Premium
Inhibitors of Sterol Biosynthesis as Staphylococcus aureus Antibiotics
Author(s) -
Walsh Christopher T.,
Fischbach Michael A.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.200801801
Subject(s) - staphylococcus aureus , virulence , microbiology and biotechnology , sterol , biosynthesis , antibiotics , enzyme , pathogen , biology , orange (colour) , chemistry , biochemistry , bacteria , cholesterol , gene , genetics , horticulture
Following a golden compass : Inhibition of the biosynthesis of staphyloxanthin, a product of the Staphylococcus aureus sterol pathway, attenuates the virulence of this bacterial pathogen in mice (see picture of an inhibitor in the active site of the dehydrosqualene synthase of S. aureus ; C green, O red, S yellow, P orange. Does this proof of principle presage a new class of narrow‐spectrum antibiotics that target virulence‐specific enzymes?