Emodin targets the beta-hydroxyacyl-acyl carrier protein dehydratase from Helicobacter pylori: enzymatic inhibition assay with crystal structural and thermodynamic characterization.
BACKGROUND
The natural product Emodin demonstrates a wide range of pharmacological properties including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferation, vasorelaxant and anti-H. pylori activities. Although its H. pylori inhibition was discovered, no acting target information against Emodin has been revealed to date.


RESULTS
Here we reported that Emodin functioned as a competitive inhibitor against the recombinant beta-hydroxyacyl-ACP dehydratase from Helicobacter pylori (HpFabZ), and strongly inhibited the growth of H. pylori strains SS1 and ATCC 43504. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) based assays have suggested the kinetic and thermodynamic features of Emodin/HpFabZ interaction. Additionally, to inspect the binding characters of Emodin against HpFabZ at atomic level, the crystal structure of HpFabZ-Emodin complex was also examined. The results showed that Emodin inhibition against HpFabZ could be implemented either through its occupying the entrance of the tunnel or embedding into the tunnel to prevent the substrate from accessing the active site.


CONCLUSIONS
Our work is expected to provide useful information for illumination of Emodin inhibition mechanism against HpFabZ, while Emodin itself could be used as a potential lead compound for further anti-bacterial drug discovery.
Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, PR China. jingchen@mail.shcnc.ac.cn
Jing
J
Chen
Liang
L
Zhang
Yu
Y
Zhang
Haitao
H
Zhang
Jiamu
J
Du
Jianping
J
Ding
Yuewei
Y
Guo
Hualiang
H
Jiang
Xu
X
Shen
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D002151:Calorimetry; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D004642:Emodin / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D006836:Hydro-Lyases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance; D013816:Thermodynamics
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D006836:Hydro-Lyases; C036180:beta-hydroxyacyl-(acyl-carrier-protein)dehydrase; D004642:Emodin