Synthetic Compound Acts As Potent MRSA Killer

A synthetic compound based on lipoxazolidinone A, a small molecule isolated from bacteria living in marine sediments, was found to be a potent anti-microbial agent especially against drug-resistant bacteria such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

The lipoxazolidinone family of marine natural products, with an unusual 4-oxazolidinone heterocycle at their core, represents a new scaffold for antimicrobial discovery; however, questions regarding their mechanism of action and high lipophilicity have been responsible for delaying follow-up studies.

To avoid these problem features, investigators at North Carolina State University (Raleigh, USA) synthesized JJM-35, an analogue of lipoxazolidinone A with enhanced activity against Gram-positive bacteria.

The investigators reported in the May 29, 2018, online edition of the journal Angewandte Chemie that when JJM-35 was used to treat a panel of drug resistant and non-resistant bacteria JJM-35 proved to be up to 50 times more effective than the natural product against several bacterial strains. More...