Publication Abstract from PubMed
Mycobacteria have a unique cell wall consisting of mycolic acids, very-long-chain lipids that provide protection and allow the bacteria to persist within human macrophages. Inhibition of cell wall biosynthesis is fatal for the organism and a starting point for the discovery and development of novel antibiotics. We determined the crystal structures of KasA, a key enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of long-chain fatty acids, in its apo-form and bound to the natural product inhibitor thiolactomycin. Detailed insights into the interaction of the inhibitor with KasA and the identification of a polyethylene glycol molecule that mimics a fatty acid substrate of approximately 40 carbon atoms length, represent the first atomic view of a mycobacterial enzyme involved in the synthesis of long-chain fatty acids and provide a robust platform for the development of novel thiolactomycin analogs with high affinity for KasA.
Crystal structures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis KasA show mode of action within cell wall biosynthesis and its inhibition by thiolactomycin.,Luckner SR, Machutta CA, Tonge PJ, Kisker C Structure. 2009 Jul 15;17(7):1004-13. PMID:19604480[1]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
