Bacterial cell division as a target for new antibiotics.
Bacterial resistance to currently applied antibiotics complicates the treatment of infections and demands the evaluation of new strategies to counteract multidrug-resistant bacteria. In recent years, the inhibition of the bacterial divisome, mainly by targeting the central cell division mediator FtsZ, has been recognized as a promising strategy for antibiotic attack. New antibiotics were shown to either interfere with the natural dynamics and functions of FtsZ during the cell cycle or to activate a bacterial protease to degrade FtsZ and thus bring about bacterial death in a suicidal manner. Their efficacy in animal models of infection together with resistance-breaking properties prove the potential of such drugs and validate the inhibition of bacterial cell division as an attractive approach for antibiotic intervention.
Institute for Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology, University of Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. Electronic address: peter.sass@uni-duesseldorf.de.
Peter
P
Sass
Heike
H
Brötz-Oesterhelt
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; C071525:FtsZ protein, Bacteria