Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the leading infectious cause of death. Synthesis of lipids critical for Mtb’s cell wall and virulence depends on phosphopantetheinyl transferase (PptT), an enzyme that transfers 4’-phosphopantetheine (Ppt) from coenzyme A to diverse acyl carrier proteins (ACPs). We identified a compound that kills Mtb by binding and partially inhibiting PptT. Killing of Mtb by the compound is potentiated by another enzyme encoded in the same operon, Ppt hydrolase (PptH), that undoes the PptT reaction. Thus, loss of function mutants of PptH displayed antimicrobial resistance. Our PptT-inhibitor co-crystal structure may aid further development of anti-mycobacterial agents against this long-sought target. The opposing reactions of PptT and PptH uncover a regulatory pathway in CoA physiology.

In an antibiotic lead discovery program, the known strain Streptomyces armeniacus DSM19369 has been found to produce three new natural products when cultivated on a malt-containing medium. The challenging structural elucidation of the isolated compounds was achieved by using three independent methods, that is, chemical degradation followed by NMR spectroscopy, a computer-assisted structure prediction algorithm, and X-ray crystallography. The compounds, named armeniaspirol A-C (2-4), exhibit a compact, hitherto unprecedented chlorinated spiro[4.4]non-8-ene scaffold. Labeling experiments with [1-(13)C] acetate, [1,2-(13)C2] acetate, and [U-(13)C] proline suggest a biosynthesis through a rare two-chain mechanism. Armeniaspirols displayed moderate to high in vitro activities against gram-positive pathogens such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) or vancomycin resistant E. faecium (VRE). As analogue 2 was active in vivo in an MRSA sepsis model, and showed no development of resistance in a serial passaging experiment, it represents a new antibiotic lead structure.

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The total synthesis of the naturally occurring antibiotic GE81112A, a densely functionalized tetrapeptide, is reported. Comparison of spectral data with those of the natural product and the lack of biological activity of the synthesized compound led us to revise the published configuration of the 3-hydroxypipecolic acid moiety. This hypothesis was fully validated by the synthesis of the corresponding epimer.

Asymmetric synthesis of lemonomycinone amide (2) was accomplished from readily accessible starting materials. Enantioselective alkylation of N-(diphenylmethylene)glycine tert-butyl ester (11) by 5-tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy-2,4-dimethoxy-3-methylbenzyl bromide (10) in the presence of Corey-Lygo's phase transfer catalyst [O-(9)-ally-N-(9'-anthracenylmethyl) cinchonidium bromide, 0.1 equiv] afforded, after chemoselective hydrolysis of the imine function (THF/H(2)O/AcOH), the substituted l-tert-butyl phenylalanate 13 in 85% yield. A Pictet-Spengler reaction of 14 with benzyloxyacetaldehyde (15) provided the 1,3-cis-disubstituted tetrahydroisoquinoline 16 in 85% yield as a single diastereomer. Coupling of hindered secondary amine 16 with amino acid 9 was accomplished under carefully controlled conditions to furnish the amide 22, which was in turn converted to hemiaminal 24. A hafnium triflate catalyzed conversion of hemiaminal to alpha-amino thioether followed by a silver tetrafluoroborate promoted intramolecular Mannich reaction of 26 afforded the tetracycle 27 in excellent overall yields. Debenzylation of 27 [Pd(OH)(2), H(2), MeOH, 0 degrees C], removal of N-Boc function (aqueous 3 N HCl, MeOH/H(2)O), and oxidation of hydroquinone to quinone [(NH(4))(2)Ce(NO(3))(6), H(2)O, rt] afforded the lemonomycinone amide 2 in 76% yield over three steps.