Similar to its eukaryotic counterpart, the prokaryotic cytoskeleton is essential for the structural and mechanical properties of bacterial cells. The essential protein FtsZ is a central player in the cytoskeletal family, forms a cytokinetic ring at mid-cell, and recruits the division machinery to orchestrate cell division. Cells depleted of or lacking functional FtsZ do not divide and grow into long filaments that eventually lyse. FtsZ has been studied extensively as a target for antibacterial development. In this Perspective, we review the structural and biochemical properties of FtsZ, its role in cell biochemistry and physiology, the different mechanisms of inhibiting FtsZ, small molecule antagonists (including some misconceptions about mechanisms of action), and their discovery strategies. This collective information will inform chemists on different aspects of FtsZ that can be (and have been) used to develop successful strategies for devising new families of cell division inhibitors.

The bacterial cell division protein FtsZ is one of many potential targets for the development of novel antibiotics. Recently, zantrin Z3 was shown to be a cross-species inhibitor of FtsZ; however, its specific interactions with the protein are still unknown. Herein we report the synthesis of analogues that contain a more tractable core structure and an analogue with single-digit micromolar inhibition of FtsZ's GTPase activity, which represents the most potent inhibitor of Escherichia coli FtsZ reported to date. In addition, the zantrin Z3 core has been converted to two potential photo-cross-linking reagents for proteomic studies that could shed light on the molecular interactions between FtsZ and molecules related to zantrin Z3.

A short, diastereoselective synthesis of homocitric acid lactone is described. The key step is a bioinspired aldol addition to set the stereogenic center in an intermediate that requires only modest oxidation state manipulation to complete the synthesis. This approach enables rapid generation of isotopomers in which carbon and hydrogen can be replaced by heavier nuclei at nearly every position.