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The natural anthraquinone dye purpurin exerts antibacterial activity by perturbing the FtsZ assembly

Susobhan Mahanty1, Krishnan Rathinasamy1

  • 1School of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Calicut, Kerala, India.

Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry
|October 26, 2021
PubMed

Insights

The madder dye purpurin inhibits bacterial growth by disrupting cell division protein FtsZ assembly. This natural compound shows potential as a novel antibacterial agent lead molecule.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Drug Discovery

Background:

  • The rise of antibiotic resistance necessitates the discovery of novel antibacterial agents.
  • The bacterial cell division protein FtsZ is a validated target for antibacterial drug development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential of the natural dye purpurin as an antibacterial agent by examining its effect on FtsZ.

Main Methods:

  • Bacterial growth inhibition assays, microscopy to observe cell morphology and Z-ring localization, in vitro FtsZ assembly and GTPase activity assays.
  • Purpurin's interaction with FtsZ was characterized by determining its dissociation constant.
  • Mammalian cell proliferation assays were performed to assess potential toxicity.

Main Results:

  • Purpurin inhibited bacterial growth in a dose-dependent manner and induced cell filamentation.
  • Microscopy revealed disrupted Z-ring formation and FtsZ mislocalization.
  • Purpurin bound to FtsZ (Kd = 11 µM), inhibited its in vitro assembly, and reduced GTP hydrolysis.
  • High concentrations of purpurin inhibited cancer cell proliferation without affecting tubulin polymerization.

Conclusions:

  • Purpurin effectively inhibits bacterial cytokinesis by targeting FtsZ assembly.
  • The natural anthraquinone purpurin demonstrates potent antibacterial activity and serves as a promising lead for developing new antibacterial drugs.
Keywords:
AntibacterialCytokinesisFtsZGTPaseMadderMicrotubules

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