Structure of theMycobacterium tuberculosisd-Alanine:d-Alanine Ligase, a Target of the Antituberculosis Drug d-Cycloserine

Abstract

ABSTRACTd-Alanine:d-alanine ligase (EC 6.3.2.4; Ddl) catalyzes the ATP-driven ligation of twod-alanine (d-Ala) molecules to form thed-alanyl:d-alanine dipeptide. This molecule is a key building block in peptidoglycan biosynthesis, making Ddl an attractive target for drug development.d-Cycloserine (DCS), an analog ofd-Ala and a prototype Ddl inhibitor, has shown promise for the treatment of tuberculosis. Here, we report the crystal structure ofMycobacterium tuberculosisDdl at a resolution of 2.1 Å. This structure indicates that Ddl is a dimer and consists of three discrete domains; the ligand binding cavity is at the intersection of all three domains and conjoined by several loop regions. TheM. tuberculosisapo Ddl structure shows a novel conformation that has not yet been observed in Ddl enzymes from other species. The nucleotide andd-alanine binding pockets are flexible, requiring significant structural rearrangement of the bordering regions for entry and binding of both ATP andd-Ala molecules. Solution affinity and kinetic studies showed that DCS interacts with Ddl in a manner similar to that observed ford-Ala. Each ligand binds to two binding sites that have significant differences in affinity, with the first binding site exhibiting high affinity. DCS inhibits the enzyme, with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.37 mM under standard assay conditions, implicating a preferential and weak inhibition at the second, lower-affinity binding site. Moreover, DCS binding is tighter at higher ATP concentrations. The crystal structure illustrates potential drugable sites that may result in the development of more-effective Ddl inhibitors.