2qk8
Crystal structure of the anthrax drug target, Bacillus anthracis dihydrofolate reductaseCrystal structure of the anthrax drug target, Bacillus anthracis dihydrofolate reductase
Structural highlights
FunctionQ81R22_BACAN Key enzyme in folate metabolism. Catalyzes an essential reaction for de novo glycine and purine synthesis, and for DNA precursor synthesis (By similarity).[PIRNR:PIRNR000194] Evolutionary Conservation Check, as determined by ConSurfDB. You may read the explanation of the method and the full data available from ConSurf. Publication Abstract from PubMedSpores of Bacillus anthracis are the infectious agent of anthrax. Current antibiotic treatments are limited due to resistance and patient age restrictions; thus, additional targets for therapeutic intervention are needed. One possible candidate is dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), a biosynthetic enzyme necessary for anthrax pathogenicity. We determined the crystal structure of DHFR from B. anthracis (baDHFR) in complex with methotrexate (MTX; 1) at 2.4 Angstrom resolution. The structure reveals the crucial interactions required for MTX binding and a putative molecular basis for how baDHFR has natural resistance to trimethoprim (TMP; 2). The structure also allows insights for designing selective baDHFR inhibitors that will have weak affinities for the human enzyme. Additionally, we have found that 5-nitro-6-methylamino-isocytosine (MANIC; 3), which inhibits another B. anthracis folate synthesis enzyme, dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS), can also inhibit baDHFR. This provides a starting point for designing multi-target inhibitors that are less likely to induce drug resistance. Crystal structure of the anthrax drug target, Bacillus anthracis dihydrofolate reductase.,Bennett BC, Xu H, Simmerman RF, Lee RE, Dealwis CG J Med Chem. 2007 Sep 6;50(18):4374-81. Epub 2007 Aug 14. PMID:17696333[1] From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. See AlsoReferences
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