Siderophores as drug delivery agents: application of the "Trojan Horse" strategy.

The outer membrane permeability barrier is an important resistance factor of bacterial pathogens. In combination with drug inactivating enzymes, target alteration and efflux, it can increase resistance dramatically. A strategy to overcome this membrane-mediated resistance is the misuse of bacterial transport systems. Most promising are those for iron transport. They are vital for virulence and survival of bacteria in the infected host, where iron depletion is a defense mechanism against invading pathogens. We synthesized biomimetic siderophores as shuttle vectors for active transport of antibiotics through the bacterial membrane. Structure activity relationship studies resulted in siderophore aminopenicillin conjugates that were highly active against Gram-negative pathogens which play a crucial role in destructive lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients and in severe nosocomial infections. The mechanism of action and the uptake of the compounds via specific iron siderophore transport routes were demonstrated. The novel conjugates were active against systemic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in mice with ED(50) values comparable to the quinolone ofloxacin and show low toxicity.

Madurahydroxylactone derivatives as dual inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 integrase and RNase H.

A series of 29 madurahydroxylactone derivatives was evaluated for dual inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase and RNase H. While most of the compounds exhibited similar potencies for both enzymes, two of the derivatives showed 10- to 100-fold-higher selectivity for each enzyme, suggesting that distinct pharmacophore models could be generated. This study exemplifies the common and divergent structural requirements for the inhibition of two structurally related HIV-1 enzymes and demonstrates the importance of systematically screening for both integrase and RNase H when developing novel inhibitors.

The Pseudomonas aeruginosa pirA gene encodes a second receptor for ferrienterobactin and synthetic catecholate analogues.

Actively secreted iron chelating agents termed siderophores play an important role in the virulence and rhizosphere competence of fluorescent pseudomonads, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa which secretes a high affinity siderophore, pyoverdine, and the low affinity siderophore, pyochelin. Uptake of the iron-siderophore complexes is an active process that requires specific outer membrane located receptors, which are dependent of the inner membrane-associated protein TonB and two other inner membrane proteins, ExbB and ExbC. P. aeruginosa is also capable of using a remarkable variety of heterologous siderophores as sources of iron, apparently by expressing their cognate receptors. Illustrative of this feature are the 32 (of which 28 putative) siderophore receptor genes observed in the P. aeruginosa PAO1 genome. However, except for a few (pyoverdine, pyochelin, enterobactin), the vast majority of P. aeruginosa siderophore receptor genes still remain to be characterized. Ten synthetic iron chelators of catecholate type stimulated growth of a pyoverdine/pyochelin deficient P. aeruginosa PAO1 mutant under condition of severe iron limitation. Null mutants of the 32 putative TonB-dependent siderophore receptor encoding genes engineered in the same genetic background were screened for obvious deficiencies in uptake of the synthetic siderophores, but none showed decreased growth stimulation in the presence of the different siderophores. However, a double knock-out mutant of ferrienterobactin receptor encoding gene pfeA (PA 2688) and pirA (PA0931) failed to be stimulated by 4 of the tested synthetic catecholate siderophores whose chemical structures resemble enterobactin. Ferric-enterobactin also failed to stimulate growth of the double pfeA-pirA mutant although, like its synthetic analogues, it stimulated growth of the corresponding single mutants. Hence, we confirmed that pirA represents a second P. aeruginosa ferric-enterobactin receptor. The example of these two enterobactin receptors probably illustrates a more general phenomenon of siderophore receptor redundancy in P. aeruginosa.

Catecholates and mixed catecholate hydroxamates as artificial siderophores for mycobacteria.

Different mono-, bis- or triscatecholates and mixed mono- or biscatecholate hydroxamates were synthesized as potential siderophores for mycobacteria. SiderOphore activity was tested by growth promotion assays using wild type strains and iron transport mutants of mycobacteria as well as Gram-negative bacteria. Some triscatecholates and biscatecholate hydroxamates were active in mutants of Mycobacterium smegmatis deficient in mycobactin and exochelin biosynthesis or exochelin permease, respectively, indicating an uptake route independent of the exochelin/mycobactin pathway. Structure activity relationships were studied. Ampicillin conjugates of some of these compounds were inactive against mycobacteria but active against Gram-negative bacteria.

Trishydroxamates and triscatecholates based on monosaccharides and myo-inositol as artificial siderophores.

New trishydroxamates and triscatecholates based on methyl alpha-D-glucopyranoside, methyl alpha-D-galactopyranoside, methyl alpha-D-ribopyranoside and methyl alpha-D-xylopyranoside as well as on 1,3,5-tri-O-benzyl-myo-inositol were synthesized. N-Methylsuccinohydroxamate, N-methylglutarohydroxamate and their O-benzoyl derivatives were used as hydroxamate moieties. 2,3-Dihydroxybenzoyl derivatives and acylated compounds as well as 2,3- and 3,4-dihydroxybenzylidenehydrazino derivatives, partly with spacer groups, were utilized as catecholate components. The siderophore activity of the prepared siderophore analogues was examined by a growth promotion assay with various Gram-negative bacteria and mycobacteria and by the CAS-assay. Some trishydroxamates and triscatecholates showed siderophore activity on Gram-negative bacteria and triscatecholates on mycobacteria. Iron complexes of the trishydroxamates act as siderophores for all types of iron transport mutants. The recognition and uptake specificity of these compounds was studied by E. coli siderophore receptor and iron transport mutants. Structure activity correlations are discussed.

Synthesis and biological activity of tris- and tetrakiscatecholate siderophores based on poly-aza alkanoic acids or alkylbenzoic acids and their conjugates with beta-lactam antibiotics.

New linear and tripodal tri-aza- and tetra-aza alkanoic acids or alkylbenzoic acids were prepared as basic structures for siderophore mimetics from polyamines and oxocarbonic acids or formylbenzoic acids by catalytic hydrogenation. From these acids acetylated tris- and tetrakiscatecholates or 8-acyloxy-2,4-dioxo-benzoxazine derivatives as well as compounds with spacer groups were synthesized. These derivatives were coupled with ampicillin, amoxicillin, bacampicillin or cefaclor to new siderophore antibiotic conjugates. Most of the catecholate derivatives showed high siderophore activities in strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli in a growth promotion assay under iron limitation conditions. The beta-lactam conjugates were highly active in vitro against Gram-negative bacteria correlating to the siderophore activity of the catecholate moiety and depending on the beta-lactam part. One ampicillin conjugate based on 5-(aminoethyl)-2,5,8-triazaalkylbenzoic acid was highly active against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. It was shown that conjugates with enhanced activity against Gram-negative bacteria use active iron uptake routes to penetrate the bacterial outer membrane barrier. Correlations between structure and biological activity were studied.

New synthetic catecholate-type siderophores with triamine backbone.

New analogues of triscatecholate siderophores based on linear or tripodal triamines with or without spacer groups or lipophilic and hydrophilic substituents were synthesized. The catecholate moieties were prepared in OH-forms, as acetylated compounds or masked as 8-methoxycarbonyloxy-2,4-dioxo-1,3-benzoxazine derivatives. Some of the new compounds were active as siderophores tested by growth promotion assays using various gram-negative bacteria and mycobacteria under iron limitation and by CAS-assay. Structure-activity-correlations have been studied.

Highly antibacterial active aminoacyl penicillin conjugates with acylated bis-catecholate siderophores based on secondary diamino acids and related compounds.

New acylated bis-catecholates and 1,3-benzoxazine-2,4-dione derivatives based on secondary diamino acids (N-(aminoalkyl)glycines, N-aminopropyl-alanine, and N-aminopropyl-4-aminovaleric acid), on N-(aminoalkyl)aminomethyl benzoic acids, on N-(aminoalkyl)aminomethyl phenoxyacetic acids, or on 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid were synthesized as artificial siderophores. The corresponding diamino acids were obtained from the diamines and oxocarboxylic acids by catalytic hydrogenation. The acylated bis-catecholates and 1,3-benzoxazine-2,4-diones were coupled with ampicillin or amoxicillin to new siderophore aminoacylpenicillin conjugates. These conjugates exhibited very strong antibacterial activity in vitro against Gram-negative bacterial pathogens including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Serratia marcescens. The ampicillin derivative 7b (HKI 9924154) and the corresponding amoxicillin derivative 8 (HKI 9924155) represent the most active compounds. The conjugates can use bacterial iron siderophore uptake routes to penetrate the Gram-negative outer membrane permeability barrier. This was demonstrated by assays with mutants deficient in components of the iron transport systems. New siderophore penicillin V conjugates with the siderophore component attached to the phenyl ring of penicillin V are inactive against these Gram-negative bacteria.

A novel type of nonsteroidal estrone sulfatase inhibitors.

Madurahydroxylactone (MHL) is a secondary metabolite produced by the soil bacterium Nonomuria rubra and belongs to the family of benzo[a]naphthacenequinones. We report the initial results and structure-activity relationships of our study into a series of thiosemicarbazone derivatives of madurahydroxylactone as potential nonsteroidal inhibitors of the enzyme estrone sulfatase. The most active compound, the cyclohexylthiosemicarbazone, was shown to be a non-competitive inhibitor with a K(i) of 0.35microM. This compound is devoid of estrogenic properties and showed low acute toxicity in the hen's fertile egg screening test.

Effects of synthetic siderophores on proliferation of Plasmodium falciparum in infected human erythrocytes.

Because iron is essential for Plasmodium falciparum, we investigated the in vitro potential of various synthetic siderophores to kill P. falciparum in infected human erythrocytes. The substances with the most promising profile, i.e., low 50% lethal doses for plasmodia and minimum toxicity towards mammalian cells, were siderophores with an acylated monocatecholate or a triscatecholate as substituent.