Identification of agents targeting FtsZ assembly.
Filamenting temperature-sensitive mutant Z (FtsZ), an essential cell division protein in bacteria, has recently emerged as an important and exploitable antibacterial target. Cytokinesis in bacteria is regulated by the assembly dynamics of this protein, which is ubiquitously present in eubacteria. The perturbation of FtsZ assembly has been found to have a deleterious effect on the cytokinetic machinery and, in turn, upon cell survival. FtsZ is highly conserved among prokaryotes, offering the possibility of broad-spectrum antibacterial agents, while its limited sequence homology with tubulin (an essential protein in eukaryotic mitosis) offers the possibility of selective toxicity. This review aims to summarize current knowledge regarding the mechanism of action of FtsZ, and to highlight existing attempts toward the development of clinically useful inhibitors.
Department of Biosciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India.
Dulal
D
Panda
Department of Biosciences & Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India.
Dipanwita
D
Bhattacharya
Faculty of Pharmacy, Bank Building, Science Road, The University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia.
Quanqing Helen
QH
Gao
Faculty of Pharmacy, Bank Building, Science Road, The University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia.
Pratik M
PM
Oza
Faculty of Pharmacy, Bank Building, Science Road, The University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia.
H-Y Jennifer
HY
Lin
Faculty of Pharmacy, Bank Building, Science Road, The University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia.
Bryson
B
Hawkins
Faculty of Pharmacy, Bank Building, Science Road, The University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia.
David E
DE
Hibbs
Faculty of Pharmacy, Bank Building, Science Road, The University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia.
Paul W
PW
Groundwater
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D048749:Cytokinesis / Q000187:drug effects; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D055808:Drug Discovery; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; C071525:FtsZ protein, Bacteria
FtsZ; GTP; Z-ring; cytokinesis; inhibitors; polymerization; tubulin