The current multidrug therapy for tuberculosis (TB) is based on the use of isoniazid (INH) in combination with other antibiotics such as rifampin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide. Literature reports have shown that Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB, has become resistant to this treatment by means of point mutations in the target enzymes of these drugs, such as catalase-peroxidase (KatG). By means of equilibrium molecular dynamics in the presence of the ligand, this work evaluated ten point mutations described in the enzyme KatG that are related to resistance to INH . The results showed that the resistance mechanism is related to stereochemical modifications at the N-terminal domain of the protein, which restrict INH access to its catalytic site, not involving mechanisms of electrostatic nature. These results show insights that can be useful for the identification of new anti-TB drugs which may be able to circumvent this mechanism of resistance.
Keywords: Catalase-peroxidase; Drug resistance; Isoniazid; Mycobacterium tuberculosis.