Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Centre for Sport, Exercise and Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom.
Chem Biol Drug Des. 2021 Feb;97(2):231-236. doi: 10.1111/cbdd.13775. Epub 2020 Aug 19.
The development of gut microbiota-targeted small molecules represents a promising platform for the identification of new therapeutics based on the implication of human gut bacteria with different diseases. Bacterial trimethylamine (TMA)-lyase (CutC) is expressed in gut bacteria and catalyzes the conversion of choline to TMA. The association of elevated TMA production with various disorders has directed research efforts toward identification of CutC inhibitors. Herein, we introduce peptidomimetics as a promising toolbox for the discovery of CutC inhibitors. Our approach starts with screening a library of peptidomimetics for intestinal metabolic stability followed by in vitro CutC inhibition. Compound 5 was identified from this screening platform with IC value of 5.9 ± 0.6 μM for CutC inhibition. Unlike previously reported CutC inhibitors, compound 5 possessed universal CutC inhibitory activity in different bacterial strains. Molecular dynamics simulations suggested a plausible binding site and inhibition mechanism for compound 5. Therefore, compound 5 is a promising lead for further structural optimization in the search for CutC-targeted small molecules.
肠道微生物群靶向小分子的开发代表了一个有前途的平台,可基于人类肠道细菌与不同疾病的关联来鉴定新的治疗药物。细菌三甲胺 (TMA)-裂合酶 (CutC) 在肠道细菌中表达,并催化胆碱转化为 TMA。TMA 产量升高与各种疾病有关,这促使人们努力寻找 CutC 抑制剂。在此,我们介绍肽模拟物作为发现 CutC 抑制剂的有前途的工具包。我们的方法从筛选肠道代谢稳定性的肽模拟物文库开始,然后进行体外 CutC 抑制实验。从该筛选平台中鉴定出化合物 5,其对 CutC 的抑制 IC 值为 5.9±0.6μM。与先前报道的 CutC 抑制剂不同,化合物 5 在不同的细菌菌株中具有普遍的 CutC 抑制活性。分子动力学模拟为化合物 5 的可能结合位点和抑制机制提供了依据。因此,化合物 5 是进一步进行结构优化以寻找 CutC 靶向小分子的有前途的先导化合物。