We focused our research on covalent inhibitors of enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of bacterial peptidoglycan. Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) are involved in the final stage of bacterial cell wall synthesis and catalyze the cross-linking of peptidoglycan. Cytoplasmic UDP-N-acetylglucosamine enolpyruvyltransferase (MurA) catalyzes the transfer of enolpyruvate to UDP-N-acetylglucosamine.
In our research on PBPs, we have focused on the synthesis of new monocyclic ß-lactams. Using Staudinger cycloaddition, we synthesized 3-amino-4-substituted monocyclic ß-lactams with different substituents at the C4 position, a phthalimide-protected 3-amino group at the C3 position, and a protected lactam nitrogen. We tested different cyclization conditions to obtain the monocyclic β-lactam ring, as well as deprotection methods for the lactam nitrogen protecting group and phthalimide. We prepared a small library of cis-monocyclic β-lactams and investigated their inhibitory activity on PBP1b S. pneumoniae and antibacterial activity on ESKAPE bacteria. Although the prepared monocyclic β-lactams have IC50 values in the low micromolar range, most of them showed no antibacterial activity and were active only on mutant bacterial strains. Their reactivity and selectivity were evaluated in a biochemical assay with other enzymes and a reactivity assay. As part of our research on MurA, we performed the synthesis and biochemical evaluation of several libraries of reactive electrophilic compounds. An electrophilic chloroacetamide fragment was selected. Using a biochemical assay, we identified several new MurA inhibitors, of which the most potent compound had an IC50 value in the low micromolar range. The chemical reactivity of all chloroacetamide fragments in our library was evaluated using a reactivity assay. Using mass spectrometry, we confirmed covalent binding to Cys115 in the active site.
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We successfully optimized the synthesis of 3-amino-4-substituted monocyclic ß-lactams, which allowed us to synthesize a series of monocyclic β-lactams with PBP and weak antibacterial activity. We prepared a covalent chloroacetamide inhibitor with low micromolar inhibitory activity on MurA. The compounds prepared form the basis for further work on compounds with improved antibacterial activity.
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