Several novel fluorogenic N-aminoacylnaphthyridine substrates were synthesized in good yield and tested for their ability to detect pathogenic bacteria in agar-based cell culture. Simple 2-N-(β-alanyl)amino-5,7-dialkylnaphthyridine substrates were selectively hydrolysed by β-alanylaminopeptidase expressing bacteria, but were subject to diffusion in the agar medium. Diffusion was reduced in the 2-N-(β-alanyl)amino-7-alkylnaphthyridine substrates with longer alkyl chains, but inhibition of growth was increased. 2-N-(β-Alanyl)amino-7-octylnaphthyridine inhibited the growth of all species tested, except for strains resistant to colistin/polymyxin, providing a rationale for the development of substrates for the selective detection of drug resistant species in clinical samples.
