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Aerocavin Is an Antibiotic with Potent and Specific Anti-Neisserial Activity
Gleb Pishchany1, Kyra E Fryling2, Vineetha Vasukuttan1
1Center for Therapeutics, Toxicology, and Devices, RTI International, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States.
A new natural product, aerocavin, shows high potency against the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea. This compound targets bacterial RNA polymerase and may offer a microbiome-sparing treatment option.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pharmacology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted infection caused by *Neisseria gonorrhoeae*, is increasingly resistant to existing antibiotics.
- The urgent need for novel therapeutics to combat antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea is a significant global health concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize novel antimicrobial agents effective against *Neisseria gonorrhoeae*.
- To investigate the potential of natural products as new treatment options for gonorrhea.
Main Methods:
- Screening of natural products for activity against *Neisseria* species.
- Determination of aerocavin's mechanism of action, including its target and binding site.
- Assessment of aerocavin accumulation in *N. gonorrhoeae*.
- Analysis of resistance development to aerocavin in *N. gonorrhoeae*.
Main Results:
- Aerocavin demonstrates high potency and specificity against *Neisseria*.
- Aerocavin effectively accumulates in *N. gonorrhoeae*.
- Aerocavin inhibits bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) by binding to the switch region.
- Resistance mutations to aerocavin emerge at a low frequency in *N. gonorrhoeae* and are not found in clinical isolates.
Conclusions:
- Aerocavin represents a promising new therapeutic candidate for gonorrhea.
- Narrow-spectrum antimicrobials like aerocavin could offer microbiome-sparing treatment strategies.
- Targeting bacterial RNAP with natural products is a viable approach for developing new anti-gonococcal drugs.
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