• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1994-1998
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• 2017

FtsZ, a bacterial cell-division protein, is an attractive antibacterial target. In the screening for an inhibitor of Staphylococcus aureus FtsZ, madurahydroxylactone (1) and its related derivatives 2-5 were isolated from Nonomuraea sp. AN100570. Compound 1 inhibited S. aureus FtsZ with an $IC_{50}$ of $53.4{\mu}M$ and showed potent antibacterial activity against S. aureus and MRSA with an MIC of $1{\mu}g/ml$, whereas 2-5 were weak or inactive. Importantly, 1 induced cell elongation in the cell division phenotype assay, whereas 2-5 did not. It indicates that 1 exhibits its potent antibacterial activity via inhibition of FtsZ, and the hydroxyl group and hydroxylactone ring of 1 are critical for the activity. Thus, madurahydroxylactone is a new type of inhibitor of FtsZ.