Cinzia Tarsia1, Alberto Danielli1, Francesca Florini1, Paolo Cinelli1, Stefano Ciurli1, Barbara Zambelli2. 1. Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Viale G. Fanin 40, 40127 Bologna, Italy. 2. Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Viale G. Fanin 40, 40127 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: barbara.zambelli@unibo.it.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium strongly associated with gastric cancer. It thrives in the acidic environment of the gastric niche of large portions of the human population using a unique adaptive mechanism that involves the catalytic activity of the nickel-dependent enzyme urease. Targeting urease represents a key strategy for drug design and H. pylori eradication. METHOD: Here, we describe a novel method to screen, directly in the cellular environment, urease inhibitors. A ureolytic Escherichia coli strain was engineered by cloning the entire urease operon in an expression plasmid and used to test in-cell urease inhibition with a high-throughput colorimetric assay. A two-plasmid system was further developed to evaluate the ability of small peptides to block the protein interactions that lead to urease maturation. RESULTS: The developed assay is a robust cellular model to test, directly in the cell environment, urease inhibitors. The efficacy of a co-expressed peptide to affect the interaction between UreF and UreD, two accessory proteins necessary for urease activation, was observed. This event involves a process that occurs through folding upon binding, pointing to the importance of intrinsically disordered hot spots in protein interfaces. CONCLUSIONS: The developed system allows the concomitant screening of a large number of drug candidates that interfere with the urease activity both at the level of the enzyme catalysis and maturation. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: As inhibition of urease has the potential of being a global antibacterial strategy for a large number of infections, this work paves the way for the development of new candidates for antibacterial drugs.
BACKGROUND:Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium strongly associated with gastric cancer. It thrives in the acidic environment of the gastric niche of large portions of the human population using a unique adaptive mechanism that involves the catalytic activity of the nickel-dependent enzyme urease. Targeting urease represents a key strategy for drug design and H. pylori eradication. METHOD: Here, we describe a novel method to screen, directly in the cellular environment, urease inhibitors. A ureolytic Escherichia coli strain was engineered by cloning the entire urease operon in an expression plasmid and used to test in-cell urease inhibition with a high-throughput colorimetric assay. A two-plasmid system was further developed to evaluate the ability of small peptides to block the protein interactions that lead to urease maturation. RESULTS: The developed assay is a robust cellular model to test, directly in the cell environment, urease inhibitors. The efficacy of a co-expressed peptide to affect the interaction between UreF and UreD, two accessory proteins necessary for urease activation, was observed. This event involves a process that occurs through folding upon binding, pointing to the importance of intrinsically disordered hot spots in protein interfaces. CONCLUSIONS: The developed system allows the concomitant screening of a large number of drug candidates that interfere with the urease activity both at the level of the enzyme catalysis and maturation. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: As inhibition of urease has the potential of being a global antibacterial strategy for a large number of infections, this work paves the way for the development of new candidates for antibacterial drugs.
Authors: Patrick Schimmel; Lennart Kleinjans; Roger S Bongers; Jan Knol; Clara Belzer Journal: FEMS Microbiol Ecol Date: 2021-03-08 Impact factor: 4.194