New screening method finds rare DNA gyrase poison for future antibiotics
The goal was to build a faster way to search for new antibiotics. The search turned up something unexpected. FIU biochemistry professor Fenfei Leng and a group of researchers set out to develop the first high-throughput screening method specifically designed to identify compounds that can poison bacterial DNA gyrase, an enzyme that bacteria need to survive.
Researchers at FIU have developed a high-throughput screening method to identify compounds that can poison bacterial DNA gyrase. While testing this method, they discovered Pyr-AMC, a previously unknown compound with potential as a future antibiotic. DNA gyrase is an enzyme that bacteria need to survive, and it helps untangle and organize DNA during replication.
Pyr-AMC can trap DNA gyrase while it is cutting DNA strands, preventing the bacteria from repairing the damage and ultimately causing cell death. Although Pyr-AMC is not potent enough for clinical use yet, it provides a promising scaffold for developing new antibiotics to combat growing antibiotic resistance. Researchers hope to discover new classes of rare gyrase poisons that can be developed into effective treatments.
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