Quorum Sensing Inhibition and Structure–Activity Relationships of β-Keto Esters

Traditional therapeutics to treat bacterial infections have given rise to multi-drug resistant pathogens, which pose a major threat to human and animal health. In several pathogens, quorum sensing (QS)—a cell-cell communication system in bacteria—controls the expression of genes responsible for path...

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Main Authors: Stephanie Forschner-Dancause, Emily Poulin, Susan Meschwitz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2016-07-01
Series:Molecules
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/21/8/971
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author Stephanie Forschner-Dancause
Emily Poulin
Susan Meschwitz
author_facet Stephanie Forschner-Dancause
Emily Poulin
Susan Meschwitz
author_sort Stephanie Forschner-Dancause
collection DOAJ
description Traditional therapeutics to treat bacterial infections have given rise to multi-drug resistant pathogens, which pose a major threat to human and animal health. In several pathogens, quorum sensing (QS)—a cell-cell communication system in bacteria—controls the expression of genes responsible for pathogenesis, thus representing a novel target in the fight against bacterial infections. Based on the structure of the autoinducers responsible for QS activity and other QS inhibitors, we hypothesize that β-keto esters with aryl functionality could possess anti-QS activity. A panel of nineteen β-keto ester analogs was tested for the inhibition of bioluminescence (a QS-controlled phenotype) in the marine pathogen Vibrio harveyi. Initial screening demonstrated the need of a phenyl ring at the C-3 position for antagonistic activity. Further additions to the phenyl ring with 4-substituted halo groups or a 3- or 4-substituted methoxy group resulted in the most active compounds with IC50 values ranging from 23 µM to 53 µM. The compounds additionally inhibit green fluorescent protein production by E. coli JB525. Evidence is presented that aryl β-keto esters may act as antagonists of bacterial quorum sensing by competing with N-acyl homoserine lactones for receptor binding. Expansion of the β-keto ester panel will enable us to obtain more insight into the structure–activity relationships needed to allow for the development of novel anti-virulence agents.
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spelling doaj.art-0d6688d9385c4d93b2f55e3d95e226892022-12-22T02:02:44ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492016-07-0121897110.3390/molecules21080971molecules21080971Quorum Sensing Inhibition and Structure–Activity Relationships of β-Keto EstersStephanie Forschner-Dancause0Emily Poulin1Susan Meschwitz2Department of Chemistry, Salve Regina University, 100 Ochre Point Ave, Newport, RI 02840, USADepartment of Chemistry, Salve Regina University, 100 Ochre Point Ave, Newport, RI 02840, USADepartment of Chemistry, Salve Regina University, 100 Ochre Point Ave, Newport, RI 02840, USATraditional therapeutics to treat bacterial infections have given rise to multi-drug resistant pathogens, which pose a major threat to human and animal health. In several pathogens, quorum sensing (QS)—a cell-cell communication system in bacteria—controls the expression of genes responsible for pathogenesis, thus representing a novel target in the fight against bacterial infections. Based on the structure of the autoinducers responsible for QS activity and other QS inhibitors, we hypothesize that β-keto esters with aryl functionality could possess anti-QS activity. A panel of nineteen β-keto ester analogs was tested for the inhibition of bioluminescence (a QS-controlled phenotype) in the marine pathogen Vibrio harveyi. Initial screening demonstrated the need of a phenyl ring at the C-3 position for antagonistic activity. Further additions to the phenyl ring with 4-substituted halo groups or a 3- or 4-substituted methoxy group resulted in the most active compounds with IC50 values ranging from 23 µM to 53 µM. The compounds additionally inhibit green fluorescent protein production by E. coli JB525. Evidence is presented that aryl β-keto esters may act as antagonists of bacterial quorum sensing by competing with N-acyl homoserine lactones for receptor binding. Expansion of the β-keto ester panel will enable us to obtain more insight into the structure–activity relationships needed to allow for the development of novel anti-virulence agents.http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/21/8/971quorum sensing inhibitionβ-keto estersVibrio harveyi
spellingShingle Stephanie Forschner-Dancause
Emily Poulin
Susan Meschwitz
Quorum Sensing Inhibition and Structure–Activity Relationships of β-Keto Esters
Molecules
quorum sensing inhibition
β-keto esters
Vibrio harveyi
title Quorum Sensing Inhibition and Structure–Activity Relationships of β-Keto Esters
title_full Quorum Sensing Inhibition and Structure–Activity Relationships of β-Keto Esters
title_fullStr Quorum Sensing Inhibition and Structure–Activity Relationships of β-Keto Esters
title_full_unstemmed Quorum Sensing Inhibition and Structure–Activity Relationships of β-Keto Esters
title_short Quorum Sensing Inhibition and Structure–Activity Relationships of β-Keto Esters
title_sort quorum sensing inhibition and structure activity relationships of β keto esters
topic quorum sensing inhibition
β-keto esters
Vibrio harveyi
url http://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/21/8/971
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AT emilypoulin quorumsensinginhibitionandstructureactivityrelationshipsofbketoesters
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