Characterization of thiamine pyrophosphokinase of vitamin B1 biosynthetic pathway as a drug target of Leishmania donovani

Vitamin B1 is an essential cofactor for enzymes involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, particularly Transketolases. These enzymes are amenable to therapeutic interventions because of their specificity. In the final step of the Vitamin B1 biosynthesis pathway, Thiamine Pyrophosphokinase (TPK) converts thiamin into its active form, Thiamin Pyrophosphate (TPP), allowing researchers to investigate the functional importance of this enzyme and the pathway's dispensability in Leishmania donovani, a protozoan parasite that causes visceral leishmaniasis. In this study, various in silico, biochemical, biophysical, and cellular assays-based experiments have been conducted to identify and characterize LdTPK, and to provide a sound platform for the discovery of potential LdTPK inhibitors. LdTPK structural modelling ensured high protein quality. Oxythiamine and pyrithiamine were found to bind well with LdTPK with considerable binding energies, and MD simulation-based experiments indicated the stability of the complexation. Additionally, LdTPK1 was found to activate ROS defense in amastigotes, and its inhibition using oxythiamine and pyrithiamine led to the growth inhibition of L. donovani promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes. These findings highlight LdTPK as a promising target for the development of new anti-leishmanial agents. An in-depth analysis of the enzymes involved in TPP biosynthesis in L. donovani has the potential to yield novel therapeutic strategies for Leishmaniasis.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma