Masatoshi Inukai

Selective inhibition of the bacterial translocase reaction in peptidoglycan synthesis by mureidomycins.

Mureidomycins (MRDs) A and C inhibited strongly the formation of undecaprenyl pyrophosphoryl N-acetylmuramyl-pentapeptide (lipid intermediate I), which is an intermediate in bacterial peptidoglycan synthesis (50% inhibitory concentration [IC50] of MRD A, 0.05 microgram/ml). However, they did not inhibit the formation of dolichyl pyrophosphoryl N-acetylglucosamine (Dol-p-p-GlcNAc), dolichyl phosphoryl glucose, or dolichyl phosphoryl mannose, the precursors for mammalian glycoprotein synthesis, or the formation in Bacillus subtilis of lipid-linked N-acetylglucosamine for teichoic acid synthesis (IC50s, > 100 micrograms/ml). In contrast, tunicamycin (TCM) inhibited strongly the formation of Dol-p-p-GlcNAc (IC50, 0.03 microgram/ml) but inhibited weakly the formation of bacterial lipid intermediate I (IC50, 44 micrograms/ml). When the effects of MRDs A and C and TCM on the growth of mammalian cells were compared, MRDs did not show any toxicity, even at 1,000 micrograms/ml, whereas TCM inhibited the growth of BALB/3T3 cells at 10 micrograms/ml. On the basis of these results, it was concluded that MRDs are the first specific and potent inhibitors of the translocase reaction in bacterial peptidoglycan synthesis, showing a high level of toxicity against bacteria and a low level of toxicity against mammalian cells. A specific inhibitor of translocase could be a potent antibiotic with highly selective toxicity.

Synthesis and antimycobacterial activity of capuramycin analogues. Part 1: substitution of the azepan-2-one moiety of capuramycin

Capuramycin analogues with a variety of substituents in place of the azepan-2-one moiety were synthesized from A-500359E and were tested for their translocase I inhibitory activity and in vitro antimycobacterial activity. Phenyl-type moieties were found to be effective substituents for capuramycin analogues.

Synthesis and antimycobacterial activity of capuramycin analogues. Part 2: acylated derivatives of capuramycin-related compounds.

Acylated derivatives of capuramycin and A-500359A were synthesized and tested for antimycobacterial activity. Compound 20 having a decanoyl group showed very potent activity.

A-102395, a New Inhibitor of Bacterial Translocase I, Produced by Amycolatopsis sp. SANK 60206

Bacterial phospho-N-acetylmuramyl-pentapeptide translocase (translocase I: EC 2.7.8.13) is a key enzyme in peptidoglycan biosynthesis, and a known target of antibiotics. Here we report a new nucleoside inhibitor for translocase I, A-102395, isolated from the culture broth of the strain Amycolatopsis sp. SANK 60206. A-102395 is a new derivative of capuramycin that has the benzene with a uniquely substituted chain instead of an aminocaprolactam. A-102395 is a potent inhibitor of bacterial translocase I with IC50 value of 11 nM, but possesses no antimicrobial activity against various strains tested.

Susceptibility of Pseudomonas species to the novel antibiotics mureidomycins.

Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including imipenem- or ofloxacin-resistant clinical isolates, and some other species in the genus Pseudomonas were inhibited by novel antibiotics of the mureidomycin (MRD) group. On the other hand, almost all other gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria were resistant to MRDs, though the antibiotics potently inhibited the in vitro peptidoglycan synthesis of Escherichia coli and P. aeruginosa. All of the strains in the genus Pseudomonas that were inhibited by less than or equal to 200 micrograms of MRDs per ml were classified into the rRNA groups I and III, and none of the tested strains of rRNA group I were resistant to MRDs, suggesting that these two groups are closely related to each other evolutionary. Among group I strains, P. aeruginosa, P. mendocina, P. stutzeri, and P. alcaligenes were more susceptible than the others, suggesting a closer relationship among these species.

A-94964, a novel inhibitor of bacterial translocase I, produced by Streptomyces sp. SANK 60404. I. Taxonomy, isolation and biological activity.

Bacterial phospho-N-acetylmuramyl-pentapeptide translocase (translocase I: EC 2.7.8.13) is a key enzyme in peptidoglycan biosynthesis, and a known target of antibiotics. Here we report a novel nucleoside inhibitor against translocase I, A-94964, isolated from the culture broth of the strain Streptomyces sp. SANK 60404. A-94964 inhibited bacterial translocase I with IC50 value of 1.1 μg/ml, and showed antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis with MIC of 100 and 50 μg/ml, respectively. A-94964 did not show cytotoxicity against mammalian cell lines.

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of novel globomycin analogues.

Globomycin, a signal peptidase II inhibitor, and its derivatives show potent antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria. The synthesis and antimicrobial activity of novel globomycin analogues are reported. One of the analogues showed a more potent activity against Gram-negative bacteria than globomycin and also exhibited antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Pleofungins, Novel Inositol Phosphorylceramide Synthase Inhibitors, from Phoma sp. SANK 13899 : I. Taxonomy, Fermentation, Isolation, and Biological Activities

In the course of a screening for inositol phosphorylceramide (IPC) synthase inhibitors, the novel inhibitors pleofungins A, B, C, and D were found in a mycelial extract of a fungus, Phoma sp. SANK13899. Purification was performed by 50% methanol and ethyl acetate extraction, reversed phase open-column chromatography, and HPLC separations. Pleofungin A inhibited the IPC synthase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus fumigatus at IC50 values of 16 and 1.0 ng/ml, respectively. The inhibitor also suppressed the growth of Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, and A. fumigatus at MIC values of 2.0, 0.3, and 0.5 μg/ml, respectively. These biological properties indicate that pleofungins belong to a novel class of IPC synthase inhibitors efficacious against A. fumigatus.

Augmentation of Host Resistance against Bacterial Infection by Treatment with Leustroducsin B, a New CSF Inducer

We tested the in vivo activity of leustroducsin B (LSN B), a new colony‐stimulating factor (CSF) inducer isolated from the culture broth of Streptomyces platensis, with mice infected with Escherichia coli. Treatment with LSN B augmented the host resistance to lethal infection of E. coli at doses between 0.1 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg. Serum interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) levels were found to increase after this treatment, and superoxide anion generation of neutrophils was enhanced in vivo, suggesting that LSN B augmented the host resistance at least in part by inducing IL‐6, which subsequently enhanced the bactericidal activity of the neutrophils.

Studies on novel bacterial translocase I inhibitors, A-500359s. V. Enhanced production of capuramycin and A-500359 A in Streptomyces griseus SANK 60196.

Streptomyces griseus SANK 60196 produces the novel nucleoside antibiotics A-500359 A, C, D and capuramycin. Enhanced production of capuramycin and A-500359 A was achieved through a number of medium modifications and a series of single colony isolations. The addition of maltose instead of glucose as the carbon source in a primary medium resulted in a 20-fold increase in the productivity of capuramycin. Furthermore, the addition of cobalt chloride (CoCl2) and yeast extract to the medium containing maltose drastically altered the production ratio of A-500359 A to capuramycin. Thus, the yield of A-500359 A increased up to 600 μg/ml in an optimal medium, while the yield in the primary medium was 1 μg/ml.