Targeting Tuberculosis: Novel Scaffolds for Inhibiting Cytochrome bd Oxidase

Discovered in the 1920s, cytochrome bd is a terminal oxidase that has received renewed attention as a drug target since its atomic structure was first determined in 2016. Only found in prokaryotes, we study it here as a drug target for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Most previous drug discovery efforts toward cytochrome bd have involved analogues of the canonical substrate quinone, known as Aurachin D. Here, we report six new cytochrome bd inhibitor scaffolds determined from a computational screen and confirmed on target activity through in vitro testing. These scaffolds provide new avenues for lead optimization toward Mtb therapeutics.