Local Stabilization of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α Controls Intestinal Inflammation via Enhanced Gut Barrier Function and Immune Regulation.

Intestinal epithelial cells are adapted in mucosal hypoxia and hypoxia-inducible factors in these cells can fortify barrier integrity to support mucosal tissue healing. Here we investigated whether hypoxia-related pathways could be proposed as potential therapeutic targets for inflammatory bowel disease. We developed a novel hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor, CG-598 which stabilized HIF-1α in the gut tissue. Treatment of CG-598 did not affect extra-intestinal organs or cause any significant adverse effects such as erythropoiesis. In the experimental murine colitis model, CG-598 ameliorated intestinal inflammation with reduction of inflammatory lesions and pro-inflammatory cytokines. CG-598 treatment fortified barrier function by increasing the expression of intestinal trefoil factor, CD73, E-cadherin and mucin. Also, IL-10 and IL-22 were induced from lamina propria CD4+ T-cells. The effectiveness of CG-598 was comparable to other immunosuppressive therapeutics such as TNF-blockers or JAK inhibitors. These results suggest that CG-598 could be a promising therapeutic candidate to treat inflammatory bowel disease.

Structural Basis for Inhibitor-Induced Hydrogen Peroxide Production by Kynurenine 3-Monooxygenase.

Kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) inhibitors have been developed for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. The mechanisms of flavin reduction and hydrogen peroxide production by KMO inhibitors are unknown. Herein, we report the structure of human KMO and crystal structures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (sc) and Pseudomonas fluorescens (pf) KMO with Ro 61-8048. Proton transfer in the hydrogen bond network triggers flavin reduction in p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase, but the mechanism triggering flavin reduction in KMO is different. Conformational changes via π-π interactions between the loop above the flavin and substrate or non-substrate effectors lead to disorder of the C-terminal α helix in scKMO and shifts of domain III in pfKMO, stimulating flavin reduction. Interestingly, Ro 61-8048 has two different binding modes. It acts as a competitive inhibitor in scKMO and as a non-substrate effector in pfKMO. These findings provide understanding of the catalytic cycle of KMO and insight for structure-based drug design of KMO inhibitors.

Structural insights into the dimer-tetramer transition of FabI from Bacillus anthracis.

Enoyl-ACP reductase (ENR, also known as FabI) has received considerable interest as an anti-bacterial target due to its essentiality in fatty acid synthesis. All the FabI structures reported to date, regardless of the organism, are composed of homo-tetramers, except for two structures: Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus FabI (bcFabI and saFabI, respectively), which have been reported as dimers. However, the reason for the existence of the dimeric form in these organisms and the biological meaning of dimeric and tetrameric forms of FabI are ambiguous. Herein, we report the high-resolution crystal structure of a dimeric form of Bacillus anthracis FabI (baFabI) and the crystal structures of tetrameric forms of baFabI in the apo state and in complex with NAD+ and with NAD+-triclosan, at 1.7 Å, 1.85 Å, 1.96 Å, and 1.95 Å, respectively. Interestingly, we found that baFabI with a His6-tag at its C-terminus exists as a dimer, whereas untagged-baFabI exists as a tetramer. The His6-tag may block the dimer-tetramer transition, since baFabI has relatively short-length amino acids (255LG256) after the 310-helix η7 compared to those of FabI of other organisms. The dimeric form of baFabI is catalytically inactive, because the α-helix α5 occupies the NADH-binding site. During the process of dimer-tetramer transition, this α5 helix rotates about 55° toward the tetramer interface and the active site is established. Therefore, tetramerization of baFabI is required for cofactor binding and catalytic activity.

Small-molecule inhibitor binding to an N-acyl-homoserine lactone synthase.

Quorum sensing (QS) controls certain behaviors of bacteria in response to population density. In gram-negative bacteria, QS is often mediated by N-acyl-L-homoserine lactones (acyl-HSLs). Because QS influences the virulence of many pathogenic bacteria, synthetic inhibitors of acyl-HSL synthases might be useful therapeutically for controlling pathogens. However, rational design of a potent QS antagonist has been thwarted by the lack of information concerning the binding interactions between acyl-HSL synthases and their ligands. In the gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia glumae, QS controls virulence, motility, and protein secretion and is mediated by the binding of N-octanoyl-L-HSL (C8-HSL) to its cognate receptor, TofR. C8-HSL is synthesized by the acyl-HSL synthase TofI. In this study, we characterized two previously unknown QS inhibitors identified in a focused library of acyl-HSL analogs. Our functional and X-ray crystal structure analyses show that the first inhibitor, J8-C8, binds to TofI, occupying the binding site for the acyl chain of the TofI cognate substrate, acylated acyl-carrier protein. Moreover, the reaction byproduct, 5'-methylthioadenosine, independently binds to the binding site for a second substrate, S-adenosyl-L-methionine. Closer inspection of the mode of J8-C8 binding to TofI provides a likely molecular basis for the various substrate specificities of acyl-HSL synthases. The second inhibitor, E9C-3oxoC6, competitively inhibits C8-HSL binding to TofR. Our analysis of the binding of an inhibitor and a reaction byproduct to an acyl-HSL synthase may facilitate the design of a new class of QS-inhibiting therapeutic agents.

Crystal structure of metal-dependent allantoinase from Escherichia coli.

Allantoinase acts as a key enzyme for the biogenesis and degradation of ureides by catalyzing the conversion of (S)-allantoin into allantoate, the final step in the ureide pathway. Despite limited sequence similarity, biochemical studies of the enzyme suggested that allantoinase belongs to the amidohydrolase family. In this study, the crystal structure of allantoinase from Escherichia coli was determined at 2.1 A resolution. The enzyme consists of a homotetramer in which each monomer contains two domains: a pseudo-triosephosphate-isomerase barrel and a beta-sheet. Analogous to other enzymes in the amidohydrolase family, allantoinase retains a binuclear metal center in the active site, embedded within the barrel fold. Structural analyses demonstrated that the metal ions in the active site ligate one hydroxide and six residues that are conserved among allantoinases from other organisms. Functional analyses showed that the presence of zinc in the metal center is essential for catalysis and enantioselectivity of substrate. Both the metal center and active site residues Asn94 and Ser317 play crucial roles in dictating enzyme activity. These structural and functional features are distinctively different from those of the metal-independent allantoinase, which was very recently identified.