Design, syntheses and evaluation of 4-oxo-5-cyano thiouracils as SecA inhibitors

Protein translocation is essential for bacterial survival and the most important translocation mechanism is the secretion (Sec) pathway in which SecA is a central core driving force. Thus targeting SecA is a promising strategy for developing novel antibacterial therapeutics. Herein, we report the syntheses and evaluation of a series of nearly 60 4-oxo-5-cyano thiouracil derivatives based upon our previously reported core pyrimidine structure. Introduction of polar group such as -N3 and linker groups such as -CH2-O- enhanced the potency several fold. Apart from being potential antibacterial agents, these inhibitors can be indispensable tools for biologists to probe the mechanism of protein translocation via the SecA machinery in bacteria.