Arabinose 5-phosphate isomerase as a target for antibacterial design: studies with substrate analogues and inhibitors.

Structural requirements of D-arabinose 5-phosphate isomerase (KdsD, E.C. 5.

Targeting bacterial membranes: identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa D-arabinose-5P isomerase and NMR characterisation of its substrate recognition and binding properties.

The identification and characterisation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa KdsD (Pa-KdsD), a D-arabinose-5P isomerase involved in the biosynthesis of 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid and thus of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), are reported. We have demonstrated that KdsD is essential for P. aeruginosa survival and thus represents a key target for the development of novel antibacterial drugs.

Natural glycoconjugates with antitumor activity.

Cancer is one of the major causes of death worldwide. As a consequence, many different therapeutic approaches, including the use of glycosides as anticancer agents, have been developed. Various glycosylated natural products exhibit high activity against a variety of microbes and human tumors.

Targeting bacterial membranes: NMR spectroscopy characterization of substrate recognition and binding requirements of D-arabinose-5-phosphate isomerase.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an essential component of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria and consists of three elements: lipid A, the core oligosaccharide, and the O-antigen. The inner-core region is highly conserved and contains at least one residue of 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate (Kdo). Arabinose-5-phosphate isomerase (API) is an aldo-keto isomerase catalyzing the reversible isomerization of D-ribulose-5-phosphate (Ru5P) to D-arabinose-5-phosphate (A5P), the first step of Kdo biosynthesis.