![Targeting TB Enzymes]()
Myobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB), infects a third of the world population and is a leading cause of mortality. However, drug-resistant strains of Mtb continue to hinder TB control efforts. In a study published online on January 30 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Einstein researchers, led by Catherine J. Vilcheze, Ph.D., and William R. Jacobs, Jr., Ph.D., focused on three NADH dehydrogenase enzymes (Ndh, NdhA and Nuo) involved in the electron transport chain. The researchers found that deleting the gene that codes for Ndh reduced Mtb virulence the most and that compounds that could target both Ndh and Nuo would be good candidates for anti-Mtb drugs. Dr. Jacobs is the Leo and Julia Forchheimer Chair in Microbiology and Immunology, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and a professor of genetics and microbiology and immunology at Einstein. Dr. Vilcheze is an instructor in microbiology and immunology at Einstein.
Posted on: Tuesday, February 20, 2018