Issue 25, 2023

Substrate-derived Sortase A inhibitors: targeting an essential virulence factor of Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria

Abstract

The bacterial transpeptidase Sortase A (SrtA) is a surface enzyme of Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria. It has been shown to be an essential virulence factor for the establishment of various bacterial infections, including septic arthritis. However, the development of potent Sortase A inhibitors remains an unmet challenge. Sortase A relies on a five amino acid sorting signal (LPXTG), by which it recognizes its natural target. We report the synthesis of a series of peptidomimetic inhibitors of Sortase A based on the sorting signal, supported by computational binding analysis. By employing a FRET-compatible substrate, our inhibitors were assayed in vitro. Among our panel, we identified several promising inhibitors with IC50 values below 200 μM, with our strongest inhibitor – LPRDSar – having an IC50 of 18.9 μM. Furthermore, it was discovered that three of our compounds show an effect on growth and biofilm inhibition of pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus, with the inclusion of a phenyl ring seemingly key to this effect. The most promising compound in our panel, BzLPRDSar, could inhibit biofilm formation at concentrations as low as 32 μg mL−1, manifesting it as a potential future drug lead. This could lead to treatments for MRSA infections in clinics and diseases such as septic arthritis, which has been directly linked with SrtA.

Graphical abstract: Substrate-derived Sortase A inhibitors: targeting an essential virulence factor of Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
06 mar. 2023
Accepted
30 may. 2023
First published
31 may. 2023
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2023,14, 6975-6985

Substrate-derived Sortase A inhibitors: targeting an essential virulence factor of Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria

H. Abujubara, J. C. J. Hintzen, S. Rahimi, I. Mijakovic, D. Tietze and A. A. Tietze, Chem. Sci., 2023, 14, 6975 DOI: 10.1039/D3SC01209C

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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