Synergistic anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) activity and absolute stereochemistry of 7,8-dideoxygriseorhodin C

J Antibiot (Tokyo). 2020 May;73(5):290-298. doi: 10.1038/s41429-019-0275-8. Epub 2020 Jan 28.

Abstract

The emergence of antibiotic resistance necessitates not only the identification of new compounds with antimicrobial properties, but also new strategies and combination therapies to circumvent this growing problem. Here, we report synergistic activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) of the β-lactam antibiotic oxacillin combined with 7,8-dideoxygriseorhodin C in vitro. Ongoing efforts to identify antibiotics from marine mollusk-associated bacteria resulted in the isolation of 7,8-dideoxygriseorhodin C from a Streptomyces sp. strain cultivated from a marine gastropod tissue homogenate. Despite the long history of 7,8-dideoxygriseorhodin C in the literature, the absolute configuration has never been previously reported. A comparison of measured and calculated ECD spectra resolved the configuration of the spiroketal carbon C6, and 2D ROESY NMR spectroscopy established the absolute configuration as 6s,6aS. The compound is selective against Gram-positive bacteria including MRSA and Enterococcus faecium with an MIC range of 0.125-0.5 μg ml-1. Moreover, the compound synergizes with oxacillin against MRSA as observed in the antimicrobial microdilution and time-kill assays. Simultaneous treatment of the compound with oxacillin resulted in an approximately tenfold decrease in MIC with a combination index of <0.5, indicating synergistic anti-MRSA activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / administration & dosage
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / isolation & purification
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Drug Synergism
  • Enterococcus faecium / drug effects
  • Gram-Positive Bacteria / drug effects
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Naphthoquinones / administration & dosage
  • Naphthoquinones / chemistry
  • Naphthoquinones / isolation & purification
  • Naphthoquinones / pharmacology
  • Oxacillin / administration & dosage
  • Oxacillin / pharmacology*
  • Spiro Compounds / administration & dosage
  • Spiro Compounds / chemistry
  • Spiro Compounds / isolation & purification
  • Spiro Compounds / pharmacology
  • Streptomyces / metabolism

Substances

  • 7,8-dideoxy-6-oxogriseorhodin C
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Naphthoquinones
  • Spiro Compounds
  • Oxacillin