Discovery of 4-Pyridone Derivatives as Specific Inhibitors of Enoyl-Acyl Carrier Protein Reductase (FabI) with Antibacterial Activity against Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

4-Pyridone derivatives were identified as potent inhibitors of FabI, the enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase in Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. 1-Substituted derivatives of a hit compound exhibited potent antibacterial activities against S. aureus. Target specificity of 4-pyridone derivatives was confirmed by the strong inhibition of lipid synthesis in macromolecular biosynthesis assay and also by the reduced antimicrobial activity against triclosan-resistant S. aureus isolates possessing a point mutation (Ala95Val) in FabI. Two 4-pyridone compounds exhibited strong antibacterial activities against 30 clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) with MIC ₉₀ of 0.5 and 2 μg/ml, respectively. Moreover, they retained activity against S. aureus with a mutation affecting FabI residue 204, which was recently found to be associated with triclosan resistance in clinical isolates of S. aureus. In conclusion, we have identified a novel chemical series, 4-pyridone derivatives, as specific inhibitors of FabI with potent antibacterial activity against S. aureus.