Sideromycins are antibiotics covalently attached to siderophores. They have been

Question

Sideromycins are antibiotics covalently attached to siderophores. They have been shown to lower the minimal inhibitory concentration of the antibiotic by more than 100-fold (i.e. you need 100x less antibiotic when it is attached to the siderophore as compared to just having the regular antibiotic). An example is Ferrimycin A, shown below, which consists of ferrioxamine B linked, via a bridging aminohydroxybenzoic acid, to an iminoester substituted lactam. Propose an explanation for why sideromycins are better at inhibiting bacterial growth than antibiotics that are not attached to siderophores. HN Ho HO CH H,N NH Ho HO O HO O NH N HO O Ha) (CH CH, NH NH N 0 CH,) 42

Explanation / Answer

Iron is an essential nutrient for life. During infection, a fierce battle of iron acquisition occurs between the host and bacterial pathogens. Siderophores are amongst the strongest soluble Fe3+ binding agents known. The siderophore function as it can trap Fe+3 and is essential for active transport of the antibiotic. This is called trojan horse approach. The Trojan horse approach (THA) relies on the iron-siderophore uptake system to deliver an antibiotic

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