New peptides with metal binding abilities and their use as drug carriers.

Many new designed molecules that target efficiently in vitro bacterial metalloproteases were completely inactive in cellulo against Gram negative bacteria. Their activities were limited by the severe restriction of the penetration/diffusion rate through the outer membrane barrier. To bypass this limitation, we have assayed the strategy of metallodrugs, to improve the delivery of hydroxamic acid inhibitors to peptide deformylase. In this metal-chaperone, to facilitate bacterial uptake, the ancillary ligand tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (TPA) or di(picolyl)amine (DPA) was functionalized by a tetrapeptide analogue of antimicrobial peptide, RWRW(OBn) (AA08 with TPA) and/or an efflux pump modulator PAßN (AA09 with TPA and AA27 with DPA). We prepared Co(III), Zn(II), and Cu(II) metallodrugs. Using a fluorescent hydroxamic acid, we showed that, in contrast to Cu(II) metallodrugs, Co(III) metallodrugs were stable in the Mueller Hinton (MH) broth during the time required for bacterial assays. The antibacterial activities were determined against E. coli strain wild-type (AG100) and E. coli strain deleted from acrAB efflux pump (AG100A). While none of the PDFinhs used in this study (SMP289 with an indole scaffold, AT015 and AT019 built on a 1,2,4-oxadiazole scaffold) displayed activity higher than 128 µM, all the metallodrugs were active with MICs around 8 µM both against AG100 and AG100A. However, compared to the activities of equimolar combinations of PDFinhs and the free chelating peptides (AA08, AA09, or AA27), they showed similar activities. A synergistic association between AT019 and AA08 or AA09 was determined using the fractional inhibitory concentration with AG100 and AG100A. Combinations of peptides lacking the chelating group with PDFinhs were inefficient. LC-MS analyses showed that the chelating peptides bind Zn(II) cation when incubated in MH broth. These results support the in situ formation of a zinc metallodrug, but we failed to detect it by LC-MS in MH. Nevertheless, this chelating peptides metalated with zinc act as permeabilizers which are more efficient than PAßN to facilitate the uptake of PDFinhs by Gram(-) bacteria.

Characterization of cobalt(III) hydroxamic acid complexes based on a tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine scaffold: reactivity toward cysteine methyl ester.

Six Co(III) complexes based on unsubstituted or substituted TPA ligands (where TPA is tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine) and acetohydroxamic acid (A), N-methyl-acetohydroxamic acid (B), or N-hydroxy-pyridinone (C) were prepared and characterized by mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and electrochemistry: [Co(III)(TPA)(A-2H)](Cl) (1a), [Co(III)((4-Cl(2))TPA)(A-2H)](Cl) (2a), [Co(III)((6-Piva)TPA)(A-2H)](Cl) (3a), [Co(III)((4-Piva)TPA)(A-2H)](Cl) (4a) and [Co(III)(TPA)(B-H)](Cl)(2) (1b), and [Co(III)(TPA)(C-H)](Cl)(2) (1c). Complexes 1a-c and 3a were analyzed by (1)H NMR, using 2D ((1)H, (1)H) COSY and 2D ((1)H, (13)C) HMBC and HSQC, and shown to exist as a mixture of two geometric isomers based on whether the hydroxamic oxygen was trans to a pyridine nitrogen or to the tertiary amine nitrogen. Complex 3a exists as a single isomer that was crystallized. Its crystal structure revealed the presence of an H-bond between the pivaloylamide and the hydroximate oxygen. Complexes 1a, 2a, and 4a are irreversibly reduced beyond -900 mV versus SCE, while complexes 1b and 1c are reduced at less negative values of -330 and -190 mV, respectively. The H-bond in 3a increased the redox potential up to -720 mV. Reaction of complex 1a with L-cysteine methyl ester CysOMe was monitored by (1)H NMR and UV-vis at 2 mM and 0.2 mM in an aqueous buffered solution at pH 7.5. Complex 1a was successively converted into an intermediate [Co(III)(TPA)(CysOMe-H)](2+), 1d, by exchange of the hydroximate with the cysteinate ligand, and further into Co(III)(CysOMe-H)(3), 5. An authentic sample of 1d was prepared and thoroughly characterized. A detailed (1)H NMR analysis showed there was only one isomer, in which the thiolate was trans to the tertiary amine nitrogen.

New amphiphilic neamine conjugates bearing a metal binding motif active against MDR E. aerogenes Gram-negative bacteria.

Structure of bacterial envelope is one of the major factors contributing to Gram negative bacterial resistance. To develop new agents that target the bacterial membranes, we synthesized, by analogy with our previous peptide conjugates, new amphiphilic 3',4',6-trinaphthylmethylene neamines functionalized at position 5 through a short spacer by a chelating group, tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (TPA) and di-(picolyl)amine (DPA) and tetraazacyclotetradecane (Cyclam). ESI+ mass spectrometry analyses showed that neither Zn(II)(NeaDPA) nor Cu(II)(NeaCyclam) were stable in the Mueller Hinton (MH) medium used for antibacterial assays. In contrast Zn(NeaTPA) was stable in the MH medium. Interestingly, in MH, the free ligand NeaTPA was found bound to zinc, the zinc salt being the most abundant salt in this medium. Thus, the antibacterial activities of all compounds were evaluated as free ligands against E. coli strains, wild type AG100 and E. aerogenes EA289 (a clinical MDR strain that overexpresses AcrAB-TolC efflux pump), as well as AG100A an AcrAB- E. coli strain and EA298 a TolC- derivative. NeaCyclam and Zn(NeaTPA) were by far the most efficient compounds active against resistant isolate EA289 with MICs in the range 16-4 and 4 µM, respectively, while usual antibiotics such as ß-lactams and phenicols were inactive (MICs > 128) and ciprofloxacin was at 64 µM. Zn(NeaTPA) and NeaCyclam were shown to target and permeabilize the outer membrane of EA289 by promoting the cleavage of nitrocefin by periplasmic ß-lactamase. Moreover, all the neamine conjugates were able to block the efflux of 1,2'-dinaphthylamine in EA289, by acting on the efflux transporter located in the inner membrane. These membranotropic properties contribute to explain the activities of these neamine conjugates toward the MDR EA289 strain.

Microspectrofluorimetry to dissect the permeation of ceftazidime in Gram-negative bacteria.

A main challenge in chemotherapy is to determine the in cellulo parameters modulating the drug concentration required for therapeutic action. It is absolutely urgent to understand membrane permeation and intracellular concentration of antibiotics in clinical isolates: passing the membrane barrier to reach the threshold concentration inside the bacterial periplasm or cytoplasm is the pivotal step of antibacterial activity. Ceftazidime (CAZ) is a key molecule of the combination therapy for treating resistant bacteria. We designed and synthesized different fluorescent CAZ derivatives (CAZ*, CAZ**) to dissect the early step of translocation-accumulation across bacterial membrane. Their activities were determined on E. coli strains and on selected clinical isolates overexpressing ß-lactamases. The accumulation of CAZ* and CAZ** were determined by microspectrofluorimetry and epifluorimetry. The derivatives were properly translocated to the periplasmic space when we permeabilize the outer membrane barrier. The periplasmic location of CAZ** was related to a significant antibacterial activity and with the outer membrane permeability. This study demonstrated the correlation between periplasmic accumulation and antibiotic activity. We also validated the method for approaching ß-lactam permeation relative to membrane permeability and paved the way for an original matrix for determining "Structure Intracellular Accumulation Activity Relationship" for the development of new therapeutic candidates.

New Peptide-based antimicrobials for tackling drug resistance in bacteria: single-cell fluorescence imaging.

New peptide molecules with metal binding abilities proved to be active against multidrug resistant clinical isolates. One of them labeled with a dansylated lysine has been imaged inside single-multidrug resistant bacteria cells by deep ultraviolet fluorescence, showing a heterogeneous subcellular localization. The fluorescence intensity is clearly related to the accumulation of the drug inside the bacteria, being dependent both on its concentration and on the incubation time with cells.

Synthesis, physico-chemical properties and complexing abilities of new amphiphilic ligands from D-galacturonic acid.

This paper describes a convenient and efficient synthesis of new complexing surfactants from d-galacturonic acid and n-octanol as renewable raw materials in a two-step sequence. In the first step, simultaneous O-glycosidation-esterification under Fischer conditions was achieved. The anomeric ratio of the products was studied based on the main experimental parameters and the activation mode (thermal or microwave). In the second step, aminolysis of the n-octyl ester was achieved with various functionalized primary amines under standard thermal or microwave activation. The physico-chemical properties of these new amphiphilic ligands were measured and these compounds were found to exhibit interesting surface properties. Complexing abilities of one uronamide ligand functionalized with a pyridine moiety toward Cu(II) ions was investigated in solution by EPR titrations. A solid compound was also synthesized and characterized, its relative structure was deduced from spectroscopic data.