5-Benzylidenethiazolidin-4-ones as multitarget inhibitors of bacterial Mur ligases.

Mur ligases participate in the intracellular path of bacterial peptidoglycan biosynthesis and constitute attractive, although so far underexploited, targets for antibacterial drug discovery. A series of hydroxy-substituted 5-benzylidenethiazolidin-4-ones were synthesized and tested as inhibitors of Mur ligases. The most potent compound 5 a was active against MurD-F with IC(50) values between 2 and 6 microm, making it a promising multitarget inhibitor of Mur ligases. Antibacterial activity against different strains, inhibitory activity against protein kinases, mutagenicity and genotoxicity of 5 a were also investigated, and kinetic and NMR studies were conducted.