Jianglin Zhang , Fan Yang , Xia Sun , Lingyu Gao , Jing Yan , Xiuxian Chen , Yuhua Gu , Shuaijie Song , Fuliang Hu , Xu'ai Lin , Simon Duttwyler , Hao Cheng , Stijn van der Veen
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The antimicrobial target was identified by pull-down assays and validated by interaction studies with wild-type and targeted mutant proteins.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings</h3><div>The extract of Chinese <em>Populus spp.</em> propolis (CPP) displayed the most potent antigonococcal activity. Subsequently, galangin was identified as the most active compound in CPP. However, galangin showed no <em>in vivo</em> activity in the mouse infection model. Screening for active structural analogues of galangin resulted in the identification of 2-hydroxychalcone (2-HC), which showed a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 8–16 μM, and enhanced gonococcal clearance in the infection model. Pull-down experiments identified EF-Tu and butanediol dehydrogenase (Bdh) as putative 2-HC targets. Further binding analysis of 2-HC with recombinant purified proteins showed an equilibrium dissociation constant (<em>K</em><sub>D</sub>) of 1.28 μM for EF-Tu and 5.97 μM for Bdh. Finally, 2-HC binding pockets on EF-Tu and Bdh were identified by molecular docking studies showing that 2-HC interacted with Glu260 of EF-Tu and Ser273 of Bdh, which was validated by mutagenesis studies. For Bdh, we furthermore demonstrated that 2-HC impacted its enzyme activity with and IC<sub>50</sub> of 44–64 μM, resulting in perturbed NAD<sup>+</sup>/NADH ratios.</div></div><div><h3>Significance</h3><div>2-HC displays a bimodal antigonococcal mechanism, making it an interesting candidate for further development as antigonococcal therapy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18122,"journal":{"name":"Life sciences","volume":"381 ","pages":"Article 123994"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"2-Hydroxychalcone is a gonococcal-specific antimicrobial with activity against elongation factor Tu and butanediol dehydrogenase\",\"authors\":\"Jianglin Zhang , Fan Yang , Xia Sun , Lingyu Gao , Jing Yan , Xiuxian Chen , Yuhua Gu , Shuaijie Song , Fuliang Hu , Xu'ai Lin , Simon Duttwyler , Hao Cheng , Stijn van der Veen\",\"doi\":\"10.1016/j.lfs.2025.123994\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><h3>Aims</h3><div>This study explored botanical extracts to guide discovery of alternative antimicrobials with activity against the multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogen <em>Neisseria gonorrhoeae</em>.</div></div><div><h3>Materials and methods</h3><div><em>In vitro</em> antimicrobial activity was analyzed by agar dilution method and time-kill assays, while <em>in vivo</em> activity was evaluated in a mouse infection model. The antimicrobial target was identified by pull-down assays and validated by interaction studies with wild-type and targeted mutant proteins.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings</h3><div>The extract of Chinese <em>Populus spp.</em> propolis (CPP) displayed the most potent antigonococcal activity. Subsequently, galangin was identified as the most active compound in CPP. However, galangin showed no <em>in vivo</em> activity in the mouse infection model. Screening for active structural analogues of galangin resulted in the identification of 2-hydroxychalcone (2-HC), which showed a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 8–16 μM, and enhanced gonococcal clearance in the infection model. Pull-down experiments identified EF-Tu and butanediol dehydrogenase (Bdh) as putative 2-HC targets. Further binding analysis of 2-HC with recombinant purified proteins showed an equilibrium dissociation constant (<em>K</em><sub>D</sub>) of 1.28 μM for EF-Tu and 5.97 μM for Bdh. Finally, 2-HC binding pockets on EF-Tu and Bdh were identified by molecular docking studies showing that 2-HC interacted with Glu260 of EF-Tu and Ser273 of Bdh, which was validated by mutagenesis studies. 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2-Hydroxychalcone is a gonococcal-specific antimicrobial with activity against elongation factor Tu and butanediol dehydrogenase
Aims
This study explored botanical extracts to guide discovery of alternative antimicrobials with activity against the multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Materials and methods
In vitro antimicrobial activity was analyzed by agar dilution method and time-kill assays, while in vivo activity was evaluated in a mouse infection model. The antimicrobial target was identified by pull-down assays and validated by interaction studies with wild-type and targeted mutant proteins.
Key findings
The extract of Chinese Populus spp. propolis (CPP) displayed the most potent antigonococcal activity. Subsequently, galangin was identified as the most active compound in CPP. However, galangin showed no in vivo activity in the mouse infection model. Screening for active structural analogues of galangin resulted in the identification of 2-hydroxychalcone (2-HC), which showed a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 8–16 μM, and enhanced gonococcal clearance in the infection model. Pull-down experiments identified EF-Tu and butanediol dehydrogenase (Bdh) as putative 2-HC targets. Further binding analysis of 2-HC with recombinant purified proteins showed an equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) of 1.28 μM for EF-Tu and 5.97 μM for Bdh. Finally, 2-HC binding pockets on EF-Tu and Bdh were identified by molecular docking studies showing that 2-HC interacted with Glu260 of EF-Tu and Ser273 of Bdh, which was validated by mutagenesis studies. For Bdh, we furthermore demonstrated that 2-HC impacted its enzyme activity with and IC50 of 44–64 μM, resulting in perturbed NAD+/NADH ratios.
Significance
2-HC displays a bimodal antigonococcal mechanism, making it an interesting candidate for further development as antigonococcal therapy.
期刊介绍:
Life Sciences is an international journal publishing articles that emphasize the molecular, cellular, and functional basis of therapy. The journal emphasizes the understanding of mechanism that is relevant to all aspects of human disease and translation to patients. All articles are rigorously reviewed.
The Journal favors publication of full-length papers where modern scientific technologies are used to explain molecular, cellular and physiological mechanisms. Articles that merely report observations are rarely accepted. Recommendations from the Declaration of Helsinki or NIH guidelines for care and use of laboratory animals must be adhered to. Articles should be written at a level accessible to readers who are non-specialists in the topic of the article themselves, but who are interested in the research. The Journal welcomes reviews on topics of wide interest to investigators in the life sciences. We particularly encourage submission of brief, focused reviews containing high-quality artwork and require the use of mechanistic summary diagrams.