Citation

Ng KT, Perry JD, Marrs ECL, Orenga S, Anderson RJ, Gray M. Molecules 2020; 25(7): e1557.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/molecules25071557

PMID

32231126

PMCID

PMC7180716

Abstract

In diagnostic microbiology, culture media are widely used for detection of pathogenic bacteria. Such media employ various ingredients to optimize detection of specific pathogens such as chromogenic enzyme substrates and selective inhibitors to reduce the presence of commensal bacteria. Despite this, it is rarely possible to inhibit the growth of all commensal bacteria, and thus pathogens can be overgrown and remain undetected. One approach to attempt to remedy this is the use of "suicide substrates" that can target specific bacterial enzymes and selectively inhibit unwanted bacterial species. With the purpose of identifying novel selective inhibitors, six novel phosphonopeptide derivatives based on d/l-fosfalin and β-chloro-l-alanine were synthesized and tested on 19 different strains of clinically relevant bacteria. Several compounds show potential as useful selective agents that could be exploited in the recovery of several bacterial pathogens including Salmonella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Listeria.

Language: en

Keywords

Molecular Structure; Bacteria; suicide substrates; Anti-Infective Agents; bacterial detection; beta-Alanine; Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic; fosfalin; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Phosphopeptides; β-chloroalanine