Polyketide Synthase 13 (Pks13) Inhibition: A Potential Target for New Class of Anti-tubercular Agents

Tuberculosis is one of the deadly infectious diseases that has resurfaced in multiple/ extensively resistant variants (MDR/XDR), threatening humankind. Today's world has a higher prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) than it has ever had throughout human history. Due to severe adverse effects, the marketed medications are not entirely effective in these forms. So, developing new drugs with a promising target is an immense necessity. Pks13 has emerged as a promising target for the mycobacterium. The concluding step of mycolic acid production involved Pks13, a crucial enzyme that helps form the precursor of mycolic acid via the Claisen-condensation reaction. It has five domains at the active site for targeting the enzyme and is used to test chemical entities for their antitubercular activity. Benzofurans, thiophenes, coumestans, N-phenyl indoles, and β lactones are the ligands that inhibit the Pks13 enzyme, showing potential antitubercular properties.