AUTHOR=Peran Jacquelyn E. , Salvador-Reyes Lilibeth A. 

TITLE=Modified oxylipins as inhibitors of biofilm formation in Staphylococcus epidermidis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1379643

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2024.1379643

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p>New approaches to combating microbial drug resistance are being sought, with the discovery of biofilm inhibitors considered as alternative arsenal for treating infections. Natural products have been at the forefront of antimicrobial discovery and serve as inspiration for the design of new antibiotics. We probed the potency, selectivity, and mechanism of anti-biofilm activity of modified oxylipins inspired by the marine natural product turneroic acid. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) evaluation revealed the importance of the <italic>trans-</italic>epoxide moiety, regardless of the position, for inhibiting biofilm formation. <italic>trans</italic>-12,13-epoxyoctadecanoic acid (<bold>1</bold>) and <italic>trans</italic>-9,10 epoxyoctadecanoic acid (<bold>4</bold>) selectively target the early stage of biofilm formation, with no effect on planktonic cells. These compounds interrupt the formation of a protective polysaccharide barrier by significantly upregulating the <italic>ica</italic> operon’s transcriptional repressor. This was corroborated by docking experiment with SarA and scanning electron micrographs showing reduced biofilm aggregates and the absence of thread-like structures of extrapolymeric substances. <italic>In silico</italic> evaluation revealed that <bold>1</bold> and <bold>4</bold> can interfere with the AgrA-mediated communication language in Staphylococci, typical to the diffusible signal factor (DSF) capacity of lipophilic chains.</p>