Researchers have confirmed the bacteria-killing properties of lipoxazolidinone A, a small molecule found in nature, and have succeeded in creating a synthetic version of this molecule that can kill MRSA in the lab, according to a paper published this week in Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
Lipoxazolidinone A is a natural product, which can be isolated from bacteria living in marine sediments. Researchers who first isolated this compound noted that it seemed to be effective against Gram-positive bacteria, like MRSA.
In the current study, North Carolina State University chemists wanted to confirm these findings and understand its function in relation to its structure. They did this by synthesizing lipoxazolidinone A in the lab using novel chemical tools. Obtaining the chemical structure not only allowed them to confirm the original findings, they were also able to identify the portion of the molecule responsible for killing Gram-positive bacteria and synthesize a molecule with improved potency, called JJM-35.
JJM-35 was tested against a panel of resistant and non-resistant bacteria. The synthetic molecule appeared to be up to 50 times more effective than the natural one against several strains of MRSA, when tested in-vitro. It also appeared that the synthetic strain was often more effective against resistant strains than non-resistant ones.
"An exciting additional aspect of this work was that we identified that these molecules may function by inhibiting multiple biosynthetic pathways directly or indirectly," said NC State chemist, Joshua Pierce . "This means that bacteria may have difficulty developing resistance to potential drugs developed from these molecules."
While still in its early phases, the researchers are hopeful that this synthetic molecule could offer novel treatment options for MRSA.