Bacterial resistance to available antibiotics is becoming an increasing problem; methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is broadly resistant to penicillins and cephalosporins, is a particular problem in hospital settings.
A recent report in the journal Science describes new compounds effective against MRSA. The compounds target FtsZ, a bacterial homologue of mammalian β-tubulin, which is essential for bacterial cell division. One of the compounds, PC190723, has been shown to have potent in vitro bactericidal activity against staphylococci, including MRSA, and also to cure mice infected with a lethal dose of MRSA.
The binding site for PC190723 has been mapped to a region of FtsZ that is analogous to the paclitaxel -binding site of tubulin. The activity of PC190723 further validates FtsZ as an antibacterial target, and provides the basis for optimisation to provide new treatments for MRSA.