Function of the D-Alanine:D-Alanine Ligase Lid Loop: A Molecular Modeling and Bioactivity Study

D-Alanine:D-alanine ligase (Ddl) is an essential ATP-dependent bacterial enzyme involved in peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Discovery of Ddl inhibitors not competitive with ATP has proven to be difficult because the Ddl bimolecular D-alanine binding pocket is very restricted, as is accessibility to the active site for larger molecules in the catalytically active closed conformation of Ddl. A molecular dynamics study of the opening and closing of the Ddl lid loop informs future structure-based design efforts that allow for the flexibility of Ddl. A virtual screen on generated enzyme conformations yielded some hit inhibitors whose bioactivity was determined.