Targeted modifications of neomycin and paromomycin: Towards resistance-free antibiotics?

Despite their clinical importance, saving numerous human lifes, over- and mis-uses of antibiotics have created a strong selective pressure on bacteria, which induces the emergence of (multi)resistant strains. Antibioresistance is becoming so pregnant that since 2017, WHO lists bacteria threatening most human health (AWaRe, ESKAPE lists), and those for which new antibiotics are urgently needed. Since the century turn, this context is leading to a burst in the chemical synthesis of new antibiotics, mostly derived from natural antibiotics. Among them, aminoglycosides, and especially the neomycin family, exhibit broad spectrum of activity and remain clinically useful drugs. Therefore, numerous endeavours have been undertaken to modify aminoglycosides with the aim of overcoming bacterial resistances. After having replaced antibiotic discovery into an historical perspective, briefly surveyed the aminoglycoside mode of action and the associated resistance mechanisms, this review emphasized the chemical syntheses performed on the neomycin family and the corresponding structure activity relationships in order to reveal the really efficient modifications able to convert neomycin and its analogues into future drugs. This review would help researchers to strategically design novel aminoglycoside derivatives for the development of clinically viable drug candidates.

Chiral Hexahalogenated 4,4'-Bipyridines.

The preparation of 27 isomers of chiral hexahalogeno-4,4'-bipyridines by means of two complementary methods is described. The first one is convergent and based on the LDA-induced 4,4'-dimerization of trihalopyridines, whereas the second method is divergent and achieved through regioselective halogenation reactions of 4,4'-bipyridine-2,2'-diones. Iodine in 2,2'-positions of the 4,4'-bipyridines was introduced by a copper-catalyzed Finkelstein reaction (Buchwald procedure) performed on 2,2'-dibromo derivatives. Selected compounds of this new family of atropisomeric 4,4'-bipyridines were enantioseparated by high performance liquid chromatography on chiral stationary phases, and the absolute configurations of the separated enantiomers were assigned by using X-ray diffraction analysis. The latter revealed that various halogen bond types are responsible for crystal cohesion.

Chemistry of 1,3-diarylpropynones in superacids.

In superacids with H0=-14 to -20, it has been found that 1,3-diarylpropynones ArC triple bond CCOAr' are either protonated on oxygen of carbonyl groups with the formation of stable ions ArC triple bond CC(O+H)Ar' or undergo further transformations when the highly conjugated system is electron-rich enough. In the latter case, 3-arylindenones are produced very rapidly and with high efficiency (up to 95% yield in less than 30 min). The influence of the substituents Ar, Ar' and of the reaction conditions on the behavior of 1,3-diarylpropynones and on the intramolecular cyclisation have been studied. From the collected data, a mechanism has been proposed involving vinyl cations ArC+=CHCOAr' and/or dications ArC+=CHC(O+H)Ar'.

First evidence for the use of organosilver compounds in Pd-catalyzed coupling reactions; a mechanistic rationale for the Pd/Ag-catalyzed enyne synthesis?

Silver acetylides have been prepared and used in Pd-catalyzed coupling reactions. Enynes have thus been obtained in good yields. This work demonstrates that organosilver compounds could enter the Pd catalytic cycle; it also supports the role of silver acetylides as intermediates in the new Pd/Ag-catalyzed coupling reaction.