Aureolic Acid Group of Agents as Potential Antituberculosis Drugs

• Main Authors: Julia Bespyatykh, Dmitry Bespiatykh, Maja Malakhova, Ksenia Klimina, Andrey Bespyatykh, Anna Varizhuk, Anna Tevyashova, Tatiana Nikolenko, Galina Pozmogova, Elena Ilina, Egor Shitikov
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-10-01
• Series: Antibiotics
• Subjects: <i>Mycobacterium smegmatis</i>; TB treatment; Olivomycin; <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i>; transcriptomic
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/9/10/715

<i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> is one of the most dangerous pathogens. Bacterial resistance to antituberculosis drugs grows each year, but searching for new drugs is a long process. Testing for available drugs to find active against mycobacteria may be a good alternative. In this work, antibiotics of the aureolic acid group were tested on a model organism <i>Mycobacterium smegmatis</i>. We presumed that antibiotics of this group may be potential G4 ligands. However, this was not confirmed in our analyses. We determined the antimicrobial activity of these drugs and revealed morphological changes in the cell structure upon treatment. Transcriptomic analysis documented increased expression of <i>MSMEG_3743/soj</i> and <i>MSMEG_4228/ftsW</i>, involved in cell division. Therefore, drugs may affect cell division, possibly disrupting the function of the Z-ring and the formation of a septum. Additionally, a decrease in the transcription level of several indispensable genes, such as nitrate reductase subunits (<i>MSMEG_5137/narI</i> and <i>MSMEG_5139/narX</i>) and <i>MSMEG_3205/hisD</i> was shown. We concluded that the mechanism of action of aureolic acid and its related compounds may be similar to that bedaquiline and disturb the NAD+/NADH balance in the cell. All of this allowed us to conclude that aureolic acid derivatives can be considered as potential antituberculosis drugs.