Thiophene-2 (TP2) is a specific polyketide synthase 13 (Pks13) inhibitor. Thiophene-2 inhibits mycolic acid biosynthesis and rapidly leads to mycobacterial cell death. Thiophene-2 is active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis with a MIC value of 1 μM, and has potent anti-tuberculosis activity.
In vitro, TP inhibits fatty acyl-AMP loading onto Pks13. Thiophene-2 (TP2; 0-125 μM) inhibits loading of wild-type Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) Pks13 (Pks13_WT) in a dose-dependent manner. Thiophene-2 also inhibits palmitic acid (FL C16) loading onto the TP-resistant F79S mutant protein[1].
Thiophene-2 has an IC50 versus monkey kidney Vero cells and human liver carcinoma HepG2 cells of 17.5 and 7.30 μM, respectively. Significant intracellular killing activity within BCG-infected J774A.1 macrophage cells is observed at Thiophene-2 concentrations of 12.8 μM[1].
References:
[1]. Regina Wilson, et al. Antituberculosis Thiophenes Define a Requirement for Pks13 in Mycolic Acid Biosynthesis. Nat Chem Biol. 2013 Aug;9(8):499-506.