Crystal structures of KPC-2 and SHV-1 β-lactamases in complex with the boronic acid transition state analog S02030 (original) (raw)

Boronic acid transition state inhibitors (BATSIs) active against KPC and other class A β-lactamases: structure activity relationships (SAR) as a guide to inhibitor design

Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy, 2016

Boronic acid transition state inhibitors (BATSIs) are competitive, reversible β-lactamase inhibitors (BLIs). Herein, a series of BATSIs with selectively modified regions (R1, R2 and amide group) were strategically designed and tested against representative class A β-lactamases of Klebsiella pneumoniae, KPC-2 and SHV-1. Firstly, the R1 group of compounds 1A: , 1B: , 1C: , 2A -2E: mimicked the side chain of cephalothin whereas for compounds 3A: , 3B: , 3C: , 4A: , and 4B: , the thiophene ring was replaced by a phenyl, typical of benzylpenicillin. Secondly, variations in the R2 groups which included substituted aryl side chains (compounds 1A: , 1B: , 1C: , 3A: , 3B: , and 3C: ) and triazole groups (compounds 2A -2E: ) were chosen to mimic the thiazolidine and dihydrothiazine ring of penicillins and cephalosporins, respectively. Thirdly, the amide backbone of the BATSI, which corresponds to the amide at C6/C7 of β-lactams, was also changed to the following bioisosteric groups: urea (com...

Crystal Structures of KPC-2 β-Lactamase in Complex with 3-Nitrophenyl Boronic Acid and the Penam Sulfone PSR-3-226

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 2012

Class A carbapenemases are a major threat to the potency of carbapenem antibiotics. A widespread carbapenemase, KPC-2, is not easily inhibited by β-lactamase inhibitors (i.e., clavulanic acid, sulbactam, and tazobactam). To explore different mechanisms of inhibition of KPC-2, we determined the crystal structures of KPC-2 with two β-lactamase inhibitors that follow different inactivation pathways and kinetics. The first complex is that of a small boronic acid compound, 3-nitrophenyl boronic acid (3-NPBA), bound to KPC-2 with 1.62-Å resolution. 3-NPBA demonstrated a K m value of 1.0 ± 0.1 μM (mean ± standard error) for KPC-2 and blocks the active site by making a reversible covalent interaction with the catalytic S70 residue. The two boron hydroxyl atoms of 3-NPBA are positioned in the oxyanion hole and the deacylation water pocket, respectively. In addition, the aromatic ring of 3-NPBA provides an edge-to-face interaction with W105 in the active site. The structure of KPC-2 with the ...

Crystal Structures of KPC-2 -Lactamase in Complex with 3-Nitrophenyl Boronic Acid and the Penam Sulfone PSR-3-226

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 2012

ABSTRACTClass A carbapenemases are a major threat to the potency of carbapenem antibiotics. A widespread carbapenemase, KPC-2, is not easily inhibited by β-lactamase inhibitors (i.e., clavulanic acid, sulbactam, and tazobactam). To explore different mechanisms of inhibition of KPC-2, we determined the crystal structures of KPC-2 with two β-lactamase inhibitors that follow different inactivation pathways and kinetics. The first complex is that of a small boronic acid compound, 3-nitrophenyl boronic acid (3-NPBA), bound to KPC-2 with 1.62-Å resolution. 3-NPBA demonstrated aKmvalue of 1.0 ± 0.1 μM (mean ± standard error) for KPC-2 and blocks the active site by making a reversible covalent interaction with the catalytic S70 residue. The two boron hydroxyl atoms of 3-NPBA are positioned in the oxyanion hole and the deacylation water pocket, respectively. In addition, the aromatic ring of 3-NPBA provides an edge-to-face interaction with W105 in the active site. The structure of KPC-2 with...

Novel Insights into the Mode of Inhibition of Class A SHV-1 -Lactamases Revealed by Boronic Acid Transition State Inhibitors

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 2011

Boronic acid transition state inhibitors (BATSIs) are potent class A and C ␤-lactamase inactivators and are of particular interest due to their reversible nature mimicking the transition state. Here, we present structural and kinetic data describing the inhibition of the SHV-1 ␤-lactamase, a clinically important enzyme found in Klebsiella pneumoniae, by BATSI compounds possessing the R1 side chains of ceftazidime and cefoperazone and designed variants of the latter, compounds 1 and 2. The ceftazidime and cefoperazone BATSI compounds inhibit the SHV-1 ␤-lactamase with micromolar affinity that is considerably weaker than their inhibition of other ␤-lactamases. The solved crystal structures of these two BATSIs in complex with SHV-1 reveal a possible reason for SHV-1's relative resistance to inhibition, as the BATSIs adopt a deacylation transition state conformation compared to the usual acylation transition state conformation when complexed to other ␤-lactamases. Active-site comparison suggests that these conformational differences might be attributed to a subtle shift of residue A237 in SHV-1. The ceftazidime BATSI structure revealed that the carboxyl-dimethyl moiety is positioned in SHV-1's carboxyl binding pocket. In contrast, the cefoperazone BATSI has its R1 group pointing away from the active site such that its phenol moiety moves residue Y105 from the active site via end-on stacking interactions. To work toward improving the affinity of the cefoperazone BATSI, we synthesized two variants in which either one or two extra carbons were added to the phenol linker. Both variants yielded improved affinity against SHV-1, possibly as a consequence of releasing the strain of its interaction with the unusual Y105 conformation.

Crystal Structures of KPC-2[beta]-Lactamase in Complex with 3-Nitrophenyl Boronic Acid and the Penam Sulfone PSR-3-226

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2012

Class A carbapenemases are a major threat to the potency of carbapenem antibiotics. A widespread carbapenemase, KPC-2, is not easily inhibited by ␤-lactamase inhibitors (i.e., clavulanic acid, sulbactam, and tazobactam). To explore different mechanisms of inhibition of KPC-2, we determined the crystal structures of KPC-2 with two ␤-lactamase inhibitors that follow different inactivation pathways and kinetics. The first complex is that of a small boronic acid compound, 3-nitrophenyl boronic acid (3-NPBA), bound to KPC-2 with 1.62-Å resolution. 3-NPBA demonstrated a K m value of 1.0 ؎ 0.1 M (mean ؎ standard error) for KPC-2 and blocks the active site by making a reversible covalent interaction with the catalytic S70 residue. The two boron hydroxyl atoms of 3-NPBA are positioned in the oxyanion hole and the deacylation water pocket, respectively. In addition, the aromatic ring of 3-NPBA provides an edge-to-face interaction with W105 in the active site. The structure of KPC-2 with the penam sulfone PSR-3-226 was determined at 1.26-Å resolution. PSR-3-226 displayed a K m value of 3.8 ؎ 0.4 M for KPC-2, and the inactivation rate constant (k inact) was 0.034 ؎ 0.003 s ؊1. When covalently bound to S70, PSR-3-226 forms a trans-enamine intermediate in the KPC-2 active site. The predominant active site interactions are generated via the carbonyl oxygen, which resides in the oxyanion hole, and the carboxyl moiety of PSR-3-226, which interacts with N132, N170, and E166. 3-NPBA and PSR-3-226 are the first ␤-lactamase inhibitors to be trapped as an acyl-enzyme complex with KPC-2. The structural and inhibitory insights gained here could aid in the design of potent KPC-2 inhibitors.

Discovery of a Cyclic Boronic Acid β-Lactamase Inhibitor (RPX7009) with Utility vs Class A Serine Carbapenemases

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2015

The increasing dissemination of carbapenemases in Gram-negative bacteria has threatened the clinical usefulness of the β-lactam class of antimicrobials. A program was initiated to discover a new series of serine β-lactamase inhibitors containing a boronic acid pharmacophore, with the goal of finding a potent inhibitor of serine carbapenemase enzymes that are currently compromising the utility of the carbapenem class of antibacterials. Potential lead structures were screened in silico by modeling into the active sites of key serine β-lactamases. Promising candidate molecules were synthesized and evaluated in biochemical and whole-cell assays. Inhibitors were identified with potent inhibition of serine carbapenemases, particularly the Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC), with no inhibition of mammalian serine proteases. Studies in vitro and in vivo show that RPX7009 (9f) is a broad-spectrum inhibitor, notably restoring the activity of carbapenems against KPCproducing strains. Combined with a carbapenem, 9f is a promising product for the treatment of multidrug resistant Gramnegative bacteria.

Structural analysis of the boronic acid β-lactamase inhibitor vaborbactam binding to Pseudomonas aeruginosa penicillin-binding protein 3

PLOS ONE, 2021

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) mediated by β-lactamases is the major and leading cause of resistance to penicillins and cephalosporins among Gram-negative bacteria. β-Lactamases, periplasmic enzymes that are widely distributed in the bacterial world, protect penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), the major cell wall synthesizing enzymes, from inactivation by β-lactam antibiotics. Developing novel PBP inhibitors with a non-β-lactam scaffold could potentially evade this resistance mechanism. Based on the structural similarities between the evolutionary related serine β-lactamases and PBPs, we investigated whether the potent β-lactamase inhibitor, vaborbactam, could also form an acyl-enzyme complex with Pseudomonas aeruginosa PBP3. We found that this cyclic boronate, vaborbactam, inhibited PBP3 (IC50 of 262 μM), and its binding to PBP3 increased the protein thermal stability by about 2°C. Crystallographic analysis of the PBP3:vaborbactam complex reveals that vaborbactam forms a covalent b...

High-Throughput Crystallography Reveals Boron-Containing Inhibitors of a Penicillin-Binding Protein with Di- and Tricovalent Binding Modes

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry

The effectiveness of β-lactam antibiotics is increasingly compromised by β-lactamases. Boron-containing inhibitors are potent serine-β-lactamase inhibitors, but the interactions of boron-based compounds with the penicillin-binding protein (PBP) β-lactam targets have not been extensively studied. We used highthroughput X-ray crystallography to explore reactions of a boroncontaining fragment set with the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PBP3 (PaPBP3). Multiple crystal structures reveal that boronic acids react with PBPs to give tricovalently linked complexes bonded to Ser294, Ser349, and Lys484 of PaPBP3; benzoxaboroles react with PaPBP3 via reaction with two nucleophilic serines (Ser294 and Ser349) to give dicovalently linked complexes; and vaborbactam reacts to give a monocovalently linked complex. Modifications of the benzoxaborole scaffold resulted in a moderately potent inhibition of PaPBP3, though no antibacterial activity was observed. Overall, the results further evidence the potential for the development of new classes of boron-based antibiotics, which are not compromised by β-lactamase-driven resistance.

Design, Synthesis, Crystal Structures, and Antimicrobial Activity of Sulfonamide Boronic Acids as β-Lactamase Inhibitors

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2010

We investigated a series of sulfonamide boronic acids that resulted from the merging of two unrelated AmpC β-lactamase inhibitor series. The new boronic acids differed in the replacement of the canonical carboxamide, found in all penicillin and cephalosporin antibiotics, with a sulfonamide. Surprisingly, these sulfonamides had a highly distinct structure-activity relationship from the previously explored carboxamides, high ligand efficiencies (up to 0.91), K i values down to 25 nM and up to 23 times better for smaller analogs. Conversely, K i values were 10 to 20 times worse for larger molecules than in the carboxamide congener series. X-ray crystal structures (1.6-1.8 Å) of AmpC with three of the new sulfonamides suggest that this altered structure-activity relationship results from the different geometry and polarity of the sulfonamide versus the carboxamide. The most potent inhibitor reversed β-lactamase-mediated resistance to third generation cephalosporins, lowering their minimum inhibitory concentrations up to 32-fold in cell culture.

Bicyclic Boronate β‐Lactamase Inhibitors: The Present Hope against Deadly Bacterial Pathogens

Advanced Therapeutics, 2021

Dedicated to Prof. Javier Benavente on the occasion of his retirement. The use of-lactamase inhibitors in combination with-lactam antibiotics is an emerging area in drug discovery. This strategy allows the restoration of the therapeutic efficacy of these antibiotics in clinical use against multiresistant bacteria. These pathogens are drug resistant because they express-lactamase enzymes, which prevent the antibiotic therapeutic action by catalyzing the hydrolysis of the-lactam ring. These enzymes are quite diverse in both their structural architecture and hydrolytic capability, as well as in the mechanism of action. The ever-increasing emergence of pathogens that are capable of coproducing different types of-lactamases has triggered the search for ultrabroad-spectrum inhibitors capable of deactivating both serine-and metallo-lactamases. A recent breakthrough in this long-pursued and unmet need is the discovery of bicyclic boronate inhibitors, specifically taniborbactam, VNRX-7145, and QPX7728, which are currently under clinical development in combination with cefepime, ceftibuten, and QPX2014, respectively. The present article highlights the therapeutic potential of these inhibitors and their spectrum of efficacy is compared with those of other-lactam/-lactamase inhibitor combinations recently approved by the food and drug administration. The molecular basis of the ultrabroadspectrum of activity of boron-based inhibitors is also discussed, on the basis of the available crystal structures and the results of computational studies.