Vancomycin Derivative Inactivates Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and Induces Autophagy

ACS Chem Biol. 2020 Apr 17;15(4):884-889. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00091. Epub 2020 Mar 27.

Abstract

Vancomycin is a standard drug for the treatment of multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacterial infections. Albeit, development of resistance (VRE, VRSA) and its inefficacy against persistent infections is a demerit. It is also intrinsically inactive against Gram-negative bacteria. Herein, we report a vancomycin derivative, VanQAmC10, that addresses these challenges. VanQAmC10 was rapidly bactericidal against carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (6 log10 CFU/mL reduction in 6 h), disrupted A. baumannii biofilms, and eradicated their stationary phase cells. In MRSA infected macrophages, the compound reduced the bacterial burden by 1.3 log10 CFU/mL while vancomycin exhibited a static effect. Further investigation indicated that the compound, unlike vancomycin, promoted the intracellular degradative mechanism, autophagy, in mammalian cells, which may have contributed to its intracellular activity. The findings of the work provide new perspectives on the field of glycopeptide antibiotics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acinetobacter baumannii / drug effects*
  • Acinetobacter baumannii / physiology
  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / toxicity
  • Autophagy / drug effects*
  • Biofilms / drug effects
  • Female
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Vancomycin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Vancomycin / pharmacology*
  • Vancomycin / toxicity
  • beta-Lactam Resistance / drug effects

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Vancomycin