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Butyrolactol A is a phospholipid flippase inhibitor that potentiates the bioactivity of caspofungin against resistant fungi

by Xuefei Chen, H. Diessel Duan, Michael J. Hoy, Kalinka Koteva, Michaela Spitzer, Allison K. Guitor, Emily Puumala, Guanggan Hu, Bonnie Yiu, Sommer Chou, Zhuyun Bian, Amelia Bing Ya Guo, Sheng Sun, Nicole Robbins, Michael A. Cook, Ray Truant, Lesley T. MacNeil, Eric D. Brown, James W. Kronstad, Leah E. Cowen, Joseph Heitman, Huilin Li, and Gerard D. Wright

Posted: January 6, 2025
Server: bioRxiv
DOI: 10.1101/2025.01.06.630955

Summary

Fungal infections cause millions of deaths annually and are challenging to treat due to limited antifungal options and increasing drug resistance. Cryptococci are intrinsically resistant to the latest generation of antifungals, echinocandins, whileCandida auris, a notorious global threat, is also increasingly resistant. We performed a natural product extract screen for rescue of the activity of the echinocandin caspofungin againstCryptococcus neoformansH99, identifying butyrolactol A, which restores echinocandin efficacy against resistant fungal pathogens, includingC. auris. Mode of action studies revealed that butyrolactol A inhibits the phospholipid flippase Apt1–Cdc50, blocking phospholipid transport. Cryoelectron-microscopy analysis of the Apt1●butyrolactol A complex revealed that the flippase is locked in a dead-end state. Apt1 inhibition disrupts membrane asymmetry, vesicular trafficking, and cytoskeletal organization, thereby enhancing echinocandin uptake and potency. This study identifies flippases as promising antifungal targets and demonstrates the potential of revisiting natural products to expand the antifungal arsenal and combat resistance.

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