Biology subjects

Engelhart, C. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Engelhart, C. A..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Design and development of lysyl tRNA synthetase inhibitors, for the treatment of tuberculosis

There is currently a public health crisis due to the rise of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis cases, as well as the rise in number of deaths from tuberculosis. To achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of ending the tuberculosis epidemic by 2030, new treatments are urgently required. We previously reported the discovery of 49, a pre-clinical candidate that acted through inhibition of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis lysyl-tRNA synthetase (LysRS). In this report, the full medicinal chemistry program is reviewed from the original hit through to the optimised lead. The work was guided by the first crystal structure of M. tuberculosis LysRS. The physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties were optimised to afford compounds suitable for evaluation in mouse efficacy models of tuberculosis and with the potential for clinical development.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Common biological features of Mycobacterium tuberculosis MmpL3 inhibitors

MmpL3 is a promising new target for antitubercular drugs, but the microbiological properties of MmpL3 inhibitors are not fully understood. We compared the activity and mode of action of 11 structurally diverse compound series that target MmpL3. We confirmed activity was via MmpL3 using strains with differential expression of MmpL3. MmpL3 inhibitors had potent activity against replicating M. tuberculosis, with increased activity against intramacrophage bacilli and were rapidly bactericidal. MmpL3 inhibition induced cell wall stress concomitantly with a boost in ATP levels in M. tuberculosis. Mutation in MmpL3 conferred resistance to all series at different levels. Molecules did not negatively impact membrane potential, pH homeostasis or induce reactive oxygen species and were inactive against starved bacilli. Our study revealed common features related to the chemical inhibition of MmpL3, enabling the identification of off-target effects and highlighting the potential of such compounds as future drug candidates.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2021

A chemical-genetic map of the pathways controlling drug potency in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection is notoriously difficult to treat. Treatment efficacy is limited by Mtbs intrinsic drug resistance, as well as its ability to evolve acquired resistance to all antituberculars in clinical use. A deeper understanding of the bacterial pathways that govern drug efficacy could facilitate the development of more effective therapies to overcome resistance, identify new mechanisms of acquired resistance, and reveal overlooked therapeutic opportunities. To define these pathways, we developed a CRISPR interference chemical-genetics platform to titrate the expression of Mtb genes and quantify bacterial fitness in the presence of different drugs. Mining this dataset, we discovered diverse and novel mechanisms of intrinsic drug resistance, unveiling hundreds of potential targets for synergistic drug combinations. Combining chemical-genetics with comparative genomics of Mtb clinical isolates, we further identified numerous new potential mechanisms of acquired drug resistance, one of which is associated with the emergence of a multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in South America. Lastly, we make the unexpected discovery of an "acquired drug sensitivity." We found that the intrinsic resistance factor whiB7 was inactivated in an entire Mtb sublineage endemic to Southeast Asia, presenting an opportunity to potentially repurpose the macrolide antibiotic clarithromycin to treat TB. This chemical-genetic map provides a rich resource to understand drug efficacy in Mtb and guide future TB drug development and treatment.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2020

Re-discovery of PF-3845 as a new chemical scaffold inhibiting phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacteria tuberculosis (Mtb) remains the deadliest pathogenic bacteria worldwide. The search for new antibiotics to treat drug-sensitive as well as drug-resistant tuberculosis has become a priority. The essential enzyme phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (PheRS) is an antibacterial drug target because of the large differences between bacterial and human PheRS counterparts. In a high-throughput screening of 2148 bioactive compounds, PF-3845, which is a known inhibitor of human fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), was identified inhibiting Mtb PheRS at Ki [~]0.73 {+/-} 0.055 {micro}M. The inhibition mechanism was studied with enzyme kinetics, protein structural modelling and crystallography, in comparison to a PheRS inhibitor of the noted phenyl-thiazolylurea-sulfonamide class. The 2.3-[A] crystal structure of Mtb PheRS in complex with PF-3845 revealed its novel binding mode, in which a trifluoromethyl-pyridinylphenyl group occupies the Phe pocket while a piperidine-piperazine urea group binds into the ATP pocket through an interaction network enforced by a sulfate ion. It represents the first non-nucleoside bi-substrate competitive inhibitor of bacterial PheRS. PF-3845 inhibits the in vitro growth of Mtb H37Rv at [~]24 {micro}M, and the potency of PF-3845 increased against Mtb pheS-FDAS, suggesting on target activity in mycobacterial whole cells. PF-3845 does not inhibit human cytoplasmic or mitochondrial PheRSs in biochemical assay, which can be explained from the crystal structures. Further elaboration of the piperidine-piperazine urea moiety by medicinal chemistry effort will produce potential antibacterial lead with improved selectivity on the cellular level.

biochemistry↗