Pilicides prevent pili formation and thereby the development of bacterial biofilms in Escherichia coli. We have performed a comprehensive structure activity relationship (SAR) study of the dihydrothiazolo ring-fused 2-pyridone pilicide central fragment by varying all open positions. Orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was used to distinguish active from inactive compounds in which polarity proved to be the most important factor for discrimination. A quantitative SAR (QSAR) partial least squares (PLS) model was calculated on the active compounds for prediction of biofilm inhibition activity. In this model, compounds with high inhibitory activity were generally larger, more lipophilic, more flexible and had a lower HOMO. Overall, this resulted in both highly valuable SAR information and potent inhibitors of type 1 pili dependent biofilm formation. The most potent biofilm inhibitor had an EC50 of 400 nM.

Addition of Grignard reagents to pyridine N-oxides in THF at low temperature (-78 to -20 degrees C) and treatment with TFAA provides an efficient general procedure for synthesis of substituted pyridines. The method is compatible with a range of functional groups such as esters, halogens and nitriles.

Pilicides are a class of compounds that attenuate virulence in Gram negative bacteria by blocking the chaperone/usher pathway in Escherichia coli. It has also been shown that compounds derived from the peptidomimetic scaffold that the pilicides are based on can prevent both Aβ aggregation and curli formation. To facilitate optimizations towards the different targets, a new synthetic platform has been developed that enables fast and simple introduction of various substituents in position C-7 on the peptidomimetic scaffold. Importantly, this strategy also enables introduction of previously unattainable heteroatoms in this position. Pivotal to the synthetic strategy is the synthesis of a C-7 bromomethyl substituted derivative of the ring-fused dihydrothiazolo 2-pyridone pilicide scaffold. From this versatile and reactive intermediate various heteroatom-linked substituents could be introduced on the scaffold including amines, ethers, amides and sulfonamides. In addition, carbon-carbon bonds could be introduced to the sp3-hybridized bromomethyl substituted scaffold by Suzuki–Miyaura cross couplings. Evaluation of the 24 C-7 substituted compounds in whole-bacterial assays provided important structure–activity data and resulted in the identification of a number of new pilicides with activity as good or better than those developed previously.

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The synthesis of optically active piperidines by enantioselective addition of aryl Grignard reagents to pyridine N-oxides and lithium binolate followed by reduction is reported for the first time. The reaction results in high yields (51-94%) in combination with good ee (54-80%). Some of these products were subsequently recrystallized, affording enhanced optical purities (>99% ee).