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A new mouse model of anaerobic infection with Bacteroides fragilis alone or in a mixed infection with Escherichia coli is described. It is established by implantation under the skin of a filter paper disk saturated with the appropriate bacterial suspension. The penetration of antibiotics into the implantation site can be detected by assaying the disk. The local infection can be both standardized and evaluated by determining the bacterial count on the disk. The antimicrobial efficacy of ceftizoxime was compared with other commercially available antibiotics administered in a single dose, 40 mg/kg subcutaneously, one hour after implantation of the disk. Using such a regimen ceftizoxime was found to be superior to a clindamycin-gentamicin combination and equal to or superior to cefoxitin in these models.

An unidentified Nocardia sp. (SK&F-AAJ-193) was isolated and found to produce actinoidin A and a novel analog which we have named actinoidin A2. This new glycopeptide antibiotic differs from actinoidin A by the presence of rhamnose instead of acosamine. This analog was isolated using Dianion HP-20 resin followed by a specific glycopeptide affinity column (Affigel-10-D-Ala-D-Ala). The purification was accomplished using preparative ion-pairing chromatography. Actinoidin A2 is active against Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococci although it is less potent than actinoidin A.

Mutants of Candida albicans resistant to aculeacin A, a yeast cell-wall inhibitor, were isolated after mutagenesis with ultraviolet light. The parental strain was sensitive to 0.1 approximately 0.5 microgram/ml of the antibiotic. In contrast, the minimum inhibitory concentration for the mutants ranged from 50 to 200 microgram/ml. Except for papulocandin, another cell-wall inhibitor, the antibiotic susceptibility of the mutants was similar to the parental strain. The parent strain and the aculeacin resistant mutants exhibited similar morphological changes at subinhibitory levels of aculeacin and had comparable growth rates on complex media. The lipid and sterol content of the parent and the mutants were significantly different. For example, the total lipid content was two-fold higher in the mutant strains. Drug resistance in the mutants was specific for aculeacin and papulocandin and appeared to be associated with alteration in the lipid composition of membranes.

Respirometry was used to study the effect of antibodies to Candida albicans on the gowth of this species in vitro. Blastospore suspensions were pre-incubated with rabbit hyperimmune and normal serum and rabbit antibody and normal gamma globulin at 37 degrees C for 30 minutes. They were then inoculated into respirometer flasks containing a semi-synthetic medium and oxygen consumption was measured at 27 degrees C. Rabbit antiserum to C. albicans serotype A inhibited the growth, as measured by O2 consumption, of serotyped A and B strains of C. albicans. The amount of inhibition appeared to be related to the prevention or retardation of germ tube formation. The growth of blastospores incubated with normal rabbit serum was filamentous, whereas, blastospores incubated with antiserum remained in the yeast phase. Inhibition of O2 consumption and retardation of germ tube formation was also demonstrated with the purified gamma-globulin fraction of the antiserum.

A series of di- and tripeptides containing D- and L-m-fluorophenylalanine was prepared and tested in vitro for the ability to inhibit the growth of the yeast Candida albicans. The results demonstrate that peptides containing L-m-fluorophenylalanine inhibited the growth of C. albicans with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC's) ranging from 0.5 to 63 micrograms/mL. The parent L-m-fluorophenylalanine and peptides containing D-m-fluorophenylalanine were inactive (MIC greater than 250 micrograms/mL) in these tests. The results of competitive antagonism studies support peptide transport mediated entry of the inhibitory peptides, followed by release of L-m-fluorophenylalanine inside the cell.

Alafosfalin, an antibacterial phosphonodipeptide requiring peptide transport for activity, was tested for activity against clinical strains of anaerobic bacteria in peptide-free Roche Sensitivity Test Medium no. 5 agar. It was active against Bacteroides spp., Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Clostridium perfringens but not against Clostridium difficile. Alafosfalin activity was antagonized by appropriate peptides. Synergy was obtained with other cell wall-active antibiotics.

A new species of a new genus of the Actinomycetales was discovered, Kibdelosporangium aridum. This strain produces a new family of glycopeptide antibiotics designated aridicins, that contain an unusual glycolipid constituent. They inhibit Gram-positive bacteria, including staphylococci, enterococci and Clostridium sp.

A new subspecies of Kibdelosporangium aridum subsp. largum (SK&F AAD-609), was isolated and shown to produce novel glycopeptides related to aridicins, but containing a homologous series of glycolipids based on N-acylglucosamine. These compounds showed improvements over the aridicins in in vitro activity and were effective in mouse protection studies against a range of Gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin resistant staphylococci. Pharmacokinetic studies indicated that they have high serum concentrations and long-acting potential. The kibdelin complex modified rumen metabolism in a manner favorable for growth promotion.

Succinyl-CoA:tetrahydrodipicolinate-N-succinyltransferase is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of diaminopimelic acid (DAP), a component of the cell wall peptidoglycan of nearly all bacteria. This enzyme converts the cyclic precursor tetrahydrodipicolinic acid (THDPA) to a succinylated acyclic product. L-2-Aminopimelic acid (L-1), an acyclic analogue of THDPA, was found to be a good substrate for this enzyme and was shown to cause a buildup of THDPA in a cell-free enzyme system but was devoid of antibacterial activity. Incorporation of 1 into a di- or tripeptide yielded derivatives that exhibited antibacterial activity against a range of Gram-negative organisms. Of the five peptide derivatives tested, (L-2-aminopimelyl)-L-alanine (6) was the most potent. These peptides were shown to inhibit DAP production in intact resting cells. High levels (30 mM) of 2-aminopimelic acid were achieved in the cytoplasm of bacteria as a result of efficient uptake of the peptide derivatives through specific peptide transport systems followed, presumably, by cleavage by intracellular peptidases. Finally, the antibacterial activity of these peptides could be reversed by DAP or a DAP-containing peptide. These results demonstrate that the peptides containing L-2-aminopimelic acid exert their antibacterial action by inhibition of diaminopimelic acid biosynthesis.

The aglycone and two pseudoaglycones of aridicin A were prepared by selective hydrolysis and characterized, chemically and biologically. These new analogs demonstrate improved activities in vitro over the parent antibiotics against methicillin sensitive and resistant staphylococci. The major determinant of activity is the mannose substituent, the presence of which results in less potent compounds. The analogs have potent activity against enterococci.

Two highly purified peptido polysaccharide antigens have been isolated from surface-grown cultures of Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. granulosum. Trichloroacetic acid extraction and ethanol precipitation yielded a mixture containing high-molecular-weight components which were first separated on Sephadex G-200. Subsequent fractionation by ion-exchange chromatography on DE-52-cellulose (borate form) yielded the two peptido polysaccharides. Both of the peptido polysaccharides reacted with rabbit antiserum to T. mentagrophytes var. granulosum. The two peptido polysaccharides contain 73.2% hexoses (mannose-galactose-glucose, 7.5:0.7:1), 8.6% amino acids and 1.8% amino sugars and 77.4% hexoses (mannose-galactose-glucose, 9:0.3:1), 6.2% amino acids, and 0.4% amino sugars, respectively. Each contains 16 different amino acids, threonine, proline, and serine predominating.

As an approach to the development of antimicrobial agents, a novel peptide carrier system was designed, based on the chemical instability of alpha-substituted glycine analogues, with the explicit intent of actively transporting therapeutically useful compounds into microbial cells. Peptides containing 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) linked to the peptide backbone were selected to test the feasibility of this new delivery system. These peptide conjugates were designed such that they would be substrates for both the microbial peptide permeases and peptidases. After entry into cells, enzymatic hydrolysis of the peptide generates an unstable alpha-(5-FU)-glycine that spontaneously decomposes to release 5-FU. The 5-FU-peptide conjugates were tested for antifungal (Candida albicans) and antibacterial (Escherichia coli) activity and were found to have antimicrobial activities comparable to free 5-FU. Noninhibitory peptides antagonized the antimicrobial activities of the 5-FU-peptide conjugates but not of free 5-FU, a result consistent with peptide transport mediated entry of the peptide conjugates into cells. Further support for this conclusion was provided by the finding that biological activities were dependent upon peptide stereochemistry.

SK&F 88070 (7-[[(2-amino-4-thiazolyl)(methoxyimino)acetyl]amino]-3- [[[1-(2-sulfaminoethyl)-1H-tetrazol-5-yl]thio] methyl]-3-cephem-4-carboxylic acid) is a new parenteral cephalosporin with an expanded-spectrum profile of antibacterial activity, including activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and with high and prolonged levels in sera of experimental animals. The activity of SK&F 88070 was compared with those of cefotaxime and other cephalosporins against more than 500 clinical isolates in vitro by microtiter twofold dilution tests in Mueller-Hinton broth. SK&F 88070 was extremely potent against all of the members of the family Enterobacteriaceae that were tested, including beta-lactamase-producing strains. Its activity against P. aeruginosa was comparable to those of cefotaxime, ceftizoxime, and moxalactam. SK&F 88070 was less potent than cefotaxime or ceftizoxime against Staphylococcus species but was comparable to moxalactam. It had in vivo activity against the same Bacteroides strains as did cefotaxime, although it was less potent. Both SK&F 88070 and cefotaxime had less activity when tested with high inoculum levels of most of the rarer gram-negative bacteria. There was a greater decrease in the activity of SK&F 88070 than of cefotaxime in the presence of human serum, reflecting the higher degree of binding of SK&F 88070 to serum proteins. SK&F 88070 had peak levels and half-lives in serum much greater than those of cefotaxime in experimental animals after parenteral administration. In mouse protection studies, SK&F 88070 was more effective than cefotaxime against gram-negative bacteria but less effective than cefotaxime against Staphylococcus aureus.

Antibodies to dermatophytes which also had affinity for intercellular material of epithelial tissue, were detected in sera from 80% of patients with chronic dermatophytosis using an indirect fluorescent antibody test. The class of immunoglobulins reactive with both the dermatophyte and the epithelial tissue was identified as IgM. IgM antibodies with affinity for arthrospores of Trichophyton mentagrophytes and intercellular substance of epithelial tissue could be removed from sera with mycelium of Trichophyton rubrum.

Complement-fixing antibodies to the heat-inactivated keratinase II of Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. granulosum were detectable in sera from approximately 40% of the Hartley strain guinea pigs previously infected with this dermatophyte. However, no precipitating antibodies to the heat-inactivated keratinase II were detectable in these sera. Guinea pigs immunized with the heat-inactivated keratinase II had both complement-fixing and precipitating antibodies to the keratinase II. Circulating antibodies in sera from both the infected and the immunized guinea pigs also reacted with the active keratinase II but did not inhibit its proteolytic activity.

Chlorocardicin is a new monocyclic beta-lactam produced by a Streptomyces sp. It is structurally related to nocardicin A but differs in having a m-chloro substituent on the p-hydroxyphenylglycine unit. The biological activity of chlorocardicin was similar to nocardicin A but the former showed less antagonism in complex media. Moderate in vitro activity was observed against Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Chlorocardicin showed low activity against Staphylococcus aureus whereas nocardicin A was inactive. Both compounds were shown to be strongly potentiated by antibiotics that inhibit peptidoglycan biosynthesis and were antagonized by selected L- and D-amino acids.

Three new glycopeptide antibiotics, aridicins A, B, and C, produced by Kibdelosporangium aridum have a spectrum of antimicrobial activity in vitro which is similar to that of vancomycin. The antimicrobial activities of these glycopeptides against clinical bacterial isolates were compared with those of vancomycin and other related glycopeptide antibiotics in vitro by agar dilution and microtiter broth dilution tests and in vivo in mouse protection studies. In vitro they were somewhat less effective than vancomycin against strains of Staphylococcus aureus and less active against coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. However, they were more active than vancomycin against strains of Streptococcus faecalis and markedly superior to vancomycin and other glycopeptide antibiotics against strains of Clostridium difficile. In experimental infections, aridicin A was effective against strains of S. aureus, S. epidermidis, Streptococcus faecalis, and Streptococcus pyogenes, although its 50% effective doses were higher than those of vancomycin when administered after infection. After subcutaneous administration, aridicin A had a higher peak level in serum and a longer half-life than vancomycin or teicoplanin. The aridicins were markedly superior to vancomycin when administered prior to infection in mouse protection tests, indicating long-acting potential.