Exploring the interaction of N-(benzothiazol-2-yl)pyrrolamide DNA gyrase inhibitors with the GyrB ATP-binding site lipophilic floor: A medicinal chemistry and QTAIM study.

N-(Benzothiazole-2-yl)pyrrolamide DNA gyrase inhibitors with benzyl or phenethyl substituents attached to position 3 of the benzothiazole ring or to the carboxamide nitrogen atom were prepared and studied for their inhibition of Escherichia coli DNA gyrase by supercoiling assay. Compared to inhibitors bearing the substituents at position 4 of the benzothiazole ring, the inhibition was attenuated by moving the substituent to position 3 and further to the carboxamide nitrogen atom. A co-crystal structure of (Z)-3-benzyl-2-((4,5-dibromo-1H-pyrrole-2-carbonyl)imino)-2,3-dihydrobenzo[d]-thiazole-6-carboxylic acid (I) in complex with E. coli GyrB24 (ATPase subdomain) was solved, revealing the binding mode of this type of inhibitor to the ATP-binding pocket of the E. coli GyrB subunit. The key binding interactions were identified and their contribution to binding was rationalised by quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analysis. Our study shows that the benzyl or phenethyl substituents bound to the benzothiazole core interact with the lipophilic floor of the active site, which consists mainly of residues Gly101, Gly102, Lys103 and Ser108. Compounds with substituents at position 3 of the benzothiazole core were up to two orders of magnitude more effective than compounds with substituents at the carboxamide nitrogen. In addition, the 6-oxalylamino compounds were more potent inhibitors of E. coli DNA gyrase than the corresponding 6-acetamido analogues.

Facile synthesis and in silico studies of benzothiazole-linked hydroxypyrazolones targeting α-amylase and α-glucosidase.

Aim: The objective of the present investigation was to design and synthesize new heterocyclic hybrids comprising benzothiazole and indenopyrazolone pharmacophoric units in a single molecular framework targeting α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymatic inhibition. Materials & methods: 20 new benzothiazole-appended indenopyrazoles, 3a-t, were synthesized in good yields under environment-friendly conditions via cycloaddition reaction, and assessed for antidiabetic activity against α-amylase and α-glucosidase, using acarbose as the standard reference. Results: Among all the hydroxypyrazolones, 3p and 3r showed the best inhibition against α-amylase and α-glucosidase, which finds support from molecular docking and dynamic studies. Conclusion: Compounds 3p and 3r have been identified as promising antidiabetic agents against α-amylase and α-glucosidase and could be considered valuable leads for further optimization of antidiabetic agents.

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Synthesis, antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of new 1,2,3,5-tetrazine derivatives from coupling reactions of diazonium salt of 2-amino-6-nitrobenzothiazole with diverse substituted 2-aminobenzothiazole derivatives.

The coupling reaction of diazonium ion of 2-amino-6-nitrobenzothiazole at 0-5 °C with distinctly substituted 2-aminobenzothiazole derivatives produced new 1,2,3,5-tetrazine derivatives. It was found that diazotized 2-amino-6-nitrobenzo[d]thiazol reacts with the ring nitrogen atom of varyingly substituted 2-aminobenzothiazole derivatives to yield tetrazine nucleus. The benzene ring of benzothiazole bearing electron donor group and annelated to the tetrazine was further substituted in situ by other 6-nitrobenzo[d]thiazol-2-yl) diazinyl to yield the final product. The structure of the prepared compounds was elucidated using their physical, elemental, and spectroscopic data. The synthesized compounds were tested for their antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria. Two of the synthesis tetrazine derivatives exhibited interesting antibiofilm potential.

Development of an 18F-labeled azobenzothiazole tracer for α-synuclein aggregates in the brain.

Nuclear imaging of aggregated α-synuclein pathology is an urgent clinical need for Parkinson's disease, yet promising tracers for brain α-synuclein aggregates are still rare. In this work, a class of compact benzothiazole derivatives was synthesized and evaluated for α-synuclein aggregates. Among them, azobenzothiazoles exhibited specific and selective detection of α-synuclein aggregates under physiological conditions. Fluoro-pegylated azobenzothiazole NN-F further demonstrated high-affinity binding to α-synuclein aggregates and efficient 18F-radiolabeling via nucleophilic displacement of a tosyl precursor. [18F]NN-F was stable in plasma in vitro and showed efficient brain uptake with little defluorination in vivo.

Effective α-glycosidase inhibitors based on polyphenolic benzothiazole heterocycles.

α-Glycosidase inhibition is one of the main approaches to treat Diabetes mellitus. Polyphenolic moieties are known to be responsible for yielding exhibit potent α-glycosidase inhibitory effects. In addition, compounds containing benzothiazole and Schiff base functionalities were previously reported to show α-glycosidase inhibition. In this paper, the synthesis of seven new phloroglucinol-containing benzothiazole Schiff base derivatives through the reaction of 6-substituted-2-aminobenzothiazole compounds with 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzaldehyde using acetic acid as a catalyst was reported. The synthesized compounds were characterized using spectroscopic methods such as FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and elemental analysis. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on α-glycosidase, compounds 3f and 3g were found to show significant inhibitory properties when compared to the positive control. The IC50 values of 3f and 3g were calculated as 24.05 ± 2.28 and 18.51 ± 1.19 µM, respectively. Kinetic studies revealed that compounds 3f and 3g exhibited uncompetitive mode of inhibition against α-glycosidase. Molecular modeling predicted druglikeness for the title compounds and underpinned the importance of phloroglucinol hydroxyls for interacting with the key residues of α-glycosidase.

Benzothiazole derivatives as histone deacetylase inhibitors for the treatment of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Recent evidence suggests that histone deacetylases (HDACs) are important regulators of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). In the present study, a series of benzothiazole-bearing compounds were designed and synthesized as potential HDAC inhibitors. Given the multiple participation of HDACs in ADPKD cyst progression, we embarked on a targeted screen using HeLa nuclear extracts to identify potent pan-HDAC inhibitors. Compound 26 emerged as the most efficacious candidate. Subsequent pharmacological characterization showed that compound 26 effectively inhibits several HDACs, notably HDAC1, HDAC2, and HDAC6 (IC50 < 150 nM), displaying a particularly high sensitivity towards HDAC6 (IC50 = 11 nM). The selected compound significantly prevented cyst formation and expansion in an in vitro cyst model and was efficacious in reducing cyst growth in both an embryonic kidney cyst model and an in vivo ADPKD mouse model. Our results provided compelling evidence that compound 26 represents a new HDAC inhibitor for the treatment of ADPKD.

In vitro inhibition of α-Synuclein aggregation and disaggregation of preformed fibers by polyphenol hybrids with 2-conjugated benzothiazole.

The misfolding and aggregation of α-Syn play a pivotal role in connecting diverse pathological pathways in Parkinson's disease (PD). Preserving α-Syn proteostasis and functionality by inhibiting its aggregation or disaggregating existing aggregates using suitable inhibitors represents a promising strategy for PD prevention and treatment. In this study, a series of benzothiazole-polyphenol hybrids was designed and synthesized. Three identified compounds exhibited notable inhibitory activities against α-Syn aggregation in vitro, with IC50 values in the low micromolar range. These inhibitors demonstrated sustained inhibitory effects throughout the entire aggregation process, stabilizing α-Syn proteostasis conformation. Moreover, the compounds effectively disintegrated preformed α-Syn oligomers and fibers, potentially by binding to specific domains within the fibers, inducing fibril instability, collapse, and ultimately resulting in smaller-sized aggregates and monomers. These findings offer valuable insights into the therapeutic potential of polyphenol hybrids with 2-conjugated benzothiazole targeting α-Syn aggregation in the treatment of PD.

Sulfonyl thioureas with a benzo[d]thiazole ring as dual acetylcholinesterase/butyrylcholinesterase and human monoamine oxidase A and B inhibitors: An in vitro and in silico study.

A series of sulfonyl thioureas 6a-q containing a benzo[d]thiazole ring with an ester functional group was synthesized from corresponding substituted 2-aminobenzo[d]thiazoles 3a-q and p-toluenesulfonyl isothiocyanate. They had remarkable inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), monoamine oxidase (MAO)-A, and MAO-B. Among thioureas, several compounds had notable activity in the order of 6k > 6 h > 6c (AChE), 6j > 6g > 6k (BChE), 6k > 6g > 6f (MAO-A), and 6i > 6k > 6h (MAO-B). Compound 6k was an inhibitor of interest due to its potent or good activity against all studied enzymes, with IC50 values of 0.027 ± 0.008 µM (AChE), 0.043 ± 0.004 µM (BChE), 0.353 ± 0.01 µM (MAO-A), and 0.716 ± 0.02 µM (MAO-B). This inhibitory capacity was comparable to that of the reference drugs for each enzyme. Kinetic studies of two compounds with potential activity, 6k (against AChE) and 6j (against BChE), had shown that both 6k and 6j followed competitive-type enzyme inhibition, with Ki constants of 24.49 and 12.16 nM, respectively. Induced fit docking studies for enzymes 4EY7, 7BO4, 2BXR, and 2BYB showed active interactions between sulfonyl thioureas of benzo[d]thiazoles and the residues in the active pocket with ligands 6k, 6i, and 6j, respectively. The stability of the ligand-protein complexes while each ligand entered the active site of each enzyme (4EY7, 7BO4, 2BXR, or 2BYB) was confirmed by molecular dynamics simulations.

A Novel PIFA/KOH Promoted Approach to Synthesize C2-arylacylated Benzothiazoles as Potential Drug Scaffolds.

To discover an efficient and convenient method to synthesize C2-arylacylated benzothiazoles as potential drug scaffolds, a novel [bis(trifluoroacetoxy)iodo]benzene(PIFA)/KOH synergistically promoted direct ring-opening C2-arylacylation reaction of 2H-benzothiazoles with aryl methyl ketones has been developed. Various substrates were tolerated under optimized conditions affording the C2-arylacylation products in 70-95% yields for 38 examples. A plausible mechanism was also proposed based on a series of controlled experiments.

Synthesis and Antimicrobial, Anticancer and Anti-Oxidant Activities of Novel 2,3-Dihydropyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-4-one and Pyrrolo[2,1-b][1,3]benzothiazole Derivatives via Microwave-Assisted Synthesis.

In our attempt towards the synthesis and development of effective antimicrobial, anticancer and antioxidant agents, a novel series of 2,3-dihydropyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-one 7a-e and pyrrolo[2,1-b][1,3]benzothiazoles 9a-e were synthesized. The synthesis of 2-(1,3-benzo thiazol-2-yl)-3-(aryl)prop-2-enenitrile (5a-e) as the key intermediate was accomplished by a microwave efficient method. Via a new variety oriented synthetic microwave pathway, these highly functionalized building blocks allowed access to numerous fused heteroaromatic such as 7-amino-6-(1,3-benzo thiazol-2-yl)-5-(aryl)-2-thioxo-2,3dihydropyrido [2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(1H)-one 7a-e and 1-amino-2-(aryl)pyrrolo[2,1-b][1,3]benzothiazole-3-carbonitrile derivatives 9a-e in order to study their antimicrobial and anticancer activity. The present investigation offers effective and rapid new procedures for the synthesis of the newly polycondensed heterocyclic ring systems. All the newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for antimicrobial, anticancer and antioxidant activity. Compounds 7a,d, and 9a,d showed higher antimicrobial activity than cefotaxime and fluconazole while the remaining compounds exhibited good to moderate activity against bacteria and fungi. An anticancer evaluation of the newly synthesized compounds against the three tumor cell lines (lung cell NCI-H460, liver cancer HepG2 and colon cancer HCT-116) exhibited that compounds 7a, d, and 9a,d have higher cytotoxicity against the three human cell lines compared to doxorubicin as a reference drug. These compounds also exhibited higher antioxidant activity and a great ability to protect DNA from damage induced by bleomycin.

Discovery and structure-based design of a new series of potent and selective PPARδ agonists utilizing a virtual screening method.

Novel PPARδ agonists, 2-(1-piperidinyl)-1,3-benzothiazole derivatives were discovered by our proprietary docking-based virtual screening technique. Compound 1 as the initial hit was effectively modified to acquire PPARδ agonist activity, resulting in the discovery of compound 12 with high agonistic potency for PPARδ and selectivity over PPARα and PPARγ. Compound 12 also had good ADME profiles and showed in vivo efficacy as a lead.

Novel benzothiazole-based dual VEGFR-2/EGFR inhibitors targeting breast and liver cancers: Synthesis, cytotoxic activity, QSAR and molecular docking studies.

A novel series of benzothiazole-based derivatives linked to various amino acids and their corresponding ethyl ester analogues were prepared and were initially evaluated for their anticancer activity againstMCF-7 and HepG-2 and were further assessed as VEGFR-2 inhibitors. All the newly synthesized benzothiazole derivatives showed promising cytotoxic activities against the tested cell lines. Derivatives exhibited potent cytotoxic and VEGFR-2 inhibitory activities were then evaluated further as anticancer agents against the resistant MDA-MB-231 and as EGFR inhibitors. The carboxylic acid derivatives 10-12 and their ester analogues 21-23 displayed the highest anticancer activities with IC50 of 0.73-0.89 µM, against MCF-7 and IC50 of 2.54-2.80 µM, against HepG-2; compared to doxorubicin (IC50 = 1.13 and 2.75 µM, respectively); also they showed safety towards the normal cell line, the ethyl ester derivatives 21-23 showed a potent activity against the resistant MDA-MB-231 cell line with IC50 of 5.45-7.28 µM, relative to doxorubicin (IC50 = 7.46 µM) surpassing their carboxylic acid analogues 10-12 (IC50 of 8.88-11.02 µM). Furthermore, the promising derivatives 10-12 and 21-23 displayed promising VEGFR-2 inhibitory activity (IC50 = 0.15-0.19 µM) comparable to that of sorafenib (IC50 = 0.12 µM). Against EGFR, the ethyl ester derivatives 21-23 showed superior inhibitory activity relative to the used reference standard, erlotinib, with IC50 of 0.11-0.16 vs. 0.18 µM, respectively. The QSAR study revealed that the molecular bulkiness and molecular partial charge distribution govern the kinase inhibition potency in this series. Furthermore, the molecular docking study in VEGFR-2 active site showed that the novel synthesized benzothiazole derivatives adopted the common binding pattern of type II PK inhibitors.

Synthesis and evaluation of novel 1-(((6-substitutedbenzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)amino)(heteroaryl)methyl)naphthalen-2-ol as pesticidal agents.

To discover new agrochemicals with prominent pesticidal properties, a series of novel ß-naphthol derivatives containing benzothiazolylamino and various heteroaryl groups (8a-q) were efficiently synthesised via Betti reaction. The bioassay results showed that most of the synthesised compounds exhibited favourable insecticidal potentials, particularly towards oriental armyworm (50-100% at 200 mg·L-1) and diamondback moth (50-95% at 10 mg·L-1). Compounds 8 b, 8f, 8 g, 8j, 8k, 8n, and 8o possessed LC50 values of 0.0988-5.8864 mg·L-1 against diamondback moth. Compounds 8i, 8 l, and 8 m also displayed lethality rates of 30-90% against spider mite at the concentration of 100 mg·L-1. Overall, some compounds could be considered as new insecticidal/acaricidal leading structures for further investigation. The calcium imaging experiments revealed that 8 h, 8i, and viii could activate the release of calcium ions in insect (M. separata) central neurons at a higher concentration (50 mg·L-1). The SAR analysis provided valuable information for further structural modifications.

Synthesis, anticancer evaluation and molecular docking of new benzothiazole scaffolds targeting FGFR-1.

This work deals with the design and synthesis of a series of new substituted 2-arylbenzothiazole compounds attached to 4-oxothiazolidin-2-ylidene ring 2-12 and chain elongation with different amino acids and their corresponding ester derivatives 13-18. All prepared derivatives were screened for their in vitro cytotoxicity activities against two cancer cell lines (HepG-2 and MCF-7) in comparison with doxorubicin; in addition to their safety towards thenormal cell line. Furthermore, all compounds 2-18 were evaluated as FGFR-1 inhibitors using AZD4547 as a reference. The 4-oxothiazolidin-2-ylidene derivatives 3 and 8 exhibited the highest cytotoxic activity (IC50 HepG-2 = 2.06, 2.21 µM and IC50 MCF-7 = 0.73, 0.77 µM, respectively) through their promising FGFR-1 suppression effects (IC50 = 16.31 and 18.08 nM, respectively) in comparison to AZD4547 (IC50 = 21.45 nM). Cell cycle and apoptosis analysis indicated that compounds 3 and 8 induce pronounced increase in the cell percentages at pre-G1 and G2/M phase compared to the untreated MCF-7 cancer cells, in addition to their up regulation of caspase-3/7/9. The molecular docking simulation was created to elucidate the binding modes of benzothiazole derivatives 1-18 bearing various scaffolds within the ATP-binding pocket of FGFR-1 enzyme compared with AZD4547.

Developing a scaffold for urease inhibition based on benzothiazoles: Synthesis, docking analysis, and therapeutic potential.

The synthesis, in silico molecular docking, and in vitro urease inhibition studies of a novel series of benzothiazole derivatives are reported. The title compounds in the two series, namely, 2-({5-[(benzothiazol-2-ylthio)methyl]-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl}thio)-1-(4-substituted-phenyl)ethan-1-one and 2-(benzothiazol-2-ylthio)-1-(4-substituted-phenyl)ethan-1-one oxime, were synthesized by the reaction of benzo[d]thiazole-2-thiol with different kinds of intermediates in several steps using both conventional and microwave techniques. All compounds were found to have an excellent degree of urease-inhibitory potential ranging between 16.16 ± 0.54 and 105.32 ± 2.10 µM when compared with the standard inhibitor acetohydroxamic acid with IC50 = 320.70 ± 4.24 µM. The structure-activity relationship was established in detail. The binding interactions of the compounds with the enzyme were confirmed through molecular docking. Further, 100 -ns molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the stability and structural perturbations experienced by the most potent compound over the urease active site.

Advances in 2-substituted benzothiazole scaffold-based chemotherapeutic agents.

Targeted therapy plays a pivotal role in cancer therapeutics by countering the drawbacks of conventional treatment like adverse events and drug resistance. Over the last decade, heterocyclic derivatives have received considerable attention as cytotoxic agents by modulating various signaling pathways. Benzothiazole is an important heterocyclic scaffold that has been explored for its therapeutic potential. Benzothiazole-based derivatives have emerged as potent inhibitors of enzymes such as EGFR, VEGFR, PI3K, topoisomerases, and thymidylate kinases. Several researchers have designed, synthesized, and evaluated benzothiazole scaffold-based enzyme inhibitors. Of these, several inhibitors have entered various phases of clinical trials. This review describes the recent advances and developments of benzothiazole architecture-based derivatives as potent anticancer agents.

SAR of novel benzothiazoles targeting an allosteric pocket of DENV and ZIKV NS2B/NS3 proteases.

In recent years, dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV), both mosquito-borne members of the Flaviviridae family, have emerged as intercontinental health issues since their vectors have spread from their tropical origins to temperate climate zones due to climate change and increasing globalization. DENV and ZIKV are positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses, whose genomes consist of three structural (capsid, membrane precursor, envelope) and seven non-structural (NS) proteins, all of which are initially expressed as a single precursor polyprotein. For virus maturation, the polyprotein processing is accomplished by host proteases and the viral NS2B/NS3 protease complex, whose inhibitors have been shown to be effective antiviral agents with loss of viral pathogenicity. In this work, we elucidate new structure-activity relationships of benzo[d]thiazole-based allosteric NS2B/NS3 inhibitors. We developed a new series of Y-shaped inhibitors, which, with its larger hydrophobic contact surface, should bind to previously unaddressed regions of the allosteric NS2B/NS3 binding pocket. By scaffold-hopping, we varied the benzo[d]thiazole core and identified benzofuran as a new lead scaffold shifting the selectivity of initially ZIKV-targeting inhibitors to higher activities towards the DENV protease. In addition, we were able to increase the ligand efficiency from 0.27 to 0.41 by subsequent inhibitor truncation and identified N-(5,6-dihydroxybenzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-4-iodobenzamide as a novel sub-micromolar NS2B/NS3 inhibitor. Utilizing cell-based assays, we could prove the antiviral activity in cellulo. Overall, we report new series of sub-micromolar allosteric DENV and ZIKV inhibitors with good efficacy profile in terms of cytotoxicity and protease inhibition selectivity.

Synthesis, antiproliferative and antitrypanosomal activities, and DNA binding of novel 6-amidino-2-arylbenzothiazoles.

A series of 6-amidinobenzothiazoles, linked via phenoxymethylene or directly to the 1,2,3-triazole ring with a p-substituted phenyl or benzyl moiety, were synthesised and evaluated in vitro against four human tumour cell lines and the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei. The influence of the type of amidino substituent and phenoxymethylene linker on antiproliferative and antitrypanosomal activities was observed, showing that the imidazoline moiety had a major impact on both activities. Benzothiazole imidazoline 14a, which was directly connected to N-1-phenyl-1,2,3-triazole, had the most potent growth-inhibitory effect (IC50 = 0.25 µM) on colorectal adenocarcinoma (SW620), while benzothiazole imidazoline 11b, containing a phenoxymethylene linker, exhibited the best antitrypanosomal potency (IC90 = 0.12 µM). DNA binding assays showed a non-covalent interaction of 6-amidinobenzothiazole ligands, indicating both minor groove binding and intercalation modes of DNA interaction. Our findings encourage further development of novel structurally related 6-amidino-2-arylbenzothiazoles to obtain more selective anticancer and anti-HAT agents.

Recent Trends in the Design, Synthesis, Spectroscopic Behavior, and Applications of Benzazole-Based Molecules with Solid-State Luminescence Enhancement Properties.

Molecules that exhibit solid-state luminescence enhancement, i.e. the rare property to be more strongly emissive in the solid state than in solution, find an increasing number of applications in the fields of optoelectronic and nanophotonic devices, sensors, security papers, imaging, and theranostics. Benzazole (BZ) heterocycles are of particular value in this context. The simple enlargement of their π-electron system using a -C=C-Ar or -N=C-Ar moiety is enough for intrinsic solid-state luminescence enhancement (SLE) properties to appear. Their association with a variety of polyaromatic motifs leads to SLE-active molecules that frequently display attractive electroluminescent properties and are sensitive to mechanical stimuli. The excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process that takes place in some hydroxy derivatives reinforces the SLE effect and enables the development of new sensors based on a protection/deprotection strategy. BZ may also be incorporated into frameworks that are prototypical aggregation-induced enhancement (AIE) luminogens, such as the popular tetraphenylethene (TPE), leading to materials with excellent optical and electroluminescent performance. This review encompasses the various ways to use BZ units in SLE systems. It underlines the significant progresses recently made in the understanding of the photophysical mechanisms involved. A brief overview of the synthesis shows that BZ units are robust building blocks, easily incorporated into a variety of structures. Generally speaking, we try to show how these small heterocycles may offer advantages for the design of increasingly efficient luminescent materials.

Modification of 5-methylphenanthridium from benzothiazoles to indoles as potent FtsZ inhibitors: Broadening the antibacterial spectrum toward vancomycin-resistant enterococci.

The death caused by pathogenic bacteria has always been a severe threat to mankind. The prevalence of drug resistance among bacteria underscores an urgent goal for new antibacterial agents with novel mode of action. Here we first designed and synthesized a class of benzothiazolyl-5-methylphenanthridium derivatives and evaluated their antibacterial activity. On this basis, we further designed and synthesized another class of novel indolyl-5-methylphenanthridium derivatives by optimizing the benzothiazolyl-5-methylphenanthridium core and evaluated their antibacterial activity targeting the bacterial cell division protein FtsZ. The results showed that the indolyl-5-methylphenanthridium derivatives had greatly improved activity against various drug-resistant bacterial strains including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE). Among them, compound C5 displayed excellent antibacterial activity against susceptible (MIC = 1 µg/mL), methicillin-resistant and clinical isolated S. aureus (MIC = 2 µg/mL). With low hemolytic activity towards mice red blood cells, C5 exhibited good antibacterial effect in vivo in preliminary pharmacodynamic assay. More importantly, C5 was difficult to induce bacterial resistance. Further mechanism studies proved that C5 could inhibit bacterial cell division by promoting FtsZ polymerization, leading to disorderly polymerization and disordered knots. Therefore, our findings suggest that this class of novel indolyl-5-methylphenanthridium derivatives are promising for future antibacterial agents.