Scientists at the University of Leicester have uncovered a dramatic new twist in the battle against TB.
They have identified how the killer bacterium makes itself immune to a key component of the only effective treatment against the disease.
Earlier this month, a separate team of TB researchers at Leicester announced a new advance in their fight against the resurgence of TB in Britain. They isolated the molecular weapons of the bacterium and are assessing ways to make the bacterium impotent.
Now, in new research published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, another team from the Departments of Biochemistry and Chemistry at the University has shown how the TB bacteria becomes resistant to one of the only available treatments for the killer disease.
Dr Peter Moody of the Biochemistry Department said: Isoniazid is a pro-drug that an enzyme in the deadly bacteria itself makes active.
Using the technique of protein crystallography and the incredibly bright X-ray source of the European Synchrotron at Grenoble, my team and that of Professor Emma Raven of the Chemistry Department at Leicester along with Dr Katherine Brown of Imperial College have shown how the pro-drug binds to two very similar enzymes - and from this we can see how mutations in the bacterial enzyme protect it from the treatment.
This is the first time anyone has seen the way the pro-drug binds to activating enzymes.
Dr Moody said: "Drug-resistant forms of TB are approaching 10% of the 8000 cases a year in the UK, so understanding how this works is very important."
The researchers hope that this new understanding will help drug companies devise treatments for the resistant strains.
The study, funded by BBSRC, is published this week in the Journal of Biological Chemistry*.
Dr Moody added: Unfortunately, development of the UK synchrotron source (Diamond) is under threat because of the shortfall in funding
'/>"/>
| Contact: Dr. Peter Moody 44-011-622-97097 University of Leicester Source:Eurekalert |
Related biology news :
1. UK scientists working to help cut ID theft
2. Scientists show that mitochondrial DNA variants are linked to risk factors for type 2 diabetes
3. Comet probes reveal evidence of origin of life, scientists claim
4. Scientists link fragile X tremor/ataxia syndrome to binding protein in RNA
5. Male elephants get photo IDs from scientists
6. Scientists retrace evolution with first atomic structure of an ancient protein
7. Muscle mass: Scientists identify novel mode of transcriptional regulation during myogenesis
8. Carnegie Mellon scientists develop nanogels that enable controlled delivery of carbohydrate drugs
9. Clemson scientists shed light on molecules in living cells
10. Scientists tackle mystery mountain illness
11. T. rex quicker than Becks, say scientists
| Copyright © 2003-2012 Bio-Medicine. All rights reserved. ABOUT | CONTACT US | DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS |  |