Exploring the mode of action of anti-mycobacterial activity of C17 diynes using microarray

The anti-mycobacterial activity of C17 diynes has been described previously, however, their mode of action remains unknown. Microarray techniques were used to explore the genetic regulation reponses of Mycobacterium smegmatis to treatment with the C17 diynes, falcarinol and panaxydol. Our analyses showed a distinct mode of action of the C17 diynes when compared with commonly used anti-mycobacterial drugs. In addition, geneset enrichment analysis, pathway enrichment analysis and PASS analysis revealed significant gene ontology terms, pathways and potential modes of action, respectively. Combing the results of the three analyses, we hypothesize that the C17 diynes inhibit fatty acid biosynthesis, specifically phospholipid synthesis in mycobacteira. Mycobacterium smegmatis MC2 155 was treated with 10 times of MIC90 of falcarinol, panaxydol, isoniazid, ethambutol and kanamycin for 6 hours with at least 6 independent biological replicates.