Positive Charge in an Antimalarial Compound Unlocks Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Activity.

In this study, we synthesized a library of eNTRy-rule-compliant compounds by introducing ionizable nitrogen atoms to an antimalarial compound. These positively charged derivatives gained activity against both Gram-negative and -positive bacteria, , and boosted inhibition to the double-digit nanomolar range. Overcoming and remaining inside the cell envelope of Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) is one of the major difficulties in antibacterial drug discovery and development. The eNTRy rules (N = ionizable nitrogen, T = low three-dimensionality, R = rigidity) can be a useful structural guideline to improve accumulation of small molecules in GNB. With the aim of unlocking Gram-negative activity, we added amines and (cyclic) -alkyl guanidines to an already flat and rigid pyrazole-amide class as a representative example for our investigation. To test their performance, we compared these eNTRy-rule-compliant compounds to closely related noncompliant ones through phenotypic screening of various pathogens (, , , , , , and ), obtaining a handful of broad-spectrum hits. The results support the working hypothesis and even extend its applicability. The studied pyrazole-amide class adheres to the eNTRy rules; noncompliant compounds do not kill any of the bacteria tested, while compliant compounds largely showed growth inhibition of Gram-negative, -positive, and bacteria in the single-digit micromolar range.