Effectiveness of Fluoroquinolones with Difluoropyridine Derivatives as R1 Groups on the DNA Gyrase in the Presence and Absence of Plasmid-Encoded Quinolone Resistance Protein QnrB19.

WQ-3810 has strong inhibitory activity against and other fluoroquinolone-resistant pathogens. The unique potentiality of this is attributed to 6-amino-3,5-difluoropyridine-2-yl at R1 group. The aim of this study was to examine WQ-3810 and its derivatives WQ-3334 and WQ-4065 as the new drug candidate for wild-type and that carrying QnrB19. The half maximal inhibitory concentrations (ICs) of WQ-3810, WQ-3334 (Br atom in place of methyl group at R8), and WQ-4065 (6-ethylamino-3,5-difluoropyridine-2-yl in place of 6-amino-3,5-difluoropyridine-2-yl group at R1) in the presence or absence of QnrB19 were assessed by DNA supercoiling assay utilizing recombinant DNA gyrase and QnrB19. ICs of WQ-3810, WQ-3334, and WQ-4065 against DNA gyrase were 0.031 ± 0.003, 0.068 ± 0.016, and 0.72 ± 0.39 μg/mL, respectively, while QnrB19 increased ICs of WQ-3810, WQ-3334, and WQ-4065 to 0.44 ± 0.05, 0.92 ± 0.34, and 9.16 ± 2.21 μg/mL, respectively. WQ-3810 and WQ-3334 showed stronger inhibitory activity against Typhimurium DNA gyrases than WQ-4065 even in the presence of QnrB19. The results suggest that 6-amino-3,5-difluoropyridine-2-yl group at R1 is playing an important role and WQ-3810 and WQ-3334 to be good candidates for carrying QnrB19.