Chlorinephenyl‐Substituted Sulfonylurea Confer Inhibitory Efficacy against Metallo‐β‐lactamase ImiS

Abstract

AbstractSuper bacterial infection caused by metallo‐β‐lactamases (MβLs) has posed a serious public health threat, while developing inhibitors of MβLs is an ideal strategy to combat drug‐resistance. Here, seventeen sulfonylureas were synthesized and confirmed. Biological assay shown that these molecules effectively inhibited MβL ImiS, with an IC50 value in the range of 29.5–188.2 μM, and the best inhibitor competitively and irreversibly inhibited ImiS with a Ki value of 15.2 μM. Structure‐activity relationship analysis revealed that the chlorine‐substituted phenyl significantly raised inhibitory activity of sulfonylureas on ImiS. Antibacterial and chessboard dilution assays shown that the most sulfonylureas tested enhanced antimicrobial effect of meropenem (MER) on E. coli‐ImiS, and the two inhibitors with best effect resulted in an 8‐fold reduction in MIC of MER. Mice tests shown that the best inhibitor synergizing MER virtually diminished the load of E. coli‐ImiS in spleen and liver. Docking study revealed that the sulfonylurea reacts with ImiS mainly through the sulfonyl group, in which one of oxygen atoms coordinates to Zn(II), and forms two hydrogen bonds with Lys224 (2.1 Å) and His263 (3.1 Å). This work revealed the sulfonylureas are promising candidates for the development of ImiS inhibitors.