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Procedures for the preparation of transition metal complexes having intact bicyclic cepham or penam systems as ligands have been developed. Starting from readily available 4-azido-2-azetidinones, a synthetic approach has been tuned using a copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition between 3-azido-2-azetinones and alkynes, followed by methylation and transmetalation to Au(I) and Ir(III) complexes from the mesoionic carbene Ag(I) complexes. This methodology was applied to 6-azido penam and 7-azido cepham derivatives to build 6-(1,2,3-triazolyl)penam and 7-(1,2,3-triazolyl)cepham proligands, which upon methylation and metalation with Au(I) and Ir(III) complexes yielded products derived from the coordination of the metal to the penam C 6 and cepham C 7 positions, preserving intact the bicyclic structure of the penicillin and cephalosporin scaffolds. The crystal structure of complex 28b , which has an Ir atom directly bonded to the intact penicillin bicycle, was determined by X-ray diffraction. This is the first structural report of a penicillin-transition-metal complex having the bicyclic system of these antibiotics intact. The selectivity of the coordination processes was interpreted using DFT calculations.

Cefiderocol is the first approved catechol-conjugated cephalosporin against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, while its application was limited by poor chemical stability associated with the pyrrolidinium linker, moderate potency against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii , intricate procedures for salt preparation, and potential hypersensitivity. To address these issues, a series of novel catechol-conjugated derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated. Extensive structure-activity relationships and structure-metabolism relationships (SMR) were conducted, leading to the discovery of a promising compound 86b (Code no. YFJ-36) with a new thioether linker. 86b exhibited superior and broad-spectrum in vitro antibacterial activity, especially against A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae , compared with cefiderocol. Potent in vivo efficacy was observed in a murine systemic infection model. Furthermore, the physicochemical stability of 86b in fluid medium at pH 6-8 was enhanced. 86b also reduced potential the risk of allergy owing to the quaternary ammonium linker. The improved properties of 86b supported its further research and development.

Spiro compounds provide attractive targets in drug discovery due to their inherent three-dimensional structures, which enhance protein interactions, aid solubility and facilitate molecular modelling. However, synthetic methodology for the spiro-functionalisation of important classes of penicillin and cephalosporin β-lactam antibiotics is comparatively limited. We report a novel method for the generation of spiro-cephalosporin compounds through a Michael-type addition to the dihydrothiazine ring. Coupling of a range of catechols is achieved under mildly basic conditions (K 2 CO 3 , DMF), giving the stereoselective formation of spiro-cephalosporins (d.r. 14:1 to 8:1) in moderate to good yields (28-65%).

In an attempt to exploit the hydrolytic mechanism by which β-lactamases degrade cephalosporins, we designed and synthesized a series of novel cephalosporin prodrugs aimed at delivering thiol-based inhibitors of metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) in a spatiotemporally controlled fashion. While enzymatic hydrolysis of the β-lactam ring was observed, it was not accompanied by inhibitor release. Nonetheless, the cephalosporin prodrugs, especially thiomandelic acid conjugate ( 8 ), demonstrated potent inhibition of IMP-type MBLs. In addition, conjugate 8 was also found to greatly reduce the minimum inhibitory concentration of meropenem against IMP-producing bacteria. The results of kinetic experiments indicate that these prodrugs inhibit IMP-type MBLs by acting as slowly turned-over substrates. Structure-activity relationship studies revealed that both phenyl and carboxyl moieties of 8 are crucial for its potency. Furthermore, modeling studies indicate that productive interactions of the thiomandelic acid moiety of 8 with Trp28 within the IMP active site may contribute to its potency and selectivity.

Four new aminothiazole-oximepiperidone cephalosporins (10a-10d) were synthesized, with their in vitro antibacterial activities against hospital isolated Gram-negative bacteria assessed. The results showed that compounds 10a-10d effectively inhibit a variety of Gram-negative bacteria. Compound 10a was the most potent compound, with comparable activity as ceftazidime. The combination of compound 10a and Avibactam was very active against almost all bacteria tested, which including multidrug resistant K. pneumoniae and A. baumannii. Compared to Avycaz, this combination is more potent against ESBL producing K. pneumoniae. Thus, the combination of 10a and Avibactam is of interest for further studies., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The need for new therapeutics and drug delivery systems has become necessary owing to the public health concern associated with the emergence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms. Among the newly discovered therapeutic agents is cefiderocol, which was discovered by Shionogi Company, Japan as an injectable siderophore cephalosporin. Just like the other β-lactam antibiotics, cefiderocol exhibits antibacterial activity via cell wall synthesis inhibition, especially in Gram negative bacteria (GNB); it binds to the penicillin-binding proteins, but its unique attribute is that it crosses the periplasmic space of bacteria owing to its siderophore-like attribute; it also resists the activity of β-lactamases. Among all the synthesized compounds with the modified C-7 side chain, cefiderocol (3) presented the best and well-balanced activity against multi-drug resistant (MDR) Gram negative bacteria, including those that are resistant to carbapenem. İn this article, an overview of the recent studies on cefiderocol was presented., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Expression of β-lactamase is the single most prevalent determinant of antibiotic resistance, rendering bacteria resistant to β-lactam antibiotics. In this article, we describe the development of an antibiotic prodrug that combines ciprofloxacin with a β-lactamase-cleavable motif. The prodrug is only bactericidal after activation by β-lactamase. Bactericidal activity comparable to ciprofloxacin is demonstrated against clinically relevant E. coli isolates expressing diverse β-lactamases; bactericidal activity was not observed in strains without β-lactamase. These findings demonstrate that it is possible to exploit antibiotic resistance to selectively target β-lactamase-producing bacteria using our prodrug approach, without adversely affecting bacteria that do not produce β-lactamase. This paves the way for selective targeting of drug-resistant pathogens without disrupting or selecting for resistance within the microbiota, reducing the rate of secondary infections and subsequent antibiotic use.

Emergence of antibiotic bacterial resistance has caused serious clinical issues worldwide due to increasingly difficult treatment. Development of a specific approach for selective visualization of resistant bacteria will be highly significant for clinical investigations to promote timely diagnosis and treatment of bacterial infections. In this article, we present an effective method that not only is able to selectively recognize drug resistant AmpC β-lactamases enzyme but, more importantly, is able to interact with bacterial cell wall components, resulting in a desired localization effect on the bacterial surface. A unique and specific enzyme-responsive cephalosporin probe (DFD-1) has been developed for the selective recognition of resistance bacteria AmpC β-lactamase, by employing fluorescence resonance energy transfer with an "off-on" bioimaging. To achieve the desired localization, a lipid-azide conjugate (LA-12) was utilized to facilitate its penetration into the bacterial surface, followed by copper-free click chemistry. This enables the probe DFD-1 to be anchored onto the cell surface. In the presence of AmpC enzymes, the cephalosporin β-lactam ring on DFD-1 will be hydrolyzed, leading to the quencher release, thus generating fluorescence for real-time resistant bacterial screening. More importantly, the bulky dibenzocyclooctyne group in DFD-1 allowed selective recognition toward the AmpC bacterial enzyme instead of its counterpart ( e.g., TEM-1 β-lactamase). Both live cell imaging and cell cytometry assays showed the great selectivity of DFD-1 to drug resistant bacterial pathogens containing the AmpC enzyme with significant fluorescence enhancement (∼67-fold). This probe presented promising capability to selectively localize and screen for AmpC resistance bacteria, providing great promise for clinical microbiological applications.

The structure-activity relationship (SAR) for a novel series of catechol conjugated siderophore cephalosporins is described with their in vitro activities against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative pathogens including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Enterobacteriaceae. Cefiderocol (3) was one of the best molecules which displayed well-balanced and potent activities against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative pathogens including carbapenem resistant bacteria among the prepared compounds with the modified C-7 side chain and the modified C-3 side chain. Cefiderocol (3) is a highly promising parenteral cephalosporin for the treatment of multi-drug resistant Gram-negative infection., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cephalosporins are the most widely used semisynthetic antibiotics, which acted on bacterial cell wall (peptidoglycan) synthesis. The key intermediate for fabricating about twothirds of cephalosporins in clinical use is 7-aminocephalosporanic acid (7-ACA), which is derived from chemical or enzymatic deacylation of the natural antibiotic cephalosporin C (CPC). The chemical deacylation process has been replaced by the enzymatic deacylation process because the chemical process required harsh conditions and released toxic waste., Methods: A two-step enzymatic process that utilized D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) and 7-β-(4carboxybutanamido)-cephalosporanic acid acylase (GLA) for two successive reactions has been applied for the conversion of CPC to 7-ACA in an industrial scale., Results: To simplify the process and lower costs, the one-pot enzymatic processes were developed by the application of the mono-enzymatic process (application of cephalosporin C acylase or the variants of GLA), di-enzymatic process (simultaneous action of DAAO and GLA) or the tri-enzymatic process (simultaneous action of DAAO, GLA and catalase) for direct conversion of CPC to 7-ACA., Conclusion: Here, we mainly focused on the description of these one-pot enzymatic processes and emphasized on the preparation of the involved biocatalysts., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.)

Bacterial β-lactamases readily inactivate most penicillins and cephalosporins by hydrolyzing and "opening" their signature β-lactam ring. In contrast, carbapenems resist hydrolysis by many serine-based class A, C, and D β-lactamases due to their unique stereochemical features. To improve the resistance profile of penicillins, we synthesized a modified penicillin molecule, MPC-1, by "grafting" carbapenem-like stereochemistry onto the penicillin core. Chemical modifications include the trans conformation of hydrogen atoms at C-5 and C-6 instead of cis , and a 6-α hydroxyethyl moiety to replace the original 6-β aminoacyl group. MPC-1 selectively inhibits class C β-lactamases, such as P99, by forming a nonhydrolyzable acyl adduct, and its inhibitory potency is ∼2 to 5 times higher than that for clinically used β-lactamase inhibitors clavulanate and sulbactam. The crystal structure of MPC-1 forming the acyl adduct with P99 reveals a novel binding mode for MPC-1 that resembles carbapenem bound in the active site of class A β-lactamases. Furthermore, in this novel binding mode, the carboxyl group of MPC-1 blocks the deacylation reaction by occluding the critical catalytic water molecule and renders the acyl adduct nonhydrolyzable. Our results suggest that by incorporating carbapenem-like stereochemistry, the current collection of over 100 penicillins and cephalosporins can be modified into candidate compounds for development of novel β-lactamase inhibitors., (Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.)

We present the synthesis and biological evaluation of the prototype of a new class of cephalosporins, containing an additional isolated beta lactam ring with two phenyl substituents. This new compound is effective against Gram positive microorganisms, with a potency similar to that of ceftriaxone, a cephalosporin widely used in clinics and taken as a reference, and with no cytotoxicity against two different human cell lines, even at a concentration much higher than the minimal inhibitory concentration tested. Additionally, a deep computational analysis has been conducted with the aim of understanding the contribution of its moieties to the binding energy towards several penicillin-binding proteins from both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. All these results will help us developing derivatives of this compound with improved chemical and biological properties, such as a broader spectrum of action and/or an increased affinity towards their molecular targets.

The rapidly increasing problem of antimicrobial-drug resistance requires the development of new antimicrobial agents. The laccase-catalyzed amination of dihydroxy aromatics is a new and promising method to enlarge the range of currently available antibiotics. Thirty-eight potential 1,2- and 1,4-hydroquinoid laccase substrates were screened for their antibacterial and cytotoxic activity to select the best substrates for laccase-catalyzed coupling reaction resulting in potent antibacterial derivatives. As a result, methyl-1,4-hydroquinone and 2,3-dimethyl-1,4-hydroquinone were used as parent compounds and 14 novel cephalosporins, penicillins, and carbacephems were synthesized by amination with amino-β-lactam structures. All purified products were stable in aqueous buffer and resistant to the action of β-lactamases, and in agar diffusion and broth micro-dilution assays, they inhibited the growth of several Gram-positive bacterial strains including multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococci. Their in vivo activity and cytotoxicity in a Staphylococcus-infected, immune-suppressed mouse model are discussed.

Bacterial metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) are involved in resistance to β-lactam antibiotics including cephalosporins. Human SNM1A and SNM1B are MBL superfamily exonucleases that play a key role in the repair of DNA interstrand cross-links, which are induced by antitumour chemotherapeutics, and are therefore targets for cancer chemosensitization. We report that cephalosporins are competitive inhibitors of SNM1A and SNM1B exonuclease activity; both the intact β-lactam and their hydrolysed products are active. This discovery provides a lead for the development of potent and selective SNM1A and SNM1B inhibitors.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between antimicrobial use and the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in the digestive and respiratory tract in three different production systems of food producing animals. A longitudinal study was set up in 25 Belgian bovine herds (10 dairy, 10 beef, and 5 veal herds) for a 2 year monitoring of antimicrobial susceptibilities in E. coli and Pasteurellaceae retrieved from the rectum and the nasal cavity, respectively. During the first year of observation, the antimicrobial use was prospectively recorded on 15 of these farms (5 of each production type) and transformed into the treatment incidences according to the (animal) defined daily dose (TIADD) and (actually) used daily dose (TIUDD). Antimicrobial resistance rates of 4,174 E. coli (all herds) and 474 Pasteurellaceae (beef and veal herds only) isolates for 12 antimicrobial agents demonstrated large differences between intensively reared veal calves (abundant and inconstant) and more extensively reared dairy and beef cattle (sparse and relatively stable). Using linear mixed effect models, a strong relation was found between antimicrobial treatment incidences and resistance profiles of 1,639 E. coli strains (p<0.0001) and 309 Pasteurellaceae (p≤0.012). These results indicate that a high antimicrobial selection pressure, here found to be represented by low dosages of oral prophylactic and therapeutic group medication, converts not only the commensal microbiota from the digestive tract but also the opportunistic pathogenic bacteria in the respiratory tract into reservoirs of multi-resistance.

The currently known methods of enzymatic β-lactam synthesis, as well as the enzymes and heterogeneous biocatalysts used for this purpose, are presented, and the published reports on advances in the field of enzymatic synthesis of selected antibiotics belonging to the groups of acidic penicillins and acidic cephalosporins are summarized in the present review. The key conditions and parameters of biocatalytic processes, such as the biocatalyst form, concentration of the precursor compounds, solvent type, pH, temperature, etc. are analyzed and compared, and guidelines for further optimization of β-lactam synthesis are given. The present review may be of use for a wide range of readers, as well as to enzymology and biotechnology experts.

We report on the synthesis of three nitrocefin analogues and their evaluation as substrates for the detection of β-lactamase activity. These compounds are hydrolyzed by all four Ambler classes of β-lactamases. Kinetic parameters were determined with eight different β-lactamases, including VIM-2, NDM-1, KPC-2, and SPM-1. The compounds do not inhibit the growth of clinically important antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacteria in vitro. These chromogenic compounds have a distinct absorbance spectrum and turn purple when hydrolyzed by β-lactamases. One of these compounds, UW154, is easier to synthesize from commercial starting materials than nitrocefin and should be significantly less expensive to produce., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Diisopropylthiourea (DPT), an intermediate of a widely used cephalosporin, has been found to be one of the most refractory components in cephalosporin synthesis wastewater. This compound cannot be completely removed by conventional biological processes due to its antimicrobial property. Ionizing radiation has been applied in the decomposition of refractory pollutants in recent years and has proved effective. Therefore, the decomposition of DPT by γ-irradiation was studied. The compound was irradiated at the dose of 150-2000 Gy before a change of concentration and UV absorption of the solutions was detected. Furthermore, the decomposition kinetics and radiation yield (G-value) of DPT was investigated. The results of radiation experiments on DPT-containing aqueous showed that the DPT can be effectively degraded by γ-radiation. DPT concentration decreased with increasing absorbed doses. G-values of radiolytic decomposition for DPT (20 mg/L) were 1.04 and 0.47 for absorbed doses of 150 and 2000 Gy, respectively. The initial concentration and pH of the solutions affected the degradation. As the concentration of substrate increased, the decomposition was reduced. The decrease of removal rate and radiation efficacy under alkaline condition suggested that lower pH values benefit the γ-induced degradation. UV absorption from 190 to 250 nm decreased after radiation while that from 250 to 300 nm increased, indicating the formation of by-products., (Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Current methods for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) are either time consuming or require expensive instruments and are thus are not suitable for point-of-care diagnosis. The design, synthesis, and evaluation of fluorogenic probes with high specificity for BlaC, a biomarker expressed by Mtb, are described. The fluorogenic probe CDG-3 is based on cephalosporin with substitutions at the 2 and 7 positions and it demonstrates over 120,000-fold selectivity for BlaC over TEM-1 Bla, the most common β-lactamase. CDG-3 can detect 10 colony-forming units of the attenuated Mycobacterium bovis strain BCG in human sputum in the presence of high levels of contaminating β-lactamases expressed by other clinically prevalent bacterial strains. In a trial with 50 clinical samples, CDG-3 detected tuberculosis with 90% sensitivity and 73% specificity relative to Mtb culture within one hour, thus demonstrating its potential as a low-cost point-of-care test for use in resource-limited areas., (© 2014 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.)

Aim: Acylation of 7-aminocephalosporanic acid with an adequate acyl chloride in order to obtain cefotaxime sodium salt., Material and Methods: Cefotaxime sodium salt was synthesized by acylating 7-amino cephalosporanic acid with 2-[2'-chloracetamidothiazole-4-yl]-2-(syn)-methoxy-imino acetic chloride in four steps. The melting point was determined, and IR spectral analysis and elemental analysis were performed to confirm cefotaxime structure. The quantitative determination was performed., Results: The reaction conditions were established. The yield of the synthesis phases (73-80%) and actual yield (45-47%) were very good. The structure of the obtained cefotaxime sodium salt was confirmed by the IR spectral analysis and by elemental analysis (C, H, N). The melting point was 163 degrees C. The purity of the synthesized cefotaxime sodium salt was 98.9%., Conclusions: Cefotaxime sodium salt was synthesized by acylation of 7-aminocephalosporanic acid with 2-[2'-chloracetamidothiazole-4-yl]-2-(syn)-methoxy-imino acetic chloride, in aqueous solution, then transformed into sodium salt with sodium 2-ethylhexanoate. The method proved to be very good, yields were good, it is reproducible and simple, and does not involve high risks, so it is also safe.

Serine- and metallo-β-lactamases present a threat to the clinical use of nearly all β-lactam antibiotics, including penicillins, cephalosporins, and carbapenems. Efforts to develop metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) inhibitors require suitable screening platforms to allow the rapid determination of β-lactamase activity and efficient inhibition. Unfortunately, the platforms currently available are not ideal for this purpose. Further progress in MBL inhibitor identification requires inexpensive and widely applicable assays. Herein the identification of an inexpensive and stable chromogenic substrate suitable for use in assays of clinically relevant MBLs is described. (6R,7R)-3-((4-Nitrophenoxy)methyl)-8-oxo-7-(2-phenylacetamido)-5-thia-1-azabicyclo[4.2.0]oct-2-ene-2-carboxylic acid 5,5-dioxide (CLS405) was synthesised in a three-step protocol. CLS405 was then characterised spectroscopically, and its stability and kinetic properties evaluated. With a Δλmax value of 100 nm between the parent and hydrolysis product, a higher analytical accuracy is possible with CLS405 than with commonly used chromogenic substrates. The use of CLS405 in assays was validated by MBL activity measurements and inhibitor screening that resulted in the identification of N-hydroxythiazoles as new inhibitor scaffolds for MBLs. Further evaluation of the identified N-hydroxythiazoles against a panel of clinically relevant MBLs showed that they possess inhibitory activities in the mid- to low-micromolar range. The findings of this study provide both a useful tool compound for further inhibitor identification, and novel scaffolds for the design of improved MBL inhibitors with potential as antibiotics against resistant strains of bacteria., (Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The treatment of 7-ACA with 4-substituted benzensulfonyl chlorides afforded the compounds containing 4-nitro/aminophenyl sulfonylamino moiety in the cephalosporanic acid skeleton (2, 4). The synthesis of the cephalosporanic acid derivatives containing 1,3-thiazole or 5-oxo-1,3-thiazolidine nucleus and sulfonamide function (8a, 8b, 10) was performed starting from 7-ACA by several steps. The reaction of 7-ACA with [4-(2-fluoro-4-nitrophenyl)piperazin-1-yl]acetyl chloride afforded the corresponding 7-{[4-(2-fluoro-4-nitrophenyl)piperazin-1-yl]acetyl}amino derivative (13). The synthesized compounds were screened for their antimicrobial and antiurease activities. Some of them were found to possess good-moderate antimicrobial activity against the test microorganisms. Compound 5d was observed to have moderate anti-urease activity., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Two novel fluorescent cephalosporins, TCA and TBCA, were synthesized and characterized by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, UV-vis, and fluorescence spectroscopies. Biological activity assays demonstrated that TCA inactivated a Klebsiella pneumonia strain that expressed extended-spectrum β-lactamases. Incubation of 6 μM TCA with K. pneumonia cultures resulted in cell death for 84% of the cells after 126 J/cm(2) of light irradiation. In vitro, TCA exhibited a MIC = 0.5 μg/mL with Staphylococcus aureus. Kinetic evaluation revealed that TCA and TBCA were substrates for B1 and B3 subclass metallo-β-lactamases. TBCA exhibited stronger binding affinities to the Gram-positive bacterial strains MRSA1, MRSA2, and S. aureus with value of 2.95-6.59 μM per 10(8) cells/mL., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The peptidoglycan cell wall is a common target for antibiotic therapy, but its structure and assembly are only partially understood. Peptidoglycan synthesis requires a suite of penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), the individual roles of which are difficult to determine because each enzyme is often dispensable for growth perhaps due to functional redundancy. To address this challenge, we sought to generate tools that would enable selective examination of a subset of PBPs. We designed and synthesized fluorescent and biotin derivatives of the β-lactam-containing antibiotic cephalosporin C. These probes facilitated specific in vivo labeling of active PBPs in both Bacillus subtilis PY79 and an unencapsulated derivative of D39 Streptococcus pneumoniae. Microscopy and gel-based analysis indicated that the cephalosporin C-based probes are more selective than BOCILLIN-FL, a commercially available penicillin V analogue, which labels all PBPs. Dual labeling of live cells performed by saturation of cephalosporin C-susceptible PBPs followed by tagging of the remaining PBP population with BOCILLIN-FL demonstrated that the two sets of PBPs are not co-localized. This suggests that even PBPs that are located at a particular site (e.g., septum) are not all intermixed, but rather that PBP subpopulations are discretely localized. Accordingly, the Ceph C probes represent new tools to explore a subset of PBPs and have the potential to facilitate a deeper understand of the roles of this critical class of proteins.

A series of 2-oxaisocephems with a thio-substituted methyl group at the 3-position and a [2-(5-amino-1,2,4-thiadizol-3-yl)-2-(Z)-alkoxyimino]acetamido moiety at 7-position were synthesized and tested for their antibacterial activities. The analogs 17c and 17f have well-balanced potency and significantly enhanced activity as compared with the reference compound ceftazidime., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The Főrster resonance energy transfer (FRET) based luminescent ruthenium(II) cephalosporin probe has been designed and synthesized, which can be selectively activated by endogenous β-lactamases and thus provided a localized and specific intracellular luminescence imaging and photoinactivation of drug resistant bacterial pathogens., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012)

New derivatives of 7-aminocephalosporanic acid 1-8 were synthesized by acylation of the 7-amino group of the cephem nucleus with various arylidinimino-1,3,4-thiadiazole-thio(or dithio)-acetic acid intermediates 3a-d and 5a-d, respectively, so the acyl side chains of these new cephalosporins contained a sulfide or disulfide bond. This unique combination of a Schiff base with the sulfide or disulfide bonds in the acyl side chain afforded new cephalosporins of reasonable potencies, some of which were found to possess moderate activities against the tested microorganisms. Their chemical structures were characterized by ¹H-NMR, IR spectroscopy and elemental microanalysis. Preliminary in vitro antimicrobial activities of the prepared cephalosporins were investigated using a panel of selected microorganisms. Results indicated that the newly synthesized cephalosporins containing disulfide bonds (compounds 5-8) exhibited better activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The cephalosporins cross-linked by a sulfide bond (compounds 1-4) showed a slight change in antimicrobial activities when compared with that of the reference cephalosporin (cephalexin).

Unlabelled: Many studies show that flavonoids have a numerous biological properties, antimicrobial effects included. It is also known that rutin is able to increase the antibacterial activity of other compounds., Material and Methods: Starting from these facts, we synthesised some water soluble rutin derivatives treating rutin with 1, 3-dichloro-2-propanol, 1-bromo-3-chloro-propane, 2-dibromethane, and dibrommethane, and than with 7-amino-cephalosporanic acid. The antimicrobial activity of the new compounds was determined by disc diffusion method., Results: Molecular formula, weight, yield, melting points and solubility of the new derivatives have been determined. Elemental analysis and spectral analysis (UV and IR) confirmed the structure of new compounds. CONCLUSIONS. These derivatives are water-soluble and have a good antimicrobial activity, both on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, comparable with that of tetracycline.

Trimethylsilyl triflate promotes Ferrier-Petasis rearrangement of 4-(vinyloxy)-, 4-(propenyloxy)-, and 4-(isopropenyloxy)azetidin-2-ones to corresponding 4-(carbonylmethyl)azetidin-2-ones. The latter compounds may serve as attractive intermediates in the synthesis of carbapenem antibiotics. To illustrate the potential of this reaction, selected rearrangement products have been transformed into carbapenams.

Novel C(3) propenylamide and propenylsulfonamide cephalosporins have been synthesized and tested for their ability to inhibit the penicillin-binding protein 2' (PBP2') from Staphylococcus epidermidis and the growth of a panel of clinically relevant bacterial species, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The most potent compounds inhibited the growth of MRSA strains with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) as low as 1 microg/mL. The structure-activity relationship revealed the potential for further optimization of this new cephalosporin class., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

An innovative approach to determine the orientation of penicillin G acylase (PGA) from Escherichia coli covalently immobilized onto solid supports has been developed. This method is based on tryptic digestion of immobilized PGA followed by HPLC-MS analysis of the released peptides which are supposed to be only those exposed toward the reaction medium and not directly bound to the solid support. To this purpose, PGA was immobilized on Eupergit C (acrylic hydrophobic resin) and glyoxyl-agarose (hydrophilic resin) functionalized with epoxy and aldehyde groups, respectively, both involving the Lys residues of the protein. The peptide maps obtained were analyzed to derive the orientation of immobilized PGA, as the position of the detected Lys gave indication concerning the accessibility of the different areas of the protein. The results indicate that PGA immobilization on both supports involves mainly Lys located near the binding pocket (70%). Some differences in the enzyme orientation on the two supports can be deduced by the presence of different unbound Lys residues in the released peptides, specific to each support (Lys 117alpha for PGA-Eupergit C; Lys 163alpha and Lys 165alpha for PGA-glyoxyl-agarose). These results have been correlated with the data obtained in the kinetically controlled synthesis and indicate that the orientation of PGA on both supports is partially unfavorable, driving the active site near the support surface. This type of orientation of the enzyme enhances the effect of the nature of the support and of the binding chemistry on the catalytic properties. The information obtained indicated the most suitable support and activation strategy to design an immobilized acylase with good synthetic properties for preparative processes. The glyoxyl-Eupergit C support with enhanced porosity synergically combines the mechanical stability and synthetic performances of immobilized PGA and was successfully used in the synthesis of several cephalosporins.

The industrial importance of Trigonopsis variabilisd-amino acid oxidase (TvDAAO) is represented by its biocatalytic oxidative deamination of cephalosporin C (CPC) to yield glutaryl-7-aminocephalosporanic acid (GL-7-ACA). The process has been incorporated into a two-step bioconversion to produce 7-aminocephalosporanic acid, the crucial synthetic nucleus for several semi-synthetic cephalosporin antibiotics. A homology model of TvDAAO indicated that residue F54 is in a close proximity to the in silico docked CPC. Substitution of this F54 to Tyr (F54Y) resulted in 6-fold improvement in k(cat,app) and approximately 2.5-fold increase in K(i) of GL-7-ACA. Heat treatment (55 degrees C, 60 min) did not decrease the activity of F54Y. It is suggested that the Tyr substitution might initiate hydrogen bond formation with the amino group of CPC and facilitate deamination. Faster substrate turnover, reduced GL-7-ACA inhibition and improved thermostability of the F54Y substitution render it a useful candidate in industrial production of semi-synthetic cephems., (Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cephalosporins remain one of the most important classes of antibiotics. A useful site for derivatization involves generation of and chemistry at the 3'-hydroxymethyl position. While 3'-acetoxymethyl-substituted cephalosporins are readily available, deacetylation to access the free 3'-hydroxymethyl group is problematic when the carboxylic acid is protected as an ester. Herein we report that this important transformation has been efficiently accomplished using Candida antarctica lipase B. Although this transformation is difficult to carry out using chemical methods, the enzymatic deacetylation has been successful on gram scale, when the cephalosporin is protected as either the benzhydryl or tert-butyl esters and on the corresponding sulfoxide and sulfone of the tert-butyl ester.

Cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEAs) are reported for the first time for a recombinant acetyl xylan esterase (AXE) from Bacillus pumilus. With this enzyme, CLEAs production was most effective using 3.2M (80%-saturation) ammonium sulfate, followed by cross-linking for 3h with 1% (v/v) glutaraldehyde. Particle size was a key determinant of the CLEAs activity. The usual method for generating particles, by short-time vortexing was highly inefficient in terms of enzyme activity yields. In contrast, the use of long-time vortexing increased activity recovery, and a novel approach consisting in the utilization of a commercial mechanical cell disruptor which is based on a reciprocating movement recovered all the enzyme activity in few seconds. In the CLEAs thus produced, the enzyme was much more resistant to shear, heat and extreme pH values than the soluble enzyme. The CLEAs were highly effective in transforming fully 7-amino cephalosporanic acid and cephalosporin C into their corresponding desacetyl derivatives, which are important advanced intermediates in the production of semisynthetic beta-lactam antibiotics. The operational stability of such CLEAs was remarkable, with a half life of 45 cycles. Therefore, the new methodology used here should decrease the industrial cost of the CLEAs, both in terms of biocatalyst production and reusability.

Semi-synthetic β-lactamic antibiotics are the most used anti-bacteria agents, produced in hundreds tons/year scale. It may be assumed that this situation will even increase during the next years, with new β-lactamic antibiotics under development. They are usually produced by the hydrolysis of natural antibiotics (penicillin G or cephalosporin C) and the further amidation of natural or modified antibiotic nuclei with different carboxylic acyl donor chains. Due to the contaminant reagents used in conventional chemical route, as well as the high energetic consumption, biocatalytic approaches have been studied for both steps in the production of these very interesting medicaments during the last decades. Recent successes in some of these methodologies may produce some significant advances in the antibiotics industry. In fact, the hydrolysis of penicillin G to produce 6-APA catalyzed by penicillin G acylase is one of the most successful historical examples of the enzymatic biocatalysis, and much effort has been devoted to find enzymatic routes to hydrolyze cephalosporin C. Initially this could be accomplished in a quite complex system, using a two enzyme system (D-amino acid oxidase plus glutaryl acylase), but very recently an efficient cephalosporin acylase has been designed by genetic tools. Other strategies, including metabolic engineering to produce other antibiotic nuclei, have been also reported. Regarding the amidation step, much effort has been devoted to the improvement of penicillin acylases for these reactions since 1960. New reaction strategies, continuous product extraction or new penicillin acylases with better properties have proven to be the key to have competitive biocatalytic processes. In this review, a critical discussion of these very interesting advances in the application of enzymes for the industrial synthesis of semi-synthetic antibiotics will be presented.

Diastereocontrolled Lewis acid-catalyzed preparation of enantiopure carbacepham derivatives have been developed starting from 2-azetidinone-tethered enals. The BF3.Et2O-promoted reaction of alkenylaldehydes 1 and 16 is effective as carbocyclization protocol to afford 4-substituted 5-hydroxycarbacephams or 3-substituted 4,5-dihydroxycarbacephams, respectively, by a type I carbonyl-ene reaction, while the BF3.Et2O or SnCl4-mediated type II carbonyl-ene cyclization of alkenylaldehydes 2 furnishes 3-methylene 5-hydroxycarbacephams along with the corresponding 3-halo 5-hydroxycarbacepham. The stereochemical outcome of these carbonyl-ene cyclizations leading to carbacepham derivatives can be explained in terms of six-membered, cyclic chair-like transition-state models. The formation of halocarbacepham derivatives is proposed to proceed by a stepwise mechanism.

A series of 3-[(2,5-dihydro-6-hydroxy-2-methyl)-5-oxo-cis-triazin-3-yl]-thiomethyl-cefalosporins with various 3-phenyl-2-propenoyl substituted groups at the 7beta-position were synthesized, structurally characterized and evaluated for antibacterial activity in vitro. To prepare these derivatives by the Vilsmeier's reagent method, it was necessary to carefully control the reaction conditions in order to avoid the formation of the biologically inactive alpha epimer. The NMR studies showed that the 3-phenyl-2-propenoyl moiety has little effect on chemical shifts of cephem nucleus protons and carbon atoms. Some of these cephalosporin derivatives showed good in vitro activity against methicillin sensible strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and coagulase negative Staphylococcus (MSCoNS). Particularly effective were the compounds carrying a 3-(2'-chlorophenyl)-2-propenoyl or 2-methyl-3-phenyl-2-propenoyl moiety at 7beta-position, both with an antibacterial potency close to cefazoline and higher than cefuroxime. All the synthesized cephalosporins were inactive against methicillin resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and coagulase negative Staphylococcus (MRCoNS).

Broad-spectrum antibiotics with heterocyclic side chains strongly inhibit peroxidase-catalyzed iodination in the presence of metallo-beta-lactamase. This suggests that antibiotic resistance due to hydrolysis of the beta-lactam ring in antibiotics would have negative effects on thyroid activity.

In order to find new cephalosporin with more and more potent antibacterial activity, nine new fourth-generation cephalosporins (N1-N9) were synthesized from ethyl 2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-(Z)-2-methoxyiminoacetate (1) via acylation, substitution, hydrolysis, active esterification, condensation and salt formation. The structures of compounds (N1-N9) were confirmed by IR, MS, 1H NMR and elemental analysis. The target compounds possess different antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The preliminary results of antibacterial activities revealed that they showed better antibacterial activities against Gram-positive bacteria than cefpirome sulfate. In particular, their activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus albus are better.

A series of cephalosporin-derived reverse hydroxamates and oximes were prepared and evaluated as inhibitors of representative metallo- and serine-beta-lactamases. The reverse hydroxamates showed submicromolar inhibition of the GIM-1 metallo-beta-lactamase. With respect to interactions with the classes A, C, and D serine beta-lactamases, as judged by their correspondingly low K(m) values, the reverse hydroxamates were recognized in a manner similar to the non-hydroxylated N-H amide side chains of the natural substrates of these enzymes. This indicates that, with respect to recognition in the active site of the serine beta-lactamases, the OC-NR-OH functionality can function as a structural isostere of the OC-NR-H group, with the N-O-H group presumably replacing the amide N-H group as a hydrogen bond donor to the appropriate backbone carbonyl oxygen of the protein. The reverse hydroxamates, however, displayed k(cat) values up to three orders of magnitude lower than the natural substrates, thus indicating substantial slowing of the hydrolytic action of these serine beta-lactamases. Although the degree of inactivation is not yet enough to be clinically useful, these initial results are promising. The substitution of the amide N-H bond by N-OH may represent a useful strategy for the inhibition of other serine hydrolases.

An efficient synthesis of a 5-fluorouracil-cephalosporin prodrug is described for use against colorectal and other cancers in antibody and gene-directed therapies. The compound shows stability in aqueous media until specifically activated by beta-lactamase (betaL). The kinetic parameters of the 5-fluorouracil-cephalosporin conjugate were determined in the presence of Enterobacter cloacae P99 betaL (ECl betaL) revealing a K(m)=95.4 microM and V(max)=3.21 microMol min(-1) mg(-1). The data compare favorably to related systems that have been reported and enable testing of this prodrug against cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo.

Further investigations towards novel glycopeptide/beta-lactam heterodimers are reported. Employing a multivalent approach to drug discovery, vancomycin and cephalosporin synthons, 4, 2, 5 and 10, 18, 25 respectively, were chemically linked to yield heterodimer antibiotics. These novel compounds were designed to inhibit Gram-positive bacterial cell wall biosynthesis by simultaneously targeting the principal cellular targets of both glycopeptides and beta-lactams. The positional attachment of both the vancomycin and the cephalosporin central cores has been explored and the SAR is reported. This novel class of bifunctional antibiotics 28-36 all displayed remarkable potency against a wide range of Gram-positive organisms, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). A subset of compounds, 29, 31 and 35 demonstrated excellent bactericidal activity against MRSA (ATCC 33591) and 31 and 35 also exhibited superb in vivo efficacy in a mouse model of MRSA infection. As a result of this work compound 35 was selected as a clinical candidate, TD-1792.

We describe herein the synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of novel cephalosporins with potent activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Introduction of various amino groups to the 4-position of a 3-amino-2-methylpyrazole cephalosporin 3-side chain resulted in enhanced MIC values against multiple Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains and ultimately led to the discovery of FR264205 (15) with excellent anti-bacterial activity and weak convulsion effect by direct intracerebroventricular injection assay.

A convenient approach to synthesize novel selenium-beta-lactams, 3-selena-1-dethiacephems and selenazepines, was accomplished via the regioselective iodocyclization reaction. The substituent of allenyl moieties dramatically influenced the regiochemical outcome in the iodocyclization of allene-selenourea derivatives.

We report the synthesis and total NMR characterization of 5-thia-1-azabicyclo-[4.2.0]oct-2-ene-2-carboxylic acid-3-[[[(4''-nitrophenoxy)carbonyl]oxy]-methyl]-8-oxo-7-[(2-thienyloxoacetyl)amino]-diphenylmethyl ester-5-dioxide (5), a new cephalosporin derivative. This compound can be used as the carrier of a wide range of drugs containing an amino group. The preparation of the intermediate product, 5-thia-1-azabicyclo[4.2.0]oct-2-ene-2-carboxylic acid-3-[methyl 4-(6-methoxyquinolin-8-ylamino)pentylcarbamate]-8-oxo-7-[(2-thienyloxoacetyl)amino]-diphenylmethyl ester-5-dioxide (6), as well as the synthesis of the antimalarial primaquine prodrug 5-thia-1-azabicyclo[4.2.0]oct-2-ene-2-carboxylic acid-3-[methyl 4-(6-methoxyquinolin-8-ylamino)pentylcarbamate]-8-oxo-7-[(2-thienyloxoacetyl)amino]- 5-dioxide (7) are also described, together with their total (1)H- and (13)C-NMR assignments.

Semi-synthetic penicillins and cephalosporins both derive from their respective chemical nuclei, 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA) and 7-aminocephalosporanic acid (7-ACA). Work leading to their isolation was being carried out in parallel, but following very different pathways, during the last half of the 1950s. The development of 6-APA was reviewed recently in this journal, and in the present article I take a closer look at early work on 'penicillin amidase' and revisit the steps that led to 7-ACA.

A novel series of 7beta-[2-(2-amino-5-chloro-thiazol-4-yl)-2(Z)-((S)-1-carboxyethoxyimino)acetamido]cephalosporins bearing various pyridinium groups at the C-3' position were synthesized and their in vitro antibacterial activities against gram-negative pathogens including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and several gram-positive pathogens were evaluated. Among the cephalosporins prepared, we found that a cephalosporin bearing the 2-amino-1-(3-methylamino-propyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridinium group at the C-3' position (8a) showed potent and well-balanced antibacterial activities against P. aeruginosa and other gram-negative pathogens including the strains which produce class C beta-lactamase and extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL). Compound 8a also showed efficacious in vivo activity and high stability against AmpC beta-lactamase. These findings indicate that 2-aminoimidazopyridinium having an aminoalkyl group at the 1-position as a C-3' side chain is suitable for cephalosporins bearing an aminochlorothiazolyl moiety and a carboxyethoxyimino moiety on the C-7 side chain.

A series of 7beta-[2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-(Z)-(carboxymethoxyimino)acetamido]cephalosporins bearing a 1-(substituted)-1H-pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyridinium group at C-3' position was synthesized and their in vitro antibacterial activities against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other Gram-negative pathogens were evaluated. Among the cephalosporins prepared, 7beta-[2-(2-amino-5-chlorothiazol-4yl)-2(Z)-((S)-1-carboxyethoxyimino)acetamido]cephalosporins (42d) showed potent antibacterial activities against P. aeruginosa and other Gram-negative pathogens including the strains which produce class C beta-lactamase and extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL). These results imply that both the Cl atom on the C-7 aminothiazole moiety and the alpha-substituent at the iminoether moiety are essential for the stability against beta-lactamase and the potent activity against Gram-negative bacteria including P. aeruginosa.

Sixteen novel cephalosporins were synthesized by amination of 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid derivatives with the aminocephalosporins cefadroxil, cefalexin, cefaclor, and the structurally related carbacephem loracarbef using laccases from Trametes sp. or Myceliophthora thermophila. All products inhibited the growth of several Gram positive bacterial strains in the agar diffusion assay, among them methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. The products protected mice against an infection with Staphylococcus aureus lethal to the control animals. Cytotoxicity and acute toxicity of the new compounds were negligible. The results show the usefulness of laccase for the synthesis of potential new antibiotics. The biological activity of the new compounds stimulates intensified pharmacological tests.