The Journal of Antibiotics最新文献

Cephalosporins comprise a β-lactam antibiotic class whose first members were discovered in 1945 from the fungus Cephalosporium acremonium. Their clinical use for Gram-negative bacterial infections is widespread due to their ability to traverse outer membranes through porins to gain access to the periplasm and disrupt peptidoglycan synthesis. More recent members of the cephalosporin class are administered as last resort treatments for complicated urinary tract infections, MRSA, and other multi-drug resistant pathogens, such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Unfortunately, there has been a global increase in cephalosporin-resistant strains, heteroresistance to this drug class has been a topic of increasing concern, and tolerance and persistence are recognized as potential causes of cephalosporin treatment failure. In this review, we summarize the cephalosporin antibiotic class from discovery to their mechanisms of action, and discuss the causes of cephalosporin treatment failure, which include resistance, tolerance, and phenomena when those qualities are exhibited by only small subpopulations of bacterial cultures (heteroresistance and persistence). Further, we discuss how recent efforts with cephalosporin conjugates and combination treatments aim to reinvigorate this antibiotic class.

A new antibiotic U-62162 has been isolated from the fermentations of Streptomyces verdensis Dietz, sp. n. (UC-8157). The compound has been characterized and its gross structure has been elucidated. The antibiotic inhibited the growth of Gram-positive bacteria (particularly Staphylococcus aureus) but was inactive in experimentally infected animals.

Novel antibiotic everninomicin D is chemically transformed into new biologically active derivatives. Reactions of a nitro group attached to a tertiary carbon center have been investigated. Synthesis and reactions of hydroxylaminoeverninomicin D, aminoeverninomicin D and their derivatives have been discussed.

Biosynthetic studies of the antibacterial and antitumor antibiotics vineomycins A1 (1) and B2 (2), produced by Streptomyces matensis subsp. vineus, were carried out by labeling experiments with [1-13C]- and [1,2-18C2]sodium acetate followed by 18C NMR spectroscopy. The results show that the benz[a]anthraquinone chromophore of 1 is derived from a decacetate metabolite with decarboxylation at the carboxyl end and that 2 is formed via C-C bond cleavage of 1. Isolation of rabelomycin from the fermentation broth of the same strain suggests a close biosynthetic relationship among the simple benz[a]anthraquinone antibiotics such as rabelomycin, tetrangomycin, aquayamycin, a C-glycosylated benz[a]anthraquinone, and vineomycins. These biosynthetic data prompted us to reconsider the previously published structure of the antibiotic SS-228Y, which has not been revised.

In the lipophilic extracts from Streptomyces cinnamomeus 2-ethyl-5-(3-indolyl)oxazole (1a) was detected by chemical screening methods. The structure of the crystalline 1a was determined by spectroscopic and X-ray analysis. The new mono- and dibromo derivatives 1b and 1c are described. 1a is identical with pimprinethine and belongs to a group of microbial indole alkaloids, which can be regarded as masked tryptamine derivatives.

The activities of tobramycin derivatives acetylated and ethylated on the 6'-N,2'-N and 3-N positions were examined. The MICs of these derivatives against tobramycin sensitive strains indicated that 2'-N-ethylated and 6'-N-ethylated derivatives have a fairly good activity, and confirmed that the 3-N position is the most important one for antibiotic activity since 3-N derivatives were less active. The MICs of these derivatives against tobramycin resistant strains, and their inactivation by tobramycin modifying enzymes were examined. These results showed that 2'-N or 6'-N ethylation protects the drug against inactivation by AAC(2') or AAC(6'), respectively, and 2'-N-ethyltobramycin and 6'-N-ethyltobramycin were active against strains containing these modifying enzymes. On the other hand, 3-N ethylation protects the drug against inactivation by AAC(3) but 3-N-ethyl tobramycin does not inhibit strains containing this enzyme.