Structure-based design of a new series of d-glutamic acid based inhibitors of bacterial UDP-N-acetylmuramoyl-l-alanine: D-glutamate ligase (MurD)

摘要

MurD ligase is one of the key enzymes participating in the intracellular steps of peptidoglycan biosynthesis and constitutes a viable target in the search for novel antibacterial drugs to combat bacterial drug-resistance. We have designed, synthesized, and evaluated a new series of d-glutamic acid-based Escherichia coli MurD inhibitors incorporating the 5-benzylidenethiazolidin-4- one scaffold. The crystal structure of 16 in the MurD active site has provided a good starting point for the design of structurally optimized inhibitors 73-75 endowed with improved MurD inhibitory potency (IC_(50) between 3 and 7 μM). Inhibitors 74 and 75 showed weak activity against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. Compounds 73-75, with IC _(50) values in the low micromolar range, represent the most potent d-Glu-based MurD inhibitors reported to date.