Bacterial and fungal enzyme

Bacterial and fungal enzymes are a broad category of proteins essential for the life cycle and pathogenicity of bacteria and fungi. These enzymes are the primary targets for a wide array of antimicrobial and antifungal agents, which exploit the structural and functional differences between microbial and human enzymes to achieve selective toxicity. Key bacterial targets include transpeptidases (inhibited by beta-lactams), DNA gyrase (inhibited by fluoroquinolones), and dihydrofolate reductase (inhibited by trimethoprim) (StatPearls, 2023). Fungal targets include lanosterol 14-alpha demethylase (inhibited by azoles) and 1,3-beta-D-glucan synthase (inhibited by echinocandins) (NIH, 2022). While highly effective, drugs targeting these enzymes face significant challenges, most notably the rapid emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which occurs through target modification, overproduction, or enzymatic degradation of the drug (Nature Reviews Microbiology, 2017). Additionally, the impact of these drugs on the host's commensal microbiome can lead to secondary complications such as Clostridioides difficile infection or systemic dysbiosis.

Other names

Microbial enzymesPathogenic enzymesBacterial enzymesFungal enzymes

Inhibition of essential microbial enzymes involved in cell wall synthesis, DNA replication, folate metabolism, and sterol biosynthesis.