Examination of a synthetic benzophenone membrane-targeted antibiotic

The enormous success of antibiotics is seriously threatened by the development of resistance to most of the drugs available on the market. Thus, novel antibiotics are needed that are less prone to bacterial resistance and are directed toward novel biological targets. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted considerable attention due to their unique mode of action and broad spectrum activity. However, these agents suffer from liability to proteases and the high cost of manufacturing has impeded their development. Previously, we have reported on a novel class of benzophenone-based antibiotics and early studies suggested that these agents might target the bacterial membrane. In this study, we present our work on the mechanism of action of these novel membrane targeted antibiotics. These compounds have good affinities to polyanionic components of the cell wall such as lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We found that these agents release potassium ions from treated bacteria; thus, resulting in disruption of the bacterial membrane potential. Benzophenone-based membrane targeted antibiotics (BPMTAs) cause membrane disruption in synthetic lipid vesicles that mimic Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria. The compounds display no hemolytic activity up to a concentration that is 100 times the MIC values and they are capable of curing mice of a lethal MRSA infection. Repeated attempts to develop a mutant resistant to these agents has failed. Taken together, BPMTAs represent a promising new class of membrane-targeted antibacterial agents.