Due to worldwide increasing resistances, there is a considerable need for antibacterial compounds with modes of action not yet realized in commercial antibiotics. One such promising structure is the acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) inhibitor moiramide B which shows strong antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis and weaker activities against gram-negative bacteria. However, the narrow structure-activity relationship of the pseudopeptide unit of moiramide B represents a formidable challenge for any optimization strategy.In contrast, the lipophilic fatty acid tail is considered an unspecific vehicle responsible only for the transport of moiramide into the bacterial cell. Here we show that the sorbic acid unit, in fact, is highly relevant for ACC inhibition. A hitherto undescribed sub-pocket at the end of the sorbic acid channel binds strongly aromatic rings and allows the development of moiramide derivatives with altered antibacterial profiles including anti-tubercular activity.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.