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Bonardi A, Nocentini A, Giovannuzzi S, Paoletti N, Ammara A, Bua S, Abutaleb NS, Abdelsattar AS, Capasso C, Gratteri P, Flaherty DP, Seleem MN, Supuran CT. Development of Penicillin-Based Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors Targeting Multidrug-Resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Med Chem 2024; 67:9613-9627. [PMID: 38776401 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The development of antibacterial drugs with new mechanisms of action is crucial in combating the rise of antibiotic-resistant infections. Bacterial carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) have been validated as promising antibacterial targets against pathogens such as Helicobacter pylori, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. A multitarget strategy is proposed to design penicillin-based CA inhibitor hybrids for tackling resistance by targeting multiple bacterial pathways, thereby resensitizing drug-resistant strains to clinical antibiotics. The sulfonamide derivatives potently inhibited the CAs from N. gonorrhoeae and Escherichia coli with KI values in the range of 7.1-617.2 nM. Computational simulations with the main penicillin-binding protein (PBP) of N. gonorrhoeae indicated that these hybrid derivatives maintained the mechanism of action of the lead β-lactams. A subset of derivatives showed potent PBP-related antigonococcal effects against multidrug-resistant N. gonorrhoeae strains, with several compounds significantly outperforming both the lead β-lactam and CA inhibitor drugs (MIC values in the range 0.25 to 0.5 μg/mL).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Bonardi
- NEUROFARBA Department, Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section and Laboratory of Molecular Modeling Cheminformatics & QSAR, University of Florence, Via U. Schiff 6, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence 50019, Italy
| | - Alessio Nocentini
- NEUROFARBA Department, Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section and Laboratory of Molecular Modeling Cheminformatics & QSAR, University of Florence, Via U. Schiff 6, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence 50019, Italy
| | - Simone Giovannuzzi
- NEUROFARBA Department, Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section and Laboratory of Molecular Modeling Cheminformatics & QSAR, University of Florence, Via U. Schiff 6, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence 50019, Italy
| | - Niccolò Paoletti
- NEUROFARBA Department, Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section and Laboratory of Molecular Modeling Cheminformatics & QSAR, University of Florence, Via U. Schiff 6, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence 50019, Italy
| | - Andrea Ammara
- NEUROFARBA Department, Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section and Laboratory of Molecular Modeling Cheminformatics & QSAR, University of Florence, Via U. Schiff 6, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence 50019, Italy
| | - Silvia Bua
- Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), Bucharest 050663, Romania
| | - Nader S Abutaleb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Abdallah S Abdelsattar
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | | | - Paola Gratteri
- NEUROFARBA Department, Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section and Laboratory of Molecular Modeling Cheminformatics & QSAR, University of Florence, Via U. Schiff 6, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence 50019, Italy
| | - Daniel P Flaherty
- Borch Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Mohamed N Seleem
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
- Center for One Health Research, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Claudiu T Supuran
- NEUROFARBA Department, Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section and Laboratory of Molecular Modeling Cheminformatics & QSAR, University of Florence, Via U. Schiff 6, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence 50019, Italy
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Giovannuzzi S, Marapaka AK, Abutaleb NS, Carta F, Liang HW, Nocentini A, Pisano L, Seleem MN, Flaherty DP, Supuran CT. Inhibition of pathogenic bacterial carbonic anhydrases by monothiocarbamates. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2023; 38:2284119. [PMID: 37994421 PMCID: PMC11003479 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2023.2284119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) from the pathogenic bacteria Nesseria gonorrhoeae and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have recently been validated as antibacterial drug targets. Here we explored the inhibition of the α-CA from N. gonorrhoeae (α-NgCA), of α- and γ-class enzymes from Enterococcus faecium (α-EfCA and γ-EfCA) with a panel of aliphatic, heterocyclic and aryl-alkyl primary/secondary monothiocarbamates (MTCs). α-NgCA was inhibited in vitro with KIs ranging from 0.367 to 0.919 µM. The compounds inhibited the α-EfCA and γ-EfCA with KI ranges of 0.195-0.959 µM and of 0.149-1.90 µM, respectively. Some MTCs were also investigated for their inhibitory effects on the growth of clinically-relevant N. gonorrhoeae and VRE strains. No inhibitory effects on the growth of VRE were noted for all MTCs, whereas one compound (13) inhibited the growth N. gonorrhoeae strains at concentrations ranging from 16 to 64 µg/mL. This suggests that compound 13 may be a potential antibacterial agent against N. gonorrhoeae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Giovannuzzi
- Neurofarba Department, Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
| | - Anil Kumar Marapaka
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, IN, USA
| | - Nader S. Abutaleb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Center for One Health Research, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Fabrizio Carta
- Neurofarba Department, Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
| | - Hsin-Wen Liang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Center for One Health Research, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Alessio Nocentini
- Neurofarba Department, Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
| | - Luigi Pisano
- Section of Dermatology, Health Sciences Department, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Mohamed N. Seleem
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Center for One Health Research, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Daniel P. Flaherty
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, IN, USA
- Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Claudiu T. Supuran
- Neurofarba Department, Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Section, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
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Almolhim H, Elhassanny AEM, Abutaleb NS, Abdelsattar AS, Seleem MN, Carlier PR. Substituted salicylic acid analogs offer improved potency against multidrug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae and good selectivity against commensal vaginal bacteria. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14468. [PMID: 37660222 PMCID: PMC10475031 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41442-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae represents a major threat to public health; without new effective antibiotics, untreatable gonococcal infections loom as a real possibility. In a previous drug-repurposing study, we reported that salicylic acid had good potency against azithromycin-resistant N. gonorrhoeae. We now report that the anti-gonococcal activity in this scaffold is easily lost by inopportune substitution, but that select substituted naphthyl analogs (3b, 3o and 3p) have superior activity to salicylic acid itself. Furthermore, these compounds retained potency against multiple ceftriaxone- and azithromycin-resistant strains, exhibited rapid bactericidal activity against N. gonorrhoeae, and showed high tolerability to mammalian cells (CC50 > 128 µg/mL). Promisingly, these compounds also show very weak growth inhibition of commensal vaginal bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanan Almolhim
- Department of Chemistry and Virginia Tech Center for Drug Discovery, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Ahmed E M Elhassanny
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
- Center for One Health Research, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Nader S Abutaleb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
- Center for One Health Research, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Abdallah S Abdelsattar
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
- Center for One Health Research, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Mohamed N Seleem
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
- Center for One Health Research, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Paul R Carlier
- Department of Chemistry and Virginia Tech Center for Drug Discovery, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, 833 S Wood St, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
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Yang TY, Tseng SP, Ho HC, Chen LH, Hsueh PR, Lu PL, Lin CH, Wang LC. In Vitro Evaluation of Tellurium-Based AS101 Compound against Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infectivity. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0149622. [PMID: 36877078 PMCID: PMC10100759 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01496-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) is a obligate human pathogen responsible for gonorrhea, one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. The yearly increased multidrug resistance in GC has led to treatment failure clinically, suggesting an urgent need for novel therapy to combat this global health issue. AS101 [ammonium trichloro(dioxoethylene-O,O'-)tellurate], a tellurium-based compound previously used as an immunomodulatory agent, was found to have antimicrobial effects against Klebsiella pneumoniae via a high-throughput drug screening and showed antibacterial activity against Acinetobacter spp. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro anti-gonococcal activity of AS101, including its antimicrobial activity, biofilm and infectivity inhibition, and potential underlying mechanisms. The agar-dilution-based MIC was used. The inhibition of GC microcolony formation and continual growth by AS101 was assessed by microscopy. The effect of AS101 on GC infectivity was evaluated by infecting endocervical ME180 and colorectal T84 epithelial cell lines. The mode of action was evaluated by a time-killing curve, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The MICs of MS11 and WHO GC isolates were both found to be 0.05 μg/mL. The biofilm formation, continual growth, and infectivity of two epithelial cell lines were significantly decreased with AS101 treatment. The time-kill curve, similar to that of azithromycin, suggested that AS101 is a bacteriostatic antimicrobial. However, TEM and ROS levels implied a mode of action different from that of azithromycin. Our findings highlighted the robust anti-gonococcal activities of AS101, which potentiates its use as a future antimicrobial for GC. IMPORTANCE Neisseria gonorrhoeae is an obligate human pathogen responsible for gonorrhea, one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. The yearly increased multidrug resistance in GC has led to treatment failure clinically, suggesting an urgent need for novel therapy to combat the global health issue. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro anti-gonococcal activity of a previous immunomodulatory agent, AS101, and its underlying mechanisms. Here, we report that AS101 possesses remarkable anti-gonococcal activity. These findings supported further studies on in vivo experiments and formulations for the clinical application of AS101 as an anti-gonococcal agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsung-Ying Yang
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Research Organization for Nano and Life Innovation, Future Innovation Institute, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
- Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
- School of Education, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sung-Pin Tseng
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Animal Vaccine Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan
| | - Han-Chen Ho
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualian, Taiwan
| | - Li-Hsuan Chen
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Po-Ren Hsueh
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Po-Liang Lu
- Center for Liquid Biopsy and Cohort Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Hsuan Lin
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Liang-Chun Wang
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Health Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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Dokla EME, Abutaleb NS, Milik SN, Kandil EAEA, Qassem OM, Elgammal Y, Nasr M, McPhillie MJ, Abouzid KAM, Seleem MN, Imming P, Adel M. SAR investigation and optimization of benzimidazole-based derivatives as antimicrobial agents against Gram-negative bacteria. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 247:115040. [PMID: 36584632 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.115040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria represent a serious threat to modern medicine and human life. Only a minority of antibacterial agents are active against Gram-negative bacteria. Hence, the development of novel antimicrobial agents will always be a vital need. In an effort to discover new therapeutics against Gram-negative bacteria, we previously reported a structure-activity-relationship (SAR) study on 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazole derivatives. Compound III showed a potent activity against tolC-mutant Escherichia coli with an MIC value of 2 μg/mL, representing a promising lead for further optimization. Building upon this study, herein, 49 novel benzimidazole compounds were synthesized to investigate their antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria. Our design focused on three main goals, to address the low permeability of our compounds and improve their cellular accumulation, to expand the SAR study to the unexplored ring C, and to optimize the lead compound (III) by modification of the methanesulfonamide moiety. Compounds (25a-d, 25f-h, 25k, 25l, 25p, 25r, 25s, and 26b) exhibited potent activity against tolC-mutant E. coli with MIC values ranging from 0.125 to 4 μg/mL, with compound 25d displaying the highest potency among the tested compounds with an MIC value of 0.125 μg/mL. As its predecessor, III, compound 25d exhibited an excellent safety profile without any significant cytotoxicity to mammalian cells. Time-kill kinetics assay indicated that 25d exhibited a bacteriostatic activity and significantly reduced E. coli JW55031 burden as compared to DMSO. Additionally, combination of 25d with colistin partially restored its antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacterial strains (MIC values ranging from 4 to 16 μg/mL against E. coli BW25113, K. pneumoniae, A. baumannii, and P. aeruginosa). Furthermore, formulation of III and 25d as lipidic nanoparticles (nanocapsules) resulted in moderate enhancement of their antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacterial strains (A. Baumannii, N. gonorrhoeae) and compound 25d demonstrated superior activity to the lead compound III. These findings establish compound 25d as a promising candidate for treatment of Gram-negative bacterial infections and emphasize the potential of nano-formulations in overcoming poor cellular accumulation in Gram-negative bacteria where further optimization and investigation are warranted to improve the potency and broaden the spectrum of our compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman M E Dokla
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, 11566, Egypt; Institute für Pharmazie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Str. 4, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany.
| | - Nader S Abutaleb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt
| | - Sandra N Milik
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, 11566, Egypt; School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Ezzat A E A Kandil
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, 11566, Egypt
| | - Omar M Qassem
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, 11566, Egypt; Purdue University Institute of Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Yehia Elgammal
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Maha Nasr
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, 11566, Egypt
| | - Martin J McPhillie
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Khaled A M Abouzid
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, 11566, Egypt
| | - Mohamed N Seleem
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA; Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Peter Imming
- Institute für Pharmazie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Str. 4, Halle (Saale), 06120, Germany
| | - Mai Adel
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, 11566, Egypt.
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Kikiowo B, Bandara AB, Abutaleb NS, Seleem MN. Colonization efficiency of multidrug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae in a female mouse model. Pathog Dis 2023; 81:ftad030. [PMID: 37852672 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftad030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid occurrence of gonococcal resistance to all classes of antibiotics could lead to untreatable gonorrhea. Thus, development of novel anti-Neisseria gonorrhoeae drugs is urgently needed. Neisseria gonorrhoeae FA1090 is the most used in gonococcal infection mouse models because of its natural resistance to streptomycin. Streptomycin inhibits the urogenital commensal flora that permits gonococcal colonization. However, this strain is drug-susceptible and cannot be used to investigate the efficacy of novel agents against multidrug-resistant N. gonorrhoeae. Hence, to test the in vivo efficacy of new therapeutics against N. gonorrhoeae resistant to the frontline antibiotics, azithromycin, or ceftriaxone, we constructed streptomycin-resistant mutants of N. gonorrhoeae CDC-181 (azithromycin-resistant) and WHO-X (ceftriaxone-resistant). We identified the inoculum size needed to successfully colonize mice. Both mutants, CDC-181-rpsLA128G and WHO-X-rpsLA128G, colonized the genital tract of mice for 14 days with 100% colonization observed for at least 7 days. CDC-181-rpsLA128G demonstrated better colonization of the murine genital tract compared to WHO-X-rpsLA128G. Lower inoculum of WHO-X-rpsLA128G (105 and 106 CFU) colonized mice better than higher inoculum. Overall, our results indicate that CDC-181-rpsLA128G and WHO-X-rpsLA128G can colonize the lower genital tract of mice and are suitable to be used in mouse models to investigate the efficacy of antigonococcal agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babatomiwa Kikiowo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 205 Duck Pond Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
- Center for One Health Research, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1410 Prices Fork Rd, Blacksburg, VA 24060, United States
| | - Aloka B Bandara
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 205 Duck Pond Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
- Center for One Health Research, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1410 Prices Fork Rd, Blacksburg, VA 24060, United States
| | - Nader S Abutaleb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 205 Duck Pond Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
- Center for One Health Research, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1410 Prices Fork Rd, Blacksburg, VA 24060, United States
| | - Mohamed N Seleem
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 205 Duck Pond Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
- Center for One Health Research, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1410 Prices Fork Rd, Blacksburg, VA 24060, United States
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Yang F, Liu J, Gu Y, Jiao R, Yan J, Gao S, Lin X, van der Veen S. Antimicrobial Activity of Auranofin, Cannabidivarin, and Tolfenamic Acid against Multidrug-Resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0395222. [PMID: 36350125 PMCID: PMC9769797 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03952-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative antimicrobial therapies are urgently required for the multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae, for which currently ceftriaxone is the only remaining recommended first-line therapy. Repurposing of drugs that are approved for other clinical applications offers an efficient approach for development of alternative antimicrobial therapies. Auranofin, cannabidivarin, and tolfenamic acid were recently identified to display antimicrobial activity against N. gonorrhoeae. Here, we investigated their activity against a collection of 575 multidrug-resistant clinical isolates. All three compounds displayed consistent antimicrobial activity against all isolates, including against strains associated with the high-level ceftriaxone-resistant FC428 clone, with both the mode and MIC90 for auranofin of 0.5 mg/L, while both the mode and MIC90 for cannabidivarin and tolfenamic acid were 8 mg/L. Correlations between MICs of ceftriaxone and auranofin, cannabidivarin or tolfenamic acid were low, indicating that development of cross-resistance is unlikely. Furthermore, antimicrobial synergy analysis between ceftriaxone and auranofin, cannabidivarin, or tolfenamic acid by determination of the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) resulted in an interpretation of indifference. Finally, time-kill analyses showed that all three compounds are bactericidal against both the N. gonorrhoeae ATCC 49226 reference strain and an FC428-associated clinical isolate, with particularly cannabidivarin displaying rapid bactericidal activity. Overall, auranofin, cannabidivarin, and tolfenamic acid displayed consistent antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant N. gonorrhoeae, warranting further exploration of their suitability as alternative antimicrobials for treatment of gonococcal infections. IMPORTANCE Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a major public health concern because of the high incidence of gonorrhea and the increasingly limited options for antimicrobial therapy. Strains associated with the FC428 clone are a particular concern because they have shown global dissemination and they display high-level resistance against the currently recommended ceftriaxone therapy. Therefore, development of alternative antimicrobial therapies is urgently required to ensure treatment of gonorrhea remains available in the future. Repurposing of clinically approved drugs could be a rapid approach for the development of such alternative antimicrobials. In this study, we showed that repurposing of auranofin, cannabidivarin, and tolfenamic acid for antimicrobial therapy of gonorrhea deserves further clinical explorations because these compounds displayed consistent antimicrobial activity against a large collection of contemporary multidrug-resistant gonococcal isolates that included strains associated with the FC428 clone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- Department of Microbiology, and Department of Dermatology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jin Liu
- Department of Microbiology, and Department of Dermatology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuhua Gu
- Department of Microbiology, and Department of Dermatology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ruilin Jiao
- Department of Microbiology, and Department of Dermatology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing Yan
- Department of Microbiology, and Department of Dermatology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuai Gao
- Department of Microbiology, and Department of Dermatology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xu’ai Lin
- Department of Microbiology, and Department of Dermatology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Stijn van der Veen
- Department of Microbiology, and Department of Dermatology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Microbial Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
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Abstract
Gonorrhea remains a major global public health problem because of the high incidence of infection (estimated 82 million cases in 2020) and the emergence and spread of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains resistant to previous and current antibiotics used to treat infections. Given the dearth of new antibiotics that are likely to enter clinical practice in the near future, there is concern that cases of untreatable gonorrhea might emerge. In response to this crisis, the World Health Organization (WHO), in partnership with the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP), has made the search for and development of new antibiotics against N. gonorrhoeae a priority. Ideally, these antibiotics should also be active against other sexually transmitted organisms, such as Chlamydia trachomatis and/or Mycoplasma genitalium, which are often found with N. gonorrhoeae as co-infections. Corallopyronin A is a potent antimicrobial that exhibits activity against Chlamydia spp. and inhibits transcription by binding to the RpoB switch region. Accordingly, we tested the effectiveness of corallopyronin A against N. gonorrhoeae. We also examined the mutation frequency and modes of potential resistance against corallopyronin A. We report that corallopyronin A has potent antimicrobial action against antibiotic-susceptible and antibiotic-resistant N. gonorrhoeae strains and could eradicate gonococcal infection of cultured, primary human cervical epithelial cells. Critically, we found that spontaneous corallopyronin A-resistant mutants of N. gonorrhoeae are exceedingly rare (≤10-10) when selected at 4× the MIC. Our results support pre-clinical studies aimed at developing corallopyronin A for gonorrheal treatment regimens. IMPORTANCE The high global incidence of gonorrhea, the lack of a protective vaccine, and the emergence of N. gonorrhoeae strains expressing resistance to currently used antibiotics demand that new treatment options be developed. Accordingly, we investigated whether corallopyronin A, an antibiotic which is effective against other pathogens, including C. trachomatis, which together with gonococci frequently cause co-infections in humans, could exert anti-gonococcal action in vitro and ex vivo, and potential resistance emergence. We propose that corallopyronin A be considered a potential future treatment option for gonorrhea because of its potent activity, low resistance development, and recent advances in scalable production.
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Yang F, Gao S, Yan J, Lin X, van der Veen S. Moenomycin is broadly active against multidrug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae and clears an infection from a murine vaginal tract infection model. J Antimicrob Chemother 2022; 77:2461-2469. [PMID: 35762496 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkac202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Ceftriaxone therapy for gonorrhoea has become under increasing pressure due to waning susceptibility levels and emergence of high-level resistant strains such as the FC428 clone. Moenomycin was recently identified to display potent anti-gonococcal activity against some reference strains. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate moenomycin in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial activity. METHODS Moenomycin in vitro antimicrobial activity was investigated against 575 clinical isolates, including strains associated with the FC428 clone, using the agar dilution method. Moenomycin in vivo activity was investigated in a mouse vaginal tract gonococcal infection model. RESULTS The moenomycin MIC range for the strain collection was 0.004-0.06 mg/L, with a MIC50 of 0.016 mg/L and a MIC90 of 0.03 mg/L. The correlation between moenomycin and ceftriaxone susceptibility levels was poor (R = 0.13), while the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) resulted in indifference for all tested strains. Therefore, development of cross-resistance between moenomycin and ceftriaxone is unlikely for N. gonorrhoeae. Determination of the moenomycin mode of activity against N. gonorrhoeae by time-kill assays showed that moenomycin is bactericidal, with over 104-fold inactivation observed after 4 h exposure. Finally, an intramuscular moenomycin dose of 10 mg/kg given on 2 consecutive days was able to clear a gonococcal infection in a mouse vaginal tract infection model within 1-3 days after the second dose, which was significantly faster than for mice treated with the vehicle control (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Moenomycin displays potent in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial activity against N. gonorrhoeae, warranting further exploration as alternative therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- Department of Microbiology, and Department of Dermatology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuai Gao
- Department of Microbiology, and Department of Dermatology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Yan
- Department of Microbiology, and Department of Dermatology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xu'ai Lin
- Department of Microbiology, and Department of Dermatology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Stijn van der Veen
- Department of Microbiology, and Department of Dermatology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
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10
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Elhassanny AEM, Abutaleb NS, Seleem MN. Auranofin exerts antibacterial activity against Neisseria gonorrhoeae in a female mouse model of genital tract infection. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0266764. [PMID: 35446884 PMCID: PMC9022871 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae has been classified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an urgent threat due to the rapid development of antibiotic resistance to currently available antibiotics. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find new antibiotics to treat gonococcal infections. In our previous study, the gold-containing drug auranofin demonstrated potent in vitro activity against clinical isolates of N. gonorrhoeae, including multidrug-resistant strains. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the in vivo activity of auranofin against N. gonorrhoeae using a murine model of vaginal infection. A significant reduction in N. gonorrhoeae recovered from the vagina was observed for infected mice treated with auranofin compared to the vehicle over the course of treatment. Relative to the vehicle, after three and five days of treatment with auranofin, a 1.04 (91%) and 1.40 (96%) average log10-reduction of recovered N. gonorrhoeae was observed. In conclusion, auranofin has the potential to be further investigated as a novel, safe anti-gonococcal agent to help meet the urgent need for new antimicrobial agents for N. gonorrhoeae infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed E. M. Elhassanny
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Nader S. Abutaleb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Mohamed N. Seleem
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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11
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Abutaleb NS, Elhassanny AEM, Nocentini A, Hewitt CS, Elkashif A, Cooper BR, Supuran CT, Seleem MN, Flaherty DP. Repurposing FDA-approved sulphonamide carbonic anhydrase inhibitors for treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2021; 37:51-61. [PMID: 34894972 PMCID: PMC8667909 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2021.1991336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a high-priority pathogen of concern due to the growing prevalence of resistance development against approved antibiotics. Herein, we report the anti-gonococcal activity of ethoxzolamide, the FDA-approved human carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. Ethoxzolamide displayed an MIC50, against a panel of N. gonorrhoeae isolates, of 0.125 µg/mL, 16-fold more potent than acetazolamide, although both molecules exhibited almost similar potency against the gonococcal carbonic anhydrase enzyme (NgCA) in vitro. Acetazolamide displayed an inhibition constant (Ki) versus NgCA of 74 nM, while Ethoxzolamide’s Ki was estimated to 94 nM. Therefore, the increased anti-gonococcal potency of ethoxzolamide was attributed to its increased permeability in N. gonorrhoeae as compared to that of acetazolamide. Both drugs demonstrated bacteriostatic activity against N. gonorrhoeae, exhibited post-antibiotic effects up to 10 hours, and resistance was not observed against both. Taken together, these results indicate that acetazolamide and ethoxzolamide warrant further investigation for translation into effective anti-N. gonorrhoeae agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nader S Abutaleb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VI, USA
| | - Ahmed E M Elhassanny
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VI, USA
| | - Alessio Nocentini
- Department of NEUROFARBA, Section of Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Sciences, University of Florence, Polo Scientifico, Firenze, Italy
| | - Chad S Hewitt
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Ahmed Elkashif
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Bruce R Cooper
- Metabolite Profiling Facility, Bindley Bioscience Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States
| | - Claudiu T Supuran
- Department of NEUROFARBA, Section of Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Sciences, University of Florence, Polo Scientifico, Firenze, Italy
| | - Mohamed N Seleem
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VI, USA.,Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VI, USA
| | - Daniel P Flaherty
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, West Lafayette, IN, USA.,Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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12
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Hewitt CS, Abutaleb NS, Elhassanny AEM, Nocentini A, Cao X, Amos DP, Youse MS, Holly KJ, Marapaka A, An W, Kaur J, Krabill AD, Elkashif A, Elgammal Y, Graboski AL, Supuran CT, Seleem MN, Flaherty DP. Structure-Activity Relationship Studies of Acetazolamide-Based Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors with Activity against Neisseria gonorrhoeae. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:1969-1984. [PMID: 33765392 PMCID: PMC8317129 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is an urgent threat to public health in the United States and around the world. Many of the current classes of antibiotics to treat N. gonorrhoeae infection are quickly becoming obsolete due to increased rates of resistance. Thus, there is a critical need for alternative antimicrobial targets and new chemical entities. Our team has repurposed the FDA-approved carbonic anhydrase inhibitor scaffold of acetazolamide to target N. gonorrhoeae and the bacteria's essential carbonic anhydrase, NgCA. This study established both structure-activity and structure-property relationships that contribute to both antimicrobial activity and NgCA activity. This ultimately led to molecules 20 and 23, which displayed minimum inhibitory concentration values as low as 0.25 μg/mL equating to an 8- to 16-fold improvement in antigonococcal activity compared to acetazolamide. These analogues were determined to be bacteriostatic against the pathogen and likely on-target against NgCA. Additionally, they did not exhibit any detrimental effects in cellular toxicity assays against both a human endocervical (End1/E6E7) cell line or colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (Caco-2) at concentrations up to 128 μg/mL. Taken together, this study presents a class of antigonococcal agents with the potential to be advanced for further evaluation in N. gonorrhoeae infection models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad S. Hewitt
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, 575 Stadium Mall Dr., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Nader S. Abutaleb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Ahmed E. M. Elhassanny
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Alessio Nocentini
- Department of NEUROFARBA, Section of Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Sciences, University of Florence, Polo Scientifico, Firenze, Italy
| | - Xufeng Cao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, 575 Stadium Mall Dr., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Devon P. Amos
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, 575 Stadium Mall Dr., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Molly S. Youse
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, 575 Stadium Mall Dr., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Katrina J. Holly
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, 575 Stadium Mall Dr., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Anil Marapaka
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, 575 Stadium Mall Dr., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Weiwei An
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, 575 Stadium Mall Dr., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Jatinder Kaur
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, 575 Stadium Mall Dr., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Aaron D. Krabill
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, 575 Stadium Mall Dr., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Ahmed Elkashif
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, 625 Harrison St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Yehia Elgammal
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Amanda L. Graboski
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, 575 Stadium Mall Dr., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Claudiu T. Supuran
- Department of NEUROFARBA, Section of Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Sciences, University of Florence, Polo Scientifico, Firenze, Italy
| | - Mohamed N. Seleem
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Daniel P. Flaherty
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, 575 Stadium Mall Dr., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, 720 Clinic Dr., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, 207 South Martin Jischke Dr., West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
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13
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Lin EY, Adamson PC, Klausner JD. Epidemiology, Treatments, and Vaccine Development for Antimicrobial-Resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Current Strategies and Future Directions. Drugs 2021; 81:1153-1169. [PMID: 34097283 PMCID: PMC8182353 DOI: 10.1007/s40265-021-01530-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is the second most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the world after Chlamydia trachomatis. The pathogen has developed resistance to every antibiotic currently approved for treatment, and multidrug-resistant strains have been identified globally. The current treatment recommended by the World Health Organization is ceftriaxone and azithromycin dual therapy. However, resistance to azithromycin and ceftriaxone are increasing and treatment failures have been reported. As a result, there is a critical need to develop novel strategies for mitigating the spread of antimicrobial-resistant N. gonorrhoeae through improved diagnosis and treatment of resistant infections. Strategies that are currently being pursued include developing molecular assays to predict resistance, utilizing higher doses of ceftriaxone, repurposing older antibiotics, and developing newer agents. In addition, efforts to discover a vaccine for N. gonorrhoeae have been reignited in recent years with the cross-protectivity provided by the N. meningitidis vaccine, with several new strategies and targets. Despite the significant progress that has been made, there is still much work ahead to combat antimicrobial-resistant N. gonorrhoeae globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Y Lin
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Paul C Adamson
- Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Ave. CHS 52-215, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Klausner
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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14
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Ji X, Lu P, Hu Y, Xue J, Wu J, Zhang B, Zhang Y, Dong L, Lv H, Wang S. Function Characterization of Endogenous Plasmids in Cronobacter sakazakii and Identification of p-Coumaric Acid as Plasmid-Curing Agent. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:687243. [PMID: 34248908 PMCID: PMC8267800 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.687243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Virulence traits and antibiotic resistance are frequently provided by genes located on plasmids. However, experimental verification of the functions of these genes is often lacking due to a lack of related experimental technology. In the present study, an integrated suicide vector was used to efficiently and specifically delete a bacterial endogenous plasmid in Cronobacter sakazakii. The pESA3 plasmid was removed from C. sakazakii BAA-894, and we confirmed that this plasmid contributes to the invasion and virulence of this strain. In addition, the pGW1 plasmid was expunged from C. sakazakii GZcsf-1, and we confirmed that this plasmid confers multidrug resistance. We further screened plasmid-curing agents and found that p-coumaric acid had a remarkable effect on the curing of pESA3 and pGW1 at sub-inhibitory concentrations. Our study investigated the contribution of endogenous plasmids pESA3 and pGW1 by constructing plasmid-cured strains using suicide vectors and suggested that p-coumaric acid can be a safe and effective plasmid-curing agent for C. sakazakii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuemeng Ji
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Science and Health, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ping Lu
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical Collage, Tianjin, China
| | - Yaozhong Hu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Science and Health, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Juan Xue
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Jing Wu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Science and Health, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Bowei Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Science and Health, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Science and Health, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Lu Dong
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Science and Health, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Huan Lv
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Science and Health, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuo Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Food Science and Health, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
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15
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Yarlagadda V, Rao VN, Kaur M, Guitor AK, Wright GD. A Screen of Natural Product Extracts Identifies Moenomycin as a Potent Antigonococcal Agent. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:1569-1577. [PMID: 33826296 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Increasing multidrug resistance in Neisseria gonorrheae is a growing public health crisis. Resistance to the last line therapies, cephalosporins and azithromycin, are of particular concern, fueling the need to discover new treatments. Here, we identified the phosphoglycolipid moenomycin from a screen of microbial natural products against drug-resistant N. gonorrheae as a potent antigonococcal agent. Moenomycin demonstrates excellent activity (MIC = 0.004-0.03 μg/mL) against a variety of multidrug-resistant N. gonorrheae. Importantly, moenomycin, thought to be a Gram-positive specific antibiotic, penetrates the Gram-negative gonococcal outer membrane. Moenomycin causes intracellular accumulation of peptidoglycan precursors, cell blebbing, and rupture of the cell envelope, all consistent with cell wall biosynthesis inhibition. Serial bacterial exposure to moenomycin for 14 days revealed slow development of resistance (MICDay14 = 0.03-0.06 μg/mL), unlike the clinically used drug azithromycin. Our results offer the potential utility of moenomycin as a lead for antigonococcal therapeutic candidates and warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkateswarlu Yarlagadda
- David Braley Center for Antibiotic Discovery, M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Vishwas N. Rao
- Medical Scientist Training Program, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
| | - Manpreet Kaur
- David Braley Center for Antibiotic Discovery, M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Allison K. Guitor
- David Braley Center for Antibiotic Discovery, M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Gerard D. Wright
- David Braley Center for Antibiotic Discovery, M.G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
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16
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Naclerio GA, Abutaleb NS, Alhashimi M, Seleem MN, Sintim HO. N-(1,3,4-Oxadiazol-2-yl)Benzamides as Antibacterial Agents against Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:2427. [PMID: 33671065 PMCID: PMC7957578 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes Neisseria gonorrhoeae as an urgent-threat Gram-negative bacterial pathogen. Additionally, resistance to frontline treatment (dual therapy with azithromycin and ceftriaxone) has led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant N. gonorrhoeae, which has caused a global health crisis. The drug pipeline for N. gonorrhoeae has been severely lacking as new antibacterial agents have not been approved by the FDA in the last twenty years. Thus, there is a need for new chemical entities active against drug-resistant N. gonorrhoeae. Trifluoromethylsulfonyl (SO2CF3), trifluoromethylthio (SCF3), and pentafluorosulfanyl (SF5) containing N-(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)benzamides are novel compounds with potent activities against Gram-positive bacterial pathogens. Here, we report the discovery of new N-(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)benzamides (HSGN-237 and -238) with highly potent activity against N. gonorrhoeae. Additionally, these new compounds were shown to have activity against clinically important Gram-positive bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and Listeria monocytogenes (minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) as low as 0.25 µg/mL). Both compounds were highly tolerable to human cell lines. Moreover, HSGN-238 showed an outstanding ability to permeate across the gastrointestinal tract, indicating it would have a high systemic absorption if used as an anti-gonococcal therapeutic.
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Affiliation(s)
- George A Naclerio
- Chemistry Department, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Nader S Abutaleb
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Marwa Alhashimi
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Mohamed N Seleem
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
- Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Herman O Sintim
- Chemistry Department, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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17
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Semchenko EA, Chen X, Thng C, O'Sullivan M, Seib KL. Gonorrhoea: past, present and future. MICROBIOLOGY AUSTRALIA 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/ma20055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The sexually transmitted infection (STI) gonorrhoea is an ancient human disease caused by the Gram-negative bacterial pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Despite decades of research focused on preventing, diagnosing, and treating gonorrhoea, it remains a major global health concern due to its high prevalence, high rates of asymptomatic cases, the severe sequelae that can result from untreated infections, and the increasing difficulty in treating infections caused by multi-drug resistant strains of N. gonorrhoeae. It is estimated that there are more than 87 million cases of gonorrhoea worldwide each year, and the WHO, CDC and Australian National Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Strategy have prioritised N. gonorrhoeae as an urgent public health threat for which new therapeutics and a vaccine are needed.
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