Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) survives under oxidatively hostile environments encountered inside host phagocytes. To protect itself from oxidative stress, Mtb produces millimolar concentrations of mycothiol (MSH), which functions as a major cytoplasmic redox buffer. Here, we introduce a novel system for real-time imaging of mycothiol redox potential (EMSH) within Mtb cells during infection. We demonstrate that coupling of Mtb MSH-dependent oxidoreductase (mycoredoxin-1; Mrx1) to redox-sensitive GFP (roGFP2; Mrx1-roGFP2) allowed measurement of dynamic changes in intramycobacterial EMSH with unprecedented sensitivity and specificity. Using Mrx1-roGFP2, we report the first quantitative measurements of EMSH in diverse mycobacterial species, genetic mutants, and drug-resistant patient isolates. These cellular studies reveal, for the first time, that the environment inside macrophages and sub-vacuolar compartments induces heterogeneity in EMSH of the Mtb population. Further application of this new biosensor demonstrates that treatment of Mtb infected macrophage with anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs induces oxidative shift in EMSH, suggesting that the intramacrophage milieu and antibiotics cooperatively disrupt the MSH homeostasis to exert efficient Mtb killing. Lastly, we analyze the membrane integrity of Mtb cells with varied EMSH during infection and show that subpopulation with higher EMSH are susceptible to clinically relevant antibiotics, whereas lower EMSH promotes antibiotic tolerance. Together, these data suggest the importance of MSH redox signaling in modulating mycobacterial survival following treatment with anti-TB drugs. We anticipate that Mrx1-roGFP2 will be a major contributor to our understanding of redox biology of Mtb and will lead to novel strategies to target redox metabolism for controlling Mtb persistence.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis adenosine 5′-phosphosulfate (APS) reductase is an iron-sulfur protein and a validated target to develop new anti-tubercular agents, particularly for the treatment of latent infection. To facilitate the development of potent and specific inhibitors of APS reductase, we have probed the molecular determinants that underlie binding and specificity through a series of substrate and product analogs. Our study highlights the importance of specific substitutent groups for substrate binding and provides functional evidence for ligand-specific conformational states. An active site model has been developed for M. tuberculosis APS reductase that is in accord with the results presented here as well as prior structural data reported for Pseudomonas aeruginosa APS reductase and related enzymes. This model illustrates the functional features required for the interaction of APS reductase with a ligand and provides a pharmacological road map for the rational design of small-molecules as potential inhibitors of APS reductase present in human pathogens, including M. tuberculosis.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis adenosine 5-phosphosulfate reductase (MtAPR) is an iron-sulfur protein and a validated target to develop new antitubercular agents, particularly for the treatment of latent infection. The enzyme harbors a [4Fe-4S]2؉ cluster that is coordinated by four cysteinyl ligands, two of which are adjacent in the amino acid sequence. The ironsulfur cluster is essential for catalysis; however, the precise role of the [4Fe-4S] cluster in APR remains unknown. Progress in this area has been hampered by the failure to generate a paramagnetic state of the [4Fe-4S] cluster that can be studied by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Herein, we overcome this limitation and report the EPR spectra of MtAPR in the [4Fe-4S] ؉ state. The EPR signal is rhombic and consists of two overlapping S ‫؍‬ 1 ⁄ 2 species. Substrate binding to MtAPR led to a marked increase in the intensity and resolution of the EPR signal and to minor shifts in principle g values that were not observed among a panel of substrate analogs, including adenosine 5-diphosphate. Using site-directed mutagenesis, in conjunction with kinetic and EPR studies, we have also identified an essential role for the active site residue Lys-144, whose side chain interacts with both the iron-sulfur cluster and the sulfate group of adenosine 5-phosphosulfate. The implications of these findings are discussed with respect to the role of the iron-sulfur cluster in the catalytic mechanism of APR.In bacteria and plants, activation of inorganic sulfur is required for de novo biosynthesis of cysteine. To this end, the metabolic assimilation of sulfate from the environment proceeds via adenosine 5Ј-phosphosulfate (APS) 2 or 3Ј-phosphoadenosine-5Ј-phosphosulfate (PAPS) (1). These intermediates are produced by the action of ATP-sulfurylase (EC 2.7.7.4), which condenses sulfate and ATP to form APS (2, 3), and by APS kinase (EC 2.7.1.25), which produces PAPS from ATP and APS (4).APS and PAPS are reduced by enzymes in the reductive branch of the sulfate assimilation pathway, producing sulfite and AMP or adenosine 3Ј,5Ј-diphosphate (Scheme 1). These enzymes can be subdivided into two groups according to their substrate preference: the APS reductases (APR) and the PAPS reductases (PAPR) (EC 1.8.99.4). Functional and structural studies have been used to investigate the chemical reaction mechanism of APR and PAPR enzymes (1,(5)(6)(7)(8). The mechanism involves nucleophilic attack by the active site cysteine on the sulfur atom of APS or PAPS to form an enzyme S-sulfocysteine intermediate, which is cleaved by thiol-disulfide exchange with thioredoxin or glutaredoxin (Fig. 1). The sulfite product is then reduced to sulfide by sulfite reductase (EC 1.8.7.1) and utilized to synthesize cysteine and other essential sulfur-containing biomolecules (9). In the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, APR is a validated target against the latent phase of infection (10).Only a 3Ј-phosphate group distinguishes PAPS from APS. Accordingly, APR and PAPR have nearly identical three...

The identification of new antibacterial targets is urgently needed to address multidrug resistant and latent tuberculosis infection. Sulfur metabolic pathways are essential for survival and the expression of virulence in many pathogenic bacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In addition, microbial sulfur metabolic pathways are largely absent in humans and therefore, represent unique targets for therapeutic intervention. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the enzymes associated with the production of sulfated and reduced sulfur-containing metabolites in Mycobacteria. Small molecule inhibitors of these catalysts represent valuable chemical tools that can be used to investigate the role of sulfur metabolism throughout the Mycobacterial lifecycle and may also represent new leads for drug development. In this light, we also summarize recent progress in the development of inhibitors of sulfur metabolism enzymes.

Adenosine-5’-phosphosulfate reductase (APSR) is an iron-sulfur protein that catalyses the reduction of adenosine-5’-phosphosulfate (APS) to sulfite. APSR coordinates to a [4Fe-4S] cluster via a conserved CC-X~80-CXXC motif and the cluster is essential for catalysis. Despite extensive functional, structural and spectroscopic studies, the exact role of the iron-sulfur cluster in APS reduction remains unknown. To gain an understanding into the role of the cluster, density functional theory (DFT) analysis and extended X-ray fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) have been performed to reveal insights into the coordination, geometry and electrostatics of the [4Fe-4S] cluster. XANES data confirms that the cluster is in the [4Fe-4S]2+ state in both native and substrate-bound APSR while EXAFS data recorded at ~0.1 Å resolution indicates that there is no significant change in the structure of the [4Fe-4S] cluster between the native and substrate-bound forms of the protein. On the other hand, DFT calculations provide an insight into the subtle differences between the geometry of the cluster in the native and APS-bound forms of APSR. A comparison between models with and without the tandem cysteine pair coordination of the cluster suggests a role for the unique coordination in facilitating a compact geometric structure and ‘fine-tuning’ the electronic structure to prevent reduction of the cluster. Further, calculations using models in which residue Lys144 is mutated to Ala confirm the finding that Lys144 serves as a crucial link in the interactions involving the [4Fe-4S] cluster and APS.