Mode of action of copper complexes of some 2,2'-bipyridyl analogs on Paracoccus denitrificans

Copper and Antibiotics: Discovery, Modes of Action, and Opportunities for Medicinal Applications

Copper is a ubiquitous element in the environment as well as living organisms, with its redox capabilities and complexation potential making it indispensable for many cellular functions. However, these same properties can be highly detrimental to prokaryotes and eukaryotes when not properly controlled, damaging many biomolecules including DNA, lipids, and proteins. To restrict free copper concentrations, all bacteria have developed mechanisms of resistance, sequestering and effluxing labile copper to minimize its deleterious effects. This weakness is actively exploited by phagocytes, which utilize a copper burst to destroy pathogens. Though administration of free copper is an unreasonable therapeutic antimicrobial itself, due to insufficient selectivity between host and pathogen, small-molecule ligands may provide an opportunity for therapeutic mimicry of the immune system. By modulating cellular entry, complex stability, resistance evasion, and target selectivity, ligand/metal coordination complexes can synergistically result in high levels of antibacterial activity. Several established therapeutic drugs, such as disulfiram and pyrithione, display remarkable copper-dependent inhibitory activity. These findings have led to development of new drug discovery techniques, using copper ions as the focal point. High-throughput screens for copper-dependent inhibitors against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Staphylococcus aureus uncovered several new compounds, including a new class of inhibitors, the NNSNs. In this review, we highlight the microbial biology of copper, its antibacterial activities, and mechanisms to discover new inhibitors that synergize with copper.

Effects of 1,10-phenanthroline and hydrogen peroxide in Escherichia coli: lethal interaction

It has been observed that when Escherichia coli cells are treated simultaneously with phenanthroline and H2O2, there is a lethal interaction. In order to analyze the mechanism of this lethal interaction, wild-type and xthA mutant cells of E. coli were treated with 2.5 mM H2O2 and 1 mM phenanthroline. This treatment was preceded by treatments with different metal chelators (dipyridyl for Fe2+, desferal for Fe3+ and neocuproine for Cu2+) or conducted simultaneously to other treatments with chelators and radical scavengers (thiourea, ethanol and sodium benzoate). The lethal interaction was observed in both the E. coli wild-type strain and xthA mutant strain, which is deficient in the exonuclease III repair enzyme. Nevertheless, the mutant strain was much more sensitive than the wild-type one. Dipyridyl pretreatment protected the cells against the lethal interaction, while desferal pretreament was unable to do so. This suggests that the lethal interaction requires Fe2+ and not Fe3+ ions. Ethanol and sodium benzoate were incapable of protecting bacterial cells against the lethal interaction. Even a 20-min pretreatment with benzoate did not confer protection. On the other hand, thiourea protected the cells completely. Based on our results, we propose that the lethal interaction may be caused not only by the reaction kinetics of phenanthroline and Fe, but also by the ability of phenanthroline to intercalate in DNA. After forming the mono and bis complexes, phenanthroline would serve as a shuttle and take the Fe2+ ions to the DNA. So, the Fenton reaction would take its course with the consequent generation of OH. radicals near DNA. This proximity to the DNA would protect the OH. radicals against the scavengers' action, thus optimizing the Fenton reaction.

An electron spin resonance study and antimicrobial activity of copper(II)-phenanthroline complexes

The antimicrobial activities of some copper(II) binary complexes with unsubstituted and different substituted phenanthroline ligands were investigated. A considerable increase in the biocidal activity of the ligands on being coordinated with the copper(II) ions was observed in terms of their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values. EPR measurements were performed at room and low temperature with the aim of gaining an insight into the structure/activity relationship of these complexes. Subtle differences in the chemical arrangement result in appreciable differences in the antimicrobial activity. Copper(II) complexes with 2,9-dimethyl derivative phenanthrolines were observed to be more active against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

Combined modality treatment with ternary Cu(II) complexes and X rays

Ternary Cu(II) complexes with bidentate malonato- and heterocyclic amine ligands were tested with regard to cytotoxicity and potentiation of x-ray induced cell killing in V79 cells. Two lead complexes were also tested in a tumor assay using the MTG-B murine adenocarcinoma model growing in the flanks of female C3H/HeJ mice. One complex, [2,2'-bipyridyl malonatoCu(II)] (RL-5077), produced sensitizer enhancement ratios (SER's) of 1.8 (hypoxic conditions) and 1.0 (oxic conditions) in vitro when irradiation followed 1 hr exposure to the drug at 100 microM. When RL-5077 was administered at doses of 1/2 (11.65 mg/kg) or 1/4 (5.25 mg/kg) the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), 15 min prior to a locally delivered dose of 20 Gy, enhancement ratios (ER's) of 1.6 and 2, respectively, resulted. The second lead complex, [1,10 phenanthroline (malonato)Cu(II)hydrate] (RL-5027), produced SER's of 1.8 and 1.2 under hypoxic and oxic conditions, respectively, at a concentration of 25 microM. Injection of RL-5027 (5 mg/kg) resulted in toxicity without enhancement in combination with radiation. Analogues of these two complexes have been synthesized in an effort to optimize the potentiation of radiation effects while minimizing toxicity to drug alone and increasing water solubility of the drug. Further studies of the structure-activity relationship of Cu(II) ternary complexes using in vitro radiosensitization as the endpoint have identified four classes of ligands with varying biological activity and have supplied information about the effects of group substitution on solubility, toxicity, and radiation potentiation. This group of complexes represents a new class of radiopotentiators that deserves further investigation into its potential for clinical use.

Leukocytic oxygen activation and microbicidal oxidative toxins

Following a brief introduction of cellular response to stimulation comprising leukocyte activation, three major areas are discussed: (1) the neutrophil oxidase; (2) myeloperoxidase (MPO)-dependent oxidative microbicidal reactions; and (3) MPO-independent oxidative reactions. Topics included in section (A) are current views on the activation mechanism, redox composition, structural and topographic organization of the oxidase, and its respiratory products. In section (B), emphasis is placed on recent research on cidal mechanisms of HOCl, including the oxidative biochemistry of active chlorine compounds, identification of sites of lesions in bacteria, and attendant metabolic consequences. In section (C), we review the (bio)chemistry of H2O2 and .OH microbicidal reactions, with particular attention being given to addressing the controversial issue of probe methods to identify .OH radical and critical assessment of the recent proposal that MPO-independent killing arises from site-specific metal-catalyzed Fenton-type chemistry.

Mechanism of action of the copper(I) complex of 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline on Mycoplasma gallisepticum

Evidence was found that the inhibitory action of Cu(DMP)2NO3, the copper(I) complex of 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (DMP), on Mycoplasma gallisepticum is a consequence of the ultimate toxicity of copper, and not that of the ligand, DMP. From uptake studies with radiolabeled 67Cu and [14C]DMP, we concluded that significantly more copper than DMP is bound to the mycoplasmal cell. It appeared that dissociation of Cu(DMP)2+ occurred shortly after interaction with the cell membrane. Copper was transported across the cytoplasmic membrane. A strong dependence of copper uptake on the incubation medium was observed in the absence of DMP. The main function of the ligand DMP appeared to be as a vehicle for the transport of copper from nontoxic copper-medium complexes to membrane-buried cellular ligands.

Mode of action of the copper(I) complex of 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline on Mycoplasma gallisepticum

Various physiological important activities of Mycoplasma gallisepticum were inhibited by the copper(I) complex of 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline [Cu(DMP)2NO3]. The energy-yielding metabolism was inhibited because the conversion of pyruvate into lactate was found to be blocked by Cu(DMP)2NO3, indicating a selective inhibition of lactate dehydrogenase. Also, the production rate of acetate and the rate of oxygen uptake by whole cells of M. gallisepticum appeared to be strongly decreased. Experiments with crude cell extracts showed an inhibition of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) oxidase by Cu(DMP)2NO3 and an even stronger inhibition of NADH oxidase and lactate dehydrogenase by CuSO4. No preferential inhibition of adenosine 5'-triphosphatase and pyruvate kinase was found. Investigations on the influence of Cu(DMP)2NO3 on deoxyribonucleic acid, ribonucleic acid, and protein synthesis with growing cells of M. gallisepticum showed a selective inhibition of the incorporation of [14C]thymidine into deoxyribonucleic acid. Cu(DMP)2NO3 induced a decrease in the total amount of accessible sulfhydryl groups of whole cells of M. gallisepticum, indicating that the observed diverse toxicity of Cu(DMP)2NO3 may be associated with the interaction of copper ions with protein sulfhydryl groups.