Phenazines are pigmented secondary metabolites produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Long believed to be innocuous, phenazines are now known to have significant and deleterious biological effects on host organisms. Phenazines enhance the ability of P. aeruginosa to compete and aid the bacteria in outwitting host defenses in ways that contribute to the notoriously persistent infections caused by this organism. The long term objective of this research is to evaluate the feasibility of disabling the phenazine biosynthetic pathway and assessing whether this could be an effective strategy for controlling P. aeruginosa, most likely in combination with traditional antibiotic therapy. The overall goals of this research are to determine the chemical mechanisms of phenazine antibiotic biosynthesis through the use of structural and mechanistic studies that will fill gaps in our understanding and permit evaluation of the feasibility of developing specific inhibitors of phenazine biosynthesis. The initial tricyclic phenazine backbone is synthesized form chorismic acid by seven core enzymes, three of which (PhzD, -F, and -G) we recently examined in crystallographic and mechanistic studies.
The specific aims of this project are to evaluate the enzymology and structural biochemistry of three additional enzymes. We will examine PhzE, which catalyzes the first committed step in phenazine biosynthesis, and two key phenazine modifying enzymes, PhzM and PhzS, that produce pyocyanin, a phenazine with significant bioactivity. Using X-ray crystallography, we will determine the three- dimensional structures of these proteins. Enzymology studies will focus on the substrate specificity and mechanistic properties of each enzyme that contributes to their ability to efficiently produce phenazine pathway intermediates. The results will provide a framework for future studies that will address the design of phenazine biosynthesis inhibitors and the feasibility of using them as therapeutics. The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a serious threat to individuals whose immunity is compromised by cystic fibrosis, burns, cancer, AIDS, and other conditions. P. aeruginosa accounts for 10 percent of nosocomial infections in the United States and mortality rates range from 20 percent to as high as 70 percent for those with the most serious underlying health problems. New strategies that complement existing antimicrobial therapies clearly need to be developed to more effectively combat P. aeruginosa infections.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
7R01AI067530-05
Application #
8071663
Study Section
Macromolecular Structure and Function A Study Section (MSFA)
Program Officer
Taylor, Christopher E,
Project Start
2010-04-25
Project End
2011-06-30
Budget Start
2010-04-25
Budget End
2011-06-30
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$115,507
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Maryland College Park
Department
Miscellaneous
Type
Other Domestic Higher Education
DUNS #
790934285
City
College Park
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
20742
Blankenfeldt, Wulf; Parsons, James F (2014) The structural biology of phenazine biosynthesis. Curr Opin Struct Biol 29:26-33
Bera, Asim K; Atanasova, Vesna; Dhanda, Anjali et al. (2012) Structure of aminodeoxychorismate synthase from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Biochemistry 51:10208-17
Bera, Asim K; Atanasova, Vesna; Gamage, Swarna et al. (2010) Structure of the D-alanylgriseoluteic acid biosynthetic protein EhpF, an atypical member of the ANL superfamily of adenylating enzymes. Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr 66:664-72
Bera, Asim K; Atanasova, Vesna; Robinson, Howard et al. (2009) Structure of PqsD, a Pseudomonas quinolone signal biosynthetic enzyme, in complex with anthranilate. Biochemistry 48:8644-55
Greenhagen, Bryan T; Shi, Katherine; Robinson, Howard et al. (2008) Crystal structure of the pyocyanin biosynthetic protein PhzS. Biochemistry 47:5281-9
Parsons, James F; Shi, Katherine M; Ladner, Jane E (2008) Structure of isochorismate synthase in complex with magnesium. Acta Crystallogr D Biol Crystallogr 64:607-10
Parsons, James F; Greenhagen, Bryan T; Shi, Katherine et al. (2007) Structural and functional analysis of the pyocyanin biosynthetic protein PhzM from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Biochemistry 46:1821-8