V-161 targets a crucial enzyme in VRE, offering promise in combating antibiotic-resistant infections in hospital environments
V-161, a novel compound targeting the Na+-V-ATPase enzyme in vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE), significantly reduces bacterial growth and colonization. A recent study has demonstrated a promising approach for fighting antibiotic resistance by identifying a compound, V-161, that inhibits a sodium-pumping enzyme critical for VRE survival under alkaline conditions in the intestine while preserving beneficial bacteria. This breakthrough offers hope for treating hospital infections and tackling the global threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a global health concern, with studies projecting over ten million deaths annually by 2050 due to these resistant infections. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified twelve critical antibiotic-resistant pathogens, including vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), such as Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium). VRE causes severe hospital-acquired infections like endocarditis and sepsis and has developed resistance to multiple antibiotics, highlighting the urgent need for new antimicrobial treatments.
In response to this crisis, a team of researchers led by Professor Takeshi Murata from the Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, Japan, has discovered a promising new compound, V-161, which effectively inhibits the growth of VRE. Their research examined a sodium-pumping enzyme found in these bacteria called Na+-transporting V-ATPase found in E. hirae, a close relative of E. faecium, used as a safer, more tractable model for studying the enzyme. The team consisted of Assistant Professor Kano Suzuki, first author from the Graduate School of Science, Chiba University; Associate Professor Yoshiyuki Goto from the Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University; Professor Toshiya Senda and Associate Professor Toshio Moriya from the Structural Biology Research Center, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization; and Professor Ryota Iino from the Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences. This study, published online in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology on November 21, 2024, hypothesized that Na+-transporting V-ATPase could play a key role in the development of an antibiotic that specifically targets VRE without affecting beneficial bacteria.
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