SummaryTo combat the emergence of drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, new antitubercular agents and novel drug targets are needed. Phenotypic screening of a library of 594 hit compounds uncovered two leads that were active against M. tuberculosis in its replicating, non-replicating, and intracellular states: compounds 7947882 (5-methyl-N-(4-nitrophenyl)thiophene-2-carboxamide) and 7904688 (3-phenyl-N-[(4-piperidin-1-ylphenyl)carbamothioyl]propanamide). Mutants resistant to both compounds harbored mutations in ethA (rv3854c), the gene encoding the monooxygenase EthA, and/or in pyrG (rv1699) coding for the CTP synthetase, PyrG. Biochemical investigations demonstrated that EthA is responsible for the activation of the compounds, and by mass spectrometry we identified the active metabolite of 7947882, which directly inhibits PyrG activity. Metabolomic studies revealed that pharmacological inhibition of PyrG strongly perturbs DNA and RNA biosynthesis, and other metabolic processes requiring nucleotides. Finally, the crystal structure of PyrG was solved, paving the way for rational drug design with this newly validated drug target.

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There are currently no drugs available for the treatment of enterovirus (EV)-induced acute and chronic diseases such as the common cold, meningitis, encephalitis, pneumonia, and myocarditis with or without consecutive dilated cardiomyopathy. Here, we report the discovery and characterization of pyrazolopyrimidines, a well-tolerated and potent class of novel EV inhibitors. The compounds inhibit the replication of a broad spectrum of EV in vitro with IC50 values between 0.04 and 0.64 μm for viruses resistant to pleconaril, a known capsid-binding inhibitor, without affecting cytochrome P450 enzyme activity. Using virological and genetics methods, the viral capsid was identified as the target of the most promising, orally bioavailable compound 3-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)amino-6-phenylpyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-4-amine (OBR-5-340). Its prophylactic as well as therapeutic application was proved for coxsackievirus B3-induced chronic myocarditis in mice. The favorable pharmacokinetic, toxicological, and pharmacodynamics profile in mice renders OBR-5-340 a highly promising drug candidate, and the regulatory nonclinical program is ongoing.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiological agent of the infectious disease tuberculosis, kills approximately 1.5 million people annually, while the spread of multidrug-resistant strains is of great global concern. Thus, continuous efforts to identify new antitubercular drugs as well as novel targets are crucial. Recently, two prodrugs activated by the monooxygenase EthA, 7947882 and 7904688, which target the CTP synthetase PyrG, were identified and characterized. In this work, microbiological, biochemical, and in silico methodologies were used to demonstrate that both prodrugs possess a second target, the pantothenate kinase PanK. This enzyme is involved in coenzyme A biosynthesis, an essential pathway for M. tuberculosis growth. Moreover, compound 11426026, the active metabolite of 7947882, was demonstrated to directly inhibit PanK, as well. In an independent screen of a compound library against PyrG, two additional inhibitors were also found to be active against PanK. In conclusion, these direct PyrG and PanK inhibitors can be considered as leads for multitarget antitubercular drugs and these two enzymes could be employed as a “double-tool” in order to find additional hit compounds.

With the emerging primary resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to current drugs and wide distribution of latent tuberculosis infection, the need for new compounds with a novel mode of action is growing. Copper-mediated innate immunity and its antibacterial toxicity pose novel strategies for tuberculosis drug discovery and development. Transcriptome response to 1-hydroxy-5-R-pyridine-2(1H)-thiones, which were found to be highly active in vitro against actively growing and dormant nonculturable M. tuberculosis, revealed signs of copper toxicity. 1-Hydroxy-5-R-pyridine-2(1H)-thiones were found to form stable charged lipophilic complexes with Cu2+ ions that could transport into mycobacterial cells. Copper accumulated inside treated bacilli as subsequent metabolic destruction of the complex led to chemical transformation of 1-hydroxy-5-R-pyridine-2(1H)-thiones and release of free Cu2+ into the cytoplasm. 1-Hydroxy-5-R-pyridine-2(1H)-thiones are a potent class of Cu-dependent inhibitors of M. tuberculosis, and may control infection by impairment of copper homeostasis.