Howson, Suzanne E., Bolhuis, Albert, Brabec, Viktor, Clarkson, Guy J., Malina, Jaroslav, Rodger, Alison and Scott, Peter. (2011) Optically pure, water-stable metallo-helical ‘flexicate’ assemblies with antibiotic activity. Nature Chemistry, Vol.4 (No.1). pp. 31-36. ISSN 1755-4330

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

The helicates—chiral assemblies of two or more metal atoms linked by short or relatively rigid multidentate organic ligands—may be regarded as non-peptide mimetics of α-helices because they are of comparable size and have shown some relevant biological activity. Unfortunately, these beautiful helical compounds have remained difficult to use in the medicinal arena because they contain mixtures of isomers, cannot be optimized for specific purposes, are insoluble, or are too difficult to synthesize. Instead, we have now prepared thermodynamically stable single enantiomers of monometallic units connected by organic linkers. Our highly adaptable self-assembly approach enables the rapid preparation of ranges of water-stable, helicate-like compounds with high stereochemical purity. One such iron(II) ‘flexicate’ system exhibits specific interactions with DNA, promising antimicrobial activity against a Gram-positive bacterium (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA252), but also, unusually, a Gram-negative bacterium (Escherichia coli, MC4100), as well as low toxicity towards a non-mammalian model organism (Caenorhabditis elegans).

Item Type:	Journal Article
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Chemistry
Journal or Publication Title:	Nature Chemistry
Publisher:	Nature Publishing Group
ISSN:	1755-4330
Date:	2011
Volume:	Vol.4
Number:	No.1
Page Range:	pp. 31-36
Identification Number:	10.1038/nchem.1206
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/42227

Request changes to a record

Actions (login required)

View Item