Pathogen-associated lectins are considered to be attractive targets for the development of antiadhesive drugs. It is of great importance to design sugar-based derivatives able to selectively bind to specific pathogen-associated lectins with the aim of fighting bacterial infections without interfering with human lectins involved in physiological processes.
The stereoselective synthesis of the new fucose-based derivative 1, as the first example of glycomimetic selectively recognized by the fucose-binding lectin BambL from Burkholderia ambifaria is described.
Scientists in Italy report the first example of a synthetic ligand able to selectively bind, in the micromolar range, the pathogen-lectin BambL. BambL is a fucose-specific lectin from Burkholderia ambifaria, a bacterium member of the Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC), a closely related group of Gram-negative bacteria responsible for cepacia syndrome in immunocompromised patients.
The fucose-based mimetic is therefore a promising candidate for the development of antibacterial agents against infection by B. ambifaria.
Synthesis of a selective inhibitor of a fucose binding bacterial lectin from Burkholderia ambifaria
Barbara Richichi, A Imberty, Emilie Gillon, Rosa Bosco, Ieva Sutkeviciute, Franck Fieschi and Cristina Nativi
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2013, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C3OB40520F
