Resistance-modifying agents (RMAs) offer a promising solution to combat bacterial antibiotic resistance. Here we report the discovery and structure-activity relationships of a new class of RMAs with a novel tryptoline-based benzothiazole scaffold. Our most potent compound in this series (4ad) re-sensitizes multiple MRSA strains to cephalosporins at low concentrations (2 μg/mL) and has low mammalian cytotoxicity with a half growth inhibitory concentration (GI50) > 100 μg/mL in human cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cells. In addition, the same core scaffold with different substitutions also gives good antibacterial activity against MRSA.
Keywords: Bacterial antibiotic resistance; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); Resistance-modifying agents (RMAs); Structure-activity relationship (SAR); Tryptoline-based benzothiazoles; β-lactam antibiotics.
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