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Exploiting a Bacterial Drug‐Resistance Mechanism: A Light‐Activated Construct for the Destruction of MRSA
Author(s) -
Zheng Xiang,
Sallum Ulysses W.,
Verma Sarika,
Athar Humra,
Evans Conor L.,
Hasan Tayyaba
Publication year - 2009
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.200804804
Subject(s) - mechanism (biology) , construct (python library) , drug resistance , resistance (ecology) , drug , business , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , computer science , medicine , pharmacology , biology , computer network , ecology , physics , quantum mechanics
Abstract A cunning and dangerous plan foiled! An enzyme‐specific molecular construct exploits the overexpression of β‐lactamase in several drug‐resistant bacteria. Specific photodynamic toxicity was detected towards β‐lactam‐resistant methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), whereby the usual mechanism for antibiotic resistance (cleavage of the β‐lactam ring) releases the phototoxic component from the prodrug (see picture; Q=quencher).