Evaluating the potency of zoliflodacin against Helicobacter pylori: In vitro activity and conserved GyrB target
Jing Liu
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Changzhou Medical Center, The Affiliated Changzhou Second People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
Search for more papers by this authorJia Jia
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Changzhou Medical Center, The Affiliated Changzhou Second People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
Search for more papers by this authorTing Shi
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Changzhou Medical Center, The Affiliated Changzhou Second People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
Search for more papers by this authorYuefan Bai
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Changzhou Medical Center, The Affiliated Changzhou Second People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Yanqiang Huang
Guangxi Technology Innovation Cooperation Base of Prevention and Control Pathogenic Microbes with Drug Resistance, Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, China
Correspondence
Hongkai Bi and Liping Zeng, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Email: hkbi@njmu.edu.cn and lpzeng@njmu.edu.cn
Yanqiang Huang, Guangxi Technology Innovation Cooperation Base of Prevention and Control Pathogenic Microbes with Drug Resistance, Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, China.
Email: hyq77615@163.com
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Liping Zeng
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Changzhou Medical Center, The Affiliated Changzhou Second People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
Correspondence
Hongkai Bi and Liping Zeng, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Email: hkbi@njmu.edu.cn and lpzeng@njmu.edu.cn
Yanqiang Huang, Guangxi Technology Innovation Cooperation Base of Prevention and Control Pathogenic Microbes with Drug Resistance, Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, China.
Email: hyq77615@163.com
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Hongkai Bi
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Changzhou Medical Center, The Affiliated Changzhou Second People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
Correspondence
Hongkai Bi and Liping Zeng, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Email: hkbi@njmu.edu.cn and lpzeng@njmu.edu.cn
Yanqiang Huang, Guangxi Technology Innovation Cooperation Base of Prevention and Control Pathogenic Microbes with Drug Resistance, Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, China.
Email: hyq77615@163.com
Search for more papers by this authorJing Liu
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Changzhou Medical Center, The Affiliated Changzhou Second People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
Search for more papers by this authorJia Jia
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Changzhou Medical Center, The Affiliated Changzhou Second People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
Search for more papers by this authorTing Shi
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Changzhou Medical Center, The Affiliated Changzhou Second People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
Search for more papers by this authorYuefan Bai
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Changzhou Medical Center, The Affiliated Changzhou Second People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Yanqiang Huang
Guangxi Technology Innovation Cooperation Base of Prevention and Control Pathogenic Microbes with Drug Resistance, Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, China
Correspondence
Hongkai Bi and Liping Zeng, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Email: hkbi@njmu.edu.cn and lpzeng@njmu.edu.cn
Yanqiang Huang, Guangxi Technology Innovation Cooperation Base of Prevention and Control Pathogenic Microbes with Drug Resistance, Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, China.
Email: hyq77615@163.com
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Liping Zeng
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Changzhou Medical Center, The Affiliated Changzhou Second People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
Correspondence
Hongkai Bi and Liping Zeng, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Email: hkbi@njmu.edu.cn and lpzeng@njmu.edu.cn
Yanqiang Huang, Guangxi Technology Innovation Cooperation Base of Prevention and Control Pathogenic Microbes with Drug Resistance, Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, China.
Email: hyq77615@163.com
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Hongkai Bi
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Changzhou Medical Center, The Affiliated Changzhou Second People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
Correspondence
Hongkai Bi and Liping Zeng, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Email: hkbi@njmu.edu.cn and lpzeng@njmu.edu.cn
Yanqiang Huang, Guangxi Technology Innovation Cooperation Base of Prevention and Control Pathogenic Microbes with Drug Resistance, Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, Guangxi, China.
Email: hyq77615@163.com
Search for more papers by this authorJing Liu and Jia Jia contributed equally to this article.
Abstract
Background
The current standard treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection, which involves a combination of two broad-spectrum antibiotics, faces significant challenges due to its detrimental impact on the gut microbiota and the emergence of drug-resistant strains. This underscores the urgent requirement for the development of novel anti-H. pylori drugs. Zoliflodacin, a novel bacterial gyrase inhibitor, is currently undergoing global phase III clinical trials for treating uncomplicated Neisseria gonorrhoeae. However, there is no available data regarding its activity against H. pylori.
Materials and Methods
We evaluated the in vitro activity of zoliflodacin against H. pylori clinical isolates (n = 123) with diverse multidrug resistance. We performed DNA gyrase supercoiling and microscale thermophoresis assays to identify the target of zoliflodacin in H. pylori. We analyzed 2262 H. pylori whole genome sequences to identify Asp424Asn and Lys445Asn mutations in DNA gyrase subunit B (GyrB) that are associated with zoliflodacin resistance.
Results
Zoliflodacin exhibits potent activity against all tested isolates, with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 0.008 to 1 μg/mL (MIC50: 0.125 μg/mL; MIC90: 0.25 μg/mL). Importantly, there was no evidence of cross-resistance to any of the four first-line antibiotics commonly used against H. pylori. We identified GyrB as the primary target of zoliflodacin, with Asp424Asn or Lys445Asn substitutions conferring resistance. Screening of 2262 available H. pylori genomes for the two mutations revealed only one clinical isolate carrying Asp424Asn substitution.
Conclusion
These findings support the potential of zoliflodacin as a promising candidate for H. pylori treatment, warranting further development and evaluation.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Supporting Information
Filename | Description |
---|---|
hel13075-sup-0001-supinfo.docxWord 2007 document , 2.1 MB |
Data S1. Supporting Information. |
Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.
REFERENCES
- 1Hooi JKY, Lai WY, Ng WK, et al. Global prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection: systematic review and meta-analysis. Gastroenterology. 2017; 153(2): 420-429.
- 2Tshibangu-Kabamba E, Yamaoka Y. Helicobacter pylori infection and antibiotic resistance—from biology to clinical implications. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021; 18(9): 613-629.
- 3Amieva M, Peek RM Jr. Pathobiology of Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric cancer. Gastroenterology. 2016; 150(1): 64-78.
- 4Choi IJ, Kim CG, Lee JY, et al. Family history of gastric cancer and Helicobacter pylori treatment. N Engl J Med. 2020; 382(5): 427-436.
- 5Chey WD, Leontiadis GI, Howden CW, Moss SF. ACG clinical cuideline: treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. Am J Gastroenterol. 2017; 112(2): 212-239.
- 6Raaf N, Amhis W, Saoula H, et al. Prevalence, antibiotic resistance, and MLST typing of Helicobacter pylori in Algiers, Algeria. Helicobacter. 2017; 22(6):e12446.
- 7Basarab GS, Doig P, Galullo V, et al. Discovery of novel DNA gyrase inhibiting spiropyrimidinetriones: benzisoxazole fusion with N-linked oxazolidinone substituents leading to a clinical candidate (ETX0914). J Med Chem. 2015; 58(15): 6264-6282.
- 8Alm RA, Lahiri SD, Kutschke A, et al. Characterization of the novel DNA gyrase inhibitor AZD0914: low resistance potential and lack of cross-resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2015; 59(3): 1478-1486.
- 9Kern G, Palmer T, Ehmann DE, et al. Inhibition of Neisseria gonorrhoeae type II topoisomerases by the novel spiropyrimidinetrione AZD0914. J Biol Chem. 2015; 290(34): 20984-20994.
- 10Mizuuchi K, Fisher LM, O'Dea MH, Gellert M. DNA gyrase action involves the introduction of transient double-strand breaks into DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1980; 77(4): 1847-1851.
- 11Liu LF, Wang JC. Supercoiling of the DNA template during transcription. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1987; 84(20): 7024-7027.
- 12Gellert M, Mizuuchi K, O'Dea MH, Nash HA. DNA gyrase: an enzyme that introduces superhelical turns into DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1976; 73(11): 3872-3876.
- 13Huband MD, Bradford PA, Otterson LG, et al. In vitro antibacterial activity of AZD0914, a new spiropyrimidinetrione DNA gyrase/topoisomerase inhibitor with potent activity against gram-positive, fastidious gram-negative, and atypical bacteria. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2015; 59(1): 467-474.
- 14Basarab GS, Kern GH, McNulty J, et al. Responding to the challenge of untreatable gonorrhea: ETX0914, a first-in-class agent with a distinct mechanism-of-action against bacterial type II topoisomerases. Sci Rep. 2015; 5:11827.
- 15Bradford PA, Miller AA, O'Donnell J, Mueller JP. Zoliflodacin: an oral spiropyrimidinetrione antibiotic for the treatment of Neisseria gonorrheae, including multi-drug-resistant isolates. ACS Infect Dis. 2020; 6(6): 1332-1345.
- 16Taylor SN, Marrazzo J, Batteiger BE, et al. Single-dose zoliflodacin (ETX0914) for treatment of urogenital gonorrhea. N Engl J Med. 2018; 379(19): 1835-1845.
- 17Unemo M, Ahlstrand J, Sanchez-Buso L, et al. High susceptibility to zoliflodacin and conserved target (GyrB) for zoliflodacin among 1209 consecutive clinical Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from 25 European countries, 2018. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2021; 76(5): 1221-1228.
- 18Foerster S, Drusano G, Golparian D, et al. In vitro antimicrobial combination testing of and evolution of resistance to the first-in-class spiropyrimidinetrione zoliflodacin combined with six therapeutically relevant antimicrobials for Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2019; 74(12): 3521-3529.
- 19Basarab GS, Ghorpade S, Gibhard L, et al. Spiropyrimidinetriones: a class of DNA gyrase inhibitors with activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and without cross-resistance to fluoroquinolones. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2022; 66(4):e0219221.
- 20Damiao Gouveia AC, Unemo M, Jensen JS. In vitro activity of zoliflodacin (ETX0914) against macrolide-resistant, fluoroquinolone-resistant and antimicrobial-susceptible Mycoplasma genitalium strains. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2018; 73(5): 1291-1294.
- 21Kohlhoff SA, Huband MD, Hammerschlag MR. In vitro activity of AZD0914, a novel DNA gyrase inhibitor, against Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia pneumoniae. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2014; 58(12): 7595-7596.
- 22Luo P, Huang Y, Hang X, et al. Dihydrotanshinone I is effective against drug-resistant Helicobacter pylori in vitro and in vivo. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2021; 65(3):e01921-20.
- 23Jia J, Zheng M, Zhang C, et al. Killing of Staphylococcus aureus persisters by a multitarget natural product chrysomycin A. Sci Adv. 2023; 9(31):eadg5995.
- 24Eberhardt J, Santos-Martins D, Tillack AF, Forli S. AutoDock Vina 1.2.0: new docking methods, expanded force field, and python bindings. J Chem Inf Model. 2021; 61(8): 3891-3898.
- 25Yuan S, Chan HCS, Filipek S, Vogel H. PyMOL and inkscape bridge the data and the data visualization. Structure. 2016; 24(12): 2041-2042.
- 26Golparian D, Jacobsson S, Sanchez-Buso L, et al. GyrB in silico mining in 27 151 global gonococcal genomes from 1928-2021 combined with zoliflodacin in vitro testing of 71 international gonococcal isolates with different GyrB, ParC and ParE substitutions confirms high susceptibility. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2022; 78(1): 150-154.
- 27Morgan H, Lipka-Lloyd M, Warren AJ, et al. A 2.8 Å structure of zoliflodacin in a DNA cleavage complex with Staphylococcus aureus DNA gyrase. Int J Mol Sci. 2023; 24(2): 1634.
- 28Fock KM, Chelvam P, Lim SG. Triple therapy in the eradication of Helicobacter pylori in patients with duodenal ulcer disease: results of a multicentre study in South-East Asia. South-East Asia Multicenter Study Group. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2000; 14(2): 225-231.
- 29Fallone CA, Moss SF, Malfertheiner P. Reconciliation of recent Helicobacter pylori treatment guidelines in a time of increasing resistance to antibiotics. Gastroenterology. 2019; 157(1): 44-53.
- 30Rubin DH, Mortimer TD, Grad YH. Neisseria gonorrhoeae diagnostic escape from a gyrA-based test for ciprofloxacin susceptibility and the effect on zoliflodacin resistance: a bacterial genetics and experimental evolution study. Lancet Microbe. 2023; 4(4): e247-e254.
- 31Aldred KJ, Kerns RJ, Osheroff N. Mechanism of quinolone action and resistance. Biochemistry. 2014; 53(10): 1565-1574.
- 32Wohlkonig A, Chan PF, Fosberry AP, et al. Structural basis of quinolone inhibition of type IIA topoisomerases and target-mediated resistance. Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2010; 17(9): 1152-1153.
- 33Adamson PC, Lin EY, Ha SM, Klausner JD. Using a public database of Neisseria gonorrhoeae genomes to detect mutations associated with zoliflodacin resistance. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2021; 76(11): 2847-2849.
- 34Manoharan-Basil SS, Gonzalez N, Laumen JGE, Kenyon C. Horizontal gene transfer of fluoroquinolone resistance-conferring genes from commensal Neisseria to Neisseria gonorrhoeae: a global phylogenetic analysis of 20,047 isolates. Front Microbiol. 2022; 13:793612.
- 35Jacobsson S, Golparian D, Oxelbark J, et al. Pharmacodynamic evaluation of zoliflodacin treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains with amino acid substitutions in the zoliflodacin target GyrB using a dynamic hollow fiber infection model. Front Pharmacol. 2022; 13:874176.