Starting from the structure of antimycobacterial screening hit OTB-021 which was devoid of activity against ESKAPE pathogens, we designed, synthesized and tested two mutually isomeric series of novel simplified analogs, 2-and 4-(3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)pyrimidines, bearing various amino side chains. These compounds demonstrated a reverse bioactivity profile being inactive against M. tuberculosis while inhibiting the growth of all ESKAPE pathogens (with variable potency patterns) except for Gram-negative P. aeruginosa. Reduction potentials (E1/2, V) measured for selected compounds by cyclic voltammetry were tightly grouped in the −1.3–−1.1 V range for a reversible single-electron reduction. No apparent correlation between the E1/2 values and the ESKAPE minimum inhibitory concentrations was established, suggesting possible significance of other factors, besides the compounds’ reduction potential, which determine the observed antibacterial activity. Generally, more negative E1/2 values were displayed by 2-(3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-1yl)pyrimidines, which is in line with the frequently observed activity loss on moving the 3-nitro1,2,4-triazol-1-yl moiety from position 4 to position 2 of the pyrimidine nucleus.

Original languageEnglish
Article number666
Pages (from-to)1-21
Number of pages23
JournalAntibiotics
Volume9
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Oct 2020

    Research areas

  • 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazole, Antimycobacterial activity, Bioreducible prodrugs, Cyclic voltammetry, ESKAPE pathogens, Nitroazoles, Nucleophilic aromatic substitution, Reversible singleelectron reduction, MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT, bioreducible prodrugs, 4-triazole, MOIETY, antimycobacterial activity, 3-nitro-1, EFFICACIOUS IN-VITRO, NONTOXIC NITROFURANS, nitroazoles, reversible single-electron reduction, 2, cyclic voltammetry, DRUGS, nucleophilic aromatic substitution, NITRO, DERIVATIVES

    Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology (medical)
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology (medical)
  • Biochemistry
  • Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics(all)
  • Microbiology

ID: 69946287