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Improved Enzyme Protection Assay to Study Staphylococcus aureus Internalization and Intracellular Efficacy of Antimicrobial Compounds
Published on: September 8, 2021
Inhibition of urease activity in the urinary tract pathogen Staphylococcus saprophyticus
1School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University at the West Campus, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
Letters in Applied Microbiology
|September 5, 2013
Summary
Urease inhibitors like acetohydroxamic acid and fluorofamide show promise for treating urinary tract infections caused by Staphylococcus saprophyticus. These compounds effectively inhibit bacterial urease activity, potentially preventing infection progression.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biochemistry
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Urease is a key virulence factor in Staphylococcus saprophyticus, a common cause of urinary tract infections (UTIs).
- Understanding urease inhibition is crucial for developing targeted therapies against Staph. saprophyticus UTIs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the susceptibility of Staphylococcus saprophyticus urease to various chemical inhibitors.
- To evaluate the potential of urease inhibitors as therapeutic agents for UTIs.
Main Methods:
- Enzyme inhibition assays were performed using soluble extracts of Staph. saprophyticus.
- Urease activity was assessed in whole bacterial cells grown in different media.
- The effect of inhibitors on bacterial growth and pH changes in artificial urine medium was monitored.
Main Results:
- Acetohydroxamic acid, DL-phenylalanine hydroxamic acid, and fluorofamide demonstrated competitive inhibition of urease.
- Flavonoids from green tea extract, (+)-catechin hydrate and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, exhibited mixed inhibition.
- Inhibitors also reduced urease activity in whole bacterial cells and delayed pH increase during growth in artificial urine.
Conclusions:
- Urease activity in Staph. saprophyticus is effectively inhibited by hydroxamates, phosphorodiamidates, and certain flavonoids.
- Acetohydroxamic acid and fluorofamide show potential for managing Staph. saprophyticus UTIs by inhibiting urease and delaying pH changes.
- These findings support the development of urease inhibitors as a therapeutic strategy for UTIs.
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