Pyrazinamide, or How I stopped worrying and learned to love the proton

Topic: 

Despite its use in the treatment of tuberculosis for the last 60 years, the mechanism of action of pyrazinamide was still unknown.

The present work describes how the acid form of pyrazinamide acts as a protonophore and uncouples OXPHOS, explaining the pH-dependent activity of pyrazinamide. Additionally, several structural analogues of pyrazinamide were found to be active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, mimicking its mechanism of action and synergism with other antimycobacterial drugs.

About our speaker:

Fabio L. Fontes has a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Universidade do Algarve and a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from Colorado State University.

This seminar was kindly sponsored by