Pyrimidines for treatment of bacterial infections

Abstract

Filamenting temperature-sensitive mutant Z (FtsZ) protein plays a crucial role in the bacterial cell division machinery and is a validated drug target for antibacterial agents. The present invention relates to FtsZ-interacting compounds that possess a 2,4,6-trisubstituted pyrimidine scaffold. Some of these compounds possess potent anti-staphylococcal properties and potent antibacterial activities against clinically isolated MRSA strains. Compounds have been identified to exhibit low spontaneous frequency of resistance, low toxicity as well as the ability to rescue G. mellonella larvae infected with lethal dose of the MRSA ATCC 43300 strain. Characterization by saturation transfer difference NMR, light scattering assay and GTPase hydrolysis assay with purified S. aureus FtsZ protein verified the interaction of 2,4,6-trisubstituted pyrimidine with the FtsZ protein, further confirmed by observations of iconic filamentous cell phenotype and mislocalization of the Z-ring formation. Taken together, these pyrimidine derivatives have the potential as effective treatment of staphylococcal infections.