised. The interaction with WRS appears to be highly constrained, as only sterically smaller analogues afforded significant inhibition.

Design and synthesis of conformationally restricted eight-Membered ring diketones as potential serine protease inhibitors.

The design of conformationally restricted eight-membered ring diketones as transition state mimics of the mechanism of action of cyclotheonamides on serine proteases is described. Two target compounds are prepared from mutilin, derived from the natural product pleuromutilin. Compound 3 shows significant inhibition of plasmin and urokinase in enzyme rate assays, but an analogue 4 in which the amide moiety has been omitted does not.

Nanomolar inhibitors of Staphylococcus aureus methionyl tRNA synthetase with potent antibacterial activity against gram-positive pathogens.

Potent nanomolar inhibitors of Staphylococcus aureus methionyl tRNA synthetase have been derived from a file compound high throughput screening hit. Optimized compounds show excellent antibacterial activity against staphylococcal and enterococcal pathogens, including strains resistant to clinical antibiotics. Compound 11 demonstrated in vivo efficacy in an S.