Antiadhesive glycoconjugate metal complexes targeting pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans

Abstract

Glycoconjugates are known to interact with carbohydrate-binding proteins involved in adhesion by pathogens, and offer opportunities to design antimicrobial agents. Metal complexes with Eu(III), Ni(II) and Zn(II) were prepared from glycoconjugate ligand 1Gal, which binds to P. aeruginosa's lectin LecA (Kd 9.6 ± 0.7 μM). In vitro anti-adhesive activity of these compounds was evaluated for both P. aeruginosa and C. albicans. Choice of metal ion played a crucial role in modulating anti-adhesive activity, with Eu(III) complexes most effective: [Eu·(1Gal)(H2O)6](CF3SO3)3 inhibits 60% biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa and [Eu·(1Gal)3](CF3SO3)3 inhibits 62% of C. albicans adhesion to buccal epithelial cells (both at 0.1 mM). The results presented demonstrate the potential for metal coordination to significantly enhance biological activity of glycoconjugates, surpassing the effect of the ligand's modest lectin-binding affinity alone.

Graphical abstract: Antiadhesive glycoconjugate metal complexes targeting pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
12 Jun 2025
Accepted
20 Jun 2025
First published
25 Jun 2025
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Org. Biomol. Chem., 2025, Advance Article

Antiadhesive glycoconjugate metal complexes targeting pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans

K. Wojtczak, E. Gillon, D. Bura, K. Richmond, M. Joyce, E. Caraher, K. Kessie, T. Velasco-Torrijos, C. Trujillo, A. Imberty, K. Kavanagh, G. Cooke and J. P. Byrne, Org. Biomol. Chem., 2025, Advance Article , DOI: 10.1039/D5OB00970G

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