Subtractive Proteomics-Based Prioritization of Drug Targets in Enterococcus faecalis V583 and Structure-Based
Muthusamy Sureshan1,2, Nithyashree Sriram3, Arunachalam Jothi4
1Centre for Computational Physics, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore, 641021, India.
Molecular Biotechnology
|February 27, 2026
Summary
Enterococcus faecalis causes serious infections and high antibiotic resistance. This study identified novel drug targets, including Alanine racemase, and found phytochemicals that may inhibit its growth.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Enterococcus faecalis is a Gram-positive bacterium and a significant cause of bloodstream infections (BSIs).
- High rates of antibiotic resistance in E. faecalis make it a high-priority pathogen, necessitating new therapeutic strategies.
- Existing antibiotics are becoming less effective due to emerging resistant strains.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify novel therapeutic targets in Enterococcus faecalis using a subtractive proteomics approach.
- To discover potential lead compounds for anti-E. faecalis drug development.
Main Methods:
- Subtractive proteomics was used to identify essential, non-homologous proteins unique to E. faecalis V583.
- Nine key enzymes in vital metabolic pathways were identified as candidate targets.
- Structure-based virtual screening was performed to assess binding affinities of phytochemicals to Alanine racemase (EfAlaR).
Main Results:
- 161 essential, non-homologous proteins were identified as potential drug targets.
- Alanine racemase (EfAlaR), crucial for cell wall synthesis, was highlighted as a unique target.
- Five phytochemicals (Woodfordin A, Oenothein B, Euphorbin H, Pentagalloylglucose, Euphorbin G) showed strong binding affinities to EfAlaR.
Conclusions:
- The identified proteins, particularly EfAlaR, represent promising targets for novel antimicrobial therapies against E. faecalis.
- The screened phytochemicals are potential lead compounds for developing new anti-E. faecalis drugs.
- This research contributes to addressing the challenge of antibiotic resistance in E. faecalis infections.
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