Vancomycin dimers are effective against vancomycin-resistant bacteria
Scientists in Japan have revealed how antibiotic vancomycin dimers are effective against vancomycin-resistant bacteria. Vancomycin, a glycopeptide antibiotic, is used to treat bacterial infections in cases when other antibiotics are ineffective. However, the development of vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) and vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) means researchers are turning to different forms of vancomycin to improve its efficacy.
Hirokazu Arimoto and colleagues previously showed that vancomycin dimers displayed excellent antibacterial activity against vancomycin-resistant bacteria but until now it’s not been known how the dimers actually interact with the bacteria.
To study the mode of action on vancomycin-resistant bacteria, differently linked vancomycin derivatives, including carboxyl terminus linked dimers and vancosamine terminus linked dimers, were investigated using an in vitro cell wall synthesis assay previously developed by the team. The assay showed that the dimers were inhibiting the polymerisation step of the peptidoglycan synthesis in the bacterial cell wall, indicating that the dimers have a different mechanism of action.
Original publication
O Yoshida, J Nakamura, H Yamashiro, K Miura, S Hayashi, K Umetsu, S Xu, H Maki and H Arimoto, Med. Chem. Comm., 2011.
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