Crystal structures of trimethoprim-resistant DfrA1 rationalize potent inhibition by propargyl-linked antifolates

MN Lombardo, N G-Dayanandan, DL Wright… - ACS infectious …, 2016 - ACS Publications
MN Lombardo, N G-Dayanandan, DL Wright, AC Anderson
ACS infectious diseases, 2016ACS Publications
Multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, notably Escherichia coli and Klebsiella
pneumoniae, have become major health concerns worldwide. Resistance to effective
therapeutics is often carried by class I and II integrons that can confer insensitivity to
carbapenems, extended spectrum β-lactamases, the antifolate trimethoprim,
fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides. Specifically of interest to the study here, a prevalent
gene (dfr A1) coding for an insensitive dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) confers 190-or 1000 …
Multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, notably Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, have become major health concerns worldwide. Resistance to effective therapeutics is often carried by class I and II integrons that can confer insensitivity to carbapenems, extended spectrum β-lactamases, the antifolate trimethoprim, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides. Specifically of interest to the study here, a prevalent gene (dfrA1) coding for an insensitive dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) confers 190- or 1000-fold resistance to trimethoprim for K. pneumoniae and E. coli, respectively. Attaining inhibition of both the wild-type and resistant forms of the enzyme is critical for new antifolates. For several years, we have been developing the propargyl-linked antifolates (PLAs) as effective inhibitors against trimethoprim-resistant DHFR enzymes. Here, we show that the PLAs are active against both the wild-type and DfrA1 DHFR proteins. We report two high-resolution crystal structures of DfrA1 bound to potent PLAs. The structure–activity relationships and crystal structures will be critical in driving the design of broadly active inhibitors against wild-type and resistant DHFR.
ACS Publications