Dr. Robert Reynolds, Southern Research Institute

Targeting the Mycobacterial ATPome

RiboEvo Seminar Series

It is commonly known that ATP plays a crucial role in energy metabolism in all living systems, and ATP generation is the established target of the new antitubercular drug candidate TMC-207. It is also widely accepted that a variety of essential signaling processes rely on ATP-binding and phosphorylation of target proteins through the action of protein kinases. These processes are crucial for environmental signaling and control of metabolic states in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. For example, two kinases, PknA and PknB, are considered essential kinases in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), and these proteins are the focus of several ongoing drug design programs. In addition to these processes/proteins, there are a variety of other important ATP binding proteins that play critical roles in the mycobacterial life cycle. This talk will focus on our current knowledge of ATP binding proteins in mycobacteria, particularly relating to our efforts to identify ATP-binding proteins that are critical to the growing versus latent bacillus. Special emphasis will be placed on alternative ATP binding targets in Mtb.

For more information contact Prof. Loren Williams (404-894-9752).