PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H Locher

Publications and source records attributed to H Locher.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

[Peripheral pain syndrome].

The bases for peripheral pain syndromes of the musculoskeletal system, which are common and often difficult to treat, involve complex neurophysiologic changes. They are generally very troublesome for the patient and result in long-term disability and absence from work and sport activities. As all levels of the pain perception system are involved, evaluation has to take place at the peripheral, spinal and central nervous system levels. Treatment requires a concept including all affected structures. If this is not the case, an inefficient series of monotherapies often results, which increases the risk of pain chronification in these patients similar to the situation found for low back pain. The biomechanical-functional aspect is of great importance for the lower extremities. This point of view, which is familiar to the orthopedist, reveals a clear connection between pain and disturbed function, permitting a clear concept for a successful therapy.

Humans↗

2-(2-Oxo-1,4-dihydro-2H-quinazolin-3-yl)- and 2-(2,2-dioxo-1,4-dihydro-2H-2lambda6-benzo[1,2,6]thiadiazin-3-yl)-N-hydroxy-acetamides as potent and selective peptide deformylase inhibitors.

Potent, selective, and structurally new inhibitors of the Fe(II) enzyme Escherichia coli peptide deformylase (PDF) were obtained by rational optimization of the weakly binding screening hit (5-chloro-2-oxo-1,4-dihydro-2H-quinazolin-3-yl)-acetic acid hydrazide (1). Three-dimensional structural information, gathered from Ni-PDF complexed with 1, suggested the preparation of two series of related hydroxamic acid analogues, 2-(2-oxo-1,4-dihydro-2H-quinazolin-3-yl)-N-hydroxy-acetamides (A) and 2-(2,2-dioxo-1,4-dihydro-2H-2lambda(6)-benzo[1,2,6]thiadiazin-3-yl)-N-hydroxy-acetamides (B), among which potent PDF inhibitors (37, 42, and 48) were identified. Moreover, two selected compounds, one from each series, 36 and 41, showed good selectivity for PDF over several endoproteases including matrix metalloproteases. However, these compounds showed only weak antibacterial activity.

Amidohydrolases↗

Peptide deformylase as an antibacterial drug target: target validation and resistance development.

New inhibitors of peptide deformylase (PDF) which are very potent against the isolated enzyme and show a certain degree of antibacterial activity have recently been synthesized by our group. Several lines of experimental evidence indicate that these inhibitors indeed interfere with the target enzyme in the bacterial cell. (i) The inhibition of Escherichia coli growth could be counteracted by overexpression of PDF from different organisms, including E. coli, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae. Conversely, reduced expression of PDF in S. pneumoniae resulted in an increased susceptibility to the inhibitors. (ii) Proteome analysis on two-dimensional gels revealed a shift for many proteins towards lower pI in the presence of PDF inhibitors, as would be expected if the proteins still carry their N-formyl-Met terminus. (iii) PDF inhibitors show no antimicrobial activity against E. coli under conditions that make growth independent of formylation and deformylation. The antibacterial activity in E. coli was characterized as bacteriostatic. Furthermore, the development of resistance in E. coli was observed to occur with high frequency (10(-7)). Resistant mutants show a reduced growth rate, and DNA sequence analysis revealed mutations in their formyl transferase gene. Taking all these aspects into account, we conclude that PDF may not be an optimal target for broad-spectrum antibacterial agents.

Amidohydrolases↗

Hydroxamic acid derivatives as potent peptide deformylase inhibitors and antibacterial agents.

Low-molecular-weight beta-sulfonyl- and beta-sulfinylhydroxamic acid derivatives have been synthesized and found to be potent inhibitors of Escherichia coli peptide deformylase (PDF). Most of the compounds synthesized and tested displayed antibacterial activities that cover several pathogens found in respiratory tract infections, including Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis. The potential of these compounds as antibacterial agents is discussed with respect to selectivity, intracellular concentrations in bacteria, and potential for resistance development.

Amidohydrolases↗

A single amino acid substitution in Staphylococcus aureus dihydrofolate reductase determines trimethoprim resistance.

A single amino acid substitution, Phe98 to Tyr98, in dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is the molecular origin of trimethoprim (TMP) resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. This active site amino acid substitution was found in all S. aureus TMP-resistant clinical isolates tested. In order to explore the structural role of Tyr98 in TMP-resistance the ternary complexes of the chromosomal S. aureus DHFR (SaDHFR) with methotrexate (MTX) and TMP in the presence of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) as well as that of mutant Phe98Tyr DHFR SaDHFR(F98Y) ternary folate-NADPH complex have been determined by X-ray crystallography. Critical evidence concerning the resistance mechanism has also been provided by NMR spectral analyses of 15N-labelled TMP in the ternary complexes of both wild-type and mutant enzyme. These studies show that the mutation results in loss of a hydrogen bond between the 4-amino group of TMP and the carbonyl oxygen of Leu5. This mechanism of resistance is predominant in both transferable plasmid-encoded and non-transferable chromosomally encoded resistance. Knowledge of the resistance mechanism at a molecular level could help in the design of antibacterials active against multi-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), one of todays most serious problems in clinical infectology.

Binding Sites↗