New chemotherapeutics active against multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) are urgently needed. We report on the identification of an adamantyl urea compound displaying potent bactericidal activity against M. tb and a unique mode of action, namely the abolition of the translocation of mycolic acids from the cytoplasm where they are synthesized to the periplasmic side of the plasma membrane where they are transferred onto cell wall arabinogalactan or used in the formation of virulence-associated outer membrane trehalose-containing glycolipids. Whole genome sequencing of spontaneous resistant mutants of M. tb selected in vitro followed by genetic validation experiments revealed that our prototype inhibitor targets the inner membrane transporter, MmpL3. Conditional gene expression of mmpL3 in mycobacteria and analysis of inhibitor-treated cells validate MmpL3 as essential for mycobacterial growth and support the involvement of this transporter in the translocation of trehalose monomycolate across the plasma membrane.

Phthiocerol dimycocerosates (PDIMs) and phenolic glycolipids (PGLs) are structurally related lipids noncovalently bound to the outer cell wall layer of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium leprae, and several opportunistic mycobacterial human pathogens. PDIMs and PGLs are important effectors of virulence. Elucidation of the biosynthesis of these complex lipids will not only expand our understanding of mycobacterial cell wall biosynthesis, but it may also illuminate potential routes to novel therapeutics against mycobacterial infections. We report the construction of an in-frame deletion mutant of tesA (encoding a type II thioesterase) in the opportunistic human pathogen Mycobacterium marinum and the characterization of this mutant and its corresponding complemented strain control in terms of PDIM and PGL production. The growth and antibiotic susceptibility of these strains were also probed and compared with the parental wild-type strain. We show that deletion of tesA leads to a mutant that produces only traces of PDIMs and PGLs, has a slight growth yield increase and displays a substantial hypersusceptibility to several antibiotics. We also provide a robust model for the three-dimensional structure of M. marinum TesA (TesAmm) and demonstrate that a Ser-to-Ala substitution in the predicted catalytic Ser of TesAmm renders a mutant that recapitulates the phenotype of the tesA deletion mutant. Overall, our studies demonstrate a critical role for tesA in mycobacterial biology, advance our understanding of the biosynthesis of an important group of polyketide synthase-derived mycobacterial lipids, and suggest that drugs aimed at blocking PDIM and/or PGL production might synergize with antibiotic therapy in the control of mycobacterial infections. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb),3 Mycobacterium leprae, and several opportunistic mycobacterial human pathogens (e.g. M. marinum (Mm)) produce two related groups of diesters of ␤-glycol-containing aliphatic polyketides (e.g. phenolphthiocerols and phthiocerols) and polyketide synthase-derived multimethyl-branched fatty acids (e.g. mycocerosic acids) (Fig. 1). One of these groups is represented by phthiocerol dimycocerosates (PDIMs). The other group is represented by phenolphthiocerol dimycocerosates, which are glycosylated compounds generally known as phenolic glycolipids (PGLs). These complex lipids, which are believed to be noncovalently bound constituents of the outer leaflet of the unique mycobacterial outer membrane, are known important effectors of virulence (for review, see Ref. 1).Cox et al. (3) and Camacho et al.(2) independently demonstrated in 1999 that loss of PDIMs in PGL-deficient Mtb strains correlates with attenuation in animal models of tuberculosis. It has also been documented that production of PGLs confers a hyperlethality phenotype to PDIM-producing Mtb in murine disease models (4). Since these seminal reports, an overwhelming body of evidence has accumulated demonstrating that PDIMs and PGLs play key roles in virulence and host-pathogen interaction ...

The mycobactin siderophore system is present in many Mycobacterium species, including M. tuberculosis and other clinically relevant mycobacteria. This siderophore system is believed to be utilized by both pathogenic and nonpathogenic mycobacteria for iron acquisition in both in vivo and ex vivo iron-limiting environments, respectively. Several M. tuberculosis genes located in a so-called mbt gene cluster have been predicted to be required for the biosynthesis of the core scaffold of mycobactin based on sequence analysis. A systematic and controlled mutational analysis probing the hypothesized essential nature of each of these genes for mycobactin production has been lacking. The degree of conservation of mbt gene cluster orthologs remains to be investigated as well. In this study, we sought to conclusively establish whether each of nine mbt genes was required for mycobactin production and to examine the conservation of gene clusters orthologous to the M. tuberculosis mbt gene cluster in other bacteria. We report a systematic mutational analysis of the mbt gene cluster ortholog found in Mycobacterium smegmatis. This mutational analysis demonstrates that eight of the nine mbt genes investigated are essential for mycobactin production. Our genome mining and phylogenetic analyses reveal the presence of orthologous mbt gene clusters in several bacterial species. These gene clusters display significant organizational differences originating from an intricate evolutionary path that might have included horizontal gene transfers. Altogether, the findings reported herein advance our understanding of the genetic requirements for the biosynthesis of an important mycobacterial secondary metabolite with relevance to virulence.The obligate human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, most opportunistic mycobacterial human pathogens (e.g., M. avium), and many nonpathogenic saprophytic mycobacteria (e.g., M. smegmatis) produce a structurally complex salicylic acid-derived siderophore known as mycobactin (MBT) (Fig. 1) (5, 33, 35). MBT has a core scaffold of a proposed nonribosomal peptide-polyketide origin consisting of a hydroxyphenylcapped (methyl)oxazoline moiety linked to an N ε -hydroxylysine residue, which is typically connected to a terminal cyclo-N ε -hydroxylysine by a 4-carbon linker. This core scaffold is decorated with a variable fatty acyl substituent on the N ε of the internal N ε -hydroxylysine residue. Structural variants (carboxymycobactins) with acyl substituents terminating in a carboxylate or a methyl ester are also produced. Interestingly, the core scaffold of MBT is remarkably similar to core scaffolds seen in several compounds-some with interesting pharmacological activities-produced by species of the genus Nocardia (Fig. 1). Nocardia is a saprophytic group of actinomycetes closely related to the mycobacteria and includes species that are increasingly recognized as opportunistic human pathogens (2, 25).Studies with cellular and animal models of mycobacterial infection have established the relevance of the M...