Antibacterial drugs are among the most commonly used and often missused drugs. The widespread use has led to the inevitable development of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, increasing the need for new antibacterial agents. Bacterial topoisomerases, including DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV, are well-established drug targets. Both enzymes are classified as type II topoisomerases, which catalyze the cleavage of both DNA strands simultaneously. Due to similar heterotetrameric structure of DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV, there is a possibility of designing antibacterial substances that simultaneously inhibit both enzymes. DNA gyrase consists of two GyrA and two GyrB subunits. It is known that the GyrA subunit plays a catalytic role in the cleavage and recombination of the DNA molecule, while the GyrB subunit is responsible for the binding of ATP, whose hydrolysis releases the energy needed to catalyze the reaction.
Through studies of co-crystal structures of DNA-gyrase B with its known inhibitors, we designed and synthesized eight new potential ATP-competitive inhibitors. We designed two classes of compounds and evaluated their potential efficacy by biological testing on DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV from Escherichia coli and human topoisomerase IIα. All synthesized compounds share the N-phenylpyrrolamide and 4-aminopiperidine moiety, but differ in the trifluoromethyl (class A) and cyclopropyl fragments (class B). The compounds were tested for antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains. According to the enzyme tests, 20 and 26 were shown to be the most active. Compound 20 with trifluoromethyl fragment and a carboxyl group in its structure displays a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 80 nM on DNA gyrase from E. coli. Compound 26 with a cyclopropyl fragment and a 1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-one heterocycle shows an IC50 value of 79 nM. According to antibacterial tests, compound 28 was shown to be the most promising agent against gram-positive bacterial strains with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC90) of 4 µg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 and a MIC90 value of 8 µg/mL against S. aureus ATCC 43300. Compound 18 also demonstrated a very promising antibacterial activity with MIC90 value of 16 µg/mL against Klebsiella pneumoniae and MIC90 value of 32 µg/mL against Acinetobacter baumannii.
|