scholarly journals IN SILICO IDENTIFICATION OF NOVEL DRUG TARGETS IN ACINETOBACTER BAUMANNII BY SUBTRACTIVE GENOMIC APPROACH

Author(s):  
Meenu Goyal ◽  
Citu Citu ◽  
Nidhi Singh

 Objective: Multiple drug resistance (MDR) in bacteria, particularly Gram-negative bacilli, has significantly hindered the treatment of infections caused by these bacteria. This results in the need for identifying new drugs and drug targets for these bacteria. The objective of this study was to identify novel drug targets in Acinetobacter baumannii which has emerged as a medically important pathogen due to an increasing number of infections caused by it and its MDR property.Methods: In our study, we implemented in silico subtractive genomics approach to identify novel drug targets in A. baumannii American type culture collection 17978. Various databases and online software were used to build a systematic workflow involving comparative genomics, metabolic pathways analysis, and drug target prioritization to identify pathogen-specific novel drug targets.Results: First, 458 essential proteins were retrieved from a database of essential genes, and by performing BLASTp against Homo sapiens, 246 human non-homologous essential proteins were selected of 458 proteins. Metabolic pathway analysis performed by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes–Kyoto Automatic Annotation Server revealed that these 246 essential non-homologous proteins were involved in 66 metabolic pathways. Among these metabolic pathways, 12 pathways were found to be unique to Acinetobacter that involved 37 non-homologous essential proteins. Of these essential non-homologous proteins, 19 proteins were found in common as well as unique metabolic pathways and only 18 proteins were unique to Acinetobacter. Finally, these target proteins were filtered to 9 potential targets, based on subcellular localization and assessment of druggability using Drug bank, ChEMBL, and literature.Conclusion: Our study identified nine potential drug targets which are novel targets in A. baumannii and can be used for designing drugs against these proteins. These drugs will be pathogen specific with no side effects on human host, as the potential drug targets are human non-homologous.

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 129
Author(s):  
Abid Ali ◽  
Shabir Ahmad ◽  
Abdul Wadood ◽  
Ashfaq U. Rehman ◽  
Hafsa Zahid ◽  
...  

Ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) continuously causing substantial losses to the public and veterinary health sectors. The identification of putative drug targets and vaccine candidates is crucial to control TBPs. No information has been recorded on designing novel drug targets and vaccine candidates based on proteins. Subtractive proteomics is an in silico approach that utilizes extensive screening for the identification of novel drug targets or vaccine candidates based on the determination of potential target proteins available in a pathogen proteome that may be used effectively to control diseases caused by these infectious agents. The present study aimed to investigate novel drug targets and vaccine candidates by utilizing subtractive proteomics to scan the available proteomes of TBPs and predict essential and non-host homologous proteins required for the survival of these diseases causing agents. Subtractive proteome analysis revealed a list of fifteen essential, non-host homologous, and unique metabolic proteins in the complete proteome of selected pathogens. Among these therapeutic target proteins, three were excluded due to the presence in host gut metagenome, eleven were found to be highly potential drug targets, while only one was found as a potential vaccine candidate against TBPs. The present study may provide a foundation to design potential drug targets and vaccine candidates for the effective control of infections caused by TBPs.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marwah Karim ◽  
MD Nazrul Islam ◽  
G. M. Nurnabi Azad Jewel

AbstractOnce believed to be a commensal bacteria, Enterococcus faecium has recently emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen worldwide. A recent outbreak of E. faecium unrevealed natural and in vitro resistance against a myriad of antibiotics namely ampicillin, gentamicin and vancomycin due to over-exposure of the pathogen to these antibiotics. This fact combined with the ongoing threat demands the identification of new therapeutic targets to combat E. faecium infections.In this present study, comparative proteome analysis, subtractive genomic approach, metabolic pathway analysis and additional drug prioritizing parameters were used to propose a potential novel drug targets for E. faecium strain DO. Comparative genomic analysis of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes annotated metabolic pathways identified a total of 207 putative target proteins in E. faecium DO that showed no similarity to human proteins. Among them 105 proteins were identified as essential novel proteins that could serve as potential drug targets through further bioinformatic approaches; such as-prediction of subcellular localization, calculation of molecular weight, and web-based investigation of 3D structural characterization. Eventually 19 non-homologous essential proteins of E. faecium DO were prioritized and proved to have the eligibility to become novel broad-spectrum antibiotic targets. Among these targets aldehyde-alcohol dehydrogenase was found to be involved in maximum pathways, and therefore, was chosen as novel drug target. Interestingly, aldehyde-alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme contains two domains namely acetaldehyde dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase, on which a 3D structure homology modeling and in silico molecular docking were performed. Finally, eight molecules were confirmed as the most suitable ligands for aldehyde-alcohol dehydrogenase and hence proposed as the potential inhibitors of this target.In conclusion, being human non-homologous, aldehyde-alcohol dehydrogenase protein can be targeted for potential therapeutic drug development in future. However, laboratory based experimental research should be performed to validate our findings in vivo.


2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenran Jiang ◽  
Yanhong Zhou

Abstract The complete genome sequences have provided a plethora of potential drug targets. Gene network technique holds the promise of providing a conceptual framework for analysis of the profusion of biological data being generated on potential drug targets and providing insights to understand the biological regulatory mechanisms in diseases, which are playing an increasingly important role in searching for novel drug targets from the information contained in genomics. In this paper, we discuss some of the network-based approaches for identifying drug targets, with the emphasis on the gene network strategy. In addition, some of the relevant data resources and computational tools are given.


Author(s):  
Reaz Uddin ◽  
Alina Arif

Background: Clostridioides difficile (CD) is a multi-drug resistant, enteric pathogenic bacterium. The CD associated infections are the leading cause of nosocomial diarrhea that can further lead to pseudomembranous colitis up to a toxic mega-colon or sepsis with greater mortality and morbidity risks. The CD infection possess higher rates of recurrence due to its greater resistance against antibiotics. Considering its higher rates of recurrence, it has become a major burden on the healthcare facilities. Therefore, there is a dire need to identify novel drug targets to combat with the antibiotic resistance of Clostridioides difficile. Objective: To identify and propose new and novel drug targets against the Clostridioides difficile. Methods: In the current study, a computational subtractive genomics approach was applied to obtain a set of potential drug targets that exists in the multi-drug resistant strain of Clostridioides difficile. Here, the uncharacterized proteins were studied as potential drug targets. The methodology involved several bioinformatics databases and tools. The druggable proteins sequences were retrieved based on non-homology with host proteome and essentiality for the survival of the pathogen. The uncharacterized proteins were functionally characterized using different computational tools and sub-cellular localization was also predicted. The metabolic pathways were analyzed using KEGG database. Eventually, the druggable proteome has been fetched using sequence similarity with the already available drug targets present in DrugBank database. These druggable proteins were further explored for the structural details to identify drug candidates. Results : A priority list of potential drug targets was provided with the help of the applied method on complete proteome set of the C. difficile. Moreover, the drug like compounds have been screened against the potential drug targets to prioritize potential drug candidates. To facilitate the need for drug targets and therapies, the study proposed five potential protein drug targets out of which three proposed drug targets were subjected to homology modeling to explore their structural and functional activities. Conclusion: In conclusion, we proposed three unique, unexplored drug targets against C. difficile. The structure-based methods were applied and resulted in a list of top scoring compounds as potential inhibitors to proposed drug targets.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 921
Author(s):  
Abiodun Joseph Fatoba ◽  
Moses Okpeku ◽  
Matthew Adekunle Adeleke

Mycoplasma genitalium infection is a sexually transmitted infection that causes urethritis, cervicitis, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in men and women. The global rise in antimicrobial resistance against recommended antibiotics for the treatment of M. genitalium infection has triggered the need to explore novel drug targets against this pathogen. The application of a bioinformatics approach through subtractive genomics has proven highly instrumental in predicting novel therapeutic targets against a pathogen. This study aimed to identify essential and non-homologous proteins with unique metabolic pathways in the pathogen that could serve as novel drug targets. Based on this, a manual comparison of the metabolic pathways of M. genitalium and the human host was done, generating nine pathogen-specific metabolic pathways. Additionally, the analysis of the whole proteome of M. genitalium using different bioinformatics databases generated 21 essential, non-homologous, and cytoplasmic proteins involved in nine pathogen-specific metabolic pathways. The further screening of these 21 cytoplasmic proteins in the DrugBank database generated 13 druggable proteins, which showed similarity with FDA-approved and experimental small-molecule drugs. A total of seven proteins that are involved in seven different pathogen-specific metabolic pathways were finally selected as novel putative drug targets after further analysis. Therefore, these proposed drug targets could aid in the design of potent drugs that may inhibit the functionality of these pathogen-specific metabolic pathways and, as such, lead to the eradication of this pathogen.


Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Abid Ali ◽  
Shabir Ahmad ◽  
Pedro Machado Medeiros de Albuquerque ◽  
Atif Kamil ◽  
Fahdah Ayed Alshammari ◽  
...  

The emergence of drug-resistant lice, acari, and their associated pathogens (APs) is associated with economic losses; thus, it is essential to find new appropriate therapeutic approaches. In the present study, a subtractive proteomics approach was used to predict suitable therapeutics against these vectors and their infectious agents. We found 9701 proteins in the lice (Pediculus humanus var. corporis) and acari (Ixodes scapularis, Leptotrombidium deliense), and 4822 proteins in the proteomes of their APs (Babesia microti, Borreliella mayonii, Borrelia miyamotoi, Borrelia recurrentis, Rickettsia prowazekii, Orientia tsutsugamushi str. Boryong) that were non-homologous to host proteins. Among these non-homologous proteins, 365 proteins of lice and acari, and 630 proteins of APs, were predicted as essential proteins. Twelve unique essential proteins were predicted to be involved in four unique metabolic pathways of lice and acari, and 103 unique proteins were found to be involved in 75 unique metabolic pathways of APs. The sub cellular localization analysis of 115 unique essential proteins of lice and acari and their APs revealed that 61 proteins were cytoplasmic, 42 as membrane-bound proteins and 12 proteins with multiple localization. The druggability analysis of the identified 73 cytoplasmic and multiple localization essential proteins revealed 22 druggable targets and 51 novel drug targets that participate in unique pathways of lice and acari and their APs. Further, the predicted 42 membrane bound proteins could be potential vaccine candidates. Screening of useful inhibitors against these novel targets may result in finding novel compounds efficient for the control of these parasites.


2002 ◽  
Vol 357 (1417) ◽  
pp. 101-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan H. Fairlamb

Identification of novel drug targets is required for the development of new classes of drugs to overcome drug resistance and replace less efficacious treatments. In theory, knowledge of the entire genome of a pathogen identifies every potential drug target in any given microbe. In practice, the sheer complexity and the inadequate or inaccurate annotation of genomic information makes target identification and selection somewhat more difficult. Analysis of metabolic pathways provides a useful conceptual framework for the identification of potential drug targets and also for improving our understanding of microbial responses to nutritional, chemical and other environmental stresses. A number of metabolic databases are available as tools for such analyses. The strengths and weaknesses of this approach are discussed.


Author(s):  
M Arockiyajainmary ◽  
Sivashankari Selvarajan

Background: In our day-to-day life, we are facing many dreadful diseases caused by many infectious pathogens. These pathogens invade the living organisms (host) and lethally damaging them. These dreadful pathogens were also be used as bioweapons. Among them, Clostridium perfringens is taken for the study. Clostridium perfringens is an anaerobic, rod shaped, gram positive bacteria capable of forming spores. It is prevalent in the environment and in the intestine of humans and other animals. It is the causative agent for a wide range of diseases including food borne diseases, gas gangrene and flesh eating disease called necrotizing fasciitis. C. perfringens is commonly found on raw meat and poultry that espouse to grow in conditions with very little or no oxygen, and under ideal conditions can multiply very rapidly. These conditions are occasionally lethal due to the substantial number of toxins such as alpha toxin, beta toxin, epsilon toxin and iota toxin produced by C. perfringens. It is significantly important to analyze the Drug targets of the pathogen in order to destroy them. Objective: The present work aims in identifying potential drug targets in C. perfringens through metabolic pathway analysis. Method: Primarily, the metabolic pathways of the host and pathogen are compared to identify unique pathways in the bacteria. Among the enzymes that catalyze unique metabolic pathways, the essential ones for the survival of the pathogen are identified. The druggability of the essential enzymes are predicted through identification of its sub cellular localization and other druggable parameters. Results: The comparative metabolic pathway analysis result shows that, among the 98 metabolic pathways of C.perfringens, 25 pathways were unique that they did not have a counterpart with Human. There were 113 enzymes involved in these unique pathways. The NCBI’s protein Blast search against human was done to identify the non-homologous proteins. There were 93 non-homologous proteins. Among the 93 non-homologous proteins, 47 proteins were found to be essential. Based on their sub-cellular localization, 32 proteins were identified as potential drug targets and 15 are probable vaccine candidates. Conclusion: The present work which started with 25 different pathways with more than a hundred different enzymes, resulted in the identification of 32 putative drug targets against C.perfringens infection. All these 32 identified targets did not have any human homolog and are highly essential for the survival of the organism. They were concluded as potential drug targets. Designing of compounds to inhibit these enzymes would be successful for treating the life threatening infections caused by this pathogen.


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