Discovery of novel acetohydroxyacid synthase inhibitors as active agents against Mycobacterium tuberculosis by virtual screening and bioassay

J Chem Inf Model. 2013 Feb 25;53(2):343-53. doi: 10.1021/ci3004545. Epub 2013 Jan 30.

Abstract

Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) has been regarded as a promising drug target against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) as it catalyzes the biosynthesis of branched-chain amino acids. In this study, 23 novel AHAS inhibitors were identified through molecular docking followed by similarity search. The determined IC(50) values range from 0.385 ± 0.026 μM to >200 μM against bacterium AHAS. Five of the identified compounds show significant in vitro activity against H37Rv strains (MICs in the range of 2.5-80 mg/L) and clinical MTB strains, including MDR and XDR isolates. More impressively, compounds 5 and 7 can enhance the killing ability against macrophages infected pathogen remarkably. This study suggests our discovered inhibitors can be further developed as novel anti-MTB therapeutics targeting AHAS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetolactate Synthase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Acetolactate Synthase / metabolism
  • Antitubercular Agents / chemistry*
  • Antitubercular Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line
  • Humans
  • Macrophages / microbiology
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / drug effects*
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / enzymology*
  • Tuberculosis / drug therapy*
  • Tuberculosis / microbiology

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents
  • Acetolactate Synthase