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Gift from Nature: Cyclomarin A Kills Mycobacteria and Malaria Parasites by Distinct Modes of Action
Author(s) -
Bürstner Nathalie,
Roggo Silvio,
Ostermann Nils,
Blank Jutta,
Delmas Cecile,
Freuler Felix,
Gerhartz Bernd,
Hinniger Alexandra,
Hoepfner Dominic,
Liechty Brigitta,
Mihalic Manuel,
Murphy Jason,
Pistorius Dominik,
Rottmann Matthias,
Thomas Jason R.,
Schirle Markus,
Schmitt Esther K.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
chembiochem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.05
H-Index - 126
eISSN - 1439-7633
pISSN - 1439-4227
DOI - 10.1002/cbic.201500472
Subject(s) - natural product , mode of action , plasmodium falciparum , malaria , enzyme , biology , protein subunit , mycobacterium tuberculosis , drug discovery , protease , biochemistry , hydrolase , computational biology , tuberculosis , medicine , immunology , gene , pathology
Malaria continues to be one of the most devastating human diseases despite many efforts to limit its spread by prevention of infection or by pharmaceutical treatment of patients. We have conducted a screen for antiplasmodial compounds by using a natural product library. Here we report on cyclomarin A as a potent growth inhibitor of Plasmodium falciparum and the identification of its molecular target, diadenosine triphosphate hydrolase (PfAp3Aase), by chemical proteomics. Using a biochemical assay, we could show that cyclomarin A is a specific inhibitor of the plasmodial enzyme but not of the closest human homologue hFHIT. Co‐crystallisation experiments demonstrate a unique binding mode of the inhibitor. One molecule of cyclomarin A binds a dimeric PfAp3Aase and prevents the formation of the enzyme ⋅ substrate complex. These results validate PfAp3Aase as a new drug target for the treatment of malaria. We have previously elucidated the structurally unrelated regulatory subunit ClpC1 of the ClpP protease as the molecular target of cyclomarin A in Mycobacterium tuberculosis . Thus, cyclomarin A is a rare example of a natural product with two distinct and specific modes of action.