Pentafluorosulfanyl-substituted biaryl derivatives as MATE-type transporter inhibitors targeting drug-resistant bacteria.

Multidrug and toxin extrusion (MATE) inhibitors improve the antimicrobial susceptibility of drug-resistant bacteria by preventing the efflux of administered antibiotics. In this study, we optimized the chemical structure of a previously identified bacterial-selective MATE inhibitor 1 (EC50 > 30 µM) to improve its activity further. Compound 1 was divided into three fragments (aromatic part, linker part, and guanidine part), and each part was individually optimized. Compound 31 (EC50 = 1.8 µM), a novel pentafluorosulfanyl-containing molecule synthesized following optimized parts, showed antimicrobial activity against MATE-expressing strains at concentrations lower than conventional inhibitor 1 when co-administrated with norfloxacin. Furthermore, 31 was not cytotoxic at effective concentrations. This suggests that compound 31 can be a promising candidate for combating bacterial infections, particularly those resistant to conventional antibiotics by MATE expression.

Fluorophenylalkyl-substituted cyanoguanidine derivatives as bacteria-selective MATE transporter inhibitors for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections.

Drug efflux pump inhibitors for the multidrug resistance protein HmrM, a member of the multidrug and toxin extrusion (MATE) family of transporters, were investigated to increase the drug susceptibility of multidrug-resistant bacteria and restore the antimicrobial effect of fluoroquinolones, such as norfloxacin. The lead inhibitor, prepared from the known hMATE1 inhibitor cimetidine, reduced the norfloxacin resistance of HmrM-expressing strains by 92% at non-cytotoxic concentrations in human cells, and multidrug resistance protein MdtK-expressing strains by 86%. These results indicated that the inhibitor is a lead candidate for the development of drugs with a novel mechanism of action against infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria that act synergistically with antimicrobial drugs.

Importance of the Azole Moiety of Cimetidine Derivatives for the Inhibition of Human Multidrug and Toxin Extrusion Transporter 1 (hMATE1).

Herein, we describe the design and synthesis of cimetidine analogs, as well as their inhibitory activity toward the human multidrug and toxin extrusion transporter 1 (hMATE1), which is related to nephrotoxicity of drugs. Cimetidine is the histamine H2-receptor antagonist, but also inhibits hMATE1, which is known to cause renal impairment. We designed and synthesized cimetidine analogs to evaluate hMATE1 inhibitory activity to reveal whether the analogs could reduce the inhibition of hMATE1. The results showed that all analogs with an unsubstituted guanidino group exhibited hMATE1 inhibitory activity. On the other hand, there was a clear difference in the hMATE1 inhibitory activity for the other compounds. That is, compounds with a methylimidazole ring exhibited hMATE1 inhibition, while compounds with a phenyl ring did not. The results suggest that the ability to form hydrogen bonds at the azole moiety is strongly involved in the hMATE1 inhibition.

Decarboxylative aldol reaction of α,α-difluoro-ß-ketocarboxylate salt: a facile method for generation of difluoroenolate.

We developed a decarboxylative aldol reaction using α,α-difluoro-ß-ketocarboxylate salt, carbonyl compounds, and ZnCl2/N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine. The generation of difluoroenolate proceeded smoothly under mild heating to provide α,α-difluoro-ß-hydroxy ketones in good to excellent yield (up to 99%). The α,α-difluoro-ß-ketocarboxylate salt was bench stable and easy to handle under air, which realizes a convenient and environmentally friendly methodology for synthesis of difluoromethylene compounds.