Trehalose Conjugation Enhances Toxicity of Photosensitizers against Mycobacteria.

ABSTRACT: Trehalose is a natural glucose-derived disaccharide found in the cell wall of mycobacteria. It enters the mycobacterial cell through a highly specific trehalose transporter system. Subsequently, trehalose is equipped with mycolic acid species and is incorporated into the cell wall as trehalose monomycolate or dimycolate. Here, we investigate the phototoxicity of several photosensitizer trehalose conjugates and take advantage of the promiscuity of the extracellular Ag85 complex, which catalyzes the attachment of mycolic acids to trehalose and its analogues. We find that processing by Ag85 enriches and tethers photosensitizer trehalose conjugates directly into the mycomembrane. Irradiation of the conjugates triggers singlet oxygen formation, killing mycobacterial cells more efficiently, as c

SUBMITTER: Dutta AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6487467 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature